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Sunday News: “Twisted” Putin “fixates on imaginary foes while terrorists attack Moscow”; Trump the “Paramilitary Candidate”; “The Morons [and Extremist Nutjobs] Are Circling Mike Johnson”; “Youngkin needs a crash course in racial literacy”

By
lowkell
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19

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, March 24.

Video: In New Ad, President Biden Slams Trump’s Attacks on Latino Community

By
Blue Virginia
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4

From President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign:

President Biden Slams Trump’s Attacks on Latino Community in New Ad

“Change” is the Second Latino-Focused Ad From Team Biden-Harris This Week

This weekend, Biden-Harris 2024 released its second Latino-focused ad this week alone, this time highlighting the President’s remarks in Arizona while launching Latinos con Biden-Harris, an organizing program designed to reach and mobilize Latino voters across the country to reelect President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Meanwhile, following Donald Trump’s weak February fundraising haul, he spent this week hunkered down at Mar-a-Lago, and desperately attempted to recycle an ad targeting Latinos from 2020.

“Change” highlights Trump’s history of anti-Latino rhetoric: calling Latinos “criminals,” “drug dealers,” and “rapists,” and even echoing the rhetoric of Nazi Germany, saying Latinos are “poisoning the blood” of the country. The ad also highlights President Biden’s commitment to Latinos and his core belief that immigrants and Latinos make the country stronger.

The new 30-second spot will begin airing today on digital platforms in Spanish and English as a part of Team Biden-Harris $30 million ad buy, targeting Latino audiences in battleground states, including Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Florida.

“Let’s call Trump’s words and actions what they are: anti-Latino, anti-immigrant, and anti-American,” said Biden-Harris 2024 Hispanic Media Director Maca Casado. “And if echoing Adolf Hitler to target our community wasn’t enough, he’s running to cut taxes for his ultra-wealthy friends, gut our health care, and make our communities less safe from gun violence. That’s the horrifying reality that makes the stakes higher than ever for Latinos this election, and we are proud to be running a campaign aggressively working to earn their votes every single day. President Biden knows diversity is our strength, and while Donald Trump recycles his cheap ad from 2020 to attempt to ‘win over’ Latinos, our community knows it’s Joe Biden who is really fighting for them and just how terrible a Trump presidency would be for our community.”

WATCH “CHANGE” HERE AND WITH SPANISH SUBTITLES HERE.

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Paid for by Biden for President

Sens. Mark Warner, Tim Kaine Applaud Congressional Passage of Second Bill Needed to Fully Fund Government

By
Blue Virginia
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2

From Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine:

WARNER & KAINE APPLAUD CONGRESSIONAL PASSAGE OF SECOND BILL NEEDED TO FULLY FUND GOVERNMENT

~ After five months of delays, Congress passes second bill, fully funding the government for fiscal year 2024 ~

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) applauded congressional passage of legislation to fund key parts of the government and avert a government shutdown. Today’s legislation funds major priorities across several federal departments, including the Departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security, among others. This $1.2 trillion legislation, in conjunction with the partial funding bill that passed on March 8, will fully fund the government for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024.

“It took six months of delays, but today Congress managed to fully fund the government for Fiscal Year 2024,” said Sen. Warner. “I’m glad to finally see this legislation through the finish line and I look forward to seeing these federal dollars advance community projects all around Virginia. With our most basic duty now fulfilled, Congress must immediately set its sights on delivering a national security supplemental that provides critically needed assistance to Ukraine in its fight against Russian authoritarianism. Failing to do so would be a grave mistake with decades-long ramifications.”

“It’s frustrating that it took us this long to get here, but I’m glad Congress finally came together in a bipartisan way to fund the government and avoid a painful shutdown,” said Sen. Kaine. “I’m proud that this legislation includes many of the critical Virginian priorities I fought for—from supporting access to affordable child care and securing a pay raise for our servicemembers, to protecting our communities from fentanyl and fostering economic growth. I’m also looking forward to seeing how the funding in this bill for 40 community projects across Virginia will enhance public safety, health care services, and educational opportunities in the Commonwealth.”

