Friday, November 6, 2026

El-Sayed lays out plan for the incoming Democratic Congress

 

El-Sayed lays out plan for the incoming Democratic Congress

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/11/5/800123425/videos/el-sayed-lays-out-plan-for-the-incoming-democratic-congress/ 

El-Sayed lays out plan for the incoming Democratic Congress

by Walter Einenkel
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Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks at an election night event, early Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Democratic Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan speaks at an election-night event early on Nov. 4.AP

Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan appeared on Joe Scarborough’s morning show Thursday to talk about his victory over whatshisface and to answer questions about his positions and the future of the soon-to-be Democratic-led Congress. 

When asked about the “big tent” of political opinions represented by the Democratic Party, El-Sayed pointed out, “We look like America,” emphasizing that the most winning progressive campaigns offer voters a different set of binary choices than those traditionally presented to the electorate.

“No matter who you are, how you identify, what you look like, how you pray, the color of your skin, where your family came from, you need a good job. That job should pay you a living wage. You need to know you’re going to have a good retirement and healthcare. You need to be able to afford a home. You need to send your kids to good schools,” El-Sayed explained. “And if we’re able to bring everybody together and say we’re also going to tie each other together when it comes to rights—so that if they come for your rights, they’re coming for all of our rights, because rights are rights are rights are rights.”

When asked about what he hopes a Democratic-controlled Congress will do come January, the newly elected senator outlined three major priorities, saying that the first needed to be “end[ing] this war.”

“We need a war-powers resolution that brings war-making capacity back to Congress, and forcing a conversation about this war being a disaster and moving us back to diplomacy,” El-Sayed said. “No. 2, ending this tariff regime and this war against Canada. But No. 3, stopping the nuclear bomb that’s about to go off in our healthcare system with these Medicaid cuts.”

El-Sayed also highlighted New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s success in taking action and getting things done, no matter how small, while communicating those accomplishments as directly as possible. 

“How about we pass a Crap Lettuce Elimination Act, which is simply about bringing back the parts of the FDA and the CDC that keep you from eating lettuce that has been defiled, right?” he said, referring to the ill-advised dismantling of food protections by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “And just push it out there, because it’s very difficult when you’re whipping votes on the Crap Lettuce Elimination Act not to get the votes. If you don’t vote for it, you’re for the crap lettuce. Nobody wants that, right?”

Asked about Trump’s claim that he has made a deal to stop giving Israel $4 billion annually, El-Sayed, who has criticized U.S. financial and military support of Israel, said he agreed with that statement and would even “work with him on doing that.” 

“In fact,” El-Sayed added, “I don’t know that we should be continuing to sell weapons to a country that is, again, using our weapons to do awful things.”

“And I want to just step back on this,” he continued. “We have to separate between Judaism and the Jewish people and Israel and its actions. We have to. And I’ve tried to do that consistently across my campaign, but people keep saying, ‘Well, because of your positions on Israel, you must also feel a certain way about Jewish people.’ I say, ‘Well, no, actually.’ We have to differentiate our foreign policy. And by the way, I apply the same approach to the government of Egypt, where my family came from. And I would hate for somebody to assume that I would be okay with the human-rights abuses of the government of Egypt simply because I share the ethnicity of the majority of people who are in Egypt.”

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  1. Comment by cheapsweater.

    Senators-elect Talarico and el-Sayed are what we need MORE of.

  2. Comment by Angela Marx.

    El-Sayed was the candidate I most hoped would win his election, because his focus the entire election was:

    Money OUT of elections

    Money IN your pocket

    Healthcare for all

    That's the trifecta of WHAT THE PEOPLE THE WANT from the federal government.

    Less corruption in our elections

    A living wage and a decent life

    Being able to seek medical care when you need it

    THAT is what the leadership of the Dem Party had better start planning as their path forward or the this huge WAVE election in 2026 won't be a realignment, it'll be an abberation and 2028 will be another wave election, and THAT ONE won't be blue.

  3. Comment by christianlibrul2.

    "Don't bump your humps when you swear him in, habibi."

    vp

  4. Comment by MoDem.

    In 2032, the Social Security fund does to zero. That will force cutting benefits. It will hurt me, but I have something called a pension and my IRA is more than sufficient to make up the loss. That is not the case for a lot of seniors.

    I think the Democrats need to pass a bill that either ends the payroll cap or raises it significantly. Even it Trump vetos is or the Senate filibusters it, it is a great issue for Dems to run on in 2028.

    I just found this article on positions some of the new Democratic Senators have on this: https://www.businessinsider.com/social-security-midterm-elections-democrats-retirement-medicaid-medicare-blue-wave-2026-11

    Business Insider
    Millions may lose Social Security benefits in 2032. The new Senate will have to confront that.
    More than a third of the incoming Senate will be responsible for reforming Social Security — or letting its funding run out.

