December 10, 2018

"From Tom's Desk" - Message from DNC Chair Tom Perez


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Preparing for 2020

This past weekend, the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws committee met in Puerto Rico to design the most open and transparent nominating process in our party’s history — and we’re very excited with the outcome.

Our North Star heading into the 2020 election cycle has been and will continue to be making sure every candidate gets a fair shake. We want our nominating process to be a showcase of the exciting ideas and extraordinary talent within our party so that Democrats across the country can decide who should be our nominee. That way, we are in the strongest, most united position to take on Trump and win back the White House.

Republicans are Degrading our Democracy

Despite historic Democratic wins across the country, Republicans are dead-set on destroying the integrity of our electoral process by trying to cling onto power rather than accepting the will of the voters.

In Wisconsin, Republicans are rushing to force through legislation that undermines policies that voters supported, issues including Affordable Care Act, SNAP benefits, Medicaid, and early voting limits. These bills also lay the groundwork for the Republican-controlled legislature to restrict the powers of incoming Attorney General Josh Kaul and Governor Tony Evers, dishonoring the important tradition of a peaceful transition of power.

In Michigan, Republicans are hard at work crafting a plan to strip the powers of the incoming secretary of state to enforce the state’s campaign finance laws, limit the incoming attorney general’s ability to act on lawsuits involving the state, and sink proposals to raise the minimum wage.

And as if these blatant power grabs were not enough, there’s substantial evidence of potential election fraud in North Carolina that throws the sanctity of the ballot box into question.

Last week, North Carolina voters learned of serious concerns in the 9th Congressional District when the State Board of Elections unanimously agreed to delay certifying the election of Mark Harris to Congress. According to affidavits, Bladen County residents had people arrive on their doorsteps asking to collect their absentee ballot. In some instances, these individuals offered to fill the ballots out themselves or failed to seal the envelope or collect a signature.

While Republicans played politics with false, unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud in Arizona and Florida, they’ve ignored this serious evidence of election tampering — only because it appears they benefited from the fraud.

If the GOP is seriously concerned about the integrity of our elections, they will respect the outcome of elections – no matter who wins. Voters have spoken: They want Democrats in charge. For the sake of our democracy, Republicans should stand down and stop engaging in these dangerous political games.

Trump’s Failing Us on Jobs

Today, we saw more evidence that the Republican economic agenda is a colossal failure.

The government’s job report demonstrates once again that there is more we must do to create good-paying jobs and pull workers off the sidelines. With lower-than-expected job growth, more proposed tax cuts for the wealthy, and a never-ending assault on Americans’ access to health care, Donald Trump and Republicans have kicked working families to the curb.

It’s clear the economy still has room to grow, but we must ensure that growth benefits American families. That’s why millions of voters sent a loud and clear message to this administration in last month’s election: Our leaders should fight for all of us, not just those who line their pockets. When Democrats are in charge, our economy grows faster and hardworking Americans have more opportunities.

Celebrating the Life of George H.W. Bush

This week, we mourned the loss of an American patriot and public servant. George H.W. Bush paired his profound sense of personal responsibility with honesty, gentility, and hard work.

In his inaugural address, he said that great nations, like great men, must keep their word. He stated that the American people did not send politicians to Washington to bicker. The American people ask their leaders to rise above the merely partisan. Throughout his life and career, President Bush embodied that sense of duty and commitment to bettering our country – whether it was fighting for Americans with disabilities, ensuring clear air for future generations, or bringing a peaceful end to the Cold War.


(Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

President Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush showed us that character and integrity must never become casualties of partisan politics. Our hearts go out to the entire Bush family and their friends as they mourn his passing and celebrate his historic life and legacy.

Thank you always for your continued support of the Democratic Party.

Yours,

Tom
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Tom Perez
Chair
Democratic National Committee

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