Rep. O'Rourke (D-TX) to Dreamers: Pressure Creates Change
Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke, a Democrat, joined Cheddar to discuss the ongoing fight to save the Dreamers Act, also known as DACA.
He mentioned his recent conversations with dozens of undocumented immigrants who came to the States as children, noting that their biggest concerns are losing their jobs, their homes, and the communities they have built for themselves. In addition, they also want their families to be safe, and do not want to benefit at the cost of their family's immigration status.
If a fix is not agreed upon by next March, 800,000 Dreamers will be at risk of losing their homes in the U.S. Therefore, Rep. O'Rourke mentioned the immigration legislation which he introduced, and encourages protesters to continue pushing the conversation, so that politicians can listen to them.
We also spoke with the O'Rourke about his fight to take on Ted Cruz for his Senate seat in 2018. He recently came under scrutiny for his decision to leave the House and try for the Senate in a state that tends to lean Republican.
During the conversation, O'Rourke made his case for why his policies on healthcare and job creation are better for the people of Texas. He said that he's excited to be part of a historic race, taking on a multi-term Senator like Cruz.
Alex Ward, National Security Reporter at Politico, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to discuss the latest in a looming international threat as Russia continues aggression against Ukraine, in defiance of Western nations.
The recent Virginia and New Jersey elections are making one trend line pretty clear: voters in this climate will vote on education, and it could be a winning tactic for Republicans.
Virginia's race for governor was defined by, as the Republican candidate and eventual winner described it, "school-choice." Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is taking a page out of Governor Youngkin's playbook for his upcoming reelection bid, over-indexing on themes of education. John Kennedy, Florida capital reporter at Gannett, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
North Korea launched its sixth missile test this month, equaling the total number performed in all of 2021. Cheddar News speaks with Bruce Klinger of the Heritage Foundation on why the regime is suddenly ramping up its weapons testing program.
More than 80 lawmakers are calling for President Biden to release a memo outlining the legal pros and cons regarding the president's authority to cancel student loan debt, the total of which sits around $1.75 trillion. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), joined Cheddar to discuss the memo and support the push to forgive student debt that could potentially have a massive positive impact on the U.S. economy. "I think that would be really helpful for all of us to be able to see as we figure out how we can go forward," she said. "It seems like a simple thing to do, and I hope that the administration will release this memo." For her part, Sen. Smith said she believes the president does have the authority to abolish student loan debt.
Dr. Celeste González de Bustamante, professor and director of the Center for Border and Global Journalism at the Univerity of Arizona, and Dr. Jeannine E. Relly, professor and director of Global Initiatives at the Center for Border and Global Journalism at the University of Arizona, join Cheddar News to discuss the recent journalist killings in Mexico.
Joe Kennedy III, a former congressman and co-founder of Give Us the Ballot, joined Cheddar News to discuss voting protections in the United States and how his campaign is aiming to fix the issue of voter suppression. "Yes, redistricting is critical — Give Us the Ballot though recognizes it's 'redistricting, and —', because voting rights has an implication for every single election at every single level: school board, mayor, city council, House of Representatives, Senate, president," he said. Kennedy also gave his thoughts about the retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer.
