He knew and weight into the final report. Its past Andy wondering today, I spoke with congressmen from taxes, will heard about his views of President Trump and the future of the republican Party. He had some critical words for the president and his own party and, although he's previously said that he plans on voting for President Trump, this fall, he now says he's not sure representative heard is one of only for republican lawmakers in the house still representing a district that Hillary Clinton one in two thousand sixteen and he's the only black Republican and the house he's also retired and at the end of this term, here's what you had to say, hello, congressmen and welcome to the five thirty eight politics back ass things, rather me on where Uncle hi Galen right isn't that how, as now there s your team always does it, you can do everyone,

so there's a lot. I want to ask you about, but let's deal with the news of the day. First, this morning, President Trump suggested delaying the presidential election, which Congress has the power to do your branch of government. Do you support them, the election. We are not an authoritarian government where the head of state is to decide on a win win. A window election happened. So now this is congresses role. As you said, it should go forward, as has been established, and also look I'm. I am of the opinion that we should I'd be increasing the ways for for people to vote right, the more people to vote the better off it is

and this is something that I have been able to prove and during my time in congress- that if you take a message of more people, you can get it to resonate with more people and we should be afraid, as we venture and Congress has the role of deciding the date for the election. But the president has a lot of control over the United States postal service. He also has an important say in whether states get funding to help them administer this election, so if the president were to take any moves to make and menace the election more difficult through any of the avenues that he had. What would you do? What? Ultimately? I don't? I don't think this is something that even being discussed up here when it Two oversight. That's been done in these of these entities, those aren't being debated. The states are pretty clear on their role in how to administer elections, and these are debates that have happened. Nino in previous administrations on undue states role is what on, without speaking of

specifically south. As I have always said, tweet is now a government fee arts and this is something we know making sure I wouldn't vote for it to change the date, and we should be moving forward. My governor GIS extended an early voting. Taxes them. I think that's a good move to make sure that people are able to have more opportunity and we should be working. The federal government and special data should be helping the states when it comes to defending the digital infrastructure of our vote. So I tweet. Of course, it is not a few, but now that the President of the United States has suggested delaying the election, we have to take it seriously, so if he were to suggest any of that I laid out what would you do in response, and what are you doing now to make sure that the legitimacy of the result of the election is believed in people's eyes,

I think this is that this is a question that began of prior to twenty, sixteen I was actually when win Republicans were empower. Now's am I held the first here things on the russian attempts to try to influence our elections and self protecting the sanctity of our elections as something that I've been in call then and Anna Lady Edge and shortly sixteen there is. Proposals at at at and right now, and Congress to do this. This is something that neither the Senate nor the House has has an interest in doing there as we know, and language or directions given supposed service based on on what what I've got or what I've seen so far since this morning, I'm so you take this.

Comes, but in the end a moving. The election is not is not. There is. Is there not something? I would support? I think talking about it is even takes focus off of of real issues and is something that is is unhelpful and unnecessary right now, and I want to see ways to make voting easier and an increase voting, because in the end you know we should be giving our voters as May options as they can to do the safely, especially as we're dealing with Kova nineteen and will probably be dealing with covert nineteen through the the election and well insecure. Two of twenty one. Are you supported four billion that Democrats have in their current proposal to help states set up there? A watch and infrastructure to swell? I haven't seen: look that that that the proposal is out when we are going to vote on that when that's in front of us. I don't have that the data that is four billion, ultimately necessary in some of these

This is, I think, that number is probably a little high. I think when it comes to making sure that the elderly, the hundred thousand plus election districts across their kind We have the p in order to give to their workers to to make sure they can hold these elections early, making sure that we can increase the ITALY the ability to do early, voting on increasing that time horizon and the number of people that have access to it. These are all things that that I'm support above in some other, the democratic, legible.

In their stuff, like that, the vote, harvesting and and things that I am not support about, and so if it was something that I think you can get a bipartisan a package together. If my colleagues, on the other side, the Iowa, were interested in doing that yeah, let's talk about that bipartisan package. Now the increased unemployment benefits expire this week and what we were just talking about that three point: six billion that Democrats were suggesting for helping election administrators. This fall was part of democratic euros bill which has already passed the house now. The Senate, Republicans in particular, are working on their response. They say they want to put together a package. That's one trillion that compared to the Democrats three trillion, they say they want to reduce the unemployment, benefit

from six hundred dollars to two hundred a week and Democrats want to keep it at six hundred at this point. What does a compromise build? Look like in your eyes. What do you want to vote on? Look. I think I think here I believe, and steady holier number two democratic. The house said that Six hundred number can't can probably negotiated am, I think, The final number for unemployment support will be somewhere between that six hundred in two hundred, I think there needs to be continued. Support to folks are better Why am, I believe there needs to be additional money for frontline folks who do the testing I've been on calls. All week last couple weeks to be honest with Superman, thence throughout my district on twenty nine counties represent urban San Antonio, which is in a somewhat city in a country to loving county, which has ninety five people in the entire in the entire county.

