>> We have a sit in right here in our Florida house of representatives,
and we're asking them to draw fair maps.
>> It's History, [INAUDIBLE].
>> Legislators serve the people, not their party,
we know that what the governor is doing with these maps is not fair.
He is taking us from four representatives too, he should have allowed
us the legislature, to draw maps instead of sending his own map.
And he's saying if you don't vote on my map,
the way I want my map to be, then guess what, you won't get a map.
But it's not up to him, it's up to us the people that you all elected.
>> That's Diane Hart democrat,
she's a state representative down there in Florida, and she was talking about why
democrats in that chamber have staged that sit in and prayer and is what they did.
There are protesting this house approval of Rhonda Santos is
congressional map that he drew up.
It's a congressional map that would add some seats for Republican, and
it would also squeeze out some seats for specifically,
black Democrats that hold those those positions here.
Okay, so as I mentioned it, favors them so much that they sat in, and
did this, but during lunch is when they started that sit in.
Once Republicans came back from lunch, annoyed by this sit in,
Democrats also then started chanting, let's watch this.
>> Like everybody who does not have a voice are not being represented,
they not being felt, whether this legislative any legislative right.
We have so many things that the people of Florida actually need,
people are struggling, are affordable housing rates are just out of control,
our environment is at crisis level.
>> Black holes are under attack, what do we do?
>> [INAUDIBLE] >> Stop the black attack
>> I don't think you're like,
they're, they're always
redrawing congressional maps.
They're always doing this tradition,
they're always Jeremy ending both sides do it, why are they so upset this time?
I'll tell you, so the New York Times reported Wednesday that the redistricting
plan, would end the congressional career of US Representative Al Lawson,
a black democrat from Jacksonville.
By carving up a district that stretches across North Florida to combine black
neighborhoods in Jacksonville and Tallahassee.
It would also eliminate in Orlando district held by
Representative Val Demings, also a Democrat.
And pack black voters from two districts in Tampa and ST Petersburg into one,
creating a second district certain to be won by a Republican.
At the present time, the Washington post noted on Wednesday,
that Florida has 27 congressional districts, 16 of which are represented by
Republicans that's already right now, and 11 by democrats.
Under the new map, the Santa's map, which was proposed by De Santis himself.
Republicans would probably represent 20 districts while Democrats would represent
eight, is what the newspaper pointed out,
the Republican response to this protest was pretty disgusting.
Let's do that really fast before you guys get into the ridiculousness, because I
know Jake has thoughts about the approach that many of those Democrats took.
So, the Miami Herald reported that in our into that protest,
house officials appear to have cut off the Wifi as protesting.
Lawmakers were posting live videos as we saw at the top of this, the house sergeant
at arms also removed an associated press photographer, from the floor.
We can hear from them, we don't want to see any images.
We want no record of what's happening here outside,
of the fact that they're already trying to this redistricting thing, that's
straight from the governor's office, not from that state congress there.
Okay, continue on this is what some of them tweeted, Spencer roach,
e tweeted out.
House democrats are staging an insurrection on the house floor, to
obstruct the Democratic process, shameful and put up a picture of what's happening.
Also represents Randy Fine said, I hope the insurrection on the house floor is
dealt with appropriately, hashtag locked them up.
Alex Andre said the resemblance is uncanny, and he posted the pictures,
Florida house Democrats staging insurrections, is apparently cool now.
And of course on the left, you see January sixth, and on the right,
you see what was happening there today on the house floor.
So also Spencer wrote, who was that first Twitter there,
he said the Republicans weren't too worried about the outcome.
>> Of course not. >> As democrats protested,
Republicans used the time to have lunch.
He says, another unfortunate byproduct, is that I probably ate too much cake.
>> [LAUGH] >> No, no, I enjoy the Republicans
laughing at the Democrats, so you might be surprised by that.
And I'm gonna say things that are super harsh here,
that protest was totally useless.
And democrats have no idea how to use their power, and even for
the ones that are losing their seats, I actually don't shed a tear.
So let me explain, okay, now, first, let me explain why the gerrymandering
is outrageous, and disgusting, and completely wrong.
JR radio the numbers, I just want to make it a little bit more stark like.
So there's there's 27 districts in Florida, Florida, as you all know,
your whole lifetime has been a purple district, a swing state, purple.
It's a swing state, I should say that goes back and
forth between Democratic, Republic.
So it's a close race, close state, right, now,
the Republican had already gerrymandered, as soon as they seized power.
So they had 16 Republicans and only 11 Democrats in a state that's nearly 5050.
They had a five seat advantage, already, outrageous,
Democrats should have done something about that decades ago.
