- 5 months ago
Texas Democratic lawmakers at the federal and state level hold a press briefing after civil arrest warrants were issued for Texas House Representatives who fled the state.
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00:00Well, I don't know what I'm supposed to do.
00:17Good evening, everyone.
00:19My name is Robin Kelly.
00:20I'm the congresswoman from the 2nd Congressional District of Illinois,
00:23and I'd like to say welcome to all of my Texas colleagues.
00:27We want you to know that you are welcome in Illinois.
00:32Stay as long as you want.
00:34Whatever we can do to make your stay more comfortable, we want to do that,
00:39because we believe in what you're doing.
00:41You are courageous, and we are here to support you.
00:45What you're doing or what they're trying to do in Texas affects you guys,
00:51but it affects the whole country.
00:53When you want to remove five Democrats, that hurts us in the House.
00:58As you can see, what happens now when there's not enough Democrats to stop the big, ugly bill
01:04and all the other stuff that they've been doing,
01:06they are trying to destroy our democracy, destroy fairness in our country,
01:12and unfortunately they're starting with Texas.
01:15But we want you to know we stand by your side.
01:18I don't want to lose my fabulous colleagues.
01:21Some of them are here with me, Jasmine Crockett, my classmate, Mark Veazey, Al Green, Julie Johnson.
01:30We want all of them to stay, plus the others that they're trying to gerrymander.
01:35So with that, I want to give a moment, a minute, to my colleague from Illinois,
01:40Congressman Roger Christian-Morthy, to bring his greetings.
01:43Thank you, Congresswoman Kelly, and thank you to all of our friends who have come here to seek refuge
01:53as they deal with, I think, a man-made catastrophe and crisis for democracy.
02:01I have three points I want to make.
02:03First of all, when a flood devastated parts of Texas, leading to 130 people dying, including children,
02:14did Greg Abbott call a special session to create disaster relief for people?
02:22No.
02:23Did he call for a special session to help families rebuild?
02:28No.
02:28Did he call a special session to strengthen warning systems so that people could avoid the catastrophe that happened during the flood?
02:37No.
02:38Instead, he did the bidding of Donald Trump, who asked him to basically banish Democrats from the federal delegation representing Texas in Washington, D.C.
02:49My second point is this.
02:52Greg Abbott, don't mess with Texas.
02:54Don't mess with Texas because the people here represent Texas.
03:04You can silence them.
03:05You can smear them.
03:06You can saddle them with debts and fines, but you cannot intimidate them.
03:11And these people will not be intimidated.
03:13So I lead to my third and final point.
03:16Don't mess with democracy.
03:18Don't do it.
03:20You can play that game in Texas.
03:21You can gerrymander the hell out of that map.
03:25Guess what?
03:26Two can play that game.
03:28Other states will do exactly the same thing and neutralize what you're trying to do in Texas.
03:34It's not going to work because we are not going to let it work.
03:38We are going to stand strong with these courageous individuals who are standing behind me,
03:44who come to Illinois knowing that the rest of the nation is with them.
03:49Thank you so much.
03:50Thank you, Congresswoman.
03:54And as he said, we are ready to fight fire with fire.
03:58No but a night to the gunfight.
03:59We are ready to bring the fire, bring the heat.
04:04We can do that too.
04:05And it's absolutely my pleasure to introduce Chair of the Progressive Caucus,
04:11Representative Ana Maria Rodriguez-Ramos.
04:14I got that out.
04:15Hello, everyone.
04:22Thank you for being with us today.
04:24Buenas tardes.
04:25Soy Ana Maria Rodriguez-Ramos, diputada del Distrito 102.
04:29I am the state representative for House District 102.
04:31And we're here fighting because instead of Governor Abbott and Texas Republicans focusing on working families
04:40and the negative impacts of Trump's horrible bill, as I shared and I expressed with my colleagues the other day,
04:47with his horrible bill, my daughter just got an organ transplant six months ago.
04:52With his horrible bill, I don't know that we can pay 75 percent increase in premiums.
04:58It is going to hurt my family and thousands of families statewide and nationwide.
05:05His horrible bill is hurting working families.
05:08When families can't afford to buy groceries, when families don't know if they're going to be able to keep their children alive
05:15because they can't no longer afford health care, that is what our focus should be.
05:20But instead, they're focusing on pushing these racist, radical redistricting maps.
05:26And why is it racist?
