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.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is projected to keep his job. Around two-thirds of the votes have been reported, and roughly 64% of those votes are in favor of keeping Newsom as their governor.
Daniel Strauss, senior political correspondent at The New Republic, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss more about what Newsom's win means to both political parties moving into Midterm elections season.
The Department of Justice is suing Texas over the state's new abortion law that prohibits abortions after six weeks, well before many women even know they're pregnant. The lawsuit argues the law is unconstitutional under long-standing Supreme Court precedent. It was filed last week in federal court in Texas, but could go all the way to the high court within weeks. Josh Blackman, a constitutional law professor at South Texas College of Law Houston, discusses the DOJ lawsuit and what it could mean for other abortion laws across the country.
26 states have now fully vaccinated more than half of their population with Vermont, Connecticut, and Massachusetts fully vaccinating at least two-thirds of their residents. These three states are among the ones with the lowest new Covid-19 cases per capita, but in states with low vaccination rates, hospitals are filling up again.
Dr. Rob Davidson, ER doctor and executive director of Committee to Protect Health Care, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss more.
