Latest news with #Kaptur
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
While Republicans shred the First Amendment and rule of law, Democrats in Ohio and elsewhere dawdle
Stock photo from Getty Images. A year and a half before the midterm elections, Ohio Democratic U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur is being slammed in right-wing attack ads running on targeted streaming services in the state. The flatly misleading ads are part of a nationwide campaign produced by a dark money group (backed by Big Pharma and linked to a Republican super PAC) dedicated to electing Republicans to the U.S. House. American Action Network launched its $7 million advertising campaign across 30 congressional districts in the country with two separate ad versions. One aims to convince (fool?) voters in red districts that Republicans aren't coming for their health care and food stamps — when they are — and the other attempts to shift the focus from the hundreds of billions House Republicans just voted to cut from Medicaid to an item not yet on the GOP chopping block. U.S. House Republican cuts to Medicaid, food assistance would impact hundreds of thousands in Ohio The conservative nonprofit pivoted to Medicare to go after vulnerable House Democrats with identical attack ads airing through the first week of June. They all feature an older blond woman lambasting — fill in (Marcy Kaptur) the name — for threatening Medicare and for 'crippling the development of lifesaving drugs for cancer, Alzheimer's and other diseases.' The 9th District congresswoman is derided for 'playing politics with our Medicare and medicine.' The twisted narrative is obviously designed to deflect from the GOP tax cut agenda to benefit the rich at the expense of the poor and damage susceptible Democratic representatives ahead of next year's midterms. For the record, Kaptur voted against the GOP's continuing resolution in March that funded the government through September — which the ad framed as voting against Medicare. Like most Democrats, she did so because the stopgap spending bill did nothing to check the Trump administration's lawless withholding of congressionally appropriated funds. The Toledo Democrat also supported the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 that included measures to lower prescription drug costs opposed by Big Pharma — which the ad frames as disincentive to develop breakthrough drugs. Gross distortions aside, GOP-affiliated organizations are homing in on defeatable Democratic incumbents to attempt to grow the narrow Republican majority in the House in 2026. The fact that they're doing it so early in the election cycle speaks volumes about the perceived weakness of not only Kaptur but the Democratic Party writ large in Ohio and the country. Kaptur, who will be 79 next month, has represented Ohio's 9th congressional district in the northwestern quadrant of the state for 42 years. She is the longest-serving woman in the U.S. House and broadly respected for that commitment back home. But Kaptur barely hung onto her seat last November, winning by less than 1% against a young hardliner notable for pitching a tantrum as a crybaby state rep. To be fair, the congresswoman has been uniquely challenged by the gerrymandered contortions Ohio Statehouse Republicans forced her to accommodate, including the egregious 'Snake on the Lake' rendition that absurdly snaked the district between Toledo and Cleveland. But besides unconstitutional redistricting, Kaptur faces strong headwinds as a member of the Democratic gerontocracy that exceedingly frustrates rank and file Democrats for utterly failing to meet this moment of existential terror. Only one major political party in America remains faithful to the founding principles of the republic but it is on habitual disconnect. Meanwhile, freedom of speech, assembly, and due process are being shredded in real time by the felon-in-chief as Republicans on Capitol Hill do nothing. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Yet, with few exceptions, the opposition party isn't doing much either while the jaw-dropping corruption, intentional chaos, and abject cruelty of the Trump administration mocks the rule of law. There is no sense of urgency to course correct among play-by-the-books, protocol-loving Democrats in Congress. There is no sense that the same old losing strategies and recycled candidates that keep popping up — and relegating federal and state Democrats to legislative minorities — need to be ditched ASAP. A changing of the guard is imminent in the Ohio Democratic Party, but there is no sense that internal horse-trading will be guided by the growing army of angry and alarmed voters screaming for effective, fearless leadership now to fight every day/all day for government of, by, and for the people. A year from now will be too late. A revitalizing force of risk-takers with a solid bench is long overdue. In 2024, Ohio Democrats played it safe, unwisely distancing themselves from a Democratic presidential ticket packing venues that could have driven up voter turnout in traditionally Democratic urban counties. Instead, those metro areas recorded the state's biggest drops in turnout. Will the party rerun predictable candidates in 2026 for U.S. Senate or governor in Ohio to again play it safe and scramble to find warm bodies to run in other statewide races while legislative races go unchallenged? Probably. But maybe a gutsy Gen Zer or impatient millennial will rise up at this most critical juncture to preserve self-governance and confront tyranny head on with the energy and passion and resolve of past generations of Americans who carried the torch forward. Maybe Democrats still talking and acting like politicians afraid to make waves will finally wake up. Maybe the septuagenarian incumbent in Ohio's 9th will decide to go hard or go home. Reticence only invites dark money attack ads. A full year and a half before the midterms. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Vulnerable House Dem ripped for 'flip flopping' on key Trump policy supported by union she backs
Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur, who is considered one of the most vulnerable incumbent Democrats heading into next year's midterm elections, is facing criticism for her recent opposition to President Trump's tariff plans despite a long history of fighting for tariffs while representing union-heavy northwest Ohio. Kaptur, who has served in Congress since the early 1980s, has been vocally criticizing Trump over his tariff plan, including on the House floor last month when she argued that a 25% tariff on Canada would "raise your prices on everything." In February, Kaptur said, "Across our country, people are experiencing a worrisome economic reality. Prices are on the rise. Trade wars and short supply of goods will cause more inflation. Prices are up 3% across the board. Egg prices are up 53%. Too many families are overwhelmed and facing really hard choices." Kaptur's criticisms of tariffs, which have been echoed by many other Democrats as well as some conservatives within the GOP and have also resulted in lawsuits from Democrats who say they will lead to inflation, come after years of promoting the idea of tariffs as a way to "level the playing field" on trade. Donald Trump Should Be Praised For Signals He Might Cool Tariff Fight, Washington Post Editorial Praises "Actually, he's agreeing with my 25-year battle to try to get attention to America's trade accounts, to the fact that we have not had balanced trade accounts. They've been over half a trillion dollars in the red for over a quarter-century. We have lost thousands and thousands and thousands of jobs. We've had production platforms shut down in many major industries, including those I represent," Kaptur, speaking to BBC in 2018, said in response to concerns that Trump's steel tariffs in his first term could start a "trade war," adding that the "whole trade regimen globally needs to be reformed." Read On The Fox News App Two years earlier, Kaptur called for the need to "have a real reckoning" on trade while also supporting the use of tariffs during an interview on C-SPAN. "Every billion dollars of deficit translates to a million lost jobs in this country," Kaptur said. "A loss of millions of American jobs every year. We have to face that directly." Air Force Veteran Jumps Into Key House Race To Unseat 22-Term Vulnerable Dem: 'Time To Pass The Torch' "We have to do something. We have to have a response here, whether it's tariffs on imported goods, whether it's slowing down the admission of those goods into our country. We don't want to create walls. We want to create open trade and that would [save] the incomes and livelihoods of millions of Americans across this country." The United Auto Workers (UAW) — who Kaptur has previously supported, even touting that her parents were members of the union — has come out in favor of Trump's tariffs, and in 1994, Kaptur said on C-SPAN that a "large share of our trade deficit is in the automotive area" and largely due to "outsourcing production all over the world," which had a "tremendous impact on the ability of ordinary people in communities across this country to earn a decent living because we pay our workers more than they do in Mexico or China." Kaptur, who narrowly won re-election in 2024 by less than 1 percentage point, is widely considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the House. Her district will be home to one of the most highly watched races as Republicans attempt to hold a thin majority in the chamber. Cook Political Report ranks the race as a "Democrat toss up" in a state that Trump carried by over 10 points. Trump won the district in 2024 by about 25,000 votes. Kaptur's praise of tariffs in the past contrasted with her current objections has sparked criticism from the National Republican Congressional Committee. "Democrat Marcy Kaptur is so consumed by Trump Derangement Syndrome that she can't even do what's right for Ohio workers," NRCC spokesperson Zach Bannon said. "Time and time again, Kaptur proves just how out of touch she is with real Ohioans—flip flopping to push partisan nonsense instead of real solutions." Kaptur, who has previously said she stands "shoulder to shoulder" with UAW, has taken thousands of dollars from General Motors Company PAC and Ford Motor Company Civic Action Fund, FEC records show. Both GM and Ford have faced criticism for outsourcing jobs outside the United States. