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https://progressiveindiana.net/
https://www.wellsforindiana.com/
Destiny Wells held a virtual town hall for her 7th Congressional District campaign against incumbent Andre Carson. The conversation focused heavily on foreign policy including Middle East stability, Iran strikes, congressional authority via War Powers Resolution, Israel-Gaza conflict and unconditional support, campaign finance reform including Citizens United and private equity regulation, term limits, money in politics, congressional stock trading, minimum wage, immigration enforcement and ICE abolition, wealth taxation, and student loan debt. Wells emphasized her intelligence community background, criticized Democratic congressional leadership for weak response to Iran strikes, and discussed holding multiple difficult truths simultaneously on foreign policy. Questions came from viewers via Progressive Indiana Network website and Facebook Live.
QUESTIONS:
00:01:42 - Introduction and Campaign Background
• Attorney and Army Reserve Lieutenant Colonel, deployed to Afghanistan, originally from Martinsville
• Deputy chair on state party, ran for Secretary of State 2022 and Attorney General 2024
• Realized Indiana Democrats have huge systems issues, diagnosis not well received
• Ran for party chair and lost by matter of votes, decided to run for Congress 12 hours before filing deadline
• Challenging 18-year incumbent Andre Carson who is highest ranking Democrat in state
00:08:50 - Q: How do we solve peace in the Middle East? (Larry, Crooked Creek)
• Reframed question to “how do we have regional stability in the Middle East”
• Congress cannot abdicate responsibilities, watched Iran strikes at 1am, waited nine hours for Hakeem Jeffries to issue statement
• War Powers Resolution was being slow walked while everyone knew conflict was percolating
• Gang of Eight and Speaker got briefed about Iran conflict day of State of the Union, Democrats who boycotted missed critical moment
• Can’t wait nine hours after bombs drop to issue statement, need to show up and do jobs and question what’s going on
00:15:46 - Follow-up: Israel-Gaza and holding multiple truths
• Got pushback from voters for questioning what she believes are human rights violations in Gaza
• Holding multiple truths at once - October 7th was awful terrorist attack, Hamas is awful actor that puts civilians at risk
• Afghanistan experience - husband did analyst work on terrorist networks where Iranian-backed munitions killed American soldiers
• Problems with corporate PAC money from defense contractors and munitions sales to foreign entities
• Criticizing both foreign entity committing human rights violations AND United States for confluence of bad decisions
00:16:13 - Q: Is Israel’s war on Gaza genocide and should US reevaluate unconditional support?
• Should reevaluate unconditional support of state led by Netanyahu
• Germany questioning unconditional support of United States led by Trump, watching NATO partners
• Should never offer unconditional support of any single entity, must hold everybody accountable
• Any type of support without conditions seems antithetical to functioning democracy
00:19:46 - Q: Do you support war in Iran or just upset Congress was absent? (Lemon, ProgressiveIndiana.net)
• Does not support war in Iran under this strategic plan - there is no strategy
• Does not support war in Iran under Trump administration and Secretary Hegseth
• First Trump term had guardrails of General Mattis and Kelly holding back bad calls, Trump 2.0 has sycophants
• Sad to say as member of military but doesn’t have confidence in warfighter right now to take on these efforts
00:23:05 - Q: Under what circumstances would you have supported military action on Iran under Kamala Harris administration?
• Would have much higher level of confidence because wouldn’t have cleaning house of Department of Defense
• Under Kamala would still have people in place at DOD (vs Trump renaming it Department of War)
• Questions current and foreseeable foreign policy until we can get corporate money out of campaign coffers
00:28:17 - Q: Long-term political goals and how long will you serve? (Stephen, Facebook Live)
• Top issues: remove corporate influence, address affordability, improve community project funding transparency
• Community project funding (formerly earmarks) allows congressperson to secure 15 projects up to couple million each
• Wants more public input on how federal dollars allocated to district rather than current process
• Focus on marginalized communities getting resources
00:34:12 - Q: Term limits and money in politics
• Supports term limits across all congressional offices, but six years (three House terms) less than two mayoral terms
• Longer you stay, more beholden to money you become
• Conflict with labor unions on data centers - labor wants jobs but community doesn’t want them
• Carson took BlackRock money September 30th day before AES acquisition announced, took AES money in December
• Carson has platform and loudest voice but doesn’t use it
00:42:03 - Q: Would you fight to overturn Citizens United? (Nora, ProgressiveIndiana.net)
• Absolutely supports overturning Citizens United
• Citizens United was brainchild of Indiana attorney Jim Bopp from Terre Haute
• Multiple pathways including possible constitutional amendment
• Part of wave of 30 candidates challenging incumbents on getting rid of Citizens United
00:44:31 - Q: Would you support banning private equity from buying residential homes? (Lemon, ProgressiveIndiana.net)
• Supports banning private equity from residential home purchases
• On Bernie train with private equity issues - just rich people getting richer
• Referenced Apollo Global Management as problematic asset manager
00:58:19 - Q: What should federal minimum wage be?
• Fight for $15 is outdated, chasing inflation
• Illinois debate was better - at least $17/hour on low end, $24 on high end
• Referenced economist Michael J. Hicks who used to advise Eric Holcomb
01:01:01 - Q: Should impeaching Trump be day one priority if Democrats retake House?
• Referenced Robert Mueller’s death and Trump’s disgraceful response
• Need to hold Trump accountable but must build strongest case
• Should pursue accountability at every opportunity
01:05:55 - Q: Would you support banning members of Congress from purchasing individual stocks? (Lemon, ProgressiveIndiana.net)
• On board with AOC on this, already divested own stocks while campaigning
• Members have insider information from committees
• Recommended Quiver Quantitative website (quiverquant.com) to track congressional trading
• Referenced Jefferson Shreve as second richest member allegedly engaging in insider trading
01:08:32 - Q: Can ICE be reformed or should it be abolished?
• DHS can be reformed, ICE needs abolished
• ICE is stain on our history that we’ll never be able to wash away
• Sooner we abolish ICE, sooner we start to rectify wrongs committed as country
• DHS necessary for national security but ICE fundamentally broken
01:10:02 - Q: Wealth Tax - Warren vs Newsom positions
• Stands with Senator Elizabeth Warren on wealth tax
• Problem is we’re focused on wrong 1% of society
01:11:33 - Q: Student Debt - Forgiveness and Systemic Reform
• Entire education system needs overhaul starting with 0% interest on student loans
• Paid off own law school loans only last year using deployment savings and Shopify stock investment
• Was in law school 2008-2011 when interest rates reached 9.5%, friends still carrying that debt
• People shouldn’t be penalized for trying to contribute skills back to society
01:14:48 - Closing Remarks
• Can’t always promise 10-point plan but will always be empathetic and listen
• Diagnosed problems within party, need different culture
• Runs information forward, data forward
• wellsforindiana.com to volunteer, averaging $35 donations with 95% small dollar
Thanks again to Destiny Wells for joining us. For more information visit her campaign website at https://www.wellsforindiana.com.
