It feels outrageous to me that our credit scoring system is run by three profit-driven companies that are allowed to sell us products that boost the scores they assign us.
NEWS: With heartfelt congratulations, I am happy to confirm that Congresswoman Cori Bush married the love of her life, Cortney Merritts, this month. (1/5)
The genius of
@CoriBush
’s action wasn’t just that she put her body & her well-being on the line to force change.
She led a national movement in a pivotal moment. She organized & implemented a winning strategy & pressure campaign—on no sleep.
Do not erase the genius in her work.
After serving the people of MI-13 under Rep.
@RashidaTlaib
’s fearless leadership, I’m over the moon to be growing in our progressive family into the role of Chief of Staff to Rep-elect
@CoriBush
.
MO-01, St. Louis—your Congresswoman & her team love you and are ready to serve.
When
@CoriBush
introduced the Ceasefire Now Resolution, only 13 members of Congress supported.
Because of the steadfastness of the Palestinian people & the relentlessness of our anti-war movement, 40 members of Congress are now calling for a ceasefire.
The pressure is working.
Congresswoman
@CoriBush
will stop at nothing to make sure that she, our team, and all of our colleagues can do the people's work in an environment free of white supremacy.
I didn't move my office out of fear.
I moved my office because I’m here to do a job for the people of St. Louis.
What I cannot do is continue to look over my shoulder wondering if a white supremacist in Congress is conspiring against me and my team. Our focus is St. Louis.
On Congresswoman
@CoriBush
’s fourth day on the Capitol steps, she and Congressman
@MondaireJones
emphasize the urgent need for an eviction moratorium while highlighting their experiences with being unhoused and with facing housing insecurity.
.
@CoriBush
insists that our work is to do the most for everyone in STL & around the world—starting with those who have the least. She insists that our work starts with saving lives.
She saved the lives & livelihoods of millions this week. It’s an honor to support her leadership.
In 2001, Rep.
@BarbaraLeeForCA
stood as the lone Congressional voice against war in Afghanistan. She was mocked, maligned. Now history looks favorably on her vision & courage.
In 2023, BLee doesn’t stand alone.
Our anti-war movement is growing in Congress & across our country.
Our team hopes that everyone will join us in celebrating the Congresswoman during this joyous time while respecting her privacy as she and her husband begin this new chapter together 💜 (5/5)
That she has married someone who supports her in all that she does, including as Representative of the incredible people of St. Louis, is cause for great celebration. (4/5)
Mr. Merritts, an Army veteran and a security professional, has been Congresswoman Bush’s partner since before her Congressional tenure and is not employed by her Congressional office. Our team has come to know and appreciate him as a loving and caring Congressional spouse. (2/5)
Presiding over an historic vote, Congresswoman
@RashidaTlaib
declares, "The Yeas are 233, the Nays are 183."
And with that, the U.S. House has passed the NO BAN Act!
Those who know the Congresswoman personally and have followed her inspiring story know that she is a survivor of multiple forms of violence, including intimate partner violence. (3/5)
Sam was a light, and she was so, so kind. We met on the campaign trail when I worked for Andy and she for Padma. We knocked doors together then and continued to collaborate as Michigan congressional delegation staff.
I’m sending my condolences to everyone who knew and loved her.
.
@POTUS
must call for a permanent ceasefire not only because polls consistently tell us it’s what the majority of voters want him to do — but also because it’s the right thing to do to save lives.
Thank you
@brikeilarcnn
for the opportunity to have this important discussion.
St. Louis Congresswoman
@RepCori
, following calls coordinating with local, state, and federal government leaders including the White House to secure federal assistance, is in University City advocating and assessing damages on the ground.
Exactly 1 year ago today, Congresswoman
@CoriBush
—after months of leading Congressional action seeking to extend the eviction moratorium—refused to leave Congress until it was extended.
She launched an historic moment and movement that did just that. Her leadership saved lives.
Many of my Democratic colleagues chose to go on vacation early today rather than staying to vote to keep people in their homes.
I’ll be sleeping outside the Capitol tonight. We’ve still got work to do.