05:28Because 70 percent, over 60 percent of our Texas population are Hispanic and African American and are Asian community.
05:36That is, the largest African American population in the country is in Texas.
05:42The second largest Hispanic population in the country is in Texas.
05:46But they want to silence our voice.
05:49This is nothing short of blatant racism.
05:53They're going to cry and say, no, you can't say that.
05:56In fact, they've punished us.
05:57Congressman Cockcroft knows that.
05:59They don't allow us to say that word on the House floor.
06:03They say, you can't call us what we are.
06:06Use another word.
06:08But that is what you are and that is what you are trying to do.
06:11Hurt these working families.
06:13Trump's policies when he's kidnapping families of color in the streets, that is nothing short of racism.
06:18He is coming after all of us who don't look like him and his Republican colleagues in the Texas House.
06:25So I will now introduce beautiful Congressman Al Green, wonderful congressman from Houston,
06:32who's going to really share a little more and enlighten a little more about the impact of these maps.
06:37Thank you, Representative Rodriguez-Ramos.
06:43Friends, after her profound words, it just seems to me that we ought to give her another expression of appreciation.
06:53And to all of my colleagues who have traversed some great distance to be here,
07:04and I'm talking about these state representatives now, I consider these my colleagues,
07:09it's easy to do something when you don't have to do it.
07:12They are leaving their homes, they're leaving their families, they have jobs, they have responsibilities,
07:22and this is courage that is uncommon.
07:27And with this kind of courage, they ought to be commended as well.
07:31Let's give them a big hand, please.
07:33Yes, we have a challenge before us.
07:43Dr. King reminded us that life is an inescapable network of mutuality tied to a single garment of destiny.
07:52What impacts one directly impacts all indirectly.
07:56And that's what we're facing now, this challenge of it not being Texas.
08:00It's not just Texas.
08:03It really is the United States of America, because if they succeed in Texas,
08:08they will take this to other states, they will take this to the county court level,
08:13they will take this to the commissioners, the school boards,
08:16they will take this across the length and breadth of the country,
08:19but they'll do it if we only stand by and watch them.
08:23But if we take a stand, we can stop them.
08:26That's what we're doing today.
08:28We're taking a stand, and we're going to prevent them from going forward in Texas.
08:36Here's why we have to take this stand, because one vote makes a difference.
08:41One vote makes a difference.
08:43It was one vote that allowed them to get the big, ugly steel out of the House.
08:49One vote, and it was one vote in the Senate with the vice president casting that vote
08:57that allowed it to get out of the Senate and back to the House.
09:01Friends, I regret to tell you that the 18th Congressional District was not represented
09:07when that first vote took place.
09:09It was not.
09:10Now, if the 18th had been represented, they'd have to find that one vote someplace else.
09:18One vote makes a difference.
09:20And in Texas, they are trying to silence five Democratic voices
09:25in the Congress of the United States of America.
09:29They have already made an effort to eliminate some of the districts.
09:34There are no longer going to be, there's no possibility of Democrats being elected.
09:40They are doing what the president has insisted be done,
09:43and I want you to know that we didn't introduce the race card.
09:47When this message was sent by and through the Justice Department to the state of Texas,
09:51to our Attorney General, they mentioned the race card
09:55because they talked about racial gerrymandering.
09:58They brought it up, and when they brought it up,
10:01they did it knowing that this was a buzzword.
10:05It was a trigger.
10:06They knew that if they could use the race card in Texas,
10:09where we've had white primaries,
10:11and when the Supreme Court said, well, you can't do that,
10:14then we had white pre-primaries,
10:16where we've had all sorts of obstacles to voting.
10:19They knew that that's a buzzword that people would respond to in Texas.
10:22But we are going to respond to that buzzword
10:25by telling them that your racism is not going to change democracy
10:30in the state of Texas.
10:31It's not going to change it in the United States of America.
10:34Racism is going to be met with our taking a stand for democracy.
10:39You take a stand for racism.
10:41We will stand for democracy, and we will win.
10:43We will win.
10:44Democracy is going to win.
10:47My final comment is this.
10:50As you know, the president and I don't exchange Christmas cards.
10:54The president is a very vindictive person.
11:03He is a don't bring me any bad news person.
11:06Just fired someone because he got bad news.
11:10We, friends, have to understand what we're dealing with.
11:14And if we understand what we're dealing with,
11:19we can stop what we're dealing with.
