Peggy Flanagan calls for new Senate leaders

Well, good morning, everyone. Thank you so much for joining this call. I am full of gratitude this morning for the people of Minnesota. We had a tremendous victory last night, and I am eager to get to work to help people afford the lives they want to live and take on this administration. I think the message was overwhelming across the country that folks are ready to be a check on. This president and to ensure that we are doing everything we can to to send new voices to to Washington, D.C. So, again, thank you so much. And I'm happy to take your questions. Lisa, I saw your hand first. Hi, Senator Luft. Congratulations and thank you for taking the time to do this. One of the first questions, you know, will be Senate caucus leadership. I'm curious your thoughts on Chuck Schumer there and who you would like to see as leader. I will just say this. I am tremendously grateful for Chuck Schumer's leadership and what he has done over the last many years. And I think it is time for new leadership. One of the things that we heard last night, resoundingly across the country is that we are. And a point of a new movement in this country. Many of us were elected who refused corporate PAC money, who are beholden only to the people who elected us and are ready to fight for bold change. And so I think it's time for a new leadership and I'm eager to work in partnership with my new colleagues to get that done. When it comes to exactly who that is, I can't tell you that, but I think that people are ready for new voices and new leadership in the Senate caucus. Allison. Thanks for the time, Senator-elect. I wonder if you see this race as different from other races across the country. I mean, did you ride a blue wave into office or, you know, do you see this as a victory more specific to your campaign and to Minnesota? Well, I would say this. I think I think Minnesota has received the... The brunt of the damage from the Trump administration, from the, you know, the tariffs, which have wreaked havoc on Minnesota farmers, the war in Iran and the cost of diesel, and I would say the... The 3,000 ICE agents who came to our state, who are all across the state of Minnesota, who terrorized us, who killed two Minnesotans with zero accountability, I think that that was absolutely part of this as well. And listen, you know. We had a campaign that lasted 627 days. We did 360 events in 125 communities. I did. 360 events at 125 communities and this was an organizing campaign. This was people powered. I'm proud of the campaign that we built where we had support from folks all across this state. I also think that that is part of that. I'm excited about this blue wave and we ran a strong race here. I think we are underestimated. Over and over and over again, but we delivered. I also think that last night, there was truly an exciting movement. That has been sparked across the country of new voices who are coming into Washington, D.C., who are not beholden to the party establishment or to party leaders, but truly represent the people. And I'm excited about that. And I think that was also part of our victory here in Minnesota last night. Lieutenant Governor, a lot of the billboards that I've seen around my neighborhood for you focused on affordability. And so a few things that I know that the new Democratic majority could go for, and I just want to see what you think about them and if there's any others that you would work on. But the Medicaid cuts and the one big beautiful bill, Medicare for all, universal child care, and the minimum wage. Are all those on the table for you? Anything else? I mean, absolutely. I think our, you know, my priority is to help Minnesotans afford the lives they want to live. And so everything that I do will be done through that lens. Rolling back the cuts to Medicaid and SNAP are... All That's a priority because we know that there's tremendous damage that has been done, but we haven't fully realized the impact of these cuts. I want to ban prior authorization right. on our way to passing Medicare for all, universal child care and capping child care costs at 7% of family income, increasing the minimum wage, paid family and medical leave. I think those are things that we heard loud and clear from people all across the state that affording their is their top priority. The grift and corruption under this administration has to stop. And the war in Iran also needs to come to an end. That is impacting costs tremendously. Certainly the cost of fuel, but also the cost in lives of servicemen and women. And so I'm eager to do that work. Yeah, thank you. So last night you pledged to tear ICE apart when you're in the Senate, and I'm wondering what do you think that will look like, or have you had discussions with your future colleagues on this, or what will the roadmap to that look like? Would it be abolishing ICE or reforming it? So I think we need an immigration system, but it is so very clear to me, and I think to people all across Minnesota, that Donald Trump's ice is completely broken. And the fact that we have had zero accountability for this agency, which essentially Just as Donald Trump's bidding is unacceptable. I think we absolutely can have secure borders, but we also can have public safety as the foundation of this agency. And I mean public safety for everyone so that these ICE agents can't kill people in our streets. We need to ensure that due process is also part of our immigration system. Dignity, a pathway to citizenship for people who are here. who have been contributing to the state of Minnesota and to this country. And I think that we have to end the practice of separating children from their families. We will get into the weeds of what that looks like from a policy approach, but I can tell you, I think the mandate for Minnesotans to ensure that we have an immigration system that is... is one that is all about safety, I think, is at the top of my list. And so I'm eager to do that work and to hold the people accountable who brought chaos and terror to our streets. Max? Hi, Senator Lex. So we've heard a lot about your broad policy goals like Medicare for all. But given that Trump will still be in office, there won't be a filibuster proof majority in the Senate. I'm curious about any of the shorter range legislative goals that you have. You know, what are some of the first pieces of legislation you might want to introduce or sponsor? Certainly. So I would say again, that rolling back