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Kaptur defended the use of targeted tariffs while taking issue with the across-the-board approach from the Trump administration that some have linked to recent economic uncertainty. "The hollowing out of our manufacturing base to the benefit and enrichment of Wall Street has been a decades-long attack on working men and women in my district, and across America," Kaptur said. "Smart and targeted tariffs are a critical tool in the arsenal to protect workers, and can operate as part of a strategy to fight unfair trade practices from authoritarian nations such as China and Russia." "But, the arbitrary and sudden tariffs across the board on more than 180 countries and territories, with exemptions only given out depending on who was able to pay $500,000 for a seat at 'The Executive Branch' or $250,000 a piece for a table Mar-a-Lago is unfair," Kaptur continued. "This comes at the same time this Administration is cutting off critical investments in manufacturing from the CHIPS Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and American Rescue Plan Act, which is eliminating tens of thousands of American manufacturing jobs, and is a recipe for pain and failure." Kaptur added that the tariffs on Canada "in particular" are "exacting great pain on families, workers, and companies across our region struggling to compete, and are raising the cost of gas, groceries, lumber, housing, cars, and so much more." "Trump's Tariffs hurt working families, while killing the livelihood of those who work in manufacturing, farming, and construction. The Trump Tariffs are a recipe for disaster that are already hurting tens of thousands across the region I represent in Northwest Ohio — we deserve a comprehensive strategy on trade that prioritizes workers, not Wall Street speculators." Despite criticisms from both sides of the aisle, Trump's tariff plan appears popular with several unions, including the UAW, whose president, Shawn Fain, said in late March, "Yes, I disagree with Donald Trump on virtually everything, but [tariffs are] one thing I don't disagree on."Original article source: Vulnerable House Dem ripped for 'flip flopping' on key Trump policy supported by union she backs
Fox News
29-04-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Vulnerable House Dem ripped for 'flip flopping' on key Trump policy supported by union she backs
Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur, who is considered one of the most vulnerable incumbent Democrats heading into next year's midterm elections, is facing criticism for her recent opposition to President Trump's tariff plans despite a long history of fighting for tariffs while representing union-heavy northwest Ohio. Kaptur, who has served in Congress since the early 1980s, has been vocally criticizing Trump over his tariff plan, including on the House floor last month when she argued that a 25% tariff on Canada would "raise your prices on everything." In February, Kaptur said, "Across our country, people are experiencing a worrisome economic reality. Prices are on the rise. Trade wars and short supply of goods will cause more inflation. Prices are up 3% across the board. Egg prices are up 53%. Too many families are overwhelmed and facing really hard choices." Kaptur's criticisms of tariffs, which have been echoed by many other Democrats as well as some conservatives within the GOP and have also resulted in lawsuits from Democrats who say they will lead to inflation, come after years of promoting the idea of tariffs as a way to "level the playing field" on trade. "Actually, he's agreeing with my 25-year battle to try to get attention to America's trade accounts, to the fact that we have not had balanced trade accounts. They've been over half a trillion dollars in the red for over a quarter-century. We have lost thousands and thousands and thousands of jobs. We've had production platforms shut down in many major industries, including those I represent," Kaptur, speaking to BBC in 2018, said in response to concerns that Trump's steel tariffs in his first term could start a "trade war," adding that the "whole trade regimen globally needs to be reformed." Two years earlier, Kaptur called for the need to "have a real reckoning" on trade while also supporting the use of tariffs during an interview on C-SPAN. "Every billion dollars of deficit translates to a million lost jobs in this country," Kaptur said. "A loss of millions of American jobs every year. We have to face that directly." "We have to do something. We have to have a response here, whether it's tariffs on imported goods, whether it's slowing down the admission of those goods into our country. We don't want to create walls. We want to create open trade and that would [save] the incomes and livelihoods of millions of Americans across this country." The United Auto Workers (UAW) — who Kaptur has previously supported, even touting that her parents were members of the union — has come out in favor of Trump's tariffs, and in 1994, Kaptur said on C-SPAN that a "large share of our trade deficit is in the automotive area" and largely due to "outsourcing production all over the world," which had a "tremendous impact on the ability of ordinary people in communities across this country to earn a decent living because we pay our workers more than they do in Mexico or China." Kaptur, who narrowly won re-election in 2024 by less than 1 percentage point, is widely considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the House. Her district will be home to one of the most highly watched races as Republicans attempt to hold a thin majority in the chamber. Cook Political Report ranks the race as a "Democrat toss up" in a state that