There are tears now. She wipes them away. Niou is up for reelection this year, but she’s put off any formal fundraising for the time being. It’s secondary, she tells me, to being out in her community, making sure people are getting by. Because of the analytical way in which Niou sees things, because of the human impact she can immediately sense, she can clearly see the outcome of certain short-sighted policy positions. It seems hard for Niou to live in a moment when people seem more ready than ever before to embrace progressive ideas (after all, prison reform, universal healthcare, and sex work and marijuana decriminalization were positions held by credible contenders for the Democratic nomination for president this year) yet also be hamstrung by a budget she thinks will be harmful, and political machinations she can’t control.