Stacey Abrams (3:16)

Not that we've heard about that.

Narrator/Announcer (3:18)

And it worked to fight. And now Bolivia has a transitional government, Nepal is under new management, and Hungary ousted its autocrat for a defector president. Someone who had been a part of the problem and is now part of the solution. Over the past year, grassroots defense disruption here in America has also proven why the tactic works. Think about the on the ground digital documentation of the sins of this regime. Ordinary citizens in militarily occupied cities including Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Charlotte, Washington D.C. they have bravely used their mobile devices to record and broadcast real time abusive and overreaches by agencies like Ice Age and other federal enforcement. Under the current regime, when masked gunmen with government sanction tried to forcibly remove people, our fellow Americans blocked the outrage with their bodies. In Minnesota, a day long general strike drew tens of thousands, creating an economic blackout and mobilizing their neighbors. Other acts of nonviolent disruption, including blocking streets in Portland to interfere with human rights abuses. Art installations in the US Capitol that defy propaganda and mock Trump and young people walking out of class from Texas to Maine in order to defend their fellow students. These are happening all the time. You see, nonviolent disruption does not mean non confrontational. And nonviolence is not the same as peaceful. Peaceful tends to mean passive avoidance of conflict. And there are those who might choose that route. But nonviolence understands that conflict is necessary, but physical force is not. More importantly, nonviolent disruption, look, it carries real risks that have to be weighed. Unfortunately, we have seen the tragic consequences. Renee Goode and Alex Preddy are the most recent examples of how nonviolent disruption can still be met with murderous, deadly harm. So not every act of disruption will result in violent retaliation. But authoritarians offer no guarantees of safety. But the trouble is, there's also no guarantee of your safety if we remain silent and out of the way either. Instead, our disruption exists to become sand in the gears of their horrid machinery. It also serves as the documentary of their evil. One that will be necessary to recruit more to our cause of good. And across this country, this country we love, Disruptors have compiled an irrefutable public ledger of abuses and of of misuse, documenting everything from unwarranted stops to constitutional violations. This tangible, visible evidence provides critical leverage to expose injustice, things we can see and help us remember. And it also becomes a training tool for the next wave of activists and organizers and disruptors. And let's face it, disruption works in multiple cases. The resulting public backlash and the legal scrutiny have forced the Republican regime to alter its course. Federal agencies, faced with proof of conduct, had to temporarily back away from their draconian actions and controversial policies, although they are never permanently gone. But what we can learn is that this success is A direct consequence of. Of mobilized public witness and the power of documented truth, of interrupted capital and obstinate patriots, people who refuse to let this country go without a fight. But disruption requires intention. And it can look like showing up to a protest to name specific harms, but it has to be nonviolent, visible and consistent. It's also about sharing Know youw Rights information with people who may need it. Calling out false or misleading information and replacing it with facts in real time in front of real people. It looks like hosting sit ins, economic blackouts, or teach INS to counter the propaganda. And I am clear that the level of race risk differs. And so each of us has to decide how much risk we can each tolerate. And it's a personal choice. So I'm encouraging you to think about it carefully, including what happens to those who depend on you and what happens if you don't act. Ultimately, disruption aggregates and it adds up to send a signal that we are watching and we will not sit idly by when authoritarians and autocrats steal our future. And just as importantly, it shows others they're not alone. The permanent change we seek is only achieved because extraordinary ordinary people consciously choose to disrupt. In America, it is time to get loud. Congresswoman Yassimin Ansari is a Democratic U.S.

Stacey Abrams (8:54)

representative for Arizona's 3rd district.

Narrator/Announcer (8:57)

She is the youngest woman in the 119th Congress and the first ever Iranian

Stacey Abrams (9:02)

American to serve in the House of Representatives.

Narrator/Announcer (9:05)

She serves on the House Natural Resources and Oversight Committees and is the Democratic Caucus's freshman class President.

Stacey Abrams (9:16)

Representative Yassimin Ansari, welcome to Assembly Required.

Representative Yassamin Ansari (9:20)

Hi. Thank you so much for having me.

Stacey Abrams (9:22)

Well, I'm delighted to have you. I have lots of questions for you, and I want to start with what unfortunately feels like the most obvious part of the conversation. As an Iranian American, you have faced public attacks from very powerful people. And one of our missions on Assembly Required is, is pursuit of the truth, understanding what we face so we know what to do. And for me, voices like yours are crucial because at a moment when political courage can seem in very short supply, you have really risen to the public imagination as someone willing to speak up. And so I'm going to ask you to do a little bit of that now. And starting with your family history, can you talk about what brought you and your family to America?