Trump carried by over 10 points. Trump won the district in 2024 by about 25,000 votes. Kaptur's praise of tariffs in the past contrasted with her current objections has sparked criticism from the National Republican Congressional Committee. "Democrat Marcy Kaptur is so consumed by Trump Derangement Syndrome that she can't even do what's right for Ohio workers," NRCC spokesperson Zach Bannon said. "Time and time again, Kaptur proves just how out of touch she is with real Ohioans—flip flopping to push partisan nonsense instead of real solutions." Kaptur, who has previously said she stands "shoulder to shoulder" with UAW, has taken thousands of dollars from General Motors Company PAC and Ford Motor Company Civic Action Fund, FEC records show. Both GM and Ford have faced criticism for outsourcing jobs outside the United States. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Kaptur defended the use of targeted tariffs while taking issue with the across-the-board approach from the Trump administration that some have linked to recent economic uncertainty. "The hollowing out of our manufacturing base to the benefit and enrichment of Wall Street has been a decades-long attack on working men and women in my district, and across America," Kaptur said. "Smart and targeted tariffs are a critical tool in the arsenal to protect workers, and can operate as part of a strategy to fight unfair trade practices from authoritarian nations such as China and Russia." "But, the arbitrary and sudden tariffs across the board on more than 180 countries and territories, with exemptions only given out depending on who was able to pay $500,000 for a seat at 'The Executive Branch' or $250,000 a piece for a table Mar-a-Lago is unfair," Kaptur continued. "This comes at the same time this Administration is cutting off critical investments in manufacturing from the CHIPS Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and American Rescue Plan Act, which is eliminating tens of thousands of American manufacturing jobs, and is a recipe for pain and failure." Kaptur added that the tariffs on Canada "in particular" are "exacting great pain on families, workers, and companies across our region struggling to compete, and are raising the cost of gas, groceries, lumber, housing, cars, and so much more." "Trump's Tariffs hurt working families, while killing the livelihood of those who work in manufacturing, farming, and construction. The Trump Tariffs are a recipe for disaster that are already hurting tens of thousands across the region I represent in Northwest Ohio — we deserve a comprehensive strategy on trade that prioritizes workers, not Wall Street speculators." Despite criticisms from both sides of the aisle, Trump's tariff plan appears popular with several unions, including the UAW, whose president, Shawn Fain, said in late March, "Yes, I disagree with Donald Trump on virtually everything, but [tariffs are] one thing I don't disagree on."
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Air Force veteran jumps into key House race to unseat 22-term vulnerable Dem: 'Time to pass the torch'
FIRST ON FOX: Longtime Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur is facing a new Republican challenger in Ohio's 9th Congressional District in the form of Air Force veteran Alea Nadeem, who spoke exclusively to Fox News Digital about her campaign. "This country saved me, I owe my life to this country," Nadeem, a northwest Ohio native, told Fox News Digital, recounting her harrowing life story of being kidnapped by her father and taken to Iraq, where she lived under the rule of Saddam Hussein before the U.S. government worked to bring her back. Nadeem joined the Air Force in response to the events of 9/11 and never planned on leaving the nonpartisan military world for politics until she spent time on Capitol Hill in recent years and realized that life for people in her district was not improving. "I got to see firsthand all the things that were happening, and I've got to tell you, my hometown where I grew up was not better off," Nadeem said. "I was seeing the policies that people were voting on, and especially the current person, Marcy Kaptur, who's been here for almost 43 years. I didn't think they were voting in a way that actually helped the way I grew up, blue-collar families." 'New Low': Longtime House Dem Ripped For 'Disgusting' Questioning Of Musk's Loyalty To Us As An Immigrant Kaptur, who narrowly won re-election in 2024 by less than 1 percentage point, is widely considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the House. Her district will be home to one of the most highly watched races as Republicans attempt to hold a thin majority in the chamber. Read On The Fox News App Cook Political Report ranks the race as a "Democrat toss up" in a state that Trump carried by over 10 points. Kaptur faced criticism during last year's campaign for introducing only five bills that became law in 41 years. Republicans Troll Dems' El Salvador Visits With Offer To Foot Travel Bill – In Exchange For One Thing Nadeem told Fox News Digital that even people she talks to who "love" Kaptur agree that 22 terms in Congress is too much. "It's time to pass the torch," Nadeem said. "One of the things that they've all said to me is they were really scared to pass a torch the last two times. They didn't feel like they had a candidate who could really step into her shoes. And so I've