A THREE PAGE FRAMEWORK THAT
SCALD BACK SOME OF THE MORE
EXPENSIVE PROVISIONS OF THE BILL
THAT FAILED.
TO PRESSURE THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT TO ACT, THE POOR
PEOPLES CAMPAIGN IS HOLDING A
FOUR-DAY MARCH.
>> IM TIRED, BUT I AM NOT
NEARLY AS TIRED AS THE PEOPLE
WHO ARE HAVING TO FIGHT FOR
THEIR RIGHTS OVER AND OVER AND
OVER AGAIN.
SO I USED TO WATCH ALL OF THE
60s DOCUMENTARIES AND SAY IF I
WAS ALIVE AND OF AGE I WOULD BE
THERE AND NOW THIS IS MY CHANCE,
UNFORTUNATELY TO HAVE TO BE
HERE.
>> IF THEY ASKED ME TO RUN A
MARATHON, I WOULD SAY NO BUT I
CAN PUT ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE
OTHER AND WALK.
AND THE EMERGENCY HERE IS VERY
EMPOWERING.
IT TRULY IS.
>> THE GROUP STARTED YESTERDAY
IN GEORGETOWN, TEXAS AND WILL
END ON SATURDAY AT THE STATE
CAPITOL IN AUSTIN.
THE MARCH IS IN THE SPIRIT OF
THE FAMED SELMA TO MONTGOMERY
MARCH OF 1965 WHICH PRESSURED
CONGRESS TO PASS THE VOTING
RIGHTS ACT OF THAT SAME YEAR.
ONE OF THE SINGLE GREATEST
PIECES OF VOTING RIGHTS
LEGISLATION IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
AND AS THAT MARCH PROCEEDED IN
TEXAS, THE ROVE REND AL SHARPTON
AND MARTIN LUTHER KING III
LINKED ARMS WITH TEXAS
LEGISLATURES IN WASHINGTON D.C.
THOSE LAWMAKERS LEFT THEIR HOME
STATE IN AN EFFORT TO BLOCK
CONSIDERATION OF VOTING
LEGISLATION THAT THEY OPPOSE.
AND JOINING US NOW IS FORMER
CONGRESSMAN BETO OROURKE.
HES BEEN A LEADING VOICE FOR
VOTING RIGHTS IN THE STATE AND
NATIONWIDE.
AND IS ABOUT TO HEAD BACK OUT ON
THE MARCH.
ITS GREAT TO HAVE YOU BACK ON
THE SHOW.
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK IS
POSSIBLE WHEN IT COMES TO VOTING
RIGHTS LEGISLATION?
>> I THINK THE SENATE CAN PASS
THE FOR THE PEOPLE ACT OR SOME
VERSION OF THE FOR THE PEOPLE
ACT, AS JOE JUST SUGGESTED.
BUT FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION.
NONE OTHER THAN SENATOR JOE
MANCHIN SAID SOMETHING TO THAT
EFFECT.
I KNOW THAT HE BELIEVES IN THE
RIGHT TO VOTE FOR EVERY ELIGIBLE
AMERICAN.
I KNOW THAT HE WANTS TO HELP SEE
THIS THROUGH AND MOST
IMPORTANTLY I KNOW THE PRESIDENT
FEELS THAT WAY.
HE GAVE A BLISTERING SPEECH ON
VOTING RIGHTS IN PHILADELPHIA A
COUPLE OF WEEKS BACK.
AND HE CALLED THIS THE SINGLE
GREATEST ATTACK ON OUR DEMOCRACY
SINCE THE CIVIL WAR.
SO WE MUST ACT, MOVE FORWARD.
BUT AS YOU JUST SUGGESTED BY
SHOWING THAT CLIP OF THE CIVIL
RIGHTS AND VOTING RIGHTS
ADVOCATES IN THE 1960s, THIS
KIND OF THING DOESNT HAPPEN
WITHOUT A PUSH FROM THE PUBLIC.
AND SO WERE MARCHING THIS WEEK
TO HELP PUSH THE PRESIDENT AND
SENATE DEMOCRATS AND WE WILL
RALLY IN AUSTIN THIS SATURDAY AT
10:00 A.M.
10:00 A.M. IN FRONT OF THE STATE
CAPITOL TO MAKE SURE THEY HEAR
US IN TEXAS.
>> EUGENE SCOTT IS WITH US AND
HAS A QUESTION FOR YOU.
>> WE KNOW THAT VOTING RIGHTS IS
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES
TO BLACK VOTERS.
ITS SOMETHING THAT BLACK VOTERS
SPEAK ABOUT ALMOST EVERY TIME
THERES AN ELECTION.
BUT AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT
SOMETHING JUST CONCERNING BLACK
VOTERS.
AMERICANS IN RURAL AMERICA ARE
HAVING THEIR VOTING RIGHTS
THREATENED.
MAYBE EVEN CONSERVATIVES AND
LATINO AMERICANS, ALL THESE
DEMOCRATS WELL REPRESENTED IN
YOUR STATE.