11:22We're dealing with an egomaniacal person
11:28who believes that he has to be right,
11:33and if he's not, then the world is wrong.
11:37He would impeach judges that differ with him.
11:40He would fire people that don't give him good news.
11:45He would change congressional districts
11:47just to get rid of people that have challenged him.
11:52But I want you to know this.
11:55The challenge is not over.
11:59It is not.
12:00Yes, we have brought challenges against him,
12:03and I want to assure you of this.
12:05There are no circumstances that will prevent me
12:10from continuing to challenge the bigotry
12:13emanating from the presidency in policy.
12:16I will not stop, and I promise you,
12:20this president is going to be brought down.
12:25He's going to be brought down.
12:27He has to be brought down.
12:29And I don't mean physically.
12:31I'm talking about politically.
12:32We will bring him down.
12:33He will be impeached again.
12:36I thank you.
12:40I'd like to bring on Chair Jessica Gonzalez.
12:47Hello.
12:48Again, my name is Jessica Gonzalez,
12:49and I'm proud to represent House District 104,
12:52which includes parts of Dallas and Grand Prairie.
12:56I'm also honored to be the chair
12:58of the Texas House LGBTQ Caucus.
13:00Look, when we all got elected here,
13:04we were elected by our constituents,
13:06and that's who we work for.
13:07They elected us to represent their voices,
13:09their family, and their future.
13:11And that's exactly what we're all doing here
13:13by denying Texas Republicans quorum
13:16in order to pass these rigged congressional maps.
13:19And so I'm very proud to stand united
13:21with my Democrat colleagues.
13:23Look, one thing I do know is that Democrats,
13:26Texas House Democrats, know how to fight.
13:27We've been in these fights before.
13:28We've got to fight every single day
13:30when we're in regular session.
13:34And so we have our sleeves.
13:36Our sleeves are rolled up,
13:37and we're ready to take this fight
13:38wherever it's going to take us
13:40because our communities, our state,
13:43and our nation is definitely worth fighting for.
13:46And we know this is not about providing flood relief
13:50because these congressional maps have been pushed.
13:52We have not had real discussions
13:54about providing folks relief
13:56who are in desperate need of it.
13:57And so we're just not going to stand for it.
13:59We're tired of it,
14:00and we're not going to let them do that
14:01to our communities.
14:03And so, again, I'm proud to stand here united
14:06with my Democrat colleagues.
14:08You know, when I first got elected
14:09to House of Strip 104,
14:11I was the first Latina to ever be,
14:13to ever serve in that position.
14:14And I'm very, very proud of that.
14:16My community is a majority-minority district.
14:20And so when we do these kinds of,
14:23you know, play these political games
14:24that Republicans want to play
14:25with our communities,
14:26it hurts people like mine in my district
14:29and the districts of people
14:31that are standing behind me.
14:32And we take our jobs serious,
14:34unlike Texas House Republicans.
14:37So thank you.
14:38And next, I want to introduce
14:39our former colleague,
14:41Congresswoman Julia Johnson.
14:42All right.
14:44The most beautiful group of people.
14:52You know, it is such,
14:54it's a big honor for me
14:56to be standing here
14:58as a former colleague,
15:00a former member of the Texas House,
15:04a former quorum breaker,
15:05and protesting the right to vote in Texas,
15:11and now as a member of Congress.
15:14And, you know,
15:16what is happening
15:17is so outrageous.
15:21And I want to talk a little bit
15:24about my district
15:25and the impact that this is having.
15:27So I represent
15:29Texas 32nd Congressional District.
15:32It's an urban district.
15:34It's 80% in Dallas County.
15:37A little bit of the Collin County,
15:40the county to my north,
15:41and a little bit of Denton County.
15:42But for the most part,
15:44it's very urban.
15:45There's not a single farm plot
15:47in Texas 32nd.
15:49They have divided it
15:53into seven new congressional districts.
15:57Two that go all the way
15:59to the Oklahoma border.
16:02Two that go almost
16:04from Dallas to the Louisiana border.
16:06And then the others
16:08in a mishmash
16:10of rural Texas.
16:14My district has been,
16:16I have seven cities
16:17that have been dismembered
16:19paired with
16:21six to seven rural counties.
16:25So what they've done
16:26is they've taken
16:27a group of people,
16:30predominantly minority,
16:32I have a minority-majority
16:34coalition seat,
16:35of a city,
16:37and then paired it
16:38with five to six
16:40rural counties
16:41that have no commonality
16:43of interest whatsoever.
