congressman, thank you for join us. you co-chair the voting rights caucus in congress, but you re also a texas democrat and your fort worth district is among the many that would stand to be altered after this new map drawn up by republicans, state lawmakers in both houses, grow the number of gop seats by a shrinking minority representation that result predicted to last for years even as black and brown populations grow in texas. i cannot help but wonder if when you look at the current gridlock over infrastructure negotiations, is any part of your critical of the president for putting so much of his time and political capital behind that priority and not behind voting rights to the same extent? as we see voter protection bills shot down one after another. is this time?
the best example of why those protections are needed. there s the state s gop drawn electoral map which weaken the power of minority districts and the new voter restriction law. one of the most suppressive in country. all of it giving state republican lawmakers the ability to run wild. passing legislation like texas infamous strict abortion ban without any concern or backlash from more socially liberal voters. it will be up to the conservative dominated u.s. supreme court to decide the fate of that law. when they take up the matter at the end of the month. and for all those reasons, we begin tonight talking about texas. with me now is congressman mark beasy. democrat of texas.