August 10, 2025 • 51 mins
Facing arrest warrants and Republican calls for their removal, Members of the Texas Legislature arrive in Sacramento to discuss attempts to gerrymander their state and what California can do to stop it.
Members joining the conversation;
Gina Hinojosa (HD 49)
Vince Perez (HD 77)
Rhetta A. Bowers (HD 113)
Ray Lopez (HD 125)
Ann Johnson (HD 134)
Mary Ann Perez (HD 144)
IG: @ThisisGavinNewsom
Email: ThisisGavinNewsom@iheartradio.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Governor.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
How are you.
Speaker 3 (00:05):
It's good to see you, glad to see the ties on.
I didn't know who you guys were. Thank you, guys
just literally just got in Yes, thank you amazing, And
I'm grateful for everything you're doing. And I'm grateful of
this opportunity to have a chance to dialogue about it
and talk about you know, what exactly is going on
at this moment, where do you see things going? But
(00:27):
in order to paint the picture of this moment, I
want to just formally welcome you to Ronald Reagan's old mansion,
the place that Nancy Reagan infamously said was a fire
trap before they moved out. It's been since remodeled, so
you should feel more confident and comfortable here. But it's
nice to be here. And I say that mindful of
(00:49):
our history in the state of California, and mindful in
many ways how far we've gone, uh and how far
we have traveled away from some of the core principles
that defined the best of the Republican Party. And so
without getting nostalgia for that, I just want to acknowledge
(01:10):
the journey that you guys are on and express gratitude
that you're not just here in California, but you've been
all across your colleagues, all across this country. But first,
if I could, I just want to briefly contextualized, because
yesterday I experienced, in a modest way, a little bit
about all that you've experienced in Texas. Coming from July fourth,
(01:34):
a very close friend of my wife's family passed away,
Mark and his wife Sarah, and his son Johnny Mark Walker,
the Walker family passed in the floods in Texas. My
wife had the privilege of speaking a little bit at
the memorial yesterday, and it was beyond intense. Johnny's fourteen
(02:02):
years old, the age of my son. They live in
the neighborhood, and it really brought me back to what
this is all about, this special session, what the special
session should be about. Yes, I think what it was
one hundred and thirty seven people lost their life, thirty
five children kids, And that's what a special session as
(02:25):
a governor should be all about, exactly. And I haven't
heard a lot talked about those families torn as under,
those lives lost, people that are still healing. What in
a dry eye in the church for.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
Rest are for redistricting, not for flood relief legislation for
redistricting legislation.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Says everything you need to know at this moment. So
if I may, I'd love as we go around, and
I want to make this as easy and casual as
it possibly can be. Just jump in if you could
introduce yourself so people that are listening know who you are.
But what you just said just strikes the core of
(03:08):
what this is all about. So you you have been
threatened to be hunted down by the Attorney General of Texas, Paxston.
You are being fined five hundred dollars a day in
a job where you don't make a lot of money
dollars a year, seven two hundred dollars a year a year,
and you mean five five hundred dollars a day. You've
(03:31):
got a guy named Cornyn who's running for reelection Senator.
I say that because it's pretty obvious that it needs
to be said. Running for reelection needed to get in
on this now, threatening to send the FBI to find
you even though you're hiding in playing sight.
Speaker 5 (03:49):
What's interesting that better is I kind of feel like
we're in the perfect storm because you've got corn and
running against Paxton, and they're trying to outdo the other
who's gonna apprehend us for right. Then you have the
governor who's also working on it, and I think maybe
a little embarrassed he and the speaker both because we
still haven't gotten gotten.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
So your attorney general is running for the United States
Senate against incumbent Senator Cornyn, and they're trying to one
up each other exactly and attacking you rhetorically and substances.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
And in the courts, breaking news, they just filed to
remove me and twelve other of my colleagues in the
Texas House.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
And the voice we're listening to.
Speaker 6 (04:28):
Is Gina Josse Gina.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
So that you have been picked with twelve of your colleagues,
not all of your colleagues, but twelve. What's set about?
Speaker 6 (04:38):
I have no idea.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
We're all wondering the same thing, but yes, myself, and
it was just filed by our attorney general in the
Texas Supreme Court. It's called a quot what is it
quote warrnte proceeding to remove us from office.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
So you've got a governor himself claiming some forty on
that basis as well for simply quote unquote breaking a quorum.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Which has been done for one hundred and fifty years
by Texas legislators.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
To be clear, because American is Dare I say, apple
pie breaking quorum to protect the minority against the whims
of the majority.
Speaker 7 (05:16):
Yes, because if you don't have some rule in place
for the minority, then the majority just completely runs you over.
And this is an extraordinary step. It is not something
that we take lightly. It is an exceptional and extraordinary
act to write quorum. And so my name's Anne Johnson
and I'm from Houston. I'm proud to sit with these
other Democratic colleagues, and for some of us, this is
(05:37):
now the second time we have had to do this
in the last few years, and it really is an act.
It is the last tool that the founding fathers gave
to us in the minority to have available when you
know that the majority has gone off the rails. And
so we have been threatened with financial ruin, with arrest,
(05:58):
but we are undeterred. And I think it highlights how
important it is that if they will come at us
this hard and we actually are in positions of power,
look at how easily they run over those that are
most vulnerable and don't have a voice. And so I
think that's why we are really resolute or resolved that
this is the right thing to do.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
And you said, this is not the first time. It
was twenty twenty one, and that was for different reasons.
Remind me what those reasons were. In twenty twenty one,
it was.
Speaker 6 (06:27):
An anti voter bill.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Go ahead, Well, it was a bill that made it
much harder to vote. Two provisions in that bill that work.
The most egregious was one that banned Sunday morning voting,
which was a target on African American churches that have
a long standing tradition of going after service as a
faith community to vote together.
Speaker 6 (06:50):
The others.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
We know, well, that's right.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
The other provision would have given elected judges the ability
to overturn election results, to overturn the will of the voters.
And when those provisions were added in the middle, literally
in the middle of the night, with no record of
how they got into the bill, we left right.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
But you didn't have the level, or did you, of threats.
You didn't have the five hundred dollars fine that was
being a US. You didn't have senators calling for the
FBI and calling the head of the FBI to sort
of track you down right, Well.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
It seems to me and my name's right Lopus from
San Antonio and up you know, in the House for
a few years afew sessions, and it seems a difference
between where we were a few years ago when we
broke horm and where we were today is that while
we have a lot of evil doers, and we've talked
about who those people are, where it's the governor, the
Attorney general, all the political gainsmanship that's being played, we
(07:52):
also recognize that they are dancing to another evil doer
and we did not have that kind of engagement before.
And that's a president of the United States is encouraging them,
giving them the path forward, giving them the tools like
the FBI and others. We didn't battle that last time.
We are battling it now. But it is layers of
(08:13):
evildoers that are out there, and I mean, at some
point we all need to understand, you know, who it
is that we're up against. And it isn't just that
one front that's attacking us. It's all those individuals that
are behind them providing them that level of support. And
it happens, it grows every day.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
It grows every day what I mean. So that's important
to remind everybody just you know, people that are not
tracking this hour by hour day to day, they're not
watching cable news, which is one because that's that's the
vast majority of people. The President of the United States.
The origin story on this is the President called your governor,
(08:49):
Greg Abbott, and the President asked him.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
To do what So I'm read of Boers read to Andrews.
Bowers from Dallas and thank you for having today. But
it's really about what's at stake, and I think that's
what Ray was leading us into. So many people out
there don't understand that this Texas special Session is not
an isolated incident, and it truly has implications that will
(09:17):
carry across the United States. You know, if this goes
through with Texas, it can happen in so many other states.
And you look at North Carolina, they already had something
like this happened. So we're so glad to be here
having this opportunity to chat with you today.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
I appreciate it. And it happened because Donald Trump made
a call and said find me five seats. Yep.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
He's made those kinds of calls before, as we well know.
Called into Georgia, I need eleven thy twelve thousand, whatever.
It was right good because he thinks he is above
the law. He thinks he's the one that can interpret
all action, and that everybody has a loyalty to him,
and they do, but it's a loyalty to the devil
to do his bidding so that they can get in
(10:00):
a position of power.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
And the difference in four difference in Georgia, of course
was right that he was told. Now he was told no.
But in your state, your governor said yes, Ben Denis.
Speaker 8 (10:10):
And the only way you can get five additional seats
in Texas is if you aggressively discriminate against the Hispanic
and Black populations. You know, something's happening in Texas. That's
that's unique. For the first time, the Latino population is
actually going to exceed that of California on a percentage,
based on a percentage, so we have over forty percent
now Latinos in Texas. It is one of the most
diverse states in the nation. But under this proposal, we
(10:33):
have eleven million of white residents, eleven million Latino residents.
Twenty six out of the thirty eight seats will be
under white controlled districts. Well, Latinos are only being relegated
to eight. That means that the Latin the value of
a Latino resident in Texas is one third the value
of a white resident.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
So that I mean there's a and am I right
to have learned or read accurately that four out of
the five seats they're talking about taking a majority of
Hispanic districts, well three.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
Three for sure, three out of the four were African
American three to the four right of America.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
But minority districts districts, so voting rice acts issues here,
I mean just self evident.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
They were previously held by heroes in Texas, heroes that
have gone out and fought that tight for generations, and
they're changing the demographics to be able to put someone
else in there. That's just like.
Speaker 7 (11:29):
Marbara Jordan Congressional District eighteen. You know, she was the
first African American woman of color from the South elected
to the Congress. She was part of the impeachment tronals
against President legend. That district is a historic African American community,
of which now that seat sits open because Governor Abbott
(11:51):
after the death of Congressman Turner refused to allow a
special election in that seat. And so when you look
at the big, ugly bill that has passed by one vote,
you know how important the voices of that community are.
And so yes, it is shameful that being at sixty
years of the Civil Rights Act signed by President Johnson
from Texas, that we now face discrimination by Governor Abbott
(12:14):
bending the need to Trump and wanting to steal five
seats before the next election cycle. And so that's what
we know is on the line. Not just for Texas,
this sweeps across the nation.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
And that's the point now, number of you have made.
This is not again just about Texas, and we're already
reading about we saw yesterday j d Vance himself, the
Vice President the United States, made his way to Indiana
to try to convince the folks there to do the same.
We've already heard the Speaker of the House and the
(12:44):
governor of Florida talk about their efforts or their desire
to do their efforts. We know Ohio is already moving
in this direction, Missouri other states that likely will follow suits.