16:46The issues facing
16:47the constituents
16:49of my district
16:50are very different
16:52than the issues
16:53facing the constituents
16:55of Upshur County,
16:57which is in very east Texas.
17:00They're very different issues.
17:01I have 62% renters.
17:05That county is mostly
17:07rural, white farmers.
17:09And the list goes on and on.
17:13And so what is happening here
17:15is the most blatant,
17:18racist disregard
17:20for the voters of Texas.
17:23Because let me remind you,
17:25and I was there,
17:27we were all there
17:28when these maps were passed
17:30in 2021
17:31by unanimous votes
17:34of the Republicans
17:35who have just now
17:37issued arrest warrants
17:38for my dear colleagues
17:40and friends.
17:41Because they all swore
17:44at that time
17:44these maps
17:45were the most beautiful maps.
17:47They were perfect.
17:49They didn't disenfranchise voters.
17:51They've had lawsuits.
17:52They've filed affidavits.
17:53They've given depositions.
17:55They've sworn
17:55and it weighs to Sunday
17:57that these are
17:58the perfect maps
17:59until President Trump
18:02gets nervous
18:04because his poll numbers
18:06are in the crapper
18:07because he knows
18:10that the American people
18:11are not swallowing
18:14the crap he's pushing
18:15because he's harming
18:17millions and millions
18:18of people.
18:19His poll waters
18:20are underwater
18:21and he knows
18:23he's not going to win.
18:24He knows he's not going
18:25to win in November
18:26of 2026.
18:28So rather than push
18:29for policies
18:30that the American voters
18:31want to support,
18:32they come back
18:34with this rigged up thing,
18:37a DOJ opinion
18:38that implies
18:40that these Texas maps
18:41now have to be
18:42completely dismembered.
18:44And it's wrong
18:46and the voters of Texas,
18:48I hope,
18:49are listening
18:50because the courage
18:51that my dear friends
18:52and colleagues
18:53are showing
18:54by saying,
18:55uh-uh, no.
18:57We're protesting.
18:58We're putting ourselves
18:59at great risk
19:00to stand up
19:02for democracy
19:03and America.
19:05And voters,
19:06I hope you're seeing that.
19:07I hope you're feeling it.
19:09I hope you are experiencing
19:11the courage
19:12and the hope
19:13that these folks
19:15are providing
19:15because what is happening
19:17is an attack
19:18on our democracy
19:19throughout this entire country.
19:21And it's,
19:23I'm so pleased
19:24and so proud
19:25that they're standing up
19:26for us all
19:27because what's happening here now,
19:29it's cracking
19:30throughout other states.
19:32You know,
19:32we're having
19:33a national conversation
19:34over voter rights.
19:38And I want to encourage
19:39California
19:40and New York
19:41and Maryland
19:43and Washington State
19:44to say,
19:45you know what?
19:46We're gloves are off.
19:47If war is war
19:48and Democrats,
19:49if y'all are going to do it
19:50in Texas,
19:51we're going to do it here
19:52and this is a national war.
19:54And Democrats
19:55are no longer
19:56going to sit by
19:57handcuffed.
19:59This is an all-out war
20:00and everything
20:01is on the table.
20:03And that is a message
20:05I really hope
20:06gets out loud
20:07and clear.
20:08But at the end
20:11of the day,
20:12I want to say
20:12thank you
20:13to each one of you
20:15for what you're doing.
20:16Know that
20:17the Democrats
20:18of the United States
20:20House of Representatives
20:21are 100%
20:22behind you.
20:24I hope you're
20:24feeling it.
20:26And I hope you out there,
20:27the voters,
20:28are getting a little glimmer
20:29of why politics
20:31is important.
20:32And that if you,
20:33they say,
20:34well,
20:34I don't know,
20:34politics doesn't
20:35affect me.
20:36I'm saying,
20:37honey,
20:37it does.
20:37If you don't do politics,
20:38politics will do you.
20:41And here we are.
20:43Politics is doing
20:44a lot of people
20:45right now.
20:46But you know,
20:47I want to end
20:48with this.
20:49We're all very proud
20:51Texans up here.
20:52Most of us.
20:53Some are proud.
20:57We're all very proud
20:58Texans.
20:59We come from
21:00a state of great pride.