these cuts to Medicaid and SNAP are at the top of the list. We're going to have to work to repair some of the damage that's been been done by this president. But what I would also say is that I am very eager to ban prior authorization. This is something that I think we can build bipartisan support for. And frankly, is one of the things that I hear the most from Minnesotans. It's just. Horror stories of having to go through multiple forms of treatment before they actually get the treatment that their doctor has prescribed or having to pay tremendous out-of-pocket costs. For medications that just allow people to live their lives because their insurance companies have decided that they just don't want to pay for it. So that's at the top of my list. And I also want to make sure that we can ensure that farmers can repair their own equipment. Right to repair, I think, is also something where we can make a difference here and build bipartisan support. I also think it's important to... To know that when we have majorities now in the House and the Senate, we're going to get to work. We are going to pass, I think, some pretty bold legislation. If the president decides that, you know, he wants to screw over the American people and veto those bills, I guess that's his choice. But our job is to make sure that people understand what happens when Democrats are in charge. We get to work, we help people afford their lives, and we're going to end the grift and corruption under this president. Good morning, Senator-elect. I'm wondering if you have any thoughts on who the other Senator from Minnesota maybe should be, and also what you'd like to see in a person who's joining you in Washington. So, Peter, I am still getting used to the fact that I am the Senator-elect From Minnesota. And have been laser focused on winning this seat and this race. I trust that Senator Amy Klobuchar, who will be our governor, will make an incredibly thoughtful and informed decision as to who to appoint in that role. And so I got enough to say grace over and I will leave that up to her. Congratulations, Senator-elect. Good to talk to you this morning. Thanks, Tommy. Ciao. Some Democratic leaders in Washington, at least one anyway, Robert Garcia, had posted lawyer up, kind of a message to Republicans. Do Democrats have to watch how far they go to counter the retribution that Donald Trump has been inflicting on the other side? How are you going to balance Legitimate investigations with investigations that might just look like payback. I think that there is a long list of things that this administration has done to the American people. And to the people of Minnesota specifically, I think there are many tools of accountability in our toolbox. And I will work with my colleagues to determine what those approaches will be. But what I can say is that when this president came into office for a second time, And immediately fired 19 inspectors general, the entire job it is to enforce, enforce ethics and go after, you know, fraud and corruption. I think those folks have to be reinstated. And when he continues to make money hand over fist. From the Oval Office in a meme coin, when we see the list of all of the people who have donated to his ballroom and in exchange, they've gotten no-bid contracts, right, sweetheart deals. One person even got a pardon after his mom, you know, went to a million-dollar-a-plate fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago. There's a long list. Of things that this administration needs to answer for. But I think in Minnesota, Renee Good's family and Alex Pretty's family, they deserve justice and they deserve accountability. And so I'm thinking a lot about them as we're looking at this transition and how to hold this administration accountable. But listen. We have to do more than one thing at a time, and I'm a Minnesota gal, so I'm a good multitasker, and I can tell you that we can hold this administration accountable, but also fight for and push for policies that are going to help Minnesotans afford the lives they want to live. I think we can do both things, and that's the expectation of Minnesota voters and I think folks across the country. Oh, yeah, go ahead, Tom. If you can still hear me, have you heard from Governor Walz? Has he reached out to congratulate you? Yes. And how was that conversation? We haven't spoken by phone, as you can imagine. My phone is blowing up. And so I am dealing with all of the incoming, but I got a nice message. Okay, thank you. Allison? Yeah, thank you. I wonder if you see this as a point in time election or a more long term realignment and kind of what makes you feel that way? I mean, you get what you organize for. So I think that's up to us as we're going into Washington, D.C., and we are going in with Democratic majorities in the House and the Senate. But we are also going in with a lot of folks who. We're ready for a new kind of politics, to get big money out of our politics, to focus on working families and to ensure that people can afford their lives and that the grift and corruption under this president is brought to an end. That's up to us. And so I am excited to get to work with my colleagues in Washington, but I'm also excited to ensure that we are working with the people. All across this country to ensure that we are delivering for them and that they know that when we go into the Capitol, we're not going along. We're bringing all of them with us. So that's to be determined. And it is up to all of the folks who were elected last night to listen to the people who sent them there, to do right by them, and to have a movement moment. And that is certainly what I am focused on. Laura? Senator, thank you so much for doing this. I just wanted to ask you, I know you mentioned your view on Schumer, but have you spoken with Senator Schumer since your win? And if so, what did you communicate to him about sort of what you want the caucus to focus on? I haven't spoken to Senator Schumer yet since the win last night. We've been in communication over, you know, the last several weeks and months. And, you know, we'll we'll figure out where we're going from from here. But I'll be very candid with you. I am going on about two hours of sleep and I currently have more than. 700 text messages, and my voicemail is full. So I'm going to try to get through all of that here today, and then we'll figure out next steps. Okay, got it. Thank you. Hi, Senator-elect. Sorry, I lost my voice. Your response to being the