So now they come in, they gerrymandering again, and now it's 20 Republican
seats and only eight Democratic seats that went from a 5.seat advantage.
For the republicans to a 12 seat advantage, on it's in a state that's
nearly 50 50, but the Republicans have a 12 seat advantage.
It's monumentally unfair, it's proposed, this is not democracy,
this is not the voters choosing their politicians, but
the politicians choosing the voters that they would like.
It's in a super unfair way, so why don't I shed a tear for the Democrats?
Because they had it coming, that's why we told you to pass voting rights,
voting rights legislation would have ended gerrymandering everywhere.
And the democrats didn't do it, they didn't even fight.
They said, okay, Manchin and Sinema said, okay, and by the way,
they're Democrats, corporate Democrats killed it and said, no,
we love our beloved filibuster, we love our Republican colleagues.
We love this racist traditions in the senate, and so we're not gonna do it, and
okay, fine, that's fair.
So far you can say, hey, all right, but they voted the right way in the house,
right?
But at that point you're supposed to fight back, and
instead we have complete surrender by every person in democratic leadership,
and almost everyone in the Democratic party.
So now Val Demings and Al Lawson are gonna lose their seats,
I don't shed any tears for them, they deserve it.
Why didn't you fight, why didn't you fight,
why didn't you fight mansion in cinema?
Or you thought your beloved colleagues were more important that your voters,
and now you want me to cry for, you know, no deal, no deal.
You should have fought and you didn't, and
then one final piece of absurdity from the Democrats who I'm just so sick of.
They're like, can you believe De Santis, instead of taking a bipartisan solution,
decided to do a solution that only helps Republicans?
You guys are freaking joke, you're an unbelievable joke, yes,
of course I can believe that.
Of course, that's what he was gonna do, did you think he was gonna do kumbaya and
share power with you?
No, you're pathetic, you don't know anything about politics, so
spare me your last minute protest for theatrics Bridget.
>> Yeah, it's funny I guess I agree with you,
it does definitely feel like a little bit of too little too late.
I think this idea that can you believe that De Santis is doing this,
I don't know how much clear they can make it.
These are not people who are interested in upholding democracy,
they tell us that with their actions and their behavior every single day.
And so if there's not, I don't know a better example of why we need to protect
voting rights and why that is so critical that we act on.
I do agree with you that I think an action like this,
I'm happy they're doing something at all question mark.
But I do think an action like this feels a little bit too little too late and
what I really want to see is people.
Democrats actually fighting to protect voting rights because Republicans,
they've made it so clear, they are not interested and
particularly black voters being able to exercise political power.
They cannot make that any clearer, this is their behavior,
this is how they this is what they actually truly believe.
And so yeah, I guess I agree with you, that the action feels a little empty,
when they had all these different chances to really protect voting rights.
>> It does, but it is my question, these state representatives here,
what can they do right now?
They weren't involved with that original plan or that pushback or
that ability to say, hey you guys.
We need to push for this to be straight across the board voting rights and
we're gonna push for more.
These are state level folks in Florida, yes, the national ones,
the one that goes to the D C, that represent the entire state.
I get that, but again, that's one state and
I'm sure there's several of us that could have fought,
this could have been a bit of a coalition, but what do these guys do now?
>> Okay, so Jr, that's a great point and I meant to do a caveat on it.
And so I'm really glad you made that point, and there is something they can do,
but definitely keep in mind that the state representatives,
I'm sure are livid about this.
And they're not the ones that voted on the voting rights legislation at the national
level, right?
So in some ways my heart goes out to them, but to answer your question directly
about what they can do, they could have said earlier, no,
we're doing a rebellion within the Democratic party.
We're not going to accept nonstop surrenders, you're going to cost us our
seats, let alone the fact that you're screwing over the voters.
And let alone the fact that you this is your millionth promise
in a row to African American voters that deliver election after election for you.
You lied to them again and we're not gonna stand for it, so
in Florida and in every other state,
Democratic state legislators could have said when they gave up on voting rights.
Hell, no, Joe Biden is wrong, Nancy Pelosi is wrong, Chunk Shumer is wrong, but
they didn't, because we have been taught surrendering the democratic party.
We've been taught compliance, we've been taught civility, and so
the press constantly tells you don't fight back, don't fight back.
Be civil, take your loss, shut up, let the Republicans rule, well,
look, if you're a state legislator out there and you're in the Democratic Party,
join the goddamn rebellion.
Okay, stop listening to leadership,
leadership is a bunch of idiots who nonstop given to Republicans.
