1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

I watched your Instagram video from Wednesday. Your condescending lecture about being "strategic" while everyone "feels terrible" is deeply insulting to your constituents. Let me be clear about what you got wrong: Your vote made Senate Democrats' job harder. You were one of only seven Democrats who gave Republicans the votes they needed to pass DHS funding in the House. If you and those six others had voted NO, the bill would have failed 213-214. Senate Democrats wouldn't be in the position of having to negotiate now—because there would be nothing to negotiate. You had leverage and you gave it away. You voted YES on January 22nd. Now you're criticizing your own party for not negotiating hard enough? You didn't negotiate. You didn't demand accountability measures. You voted YES and enabled Alex Pretti's death two days later. Your "strategy" is what Senate Democrats are actually doing—without you. Senators Murray and Cantwell are blocking the bill and demanding accountability. That's the strategy. You undermined it by voting YES in the House. "The money is not the question"? You voted to give ICE an additional $10 billion in operational funding and legitimacy. Money is absolutely the question. This talking point is both factually wrong and morally bankrupt. "Everyone feels terrible but we have to be strategic"? People have been murdered. Their families don't need your lecture about strategy. They need accountability. Your constituents don't need you to explain politics to us. We need you to represent the majority of Americans who oppose ICE operations. You had the opportunity to be strategic on January 22nd. You chose to fund ICE instead. Don't insult us by pretending you're playing 4D chess when you simply made the wrong call. If the bill comes back to the House, vote NO. That's the strategy.