Members on the Record (Automated) for Sun November 28, 2021

Israel - Palestine

Kim (D-NJ-3) 11/27/2021: Twitter thread – “There is a lot we don't know yet about Omicron, but below is everything I've been able to pull together in one place. What we see is concerning but no definitive answer yet about potential to become more transmissible or reduce vaccine effectiveness. Here is what we know…THREAD Link to image Where did Omicron come from? WHO was just notified about the variant 4 days ago (Nov 24). The first known confirmed infection was from a specimen collected on Nov 9 in South Africa. Linked is the official WHO announcement of the variant with details.2/14 Link to who.int What are major concerns? This article frames 3 things we still need to know. 1)how quickly it spreads 2)if it's capable of causing more serious disease 3)whether it might circumvent immune protection from previous infections or from vaccine/treatment.3/14 Link to theatlantic.com What we know so far: WHO says “Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant.” Omicron is the most mutated variant yet with over 50 mutations. In particular there are many mutations in regions of spike protein, which is concerning because…4/14 Vaccines gain effectiveness by teaching body to fight against Covid spikeprotein. As Omicron has many mutations with spikeprotein, concerns arise about whether antibodies can respond, and therefore potentially dampening immune response/vaccine potency.5/14 Link to cdc.gov No evidence yet of decreased immune response and we should know more in a few days. @ashishkjha says highly unlikely vaccine will be rendered useless. Instead "question is, is there a tiny hit to vaccine efficacy, or is there a large hit?” Fauci laid out what happens next...6/14 Fauci said“What you need to do, is you need to get that particular sequence of the virus, put it in a form in the lab where you can actually test the different antibodies, so you can have a prediction that it might evade, or you can actually prove it”7/14 Link to cnn.com Do vaccines provide protection from Omicron? This article from Nature provides good details of what we know so far publicly about Omicron. Summary below…8/14 Link to nature.com Is Omicron more severe than Delta or other variants? We don't know yet. There have been breakthrough infections in South Africa among people who have received the J&J, Pfizer–BioNTech and Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccines. Two in Hong Kong reportedly had Pfizer vaccine.9/14 From this good summary, Sharon Peacock, who did COVID genetic sequencing in UK, said the data so far suggests mutations "consistent with enhanced transmissibility," but said that "the significance of many of the mutations is still not known."”10/14 Link to abc7chicago.com Where is Omicron? As of last night there were no detected cases of omicron in the US, though Dr Fauci said he would not be surprised if it was already here given the spread seen in multiple continents already.11/14 Link to bloomberg.com Cases have been identified in South Africa, Botswana, Belgium, Israel, Hong Kong, UK and more are expected as testing for the variant ramps up.12/14 COVID-19 live updates: TSA vaccine mandate won't impact holiday travel... | abcnews.go.com Where is the US travel ban in effect? So far. South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi, administration officials. This ban does not apply to American citizens and lawful permanent residents.13/14 Link to reuters.com We will know more about Omicron in coming days and I will keep you posted on anything I learn. In meantime, practice safe measures and consider getting vaccinated if you haven't yet or get a booster. I just got my booster.We cannot fight this virus without collective action. END Link to image”

Suozzi (D-NY-3) 11/27/2021: Tweet – “On this #SmallBusinessSaturday I joined my predecessor, Steve Israel, at the ribbon cutting ceremony of his new venture, Theodore's Books, Oyster Bay's newest small business. Link to image”

Jewish, Anti-semitism

Cole (R-OK-4) 11/28/2021: Tweet – “The annual Jewish Festival of Lights, or #Hanukkah, celebrates this faith rooted in miracle, freedom, courage & peace. #HappyHanukkah to all those of the Jewish faith! Link to image”

Iran

Mast (R-FL-18) 11/27/2021: Tweet – “Iran's outrageous human rights abuses can't be ignored. GOP Demands Biden Admin Commit to Sanctions on Iranian Human Rights Abuses... | freebeacon.com”