Representative Yassamin Ansari (10:08)

Yeah. Thank you so much. So, you know, my family has a pretty typical immigration story as it pertains to the Iranian American diaspora here in the United States. So my parents both came. My dad actually came in the early 1970s. To the United States. He was on a student visa going to the University of Oregon and studying, always with the intention of going back to Iran. And then, of course, the 1979 revolution happened, which brought to power the theocratic regime that is still in power today. And my mom was a little bit younger, and so she was just a high school student when the revolution took place. And in the few years in the aftermath, you know, it was horrific circumstances in the country. The really theocratic nature of the regime took hold. Women's rights started being taken away, schools were shut down, and a lot of individuals who had been not supportive of the revolution were in prison. So my grandfather had actually been on a local city council in the city that he had grown up in, Isfahan, Iran, during the Shah's time. And he was a supporter of the monarchy. And so when in those few years in the early 1980s, he was briefly imprisoned, and when that happened, my family was really terrified. And so they sent my mom by herself to the United States, and she came here by herself, and that's sort of the end of it. I mean, they were able to stay here in the U.S. eventually, my family all came over, and I, as somebody with the heritage, have never been able to go back to Iran as an adult since I've been in politics, because I would likely be imprisoned and or harmed by the current regime.

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What do you wish more people understood

Stacey Abrams (12:08)

about the complexity that has become nightly news here? And in particular, I was reading a story today about who's actually in power. Is it the irgc? Is it the supreme leader? And who do the people want and what do the people want? So, you know, please solve all of this right now.

Representative Yassamin Ansari (12:31)

So I think, you know, for many years, there has been a growing movement that became pretty undeniable in January of the majority of Iranians being against the current regime, which is we refer to it as the Islamic Republic regime. And I'm actually very careful to call them the Islamic Republic, as opposed to even the Iranian government, because the people of the country largely do not support this regime. And so back in January, we saw the largest protest movement years, really. There's estimates that upward of a million people were on the streets demanding an end to the Islamic Republic. And many were chanting the name of the crown prince, the son of the late Shah, but just overwhelmingly don't want the current government because of their brutal tactics that they have really taken out on people. And so credible human rights organizations say that upward of 10,000 people were killed. There's still 11,000 additional deaths under investigation. And so you'll hear a lot of different numbers. But it is very clear that this is a regime that should not stay. I think that is something that is sometimes misunderstood about Iran and the current war as well, is just that the truth is that Iranian people don't want their government. They do want to change, and it's very difficult because they are unarmed and you have a government that will do anything to stay in power out of desperation. And so it's devastating because that's very challenging. Right? Regime change is very, very difficult. They say today once the ayatollah was killed, the son of Ayatollah Khamenei is now who has been appointed as the new supreme leader. My understanding is there are a variety of different IRGC leaders and military officials who are making decisions right now as it pertains to how to negotiate with the United States and what to do next. But what is scary is that people are saying, experts on Iran are saying that the new folks could be more hardline and repressive than even what it was before the war started, before some of the leadership was taken out.

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Narrator/Announcer (17:27)

So given that, I mean, you've been

Stacey Abrams (17:28)

very clear that the people do not agree with the Islamic fundamentalist leadership, and yet you've been an outspoken critic against the Trump administration's work war since the beginning. And you supported the multiple War Powers Resolution votes that unfortunately failed due to opposition from Republican lawmakers and some Democrats. Can you explain your position for the audience?

Representative Yassamin Ansari (17:56)

Absolutely. I mean, first and foremost, obviously my responsibility is as an American congresswoman to my constituents. And I represent a working class community where people are first and foremost concerned about their cost of living. They're concerned about the fact that they cannot afford rent, they cannot afford groceries, they cannot afford gas, and a community that would have to see its sons and daughters potentially go to war and fight in this war of choice. And for that reason, I am not just against the war in Iran. I do not support any foreign endless wars that the United States should be engaging in. I think we need to focus on the United States and our people in the community here. But second of all, I think it's important to note that I do not trust the Trump administration based on their words and their actions, that they had any good intentions from the get go as it pertains to Iran. I think first of all, Donald Trump himself never quite even made, not that he even said freedom for the Iranian people is a priority of this war at any point. Early back during the January massacres, he said, help is on the way. And then weeks on end went by, thousands were massacred and no help ever came for the Iranian people. But I really want to draw people's attention to the New York Times reporting that came out a couple of weeks ago about how the decision was made to go to war with Iran and some of that behind the scenes conversation that happened and that reporting really made clear and shed light on the fact that the United States own intelligence community during the deliberations that took place in the Situation Room leading up to the start of the war on February 28, made clear to President Trump that regime change would not be simple in Iran and it would not happen based on just a couple of strikes that Donald Trump wanted to engage in. And they made that very clear to him. And that reporting also emphasize the fact that Donald Trump still made the decision to move forward, knowing that and making clear that that is not a priority. And we've seen that now in the language that he has used, you've actually heard him say, we've heard Pete Hegseth say, we've heard Carolyn Levitt, his press secretary, say there is a new regime in Iran. And I think that is something that really has to be talked about because Donald Trump did sell to many Iranians both inside and outside the country that, I mean, people believed. And that's just out of a sense of needing help as well. Right. Like the desperation that Iranian people feel for help. They trusted him. And he has now said that there is a new regime in Iran, which is absolutely not the case. But I think to me proves that he never cared about that piece of it. Right. That's not what this was about. And we know that Donald Trump, as it pertains to freedom, democracy, he doesn't even have good intentions when it comes to the United States. So I think for me, it was clear that he never had good intentions when it comes to Iran. And now that's the case. And if you look at the situation that Iranian people are in now, they are worse off. They have a more repressive regime. The economy is an absolute disaster and people are really suffering. And they're still no clear resolution to this conflict that anyone can see.