As part of the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations process, members of Congress were able to work with the communities they represent to request funding for local community projects, otherwise known as congressionally directed spending, in a manner that promotes transparency and accountability. This process allows Congress to dedicate federal funding for specific projects in Virginia.

Through strong advocacy, the Senators secured funding in the spending bills for the following projects in Virginia:

  • For projects in Northern Virginia, click here.
  • For projects in Central Virginia, click here.
  • For projects in Southwest Virginia and Southside, click here.
  • For projects in the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
  • For projects in Hampton Roads, click here.
  • For projects that impact communities in multiple regions across the Commonwealth, click here.

The Senators also secured funding in the previous FY24 partial government funding package for an additional 105 CDS projects that will improve transportation, upgrade water infrastructure, support health care, and more. In total, through the FY24 appropriations process, the Senators secured over $178 million dollars that will directly benefit 145 CDS projects across the Commonwealth.

In addition, the budget bills include funding for the following Warner and Kaine priorities:

Providing for Servicemembers: The bill provides a military pay raise of 5.2 percent – the largest military pay raise in two decades. It also boosts the Basic Allowance for Housing by 5.4 percent and the Basic Needs Allowance by 1.7 percent to ensure that servicemembers and their families can put food on the table and afford quality housing.

Addressing the Child Care Crisis: Following vocal advocacy by Kaine, the bill includes $8.75 billion for the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG), which is an increase of $725 million from FY23 and $12.27 billion for Head Start, which is an increase of $275 million from FY23.

Strengthening Virginia’s Shipbuilding and Repair Industries: Provides more than $33 billion for the procurement of eight Navy ships, including two Virginia-class fast attack submarines and one Columbia-class ballistic submarine. It also provides $155 million for multi-use and parking facilities at shipyards to improve quality of life for sailors, $350 million in surface shipyard workforce and infrastructure improvements, and $13.7 billion for ongoing ship depot maintenance.

Investing in the Wellbeing of Sailors: Provides an additional $20 million for the Navy’s suicide prevention and response efforts.

Delivering for Miners: Provides $12.2 million for Black Lung clinics, which serve coal miners with job-related coal mine dust lung disease. The legislation also directs the U.S. Department of Labor to report on their efforts to improve the speed and quality of processing Black Lung Benefits claims. Sens. Warner and Kaine have called for improvements to the Black Lung Benefits program.

Improving Rural Health Care: The legislation urges Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to extend its temporary Low Wage Index Hospital Policy. Sen. Warner has been a longtime advocate for extending this policy, which allows hospitals in rural areas to compete for, and retain, high-quality staff by increasing reimbursements to hospitals in rural areas with lower overall wages.

Supporting Community Health Centers: Provides $1.86 billion for Community Health Centers that provide critical health care to our most vulnerable communities.

Helping Find a Cure for Pediatric Cancers: Provides $12.6 million to fund childhood cancer research through the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act, named after a child from Loudoun County who died from brain cancer in 2013.

Addressing Long COVID: Provides $13.5 million to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to conduct research to address patient-centered care for people living with Long COVID. This funding stems from Kaine’s bipartisan bill, the Long COVID Support Act.

Rural Health: Provides $5 million to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office of Rural Health to address health care and rural health needs. Kaine cosponsored the Rural Health Equity Act to establish the office in 2021.

Modernizing Public Health Infrastructure: Provides $175 million to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to modernize America’s public health data systems.

Supporting domestic production of personal protective equipment: Includes $10 million to the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response to advance development and production of medical countermeasures.

Assisting Virginians in Crisis: Provides $519.6 million for the 988 Suicide Prevention Lifeline, an $18 million increase from FY23.