And so making sure that superintendents have the tools are neither there's some folks there's. Some superintendence of my district that word love to run a testing facility at on there comparison you some of their own employees, in order to test students and teachers in the family, most students, but they don't have some the equipment to do that we should be providing a cares to point no or a four point out. A stimulus for I would have you want to call that the next the next built helped him to be able to give this the schools there, the resources They also need to do this. We also need to figure out how we can help additional resources to to deal with the processing of the tests. There have been a number of tasks being administered crossing. I say to my home The San Antonio we ve been

leader in it in this issue since January, when we had the ninety one? American citizens brought his answer, your taxes from who hunt China at the beginning of this pandemic, but the bottleneck is in once that simple. This collective is processing that sample in determining whether its positive or negative, that's taking are, in some cases up to two weeks, which is way too long, and so how we speed up that process is something that should be the cares package. I also believe- and you need add support to states and in local municipalities, since the the their funding ability has been has been constructed on this Texas. Take Texas, my home state, for example, in the next budget, are probably gonna have a four hundred forty billion dollars. So it either we saw with unemployment. The Texas Workforce Commission couldn't keep up with the whip.

Demand, so we need to make sure there's resources for states in such an order to administer, though saying so so something that helps with the modernization of these resources should be in another cares packages two and all of this I wish this would have all been being negotiated. A weeks ago, then not just happened over the last week show. What we're talking about here is a cluster of crises pandemic or recession, and on top of that rules are dealing with reckoning with systemic racism in the country. You will wait out a lot that you think the government can do at a time like this. Have any of these crises made you think the role that you think government should play in society. Look great question and one one of the things he also left out is. We are in a generation of defining struggle with the government to China. The chinese government is trying to surpass. The United States has a goal, as this is the global the power by twenty forty, nine and

driving when it comes to five g. I quantum computing and this at a time in the american economy for a long time is good term in the world economy for for a long time, so that, in the back of all these things that we are, we are dealing with. What look? What would it so what the federal government can do in that the federal German can help in some places, sure that that everybody has equal opportunity missed something sometimes it get in the way of creativity in innovation, so has it change Perspective, my goal as a representative is to help people by the bureaucracy who needed battle. And I do with issues like a woman who lost her husband and was beginning benefits from the ba, but for some reason the vs screws up and they she's not getting those benefits and she may get evicted from her home. So these are these are, that ways that in those who govern helping in that place, in that case, yes, but there also creating a problem because it not being efficient and effective and so in

I time in Congress? I try to make sure that when government does play a role that is being effective and efficient in solving in Being some of these in some of these people himself. Have these things change my opinions? I don't know. If that's the case, I would I think these global issues that we're dealing with shows the role that government at different levels on the road. Today that they have to play in the world serve of of of my fellow citizens. How well do you think that country has responded to the pandemic, far, I think, is mixed reviews in so again, I go back to two. My experience, I believe, was a second or third week in January, when the Ninety one american citizens were brought to San Antonio taxes at lacking for space, and We what we saw there the questions of. If somebody at lack that air Force base got tested positive. What did you do with them?

they had to leave the base, but the city and a candidate white somebody transiting the enables. What has the facility they go to if this if this was an increase? What would you do, and so so to me in My hometown of San Antonio, we weave weave weave, we ve done it, the job of working at a at a local level, a state level and with the federal support from entities fame and CDC, so I think on the ground. We ve seen some of that, I said earlier in our conversation overall deal think that countries doing a good job, combating the pandemic, now we have the worst. We have the that we have increasing death rates right. We have the most number of people that are dealing with this right, like like, I think the impact has had to the United States of America verses. Other countries is still it we're we're dealing with one of the worst