Stacey Abrams (21:28)

Representative, you answered an earlier question I want to ask you to pull on a thread for me. You were very clear that you oppose endless wars and that Americans, especially members of Congress, should be focused on how we serve the needs of domestic communities. But I've also watched your voting record. You do not oppose foreign aid to help those who are suffering. And can you talk a little bit about how you navigate the necessity of doing for people at home, but also understanding that we're part of a global community?

Representative Yassamin Ansari (22:03)

Absolutely. So I, you know, I, my background before I ever ran for elected office was that I was a climate policy advisor at the United Nations. So I worked on the Paris Climate Agreement when I was really young, fresh out of college. Then I worked on global climate summits, especially after Donald Trump pulled out of Paris. And so I believe very strongly in the United States role in the world as it pertains to our leadership, as it pertains to being a leader on climate, on diplomacy, on peace. That's why when Elon Musk and Doge went after USAID as one of their first moves, I was really out front there because I know that the impact that the US's role has in saving lives around the world. And so I do. I'm not at all an isolationist in any way. I just don't support unilateral military action with no clear objectives and no clear plans for the United States in a situation like this. But as it pertains to, let's say, support for Ukraine in their defense of their sovereignty against Russia, that is something that I support. I support the US rejoining the Paris climate agreement and investing even further in things like the Green Climate Fund that will help developing countries tackle transition to clean energy and make sure they're secure as the world sees more climate catastrophes. I think those are really important and priorities of mine as we hopefully look towards a future Democratic presidential administration in 2028 and beyond.

Stacey Abrams (23:44)

I wanted to really highlight that because I think there's a tendency in this moment for the strange bedfellows conundrum to assail us all. Where there are those who are opposing the war because they are isolationist, others who oppose the war because they are xenophobes, and those who oppose the war because as you very clearly articulated, there's no objective that we can truly point to. And we are spending billions of dollars while we are avoiding the responsibilities or worse, where there's an intentional exacerbation of the challenges we face here at home. A lot of the work that we do through Assembly Required and the other projects I'm a part of, including the 10 Steps campaign, is really thinking about how do we hold both of those tensions? How do we focus on the needs of the people while also recognizing we are part of a global population that is feeling the effects of the decisions made here. And as someone who sits on the Oversight Committee, talk to me about how you understand your colleagues who have the same information and the same knowledge base and yet consistently support the efforts of a regime that seem to have no one's best interest in mind.

Representative Yassamin Ansari (24:57)

It is. It's bizarre, right? It's very difficult to understand. I mean, I think during my first year in Congress, which was last year, it felt like five, but during the first year. I definitely think there. There was and still is quite a bit of fear of Donald Trump and fear of the retaliation that he may incite against anyone who speaks out. I mean, there's no more obvious example than from your state with his former top ally, Marjorie Taylor Greene, being essentially retaliated against by him in such a severe way, calling her a traitor. But I think he wanted to make an example out of her. Right. And there are still so many Republicans who I think even want to say something or want to do something, but it just probably feels too heavy for them to even go about doing so. But it's terrible. I mean, I don't. We are here as members of Congress to be a check and balance on the president and on, you know, on his branch of government. And the fact that the leadership we're seeing out of Speaker Mike Johnson is one that he's decided that Congress doesn't matter. We essentially have no role. He's abdicated the responsibility of our body as one that does anything to keep the president in check or even has any influence on policy, really. And that's devastating to see. And I think it's something that the history books will not look. Will not write positively about as it pertains to the Republican Party right now.