Supporting HBCUs and MSIs: Provides $908 million, an increase of $8 million over FY23 funding, to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs).

Securing the Southern Border: Includes $1.6 billion for border management needs, including Border Patrol processing facilities, transportation requirements, migrant medical needs, and other related support costs, as well as $495 million for additional Border Patrol agents.

Addressing the Opioid and Fentanyl Crisis: Includes $457 million for the Office of National Drug Control Policy, including $299 million for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program (HIDTA), which provides assistance to federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States.

Safeguarding our Nation’s Capitol: Provides $792 million to hire up to 2,204 sworn officers and 636 civilian members of the Capitol Police.

Relief for Vulnerable Borrowers: Includes language directing the Department of Education to provide a briefing on implementation of the Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act within 60 days of enactment. The legislation, authored and championed by Sen. Warner, provides much-needed relief for individuals who previously consolidated their student loan debt with a spouse and have no way of severing it, even in the event of domestic violence, economic abuse, or an unresponsive partner.

Expanding Economic Opportunity in Vulnerable Communities: Includes $324 million for the CDFI Fund, which serves mission-driven financial institutions that take a market-based approach to supporting economically disadvantaged communities. Sen. Warner, a former entrepreneur and co-chair of the Senate CDFI Caucus, has been a longtime champion in Congress for expanding access to capital. To combat the loss of economic opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sen. Warner authored legislation to make a record $12 billion investment in CDFIs and Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) andsuccessfully fought to include it in the December 2021 COVID-19 relief package.

Restoring American Semiconductor Manufacturing: Includes $100 million, as specified in Sen. Warner’s CHIPS for America Act, for the Department of State’s International Technology Security and Innovation Fund to support the responsible and secure development of semiconductors, telecommunications, and other emerging technologies and their supply chains. Also includes $400 million for the America Defense Fund, as specified within the CHIPS for America Act, to advance defense priorities related to semiconductor manufacturing.

Staying on the Forefront of AI: Includes more than $1.9 billion to advance the Department of Defense’s adoption of artificial intelligence, including $10 million to accelerate the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer’s investments in autonomy.

Keeping our Commitment to our Afghan Allies: Supports an additional 12,000 Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans who risked their lives to support the U.S. during the war in Afghanistan.

Bolstering Global Deterrence: Doubles security cooperation funding for Taiwan up to $108 million, provides $300 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), and provides $228 million in support of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania through the Baltic Security Initiative.

Humanitarian Assistance: Includes $8.7 billion in humanitarian assistance to address historic levels of global displacement and broader impacts from Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Building a More Resilient Cyber Infrastructure: Includes $2.9 billion for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) for operations and support; procurement, construction, and improvements; and research and development.

Saturday News: ISIS Affiliate Claims Responsibility for Moscow Attack; Senate Passes $1.2 Trillion Funding Package; Trump Goes with “Dark Rhetoric, Vows to Help Jan. 6 ‘Hostages”; WaPo FINALLY Covers Youngkin’s Pick of Anti-Abortion Extremist to State Board of Health

By
lowkell
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17

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, March 23.

Audio: VA Del. Paul Krizek Says Youngkin Not “Adroit” at Negotiations, Doesn’t Understand How General Assembly Works, “going about this all the wrong way”; “We’ve got to get a…Democratic Governor”

By
lowkell
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4

Earlier this afternoon on WAMU’s “The Politics Hour” with Kojo Nnamdi and Tom Sherwood, VA Del. Paul Krizek (D-Fairfax) – a member of the House Appropriations Committee  – had some interesting things to say about Glenn Youngkin (including the possibility Youngkin might veto the entire budget, which would be “unprecedented”), the proposed Potomac Yard arena deal, setting up a cannabis marketplace, “skills games,” etc. Check out the audio, below, as well as the following highlights:

  • “At the very least if [Ted Leonsis is] willing to break a lease in DC –  and our financing is predicated on his long-term lease in  Virginia, you know, for the bond financing – and he’s willing to do that, then that doesn’t bode well for for the deal or for Virginia. And of course, he’s now got to negotiate with DC to get out of this deal which, is going to…cost some money obviously, and then…we’ve got to negotiate with him…I mean, the governor’s frankly…been a bit obsessed with this; it’s his number one priority.”
  • “I don’t think [Youngkin] understands the dynamics of the way the General Assembly works; he’s probably not used to having a board of directors of 140 delegates and senators…I think he’s going about this all the wrong way…from the very get-go, from the beginning…he has not been very good at…not been adroit at any kind of negotiation…I would like to see him hold a public a public hearing in Alexandria; let’s hear from the people who are going to be directly affected.”
  • “I’m pretty convinced that…there’s not much he can do to make this a good deal…You just mentioned the fact that [Ted Leonsis is] willing to violate the lease in in DC…The traffic down there is going to be much worse, you only have one Metro track going through there, you don’t have the intersection you have in Chinatown, with you can walk from a number of different Metro stations there – in Alexandria you can only…get there from one…Again, like I said, we don’t see this as economic development for the region, because you’re just kind of robbing Peter to pay Paul, you’re moving the development from Chinatown to Alexandria…it’s just a redistribution – the same workers, the same everything, and it’s just in a worse place.”
  • “[Youngkin vetoing the entire budget] would be unprecedented, frankly it’s never happened that I’m aware of and certainly in my nine years in the General Assembly it’s not happened…This is a bipartisan budget…we worked across the aisle; there’s things in this budget for…the entire Commonwealth – a historic investment in public schools, brings down the cost of living, improves access to health care, and it really creates opportunities for families to thrive across the Commonwealth…For him to veto the entire budget based on this one $2 billion deal that he’s been working on…It would really be unprecedented…our constitution says we must have a balanced budget, we must have that budget done by July 1st, which is the fiscal year.”
  • “…we have a $3 billion illicit market [for marijuana]…all over Virginia, you can buy it illegally, and you’ve got to remember drug dealers aren’t IDing for age verification, they’re not checking products in a lab for purity or potency, they’re not accurately labeling them, they don’t use childproof packaging…[the bill] should stand on its own merits, it  shouldn’t be a part of any arena deal, but unfortunately it looks like it may be…the idea is obviously to get rid of the black market and also to recognize the high price paid by the
    Black communities and the war on marijuana use…We estimate that by the third year, there would be a billion dollars of revenue…for retail sales...[Youngkin] said a cannabis store on every corner, which this bill does not do at all, this bill does the opposite in fact, it gives out 350 licenses, which is less than what you see, I think we have over 400 ABC stores in Virginia…and you don’t see them on every street corner…We’re just going…keep coming back two more years…We’ve got to get a…Democratic Governor and that’s what we’re going to keep fighting for.”
  • “So far, [Youngkin] has 91 vetoes, the record is 120 – he already has the record for his four-year term and he still has another year to go…I’m hoping that he will take the bill that I passed, I had a substitute that we laid over the original skills game bill…a lot more things in it that would make it a safer…”
  • “That’s certainly a possibility [that Youngkin could run against Mark Warner in 2026]; I think he’s trying to angle for Vice President with Trump right now.”
  • “Normally with big public works projects, we have years of
    public engagement, you get to have public hearings and this is I think one of the reasons these kinds of big deals get this blowback from the community is because the community is not involved in it…That’s why I’d like to see the governor come and hold a public form in Alexandria, but…that’s not going to happen.”

On the 14th Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, Jen Kiggans Continues Reckless Crusade To Wipe Away Health Care From Millions Of Americans

By
Blue Virginia
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1

From the DCCC:

On the 14th Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, Jen Kiggans Continues Reckless Crusade To Wipe Away Health Care From Millions Of Americans

Fourteen years after the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Jen Kiggans and House Republicans continue to follow Donald Trump’s dangerous calls to “terminate” coverage for 396,041 Virginians, including some of the 1,349,000 with pre-existing conditions who would likely be denied coverage without the ACA’s protections.