    • Reply by pkgoode.

      What about some combination of a donut hole and expanding the definition of taxable income to include capital gains and earnings off of dividends?

  5. Comment by DesAire.

    Can't corral this Senator. He's got things right.

  6. Comment by ShagsCA.

    If he proves to be the Mensch he portrays and expresses, the world will be a better place.

  7. Comment by yomundongo.

    Saw the show and He Was Great! 👍

  8. Comment by fishnmike.

    I can't see Schumer trying to corral the new bunch that's coming in. Gonna be fun to watch.

  9. Comment by bezzbubb.

    what has mamdani done? if he is the exemplar, then what is it?? more likes?

    • Reply by F D.

      Since you can simply look this all up but would rather complain:

      • Secured a historic $131 million settlement against DoorDash on behalf of over 260,000 delivery workers in September 2026 for underpaid wages.

      • Secured millions in restitution for workers and small businesses, alongside tenant-focused wins.

      • Housing & Rent Control:

      • Delivered a rent freeze for nearly 1 million rent-stabilized apartments through the Rent Guidelines Board.

      • Launched the $28 billion "Block by Block" housing plan to encourage construction and streamline permitting.

      • Won recent Election Day ballot measures (projected by AP) aimed at cutting red tape to accelerate housing production, street safety, and outdoor dining.

      • Infrastructure & Sanitation:

      • Accelerated pothole repairs, addressing over 229,000 potholes within his first six months (a 27% increase compared to the previous year).

      • Expanded containerization and side-loading trash truck initiatives to tackle rat populations and clear sidewalks.

      • Budget & Childcare:

      • Closed a $5.4 billion city budget deficit with state aid.

      • Secured $1.2 billion for expanding universal child care access across the five boroughs.

    • Reply by Gizmodo2011.

      It sounds like you're on the right website. It sounds like the person you responded to isn't. Your comment is excellent and that's a nicely crafted list of the Mayor's accomplishments. Thanks for doing this.

    • Reply by Bolton Peck.

      And also put the lie on that whole incrementalist Democrat "Change is hard, we can't do that..." system. We now know that Mid ain't gonna cut it anymore.

      Dear DNC: Word to the wise.

    • Reply by RailfanNH.

      I recall the person he responded to's name on another thread, commenting in a similar corrosive tone.

  10. Comment by George B.

    The man with the plan!

  11. Comment by rockymountainranger.

    Here to politely point out that Dem centrists are broadly more right-wing than many Canadian conservatives. It's not the label that matters, it's the values being held.

    • Reply by isitso.

      and todays democratic socialists are just to the right of Eisenhower.

    • Reply by Isny.

      Thank you! As I have said, Democrats have been letting me down for decades. I am so tired of it, and I am ready for this wonderful change.

      Schumer, Jeffries, stop being beholden to corporate money and AIPAC. Or step aside.

  12. Comment by Monarch Mom.

    Don't need centrists, or people with limited vision. Maybe Senator-elect El Sayed is now the DC, he's been this straight-forward since ... he was the valedictorian speaker at Univ of Michigan. I actually think he'd be great as the speaker. His energy, his willingness to think outside the box about real problems, he empathy and intelligence tells me he's a born leader. Too soon, you say. I say America needs this boldness.And best of all, no one holds his strings. Except US.

    • Reply by George B.

      The election showed that we DO need centrists, we needed everyone to make our voices heard. El Sayed is an impressive guy, but too soon IMO to be talking about him being Speaker of the House, but someday I think based on the limited information we've been provided during his campaign, I think he would do a good job. And maybe he will become president some day!

    • Reply by first last.

      He’s a Senator elect, not a Representative elect.

    • Reply by fishnmike.

      No thanks for the incorrect civics lesson.

    • Reply by lgmcp.

      Mamdani was born in Uganda and became a naturalized citizen of the US in 2018. The US Constitution specifies that candidates for President and Vice President must be natural-born US citizens, so he is not eligible. Eligibility for the House and Senate kicks in 7 and 9 years after naturalization so Mamdani could become a US Representative or Senator.

    • Reply by Sulla.

      People with limited vision is the bigger challenge.

      El Sayed is in many ways a centrist. He's described himself as a Capitalist.

      I find the whole Progressive - Liberal - DSA - Centrist label overdone.

      More important is if you support making big changes.

  13. Comment by Goatwoman.

    I really appreciate El-Sayed specifying the difference between a government and a people--although frankly, he should not have to.