Stacey Abrams (26:46)

At the top of the show, Representative, I talked about the importance of disruption as a tactic. I was recently in Austria with a group of leaders and activists who have been fighting against authoritarianism from Bolivia to Turkey to Hungary. And one of the pieces we talked about was the bully pulpit. You know, as Georgia's House minority leader, when I was in the state legislature, my job was often to use the bully pulpit to show our constituents that we understood what was at stake, even though we didn't have the political power to make it so. And that can feel unsatisfying to folks who want to just see you do something. You have been, I think, one of the leaders in trying to leverage the responsibility, but also share with your constituents that there are limits to what can be done, but not limits to what can be imagined. And so, for example, you, in response to the GOP's handling of the war, you, alongside of other representatives, submitted formal articles of impeachment against the Secretary of Defense. Talk about the importance of doing that at a time when we know you don't have the votes to succeed in ousting him. What was the point of doing it?

Representative Yassamin Ansari (28:05)

I believe very strongly that we need to be doing everything possible just to. Even if it's just to let the public know where we stand. On an issue. And so I've learned this just living in this chaotic Trump 2.0 environment, that that is what Americans want to see. They want to see people are fighting for them, and they want to see that their elected officials are saying what they can see very plainly as happening in clear language. And so to me, on the Pete Hegseth front, I mean, I think Pete Hegseth should have been fired long ago. He should have been fired right after he leaked classified information via Signal Chat. Right. And so the fact that we have now gone a year and a half later, he also, of course, you know, is the one responsible for these double tap strikes on boats in the Caribbean. He, on day one of this war, the United States bombed a school in Iran that killed over 160 children. I mean, these are massive, massive crimes, war crimes, potentially. And I think he should have gone long ago. And so to me, it's important to state that very clearly and forcefully. And filing articles of impeachment is one way to do that. And that's kind of been how I've operated throughout my time in Congress. One of the things I did in the first few months was travel to El Salvador after Donald Trump refused to listen to the Supreme Court and return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who they'd wrongfully deported. And so myself and a couple colleagues were just so desperate, quite frankly, to not let the news cycle pass us after a day after Donald Trump got us into a constitutional crisis. And so without any security, without any official trip, none of it within 24 hours, we decided to go to El Salvador and draw attention to this issue of lack of due process in this country. And I think it was really important because then it stayed in the news cycle. You know, people continue to talk about it. I'd go on places like Fox News and debate Laura Ingraham about it. But then it was from there on out that Donald Trump's numbers on immigration enforcement started to decline. And now he's underwater on that issue, obviously, with, you know, the, the terror that ICE has caused since then as well. But that's just kind of how I think we need to be fighting right now. Because being in the minority is just not. Is just not a good enough excuse, right, to not at least get our points and our message and our fight out there.

Stacey Abrams (30:49)

Well, I want to stay on that for a second because, you know, you highlighted the war crimes that were committed by the Secretary of Defense and suborned by congressional leaders who refused to take action on a War Powers Act. And we also know that because of the Strait of Hormuz being closed, there is an energy crisis that's impacting the entire, entire world. Gas prices are above $4 a gallon here in the U.S. but we know that closer to the straight, there are economic paroxysms that are upending economies across Asia and Africa and soon to be happening in, in Europe. And we know that most economic forecasts indicate that these high gas prices, these high diesel prices, the fertilizer prices that are rising at the start of spring planting, all of these things are not going to recede in the next few months. And yet we still have Democrats in Congress who are refusing to take action. Based on what you've just said, how should Democrats be discussing the implications of the war as an economic issue, but also as a way to stop our Democratic backsliding?

Representative Yassamin Ansari (32:03)

I think we just need to be talking about it every single day. I mean, I believe that we should be forcing war powers votes on a daily basis. I'm glad the Senate has been doing so and we are starting to do that as well. Especially within the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Many members are introducing these resolutions so that we can be on the record daily. And when I'm back in my district, I think it was the first, truly, I think it was the first week of the war. I went to the local union hall for the carpenters and I was meeting with 18, 19 year old apprentices who were part of the program and they were talking about the prices at the pump, how they feel that they're coming of age, going into the real world during a time of such turbulence and such chaos, where they feel there's no opportunities, where they feel that they have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. And those impacts were felt so quickly and it's obviously only gotten worse. And I've even talked to friends, I'm from Arizona, so friends from childhood, growing up, acquaintances. There are people who are Trump supporters. And this last weekend I was talking to folks who were Trump voters who were livid at Donald Trump and feel super betrayed by him and his administration. One of the main reasons they were Trump supporters was because Trump had promised no more endless wars. And they just can't wrap their minds around why he's doing this when they at 30 some years old can't afford to even consider buying a home. And so these impacts are very real and people are feeling them. So as their representatives, to your point, we need to be honing in on this every single day and I think providing also a counter vision and policies that we will be fighting for. Right. Not just that we are against the war or against Trump policies, but here are the things that we think that we should be pursuing. And that's some of the work that I'm most excited about, to be honest with you. I'm chairing a task force within the Progressive Caucus on lowering costs, and we're doing this Affordability Across America tour right now. We just did a stop in Vegas and heard from many people who work in the service industry about what their biggest economic challenges are, but what policies they want to see. And that's what we'll be rolling out, you know, in the coming months as well.