HOW DO YOU GET PEOPLE WHO HAVE
MADE UP IN THEIR MIND SAYING
THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT DOESNT
CONCERN THEM AND COULD HURT THEM
IF THE VOTING RIGHTS OF CERTAIN DEMOGRAPHICS ARE EXPANDED TO
DEMOGRAPHICS ARE EXPANDED TO
REALIZE ITS IN THEIR BEST
INTEREST AND AFFECTS WHAT
AMERICA CAN BE AND SHOULD BE AS
WELL.
>> THESE BILLS ARE TARGETED AT
SPECIFIC POPULATIONS,
HISTORICALLY BLACK AND BROWN
VOTERS.
IN THE NEW TEXAS BILLS ITS THE
VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES, THE
VERY YOUNG AND OLD.
ITS VOTERS IN URBAN AND RURAL
COMMUNITIES THAT ARE GOING TO
HAVE A PROBLEM HEADING TO THE
POLLS EARLY OR VOTING BY MAIL.
I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING TO
DO IS CONNECT VOTING TO
EVERYTHING ELSE WE WANT TO
CHANGE AND IMPROVE IN OUR LIVES.
TEXAS HAS A MINIMUM WAGE OF
$7.25.
ITS NOT GOING TO BE RAISED
UNTIL PEOPLE VOTE.
WE ARE THE LEAST INSURED STATE
IN THE COUNTRY WHERE PEOPLE DIE
FROM DIABETES OR THE FLU BECAUSE
PEOPLE CANNOT SEE THE DOCTOR.
LAST YEAR, 7 MILLION ELIGIBLE
TEXANS DIDNT PARTICIPATE.
THAT WAS NOT FOR LACK OF LOVE OF
OUR DEMOCRACY ITS BECAUSE THIS
STATE MAKES IT HARDER THAN ANY
OTHER TO CAST THE BALLOT.
IF WE WANT TO CHANGE FOR THE
BETTER WE NEED VOTING RIGHTS
LEGISLATION, LIKE THE FOR THE
PEOPLE ACT.
>> YOU JUST TOOK ME TO WHERE I
WANTED TO GO TO YOU WITH THIS
NEXT QUESTION.
AS YOU KNOW STATE LEGISLATURES
IN YOUR HOME STATE, TEXAS, FLED
AND THEYRE IN WASHINGTON D.C.
TO AVOID HAVING THE VOTING
RIGHTS PASSED.
THERES ONLY SO LONG THEY CAN
STAY AND OTHERS SAY THE ONLY
ACTION IS FEDERAL LEGISLATION
AND THE ONLY SOLUTION, THE ONLY
WAY THAT GETS DONE IS IF THE
FILIBUSTER CHANGES, HOW MUCH IS
YOUR MISSION OF THE FILIBUSTER
AND SHOULDNT THE PEOPLE YOU BE
LOBBYING BE THE MODERATE
SENATORS, DEMOCRATS, MANCHIN,
SINEMA AND A HANDFUL OF OTHERS
TO CHANGE IT?
>> I THINK YOURE RIGHT THE
FILIBUSTER IS GOING TO HAVE TO
CHANGE.
AS JOE ELUDED TO IN HIS TWEET
YOU CHANGED IT FOR DEALS ON A
SIMPLE MAJORITY, SUPREME COURT
JUSTICES, BUDGET DEALS.
MAKE A FIFTH EXCEPTION FOR
VOTING RIGHTS LEGISLATION.
AND ITS GOING TO REQUIRE ALL 50
DEMOCRATS IN THE SENATE,
INCLUDING THE TWO SENATORS YOU
JUST MENTIONED TO DO THAT.
BUT I THINK THERES ONE MORE
PLAYER THAT WE NEED TO ENGAGE IN
THIS MORE FULLY AND THATS THE
PRESIDENT.
I THINK HIS EXTRAORDINARY POWER
CAN HELP COMPEL THOSE AND OTHER
SENATORS TO VOTE FOR THAT VOTING
RIGHTS EXCEPTION.
AND HE CAN ALSO MAKE THAT CASE
TO THE COUNTRY UNIQUELY
HOPEFULLY BRING IN NOT JUST
DEMOCRATS TO THE TABLE BUT
DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS TO THE
TABLE.
THATS WHAT IT TOOK TO GET THE
VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 65 PASSED.
YOU NEED THE FULL ENGAGEMENT OF
LBJ CALLING THAT JOINT SESSION
OF CONGRESS 1965 AND THEN USING
EVERY POLITICAL MUSCLE IN HIS
BODY TO PUSH THAT THROUGH.
THATS WHAT WE NEED AT THIS
POINT.
BUT YOURE RIGHT, IN TERMS OF
THE SPECIFIC PATH THIS HAS TO
TAKE, ITS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN
WITHOUT A CHANGE TO THE
FILIBUSTER.
BUT THANKFULLY THE SENATE IS
WELL PRACTICED IN CHANGING THE
RULES OF THE FILIBUSTER.
LETS MAKE THIS EXCEPTION FOR