For
@RashidaTlaib
, “water is a human right” isn’t a slogan, but a compass for legislative action.
Partnering w/ colleagues, 100+ enviro justice orgs, & w/ bipartisan support, Rashida’s legislation—$22.5B/5yrs for lead pipe replacement—passed last week.
Thank you, Congresswoman.
.
@CoriBush
didn’t have a ton of institutional power as a freshman walking out of a recently adjourned House. So she leaned into her expertise as a regular person; as a St. Louisan. She stepped into the greatest power of all—people power—and invited us to join.
That’s how we won.
“We banging till the end,” said Congresswoman
@CoriBush
on the Floor of the U.S. House.
I am no congressional historian, but it may be the first time those words have been spoken in that chamber.
Thank you Congresswoman for fighting to protect all of us.
With deep gratitude to the incredible Rep.
@CoriBush
and our team for the privilege of serving the people of St. Louis as Chief of Staff since the start of her historic congressional tenure, I have stepped down and handed the reigns over to my dear friend
@lynesewallace
.
Happy one year since the historic day when the incredible people of St. Louis made Democratic Nominee
@CoriBush
into Congresswoman-elect Cori Bush.
Also happy one year since this Election Day happy dance.
To many more!
We’re outside the Capitol right now. Sleeping bags are on the way.
Congresswoman
@CoriBush
knows that evicting millions in the middle of a pandemic as the Delta variant ravages our communities is unacceptable.
The moratorium expires in 25 hours. We must not let up.
Many of my Democratic colleagues chose to go on vacation early today rather than staying to vote to keep people in their homes.
I’ll be sleeping outside the Capitol tonight. We’ve still got work to do.
Michigan politicians advocating against a ceasefire are promoting deadly violence against their Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim constituents and their loved ones.
You either support lethal violence against our communities or you don’t.
If you don’t, call for ceasefire now.
I escaped war via a military plane like the one in that video. That plane & crew helped save us from a deadly assault on civilians—one that may not have spared my life were I left behind.
I had a dream last night. I was running alongside the plane. This time, I was left behind.
How did this happen? Was there anyone whose leadership in Congress shifted the conversation when she insisted on real accountability for those inciting white supremacist attacks?
Yes. Her name is
@CoriBush
. She and the movements she works in partnership with are remarkable.
Congresswoman
@RashidaTlaib
's leadership is a beacon of hope not just for Palestinian, Arab, & Muslim Americans, but also for our diverse social justice, anti-war movement organizing to save lives.
Rashida's rooted in community. No censure can uproot her – or our movement.
We’re still in the office. It’s our first week, and we haven’t even figured out how to turn on the voicemail. The phones have not yet stopped ringing with St. Louisans calling to thank the Congresswoman for fighting for them in the face of the attempted coup.
Upon receiving news of my family’s imminent visit to Lebanon, my uncle sacrifices one of his cows. My aunt prepares her lemoniest tabbouli. My grandmother calls, says this must be a dream, says she didn’t think we’d see each other again.
Only one more sleep until our reunion.
I’ll never forget looking out from inside as they initiated their attack unscathed and made their way to the Capitol steps. I watched alongside Rep.
@CoriBush
who herself has been brutalized by police for just demonstrating in defense of Black lives.
It was terrifying & surreal.
On Friday night, I came to the Capitol with my chair. I refused to accept that Congress could leave for vacation while 11 million people faced eviction.
For 5 days, we’ve been out here, demanding that our government acts to save lives.
Today, our movement moved mountains.
“What is your life about?” After arriving at our hotel, my 7yo nephew & I went outside to check out the nighttime view of the Mackinac Bridge, & this was his question to me.
“Umm. What is yours about?” I asked back.
“Mine is about listening, loving, caring, and having fun.”
At the family home of the late Rep.
@CoraFaith4MO
, legendary St. Louis social worker & activist Percy Green presents Congresswoman
@CoriBush
with “Why You Must Raise Hell!”
The legacy of direct action for transformative change in STL is strong—and it continues.