So to your point, this is about rigging the election
before vote is cast before twenty twenty six and that's so.
Is that fundamentally, why you guys, not only are breaking quorum,
(13:08):
not only for yourself and standing tall and firm on
behalf of the people that you represent and your own
values and your own conscience. I imagine we'll get to that
in a moment. But also to raise the whole arm bells, sue,
this is not about your state, It's about our country exactly.
Speaker 5 (13:24):
I didn't see how we couldn't not break quorum because
it wasn't just about us, it was about saving democracy
for the entire United States.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
What's this trickle effect?
Speaker 5 (13:34):
If everyone can do that, why did we have laws?
Speaker 3 (13:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (13:38):
To me, it was so serious because of the future
of the United States.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
And what district do you represent in Texas?
Speaker 5 (13:45):
I'm in Houston, I represent how Sistrict one forty four.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
And are your constituents are they behind you? Are people
plotting you? Or are they cautious and concerned and concerned
for you, concern for their country. Don't know if this
is appropriate. What's been the reaction.
Speaker 5 (14:02):
Well, I'm probably the only one here who has a
swing district, right, I'm like fifty to fifty district, So
it's on I guess on social media I get certain comments,
but I have enough friends that they will correct them
and try to enlighten them on what's.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
Really going on.
Speaker 5 (14:19):
Some of them are obviously bots, and you just kind
of don't pay attention to those. But I've had a
lot of support, which I think is great, even from
the other side, which I think is wonderful.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
Are you finding that as well? Most of you are.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
I mean, I think it's relevant to mention that I
had a swing district the last time we broke Korm
in twenty twenty one. Things changed for me after the
maps were drawn that they thought were okay, and so
I came back with the more democratic district and now
my constituency is spot on, like, yes, please do this.
(14:54):
We appreciate what you're doing. And I wasn't getting that
last time. Last time it was like you better get
get back.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Yes. And how long, by the way, let's go back
to twenty twenty one. How long did that last? How
long it was corn broken?
Speaker 6 (15:06):
At least six week? Thirty five days?
Speaker 7 (15:08):
Yeah, sixty five days. I mean a quor and break
as a member one, this is the ultimate act of
public service. We all wanted these jobs. We all put
ourselves in the position that if we ever had to
do it, we would, and we recognize this is bigger
than any seat, any job, any individual, and we have
(15:28):
left everything behind. We have left our families, we have
left our businesses, we have left our homes. It means
our neighbors are checking on our houses, our families are
picking up all the things that are left behind. People
are asking how can they pitch in? But we all
recognized the unfortunate circumstance of being in a state right
now that is run by an almost super majority of Republicans,
(15:51):
where when they rammed through this attempt to steal five seats,
and ninety nine percent of the thousands of people that
came to testify against this bill said, don't do it.
We don't want this. This is not for Texas. This
is purely for Trump. Within a couple of days, they
put it down, got a vote, threw it on the calendar,
and try to get it on the floor. We all
(16:12):
recognize the only way we could uphold the voice of
our voters was to physically have our body leave the state.
And that is a sad comment on where we are
right now and at a time where you talk about
every state in the domino effect of just trying to
make it purely red or purely blue at a time
when voters desperately want us to find common ground, find
(16:33):
a way to talk with each other, find a way
to cross the aisle, when our colleagues just refuse to
participate in that, and again bent the need of Trump,
we have had to take this extraordinary act. And so, yeah,
a couple extra days. It does mean a lot, because
you have more than fifty members held up together in unison,
together desperately trying to do the right thing against the
(16:55):
vitriol of attacks that are so much worse than.
Speaker 6 (16:57):
Four years ago. We didn't we weren't.
Speaker 7 (17:01):
We weren't experiencing the threats that we are now getting.
That is being I mean, I'm your former chief human
trafficking product prosecutor in Houston. I've had criminals threatened my
life before. I never thought it would be coming from
the governor, the attorney general or others in elected off.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
Like hunting people deaths. Right, that's very mean. What you
were didn't you run an off ed show me a
little bit of I mean, did potential residents? I mean,
just you weren't. I mean, you didn't come to this lightly.
Speaker 7 (17:33):
Oh no, no, no.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
You struggled with this decision.
Speaker 7 (17:36):
We all did, I mean all did. We all have
been hearing the rumors that this might happen. I think
we all had a hope and an expectation because we
know nobody really wants to do this. I think we
all had a hope and an expectation that maybe our
colleagues would come to their senses and not attempt this
because it is going to be a domino effect and
it is going to hurt democracy nation. Why this is
(17:57):
not just about Texas, but when they filed the bill
and then when they effectively put up sham hearings, we
didn't even have a bill at the time that they
went to Houston or Dallas and asked the voters to comment.
They didn't have the lines, They held the lines in secrecy,
they didn't have a map, and they dropped it at
the last minute. At that point, you not only realized
(18:19):
that this was rigging the election, this was a sham
of a process of transparency. So at the time that
government is supposed to work, at a time where at
least one hundred and thirty seven people died in Central Texas.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
My arms are on that again, where the hell are
your priorities?
Speaker 7 (18:33):
And we've been there for two weeks. We've been there
for two weeks. There are eighteen items on the call.
Not one bill had been put forth except for redistricting,
only one. And that does show the that's the first
thing we did the first two weeks.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
That we were there. Just anyone listened. I don't care
Democrat or Republican is a human being, just consider, pause
and reflect on that for a moment. There's your values
and your priorities, that things you lay claimed to, particularly
as we bring people. You know, I think about Sunday Service, Yes,
I think about the Good Book. Yes, try to square
that with their priorities as it relates to this. But
(19:07):
are there colleagues of yours that are quietly saying, you know,
just got to do this one for the team? You know,
Trump called I've got to wear my red cape.
Speaker 8 (19:19):
You know. I don't see a single Republican defending the
actual details of the bill. And I think part of
the issue is this bill was so rushed. I don't
think anybody has really fully looked at the level of
discrimination that exists in this map. If this passes Texas,
Hispanics will be the most underrepresented group in America, exceeding
(19:40):
the levels of discrimination that still exists in many parts
of the Deep South with black residents in the state.
The level of underrepresentation is something that will take Texas
Hispanics back to the nineteen sixties. But because Donald Trump
wants it, he wants this temporary gain of power, He's
going to sacrifice Hispanics blacks to get it. Yes, and
(20:01):
I think that Republicans know that this is illegal, But
the problem is they want to deliver those five votes
at all costs to Donald Trump. But it's going to
deliver a temporary gain in power because they're leading it
up to the courts to clean up this mess. So
it's going to have an impact on California, it's going
to have an impact in New York that they're proposing
an overtly racist map to try to get two years
(20:23):
of political power for Donald Trump. We've seen this in
North Carolina, and we've seen this in Louisiana.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
And North Carolina, perfect example.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
And that's a I'm sorry that that's a word. Thank
you Vince for saying that. That's a word that we're
not even allowed to say on the House floor. Racist racism.
I mean, we're not allowed to say racist. Are call
it what it is. We're not allowed to call it
what it is. And so we are encouraged to not
(20:51):
call it a power grab, to definitely say that this
is racial jerrymandering, and it really is. You know, Vince
talked about the reduction of power for Latinos, but for
black people, it means that it will take four black
votes to equal one white vote. So uh, you know,
(21:12):
and I have to talk about some of what it
means to me. And you talked about the eighteenth Congressional
district that I grew up in. You know, one of
those members, Barbara Jordan was my sorority sister, but Mickey
Leland I held his hand as he announced his bid
in my home for Congress when he left the state House.
(21:36):
And the fact that the eighteenth has no representation right
now though I represent in Dallas, it still matters to me.
You know, that's my family that is not represented right now.
Speaker 5 (21:50):
And just let me add and it's been vacant. Sylvester
Diydam March fifth, and so that's how long it's been.
And he set there the election for November November, just
so that they could have the votes the way they
have it in Congress.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
You mentioned earlier just threats, and you know, we talked
about language, we talked about some of the threats we
know about, but also you got a notable bomb threat
in Illinois just a day or so ago. I mean,
back to your families and someone checking and you said,
(22:30):
just checking in on your home. You know, I still
go back to the financial pressure. But this is, you know,
a part time job and you're gonna up paying fines
that are greater than your entire gross salary. Uh. They
even made it more difficult to even get paid. But
no longer direct deposits.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Of course, maybe checkers.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
Yeah, well petty doesn't even describe some of this. But
back to just your personal your family, your safety. I mean,
I don't want to be modeling about it, but I
mean that's got to be a real concern. No.
Speaker 8 (23:09):
Well, on the flight over here, I got a text
message from the daughter of my ninety year old neighbor
and there were six police units that showed up to
the neighborhood today. They got down, they tried to get
into the backyard, and they looked around. It stretched the
length of the entire street. It was clearly an excessive
show of force, an expensive use of tax dollars that
(23:30):
is just clearly designed to intimidate and just cause anxiety.
And that's all it did, is just cause anxiety with
my neighbors in my neighborhood. But that was just this
morning on the way over here, and other members had
similar experiences. You know where there's this level of intimidation.
Speaker 4 (23:46):
Well, it's a lawlessness that comes from the top, Right,
it's not surprising that vigilantes will engage in lawlessness when
our president turns on its head the idea of elections
by saying we're going to have we're going to predetermine
the election by manipulating these maps so as to segregate
(24:10):
racial minorities so that we get five more members of Congress.
We have our senator acting outside the bounds of the
law to ask the FBI to surveil political opponents in
the United States of America. Our governor backing that plan.
Speaker 6 (24:29):
So I have a son at.
Speaker 4 (24:31):
Home who is in middle school, and yes, it's hard
to leave my family behind. But we went to Philadelphia
this summer for a vacation, family vacation, and it hit
different this time around to be at Independence Hall to
remember this is who, this is why we exist. Representation
(24:51):
is why we exist. And so yes, the pool away
from family, being apart from them is hard, but I
do it because of my son.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Yeah, I love that. And we're about to celebrate the
two hundred and fifteth anniversary of the principles of the
founding fathers of the best of your Greek democracy, the
Roman Republic, co equal branches of government, popular sovereignty, rule
of law. It's not exaggerated, all of it at risk.
And this is I mean, I really applaud you because
(25:23):
you've given us. I mean it's you know, it's like
we talk about in psychology where you know, so often
those old enough to remember record players, but we're you know,
there's sort of a predictabilit until you scratch the record.