Stacey Abrams (34:36)

I appreciate that. I also appreciate the fact that you understand the complexity of what we're facing through the 10 Steps campaign that I launched, which focuses on authoritarianism. I've been working with several organizations on a range of issues, the most recent of which is what we call the Read Them Home Initiative, and that's designed to bring attention to the abomination of family immigration detention camps where infants and children, as well as their parents, are denied clean water and healthy food and denied adequate medical care. And you and Representative Castro have been front and center. We know that this is one of the more grotesque examples of the regime's disregard for basic decency. You personally have visited multiple ICE detention centers in Arizona. You've investigated these reports of inhumane behavior and neglect.

Narrator/Announcer (35:33)

Talk about what you've seen and why protest still matters.

Representative Yassamin Ansari (35:39)

Thank you for bringing attention to this. Nothing has horrified me more than what I've seen inside ICE detention centers. And I think it's such a travesty that, you know, the American public doesn't get to see it, to be honest with you. And all people really get to to know is what we come out and tell them about what we see and hear inside these facilities. But we have two really big ones in Arizona, the Eloy Detention center and the Florence Correctional Center. They're both run by CoreCivic, which, of course, is one of the two major private prison companies that is making billions of dollars off of the suffering of individuals. And, you know, I have been. I hate to use the word lucky, but I've had a unique experience in that most of the times that I've gone, I've been let in. And also I have been able to speak with dozens of detainees who are inside these facilities. And I've spoken with women and men, and what is happening is just horrific. I mean, I have heard everything from women being given used underwear to, and, you know, getting really sick from that severe medical neglect issues. I have a constituent of mine named Yadi who is a leukemia patient who's been in detention for over a year. And we've been advocating heavily for her to be let out because she's lost £70. They won't let her get treatment. They retaliate against her. When we draw attention to the issue, there's issues of lack of drinking water, lack of good food. It's just awful. And like seeing it and talking to people there, there it is. Nothing short of physical and psychological torture. What is happening with our taxpayer dollars. And one of my most recent visits was actually with two of my other colleagues from Arizona, Congressman Grijalva and Congressman Stanton. We actually went at around like 10 o' clock at night a couple weeks ago to an ice holding center that is inside of one of our regional airports where Ice Air operates out of. And we had heard reports that there was a hunger strike happening there. And we, we got there, it was a whole ordeal getting in, but we were finally let in. And what we saw there was human beings crammed into cells where it clearly said the capacity is 20 people. Some of them have had upward of 50 people inside. So body to body on the ground, people like banging on the window, trying to talk to us, tell us that it's hot, that people were sick inside, that they've been in there for days. Meanwhile, they're not supposed to have people there for more than 12 hours. It was so awful. And seeing the stark contrast of what it was like when we showed up unannounced because I had been there in February and of course they had at all. They were following all the rules when we were there in February with the seven days notice. But this time was a very different picture. So it is just like, I think it's the worst thing happening right now that most people again, just don't know about because they're, they're covering it up and they're hiding it from the American people.

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Stacey Abrams (42:47)

Well, what we're doing through the Read Them Home campaign is to call attention to what's happening in Dilly, Texas. I was down in Dilly of couple a couple of weeks ago, and what we decided to do is we're posting videos of everyday people reading books to children because we think this is, you know, showing that they're being denied this most basic comfort. We are getting some traction there. But what other protests do you think could move your colleagues? Because we know that the White House is not going to do anything. But what does it take to move your colleagues? Do protests like this matter? And if they don't, what else would you ask citizens to do so that we can continue to bring attention to the human tragedies that are happening all around us?

Representative Yassamin Ansari (43:35)

Well, I'll start by saying that I think protest absolutely matters, and we need as many protests as often as possible and in as creative of ways as possible. I love what you're doing. I think that's. That's really amazing. But, you know, for example, I think. I do think. I've thought. I've been thinking a lot about how as Americans, I think we need more of a kind of civil disobedience protest culture than maybe we have. And I don't know if it's like, we're just also overwhelmed with the sheer amount and vastness of like, tragedies that are happening in this country on a daily basis that it's just becoming too much. And so many people just want to check out for their mental health. And part of me understands that, but I think, like, there should be no King style protests way more often given all that's happening in this country. And I know those are big and take a lot of time to organize, but I think we really need to increase that to the extent possible. I've been thinking about how I can get, you know, as, you know, they take our phones away when we go inside detention centers, so I can't take photos, et cetera. But I've been thinking about maybe getting like an artist to like, to describe what I'm seeing and create imagery of it, because I think people really need to see what's happening to be able to feel how awful it is. I think as people, you know, do get released from ICE custody, you know, maybe perhaps like looking at ways to do more with those individuals to get their messages out and then. But then again, like, there's this fear of retaliation and fear of just the, the, you know, what the Trump administration might do. But I think, I think it's incumbent on us to kind of get as much information out there as possible to people and then working with the public to protest. And, you know, in terms of my colleagues, what will impact them? I don't know. I mean, I think hopefully when they lose their seats in the midterms, they will realize that they made massive mistakes and how they looked at this. Mom. But I don't think we can wait until the midterms as well. Right. And we have to just keep pushing and doing everything we can to educate people on what's going on, because this is going to be a stain on our country's record for decades.

