AIPAC vs. Jamaal Bowman: Rep. Ayanna Pressley on Pro-Israel Lobby Challenge to "The Squad"

as temperature soared this weekend a hotly contested election Drew people to a get out the vote rally in the Bronx for Democratic Congress member Jamal Bowman who's facing the most expensive primary race in US history in New York's 16th congressional district the primary is Tuesday the race is making clear the powerful role of APAC the American Israel public affairs Committee in Democratic primary Politics the group super pack is spending up to $177,000 an hour in its attempt to crush Bowman and be the first to unseat a member of the progressive Squad in Congress Congress member Bowman is a former Bronx Middle School principal one of the first to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and Congress in October his Challenger is former corporate executive George ladimer who is encouraged to run by the Democratic majority for Israel pack outside spending in the race is top $23 million much of it from pro-israel groups like APAC and its Super PAC called the United democracy project which has spent $4.5 million alone on this race so far Squad member and fellow New York Congress member Alexandra kazio Cortez was among the headliners supporting Bowman on Saturday at a rally in the Bronx and I want to tell you why he's under attack we do have his bag don't we he is under absolute attack not just from these big lobbies and not just from big money but from the underlying forces that have been trying to decimate our community for decades for decades he is being primaried by racism he is being primaried by greed he is being primaried by Corruption of our politics and we cannot let them win that was New York Congressman for Alexandria kazio corz speaking at Saturday's get out the vote rally for her fellow Squad member as they're called uh Jamal Bowman Congress member um from Westchester she was joined by independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont district 16 Bronx New York most important in American history really yes really because this election is not about Jamal versus Mr ladimer this election is about whether or not the billionaire class and the oligarchs will control the United States government and our view is no they won't Saturday's rally drew a counter protest from the pro Palestinian group within our lifetime against Senator Sanders and Congress member uh Alexander kazio Cortez for their endorsement they said of President Biden and his ongoing support for Israel's war on Gaza during the rally Congress member Bowman did not back down from support for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza AP is scared to death that is why they are spending record amounts of money in this race cuz they are afraid they have already lost because the district the American people and the world are with [Applause] us they are in this race because we call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and we going to keep calling for a permanent ceasefire ceasefire next she fire now fire now fire Congress member Bowman is running against Westchester County Executive George ladimer for more we're joined by Bowman's colleague congressmember aanna Presley of Massachusetts who's in New York to campaign in Bowman's District ahead of the primary election tomorrow welcome back to democracy Now Congress member Presley if you can talk about this history making race every record is being Shattered by APAC and other Allied groups there superpac up to $177,000 an hour is being spent in this single primary race can you talk about what's happening well honestly I think it is a testament uh to the impact of Jamal Bowman uh and the and the impact and The Growing Power uh and influence of a multi-generational multi-racial um Progressive Movement uh in this country so this is a backlash uh Jamal Bowman has taken many strong uh Progressive stances informed by uh his uh his morals informed by uh his belief that we are one human family and that our Destinies are truly tied our Destinies are tied from Massachusetts to New York from Gaza to Haiti Jamal Bowman is an incredible educator Advocate an effective legislator a valued member of our Democratic caucus and um you know I'm here because a organized people always beats organized money and we are not new I mean look at the victory that we were we made possible in Pennsylvania organized people always beats organized money and uh this effort to attempt to buy this seat and to silence uh Jamal Bowman and this broader uh Progressive Movement of which he is a leader in um we won't stand for it and I've been here um since yesterday I I was in uh Faith houses uh festivals small businesses I was very heartened by the momentum and the number of people that I met who were very clear about what's at stake here many of them had already uh voted early they know that Jamal Bowman is the pro peace Pro Humanity pro- Justice candidate they know that Jamal Bowman is the only only one um advocating and doing the work of peace from New York 16th all the way uh to to Palestine uh in in and understands the trauma of State sanctioned Violence by militarized uh police force here and wants to make sure that family's impacted by the Public Health crisis and epidemic that is gun violence that they get the trauma supports and the healing that they need that our young people have trauma-informed learning communities and access to School nurses and social workers and guidance counselors restorative justice to disrupt the school to prison pipeline this is who I went to when there was a shortage of baby formula as a as a father um as as a family man Jamal sees every child every child is his own he sees every family as every person as a member of his family because he understands that we are one human family and our freedoms and our Destinies are tied we worked together in fighting for uh for paid leave uh for uh rail workers um you know SI time Le for rail workers this this he is proven for workers rights for climate Justice you know for for clean air for drinkable water so uh this backlash this is commiserate