There has to be a pattern interrupt and I think
for me, this quorum has done that, and it's forced
a national conversation, as uncomfortable as it is. But behind
(25:43):
that is your son. Behind that are your families. Behind
it's your reputation. I mean, you know you're putting put
it all out on the line, financial and otherwise, and
you know, politics is this is tough, and and to
your point, my question to you in a swing district
that could go either way, this then necessarily aid in
(26:06):
a bet and advancing your prospects necessarily. So just you know,
just once again, why are you what's the why, what's
the burning why?
Speaker 5 (26:15):
I think it's a big picture democracy. Yeah, that's really
why we're doing it right to save the rest of
the country. I believe my colleague here said it best.
Speaker 6 (26:25):
The other day.
Speaker 5 (26:26):
She said, we get to keep our seats, but the
entire country will lose their voice. And I just that
really hit home with me when and said that. And
that's that's the truth.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
Right, speaking of losing Just they walked in, I guess
Ken Paxson's just declared thirteen seats vacant seconds ago, the
United State of Ken Paxson dictator in chief. Just with
this kind of declaries, I mean, guess we're at the
point when nothing surprises you. Yeah, no, I love it.
(26:58):
I say that, and you're all just not you know, and.
Speaker 7 (27:01):
It is frightening because you bring up Ken Paxton. I
was also on the impeachment team where he was put
before the Senate. The Senate had an opportunity to try
to do the right thing. It was their Republican colleagues
that were saying, hey, this guy was recently he's corrupt.
Yeah it was two years ago. But you know, it's
a challenge because we have two split courts, the Texas
(27:23):
Supreme Court, the Quarter Criminal Appeals. When the quart Crininal
Appeals all Republicans. When three of them took a stand
and gave a ruling opposed to Paxston on constitutional grounds,
he went after them politically and unfortunately he won. And
that's what we talk about right now. The guard rails
are missing. The guardrails within the Republican Party are missing
(27:45):
when you have them taking these steps, these extraordinary steps.
This didn't happen four years ago. This is at a
rapid fire that they think they can go to the courts,
they can manipulate the courts, that the courts will not
be there to be a backstop. It is part of
the reason that we are trying to get catch fire
with the people. With the people, they are the last
line of defense. The folks within the Republican Party will
(28:08):
not say no to this. It is up to the voters,
and that's why they are so desperately trying to cheat
and change the lines because it is up to the voters.
And that's why we are desperately trying to have everybody
stand up as California is doing and saying you cannot
let these dominoes start to fall because we will completely lose.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
Our way because Republicans aren't free the elected Republicans. I
had a Republican Member of Congress from Texas say I
don't want this, None of my colleagues want this, but
none of us will say no to Trump, so it
will happen.
Speaker 6 (28:43):
And time and time.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
Again we hear this refrain from our Republican colleagues. They
don't agree with what's happening, but they won't stand up
against it. We had Donald Trump way in the day
of the vote this regular session on val we had
a big fight that lasted years on taking money out
(29:05):
of our neighborhood public schools and putting it into private
schools for kids who already attend. Texas is through and through.
Speaker 5 (29:15):
It is.
Speaker 6 (29:16):
Public schools are through and through part.
Speaker 4 (29:17):
Of our identity as Texans, right and many Republicans were
against Melchers. But Donald Trump called on the day of
the vote and talked to all the Republicans and they
supported it even though their constituents were against it. They
will not say no.
Speaker 5 (29:35):
And in return, they were all endorsed by Trump of course. Yeah,
they all have their little letters and they post them proudly.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
Yeah. And you know the other I think if you
start to kind of think about the far reaching implications
of what these Shenanigans are going to create, you know,
the world is looking at us. They're looking at the
American democracy that we've been trying to nurture for the
last two hundred and fifty years and saying, gee, we
wish we could get to where you are. What they're
(30:03):
going to see is that it's under it's being eroded.
They're going to see that the value of the American
system is not what it used to be. And it
puts us in a completely different position, knowing that world
politics are very, you know, right now, very fragile, and
(30:24):
they need someone with the strength that we've had in
the past to be able to firmly say what we
need to do and how we're going to lean democracy forward.
That hand is gone, is going, it's fading, and now
what are we going to do. There are a lot
of countries that look to the United states, to the democracy,
to the way of life that we've established over two
(30:45):
hundred and fifty years, and saying what the world, what
are we going to do now? That's important and that
is what's going to go in the history books if
they allow those history books to be printed, of course,
but that's what's going to go down in those history books.
That's what people are going to remember. That's what my
fourteen grandchildren are going to remember when they say, Grandpa,
what did you do during that time? I can tell
(31:06):
them exactly what I did. But we've got to be
able to tell that story to generations coming up so
that we don't repeat the mistakes that we're creating right now.
So you're sitting there, there's a big, big stake in this.
Speaker 3 (31:22):
I love everything you said. I love the spirit which
brought you to say it, and it's just for what
it's worth. You're in a library with a lot of
books that have been banned as they're rewriting history, censoring
historical facts. You're seeing that in real time. So what
you said was I hope people pause and reflected on
what you said. I wasn't just throwaway line. It's quite
(31:44):
literal and real. At this moment. So thanks the question
you know, held out thirty seven days twenty twenty one,
how come didn't necessarily go your way? Ultimately, there, Governor,
I'm intimately familiar with this. Forgive me as the ability
to call another special session and then another special session.
I heard your governor yesterday say he'll call another no no, no,
(32:05):
you know, until the end of time, or at least
the end of his time is his tenure as governor.
So where does that leave you? In the private conversations,
I don't need to get into tactics or any of that,
but you know how we're all asking how long are
you willing to hold out? When's the end date of
(32:26):
this special election? When when are you going to be
back senior grandkids, When are you going to see the family?
When are you going to you know, reconcile the books
and figure out how to pay these fines?
Speaker 4 (32:38):
So that is the question we always get. Everyone wants
to know, how does this end? Its human nature? Our
lesson from the twenty one coreum break was we stood
up to fight to win for the day we could
win for the day, and the next take day. We
took it as it came because of our bold Act
of Defiance. Last time, we shamed Republicans into taking out
(33:02):
those two egregious provisions that I described at the beginning
of this program. They couldn't defend them, so they took
them out of the bill, ultimately the most egregious parts.
And so essentially we say free and fair elections in
Texas with our corn break. The bill passed, but it
wasn't the same bill. You just can't know what tomorrow brings.
(33:24):
We can only fight to win today.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
Yes, like that, so day by day surely I have
to go back to the financial stress though. I mean,
you've not now have threats that anyone who aids in
a bets quote unquote you seeking some support related to
(33:46):
these fines will somehow be charged for bribery. They've quite
literally threatened that on multiple occasions. You're elected leaders in
your state, people that are I mean, I imagine I'll
be on that list shortly if we're not already being
surveilled by the I'm with this visit. I mean, how
(34:13):
do you talk to your kids about that, Say don't worry, honey,
we're good. Your husband or wife you know, home saying
you know you're already I mean, this is again, you're
you're not getting rich. We're working in this.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
I definitely thank you for bringing that up. I want
to speak to that because I am one of the
only or maybe very few, that are full time legislators
in a part time legislature. I don't have another job.
So I don't think any of us are in it
for the money, though I want you to.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
I don't think we are stimulated.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
I don't think we are, and I honestly think you know,
my husband is given up on you know that she's
not about public service, and so it really is about
us serving the people and the constituents that we have,
listening to them, representing them in a way that they
know that we're their voice. You know, when they go
(35:10):
to that ballot box, we want them to know that
their voice really does count and their vote counts, and
that we're going to speak in their best interests and
on their behalf. And I think nobody can buy that.
You just really can't buy that. And I think in
a district that in twenty eighteen, with the help of
(35:30):
my community, I was able to flip, I think they
know that that's who the person they have sitting there,
and I can't be bought and I'm going to always stick.
Speaker 6 (35:40):
Up for them.
Speaker 7 (35:41):
So and it does show how desperate they are. I mean,
they have threatened our leadership positions, they threaten our job,
they're now trying to vacate. They're threatened direct deposit. I
mean they literally are throwing anything and everything at the wall,
these allegations of bribery. They're throwing all this stuff that
they can at the wall, and I think it shows
how desperate they are that they have to perform for
Donald Trump and they're going to look embarrassed if they
(36:03):
don't get it done this time. I will say it's
a little rich for these guys to make an allegation
of bribery given the fact that Dan Patrick took three
million dollars on the eve of the trial before he
presided in paston from one of Paxson's biggest donor. It's
a little rich for the governor when he took twelve
million dollars from an individual out of Pennsylvania who had
an interest in getting the voucher's passed. And so we
(36:25):
know that what they are is just throwing up desperate
allegations because they're doing anything and everything that they can
to try to force us back. But again, it just
strengthens our resolve because it shows us how desperate they
are to not serve the interest of the people, but
to serve the interest to Donald Trump, and that's not
who we serve.
Speaker 6 (36:42):
And it has not slowed down contributions.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
Yeah, I can imagine maybe the opposite. I imagine it's
only accelerated though.
Speaker 7 (36:51):
And it is we like anybody else. It's also ironic
that Governor Abbitt sent out an email talking about us
and how to donate link at the bottom.
Speaker 3 (36:58):
Of course.
Speaker 7 (36:58):
So we are elected officials who campaign and people can
send us contributions and that is what keeps us having
the ability to lift our voice and be able to
campaign and be able to put out an opposing position
to these guys that are out there.
Speaker 8 (37:14):
And look the damage that's going to be done to
generations of Texas kids who are going to grow up
in a society where if you're Hispanic or Black, the
government's not going to feel they're accountable to you. The
way these lines are drawn, the government's only going to
be accountable to one particular group. I mean, what kind
of society they're going to grow up in. It is
going to take US generations if we go back to
(37:35):
the nineteen sixties and have our own version of the
civil rights struggle all over again here in twenty twenty five.
So the damage that's going to be done to future
generations of Texans honestly pales in comparison to whatever it
is they're going to do to any of us. And
I think a lot of members feel that way, and
that's why I think they're just so determined in their result.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
I love that and I appreciate. I mean, just the
reflection in California is about thirty nine percent of its
population is Hispanic, twenty seven percent of its population form
born a majority minority state. It's a point of deep pride. Now,
we don't tolerate, we celebrate that diversity at our best.
