WASHINGTON (AP) — Singer Alicia Keys has a flirty message for Speaker Paul Ryan: He can be her Valentine if the House acts on criminal justice reform.
In a YouTube video, Keys speaks directly to Ryan in a sultry tone and refers to old photos of Ryan lifting weights.
"I never saw the Speaker of the House working out before," Keys said in the video. "He must be cool. Are you cool, Paul? Show me how cool you are."
She says she's sending him a Valentine sponsored by an advocacy group called "We are Here" that is pushing for overhaul of the nation's criminal justice system. The video links to a website — weareheremovement.com — where her fans can fill out their own Valentines to Ryan.
"Help bring justice reform to a vote, so we can keep families together and reunite those that have been unjustly torn apart by excessive incarceration instead of just getting the help they needed," Keys says.
She ends the video by blowing a kiss, saying Ryan is "so special."
Ryan has said he'd like to move on the issue this year. House and Senate committees have approved bipartisan legislation that would give judges discretion to give lesser sentences than federal mandatory minimums and create programs to help prisoners successfully re-enter society.
Asked about the video on Fox News on Wednesday, Ryan said: "I didn't even know she knew who I was," and added that the bill is "well on its way here in the House."
No word if Keys has a similar message for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has recently faced pushback from some conservatives in his caucus who worry that the legislation would let dangerous criminals out of prison.
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