Recent polling shows that nearly 60% of voters support the ACA. Half of all Americans want Congress to expand the ACA, not repeal or replace it.

The majority of the House Republican conference, via their continued support of the Republican Study Committee, support a plan to gut the ACA and privatize Medicare. Repealing the ACA could take away coverage from 40 million people enrolled through the open market and more than 50 million Americans with previously declinable pre-existing conditions.

Jen Kiggans, Donald Trump, and House Republicans cannot be trusted with Americans’ health care.

DCCC Spokesperson Lauryn Fanguen:
“For 14 years, millions of Americans have had access to quality health care thanks to the Affordable Care Act. Jen Kiggans and House Republicans are fixated on repealing this law, putting hundreds of thousands of Virginians, including those with pre-existing conditions, at risk of being denied coverage on Donald Trump’s orders. Kiggans’ failure to stand up for Virginians once again will cost her at the ballot box.”
Jen Kiggans And Donald Trump Poised To Unveil Nationwide Abortion Ban

By gleefully endorsing Donald Trump, Jen Kiggans is joining the former President’s effort to ban abortion nationwide and disregarding the decades-long standard of Roe v. Wade. 

Trump previewed his plan to ban abortion nationwide in a radio interview on Tuesday.

Jen Kiggans has already built her own record of anti-choice extremism. She:

  • Voted to take away resources from active duty servicemembers forced to travel out-of-state to get an abortion.
  • Voted for MAGA Mike Johnson, who wants to ban abortion nationwide without exceptions for rape, incest, or the life of a woman.
  • Called abortion a “shiny object” and compared having an abortion to getting a “nose job.”

Let’s be clear: Donald Trump is the leader of the House Republican Conference, and every so-called moderate, including Jen Kiggans, who tries to duck and dodge questions about their position on reproductive freedom will bend the knee and do whatever Donald Trump tells them to.

DCCC Spokesperson Lauryn Fanguen:
“Jen Kiggans’ enthusiastic endorsement of Donald Trump is a reminder that she will fall in line behind his dangerous extremism, and will be a rubber-stamp for his nationwide abortion ban.”

New Ad from Team Biden-Harris Illustrates Donald Trump’s Promise to “Terminate” Health Care for Millions

By
Blue Virginia
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2

From President Biden’s reelection campaign:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2024

New Ad from Team Biden-Harris Illustrates Donald Trump’s Promise to “Terminate” Health Care for Millions

Millions of Americans Could Lose Their Health Insurance If Trump is Reelected

Ahead of tomorrow’s anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Team Biden-Harris released “Flatline”, a new digital ad hitting Donald Trump for his repeated promises to repeal the landmark law. The spot underscores the tragic consequences that would result from Trump’s commitment to “terminate” the life saving legislation.

Starting tomorrow on the anniversary of the passage of the ACA, “Flatline” will run on digital platforms including Meta, YouTube, and connected TV in English and Spanish across our battleground states.

As president, Trump was just one vote away from repealing the ACA. Now, he’s doubling down, promising to “terminate” the law. If Trump gets his way, he would:

That’s Trump’s health care plan – taking away coverage, driving up health care costs, and making Americans’ lives worse.

WATCH “Flatline” HERE.

Earlier this morning, President Biden released the following statement in response to Trump’s attacks on the Affordable Care Act:

“The Affordable Care Act is without a doubt, the most consequential piece of health care legislation in decades, providing millions of Americans with the freedom and security to live the life they want without the fear that one accident or illness will bankrupt them and their families.