    The GOVERNMENT of Israel (specifically, Netanyahu and his cronies) responded to an outrage performed against its citizens, with a much larger outrage against other of its citizens. This is not an act of sanity.

    In such a case, it's also IRRELEVANT what religious or ethnic group the majority (or for that matter, the minority) of that government's citizens is. Conflating the two whenever a jot of criticism appears is, let us be clear, an act of sloppy prejudice.

    It suggests that the leaders' religion/background/group history is inherently and irreversibly tied to their actions--leaders who are also in fairly long-term positions of power, not part of an oppressed minority within their own country.

    Leaders who are openly abusing those positions of power. (Whatever happened to "the content of our character?")

    Also: props for the Crap Lettuce Elimination Act!

    • Reply by cmon.

      Very will said, thank you. I'd like to draw a real time comparison of this point. Look at how the world responded to the brilliant tsunami that happened right her this week. Countries exclaiming how happy they are for the people of the US, not damning us to the actions of our decrepit, deceitful, destructive, disasterous leaders.

    • Reply by Goatwoman.

      Nicely observed!

      And much gratitude to the generosity of the rest of the world--we Americans can be VERY hard to live with.

  14. Comment by voidstuff.

    Can we make 50 clones of him, one for each state?

    • Reply by Olds88.

      No kidding. I caught him on an early morning local news show. It’s just about the best interview I’ve seen.

      https://youtu.be/WL7ZL2UENhI?is=L392h_PA2dg8fn95

  15. Comment by No Straight Lines.

    This is the winning I'll never get tired of!

  16. Comment by strawbale.

    We need to spread awareness that Trump is not ending aid to Israel, he and Congress are hiding it in the NDAA where it will be nearly impossible to root out. American and Israeli militaries will be conjoined twins if we let this pass!

  17. Comment by evolvingplanet.

    At times, I have disliked his manner although of course supported his election and his priorities. He can be cocky, arrogant, and aggressive at times - these are really turnoffs for me but acknowledge others see them as strengths.

    But this here was really, really, really good. Very thoughtful and very impressive.

    And love that he is a scientist of course.

    • Reply by marvyt.

      Yes, he can come across as cocky or aggressive, but that seems to be authentic and Americans like authenticity in their leaders. I think with El Sayed, you get what you see.

    • Reply by evolvingplanet.

      This American doesn't like cocky and aggressive :). But it matters not.

    • Reply by IndyGlenn.

      There's a saying "he has the vices of his virtues". It can be interpreted two ways. One is that EVERY virtue can become a vice if taken to the extreme. All virtues are also potential vices, and the reverse is also true to a lesser degree. The same characteristics that make Sen-Elect El-Sayed a compassionate fighter and hero to progressives can be liabilities under different circumstances.

      The second is one that I've heard in old military books. It implies that the personality traits that make a winning commander also bring along traits that can be problems. If they're an aggressive fighter, they will win battles, BUT they WILL pick fights when they don't have to, and that causes problems. If they have the confidence to make snap decisions on the battlefield, they WILL get cocky and jump to a conclusion that is hasty and wrong. It's a package deal, so you get the good AND the bad if you want to win fights.

      This will be true with Sen. El-Sayed. We need fighters, risk takers, and compassionate, driven people right now to make progress against the fascisto-kakistocracy of Trump and his successors. Those same traits WILL cause issues as well, and we need to be good with that.

    • Reply by Nottobeseenagain.

      If it helps, he does know and can be humbled as he's related...

      Abdul El‑Sayed has spoken extensively about how his grandmother, whom he calls Teta, shaped his values, worldview, and public service mission. In a recent interview on Jon Stewart’s podcast, he recounted a vivid childhood memory from Alexandria, Egypt, where his grandmother gently “tore him down to size” by pointing out that some cousins were smarter, taller, or nicer than he was. When he asked what he had going for him, she replied that he had “the best thing of all” — the chance to go home to America at the end of the summer, while the rest of his cousins stayed in Egypt. This moment, he said, was meant to instill humility and gratitude for the opportunities he had. He understood.

      https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/10/22/800116240/videos/el-sayed-grandmother-inspired-senate-run/

    • Reply by evolvingplanet.

      Thanks for your reply. While I disagree with its substance, I appreciate the normal tone - in contrast to much of the overblown nastiness here.

      I don't think that strength and resolve require arrogance, self-promotion, or aggressiveness. And I think that the version of strength you describes is rooted in patriarchal and/or militaristic models of strength, which I reject.

      Models of leadership are evolving thankfully across many sectors.

      I think of strong leaders who lead from a service model rather than an arrogance model, and they make significant progress. John Lewis, Nelson Mandela, etc.