We celebrate that diversity. Texas is right there and now
looking to exceed. It's an extraordinary state, isn't it. And
(38:13):
so this notion of representation, of representing everybody having a
voice seen themselves as well, is so critical. So I
really appreciate you highlighting that. What do we need to
highlight though? What's the message? Look, you're here in California.
I'm grateful we're about to have a press conference with
former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, other congressional representatives. You're going to
(38:35):
be here with my pro tem and speaker of our legislature.
We're moving forward very aggressively to neutralize neoter to limit
the five seats. We'll do the same here in California.
So all of this is for not Donald Trump. All
this is for not at show. And we will fight
fire with fire, and we will punch above our weight.
(38:58):
California is the size of twenty one state popular relations combined.
We're not here for a press conference. We're here to
take action and we're to delivery results, and we're going
to do it in a transparent way, a temporary way,
because we believe in independent redistricting. We'll do it on
the basis of a vote of the people as well,
respecting and as you said, the people, and in democracy,
(39:20):
the most important office, brand I said, is the office
of citizens. So this notion of transparent maps and active,
non inert citizen tree is foundational. But what more do
we need to do what other states need to do?
Speaker 7 (39:33):
You know, it's I think folks when they talk about
redistricting and they say, oh, those guys are just redistricting.
I don't think they understand this is not normal. We
don't redistrict mid decade. And even if we think about
the last time we redistricted states like yours, where you
have an independent commission, you allowed the people to draw
the lines. Many of us have offered legislation in Texas
to have an independent commission to have the people draw
(39:55):
the lines. I think people forget Republicans in those states
started the game decade already carving up districts to give
them a heavy advantage. And even with that cheat, when
other folks are letting their people do it. Here we
are four years in. They know they're about to lose,
and so they want to redraw it again. We appreciate
greatly the courage that California is stepping showing the fact
(40:16):
that you have stepped up and immediately said, Texas, what's
good for the goose is good for the gander. But
what we hope to do is lift a conversation. And
which wouldn't it be great? Wouldn't it be great if
the nation said, you know what, we should all let
the people draw the lines. We should all do an
independent commission and get politicians out of drawing our lines,
and so we are grateful that you are willing to,
(40:36):
as you say, fight fire with fire, because when one
group is playing by one set of rules and not
allowing the others to play by an equal set of rules,
it violates the fundamental fairness of who we are as
people and a nation.
Speaker 3 (40:50):
Appreciate that. And one of the things that we intend
to do with the consent of the Legislature and ultimately
present to the voters in a special election the first
week in November in a very short period of time,
is also a commitment to support a national independent redistricting Commission.
So we want to reinforce that principle in that paradigm,
(41:11):
and that's why we're looking at this as an emergency
response to this outrageous act in this mid decade redistrict team.
But again, it's not just rhetorical, and I think, look,
one of the big frustrations I have often with my party,
with our party, the Democratic Party, is fire and fury
is oftentimes signifying little or nothing. Sometimes we just sit
(41:33):
there and we're on the side. We feel there's a
weakness sometimes because we sort of we push back, but
we're not delivering on the counter and That's why I
think really critical that we're successful here in California. We
have to deliver an equal reaction that actually produces a
real result. What more can we do in our state,
(41:56):
but other states as well, actually delivered not just in
more support, not talk about sort of the better angels,
and not just you know, have your back rhetorically, but
to get back on the offensive, not just constantly being
shape shifted by these folks on the receiving end twenty
four to seven. I joke all the time, it's not
(42:17):
a joke, but everything with three letters E, S, G,
D I, S CRT I R S FBI, except when
they need to weaponize them, you know, the EPA. We're
constantly on the receiving n on this redistricting. You know,
at least we feel like we have a tool, and
that's the people themselves. We the people that can exercise
(42:38):
their moral and formal authority to neutralize what's happening in
Texas and to get back. But what else do you
want to see across this country in a more meaningful
and substantive.
Speaker 4 (42:52):
I think Americans and Texans for sure want to see
how these things impact their daily lives. For for me
part of why, Yes, there is the big picture representation,
democracy goals, but ultimately this is about higher prices at
the grocery stores and how these pay to play tariffs
(43:15):
that Donald Trump is implementing are hurting every day Americans,
every day Texans. It's about a hit to financial aid
and ability for often latinal communities in Texas to attend college,
but all communities, right they rely on that kind of
aid and what Donald Trump is doing to that, hit
to healthcare, hit to neighborhood schools, the list goes on,
(43:37):
and those are real threats to Americans that will continue
to get worse if this goes unchecked. And so I
think ideas for how ideas and examples of how this
big picture conversation is impacting their everyday lives and will
protect That's why we have representation to protect the people
(43:58):
against harm in a use from the politicians to hold
them accountable. That's what Donald Trump is taking away. And
the more we can speak to people's to people's daily
lives and the way what we do impacts them, I
think the better.
Speaker 3 (44:15):
Love that it's not just about drawing lines, it's sort
of holding the line, having a line of accountability, oversight,
back to this notion coequal branches of government and this
fundamental notion of what underneath all of it it's about,
which is about having the aspirations of mind and the
American people having the master's of not just your district,
(44:35):
your state, but our nation and a dressing all of
these profound issues. And as you say on the tariffs
and everything else. I mean, that's at the end of
the day, it is about all of those issues. So
that's important. What else do we need to sort of
raise in terms of consciousness around Again the why this
is so.
Speaker 2 (44:53):
Well I can tell what I tell all my folks
is that listen, as a look at officials, we do
this day in and day out. We're always having the
we have an in depth understanding, and sometimes we overcomplicate
the process. What we need to do is to get
those moms and dads that get up early in the morning,
dress their kids, take them to school, drop them off,
pick them up in the afternoon, take them to daycare,
(45:13):
go to the grocery store, pay for the eggs and
the milk, to have that conversation of how what this
economy is doing to them. At the town square, have
that discussion among themselves and understand what the impact is
to America. Because as elected officials we say it all
the time, and sometimes they don't have time to listen
to what we're telling them. It's important they get it.
(45:35):
They just don't have time. They're taking care of their lives.
They're trying to cook the dinner, they're trying to get
their kids off to school. So what I tell everyone,
get with your neighbors, whatever that town square is for you,
whether it's your homeowner association or some event that you
happen to go to, take the discussion there and raise
the issues how it's affecting you directly. I think if
(45:58):
we do that, I think the entire Cunto will understand
and understand. We've got to do something different, and that's
only I think the only way we're going to really
be successful. I love it.
Speaker 7 (46:13):
We need folks who are sick and tired of being
sick and tired to get up and vote in our selections.
Speaker 1 (46:18):
That's what I was going to say. I mean, to
Gina's point, the loss of access to healthcare, and especially
when we look at taking food out of children's bows
and the staff benefits that are gone. But we just
want that message to resonate so much with people that
they don't forget come November. So to Anne's point, that
(46:39):
really brings it home for me that they don't forget
when they go to that ballot.
Speaker 5 (46:43):
People tend to have very short memories. And that's really
sad because and I think this is why the governor
gets elected on the off years, right, because people were like,
there's an election. But I think educating the voters on
the big picture, whatever that big picture is to them,
(47:04):
it's probably the best thing to do.
Speaker 8 (47:06):
Yeah, And I would say in this moment, I think
the more Americans who learn about the details of the map,
I think more Americans should be outraged at what's being proposed.
I don't care if you're a Republican or Democrat, if
you're white, black, Latino. What are the implications of a
government that feels like it is not going to be
accountable to a large segment of its population, It's going
(47:27):
to be held accountable to a small segment that it's
going to hand pick what kind you know. In order
for democracy to work, we need our government to be
accountable to all people, regardless of race, regardless of where
they live. And that's not what's happening here. So, whether
you're a Republican or Democrat, you want a government that's
going to be held accountable to everybody, not there just
handpicked constituents. And I would say too, Look clearly, what
(47:51):
happens in Texas affects California. And we have years, thirty
years of Republican rule where they have system stomatically designed
and drawn these lines to ensure that black and Hispanic
residents don't vote. The overwhelming number of Latinos in Blacks
in Texas are stuck in districts that are uncompetitive, and
(48:12):
they're there where there's a ninety eighty ninety ninety five
percent Latino population because that's the best way for Republicans
to throw away votes. And so how do we activate
these large segments of Texas that have been acted for
so long. I think it's going to take a national
effort from the Democratic Party, but I think people from
all states because there are just large segments of our
population who are just don't see any reason to vote.
(48:33):
But that's the way the government has created it.
Speaker 6 (48:36):
Don't give up on Texas.
Speaker 4 (48:38):
Also, Texas really without all this grift, the grift, like
we could deal a whole segment on just the grift,
but without all the grift in the manipulation. Texas is
a purple state. We have not we say Texas Democrats
for the ATM. For the rest of the nation. We
need investment in Texas. We explore our Republicans, Texas expert
(49:02):
all the worst ideas to the national level. You want
us to flip, It's over when we flip, right, So
that's what I would encourage. People think Texas is crazy, Yes,
crazy things come out of Texas, but we see in
our communities that Texans are open. Texans are open to
being persuaded. They care about what you're going to do
(49:24):
to help them in their own lives. And I would say,
please take a chance on Texas.
Speaker 6 (49:30):
Invest in Texas.
Speaker 3 (49:32):
Spectacular state and spectacular representatives from the state. And I
really appreciate Mara. And just for folks listening watching you
guys flew in, You're going to fly right out. And
that means the world to all of us that are
trying to raise awareness or raise the alarm bells of
this moment where we get so easily distracted by sugar
(49:55):
and Coca cola or whatever. The new distraction and Alcatraz
may be what's really happening in this country. It is
code red, It is code red, and this only highlights,
this punctuates what's at stake. The Trump presidency de facto
ends in less than eighteen months. If we get Speaker
(50:16):
Jeffries back into office. Donald Trump knows that they're on
the run. They know they will lose the mid terms
if they do not rig them. And that's what this
is all about. And the fact that you are willing
to sacrifice so much your personal as well as professional
reputation to be here and to be everywhere you've been.
(50:36):
Everybody listening should owe you. And do I think, oh
you a debt of gratitude regardless of party. This is
about fundamental, enduring principles that have served the world, not
just our country for two hundred and forty nine years.