“When I ran for president in 2020, I promised the American people that I would protect the Affordable Care Act from partisan attacks and build on it. That’s exactly what I’ve done: getting more people affordable health insurance, lowering prescription drug prices, and giving families more breathing room. Now more Americans have affordable health insurance than ever before, premiums are down, and enrollment is at an all-time high. We took on Big Pharma – and won, capping insulin at just $35 per month and out-of-pocket prescription costs at $2,000 per year for seniors.

“We can’t take this progress for granted. Extreme MAGA Republicans have voted over 50 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Just this week, Trump’s allies in the House proposed a budget that would gut this life-saving legislation. Donald Trump was just one vote away from getting it done the last time he was in power. Now, he’s determined to try again, running to ‘terminate’ it – and to cut Medicare and Social Security while he’s at it.

“Trump wants to take us back to a time when health insurance companies could deny coverage to Americans with heart disease or diabetes or asthma. When you couldn’t leave a dead-end job because you couldn’t risk losing your health insurance. When a 22-year-old kid could be kicked off his parents’ plan because he graduated from college. When insurance companies could cut people off halfway through chemo because they’d reached the limit of what they were willing to pay. I won’t let that happen.

“I am fighting to build on our progress, not take us backwards. Let’s lower more prescription drug costs, cap insulin costs for everyone, and expand health care coverage so more people can get the care they deserve. It’s not hyperbole to say that affordable health care for millions of people is on the line in November. I am more determined than ever to beat back MAGA Republican attacks and make health care a right and not a privilege in America. I know that we will.”

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Paid for by Biden for President

In Vetoing Probation Reform Aimed at Reducing Recidivism, Youngkin “has ignored Virginia’s values of compassion and second chances.”

By
Blue Virginia
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2

From Del. Katrina Callsen (D-Charlottesville) and State Sen. Barbara Favola (D-Arlington):

Friday News: “Blinken in Israel as US supports call for immediate Gaza ceasefire”; “Biden Jokes About Donald Trump’s Debt Problems: ‘I Can’t Help You'”; “Top Democrats tell Gov. Youngkin they can’t negotiate while he makes ‘backwards budget’ tour”

By
lowkell
-
27

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, March 22.

NEW AD: Trump Wants to Talk About “Four Years Ago,” So Let’s Talk About It

By
Blue Virginia
-
7

From President Joe Biden reelection campaign:

NEW AD: Trump Wants to Talk About ‘Four Years Ago,’ So Let’s Talk About It

Donald Trump and his campaign keep asking voters, “Are you better off than you were four years ago.” The short answer? Yes.

Today, Team Biden-Harris released a new ad, reminding voters about what their lives actually looked like four years ago: March Madness canceled, stockpiling toilet paper, businesses shut down, proms called off, as thousands of loved ones passed every single day.

WATCH HERE:

Trump wants to talk about ‘four years ago?’ Let’s talk about it:

  • In 2020, U.S. life expectancy fell by nearly two years — the largest one-year drop since World War II.
  • Nearly 10 million Americans lost their jobs, almost doubling the number during the 2009 economic crisis.
  • 2020 saw Black and Hispanic unemployment skyrocket to nearly 10%.
  • Under Trump’s watch, poverty spiked to 3.2 million more Americans than the year before.
  • An estimated 9.4 million small businesses shuttered.
  • And U.S. manufacturing hit a historic low.

Biden-Harris 2024 Spokesperson Ammar Moussa released the following statement:

“Let’s talk about four years ago: under Trump’s egregious mismanagement, hundreds of thousands of Americans died who didn’t have to, crime shot up, our economy crashed, he fomented violence in the streets, and he even told us to inject ourselves with bleach.

“Americans remember March Madness, proms, weddings, and celebrations being canceled, waiting in line for toilet paper and essentials, businesses shutting down, and losing loved ones – all because Trump failed to prepare for and then couldn’t lead when we needed him the most.

“The only thing to happen four years ago to make Americans’ lives better was Donald Trump losing to Joe Biden.”

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