Under House Ethics rules, our team couldn’t buy
@RashidaTlaib
a BDay gift.
Instead we followed her lead to help deliver a $500M clean drinking water amendment!
@MariamJalloul_
Happy BDay, RT. On ur special day, we renew our commitment to achieving environmental justice for all.
I need to preface by saying there’s been so much love, and for that I’m grateful.
But sifting through the endless stream of vile, racist, sexist msgs threatening & harassing my boss is just devastating.
I’m praying for her and everyone’s health as we do this work to save lives.
Oh don’t mind me I’m just a basic diaspora kid who predictably cried on the occasion of my first time atop a Californian hill because “it reminds me of Lebanon.”
Yes, America bears responsibility beyond just accepting Afghans seeking refuge. But in this moment the need to accept them is morally non-negotiable.
I’m avoiding sleep, avoiding nightmares tonight. My prayer is that we help many avoid hellish realities.
It’s
@CoriBush
’s birthday!
Thank you for somehow convincing me and so many of us that the sky is not even our limit. Thank you for inspiring us to embrace our own humanity by sharing so much of yourself, of your love for STL, of your love for all.
We love you, Congresswoman!
Current status: huddled in our office devising a congressional letter idea to House leadership urging that staff be provided food like members of Congress often are.
@lynesewallace
is making very compelling arguments.
The House stands in recess until 8 PM.
Please watch this video
@saedaaya
captured of my dad describing the feeling of hearing his daughter, Michigan Solicitor General Fadwa Alawieh Hammoud, argue a case before the Supreme Court and surprising her as a family afterwards 😭💜
I will rest a little bit easier tonight knowing that our country’s students will benefit from Congressman
@JamaalBowmanNY
’s thoughtful leadership as Vice Chair of the House Committee on Education & Labor.
A reminder that nearly three weeks later, Congressional leadership has yet to move on ANY formal action to denounce the Representative who attacked and incited violence against her own Muslim colleague with the most nakedly racist, deplorable tropes one can use against Muslims.
We are on little sleep, but what’s keeping us going is the urgent need to act to prevent violent evictions, Congresswoman
@CoriBush
’s visionary, steadfast leadership, & the unparalleled commitment and solidarity among our team + community.
Feeling tired, invigorated, & grateful.
Very few attorneys have an opportunity to argue before the high court, and the ones who do are often men and White.
Meet Fadwa Hammoud, the first Arab-American Muslim woman to make an oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court.
Honored to be appointed Vice Chair of the
@HouseJudiciary
Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
The movement fighting for Black lives now has a leadership role on a committee with jurisdiction over our criminal-legal system. This seat belongs to all of us.
I believe the Republican members of Congress who have incited this domestic terror attack through their attempts to overturn the election must face consequences. They have broken their sacred Oath of Office.
I will be introducing a resolution calling for their expulsion.
Didn’t start yesterday thinking we’d spend the night on the Capitol steps, but also didn’t expect the House to fail to extend an emergency eviction moratorium that expires tomorrow.
@jack_besser
, our team, & more are still out here w/ Reps.
@CoriBush
@IlhanMN
@AyannaPressley
Following the re-designation of Haiti for TPS,
@RepCori
, who helped lead the push from Congress, thanked and honored
@GuerlineMJozef
by phone for her continued leadership in the fight for equity and liberation.
This is welcome news. Thank you
@POTUS
&
@DHSgov
for heeding the call of advocates, lawmakers, & impacted communities by extending & redesignating Haiti for TPS. This decision will save lives.
You see how hard Black, Jewish, POC, & young folks are advocating for Palestinian liberation?
That’s how hard we gotta advocate for Black liberation, which our collective liberation depends on, & against all forms of racism, hatred, & bigotry.
Solidarity is our best hope.
Holding hands at Barnes & Noble, my 8 yo nephew kissed my hand, looked up and said, “Abbas, to me, you and my mom are the keys to life.” And I’m crying at the store now help
The moment it hit me that we were under attack was the moment my family members with whom I’ve survived war began calling me from overseas asking if I was safe.
