STRICKLAND DISCUSSES DISCRIMINATION IN TENNESSEE LAWMAKER EXPULSIONS, THE PUSH TO RESTORE BAH FOR SERVICEMEMBERS, AND THE UPHILL BATTLE FOR COMMON SENSE GUN LEGISLATION
Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) joined Reverend Al Sharpton on MSNBC’s ‘PoliticsNation with Al Sharpton’ to discuss Vice President Harris’ keynote address at the 2023 National Action Network convention, 2024 GOP Presidential hopefuls pledging support for gun ownership at the NRA convention, Senate Democrats calling on the DOJ to investigate the expulsion of Tennessee legislators, and Strickland’s BAH Restoration Act to address housing concerns for our nation’s servicemembers. Below are Rep. Strickland’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:
Reverend Al Sharpton, Civil Rights Activist and PoliticsNation Host: Joining me now, Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland, Democrat of Washington State. Congresswoman, we appreciate you joining us this evening on the show and on the last night of my convention here in New York. You just heard some of the Vice President’s message to the mostly black audience. Huge turnout yesterday here. In my intro her keynotes two main thoughts: the pervasive threat of gun violence and voter suppression in America and from that the disproportionate impact on black voters please take a listen.
Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States (video clip): Let’s reject the false choices some are pushing. To suggest that you’re either in favor of upholding the Second Amendment, or you’re in favor of passing reasonable gun safety laws. Let us reject that false choice. We’re not falling for the okey-doke…For everyone watching, please be clear. The voices of students, parents, teachers, and preachers will not be silenced, and these voices must be heard.
Sharpton: Congresswoman, your thoughts on the Vice President’s message and her concerns. So, what was the Vice President’s message on gun control at my NAN (National Action Network) convention yesterday? At the same time, most of the current crop of Republicans seeking or expected to seek were speaking, but first I want your views on what you heard the Vice President say at the NAN convention.
Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland: Thank you for having me on Reverend Sharpton. The Vice President was brilliant, truthful, and passionate. And she spoke the truth about gun violence in this country. There are the high profile mass shootings that we see, and there’s the gun violence that takes place every single day. And she really emphasized the fact that most people, the majority of people in America, support common sense gun laws. There is no reason for anyone to own an assault weapon who is a civilian. With that she also made a very strong contrast between the extremist GOP and what Democrats are trying to do. [The extremist GOP] are trying to erode our rights at every turn. Whether it’s voting rights, whether it’s freedom of speech on the House floor, the Tennessee legislature, and now dealing with guns. Popular opinion is on our side as Democrats. Passing common sense gun legislation should not be this hard in the United States, but with the Republican majority in the House it’s going to be an uphill battle.
Sharpton: Now, that was the Vice President’s message on gun control at NAN’s convention yesterday. But at the same time, most of the current crop of Republicans seeking or expected to seek the Oval Office next year were in Indianapolis at this year’s NRA (National Rifle Association) convention, including of course Donald Trump, prepare yourself and here goes.
Former Governor Asa Hutchinson, Arkansas (video clip): and I guarantee you that I will continue to stand with the NRA…
Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida (video clip): The second amendment ensures that the American people have the capacity to defend their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor.
Senator Tim Scott, South Carolina (video clip): I will stand with each and every one of you in protection of what we all know is common sense.
Former Ambassador Nikki Haley (video clip): I am a concealed weapons permit holder myself, my husband is a hunter…
Former President Donald Trump (video clip): With me at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, no one will lay a finger on your firearms…So let’s be very clear, the issue is not too many guns, the issue is too many thugs, hoodlums, and savage criminals on our street. That’s really what the issue is…
Sharpton: Congresswoman that was the general message from people looking to lead the nation, disregarding what most Americans, most gun owners want. Even as we endure mass shootings almost by the week. What does that say to you as a member of Congress who could potentially have to work with one of them as president? I mean, most gun owners want to see background checks and they’re not even calling for that.
Strickland: What you see is a party that is completely controlled by the extremists and they’re controlled by fear, fear of the NRA. So they are putting their political fortunes and fear of the NRA in front of the safety. The safety of schoolchildren, the safety of people who want to go worship, the safety of people who want to go to the movies. These mass shootings, as I mentioned earlier, make a lot of news and 85% of mass shootings, Reverend, are done with assault weapons. Having a ban on assault weapons for civilians, is common sense gun reform. And as you mentioned earlier, people who support gun rights, people who are gun owners themselves, they understand the danger that these weapons pose. So we should not have weapons of war in the hands of civilians. And watching the Republicans vying for President and their political ambitions, being afraid of the NRA and just bowing down to them is just shameful. And it really says one thing to me, again, the contrast between Democrats who are about governing, safety, putting people first and the extremists of the GOP, who are just trying to bow down to the NRA and bring out the worst in people. It’s shameful, Reverend. It really is.
Sharpton: I was heartened to see Tennessee State Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson both reinstalled and reinstated to the state legislature this week. Now Senate Democrats led by Chuck Schumer and Reverend Senator Raphael Warnock are now calling on the Justice Department to determine whether the Republican-led Tennessee House violated the federal civil rights of these two Democrats, along with Article 4 Section 4, the 1st, and the 14th amendments of the U.S. Constitution. Do you agree with your Senate colleagues that the DOJ needs to get involved here?
Strickland: Absolutely, Reverend. This is well within the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice. There was a mass shooting in Tennessee and these three members – along with a lot of protesters – were basically standing up for families, standing up for survivors, and trying to get common sense gun laws enacted. It’s interesting too Reverend because, in the Tennessee Three right, the two Justin’s and I call her Ms. Gloria –the white woman. The two young black men were the ones who got expelled from their jobs. And the only thing that really happened in this, is that this whole case, and the just cause of these two young men was amplified. It was amplified globally. Their microphones got a lot larger and a lot bigger because of this unjust action. So yes, the DOJ should be investigating this because in many ways, this just looks like straight up discrimination now.
Sharpton: And finally Congresswoman, I want to make sure we have time for one of the topics you came and that you care really about, and that is you previously sponsored a bill to tackle food insecurity among our military service members. And also you and Senator Warnock both filed bills pushing for the Defense Department to close the gap in US troops’ basic housing allowances, which I understand some two thirds of our service members who don’t live on our military bases rely on pay for commercial housing. It looks like your bill is getting a bipartisan push in the House. What can you tell us?
Strickland: So what I can tell you is that this is something that I introduced in the last Congress, but what’s different in this Congress is that we actually have bipartisan and bicameral support. And just to give you some background, 70% of the people who serve in the military do not live on base, and they get a housing allowance. At one time, it was 100%. It got reduced to 95%. But that 95%, Reverend, actually means that some families have to pay $200 or more out of pocket. Another fact I want to share with you is that 40% of the people who are enlisted in the military are people of color, 20% of those who serve are African American. So this is an issue of housing security, which has an impact on how much families have to spend on food. And also, this is an issue of equity. If we want a strong military, we have to make sure that we’re taking care of those who serve and their family’s basic needs. And I’m really proud to say that we do have bipartisan support with sponsorship and this is bicameral. So hopefully this will move forward. And this will affect readiness. It will affect family stability and also just make sure that, you know, we’re able to have those who serve, serve without having to worry about having their basic needs met.
Sharpton: All right. Thank you for being with us this evening, Congresswoman Strickland of Washington State.
U.S. Representative Marilyn Strickland serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. She is the Congressional Black Caucus whip, a member of the New Democrat Coalition, one of the first Korean-American women elected to Congress, and the first African-American elected to represent the Pacific Northwest at the federal level.
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