21:02And I never thought
21:03as a Texan,
21:05as an elected member,
21:06of the Texas
21:07House of Representatives,
21:08and now as an elected
21:09member from Texas
21:10to the United States
21:11House of Representatives,
21:13that I would see
21:14the governor
21:14of the proud
21:15state of Texas
21:17bend a knee
21:18to a felon
21:19from New York.
21:20Never thought
21:21I'd see the day.
21:22But here we are.
21:26Now it's my honor
21:28to introduce
21:28Rep. Busey.
21:29Thank you all so much.
21:34I'm so proud
21:34to stand
21:35with my colleagues
21:36in the Texas House
21:37and our friends
21:37in Congress.
21:39We're all here tonight
21:40not on vacation.
21:42We are here fighting
21:43and actively working
21:45for our constituents
21:46and the people
21:47of Texas.
21:48This is us on the job,
21:49fighting for our constituents.
21:51Hi, everyone.
21:51My name is
21:52State Representative
21:53John Busey,
21:53and I have the great pleasure
21:54of representing Austin
21:55in House District 136.
21:58Look, I didn't run
21:59for office
21:59to walk out
22:00of the Capitol,
22:01but I also didn't run
22:02for office
22:03to stand by
22:04while democracy
22:05is stolen
22:06in broad daylight.
22:08Texas Democrats
22:09broke the forum
22:09because sometimes
22:10the only way
22:11to uphold your oath
22:12is to refuse
22:13to play along
22:14with a rigged game.
22:16Let's be clear.
22:18This special session
22:19was supposed to be
22:20about saving lives
22:22after a tragedy.
22:23A cabin
22:24full of eight-year-old girls
22:25was washed away
22:27in the middle
22:28of the night.
22:29Families
22:30called 911
22:31only to hear
22:32that help
22:33wasn't coming.
22:35At the end of the day,
22:37137 Texans
22:39lost their lives.
22:41That's an emergency.
22:43That demands
22:44our action.
22:45But instead
22:46of holding hearings
22:47on flood prevention,
22:48Greg Abbott
22:49and Donald Trump
22:50held eight hearings
22:51on redistricting,
22:53not for fairness,
22:54not for representation,
22:56but to manufacture
22:57five more Republican
22:58seats in Congress
22:59to enable Trump
23:01to cling on to power.
23:02That isn't governing.
23:04That's a heist.
23:05And we're here
23:06to stop it.
23:07When politicians
23:08can redraw the maps
23:09in the middle
23:10of the decade
23:10just because they're scared
23:11that voters
23:12won't re-elect them,
23:13that's betrayed.
23:15Look,
23:15the governor
23:16can lie only once.
23:17But we're not running away.
23:19We're running into the fight.
23:20Texas Democrats
23:21are standing up
23:22for one of our most
23:23basic American principles,
23:25the right to representation.
23:28So no,
23:29this isn't political theater,
23:31it's survival.
23:32Because if we lose
23:34the power to choose
23:35our leaders,
23:35we lose everything.
23:37We broke quorum
23:38because this isn't
23:39just about maps.
23:41It's about power.
23:42And in Texas,
23:43the power still belongs
23:45to the voters.
23:46I want to thank y'all
23:47so much,
23:48and I have the pleasure
23:49of introducing
23:50one of our great champions,
23:52Congressman Mark Vesey.
23:53He's a passionate advocate
23:54for Texas' 33rd District.
23:57He's fighting
23:57for working families,
23:59voting rights,
23:59and economic opportunity.
24:01And if you didn't know,
24:02he's in fact
24:03is the founder
24:04of the Voting Rights
24:05Caucus in Congress.
24:07He's from Fort Worth
24:07to Washington.
24:08Congressman Vesey
24:09has shown us
24:10that he would stand up
24:11to Donald Trump.
24:12He will fight for Texans,
24:13and he will fight
24:14for Americans.
24:15Please help me welcome
24:15our good friend,
24:16Congressman Mark Vesey.
24:21Thank you, Representative.
24:23And, you know,
24:24the press,
24:25y'all been getting
24:25something wrong.
24:26I've been seeing
24:27a lot of headlines
24:28that say that
24:29these Texas legislators
24:30are fleeing.
24:32These Texas legislators
24:33ain't fleeing.
24:35These Texas legislators
24:36are fighting.
24:38They are fighting corruption.
24:40They are fighting
24:41racism,
24:42and they are fighting
24:43rigging.
24:44And that is what
24:46it is all about.
24:47And I've got to tell you,
24:49it's crazy to think
24:50about this 60 years ago
24:51today.
