Pramila Jayapal and Tiffany Cross Equate Democrats’ Agenda With Fighting Putin in Ukraine

Rep. Pramila Jayapal and MSNBC’s Tiffany Cross equated the war in Ukraine with progressives’ domestic agenda in an interview on The Cross Connection Saturday.

Cross introduced the segment by saying that Ukraine is “sucking up all the oxygen in the room right now,” and asked whether Democrats will be able to “walk and chew gum” – continue to pursue domestic issues while focusing on the situation abroad – considering it is an election year.

Rep. Jayapal said that’s exactly what they have to do. “We can’t take our eyes off of any of the things,” she said.

Jayapal noted that “a war on the European continent affects everybody and it affects us in terms of, you know, the basics of how we operate every day, including, of course, gas prices.”

It’s an interesting observation from the progressive leader, considering how much criticism is being directed at people who have noted the added significance of this conflict being in Europe.

On the subject of the domestic agenda, Jayapal said that not only can they do both, the two things are closely connected. In particular she linked fighting Vladimir Putin with fighting Republican legislatures and Governors.

“I will just say there’s a connection between what we are trying to do domestically, and what we are trying to do internationally,” she said. “Let me give you three ways that that’s the case.”

“First of all: democracy. We are, both in the European Union and, you know, with the war on Ukraine, the aggression of Russia on Ukraine, and here in the United States, we are trying to show that democracy works,” she continued. “We cannot allow suppression of votes domestically nor can we allow dictators in Europe or anywhere in the world to take over. That is a real connection.”

“Secondly, if we ever want to be truly free of the ability of dictators to blackmail us over oil and gas, we should be investing right here at home in renewable energy technologies. We should be weaning ourselves off fossil fuels so this situation that we’re in does not happen again in terms of, you know, feeling like we can’t stop Russian oil and gas imports because it’s going to drive up prices here at home,” she said, making the connection to dependence on Russian energy, which many Republicans and others have suggested could be undercut much more quickly by increasing domestic production.

“By the way, no matter what we do, prices of gas are going to go up. So any Republicans who try to say that it’s drill baby drill, and that solves a problem, it’s wrong. That is not the case,” she said without explaining. “We are going to see gas prices rise, but it is in service to trying to quell a dictator.”

She concluded by seeming to echo others who claim America doesn’t have the moral high ground with Russia.

“Finally, if we want democracy to work, Tiffany, then we’ve also got to show that we don’t have these massive inequalities of wealth and income,” she said. Many observers and experts have raised the specter of the Soviet Union as Putin pursues his campaign against Ukraine, and it’s an interesting parallel for Jayapal to mention rebalancing wealth, considering the ideology that led to the USSR in the first place.

The progressive leader said that this need to demonstrate “democracy” is why agenda items like lowering costs of child care, housing, and prescription drugs is important, “so that we can show people that it actually matters to have a democratic country, a country that invests in everybody.”

Cross agreed that there are “some through-lines” between the domestic agenda and the international one.

“I look at what’s happening in Ukraine, and I see, you know, democracy can be a fragile thing, and it feels a bit fragile in America right now,” Cross said. “We’re seeing, you know, the Republican party bleed it by a thousand cuts with rampant voter suppression.”

She brought up Gov. Ron DeSantis, saying he is creating a “police force dedicated to pursuing election crimes,” which she added is “not a thing.” Then she said Russia has messed with our elections by “sowing discord” and through “hacking.” So … maybe election crimes are a thing? Unclear.

The two went on to discuss “Republican voices who are espousing Russian talking points,” particularly ex-president Donald Trump, who has repeatedly and heavily showered Putin with praise and admiration.

Watch the clip above, via MSNBC.