On Inside Texas Politics, host Jason Whitely speaks to Democratic State MP Jasmine Crockett this week about the Texas Democrats’ disappointment with their peers.
DALLAS – After more than a month of inactivity, Texas House finally resumed its work last week after three Democrats spoke up and restored the quorum.
But not everyone is happy.
On Inside Texas Politics, host Jason Whitely speaks to Democratic State MP Jasmine Crockett this week about the Texas Democrats’ disappointment with their peers.
US Republican MP Van Taylor also attended the show to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, and Arlington’s new Mayor Jim Ross spoke about a massive expansion of the city’s entertainment district.
Democrat disappointed with quorum
After more than a month of inactivity, Texas House finally resumed its work last week after three Democrats took the floor and restored the quorum. And many of their Democratic counterparts who stay out of town are not happy. Representative Jasmine Crocket, D-Dallas says it would be easy to call yourself disappointed.
“I’m really sorry to all Texans, especially so many of my constituents and so many other people in this country who believed in us,” said Rep. Crockett on Inside Texas Politics. “The fact that they literally worked and we’re almost there. We are not there yet. But we know there are federal laws that they are working on. You are currently working. “
The US House of Representatives is due to vote on the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act this week. National Democratic leaders say it will fully restore the 1965 Suffrage Act.
RELATED: Democrats split over members returning to Texas House as 34 members say they feel “betrayed and heartbroken”
When the Texas Democrats first fled to DC, a handful of them tested positive for COVID-19, which sparked a lot of criticism from Republicans. Republican Governor Greg Abbott also tested positive for COVID-19 last week. In a tweet following the governor’s diagnosis, Rep. Crockett asked what was more appropriate, thoughts and prayers, in hopes that there would be an ICU bed or masking requirements.
The representative says the Democrats in DC followed CDC protocols when they tested positive.
And once the CDC guidelines change, she says they have changed too. The Democrat says the same thing doesn’t happen on the floor of the House of Texas, and Governor Abbott’s positive test shows Republican hypocrisy at the national level.
“They still refuse to wear a mask,” said Rep. Crockett. “So not only are there so many laws waiting on the House floor that are really bad for our constituency, but apparently COVID is also waiting for us.”
Regarding the governor race, MP Crockett says her party is running out of time. The parliamentary elections are now only 14 months away and a serious democratic contender has yet to emerge. This candidate is going to take time to get a nationwide campaign off the ground, and Rep. Crockett says there really is only one person who could do that, a certain former US Congressman from El Paso.
“It’s almost impossible to get your Name ID and machine up and running across the state to actually pose a challenge. I think there is only one person who can take a challenge and I think that is Beto O’Rourke, ”she explained.
What is appropriate: thoughts and prayers ???
OR
Hopefully there is an intensive care bed if you need one as you haven’t allowed the locals to control this thing and they’re running out of beds
OR
Can we finally allow mask mandates ???
ABBOTT has contracted COVID, all of you.
– Rep. Jasmine Crockett (@ jasminefor100) August 17, 2021
Republican calls Afghanistan withdrawal “hideous”
Congressman Van Taylor, himself a distinguished Iraq war veteran, did not mince his words when describing the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Republican from Plano calls it the worst foreign policy disaster our country has ever seen.
“The planning was horrific,” said the Plano Republican on Inside Texas Politics. “We have more US troops in Afghanistan today than we did when we tried to withdraw, which shows you how bad it went.”
Congressman Taylor says the Biden administration deserves the blame for the chaotic withdrawal, despite the missteps of previous presidents, including the deal originally signed between President Trump and the Taliban. He says the main mistake President Biden made was assuming that after America withdrew, no one would rush to fill the vacuum.
RELATED: In Kabul, an anxious wait for the US to honor its evacuation vow
“All he had to do was nothing. If President Biden had not done anything, the Taliban, a terrorist group, would not control Afghanistan and the region would not be completely destabilized by a complete power vacuum, ”said Congressman Taylor.
And Congressman Taylor says there are no easy answers for the future. The best we can do, he says, is make sure we get every American home. The Republican co-chairs the For Country Caucus, a bipartisan group of veterans who last week sent a letter to President Biden asking how he plans to get all Americans and allies home safely.
“We have to take a proactive stance on this and say we bring everyone home and stay until everyone comes home,” said the Republican. “As a Marine, I lived the motto ‘leave no man behind’. We don’t leave anyone behind. “
Arlington enriches the entertainment district
The city of Arlington has seen explosive growth over the past decade, including some new stadiums and a new entertainment district. In many ways, the city stepped out of the shadows of Dallas and Fort Worth. And the new mayor says he ran because he wanted to make sure there was someone in office who could keep the momentum going
“I want to contribute to the growth, not just the entertainment district or population growth, but also the growth of solid jobs in Arlington,” said Mayor Jim Ross on Inside Texas Politics.
Mayor Jim Ross is one of many mayors across the country who signed the letter in support of the bipartisan infrastructure bill. The US Senate has already passed the $ 1 trillion measure. It is now waiting for action in the US House of Representatives.
“Arlington needs funding for a lot of projects,” said Ross. “Here in Arlington, the infrastructure. It is vital for us to take care of our roads, take care of our first responders and take care of our transportation problems. “
And the city’s growth in the here and now continues with a second hotel and several multi-family apartments and condominiums in the entertainment district.
“880 rooms and a brand new convention center here in Arlington. It’s going to be an amazing facility, ”he said proudly. “There will be a groundbreaking every day, I estimate in the next 30 to 45 days.”
Nationwide headlines
Ross Ramsey, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Texas Tribune, attended the show to cover two of the biggest Texas headlines this week:
1. COVID, again (or still?): Schools, mask requirements, threats of federal actions, etc. The dress code in Paris deserves praise. Harris County pays people $ 100 to get vaccinated. And for more events – concerts, festivals – guests need to be vaccinated or tested before entering.
2. The Texas House has a quorum again. How much is likely to be done in the next 14 days? What will happen when they are open for business?
Reporters round table
Ross Ramsey of the Texas Tribune and Abby Livingston, also of the Texas Tribune, were joined by Berna Dean Steptoe, political producer for the WFAA, for a reporter round table.
First they discussed what Lt. Governor Dan Patrick said in Fox News about black people and COVID-19.
Patrick said, “Democrats like to blame Republicans – well, the largest group in most states are African Americans who haven’t been vaccinated. Last time I checked, over 90% of Democrats in their major cities and counties are voting. “
What are the facts? And what was the lieutenant governor thinking?
Finally, this week Congress will be discussing two major democratic bills: voting rights and infrastructure.
What is likely to happen? Is that what the Texas Democrats want? How likely is a national law to be passed that could change the way Texans vote?
Check out the full episode of Inside Texas Politics below:
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