24:52The Voting Rights Act
24:53of 1965
24:54declared that no American,
24:57no black American,
24:58no Latino American,
24:59no Asian American,
25:01no working class voter
25:03would ever be denied
25:04their voice
25:05in our democracy
25:06because of who they are
25:07or where they live.
25:10But that promise
25:11is under attack today
25:13by Greg Abbott
25:14bending a knee
25:15to Donald Trump.
25:17And it is absolutely wrong
25:19and it is embarrassing.
25:20And I've got to tell you,
25:22I'm proud of these heroes
25:24that are standing behind me,
25:25some of which
25:25are my former colleagues
25:27in the state legislature
25:28where I spent eight years
25:30before going to Congress.
25:32And I've got to tell you,
25:33I came into Congress
25:35right after the 2003
25:38mid-decade redistricting
25:40when a group of Democrats
25:42had just left the state
25:44to block discriminatory redistricting
25:47that had happened
25:48literally just before
25:50I was sworn in.
25:52And I've got to tell you,
25:53we made a big mistake
25:55back then.
25:56We had no blue states
25:58back during that time period
26:00after Tom Delay
26:01did his mid-decade redistricting
26:03we didn't have any
26:05Democratic states
26:06that followed suit.
26:08And so it gave them
26:09the incentive to do it again
26:10and that's why
26:11we are here right now.
26:12But I've got to tell
26:13all of my friends
26:14that are Republicans
26:15that are out there
26:16watching right now,
26:18the game has changed, baby.
26:20It ain't the same no more.
26:22It ain't the same no more.
26:26We are going to match
26:27Donald Trump's energy
26:29when it comes to redistricting.
26:31As it was said before,
26:33it's been Democrats,
26:34we have shown up
26:35to a gunfight
26:36with nothing but good intentions
26:37and dull knives.
26:39And that era is over.
26:41We are not going
26:43to unilaterally disarm.
26:45And that is,
26:47that's what's different
26:47this time around.
26:48And so to the governor
26:50of this state,
26:51of Illinois,
26:52the governor of California
26:54and New York,
26:55thank you for standing tall
26:56with us.
26:57We need our other
26:59Democratic governors
27:00in New Jersey,
27:01New Mexico,
27:02Maryland,
27:03not New Mexico,
27:04Jersey,
27:05Maryland,
27:06Oregon,
27:07and Washington.
27:08We need for them
27:09to stand with us
27:10now also.
27:12This is serious business.
27:15This is absolutely
27:16serious business.
27:17Democracy is at stake here,
27:20and we have to keep
27:21fighting Donald Trump
27:22each and every step
27:24of the way.
27:25With that,
27:26I now call back
27:27to the podium
27:28Representative Harold Dutton,
27:30who I'll serve with
27:31out of Houston.
27:32Harold?
27:32Harold?
27:37Good afternoon,
27:39everybody.
27:39Let me start by saying
27:42my name is Harold Dutton.
27:43I'm from Houston.
27:44Most people say
27:46I'm from Fifth Ward.
27:50And I guess that's true.
27:52One of the things
27:52I learned in Fifth Ward
27:54after seventh grade
27:55was that we learned
27:57that in order
27:58to have democracy,
28:00it had to be
28:00of the people,
28:02by the people,
28:03and for the people.
28:04But in Texas,
28:06what we've changed
28:07that to is
28:07we're going to have
28:09democracy by being
28:11of the party,
28:12by the party,
28:13and for the party.
28:15That's absolutely crazy.
28:17And I want to correct
28:18something,
28:19and I think
28:20Representative Beesey
28:21said it.
28:22We're not running
28:23from anything.
28:25We're trying to make sure
28:27that when democracy
28:29is in Texas,
28:31it is going to be
28:32of the people,
28:33by the people,
28:34and for the people.
28:35And secondly,
28:36if you see us running
28:37in a fight,
28:38we're chasing somebody.
28:39We're chasing somebody.
28:44Now, let me end
28:47with this.
28:49I'm here because
28:50one of my constituents
28:54told me,
28:54he said,
28:54well,
28:55if you all are going
28:56to hang separately,
28:57you might as well
28:58hang together.
28:59And so I'm here
29:00with my colleagues
29:01because I don't think
29:03we're going to hang.
29:05Because another
29:06constituent said to me,
29:08Representative Green,
29:09said,
29:10you know the story
29:10in the Bible
29:11about Haman
29:12and Mordecai?