So I'm deeply grateful and I'm proud as well to
have this opportunity to transparent way, to have this conversation,
(50:57):
this private conversation more publicly. We'll understand why you're out here,
and the opportunity now to share that more publicly with
this press conference with Speaker Amrita Nancy Pelosi and talk
more about mistakes. Thank you all very
Speaker 5 (51:11):
Much, thank you, thank you, thank you for having us
Governor.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
How are you.
Speaker 3 (00:05):
It's good to see you, glad to see the ties on.
I didn't know who you guys were. Thank you, guys
just literally just got in Yes, thank you amazing, And
I'm grateful for everything you're doing. And I'm grateful of
this opportunity to have a chance to dialogue about it
and talk about you know, what exactly is going on
at this moment, where do you see things going? But
(00:27):
in order to paint the picture of this moment, I
want to just formally welcome you to Ronald Reagan's old mansion,
the place that Nancy Reagan infamously said was a fire
trap before they moved out. It's been since remodeled, so
you should feel more confident and comfortable here. But it's
nice to be here. And I say that mindful of
(00:49):
our history in the state of California, and mindful in
many ways how far we've gone, uh and how far
we have traveled away from some of the core principles
that defined the best of the Republican Party. And so
without getting nostalgia for that, I just want to acknowledge
(01:10):
the journey that you guys are on and express gratitude
that you're not just here in California, but you've been
all across your colleagues, all across this country. But first,
if I could, I just want to briefly contextualized, because
yesterday I experienced, in a modest way, a little bit
about all that you've experienced in Texas. Coming from July fourth,
(01:34):
a very close friend of my wife's family passed away,
Mark and his wife Sarah, and his son Johnny Mark Walker,
the Walker family passed in the floods in Texas. My
wife had the privilege of speaking a little bit at
the memorial yesterday, and it was beyond intense. Johnny's fourteen
(02:02):
years old, the age of my son. They live in
the neighborhood, and it really brought me back to what
this is all about, this special session, what the special
session should be about. Yes, I think what it was
one hundred and thirty seven people lost their life, thirty
five children kids, And that's what a special session as
(02:25):
a governor should be all about, exactly. And I haven't
heard a lot talked about those families torn as under,
those lives lost, people that are still healing. What in
a dry eye in the church for.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
Rest are for redistricting, not for flood relief legislation for
redistricting legislation.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Says everything you need to know at this moment. So
if I may, I'd love as we go around, and
I want to make this as easy and casual as
it possibly can be. Just jump in if you could
introduce yourself so people that are listening know who you are.
But what you just said just strikes the core of
(03:08):
what this is all about. So you you have been
threatened to be hunted down by the Attorney General of Texas, Paxston.
You are being fined five hundred dollars a day in
a job where you don't make a lot of money
dollars a year, seven two hundred dollars a year a year,
and you mean five five hundred dollars a day. You've
(03:31):
got a guy named Cornyn who's running for reelection Senator.
I say that because it's pretty obvious that it needs
to be said. Running for reelection needed to get in
on this now, threatening to send the FBI to find
you even though you're hiding in playing sight.
Speaker 5 (03:49):
What's interesting that better is I kind of feel like
we're in the perfect storm because you've got corn and
running against Paxton, and they're trying to outdo the other
who's gonna apprehend us for right. Then you have the
governor who's also working on it, and I think maybe
a little embarrassed he and the speaker both because we
still haven't gotten gotten.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
So your attorney general is running for the United States
Senate against incumbent Senator Cornyn, and they're trying to one
up each other exactly and attacking you rhetorically and substances.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
And in the courts, breaking news, they just filed to
remove me and twelve other of my colleagues in the
Texas House.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
And the voice we're listening to.
Speaker 6 (04:28):
Is Gina Josse Gina.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
So that you have been picked with twelve of your colleagues,
not all of your colleagues, but twelve. What's set about?
Speaker 6 (04:38):
I have no idea.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
We're all wondering the same thing, but yes, myself, and
it was just filed by our attorney general in the
Texas Supreme Court. It's called a quot what is it
quote warrnte proceeding to remove us from office.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
So you've got a governor himself claiming some forty on
that basis as well for simply quote unquote breaking a quorum.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Which has been done for one hundred and fifty years
by Texas legislators.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
To be clear, because American is Dare I say, apple
pie breaking quorum to protect the minority against the whims
of the majority.
Speaker 7 (05:16):
Yes, because if you don't have some rule in place
for the minority, then the majority just completely runs you over.
And this is an extraordinary step. It is not something
that we take lightly. It is an exceptional and extraordinary
act to write quorum. And so my name's Anne Johnson
and I'm from Houston. I'm proud to sit with these
other Democratic colleagues, and for some of us, this is
(05:37):
now the second time we have had to do this
in the last few years, and it really is an act.
It is the last tool that the founding fathers gave
to us in the minority to have available when you
know that the majority has gone off the rails. And
so we have been threatened with financial ruin, with arrest,
(05:58):
but we are undeterred. And I think it highlights how
important it is that if they will come at us
this hard and we actually are in positions of power,
look at how easily they run over those that are
most vulnerable and don't have a voice. And so I
think that's why we are really resolute or resolved that
this is the right thing to do.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
And you said, this is not the first time. It
was twenty twenty one, and that was for different reasons.
Remind me what those reasons were. In twenty twenty one,
it was.
Speaker 6 (06:27):
An anti voter bill.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Go ahead, Well, it was a bill that made it
much harder to vote. Two provisions in that bill that work.
The most egregious was one that banned Sunday morning voting,
which was a target on African American churches that have
a long standing tradition of going after service as a
faith community to vote together.
Speaker 6 (06:50):
The others.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
We know, well, that's right.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
The other provision would have given elected judges the ability
to overturn election results, to overturn the will of the voters.
And when those provisions were added in the middle, literally
in the middle of the night, with no record of
how they got into the bill, we left right.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
But you didn't have the level, or did you, of threats.
You didn't have the five hundred dollars fine that was
being a US. You didn't have senators calling for the
FBI and calling the head of the FBI to sort
of track you down right, Well.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
It seems to me and my name's right Lopus from
San Antonio and up you know, in the House for
a few years afew sessions, and it seems a difference
between where we were a few years ago when we
broke horm and where we were today is that while
we have a lot of evil doers, and we've talked
about who those people are, where it's the governor, the
Attorney general, all the political gainsmanship that's being played, we
(07:52):
also recognize that they are dancing to another evil doer
and we did not have that kind of engagement before.
And that's a president of the United States is encouraging them,
giving them the path forward, giving them the tools like
the FBI and others. We didn't battle that last time.
We are battling it now. But it is layers of
(08:13):
evildoers that are out there, and I mean, at some
point we all need to understand, you know, who it
is that we're up against. And it isn't just that
one front that's attacking us. It's all those individuals that
are behind them providing them that level of support. And
it happens, it grows every day.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
It grows every day what I mean. So that's important
to remind everybody just you know, people that are not
tracking this hour by hour day to day, they're not
watching cable news, which is one because that's that's the
vast majority of people. The President of the United States.
The origin story on this is the President called your governor,
(08:49):
Greg Abbott, and the President asked him.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
To do what So I'm read of Boers read to Andrews.
Bowers from Dallas and thank you for having today. But
it's really about what's at stake, and I think that's
what Ray was leading us into. So many people out
there don't understand that this Texas special Session is not
an isolated incident, and it truly has implications that will
(09:17):
carry across the United States. You know, if this goes
through with Texas, it can happen in so many other states.
And you look at North Carolina, they already had something
like this happened. So we're so glad to be here
having this opportunity to chat with you today.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
I appreciate it. And it happened because Donald Trump made
a call and said find me five seats. Yep.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
He's made those kinds of calls before, as we well know.
Called into Georgia, I need eleven thy twelve thousand, whatever.
It was right good because he thinks he is above
the law. He thinks he's the one that can interpret
all action, and that everybody has a loyalty to him,
and they do, but it's a loyalty to the devil
to do his bidding so that they can get in
(10:00):
a position of power.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
And the difference in four difference in Georgia, of course
was right that he was told. Now he was told no.
But in your state, your governor said yes, Ben Denis.
Speaker 8 (10:10):
And the only way you can get five additional seats
in Texas is if you aggressively discriminate against the Hispanic
and Black populations. You know, something's happening in Texas. That's
that's unique. For the first time, the Latino population is
actually going to exceed that of California on a percentage,
based on a percentage, so we have over forty percent
now Latinos in Texas. It is one of the most
diverse states in the nation. But under this proposal, we
(10:33):
have eleven million of white residents, eleven million Latino residents.
Twenty six out of the thirty eight seats will be
under white controlled districts. Well, Latinos are only being relegated
to eight. That means that the Latin the value of
a Latino resident in Texas is one third the value
of a white resident.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
So that I mean there's a and am I right
to have learned or read accurately that four out of
the five seats they're talking about taking a majority of
Hispanic districts, well three.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
Three for sure, three out of the four were African
American three to the four right of America.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
But minority districts districts, so voting rice acts issues here,
I mean just self evident.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
They were previously held by heroes in Texas, heroes that
have gone out and fought that tight for generations, and
they're changing the demographics to be able to put someone
else in there. That's just like.
Speaker 7 (11:29):
Marbara Jordan Congressional District eighteen. You know, she was the
first African American woman of color from the South elected
to the Congress. She was part of the impeachment tronals
against President legend. That district is a historic African American community,
of which now that seat sits open because Governor Abbott
(11:51):
after the death of Congressman Turner refused to allow a
special election in that seat. And so when you look
at the big, ugly bill that has passed by one vote,
you know how important the voices of that community are.
And so yes, it is shameful that being at sixty
years of the Civil Rights Act signed by President Johnson
from Texas, that we now face discrimination by Governor Abbott
(12:14):
bending the need to Trump and wanting to steal five
seats before the next election cycle. And so that's what
we know is on the line. Not just for Texas,
this sweeps across the nation.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
And that's the point now, number of you have made.
This is not again just about Texas, and we're already
reading about we saw yesterday j d Vance himself, the
Vice President the United States, made his way to Indiana
to try to convince the folks there to do the same.
We've already heard the Speaker of the House and the
(12:44):
governor of Florida talk about their efforts or their desire
to do their efforts. We know Ohio is already moving
in this direction, Missouri other states that likely will follow suits.
So to your point, this is about rigging the election
before vote is cast before twenty twenty six and that's so.