I’m okay, I said. And that’s what I keep telling myself.
Marching down Ford Road in Dearborn in a BLM/Palestine solidarity march chanting:
Occupation is a crime
From The D to Palestine
Gratitude to
@DETWILLBREATHE
for leading way.
Today
@POTUS
woke up, saw that the number of Palestinian children killed by the Israeli military with US funding has neared 5,000, & again decided he hadn’t seen enough to call for ceasefire.
We must bear witness. We must hasten the inevitable ceasefire. And we must not forget.
Latest scene. Reporters outside Progressive Caucus epic meeting.
@CoriBush
’s chief of staff
@AZAlawieh
bought pizza … and all the members were required to leave cell phones outside.
Not me taking my niece and nephew to see Encanto and then bawling my eyes out in the theater because its lessons spoke to the immigrant kid in me who didn’t know he needed to hear that he’s enough independent of any gift that might help him navigate life in a new place 😭
If anyone talks to my mom let her know that I’m sorry I missed her call and that this is mine and
@lynesewallace
’s current situation outside of the House floor as our work day ravages on 16 hours after it started.
To my fellow Arabic speakers: what am I supposed to tell my niece and nephew who are old- and bilingual-enough-to-understand-that-this-is-hilarious about this sign?
The eviction moratorium win reminds us that governing is at its best when it’s done in community. When organizing is centered rather than pushed aside. When we are relentless in our pursuit of justice.
And when we support and follow the leadership and wisdom of Black women.
Mama is on her way to Lebanon for her first trip in 18 yrs. I am over the moon for her & wish I could have been there to send her off but love this photo from our fam WhatsApp group & am completely in my feelings about our complicated relationships with time and place 😭✈️💜
Baba turns 62 today. I told him for his birthday we’re working to expand Medicare to include him & millions of people in his age group.
He said it would be a very thoughtful gift, and my energy to keep pushing to get everything we love into this reconciliation bill is renewed 🥰
“You were in St. Louis? Did you see Maya Angeles? Is she even still alive?” -my 7yo nephew. I’d gifted him a book on Maya Angelou and told him she’s from where Cori’s from. I’m touched that he remembered even while somehow mistaking her last name with a whole different city’s. 🥰
When we elect leaders who have lived the struggles of our communities, anything is possible.
Our movement has been in Congress for just one year and we have already moved mountains.
Together, not even the sky is our limit.
@AZAlawieh
@lynesewallace
You will forever be a part of this family, chief emeritus. All of the adventures we’ve had together will stay with me as we continue the work. You are sorely missed but ON to your next chapter! We send mom our love, healing, light, peace, and joy. Here are some of my fav moments:
We went looking for food last night after lockdown when the House was called back into session. We heard there was pizza in the Ways & Means Committee room.
This was the dystopian scene we arrived at: gas masks, empty pizza boxes, and no one in sight.
“I would just say the congresswoman doesn’t know me. She doesn’t know me, and I’m happy to talk to her.” Manchin on Fox News in November.
We reached out right after. And then again after that.
There are no Black women in the Senate.
@RepCori
’s is a perspective he must consider.
Joe Manchin claims to be the ultimate statesman.
After he offered me a conversation last month, my office reached out multiple times to schedule a chat.
We haven't heard back.
Mr. Manchin, don’t claim to be a statesman if you’re not willing to have dialogue.
There is not a more brilliant mind, heart, or spirit than
@LyneseWallace
💜 She’s a policy genius with a giant heart and unmatched political instincts.
When our office does something amazing, it’s safe to assume Lynese is owed a ton of credit.
I’m so grateful to even know her.
I can’t let this week wrap without acknowledging
@CoriBush
’s (our) brilliant Deputy COS & Legislative Director
@lynesewallace
, who was building and sharing our strategy to extend the moratorium day in & out.
She is a cornerstone and a force. Watch her work bc more will come!
What are the consequences for racist, protracted, targeted attacks on a member of Congress trying to do the people’s work?
What are the costs of not heeding that member’s calls for congressional accountability?
I’m asking because it’s urgent.