Stacey Abrams (45:58)

Well, let's touch base after this conversation about the artist idea. I love that, and I think I know a way we can integrate that into the work that people are doing around the country. Well, I want to stick with the congressional challenge because the stalemate between Republicans in the House and the Senate on funding ICE that's due to the Democratic opposition has led to an attempt at workaround. And right now, Senate Republicans are using budget reconciliation to advance legislation that would allow it to sidestep the Democratic calls for ICE reforms. So instead, Congressional Republicans would approve a $70 billion infusion to pay for immigration enforcement all the way through 2029. The whole point is to avoid the filibuster in the Senate and to bypass the Democratic opposition in the House. As the freshman class president for Democrats

Narrator/Announcer (46:49)

in the House, how are you helping

Stacey Abrams (46:51)

your classmates explain this to constituents? And what are the odds of this majority maneuver working? Like, what does it mean for common sense ICE reforms, like removing masks, like requiring judicial warrants? Is the game lost, or do we still have other opportunities to fight?

Representative Yassamin Ansari (47:09)

Well, I'll say, you know, I have an amazing group of colleagues in our freshman class who I think have just done a phenomenal job throughout this insane, unprecedented first term that we're all having in really fighting back. And as ICE has terrorized people around this country, and especially since the murders that happened in Minnesota, our colleagues have really stepped up. One of my colleagues is from Minnesota, Rep. Kelly Morrison. I got to see her in action on the ground after, I think about two dozen of us went to Minnesota after Renee Nicole Good was murdered. And we did an oversight hearing to hear about just how awful it's been and the impact that it's had on local law enforcement and the ability for local law enforcement to do their jobs. But I think an important message right now that all of us are saying and echoing is just how ridiculous it is that with all of the problems going on in this country and all of the struggles that Americans are facing on a daily basis, that the Republican caucus wants to use reconciliation simply and only for last year, as we know, it was to give tax breaks to billionaires and to give, what, 75 billion to ICE and 175 billion to DHS. And now they want to use it to fund ICE and nothing else. I mean, their priorities are so absurd and so out of touch with what Americans want. And I think we need to be shouting that from the rooftops every single day that they are ripping away our healthcare and food assistance to give money to ICE to continue to harm people and terrorize people. And even the numbers show that now, I mean, Donald Trump, historically, the one issue he was always doing well on was immigration, right. And the economy and both those issues. Now Democrats are viewed much stronger, and Donald Trump is significantly underwater on. And so we really just have to keep fighting for that, making that known. I think we need to continue to oppose any more funding to ICE until Republicans stop holding this issue hostage. And it is what it is, and they are in power, and they are refusing to work to solve issues that actually matter to people. And it continues to just baffle me because people are not on their side. So they are. They are quite literally choosing Donald Trump's ego over the American people every single day. And Americans are smart enough to know better.

Stacey Abrams (49:53)

Speaking of speaking up, you were at the correspondence dinner on Saturday, and I know that you intend to go to the well to talk about what you saw. Can you talk a little bit about what going to happen this week from you in response to the attack there?

Representative Yassamin Ansari (50:14)

Yeah, you know, it was really a terrifying situation Saturday night when gunshots rang out and, you know, within a matter of 10, 15 seconds, the room obviously erupted into mass chaos. And I was hiding under our table. And I'll just have to give another shout out because I was really, really, really terrified. And tears were streaming down my face as the chaos was ensuing. And Senator Jackie Rosen was just like, went into mom mode and telling me it's all going to be okay. But you know exactly what I was just saying about the priorities of Republicans. I have been so disgusted over the last 48 hours to see that the response by so many of them has been to talk about the need for a White House ballroom. Like, I don't even know how that is the. Any sort of conclusion anyone would make after any of this. And you Know, I intend to talk about the need for gun violence prevention and policies to prevent violence like this from happening in our communities every single day, which we know they do. And they never get the attention that even Saturday night got. Even though, thank God, law enforcement was able to act quickly and there were no casualties. But it was a room of elected officials and journalists, so we had tons of law enforcement and Secret Service and Capitol Police there who were able to take out the threat. But in classrooms in America, there's no such thing. And that's what it feels like to be a kid growing up in this country. And, you know, this is actually the second time in my life where I've been in a situation where there has been something that's violence that's broken out. And I've had to feel that this is, you know, that my life is at risk. And in the other instance, I had to run, and this time was hiding. But this is happening all across the country every single day, and we need to do something about it, and it's outrageous. So that's what I will be talking about. But I've already, you know, as I know you have seen the entire MAGA operation talking about the ballroom. I mean, they are just so out of touch with reality and what Americans are thinking and feeling.