Is that fundamentally, why you guys, not only are breaking quorum,
(13:08):
not only for yourself and standing tall and firm on
behalf of the people that you represent and your own
values and your own conscience. I imagine we'll get to that
in a moment. But also to raise the whole arm bells, sue,
this is not about your state, It's about our country exactly.
Speaker 5 (13:24):
I didn't see how we couldn't not break quorum because
it wasn't just about us, it was about saving democracy
for the entire United States.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
What's this trickle effect?
Speaker 5 (13:34):
If everyone can do that, why did we have laws?
Speaker 3 (13:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (13:38):
To me, it was so serious because of the future
of the United States.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
And what district do you represent in Texas?
Speaker 5 (13:45):
I'm in Houston, I represent how Sistrict one forty four.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
And are your constituents are they behind you? Are people
plotting you? Or are they cautious and concerned and concerned
for you, concern for their country. Don't know if this
is appropriate. What's been the reaction.
Speaker 5 (14:02):
Well, I'm probably the only one here who has a
swing district, right, I'm like fifty to fifty district, So
it's on I guess on social media I get certain comments,
but I have enough friends that they will correct them
and try to enlighten them on what's.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
Really going on.
Speaker 5 (14:19):
Some of them are obviously bots, and you just kind
of don't pay attention to those. But I've had a
lot of support, which I think is great, even from
the other side, which I think is wonderful.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
Are you finding that as well? Most of you are.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
I mean, I think it's relevant to mention that I
had a swing district the last time we broke Korm
in twenty twenty one. Things changed for me after the
maps were drawn that they thought were okay, and so
I came back with the more democratic district and now
my constituency is spot on, like, yes, please do this.
(14:54):
We appreciate what you're doing. And I wasn't getting that
last time. Last time it was like you better get
get back.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Yes. And how long, by the way, let's go back
to twenty twenty one. How long did that last? How
long it was corn broken?
Speaker 6 (15:06):
At least six week? Thirty five days?
Speaker 7 (15:08):
Yeah, sixty five days. I mean a quor and break
as a member one, this is the ultimate act of
public service. We all wanted these jobs. We all put
ourselves in the position that if we ever had to
do it, we would, and we recognize this is bigger
than any seat, any job, any individual, and we have
(15:28):
left everything behind. We have left our families, we have
left our businesses, we have left our homes. It means
our neighbors are checking on our houses, our families are
picking up all the things that are left behind. People
are asking how can they pitch in? But we all
recognized the unfortunate circumstance of being in a state right
now that is run by an almost super majority of Republicans,
(15:51):
where when they rammed through this attempt to steal five seats,
and ninety nine percent of the thousands of people that
came to testify against this bill said, don't do it.
We don't want this. This is not for Texas. This
is purely for Trump. Within a couple of days, they
put it down, got a vote, threw it on the calendar,
and try to get it on the floor. We all
(16:12):
recognize the only way we could uphold the voice of
our voters was to physically have our body leave the state.
And that is a sad comment on where we are
right now and at a time where you talk about
every state in the domino effect of just trying to
make it purely red or purely blue at a time
when voters desperately want us to find common ground, find
(16:33):
a way to talk with each other, find a way
to cross the aisle, when our colleagues just refuse to
participate in that, and again bent the need of Trump,
we have had to take this extraordinary act. And so, yeah,
a couple extra days. It does mean a lot, because
you have more than fifty members held up together in unison,
together desperately trying to do the right thing against the
(16:55):
vitriol of attacks that are so much worse than.
Speaker 6 (16:57):
Four years ago. We didn't we weren't.
Speaker 7 (17:01):
We weren't experiencing the threats that we are now getting.
That is being I mean, I'm your former chief human
trafficking product prosecutor in Houston. I've had criminals threatened my
life before. I never thought it would be coming from
the governor, the attorney general or others in elected off.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
Like hunting people deaths. Right, that's very mean. What you
were didn't you run an off ed show me a
little bit of I mean, did potential residents? I mean,
just you weren't. I mean, you didn't come to this lightly.
Speaker 7 (17:33):
Oh no, no, no.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
You struggled with this decision.
Speaker 7 (17:36):
We all did, I mean all did. We all have
been hearing the rumors that this might happen. I think
we all had a hope and an expectation because we
know nobody really wants to do this. I think we
all had a hope and an expectation that maybe our
colleagues would come to their senses and not attempt this
because it is going to be a domino effect and
it is going to hurt democracy nation. Why this is
(17:57):
not just about Texas, but when they filed the bill
and then when they effectively put up sham hearings, we
didn't even have a bill at the time that they
went to Houston or Dallas and asked the voters to comment.
They didn't have the lines, They held the lines in secrecy,
they didn't have a map, and they dropped it at
the last minute. At that point, you not only realized
(18:19):
that this was rigging the election, this was a sham
of a process of transparency. So at the time that
government is supposed to work, at a time where at
least one hundred and thirty seven people died in Central Texas.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
My arms are on that again, where the hell are
your priorities?
Speaker 7 (18:33):
And we've been there for two weeks. We've been there
for two weeks. There are eighteen items on the call.
Not one bill had been put forth except for redistricting,
only one. And that does show the that's the first
thing we did the first two weeks.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
That we were there. Just anyone listened. I don't care
Democrat or Republican is a human being, just consider, pause
and reflect on that for a moment. There's your values
and your priorities, that things you lay claimed to, particularly
as we bring people. You know, I think about Sunday Service, Yes,
I think about the Good Book. Yes, try to square
that with their priorities as it relates to this. But
(19:07):
are there colleagues of yours that are quietly saying, you know,
just got to do this one for the team? You know,
Trump called I've got to wear my red cape.
Speaker 8 (19:19):
You know. I don't see a single Republican defending the
actual details of the bill. And I think part of
the issue is this bill was so rushed. I don't
think anybody has really fully looked at the level of
discrimination that exists in this map. If this passes Texas,
Hispanics will be the most underrepresented group in America, exceeding
(19:40):
the levels of discrimination that still exists in many parts
of the Deep South with black residents in the state.
The level of underrepresentation is something that will take Texas
Hispanics back to the nineteen sixties. But because Donald Trump
wants it, he wants this temporary gain of power, He's
going to sacrifice Hispanics blacks to get it. Yes, and
(20:01):
I think that Republicans know that this is illegal, But
the problem is they want to deliver those five votes
at all costs to Donald Trump. But it's going to
deliver a temporary gain in power because they're leading it
up to the courts to clean up this mess. So
it's going to have an impact on California, it's going
to have an impact in New York that they're proposing
an overtly racist map to try to get two years
(20:23):
of political power for Donald Trump. We've seen this in
North Carolina, and we've seen this in Louisiana.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
And North Carolina, perfect example.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
And that's a I'm sorry that that's a word. Thank
you Vince for saying that. That's a word that we're
not even allowed to say on the House floor. Racist racism.
I mean, we're not allowed to say racist. Are call
it what it is. We're not allowed to call it
what it is. And so we are encouraged to not
(20:51):
call it a power grab, to definitely say that this
is racial jerrymandering, and it really is. You know, Vince
talked about the reduction of power for Latinos, but for
black people, it means that it will take four black
votes to equal one white vote. So uh, you know,
(21:12):
and I have to talk about some of what it
means to me. And you talked about the eighteenth Congressional
district that I grew up in. You know, one of
those members, Barbara Jordan was my sorority sister, but Mickey
Leland I held his hand as he announced his bid
in my home for Congress when he left the state House.
(21:36):
And the fact that the eighteenth has no representation right
now though I represent in Dallas, it still matters to me.
You know, that's my family that is not represented right now.
Speaker 5 (21:50):
And just let me add and it's been vacant. Sylvester
Diydam March fifth, and so that's how long it's been.
And he set there the election for November November, just
so that they could have the votes the way they
have it in Congress.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
You mentioned earlier just threats, and you know, we talked
about language, we talked about some of the threats we
know about, but also you got a notable bomb threat
in Illinois just a day or so ago. I mean,
back to your families and someone checking and you said,
(22:30):
just checking in on your home. You know, I still
go back to the financial pressure. But this is, you know,
a part time job and you're gonna up paying fines
that are greater than your entire gross salary. Uh. They
even made it more difficult to even get paid. But
no longer direct deposits.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Of course, maybe checkers.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
Yeah, well petty doesn't even describe some of this. But
back to just your personal your family, your safety. I mean,
I don't want to be modeling about it, but I
mean that's got to be a real concern. No.
Speaker 8 (23:09):
Well, on the flight over here, I got a text
message from the daughter of my ninety year old neighbor
and there were six police units that showed up to
the neighborhood today. They got down, they tried to get
into the backyard, and they looked around. It stretched the
length of the entire street. It was clearly an excessive
show of force, an expensive use of tax dollars that
(23:30):
is just clearly designed to intimidate and just cause anxiety.
And that's all it did, is just cause anxiety with
my neighbors in my neighborhood. But that was just this
morning on the way over here, and other members had
similar experiences. You know where there's this level of intimidation.
Speaker 4 (23:46):
Well, it's a lawlessness that comes from the top, Right,
it's not surprising that vigilantes will engage in lawlessness when
our president turns on its head the idea of elections
by saying we're going to have we're going to predetermine
the election by manipulating these maps so as to segregate
(24:10):
racial minorities so that we get five more members of Congress.
We have our senator acting outside the bounds of the
law to ask the FBI to surveil political opponents in
the United States of America. Our governor backing that plan.
Speaker 6 (24:29):
So I have a son at.
Speaker 4 (24:31):
Home who is in middle school, and yes, it's hard
to leave my family behind. But we went to Philadelphia
this summer for a vacation, family vacation, and it hit
different this time around to be at Independence Hall to
remember this is who, this is why we exist. Representation
(24:51):
is why we exist. And so yes, the pool away
from family, being apart from them is hard, but I
do it because of my son.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Yeah, I love that. And we're about to celebrate the
two hundred and fifteth anniversary of the principles of the
founding fathers of the best of your Greek democracy, the
Roman Republic, co equal branches of government, popular sovereignty, rule
of law. It's not exaggerated, all of it at risk.
And this is I mean, I really applaud you because
(25:23):
you've given us. I mean it's you know, it's like
we talk about in psychology where you know, so often
those old enough to remember record players, but we're you know,
there's sort of a predictabilit until you scratch the record.