to the impact that this Unapologetic black man this truth teller this educator this Advocate this this effective legislator this is a testament to the impact that he's had and is in response to the principal stances that he is taken which by the way are in alignment with New York 16 so on the ground I'm seeing that people are very clear about what is at stake yesterday we did a um a squad uh phone bank uh with hundreds of people from around the country all eyes are on New York 16 I wanted to read you something from the New York Times Congress member Presley they say Mr Bowman accused Mr ladimer of racism after Mr ladimer claimed that Mr Bowman does not mention people who are not black or Brown and suggested Mr Bowman was more interested in representing San Francisco or Dearborn Michigan a predominantly Arab American city than his own District Mr Bowman called the remark and an islamophobic dog whistle your response Congress member Presley well these are predictable plays from old handbooks um you know what can I again it's it's it's it's deeply offensive um these are are not just dog whistles they're they're bullhorns um but it's nothing new you know these are predictable plays from an old handbook and we just have our head down just we're going to continue to organize uh continue to make the case and to remind people that Jamal Bowman was decisively sent to congress with a mandate by the people and he has simply made good on that mandate Jamal Bowman fights for all of the people and I'll just say this as someone uh who also is a congressional first the first person of color um to represent the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the house of represent atives um they only put charges of um identity politics um on on women and candidates of color um Jamal Bowman is fighting for everyone yes does he bring his lived experience as a black man in America um as an educator as a parent to this work of course he represents multiple identities and he fights for everyone I believe the people closest to the pain should be the closest to the power driving and informing the policymaking Jamal Bowman uh has been proximate to the pain and he has brought that pain and that perspective and that of everyone in New York 16 with him to Washington and and served and and kept his word uh with the Mandate that this District sent him to so he has been uh decisively and dually elected we're going to do everything to ensure that we send him back again his voice is sorely needed and what I love about Jamal is you know in the process of legislating and governing it is very easy to forget the plot the plot is the people Jamal PA Bowman has never forgotten the people and when I was on the ground yesterday you heard that everywhere you heard that everywhere they're grateful for his visibility they are grateful for uh his truthtellah determine who's elected the who's elected determines the policies and the policies determine everything the policies determine who lives who dies who survives who thrives I wanted to go backman I wanted to go back to Saturday's get out the vote rally uh for congress member Bowman this is independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Jamal also understands that what's going on in Gaza today is totally [Music] unacceptable Israel had the right to defend itself against the terrorist attack but it does not have the right to go to war against the entire Palestinian people it does not have the right to destroy what damage 70% of the housing in Gaza virtually the entire Health Care system today in Gaza Pig kids have no electricity and what's going on right now because of the the blockage of humanitarian Aid thousands and thousands of children are dealing with malnutrition and face starvation that is not what the American people want that is not what Democrats want there's got to be a ceasefire now there's got to be humanitarian Aid coming in hostages must be free and we need peace in that area a two-state solution congressman Presley your comments and also the fact that although it's APAC that is funding this their Super PAC this massive money campaign against Jamal Bowman um they are not in their ads largely raising the issue of Israel Palestine at all they're more focused on domestic issues here well again um Jamal Bowman is I guess audacious enough uh to call for peace and to recognize that we need a permanent ceasefire because we cannot bomb our way to peace and again he sees every child as his own and as a parent um when you when you think about the reporting that you offered earlier about the devastating numbers of children children thousands of children innocent children uh who have been murdered it is devastating the fact that they have S you know wounded children no surviving family you know is is in and of itself an Abomination our Destinies are tied Jamal Bowman is recognizing that and committed to peace committed to our Collective and Humanity our shared Liberation and our justice but I do want to say this I I'm I think that has gotten enough oxygen I'm not focused on how much money anybody's spending I'm focused on what Jamal Bowman is focused on which is how many people don't have enough money to pay their bills how many people can afford housing how many parents uh worry about if their child will uh have access to um an equitable and quality education if they'll be safe at school if they can grow up one day and and purchase a home in the community that they were raised in um you know these are the things that Jamal Bowman is focused on and he recognizes that our Destinies are tied from Gaza to Haiti from Massachusetts to New York so he is doing the work leading with love and censuring the people our shared humanity and our Collective freedoms because our Destinies are truly tied which brings us needs to be decisively returned

Channel: Democracy Now!

Views: 1,665

Keywords: Democracy Now, Amy Goodman, News, Politics, democracynow, Independent Media, Breaking News, World News

Id: tAZjjJBCw3o

Length: 14min 56sec (896 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 24 2024