Stacey Abrams (52:42)

Well, Representative Ansari, one of the reasons I wanted to have you on the show today is that not only do you use the. The position that you have and the platform that you have to talk about what we should be fighting against, you also spend a great deal of time thinking about what we should be fighting for. And I would love for you to talk briefly about the health, equity and rights agenda that you introduced in March, because it's a legislative package that I think speaks to what we should be talking about, what we should be having debates about.

Representative Yassamin Ansari (53:15)

So something I've struggled with since I was very young and I started talking about a couple of years ago as I realized how common it was, is really, really horrific and debilitating, period, pain. And so, you know, as a woman, once a month we have to deal with this nonsense. And there have been a number of times in my life where the pain is so severe that I've either passed out in public or. Or, you know, been on my bathroom floor for hours on end, and it's such a taboo topic. Right. I think also just because, like, we have to experience this once a month that, you know, rarely when that's happening, would I ever tell my place of work that it's happening, that that's Why I need, you know, to, you know, take a few hours or whatever it might be. So. And this is, is, you know, my, you know, this is not unique. Women deal with so many different forms of pain as a result of reproductive issues, whether it be endometriosis, whether it be periods, whether it deal with pregnancy challenges, menopause, of course. And so. And there's always historically been a lack of funding for research on these issues, lack of solutions. It's simply just not been prioritized. And so my package of legislation, it's called the Her Agenda, Health, Equity and Rights. And it includes one kind of landmark bill that would offer 12 days of reproductive leave per year. And this actually is not just for women. Even men, you know, men could take advantage of it, let's say, if someone's getting a vasectomy or some sort of surgery related to a reproductive issue. And I think it's really needed. And the other bills have to do with research and funding, so directing the Institute of Health to study disparities in women's pain to offer solutions and the rest. And really excited about it. We have support from a lot of great national organizations. But to your point, it's also just important to talk about these issues and bring to light issues. And that's why representation matters so much. And in our political system, with still only, what, a quarter of the body being women, there are many issues that historically have just not seen a national conversation about policy responses that they should.

Stacey Abrams (55:48)

I am so proud of what you're doing. I didn't talk about it when it happened, but when I got ready to run for governor, before I could actually start my campaign, after I'd stepped down from the House, I had a myomectomy because I had a fibroid that had been growing, but I could never find the six weeks it would take to recover. And by the time I had my surgery, they removed an eight pound tumor.

Representative Yassamin Ansari (56:15)

Oh, wow.

Stacey Abrams (56:16)

From my body.

Representative Yassamin Ansari (56:17)

Wow, wow, wow.

Stacey Abrams (56:19)

And I had good health insurance. And I just think about the millions of women, especially women of color, who are disproportionately likely to have that, to need that surgery. And assuming they can get to the healthcare they need, the recovery time is just not available for so many.

Sponsor/Advertisement Voice (56:38)

So thank you.

Stacey Abrams (56:39)

Just on behalf of women who have experienced fibroids and endometriosis and all of those things, thank you for lifting this up. But you also said representation matters. And anyone who listens to the show knows I believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion are the central pillar for a pluralistic democracy that you cannot have a democracy that works without identity politics. And, you know, just in your introduction, you're a progressive, you're a woman, you're Iranian American, you are young. And each of those identities speaks to something that people need. We're in the midst of. Of primaries, and you guys are having some complicated ones in Arizona, which is a swing state, but you also are a representative from that state. Can you talk a bit about why you believe it is so important for identity politics not to be seen as an afterthought, but as a central pillar for how we represent the people who need us?