There has to be a pattern interrupt and I think
for me, this quorum has done that, and it's forced
a national conversation, as uncomfortable as it is. But behind
(25:43):
that is your son. Behind that are your families. Behind
it's your reputation. I mean, you know you're putting put
it all out on the line, financial and otherwise, and
you know, politics is this is tough, and and to
your point, my question to you in a swing district
that could go either way, this then necessarily aid in
(26:06):
a bet and advancing your prospects necessarily. So just you know,
just once again, why are you what's the why, what's
the burning why?
Speaker 5 (26:15):
I think it's a big picture democracy. Yeah, that's really
why we're doing it right to save the rest of
the country. I believe my colleague here said it best.
Speaker 6 (26:25):
The other day.
Speaker 5 (26:26):
She said, we get to keep our seats, but the
entire country will lose their voice. And I just that
really hit home with me when and said that. And
that's that's the truth.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
Right, speaking of losing Just they walked in, I guess
Ken Paxson's just declared thirteen seats vacant seconds ago, the
United State of Ken Paxson dictator in chief. Just with
this kind of declaries, I mean, guess we're at the
point when nothing surprises you. Yeah, no, I love it.
(26:58):
I say that, and you're all just not you know, and.
Speaker 7 (27:01):
It is frightening because you bring up Ken Paxton. I
was also on the impeachment team where he was put
before the Senate. The Senate had an opportunity to try
to do the right thing. It was their Republican colleagues
that were saying, hey, this guy was recently he's corrupt.
Yeah it was two years ago. But you know, it's
a challenge because we have two split courts, the Texas
(27:23):
Supreme Court, the Quarter Criminal Appeals. When the quart Crininal
Appeals all Republicans. When three of them took a stand
and gave a ruling opposed to Paxston on constitutional grounds,
he went after them politically and unfortunately he won. And
that's what we talk about right now. The guard rails
are missing. The guardrails within the Republican Party are missing
(27:45):
when you have them taking these steps, these extraordinary steps.
This didn't happen four years ago. This is at a
rapid fire that they think they can go to the courts,
they can manipulate the courts, that the courts will not
be there to be a backstop. It is part of
the reason that we are trying to get catch fire
with the people. With the people, they are the last
line of defense. The folks within the Republican Party will
(28:08):
not say no to this. It is up to the voters,
and that's why they are so desperately trying to cheat
and change the lines because it is up to the voters.
And that's why we are desperately trying to have everybody
stand up as California is doing and saying you cannot
let these dominoes start to fall because we will completely lose.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
Our way because Republicans aren't free the elected Republicans. I
had a Republican Member of Congress from Texas say I
don't want this, None of my colleagues want this, but
none of us will say no to Trump, so it
will happen.
Speaker 6 (28:43):
And time and time.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
Again we hear this refrain from our Republican colleagues. They
don't agree with what's happening, but they won't stand up
against it. We had Donald Trump way in the day
of the vote this regular session on val we had
a big fight that lasted years on taking money out
(29:05):
of our neighborhood public schools and putting it into private
schools for kids who already attend. Texas is through and through.
Speaker 5 (29:15):
It is.
Speaker 6 (29:16):
Public schools are through and through part.
Speaker 4 (29:17):
Of our identity as Texans, right and many Republicans were
against Melchers. But Donald Trump called on the day of
the vote and talked to all the Republicans and they
supported it even though their constituents were against it. They
will not say no.
Speaker 5 (29:35):
And in return, they were all endorsed by Trump of course. Yeah,
they all have their little letters and they post them proudly.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
Yeah. And you know the other I think if you
start to kind of think about the far reaching implications
of what these Shenanigans are going to create, you know,
the world is looking at us. They're looking at the
American democracy that we've been trying to nurture for the
last two hundred and fifty years and saying, gee, we
wish we could get to where you are. What they're
(30:03):
going to see is that it's under it's being eroded.
They're going to see that the value of the American
system is not what it used to be. And it
puts us in a completely different position, knowing that world
politics are very, you know, right now, very fragile, and
(30:24):
they need someone with the strength that we've had in
the past to be able to firmly say what we
need to do and how we're going to lean democracy forward.
That hand is gone, is going, it's fading, and now
what are we going to do. There are a lot
of countries that look to the United states, to the democracy,
to the way of life that we've established over two
(30:45):
hundred and fifty years, and saying what the world, what
are we going to do now? That's important and that
is what's going to go in the history books if
they allow those history books to be printed, of course,
but that's what's going to go down in those history books.
That's what people are going to remember. That's what my
fourteen grandchildren are going to remember when they say, Grandpa,
what did you do during that time? I can tell
(31:06):
them exactly what I did. But we've got to be
able to tell that story to generations coming up so
that we don't repeat the mistakes that we're creating right now.
So you're sitting there, there's a big, big stake in this.
Speaker 3 (31:22):
I love everything you said. I love the spirit which
brought you to say it, and it's just for what
it's worth. You're in a library with a lot of
books that have been banned as they're rewriting history, censoring
historical facts. You're seeing that in real time. So what
you said was I hope people pause and reflected on
what you said. I wasn't just throwaway line. It's quite
(31:44):
literal and real. At this moment. So thanks the question
you know, held out thirty seven days twenty twenty one,
how come didn't necessarily go your way? Ultimately, there, Governor,
I'm intimately familiar with this. Forgive me as the ability
to call another special session and then another special session.
I heard your governor yesterday say he'll call another no no, no,
(32:05):
you know, until the end of time, or at least
the end of his time is his tenure as governor.
So where does that leave you? In the private conversations,
I don't need to get into tactics or any of that,
but you know how we're all asking how long are
you willing to hold out? When's the end date of
(32:26):
this special election? When when are you going to be
back senior grandkids, When are you going to see the family?
When are you going to you know, reconcile the books
and figure out how to pay these fines?
Speaker 4 (32:38):
So that is the question we always get. Everyone wants
to know, how does this end? Its human nature? Our
lesson from the twenty one coreum break was we stood
up to fight to win for the day we could
win for the day, and the next take day. We
took it as it came because of our bold Act
of Defiance. Last time, we shamed Republicans into taking out
(33:02):
those two egregious provisions that I described at the beginning
of this program. They couldn't defend them, so they took
them out of the bill, ultimately the most egregious parts.
And so essentially we say free and fair elections in
Texas with our corn break. The bill passed, but it
wasn't the same bill. You just can't know what tomorrow brings.
(33:24):
We can only fight to win today.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
Yes, like that, so day by day surely I have
to go back to the financial stress though. I mean,
you've not now have threats that anyone who aids in
a bets quote unquote you seeking some support related to
(33:46):
these fines will somehow be charged for bribery. They've quite
literally threatened that on multiple occasions. You're elected leaders in
your state, people that are I mean, I imagine I'll
be on that list shortly if we're not already being
surveilled by the I'm with this visit. I mean, how
(34:13):
do you talk to your kids about that, Say don't worry, honey,
we're good. Your husband or wife you know, home saying
you know you're already I mean, this is again, you're
you're not getting rich. We're working in this.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
I definitely thank you for bringing that up. I want
to speak to that because I am one of the
only or maybe very few, that are full time legislators
in a part time legislature. I don't have another job.
So I don't think any of us are in it
for the money, though I want you to.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
I don't think we are stimulated.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
I don't think we are, and I honestly think you know,
my husband is given up on you know that she's
not about public service, and so it really is about
us serving the people and the constituents that we have,
listening to them, representing them in a way that they
know that we're their voice. You know, when they go
(35:10):
to that ballot box, we want them to know that
their voice really does count and their vote counts, and
that we're going to speak in their best interests and
on their behalf. And I think nobody can buy that.
You just really can't buy that. And I think in
a district that in twenty eighteen, with the help of
(35:30):
my community, I was able to flip, I think they
know that that's who the person they have sitting there,
and I can't be bought and I'm going to always stick.
Speaker 6 (35:40):
Up for them.
Speaker 7 (35:41):
So and it does show how desperate they are. I mean,
they have threatened our leadership positions, they threaten our job,
they're now trying to vacate. They're threatened direct deposit. I
mean they literally are throwing anything and everything at the wall,
these allegations of bribery. They're throwing all this stuff that
they can at the wall, and I think it shows
how desperate they are that they have to perform for
Donald Trump and they're going to look embarrassed if they
(36:03):
don't get it done this time. I will say it's
a little rich for these guys to make an allegation
of bribery given the fact that Dan Patrick took three
million dollars on the eve of the trial before he
presided in paston from one of Paxson's biggest donor. It's
a little rich for the governor when he took twelve
million dollars from an individual out of Pennsylvania who had
an interest in getting the voucher's passed. And so we
(36:25):
know that what they are is just throwing up desperate
allegations because they're doing anything and everything that they can
to try to force us back. But again, it just
strengthens our resolve because it shows us how desperate they
are to not serve the interest of the people, but
to serve the interest to Donald Trump, and that's not
who we serve.
Speaker 6 (36:42):
And it has not slowed down contributions.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
Yeah, I can imagine maybe the opposite. I imagine it's
only accelerated though.
Speaker 7 (36:51):
And it is we like anybody else. It's also ironic
that Governor Abbitt sent out an email talking about us
and how to donate link at the bottom.
Speaker 3 (36:58):
Of course.
Speaker 7 (36:58):
So we are elected officials who campaign and people can
send us contributions and that is what keeps us having
the ability to lift our voice and be able to
campaign and be able to put out an opposing position
to these guys that are out there.
Speaker 8 (37:14):
And look the damage that's going to be done to
generations of Texas kids who are going to grow up
in a society where if you're Hispanic or Black, the
government's not going to feel they're accountable to you. The
way these lines are drawn, the government's only going to
be accountable to one particular group. I mean, what kind
of society they're going to grow up in. It is
going to take US generations if we go back to
(37:35):
the nineteen sixties and have our own version of the
civil rights struggle all over again here in twenty twenty five.
So the damage that's going to be done to future
generations of Texans honestly pales in comparison to whatever it
is they're going to do to any of us. And
I think a lot of members feel that way, and
that's why I think they're just so determined in their result.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
I love that and I appreciate. I mean, just the
reflection in California is about thirty nine percent of its
population is Hispanic, twenty seven percent of its population form
born a majority minority state. It's a point of deep pride. Now,
we don't tolerate, we celebrate that diversity at our best.
We celebrate that diversity. Texas is right there and now
looking to exceed. It's an extraordinary state, isn't it. And
(38:13):
so this notion of representation, of representing everybody having a
voice seen themselves as well, is so critical. So I
really appreciate you highlighting that. What do we need to
highlight though? What's the message? Look, you're here in California.
