A Michigan lawmaker considered by many to be a rising star in the Democratic Party has found herself in hot water with her most progressive colleagues.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin drew fire from the left last week when she skipped a vote on a potential block on arms sales to Israel in favor of a star turn on Stephen Colbert’s late-night comedy show, as the Daily Mail reports.
It was on Wednesday that Slotkin ventured to the Ed Sullivan Theater in Manhattan to tape her segment on Colbert’s show, taking to social media to plug her pending appearance.
To the apparent surprise of many in her party, Slotkin posted a photo from backstage at the legendary venue, writing, “Tune in tonight!!”
Her presence in New York caused Slotkin to miss multiple votes on the Senate floor, however, including the aforementioned resolution that would have halted over $675 million in arms sales to Israel, a proposal that, while ultimately defeated, drew growing support from Democrats in the chamber.
The resolutions pertaining to Israel were introduced by far-left Sen. Bernie Sanders (I–VT), and they garnered support from many in the progressive wing of Slotkin’s party.
As a result of what some viewed as her dereliction of the duty to be present and to vote on them, Slotkin’s absence spurred notable criticism from several of her more radical colleagues.
In the wake of the uproar, Slotkin attempted to assuage concerns raised by her fellow lawmakers and her constituents alike, taking to X to explain her thinking.
She began, “I owe it to my state to make clear where I stand: Had I made it back for the vote yesterday, I would have voted yes to block offensive weapons to Israel based on my concerns over lack of food and medicine getting to civilians in Gaza.”
The senator added that while she is a “strong supporter of the Jewish State of Israel,” she is also attuned to the “calls from Michiganders who have friends and family trying to survive in Gaza.”
Slotkin went on to criticize the method utilized by Sanders to express frustration with decisions made by Israeli leaders, saying, “In general, I think these Disapproval votes are a bad way to do foreign policy.”
She continued, “The Executive Branch, whether run by Democrats or now Republicans, has the responsibility to set U.S. foreign policy, and to lead negotiations with both allies and adversaries.”
Slotkin’s long-winded treatise did little to sway her critics, with AIPAC Tracker, a group that chronicles political contributions from pro-Israeli groups to elected officials, writing, “The essay is not necessary, Senator. The people simply want you to stand against genocide. Your obfuscation is telling.”
Though Slotkin says she would have voted in favor of the arms sale block had she been in D.C., she does have a history of critiquing the far-left wing of her party on high-profile topics, saying just recently, “I can’t just be an activist…,” adding that she has to be “more than just an AOC…because we live in a purple state, and I’m a pragmatist.” That seems a fair observation, but one which may continue to foster friction with the progressive arm of the Democratic Party.