first Native American woman elected to U.S. Senate? I'm really honored and quite humbled to be the first Native American American woman elected to the United States Senate. I never set out to make history, but it's probably, it is damn time that a Native woman served in the U.S. Senate, and my hope is that there are other Native people, there are young Native people, young Native women and girls who can see themselves reflected in this victory. And the bottom line is that it's good for democracy. When we have elected bodies that reflect the communities they seek to represent, it strengthens our democracy. So it took 250 years for me to get here, but the next person, it's going to happen a lot faster. And I'm really excited that I was able to help clear a path for whoever comes next. Thank you, Allison. Hi, me again. I'm wondering if there was a moment on the campaign trail that, you know, stood out to you that made it clear that this was the result that we were headed for, where the momentum really kind of hit you. You know, I think, um, I think we could feel it. Momentum of this campaign just building. But When we are at a pizza place in Canby, Minnesota, It was a packed room and they were like, no one's been here from the statewide office since 2015. And I said, well, I hope that I can come visit you again because frankly, we should govern the way that we campaign. There were, you know, a couple of farmers who were there who were clear with me that they had voted for Donald Trump multiple times and that they were Republicans. But they were there and they said, listen, we don't agree with you on everything, but you're a tough cookie. So that's why we're here. Being called a tough cookie by a Minnesota farmer is pretty high price. And so that was when I felt like we could really win this thing. But it took, this is the largest group project, right, I've ever been a part of. And we had an incredible, scrappy campaign team and thousands of volunteers all across this state. And so the doors that were knocked, the early votes that were cast, people understood the stakes of this election. I think they voted accordingly. Thank I'm just. Overwhelmed by the results and excited to get to work. you Nobody's asked about impeachment yet. So where do you stand? very I mean, they haven't sent you articles yet, but I mean, that might be something that you have to deal with. Do you know how you would vote on such a thing? much. I think there are a lot of tools. As I said earlier, I think there are a lot of tools for accountability in our toolbox of, you know, with this administration. And I think we need to utilize them. I'm not going to get into, you know, specifics as to what this looks like, but I can tell you what, what we heard here in Minnesota and what we saw all across the country is people want elected leaders who are going to be a check on this president. So that's what I You worked with Senator Paul Wellstone on campaigns and later for Wellstone Action. And I just wondered if there are things you learned from his time in the Senate that you will be taking with you to Washington and how you might govern there. The beautiful thing about Paul is that he belonged to everybody. So many communities across the state said, Paul is our senator. And the reason that we felt that way is because he went everywhere all the time. He talked to people, he listened to them, and he wasn't just there for like the cheesecake snapshot, like he did the work and built relationships with people. I've tried really hard to run this campaign in the same way. And when it comes to governing, that work just continues, where people will know that Peggy's their senator. So that's what Paul taught me. And that's what I hope to do. Max, I'm curious what committee assignments you. If you want to serve on. Sure. So I am, you know, I'll be the new kid on the block. And so we'll see what I get. But I'm going to ask to serve on help, you know, because my top priority is helping people afford the lives they want to live. And so that's where a lot of that good work happens. Ag, housing and banking, appropriations. And The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. that's Last call. what Oh, I have just one final question, which is, you know, looking at all of this surprising victories, maybe not surprising, I'm going but upset victories from Democrats all across the map. to do. I'm wondering if there are one or two people that you are particularly happy for, happy to see win. So I'll say, you know, there are several. I, of course, am thrilled that Juliana Stratton won her Senate race in Illinois. She is my dear friend. We are LGs together. So I'm super excited to join my sister in the U.S. Senate. But I'm very excited also for Troy Jackson. He's just a really good guy and so humble and ran a very strong race. And then Abdul El-Sayed. I am very excited to serve with him. And, um, We've become friends through this campaign cycle and excited to get to work. But there's a lot of new voices coming in to Washington, and I think that's a really good thing. So I think that's it. Allison, I'll give you the last question. Thank you, Lexi. Let's see. I, you know, obviously this election is influenced heavily by the unpopularity of the federal administration. I wonder what, you know, Democrats should take away from this in terms of, you know, how you can govern and build momentum for future elections when there is not such a clear contrast with Donald Trump in the White House. Well, I mean, I think what we have learned, especially through this cycle, again, is you get what you organize for. When we have knocked almost 3 million doors this cycle, we know how to run a strong statewide operation. And I think that these issues that are facing people Now, under this administration, it's going to be really important for us to get to work in 2027 to ensure that people know that we are no longer nibbling around the edges. They have sent bold leaders to Washington because in 2028, we're going to have to deliver again. And That means that people know that's that when they elect Democrats to Congress, that they're going to see results. And so that will also influence what we can do in 2028 why I'm and 2030 and 2032 and beyond. here It's just time to get to work and people have to see it and they have to feel it. today. And that's why I ran in the first place. Thank That's the work that I'm going to do in Washington on behalf of Minnesotans. All right. Thank you, everyone. you.