29:15Haman built the gallows
29:16for Mordecai.
29:18And guess who they
29:18put on the gallows
29:19first?
29:20Haman.
29:22And so I think
29:23all of this
29:24is going to backfire
29:25on these Republicans
29:26because I think
29:26they have raised
29:28democracy issues
29:30so far
29:31and so high
29:32that the people
29:33in Texas now
29:34are getting the message.
29:36And that's one of the
29:36reasons we're here.
29:37I'm thankful
29:38for the Illinois delegation.
29:40I have worked
29:41with them before.
29:42My first cousin
29:43was Monique Davis
29:44who was a member
29:46of the Illinois delegation
29:47for a long time.
29:48She said to tell you
29:49all hello too
29:50because she wanted
29:51to go over.
29:52I had to stop her
29:52from doing that.
29:53But again,
29:55I think that
29:56the challenge for us,
29:59the challenge for us
30:01is really to make sure
30:03that our people
30:05get the vote.
30:07And we're going
30:07to do that.
30:08And with that,
30:09let me stop
30:11and introduce
30:12me.
30:16No, I'm going
30:17to introduce
30:18Sojourner Truth.
30:21And credit on
30:22that Jasmine Crockett.
30:28I will be your last
30:31and final speaker,
30:32but let me tell you
30:33something.
30:33I want to make sure
30:34that I make it clear
30:36who these people
30:37that are standing
30:38behind me are.
30:39Because I don't think
30:40that the American people
30:41truly understand
30:42the amount of sacrifice
30:43that these warriors
30:45and heroes
30:45are making right now.
30:48Most people don't
30:48understand that
30:49in the Texas House,
30:50you only get paid
30:51$7,000 as it is
30:53as a salary.
30:53But these people are
30:55saying, listen,
30:56we are going to do
30:58our job because
30:58we understand our
31:00oath, unlike those
31:01that serve on the
31:02federal level
31:03and are Republicans,
31:04as well as those
31:06that serve in our
31:06current Supreme Court
31:07and happen to have
31:09been appointed
31:09by Republicans,
31:10as well as those
31:12that serve in the
31:13Texas House right now
31:15and happen to be
31:15Republicans.
31:16These are people
31:16that understand
31:17what it is to be
31:19a representative.
31:20They understand
31:21their constituencies
31:22and instead of
31:23trying to stump on
31:25them, they want to
31:26do everything that
31:27they can to stump
31:28for them.
31:29And so that's why
31:30they're here.
31:31Now let me say,
31:32this governor talks
31:33a lot of noise
31:34and I made sure
31:36that I put up my
31:37warrant from four
31:38years ago to make
31:40it plain that they
31:41talk a lot of noise
31:43but these guys are
31:44weak.
31:45That's why they're
31:46over here trying to
31:47bully people.
31:47Bullies are always
31:48weak.
31:49The difference is
31:50they expect Democrats
31:52to kind of be the
31:53nice guys that we
31:54are.
31:55They expect us to
31:56take the punch and
31:56say thank you.
31:57Well I am here to
31:58tell you not only are
31:59we going to punch
32:00back but we're about
32:01to beat you down.
32:04We are going to
32:05win.
32:06I'm going to tell
32:07you why we're going
32:08to win because people
32:09are tired.
32:10And as it's already
32:11been said, we got a
32:12few truth tellers that
32:13came before us.
32:15A number of them
32:15came out of Texas.
32:16So I need y'all to
32:17understand that maybe
32:18you haven't learned
32:20these amazing warriors
32:22names but you will
32:23know their names.
32:24Y'all know how the
32:25president feels about
32:26me.
32:27Got my training ground
32:28right there in Texas.
32:30We know that there
32:30was another amazing
32:31black woman out of the
32:33state of Texas by the
32:34name of Barbara Jordan
32:35that had to check
32:36another corrupt
32:37president by the name
32:40of Nixon.
32:40So I'm here to tell you
32:42just like I told a group
32:43of folk in Arizona
32:45yesterday.
32:47Frankie Beverly and
32:48May said it best.
32:50We are one.
32:52For everyone that's been
32:53asking where are the
32:54Democrats, well here they
32:55are.
32:56For everyone that's been
32:57asking where is the
32:58fight, well here it is.
33:00But let me tell you
33:01something.
33:01Don't leave them out on a
33:03ledge by themselves.
