Indiana Democratic Party 2-4-17 Weekly Radio Address Podcast

Chairman John Zody and the Indiana Democratic Party 2-4-17 weekly radio address:

“At the Indiana Statehouse, Republicans continue to advance a politically-motivated agenda while ducking issues that matter most to Hoosier families.”

TRANSCRIPT:

This is Chairman John Zody, bringing you the weekly podcast for the Indiana Democratic Party.

Well, we thought the divisiveness and disarray of the Trump-Pence Administration’s first week couldn’t be topped. We were wrong.

From threatening US allies to trampling basic tenets of the Constitution, the Trump-Pence Administration picked up where they left off.

Following the issue of an Executive Order that purportedly banned Muslims from several countries from entering the United States, tens of thousands of Americans took to airports across the country to protest.

Indiana was no different. Hoosiers poured into Indianapolis International Airport to peacefully lodge their disagreement. Both United States Senator Joe Donnelly and Congressmen Andre Carson joined them, agreeing the order goes against basic American values and vowed to fight it.

And it didn’t stop there. This week, two Republican Senators went on record saying they would not support Trump’s controversial pick for Secretary of Education – billionaire Betsy DeVos – as a result of the thousands of calls they had received from constituents.

This week reinforced what we saw last. We are fighting back. We are making it very clear that we are watching and won’t forget, and that participatory energy is exciting.

And it’s needed. Because it’s clear Trump and his cronies’ grasp on international diplomacy is…limited. In leaked print-outs, Trump threatened to invade Mexico and picked a fight with Australia’s Prime Minster. Why? Good question.

Senate Democrats continue to ask the tough questions of Trump’s Cabinet picks. Senator Donnelly announced he would not support Trump’s pick for Attorney General, Senator Jeff Sessions – fearing that Senator Sessions would not be able to execute his duties overseeing the Justice Department.

The divisiveness isn’t limited to the White House. At the Indiana Statehouse, Republicans continue to advance a politically-motivated agenda while ducking issues that matter most to Hoosier families. In a nearly party-line vote, House Republicans removed Indianapolis residents’ right to vote for Marion County judges. In 87 other counties, Hoosiers select their judges. House Democrats fear the move was political in nature.

Nearly everyone agrees expanding access to early childhood education is critical for Hoosier 4-year-olds. Indiana Democrats have led the way on the issue by offering ideas to get it done for more than a decade. This week, House Republicans needlessly injected controversy by advancing legislation tying Indiana’s controversial private school voucher program to the expansion of preschool offerings.

And still nothing from Governor Holcomb or Statehouse Republicans on how they intend to raise Hoosier wages. In fact, Indiana was ranked nearly dead last when it comes to the overall well-being of its residents according to a recent Gallup-Healthways report.

Please follow the IDP on Facebook and Twitter. Simply search INDems – that’s I-N-D-E-M-S on Facebook and Twitter, and follow us to get the latest news about our candidates and what we’re doing to hold our counterparts at the Statehouse and in Washington accountable.

And please remember that February is Black History Month. Find out what’s going on in your local community to celebrate this important part of our history.

Thank you for listening.

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