      And most especially, Jacinda Ardern, who brilliantly showed the world that leadership does not require arrogance, dominance, or ego. Instead, she redefined authority on human connection, humility, vulnerability, and collective strength. She led not with posture or aggressive rhetoric, but with solidarity. She showed that decisiveness and authority can coexist with kindness, and she got things done. In public talks, she regularly asked audiences to picture a traditional politician—typically older, assertive, and ego-driven—and challenged the bias that those traits are mandatory for power.

    • Reply by IndyGlenn.

      "I don't think that strength and resolve require arrogance, self-promotion, or aggressiveness. And I think that the version of strength you describes is rooted in patriarchal and/or militaristic models of strength, which I reject."

      The descriptions are, yes. More specifically, rooted in MILITARY models of strength and success. Those were my sources, flaws and wisdom combined. That does not detract from the basic tenet of 'every virtue can be a vice, if carried too far'. One of the results of passion and resolve is to 'carry things further', which means that at some point, our leaders will passionately, resolutely, and stubbornly carry things in a direction or to a distance that we do not agree with. This is inevitable, IMO.

      We need to accept that IF we want fighters, they are going to fight with us on at least a few occasions. That trait was why we elected them. The aspiration is to have sufficient wisdom and experience in-house to keep 'bad' fighting to a minimum, and have the grace to accept this.

    • Reply by Isny.

      I will take cocky, arrogant, and aggressive if it's backed up by intelligence, logic, and kindness.

  18. Comment by calidove.

    Being in California, I did not pay any real attention to the Michigan primaries. But having watched and heard from Abdul El-Sayed and Haley Stevens quite a bit in the last couple of weeks I find it hard to believe that anyone thought Stevens was a better candidate for Senator. El-Sayed is always composed and on point. He is going to be a brilliant Senator.

    • Reply by CynF.

      There was a bit of fighting on this page after El-sayed won. Some popular writers here thought it was very stupid and "lost the Senate" because Stevens was more electable and we must accept moderate.

    • Reply by ChristopherMarv.

      Those "lost the senate" chuckleheads have been quiet lately.

    • Reply by DarkPhoenix.

      Well, I think most of the concern was that it was really obvious what the Republicans were going to go after El-Sayed with ("MUSLIM COMMUNIST!") and after 2024, how effective would that be on the electorate? They dodged a bullet, though, because Haley Stevens is insane and would likely have self-destructed on the campaign trail.

    • Reply by renbear.

      One apologized. The others, I think, are laying low.

    • Reply by calidove.

      I know there are some people here who are low key Islamophobes and there are some centrists here who are scared of anyone who is even DSA adjacent. Republicans accuse all Democrats of of being communists and being for "transing kids". Claiming to be afraid of what Republicans are going to say about a candidate seems like a cover for their real reasons.

    • Reply by gary turner.

      If we worried about what Repubs would say about Dem candidates, we would never nominate another Dem candidate. It’s a lame talking point and the results prove how lame it was.

  19. Comment by RIJim.

    IMO Senator El-Sayed is a rock star for the Democratic party. I like our new Senators. Like him, they want to get shit done. Schumer needs to get on board or get the F out of the way.

    • Reply by Kassidy Burns.

      Staff

      I agree, I'm excited to see him actually follow through on his promises and make real, tangible change that his constituents can't deny—like Mamdani!

    • Reply by tkprog.

      Agreed. I first voted for him in the primary as a Not-Haley vote. Was nervous at first, because he’s still so new on the scene in this state. But he continued to prove he was the right choice, and by the time early voting started here, I couldn't get to the polls fast enough. Watching him today I'm still in disbelief that Michigan got it right- I drove by a lot of "Democrats for Rogers" signs in my area. I'm so proud to call him my new Senator!

  20. Comment by Paul C.

    Edit: I just reread it and he DID talk about bigger goals regarding a living wage, human rights, etc. But the following points are still useful I think:

    There is this presumption that long term goals need to be dealt with separately and, by inference, later, always later. But that means never, and that is a problem.

    It is the opposite. Long term goals are as immediate of a priority as short term ones. The difference is that with short term goals you are working to promote and pass them quickly, while with long term you are constantly working to promote them with the goal of passing them at a later date.

    If we don't hear talk about, for example, stabilizing Social Security, then you can be pretty damn sure nothing is going to be done.

    • Reply by JohnathanSwiss.

      Nothing is going to get done with SS because the Republicans will never accept any solution because they reject the premise that it should exist in the first place.

      Therefore the only way it gets fixed, like most of our problems, is for the Democrats to get the trifecta and toss the filibuster. Otherwise nothing will ever get fixed and the frustrated voters will hand power back to Republicans.

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