I'm grateful we're about to have a press conference with
former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, other congressional representatives. You're going to
(38:35):
be here with my pro tem and speaker of our legislature.
We're moving forward very aggressively to neutralize neoter to limit
the five seats. We'll do the same here in California.
So all of this is for not Donald Trump. All
this is for not at show. And we will fight
fire with fire, and we will punch above our weight.
(38:58):
California is the size of twenty one state popular relations combined.
We're not here for a press conference. We're here to
take action and we're to delivery results, and we're going
to do it in a transparent way, a temporary way,
because we believe in independent redistricting. We'll do it on
the basis of a vote of the people as well,
respecting and as you said, the people, and in democracy,
(39:20):
the most important office, brand I said, is the office
of citizens. So this notion of transparent maps and active,
non inert citizen tree is foundational. But what more do
we need to do what other states need to do?
Speaker 7 (39:33):
You know, it's I think folks when they talk about
redistricting and they say, oh, those guys are just redistricting.
I don't think they understand this is not normal. We
don't redistrict mid decade. And even if we think about
the last time we redistricted states like yours, where you
have an independent commission, you allowed the people to draw
the lines. Many of us have offered legislation in Texas
to have an independent commission to have the people draw
(39:55):
the lines. I think people forget Republicans in those states
started the game decade already carving up districts to give
them a heavy advantage. And even with that cheat, when
other folks are letting their people do it. Here we
are four years in. They know they're about to lose,
and so they want to redraw it again. We appreciate
greatly the courage that California is stepping showing the fact
(40:16):
that you have stepped up and immediately said, Texas, what's
good for the goose is good for the gander. But
what we hope to do is lift a conversation. And
which wouldn't it be great? Wouldn't it be great if
the nation said, you know what, we should all let
the people draw the lines. We should all do an
independent commission and get politicians out of drawing our lines,
and so we are grateful that you are willing to,
(40:36):
as you say, fight fire with fire, because when one
group is playing by one set of rules and not
allowing the others to play by an equal set of rules,
it violates the fundamental fairness of who we are as
people and a nation.
Speaker 3 (40:50):
Appreciate that. And one of the things that we intend
to do with the consent of the Legislature and ultimately
present to the voters in a special election the first
week in November in a very short period of time,
is also a commitment to support a national independent redistricting Commission.
So we want to reinforce that principle in that paradigm,
(41:11):
and that's why we're looking at this as an emergency
response to this outrageous act in this mid decade redistrict team.
But again, it's not just rhetorical, and I think, look,
one of the big frustrations I have often with my party,
with our party, the Democratic Party, is fire and fury
is oftentimes signifying little or nothing. Sometimes we just sit
(41:33):
there and we're on the side. We feel there's a
weakness sometimes because we sort of we push back, but
we're not delivering on the counter and That's why I
think really critical that we're successful here in California. We
have to deliver an equal reaction that actually produces a
real result. What more can we do in our state,
(41:56):
but other states as well, actually delivered not just in
more support, not talk about sort of the better angels,
and not just you know, have your back rhetorically, but
to get back on the offensive, not just constantly being
shape shifted by these folks on the receiving end twenty
four to seven. I joke all the time, it's not
(42:17):
a joke, but everything with three letters E, S, G,
D I, S CRT I R S FBI, except when
they need to weaponize them, you know, the EPA. We're
constantly on the receiving n on this redistricting. You know,
at least we feel like we have a tool, and
that's the people themselves. We the people that can exercise
(42:38):
their moral and formal authority to neutralize what's happening in
Texas and to get back. But what else do you
want to see across this country in a more meaningful
and substantive.
Speaker 4 (42:52):
I think Americans and Texans for sure want to see
how these things impact their daily lives. For for me
part of why, Yes, there is the big picture representation,
democracy goals, but ultimately this is about higher prices at
the grocery stores and how these pay to play tariffs
(43:15):
that Donald Trump is implementing are hurting every day Americans,
every day Texans. It's about a hit to financial aid
and ability for often latinal communities in Texas to attend college,
but all communities, right they rely on that kind of
aid and what Donald Trump is doing to that, hit
to healthcare, hit to neighborhood schools, the list goes on,
(43:37):
and those are real threats to Americans that will continue
to get worse if this goes unchecked. And so I
think ideas for how ideas and examples of how this
big picture conversation is impacting their everyday lives and will
protect That's why we have representation to protect the people
(43:58):
against harm in a use from the politicians to hold
them accountable. That's what Donald Trump is taking away. And
the more we can speak to people's to people's daily
lives and the way what we do impacts them, I
think the better.
Speaker 3 (44:15):
Love that it's not just about drawing lines, it's sort
of holding the line, having a line of accountability, oversight,
back to this notion coequal branches of government and this
fundamental notion of what underneath all of it it's about,
which is about having the aspirations of mind and the
American people having the master's of not just your district,
(44:35):
your state, but our nation and a dressing all of
these profound issues. And as you say on the tariffs
and everything else. I mean, that's at the end of
the day, it is about all of those issues. So
that's important. What else do we need to sort of
raise in terms of consciousness around Again the why this
is so.
Speaker 2 (44:53):
Well I can tell what I tell all my folks
is that listen, as a look at officials, we do
this day in and day out. We're always having the
we have an in depth understanding, and sometimes we overcomplicate
the process. What we need to do is to get
those moms and dads that get up early in the morning,
dress their kids, take them to school, drop them off,
pick them up in the afternoon, take them to daycare,
(45:13):
go to the grocery store, pay for the eggs and
the milk, to have that conversation of how what this
economy is doing to them. At the town square, have
that discussion among themselves and understand what the impact is
to America. Because as elected officials we say it all
the time, and sometimes they don't have time to listen
to what we're telling them. It's important they get it.
(45:35):
They just don't have time. They're taking care of their lives.
They're trying to cook the dinner, they're trying to get
their kids off to school. So what I tell everyone,
get with your neighbors, whatever that town square is for you,
whether it's your homeowner association or some event that you
happen to go to, take the discussion there and raise
the issues how it's affecting you directly. I think if
(45:58):
we do that, I think the entire Cunto will understand
and understand. We've got to do something different, and that's
only I think the only way we're going to really
be successful. I love it.
Speaker 7 (46:13):
We need folks who are sick and tired of being
sick and tired to get up and vote in our selections.
Speaker 1 (46:18):
That's what I was going to say. I mean, to
Gina's point, the loss of access to healthcare, and especially
when we look at taking food out of children's bows
and the staff benefits that are gone. But we just
want that message to resonate so much with people that
they don't forget come November. So to Anne's point, that
(46:39):
really brings it home for me that they don't forget
when they go to that ballot.
Speaker 5 (46:43):
People tend to have very short memories. And that's really
sad because and I think this is why the governor
gets elected on the off years, right, because people were like,
there's an election. But I think educating the voters on
the big picture, whatever that big picture is to them,
(47:04):
it's probably the best thing to do.
Speaker 8 (47:06):
Yeah, And I would say in this moment, I think
the more Americans who learn about the details of the map,
I think more Americans should be outraged at what's being proposed.
I don't care if you're a Republican or Democrat, if
you're white, black, Latino. What are the implications of a
government that feels like it is not going to be
accountable to a large segment of its population, It's going
(47:27):
to be held accountable to a small segment that it's
going to hand pick what kind you know. In order
for democracy to work, we need our government to be
accountable to all people, regardless of race, regardless of where
they live. And that's not what's happening here. So, whether
you're a Republican or Democrat, you want a government that's
going to be held accountable to everybody, not there just
handpicked constituents. And I would say too, Look clearly, what
(47:51):
happens in Texas affects California. And we have years, thirty
years of Republican rule where they have system stomatically designed
and drawn these lines to ensure that black and Hispanic
residents don't vote. The overwhelming number of Latinos in Blacks
in Texas are stuck in districts that are uncompetitive, and
(48:12):
they're there where there's a ninety eighty ninety ninety five
percent Latino population because that's the best way for Republicans
to throw away votes. And so how do we activate
these large segments of Texas that have been acted for
so long. I think it's going to take a national
effort from the Democratic Party, but I think people from
all states because there are just large segments of our
population who are just don't see any reason to vote.
(48:33):
But that's the way the government has created it.
Speaker 6 (48:36):
Don't give up on Texas.
Speaker 4 (48:38):
Also, Texas really without all this grift, the grift, like
we could deal a whole segment on just the grift,
but without all the grift in the manipulation. Texas is
a purple state. We have not we say Texas Democrats
for the ATM. For the rest of the nation. We
need investment in Texas. We explore our Republicans, Texas expert
(49:02):
all the worst ideas to the national level. You want
us to flip, It's over when we flip, right, So
that's what I would encourage. People think Texas is crazy, Yes,
crazy things come out of Texas, but we see in
our communities that Texans are open. Texans are open to
being persuaded. They care about what you're going to do
(49:24):
to help them in their own lives. And I would say,
please take a chance on Texas.
Speaker 6 (49:30):
Invest in Texas.
Speaker 3 (49:32):
Spectacular state and spectacular representatives from the state. And I
really appreciate Mara. And just for folks listening watching you
guys flew in, You're going to fly right out. And
that means the world to all of us that are
trying to raise awareness or raise the alarm bells of
this moment where we get so easily distracted by sugar
(49:55):
and Coca cola or whatever. The new distraction and Alcatraz
may be what's really happening in this country. It is
code red, It is code red, and this only highlights,
this punctuates what's at stake. The Trump presidency de facto
ends in less than eighteen months. If we get Speaker
(50:16):
Jeffries back into office. Donald Trump knows that they're on
the run. They know they will lose the mid terms
if they do not rig them. And that's what this
is all about. And the fact that you are willing
to sacrifice so much your personal as well as professional
reputation to be here and to be everywhere you've been.
(50:36):
Everybody listening should owe you. And do I think, oh
you a debt of gratitude regardless of party. This is
about fundamental, enduring principles that have served the world, not
just our country for two hundred and forty nine years.
So I'm deeply grateful and I'm proud as well to
have this opportunity to transparent way, to have this conversation,
(50:57):
this private conversation more publicly. We'll understand why you're out here,
and the opportunity now to share that more publicly with
this press conference with Speaker Amrita Nancy Pelosi and talk
more about mistakes. Thank you all very
Speaker 5 (51:11):
Much, thank you, thank you, thank you for having us
Host
Gavin Newsom
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