Saudi Arabia

Cornyn (R-TX) 11/27/2021: Retweet of @Norman_Roule – “The UAE is a consistent leader in regional legal reform. Saudi Arabia has also transformed elements of its legal code. The ongoing social transformation of the region remains impressive. Link to quoted tweet”

Cramer (R-ND) 11/28/2021: Twitter thread – “No surprises here, the Biden Administration is once again seeking to increase the cost of American energy. Major hikes to federal royalty fees on oil companies only increases production costs, reduces state and local revenues, and helps foreign competitors like Russia and Saudi Link to image Arabia. So much for using every available tool to lower gasoline prices. Joe Biden is using every possible tool to raise gas and energy prices and shut down responsible energy development and production in the U.S. Not to mention, this will only increase global GHG emissions contrary to their “climate goals.””

Iraq

Gallego (D-AZ-7) 11/27/2021: Retweet of @newrepublic – ““One of the things you forget while you're reading the book is that I'm a member of Congress because I don't talk about policy positions… that's not the feeling I had when I was that age and powerless.” —@RubenGallego on a new book on his time in Iraq: “This Is Our Best Shot”: Ruben Gallego on Build Back Better, His New Book—and Whether He'll Challenge Kyrsten Sinema... | bit.ly”

Mast (R-FL-18) 11/27/2021: Twitter thread – “Mr. Russell Cancilla is today's veteran spotlight. While he was drafted into the Army one year before the draft system officially ended in 1973, he found his calling in military service. He served 6 years as an enlisted soldier, primarily working as a criminal investigator. (1/4) Link to image After completing Officer Candidate School, Mr. Cancilla engaged in combat operations in Grenada, Panama, Iraq and Kuwait. He later attended the FBI National Academy and was subsequently selected as the Army Aide to the President of the United States, George H.W. Bush. (2/4) Shortly after his service to President Bush, Mr. Cancilla was appointed to a senior position at the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service in the Department of Commerce, starting his post-retirement career in leadership and management experience for the next several decades. (3/4) Mr. Cancilla's long and accomplished career serves as an example for the quality of veterans our military has produced. Thank you for your service, Mr. Cancilla, and for your continued dedication to our country and our community. (4/4)”

Mast (R-FL-18) 11/28/2021: Twitter thread – “For many, the military offers an opportunity to channel passion for our country into service. That's certainly true of today's #veteran spotlight, Mr. David George. Mr. George enlisted in the Army in 1967 and joined the 7th Infantry Division band in South Korea. Link to image 15 years after he left the military to finish his education in music, he joined the 42nd Infantry Division National Guard band in New York City. Following 9/11, Mr. George transferred to a support unit that was involved in recovery duties, in addition to deploying to Iraq. Mr. George has also participated in annual Veterans Arts competitions, and he won gold medals in 2000 and 2001 in his category. Mr. George's is a story of passion. He used his talents to serve our nation and, we are grateful. Thank you, Mr. George.”

Afghanistan

Khanna (D-CA-17) 11/28/2021: Retweet of @HarrisBknowin – “Thank you @shearm & @jimtankersley for sharing my family's story & the challenges Afghan refugees have & continue to face when coming to the U.S. It's critical we provide support services/community for newly arrived refugees to feel a sense of belonging. For Afghan Refugees, a Choice Between Community and Opportunity... | nytimes.com”

Khanna (D-CA-17) 11/28/2021: Tweet – “Thank you @HarrisBknowin for sharing your family's story. I'm grateful for all of the hard work the Afghan American community has done the past few months to support resettlement efforts. I will continue to work with the community to support our new neighbors. Link to quoted tweetThank you @shearm & @jimtankersley for sharing my family's story & the challenges Afghan refugees have & continue to face when coming to the U.S. It's critical we provide support services/community for newly arrived refugees to feel a sense of belonging. (For Afghan Refugees, a Choice Between Community and Opportunity)”

Waltz (R-FL-6) 11/27/2021: Tweet – “For months, my colleagues and I urged the Biden admin to bring our Afghan allies to third party countries to ensure the proper vetting happened BEFORE bringing them to the US. Instead, Biden ignored our advice & EXPEDITED our withdrawal, putting our country in danger. Link to video”