some of the worst cases we're having debates on whether you should be wearing a mask or not. Wear a mask right like the mask. You know it is, protect yourself, but also as the pact's protect the people around you. So why are we? Why are we debating that this debate fights around whether school should open or not we shouldn't be debating? We should we talk about? How do we worked together in order to seek to accede, CDC guidelines on opening schools, not whether or not it should happen it and so so yeah, so that there's there's all kinds of this all kinds of problems when I'm always China work with these these folks to deal with the problem, as it is right now and in we couldn't handle we couldn't handle. I think a third I know in Texas asserted. The death of corona virus have been in in nursing homes. That's outrageous, and in an hour on prisons, and so we couldn't handle this nursing homes and presents how You gotta be handled in an educational and

environment where it is even more chaotic than those other places, so so we have. We have a long way to go and guess what this is. This is a marathon. This is not a spread with beyond this problem. Until at least two of the next year, and so so yes or so, we need what we did when we're not. In other words, this could pretend They get worse we're battling and fighting some of the sum of the, the wrong battles when we should be working together to try to solve these problems and have good health health sources, those wrong battles that you mentioned about masks about opening schools and so on. A lot of that is coming from the President of the United States and right now, his approval rating when it comes to handling the pandemic, is negative. Twenty two net right, sixty percent of americans- think he's not doing a good job. This is a matter of life and death. It's a matter of economics and for a lot of people going to be what they vote on

fall. So, given your assessment, do you think that president trumped deserves a second term? Why, I think, based on those numbers, you ve shown that he's gotta have a hard time hurrying a second term but went in This is why I I think I want to vote for for someone action whose you know who's got inspire the country and that divide us, but this You know with ninety seven six days left in the election. He's had a lot. He's. Gonna have a long way to go in order to change people's opinions of minds, and I think this, as you said, one of those issues, I'm assuming that jaws yours pulling on this. But this is not just that current issue with with with corona virus am I ve been talking about the Republican Party in general for a long time he's a start. Appealing more to communities. A collar p when it was a college degree in the suburbs and people age, twenty nine many hours podcast a couple of weeks ago ya.

An interesting analysis of of conduct, the dead, the GEO p the african american community in sense since Bury Goldwater when you look at the numbers of what we're of how Republicans or appealing the people we're going in the wrong direction and so dead the November the November elections is it's gotta be something that's going to decide the Texas as the operates as we might lose. The state House Texas, is purple. It's a jumbo and if we lose the state House the impact. Going to have on redistricting is. You know I was gonna. Define is gonna defined politics for for a decade. I want to talk about all of that strategy and what the future of the party books like, but are you going to vote for trump? This fall. Like a lot of Americans. I wish I had different options on on the ballot

and I might my plan is always to sue support, Republican what do you make those decisions over the max? Ninety eight days showed your going to decide whether or not to vote for him over the next ninety days, a market. That is how I always approach more election. I'm just like everybody else. Will you previously said that you will vote for trump this false, I'm just wondering if Europe has sent a little bit now. I think as accurate. I think us look. Europe Yawls polling are showing now I'm like everybody else, this is this is my, want to vote for a Joe Biden, because in the end, some on the policies think that a unified democratic party is pass in a unified government would be would be tough. Were the four for the country things that I dont support and haven't supported and during my time in in Congress and in some

whose represent in a large competitive district. I know something about competitive districts and what needs to be done in order to win. And- and so this is where we are living in an interesting times. I think as there is there is a saying I understand the desire not to vote for Joe Biden by. I guess more specifically on whether or not your vote for Trump like what could change your mind and the next ninety eight days that would make you view him and has presidency differently. What he shown us so far, it's a good question and in and who knows, I don't think a year ago you would have it. We would have been thinking about it we'll pandemic. That would have impacted the the the entire world and brought the world economy too, to a standstill, and so that's you know you who know what what can happen over these over these next there were these next few few we.

But in the end, what I think that I've been trying to preach to my colleagues is that This is how we have the change. As a republican party, we have to sort appealing to port to broader groups of people and if we doubt the and also if the Republican Party doesn't start. Looking like America, we're not going to have public and party in America and and firm believer that I'm having to a strong to party system and a competition of ideas is what leads to feed. I may probably disagree with you on this notion of driving out the base verses appealing to the metal. I think most people in the political class and driving out the basis the way to go, but I have learned than I have been successful in races that nobody thought I can win by appealing to abroad, a group of people,

the strategy that needs to be that needs to be accepted, and Anne and focus on everything are saying here, makes it sound like you aren't. Voting for tromp is not the case. As I said, we were like, I don't I don't like either one of my choices. And at an end and in the end we can evaluate this over over the next over the next ninety days, ninety six days. Ok! So let's talk about where the Republican Party is headed. Setting that aside, you said that the Republican Party needs to look more like America, and you know right now: it doesnt you're the only black lawmaker on the republican side in the house. Why do you think there are so few black lawmakers and the republican causes in the house. So I think it is the the difficulty running for office, I think the it is, I think that one of them, I,