Representative Yassamin Ansari (57:39)

Yeah, I just think it's, you know, this is the United States of America, and we, you know, I'm so proud to be an American, but I'm also really proud of my heritage. I'm also really proud of supporting other communities of color, no matter who they are. And I think you can see it in the responses and the policies that are introduced in this country when there is a variety of representation. I mean, I think just looking, for example, my heritage is Iranian American, but I'm also part of the Asian American Caucus in Congress. And I just think, especially in this time where you have a Trump regime that is really against all of us, he's going after diversity, equity, and inclusion. And they don't discriminate like they. And they don't really look at any of us as that different either. Right. Like they. To them, whether you're Latino, whether you're black, whether you're Iranian or Arab or Chinese, whatever, like, we're all the other. And I think we. They are attacking, you know, each and every community in different ways, but ultimately the same way. And so I simultaneously think a lot about how identity politics and representation in that sense matter so much, but how much we need to support each other and work together in uplifting each, you know, each identity and. And supporting each other. And I just, like, that is because at the end of the day, like, they just view us all as. As the enemy. And, you know, and at the end of the day, we are. We are as American as it gets, and I think, think as patriotic as it gets. And I just feel very lucky each day. I think, you know, as Congress slowly gets more diverse, being able to serve with such incredible colleagues with such diverse backgrounds and experiences and learning, you know, from people and being able to serve with them is a real privilege, and we just need to do more to uplift one another.

Stacey Abrams (59:54)

Well, I always say that DEI is in our DNA, and I love to give homework, but I think You've just given it to us. Assembly Required Folks, our homework this week is to find ways to uplift each other. And let's start with uplifting the extraordinary work of Representative Yaseen Min Ansari. Thank you so much for joining us here today on Assembly Required.

Representative Yassamin Ansari (60:16)

Thank you so much.

Narrator/Announcer (60:24)

As always, at Assembly Required, we give you you actionable tools to help make a difference.

Stacey Abrams (60:29)

First, be curious.

Narrator/Announcer (60:31)

This week I met and spent time with Scott Nakagawa, president of the 22nd Century Initiative. His substack the Anti Authoritarian Playbook kept me enthralled on the eight hour flight from Salzburg.

Stacey Abrams (60:45)

I don't agree with everything, but I

Narrator/Announcer (60:47)

am always looking for new ways of understanding the work and the world we

Stacey Abrams (60:51)

find ourselves themselves in.

Narrator/Announcer (60:53)

So please check them out. Number two, let's solve some problems. Step six in the 10 steps to freedom and Power is Disruption. Disruption is about refusing to let power go unchecked. So whether you're protesting, sharing know your rights information, or practicing civil disobedience, there are many ways to safely and effectively take action. So visit my substack Assembly Notes and check out my recent post on Disruption for resources that can help you learn

Stacey Abrams (61:22)

more about ways to fight back and

Narrator/Announcer (61:24)

help build the democracy we deserve.

Stacey Abrams (61:26)

And certainly, let's do some good.

Narrator/Announcer (61:28)

Immigrants and detention centers do not have

Stacey Abrams (61:31)

access to basic necessities. As Representative Ansari pointed out, they are in dire need.

Narrator/Announcer (61:38)

So visit the nonprofit Freedom for Immigrants

Stacey Abrams (61:41)

at Freedom for Immigrants to donate to their commissary fund.

Narrator/Announcer (61:47)

Proceeds are directly deposited into commissary accounts

Stacey Abrams (61:51)

at detention centers across the country.

Narrator/Announcer (61:54)

Hello to those of you who are regular listeners and welcome to our newest

Stacey Abrams (61:59)

friends here at Assembly Required.

Narrator/Announcer (62:01)

I very much appreciate the folks who take time to leave us comments, which

Sponsor/Advertisement Voice (62:06)

I do read and one of my

Narrator/Announcer (62:08)

favorites was was from the irrational sewist who said about our episode on Fashion and Democracy. Quote the politics of fashion was my first exposure and love listening to your

Stacey Abrams (62:20)

viewpoint and gaining clarity for what might be confusing.

Narrator/Announcer (62:24)

That's our mission in a nutshell and we want to do this on more

Stacey Abrams (62:28)

topics and for more people.

Narrator/Announcer (62:30)

So keep the comments coming, tell others about us and add us to your feed and let me know which episodes resonate and what you want to learn more about. And check out my substack Assembly Notes where I go deeper, broader and anywhere I can to help us better understand and change the world. Thank you to the thousands of you who have signed up for the 10 Steps campaign at 10stepscampaign.org we are going

Stacey Abrams (62:58)

to continue to make it easier to take back our freedom and power.

Narrator/Announcer (63:02)

So that wraps up this episode of Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams.

Stacey Abrams (63:06)

Do good out there and I'll meet

Sponsor/Advertisement Voice (63:07)

you here next week. Assembly Required is a crooked media production. Our lead show producer is Lacey Roberts and our associate producer is Farrah Safari. Kiril Palaviv is our video producer. This episode was recorded and mixed by Charlotte Landis. Our theme song is by Vasilis Fotopoulos.

Stacey Abrams (63:31)

Thank you to Matt De Groat, Kyle

Sponsor/Advertisement Voice (63:33)

Seglin, Tyler Boozer, Ben Hethcote and Priyanka Muntha for production support. Our executive producers are Katie Long and me, Stacey Abra.