33:04They need to know that
33:06you, the American people,
33:07stand with them because
33:08they are standing for you.
33:10There are so many people
33:11that they will never meet
33:13but they understand the
33:14importance of making sure
33:15that they have a voice
33:16when it comes to their
33:17government.
33:18They understand the
33:19importance of standing
33:20for what democracy is
33:22and making sure that it
33:23does not fall by the
33:24wayside.
33:24They understand that we
33:26have a Timur Hitler in
33:27the White House right now
33:28that thinks that he is
33:30going to become the
33:30dictator of the United
33:31States.
33:32Well I got another thing to
33:33tell you sir.
33:35The Democrats, no matter
33:36whether we're talking
33:37about these Texas
33:38House Democrats or whether
33:40we're talking about the
33:41governor from Illinois, the
33:42governor from California
33:44or whether we're talking
33:45about New York or I can go
33:46through the states and it's
33:47not just the governors.
33:49It is the state houses.
33:50It is the state senators.
33:52It is those congressional
33:53delegations that are saying
33:55do what you got to do and I
33:57will fight and I will win and
33:58I will earn my seat back to
34:00the people's house in DC.
34:02I am here to tell you that
34:04time is up for playing in our
34:06faces.
34:06The Democrats are not going
34:08to stand for this any longer.
34:10We know that we are standing
34:12for the people and so long as
34:14we stand for the people, I
34:15absolutely believe the people
34:16are going to stand for us.
34:17So I just want to be clear.
34:20Do whatever you can to support
34:21these heroes because they are
34:24the ones that have to leave
34:25their families.
34:26They are the ones that have
34:28warrants out for their arrest.
34:30They are the ones that are doing
34:32things that honestly a lot of
34:33other people do not have the
34:35audacity to do.
34:37So make sure when you talk
34:38about them, press, put some
34:40respect on their names.
34:42I appreciate y'all.
34:42applause
34:43We're done.
34:51We're done.
34:52How will you pay for this?
34:55Mr. Blue, are you taking
34:56questions?
34:57We're closing.
35:01Yes, we are.
35:02We're doing it.
35:03That's what it is.
35:04All right.
35:05We're supposed to have a lot of
35:07closing.
35:07I'm sorry.
35:09I apologize.
35:09I am State Representative Ron Reynolds, and I'm proud to serve as the chair emeritus of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus under the great leadership of our chairwoman, Barbara Gervin Hawkins, and as vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus under the great leadership of Chairman Gene Wu.
35:25And we're all united, standing on the right side of history. You know, Congressman B.C.'s right. It was 60 years ago that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed into law, and it was signed by a great Texan by the name of Lyndon Baines Johnson.
35:46But that Voting Rights Act didn't come easy. It came as a result of people who made the ultimate sacrifice, people who we may remember, like Congressman John Lewis, who made good trouble.
36:00He risked his life to end Jim Crow. He did everything with other freedom fighters. They took freedom rides. They sat at lunch counters.
36:10They did everything they could to end poll taxes and literacy tests. And thank God, many of us here today would not be here but for the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
36:25It was, as Congresswoman Crockett said, Barbara Jordan, who was the first African-American congresswoman from the South since Reconstruction.
36:33She was only there because of that bill. And here we are, on the right side of history, trying to stop the Texas steal by Abbott and Trump. They want to take us back. They literally want to take us back by disenfranchising black and brown communities.
36:53And we say no. No, no, we say hell no. Not on our watch. We will not allow you to turn back the clock. We're going to continue to fight. We're going to continue to speak your truth to power.
37:05We're going to continue doing everything we can to protect the precious fundamental right to vote.
37:12And I will end with this. Our scripture teaches us, in Proverbs 31, 8, 9, to speak out for the one who cannot speak, for the rights of those who are doomed. Speak out, judge fairly, and defend the rights of oppressed and needy people.
37:29Ladies and gentlemen, I submit to you that the Democrats are going to keep speaking out.
37:34We're going to call out the racist gerrymander that President Trump and these MAGA extremists like Trump, like Abbott, want to push down our throats. Not on our watch. We're not going back. Thank you.
37:47Thank you very much. I want to give a special thank you to IBEW for hosting us. And thank you for all the kindness and Illinoisans who have been so nice to us.
38:03We're not going to do group questions. Members will be available for individual interviews if you want. But we do, the Democrats, our House Democrats do actually have to make another meeting. So we have a limited amount of time here.
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