So if you still don't get the message well, then next time I'm gonna go from,
okay, I've got a little sympathy for the state folks there to.
No sympathy at all now, you know, now, you know, you don't know who the Republican
party is, you don't know who the week asked Democratic leadership is.
And I'll go to one more point, which will also be controversial,
I guess in Washington, the congressional Black Caucus.
Some of the members of the congressional Black Caucus are the best members in
Congress, Jamal Bowman, Cori Bush, Iona Presley and I can go out.
But overall, and they're almost all new,
the older members of the congressional black caucus,
are among the most conservative, most corporate friendly caucus in America.
And so they did compliance and they did what whatever
Democratic leadership told them, and they never fought the Republicans.
And now some of them are losing their own seats, now you want me to cry for them?
No, no, you should have fought for your voters all along.
So I hope that whoever comes next gets the message, if you don't fight,
it's not just screwing over your voters, which you're super happy to do, right?
But it all it might also protect, it could cost you your own seat your own power, and
that will be very agitated about it starts.
>> That's when the fighting starts, like, wait, what?
>> And guys you tell me, am I being too harsh.
>> 50%, go ahead.
>> I mean, I don't know if I think that you're being too harsh, but
one thing that I'm really glad that you said and I really want to lift up,
is this idea of this bogus idea of needing to be civil right?
The Republican party has shown themselves, time and time again to be
completely self interested, bad actors who are not interested in upholding democracy.
Why would you want to be civil with these people, why would you want to be civil
with people who have shown themselves to be this way time and time again?
And so I think that it is really easy, too easy to get caught in this trap of like,
we need to be bipartisan, we need to be civil with the other folks.
I think that that is just such a trap, and when you play that game, you never win.
>> Yeah, I'll tell you this one, Shakeem Jeffries and
Jim Clyburn,, are two of the most conservative members of Congress.
They fight progressives 10,000 times harder than they fight Republicans.
They fight for their donors 10,000 times more than they fight for their voters.
So that that's leadership there, at the congressional black caucus and
their terrible.
>> Just one thought though, remember when people are pushing back on Clybourn and
then he, I forget who he was.
He put threw his weight behind, I think Biden during the primaries, and
anybody who said anything different than that, Jim Clyburn had some push.
And this is the problem with the Democratic party or voters in general.
It is actually a diverse party, and they're too busy listening to so
many different people that they don't know how to focus on what is
going to help the party, then help the American people.
They listen to a lot of Democrats, voters, who may be like, well, you guys,
I don't want you yelling at them, cuz there are Democratic voters like that.
There's old school Democratic voters who are like, I don't like all this craziness,
don't start insulting people like Donald Trump, do not call them names,
don't do that, or you're gonna lose my vote.
And they listen to them and there's lives that go, are you kidding me do something
and they're trying to find which one listen to.
But they have no idea that they're losing voters, by listening to the people who
tell them to do nothing, and it does their pocket, but well too.
>> So Jr no question that there is that unfortunate culture and Democratic party.
I think it was actually created by the media, as I referenced earlier,
The NPR told them, don't ever fight back either.
You should never get above a whisper, if you get above a whisper,
you're being very uncivil, right?
And so there's an issue with the Democratic culture so
there is definitely right about that.
And that is a factor now, having said that, when their donors are interested at
hand I've seen Hakeem jeffries and Jim Clyburn fight super hard.
And that makes it worse, because it's not like they can't fight,
I mean, Jim Clyburn picked a fight in a race in Ohio,
that didn't have anything to do with him, that didn't even have an incumbent that.
But Chantelle Brown was a corporate Democrat who was going to deliver for
the donors, so he sprung into action, right?
And and in the primaries, Jim Clyburn made all the difference in the presidential and
he's like, Bernie Sanders is gonna win all of a sudden, Jim Clyburn was a lion.
He's like, no, the corporate democrat must win, right?
Voting rights, nothing, nothing at all, all of a sudden the fight's gone,
and now a couple of their members lose their seats, and
I'm sure they're like, my God, this is so outrageous.
Well, what are you gonna do about their what?
And by the way, it's not over,
to theoretically they could pass the voting rights tomorrow,
and it could end gerrymandering tomorrow, and can even affect the 2022 election.
But I'm telling you right now, so if you say, Jake,
you cannot criticize the congressional black caucus.
That's politically incorrect or whatever the hell, Washington liars are going to
say, okay, then prove me wrong, go do something right now.
Democratic leadership, Biden, Pelosi schumer,
it's not like the election already happened.
The elections in November, we're in April why don't you do something now?
But I'm telling you ahead of time they will do nothing because they
don't care about you.