Last week, four progressives were elected to Congress. Which means we no longer just
have the Squad—we have the Squad cinematic universe! I spoke with Congressman-elect Jamaal
Bowman to see what he plans to bring to the House.
This past week was exciting, sad, confusing, then exciting again! And also scary but let's
not go there! And fortunately for democracy, there are going to be some new members of
Congress who will get their shot at making America great again again. People like middle
school principal, Wu Tang enthusiast, and newly elected House member Jamaal Bowman.
We’re so excited that you’re heading to D.C.! Why did you do this to yourself? What?
- Yeah right? So, I’m somewhat worried, but also prepared.
Are you worried that the people you’re going to encounter in Congress are going to be more
childish than the children you’ve actually mediated conflict with in your own life?
- Well, if you can run a middle school effectively in the Bronx, I think you’re ready for anything.
I’m just a regular dude, and for someone like me to be elected to Congress—someone
who’s a victim of police brutality, raised by a single mom, lived in public housing,
went to public schools—it shows you that the majority of the American people across
the country are ready for transformative change. Are you worried that this kind of blind optimism
is gonna make it hard for you to find the door to your own office?
Jamaal is a Justice Democrat—two patriotic words that, when put together, really freak
the f*** out of Republicans. And it has the Democratic Party arguing more than a Christian
parent and a Hot Topic teen. You say that you can’t wait to get to D.C.
and cause problems for those maintaining the status quo. I know you’re a Wu Tang fan,
are you planning to bring the ruckus, sir? Is that what’s happening here?
- I guess that that’s what some will call it. We have a system of racism and sexism
and antisemitism and islamophobia. That’s a corrupt, ugly, immoral system. And that
system needs to change. So, good trouble—ruckus—needs to be brought to Congress.
No takesies-backsies! Now you have to do it. Jamaal Bowman won his primary challenge by
figuring out that while the number of registered Democrats was high, the voter turnout was
low. Which I don't think is what Michelle Obama meant by "when they go low, we go high."
But it turned out to be a winning strategy! - The rest of the party is going to have to
move towards us. Progressives won their reelections by a landslide, and the moderates were the
ones who struggled. So you can’t blame the progressives for the struggles of moderates.
The “status quo” Democrats, they’re in the minority in terms of the issues that
the majority of people in this country truly care about.
Oh, so that’s how Bowman and the Justice Democrats win! They do this thing called “represent
their constituents.” The moment that you get in there, what are
your number one priorities? - End poverty, challenge racism in all its
forms, federal jobs guarantee, raising federal minimum wage, holding the police accountable,
ending qualified immunity, ending mass incarceration, food insecurity, mental health support, housing
and health care are human rights, full funding our public schools, the Green New Deal, net
zero carbon emissions in the next ten years... You’ve got a really big first day ahead
of you is all I’m saying. But is he gonna get to sit at the cool kids’
table? - I feel indebted to them because again they
were talking about issues that were finally connected to my lived reality. They’re bada**,
man. That’s just the best way to say it. And they represent our constitution, in my
opinion, more than anyone I’ve seen. I have a special surprise video made by the
squad that me and my producers had absolutely nothing at all to do with. Here you go!
- I would like to welcome Jamaal to our squad. And I just would like Jamaal to bring Sam
Bee to every single Squad party. What?! You’re in! We’re both in.
- I think we’re in. But even with new progressives in the House,
it will be almost impossible to implement change as long as the GOP and ol’ Foghorn
D***horn control the Senate. - Ground zero is Georgia in terms of flipping
the Senate. We have two runoffs that are happening right now. So, I’m asking you, Samantha,
to reach out to everyone you know in Georgia. To make sure they are phone banking, leafleting,
organizing and mobilizing to make sure we win Georgia.
Ugh, Principal Bowman is giving us homework! But he’s right. We need to get to work and
bring his winning energy—AKA ruckus—to Georgia.