heard, I call it kitchen table talk. They haven't found somebody worthy to pass the torch to, but they also fully understand it's time. Everyone has been like, it's enough. We get it, 43 years. So I think they're looking for the next guardian to be able to do that. Someone they can trust. And I'm really hoping to step into that." Nadeem spoke to Fox News Digital about the issues she plans to focus on during the campaign. At the top of the list are jobs and manufacturing. "This is near and dear to my heart," Nadeem said, adding that making sure "we're not hollowing out the northwest and these blue-collar jobs" is her "number one priority." Nadeem said bringing fiscal responsibility to Washington, D.C., will be another priority. "I looked at 1983, when Marcy Kaptur was in office, I think the debt was around, that the United States debt was around like $1.6 trillion, and now it's $36 trillion," Nadeem said. "So you can just see like, under Democratic leadership, we have not done better. So we need to get our fiscal house in order because I know people in northwest Ohio really rely on Social Security and Medicare. And I call those earned benefits. And if we can't balance our checkbook, we can't pay for those things. And so I do think people deserve that."Original article source: Air Force veteran jumps into key House race to unseat 22-term vulnerable Dem: 'Time to pass the torch'
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'New low': Longtime House Dem ripped for 'disgusting' questioning of Musk's loyalty to US as an immigrant
Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, sparked a firestorm on social media over comments questioning DOGE chief Elon Musk's allegiance to the U.S. given that he has been a citizen for "only" 22 years. "Mr. Musk has just been here 22 years," Kaptur said outside the Capitol on Wednesday. "And he's a citizen of three countries. I always ask myself the question, with the damage he's doing here, when push comes to shove, which country is his loyalty to? South Africa? Canada? Or the United States? And he's only been a citizen, I'll say again, 22 years." Kaptur, who has served in Congress since 1983, drew immediate criticism on social media from conservatives accusing Kaptur of hypocrisy and using language that Republicans would be pilloried for using. "Just like @elonmusk, I immigrated LEGALLY and pledged my full loyalty to America," Ohio GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno posted on X. "But Democrats just see us as cheap labor who pick their crops and mow their lawns. If you step out of line & question their liberal narrative, they say you don't belong here. It's disgusting." Elon Musk Takes Aim At National Debt, Warns Of 'De Facto Bankruptcy' Without Doge: '$2 Trillion In Deficits' "Rep Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) is now a nativist when it comes to Elon Musk," Greg Price of the White House Rapid Response team posted on X. Read On The Fox News App The White House's official rapid response account also posted on X, saying, "@RepMarcyKaptur is now questioning the loyalty of American citizens. This is a new low." "A really bad thing for Marcy Kaptur to say," Taxpayers Protection Alliance President David Williams posted on X. "Is she really saying this about immigrants? Punchbowl News founder Jake Sherman posted on X that Kaptur's comment was a "new tone for House Democrats…" "Marcy Kaptur's disgusting remark questioning Elon Musk's loyalty based on his immigrant background exposes the Democrat Party's descent into nativist rhetoric — the very thing they claim to oppose," NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella told Fox News Digital in a statement. "Their hypocrisy is clear: they champion open borders when it benefits them but resort to xenophobic attacks when an immigrant doesn't align with their political agenda." "Only immigrant the Democrats aren't for," National Review editor Ramesh Ponnuru posted on X. Who Is Doge's Newly Identified Administrator Amy Gleason? 'World-class Talent' "This is the attack they want to make?!" Republican communicator Matt Whitlock posted on X. "That Elon has only been a citizen for 22 years? The Trump administration continues to be blessed with the absolute dumbest opposition I've ever seen." "I'm sorry, what?" Macarena Martinez, communications director for Sen. Ted Cruz,, R-Texas, posted on X. "If a Republican said this they would be cancelled." Kaptur, 78, previously signed onto a House resolution in 2019 condemning President Trump for alleged xenophobic comments. "This resolution states that immigrants and their descendants have made America stronger and naturalized citizens are just as American as those whose families have been in the United States for generations," the resolution stated. "It also expresses a commitment to keep America open to those who lawfully seek refuge from violence and oppression and those willing to work hard to achieve the American Dream, regardless of race, ethnicity, faith, or country of origin." Musk has continued to draw the ire of Democrats in recent weeks for his cuts to federal spending and government programs. At the same time, polling suggests most Americans agree with DOGE's mission. Kaptur's office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News article source: 'New low': Longtime House Dem ripped for 'disgusting' questioning of Musk's loyalty to US as an immigrant
