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THREAD: So...Newsom appointed @AlexPadilla4CA to be our next Senator.
We were part of a campaign pushing for a progressive appointment. Part of that campaign was sending prospective candidates questionnaires, and Padilla (well, a surrogate), filled his out
Here's what we got:
We were part of a campaign pushing for a progressive appointment. Part of that campaign was sending prospective candidates questionnaires, and Padilla (well, a surrogate), filled his out
Here's what we got:
Padilla claims to support decisive climate policy such as #GND2030, banning fracking, ending development of the fossil fuel infrastructure, and direct emission regulation. Padilla views climate change as âan existential crisisâ.
What did @AlexPadilla4CA say on voting rights? Priorities include: a constitutional amendment to overturn #CitizensUnited, reinstating the #VRA, banning photo ID laws as well as dramatically expanding early/vote by mail options.
This is where it starts to get less fun. Our new Senator claims to believe housing is a human right, but he didnât explicitly sign on to the Homes Guarantee and doesnât support mass rent cancellation. 
That being said, he does support a national moratorium on evictions during COVID-19 (bare minimum but sure) #CancelRent
@AlexPadilla4CA is not super far off most Congressional Dems on immigration issues. He wants to create a path to citizenship and a less militarized border, however doesnât believe in Abolishing ICE or dismantling our carceral immigration system. #abolishICE
Same vibe on criminal justice issues. Weâre getting a lot of talk around ending mass incarceration and large scale police demilitarization. While encouraging, it's just not anywhere close to enough.
@AlexPadilla4CA does not support abolition or even #DefundThePolice . You canât reform a system that is working exactly as it's meant to. We need to dramatically reimagine public safety and community wellbeing. 
Well here is a surprise. Sen. Padilla supports Medicare for All, universal childcare/pre-K and taking on Big Pharma. In the CA State Senate, Padilla killed #M4All so we are keeping a close eye on him here. 
https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Alex-Padilla-Medicare-for-All-Green-New-Deal-15822313.php
https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Alex-Padilla-Medicare-for-All-Green-New-Deal-15822313.php
He also wants to eliminate all student loan debt and supports tuition free college except for more affluent students (so close, @AlexPadilla4CA . You are almost there)
If education is a human right, then it has to be free of charge to every single person. #CancelStudentLoans
If education is a human right, then it has to be free of charge to every single person. #CancelStudentLoans
We hope that @AlexPadilla4CA follows through on his promises to support a $15 minimum wage, stronger labor organizing protections and (of course) taxing the rich 
This is a great article by @GrimKim on some strong steps Washington can take: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/unions-joe-biden-labor-movement
This is a great article by @GrimKim on some strong steps Washington can take: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/unions-joe-biden-labor-movement
Last but not least, foreign policy: tbh his answer seem like the nice language weâve heard before from our leaders right before they keep terrorizing the world. So, weâre not holding our breaths BUT he does seem to want to move away from forever wars and an end to the #AUMF.
We donât know how he hopes to accomplish this while supporting drone strikes, and opposing divesting from the military. But again, weâll see.
In conclusion, Padilla was not the most qualified, the most progressive, or the most centrist of the considerations. He was the closest to Gov. Newsom, and maybe thatâs really what it came down to.
Weâre skeptical, but weâre not hopeless. @AlexPadilla4CA , you have two years to prove that youâre the progressive champion we didnât know you could be.
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In the meantime...weâll hold âKhanna 2022â in our back pockets.
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In the meantime...weâll hold âKhanna 2022â in our back pockets.