I think, also win win. When I look at where I grew up in San Antonio, in my experience, is that taxation em and in growing up in Texas, the people that I got to know and and and at an early young age, were people like George W Bush and enrich Perry, and- and these are folks, I held a crass, my political. Ology. My my father has been a Republican for for a long time, so I think a why they're, not more elected officials on I'm trying to help folks from where's communities in how to run campaigns, how do the the the axis knows what comes and winning elections, because, because that's what it's hard but- but but we also need to make sure we're taking a message to two different folks, and that's why you know. I know Everybody asked me when I first got elective. How does a black public and represent seventy one percent latino district

and I say this because you know I work hard and and I shall have to communities that had never seen a republican show up, and you do that multiple times, if you show ninety days before an election as call pandering, you have to be in those communities and that something That's a show showing up is is is half that is half the battle and, and unfortunately I over time. You know professional political consultants talk about focus on your likely. Voter, where that's republican, primary voter, democratic, primary voter and rather than trying to grow and in it the appeal to a broader view, people its heart. Do you think that part of the reason has to do not just that republicans aren't going into minority communities to campaign, but that their actively appealing or white identity. Look, I think, when you look at it at a person like a Steve king and in

Steve King, losing his primary results. Me a good thing, but and you know folks that that have either been elected as Republican? That say- racism aside, genetic or homophobic fangs that hurts the the in an entire, the entire all of us that identify with with being a republican and sober. But what would I found that those people are? Not not? That's not. Everybody are some of those folks doing that. That's not everybody! The fact that cover Mccarthy to Steve off off his committees when he made some some anti semitic comments with those are changing Oh yeah overtime have those things we said yes and as that hurt, So that's why we have to speak out when those when those things do but I believe that if we had folks, then are we

to engage in and talk about a major principles to two different communities. We can. We can ultimately be successful and that's what I've that in that and on the exact I've been the I've, been the example of how to do that. The question here for someone like you who has the goal of broadening the republican parties appeal both in terms of voters and what the lawmakers look like. Is you know? How do you do that? Because we ve heard this before we heard this from George W Bush. We heard this in the two thousand twelve postmortem that essentially sad that minorities dont think Republicans like them or want them in this country. Pretty bluntly and said: we need to change that, but then you look at republican primaries and you see the oftentimes. The most extreme voices are the likeliest two windows primaries. Five thirty analysis showed that the further right- you are an image,

action in a republican primary, the better you do in that primary. So how do you addressed that part of the equation, its exact? It's the causal? How you do it is is straightforward, but its heart, you You got to change the nature of the voting right. You got it, you gotta most people appeals for a four voted right. If people have voted for the last war republican primaries and as happens on the far left us as well to- and so can't, you have to make sure that your appealing to you you're, bringing even new voters into the Republican, a primary and there are a lot of people that vote for Republicans in general elections that dont vote in Israel looking primaries? I think Brook Dragon in bringing those people into those farmers is important. And I would say I was once honour on a panel with a woman who is a digital director for the rock Dwayne Johns

he's right when the movie marijuana was coming out and she's Rwanda came out in, it was failed at the box office. Are you gotta believe moving hours. Are you say it was a crummy movie? Now I think the one movie, but it is this kind of politics is the only ways where we blame voters for not voting rather than saying we're, not offering something where a product that people want to come out to do so it starts with in appealing to. Right of a people and doing the access and those that are required to change about her now just relying on the folks. That's are what what what political consultants call those reliable voters it if not how campaigns around, but but on the case in point Now we ve been able to prove that we are successful sub. So Galen I just said this- is action packed day. I appreciate. I appreciate your time

and and the chat today and I enjoy. I enjoy yours, I'm yes, products. I know you do today, thank you so much for joining us awesome. My name is Galen drink Tony Chow isn't a virtual control room? You can get in touch my emailing us at podcast at five, thirty, eight dot com. You can also, of course, treated us with any questions or comments. If you're a fan of the show, leave us a rating or review in the Apple pie cast store or tells them one about us, thanks for listening and will cease