Rep Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI): The Democratic Party Needs Change
Alabama is a deeply red state, but Democrats snagged their first Senate seat in two decades this week, when Doug Jones beat out former State Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore. But the highly controversial win is a sign that Democrats need to return to their core values, one congresswoman told Cheddar.
“[The Party] for years now has become more beholden to the elite powerful few and special interest, rather than actually representing the broad Democratic values that exist in the grassroots across the country,” Rep Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), told Cheddar.
Many politicians called constituents to go out and vote during this election, particularly because Moore was accused of predatory behavior with women and minors. Notwithstanding, during the elections President Donald Trump called on to constituents to go out and vote for Moore. Pundits also considered this election important because Republicans held the Senate majority with 52 seats, and this win gives Democrats some leverage ahead of elections in the coming year.
Gabbard, however, gives credit to the American people for Jones’ win and not the Democratic party.
“What you see are people saying my vote matters, my vote will make a difference,” she said.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/rep-tulsi-gabbard-d-hi-net-neutrality-decision-will-hurt-the-small-guy).
At a Wednesday news conference to mark his first year in office, President Joe Biden is admitting that the pandemic has exhausted and demoralized many Americans.
The Biden administration on Tuesday quietly launched its website for Americans to request free at-home COVID-19 tests, a day before the site was scheduled to officially launch.
Just 27% of voters aged 18-29 approve of the job Biden is doing as president, according to a survey from The Economist and YouGov late last year. Santiago Mayer, executive director of Voters of Tomorrow, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss why President Biden is losing support among young voters.
Jesse Lehrich, co-founder of Accountable Tech, joins Cheddar News to discuss it being one year since Trump was exiled from social media and the former President's new platform 'Truth Social.'
Cliff Albright, co-founder of the group Black Voters Matter, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss why he boycotted President Biden's voting rights speech this week, and the push from Senate Democrats to debate and vote on the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) has teamed up with fellow Democratic senator and former astronaut Mark Kelly to introduce the Ban Congressional Stock Trading Act, a bill to essentially end stock trading by sitting lawmakers. From the other side of the aisle, Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced his own legislation to enact something similar. The dueling bills come at a time when it's popular to constrain members of Congress from owning and trading stocks. Karl Evers-Hillstrom, a business and lobbying reporter at The Hill, spoke to Cheddar about the significance of the bills, and what they could mean for lawmakers, their families, and staffers moving forward.