Did Rep. Jayapal change her message on Trump acceptance?

Days following her election to Congress, Democrat Pramilia Jayapal voiced her belief in the American people and hope for the best in a Donald Trump presidency. That optimistic view may have changed, at least slightly, based on her last-ditch effort to block Trump from the White house.

Jayapal, who defeated Brady Walkinshaw this November to take Jim McDermott’s spot in the 7^th Congressional District, spoke with KIRO Radio’s “Jason and Burns” on Nov. 10 about the “shock” of Trump’s election but that she was optimistic about the future.

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“I have this disease — you might call it — of believing the best of everybody,” she told KIRO Radio’s Jason and Burns. “We have to hope for the best that Donald Trump will understand the significance of the role he is about to assume. Not only for the United States of America, but for the entire world. And I am going to hold out every hope that he can be a good president and I am going to be ready at every level to make sure that he is a good president if that is not where he is going.”

However, The Seattle Times reported Friday that Jayapal joined a group of other progressive House Democrats in objecting to the certification of the Electoral College vote but was shut down by Vice President Joe Biden. The Democrats rose in succession, attempting to call attention to issues including voter suppression and Russian hacking, according to the Times.

Jayapal vs. Biden

The Times article is titled “VP Joe Biden shuts down Seattle congresswoman Pramila Jayapal’s last-ditch effort to halt Trump.” It reports that Jayapal rose during a joint session of Congress where the final electoral tally was certified and addressed Biden, who was chairing the session by saying: “Mr. President, I object to the certificate from the state of Georgia on the grounds that the electoral votes were not…” Biden cut Jayapal off with a slam of the gavel, according to the Times, and added, “There is no debate.”

Jayapal attempted to continue: “Mr. President, even as people waited hours in Georgia…” but the gavel shut her down again. “There is no debate,” Biden said. “It is over.”

Afterward, Jayapal reportedly said she wished Biden would have allowed her and her colleagues to state their full objections of election issues, such as reports of hours-long lines to vote in some southern states, without being cut off.

Other members of Congress made similar attempts noting information that has become known since the election — such as Russian meddling in the election.

Back in November, Jayapal told “Jason and Burns” that she was looking for opportunities to come together with both sides of the aisle, saying she believed there was a way to move to center on issues including immigration reform and some sort of federal minimum wage increase. She said she was open to working with Republicans, including House Speaker Paul Ryan depending on “what Paul Ryan stands for.”

“I think it all depends on which direction (the Republican Party chooses) to go and I will look for every opportunity I can to work together, but I also know that the 7^th Congressional District elected a fighter, elected a bold progressive champion who will stand up for the values of the 7^th Congressional District,” she said. ” I think people want both. They want to get policies done but they also want to make sure that we remind ourselves of who we are as a country and that we stand up for those values.”

 

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