Danica Roem is all of the Monday Motivation that You Need
Delegate-elect Danica Roem is just a few weeks away from being sworn in to the Virginia House of Delegates, which will make her the first openly-transgender person to serve in any state legislature in the country. She says she was able to win her seat by being “unabashedly” herself, having a strong team, and sticking to core issues.
“Be who you are and be that well,” Roem said. “Champion the things that are near and dear to you, and go win.”
Roem, a Democrat, expressed concerns about the Republican tax plan, specifically its impact on state and local tax deductions. She says that if SALT deductions go away, people will now have to pay an extra tax to the government. She encourages constituents to organize and to read the GOP’s Tax Bill once it’s out. Roem told Cheddar that if the bill is “as bad as we anticipate,” the people need to “raise hell and win.”
“There’s so many issues that directly affect people’s lives, and also affect our localities’ ability to raise money, and affect the state government’s ability to raise money, ” she said.
Still, Roem says that she will be seeking out support from Republican counterparts and from Republican voters alike. While she foresees disagreement over topics like medicaid expansion, she does hope to be able to work with Republicans to impact other legislations, such as infrastructure issues.
For full interview [click here.] (https://cheddar.com/videos/danica-roems-advice-for-anyone-who-wants-to-make-a-difference)
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Jessica Mason Pieklo, senior vice president and executive editor of the Rewired News Group and co-host of the podcast. "Boom! Lawyered," joins Cheddar Politics to discuss Justice Stephen Breyer's retirement, legacy and potential replacement on the Supreme Court.
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Stephanie Vanderslice, a creative writing professor paying off debt through the Parent Plus program, and Mike Pierce, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center, join Cheddar Politics to discuss.
2022 was already going to be a big year for the Supreme Court. We have decisions on major issues like abortion and gun rights on the way. Then, Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement and that set up a major confirmation fight for later this year. Amy Howe, co-founder of SCOTUSblog, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss.
The Labor Department released a better-than-expected report of 467,000 jobs added in January. Heather Boushey, Council of Economic Advisers Member for President Biden, joined Cheddar to tout the administration's handling of the economy amid the pandemic and the upward revisions for the previous month. "It also shows that, because of the revisions, the economy was stronger over the past couple of months," she said. "I don't think that this can be said enough, but economic forecasting during an historic pandemic is extremely difficult." Boushey also addressed issues involving wage growth versus the rapid rise of inflation.
The Labor Department's January jobs report showed 467,000 jobs were added, compared to the 150,000 that were projected, a sign that employment is continuign to return to pre-pandemic levels. Lindsey Piegza, chief economist at investment bank Stifel, joined Cheddar to break down the report, noting the big gains but adding a note of caution. "Remember, even with this morning's stellar report, we're still millions below that level that we had reached prior to the onset of COVID-19," she said." Yes, we are recapturing jobs. We still have further ground that needs to be made before we can talk about reaching that previous peak." Piegza also discussed the role of the Federal Reserve going forward as the employment figures turn more positive.
As President Biden's poll numbers fall with Black voters, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass. 7th District) joined Cheddar to discuss what she feels could help the embattled administration: deliver on policies. Pressley pointed to stalled legislation such as new voting rights laws and Build Back Betters and canceling student loan debt, which would go a long way to improving his standing with Black constituents. "President Biden has the authority and the power to alleviate this burden, which would also help in closing the racial wealth gap, and he can do it by executive action with the stroke of a pen," she said. "And it doesn't require one vote from Congress. So, the Biden administration just needs to deliver to Black America in a tangible and impactful way."
