Monday, December 31, 2012
As Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Rep. Keith Ellison said that he will work to ensure that Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries are protected.
With the nation inching toward January’s ‘fiscal cliff,’ on Dec. 30, Rep. Keith Ellison expressed his opinions about raising taxes on Up with Chris Hayes. In the interview, Ellison said: "The most important bottom line is no cuts to Social Security beneficiaries, Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, defense is going to have to share in whatever cuts we see, the most well-to-do people are going to have to pay more, and we absolutely need some infrastructure spending to get people back to work." On Monday, media outlets reported that government officials did not come to a deal on Sunday during the House and Senate’s special work session. According to the Star Tribune, if an agreement isn’t reached by Jan. 1, the New Year could bring more …
Monday, December 17, 2012
The congressman also asked a judge to end the U.S. Senate filibuster.
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) released the following statement Friday after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT: "I am shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic shooting today in a Connecticut elementary school that took the lives of 27, including 18 children. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families and victims. As a father, I cannot imagine the pain and grief that comes from losing a child in such a senseless tragedy. While we do not yet know the full details of what happened today, I know our nation will come together to support the community of Newtown." Find information on how to help those affected by the tragedy. Ellison Asks Judge to End Senate Filibuster Ellison is among four Democratic House members …
Monday, September 24, 2012
The congressman told MinnPost in a recent interview that he wants to see the U.S. government get more engaged in the region.
In a recent interview with MinnPost, congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) said the protests going on in the Middle East lately do not reflect the opinions of the vast majority of Muslims in the area. Ellison added that he thought the U.S. government should get more engaged in the region: Our policy ought to be continued engagement with each country in the region and the region at large. ... If you look beneath the surface, what’s going on here is that the regime loyalists and religious extremists who have an undemocratic agenda, who want to impose a religious orthodoxy on everybody for the sake of power, are reacting against the success of the "small-d" democrats in overturning the autocrats across the region ... We don’t need to get skittish …
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
The representative called the video "amateurish and stupid," said protesters "could have written letters."
U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) on Wednesday said he mourns for the Americans killed during riots at American diplomatic missions in the Middle East, and he condemned the video that sparked the protests. Speaking on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday morning, Ellison said he is "deeply disturbed," termed the attacks a "terrible, terrible tragedy" and said protesters "could have written letters and could have registered their disapproval in a number of ways, but they resorted to murder." Four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens, were killed Tuesday during attacks on the American Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Violence also erupted at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, in response to a short American-made…
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Congressman fires up Massachusetts Democrats to win back seat previously held by Edward Kennedy.
CHARLOTTE — Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison told a crowd of Massachusetts Democrats at the Democratic National Convention that defeating first-term U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., is a top prirority for the party. "Other than re-electing Barack Obama, reclaiming the seat of Teddy Kennedy is the most quintessential priority of our party," said Ellison, D-Minn., at a Monday delegate breakfast. The suburban Minneapolis congressman was encouraging Bay State Democrats to campaign for Warren, who is in a close contest with Brown, who claimed the seat in 2010 when Sen. Edward Kennedy died. Democrat began their convention in Charlotte on Monday. President Obama will accept the party's nomination in a Thursday evening speech expected to draw more than…
Monday, August 20, 2012
The Minnesota congressman spoke at a forum in Minneapolis last week.
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) spoke out against torture last week at a forum called "Ending Torture Now: Moving Forward by Looking Backward," held at the Mayflower Church in Minneapolis. The event was held in connection with the 10-year anniversary of the "torture memos." In a Huffington Post piece, former FBI special agent Coleen Rowley applauded Ellison and others for speaking. You can watch Ellison's speech above. Ellison and his Republican challenger, Chris Fields, both did sit-down interviews with Patch last week. Questions came from Patch readers. Here, again, are those interviews:
Thursday, August 16, 2012
The Democratic incumbent is running again this election season in Minnesota's Fifth Congressional District.
Editor's Note: 5th District Patches recently asked readers to pose questions to incumbent Rep. Keith Ellison and challenger Chris Fields. This week, we are running the candidates' answers to some of the best questions we received. Today, we're featuring Part Two of our interview with Ellison. You can read Part One here. Our interview with Fields ran on Monday and Tuesday. Here is Part One and Part Two of that conversation. *** Spirit Medicine asks: There are some who are concerned with the continual growth in the powers claimed by the executive branch of the United States—expansions of authority not isolated to the current administration. What, if anything, are some things that the executive branch under the U.S. Constitution should never …
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
The Democratic incumbent is running again this election season in Minnesota's Fifth Congressional District.
Editor's Note: 5th District Patches recently asked readers to pose questions to incumbent Rep. Keith Ellison and challenger Chris Fields. This week, we are running the candidates' answers to some of the best questions we received. Today, we're featuring Part One of our interview with Ellison. Part Two will run tomorrow. Our interview with Fields ran on Monday and Tuesday. Here is Part One and Part Two of that conversation. *** Lauren asks: Do you plan to vote yes or no on the voter ID amendment? Why or why not? Ellison: I’m going to vote “no.” And I’m going to vote no because there are a lot of Minnesotans who are fully eligible to vote yet who may not posses a driver’s license or a Minnesota state ID. Because of that, I think that …
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Rep. Keith Ellison beat out two other DFLers on Minnesota's primary night.
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) easily beat out fellow DFL challengers Gary Boisclair and Gregg Iverson on Minnesota Primary Night. Ellison secured nearly 90 percent of the total votes, with 30,609 in total. Boisclair and Iverson tallied 1,397 and 2,143, respectively. Ellison is currently serving his third term as Minnesota's Fifth Congressional District representative for the U.S. House of Representatives. He was the first Muslim elected to Congress and was the first black man elected to the House from Minnesota. Ellison will be joined on the ballot by Republican Chris Fields, a retired, 21-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. While the only Republican on the ballot, Fields declared Tuesday a victory with 5,966 votes. First in a speech during…
The Republican is challenging incumbent Rep. Keith Ellison in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District.
Editor's Note: 5th District Patches recently asked readers to pose questions to incumbent Rep. Keith Ellison and challenger Chris Fields. This week, we are running the candidates' answers to some of the best questions we received. Today, we're featuring Part Two of our interview with Fields (you can read Part One here). Our interview with Ellison will run on Wednesday and Thursday. *** Dave W asks: How would you have voted on Audit the Fed (HR 459), and why? Fields: I would have voted to audit the Fed. I 100 percent support Dr. Paul in that effort. Auditing the Fed is one of the central points of our campaign. What I don’t like is a shadow government, and these bankers act like a shadow government. What they do is secret. In an age where …
Amy Paddock
11:17 am on Monday, October 8, 2012
Kathy, being Muslim in America? First, Keith hasn't always been Muslim, and second, Yes - there are Muslims who do support equal rights for gay including marriage. Just like there are many different opinions who have different ideas, it can also be true for Muslims. Pretty much, it means that no matter religion you aspire to, you can have an opinion and say you support it. more ›