US MIDTERMS LIVE — Faith, Abortion And Immigration: Talarico Faces Voters At CNN-Jubilee Town Hall

[0:00] It's a four-minute clock, so I'm over here in the Republican section. [0:03] Rodrigo, why don't you go up and take that seat? [0:09] And when you sit down, of course, introduce yourself, and I'll begin the clock. [0:12] Where are you from? [0:16] All right, take it away. [0:17] Hello, Mr. Talarico. [0:18] Hi. [0:19] I'm from Killeen, so it's about two and a half hours. [0:21] I know Killeen. [0:22] Yeah, we're good. [0:23] It's an honor to meet you. [0:24] Yeah. [0:25] I'm Rodrigo. [0:26] I served 22 years in the Navy, retired Navy chief. [0:29] I was in the... [0:30] I served in Iraq and Afghanistan. [0:34] My question for you today is about the Save America Act, because I think it's really [0:38] important to be honest with quite a few of us here. [0:42] So my question is, do you support the Save America Act, and if not, what parts and why? [0:48] Well, I'd honestly have to read the details of the legislation. [0:52] I'm a policy wonk, and so I always hesitate to say I'm going to support any one bill if [0:57] I haven't read the final version of that bill. [0:59] Yes, sir. [1:00] But from what I understand, the bill is about our elections. [1:03] Is that right? [1:04] So I'll tell you what I am for. [1:07] I am for fair voter ID. [1:09] And I say fair because here in Texas, I think that a lot of our voter ID policies are discriminatory. [1:16] And here's what I mean by that. [1:18] Some kinds of ID are allowed, and other valid forms of ID aren't allowed. [1:23] So for instance, when you go to vote here in Texas, you can bring your concealed carry [1:27] license, which I'm all for. [1:29] A student at a public college or university can't bring their student ID. [1:34] And so I think that hurts some kind of voters and helps other kind of voters. [1:40] What I want to see is voter ID that is consistent across the board, because I think you and I [1:45] probably both agree we want everyone, if they are eligible, if they are citizens, to be able [1:49] to vote. [1:51] And we don't want to discriminate against any one group of people. [1:53] I don't want to discriminate against Republicans who are voting, and I don't want to discriminate [1:58] against Democrats who are voting. [2:00] And so that's all I'm asking for. [2:01] As long as voter ID is fair, then I'm all for it. [2:03] Okay. [2:04] So you are willing to have, because the reason I bring it up is because it's been said, I'm [2:09] pretty sure you've heard it too, that 83% of Americans, including everybody here probably [2:13] has heard that before, 83% of Americans agree with voter ID, just like you said. [2:18] And even 71% of Democrats agree with voter ID. [2:21] So that's pretty important. [2:22] That is bipartisan. [2:23] Yes. [2:24] So the reason I ask it is because if you are, you know, selected to be our senator, what [2:28] I want to know is if it is something we agree on, on a bipartisan fact, can we pass it if [2:36] you are voting with New York or voting with California on something Texas by majority wants? [2:43] Well, I am not running for the U.S. Senate to represent New York or California. [2:48] I'm not running for the U.S. Senate to represent the Democratic Party. [2:51] I am running for Senate to represent all 31 million Texans. [2:55] And I will, I will, I will always do what's best for Texas. [3:02] Even if that means standing up to my own party, we talked earlier about oil and gas. [3:07] If the Democratic Party is going after the good paying oil and gas jobs here in Texas, [3:11] I'm going to stand up against them. [3:12] I'm going to call out Democrats like Joe Biden, who failed us on our southern border, because [3:17] we need border security here in Texas. [3:19] We need to protect our border communities. [3:22] I'm going to work with Republicans. [3:24] As you know, I was a member of the Texas legislature. [3:27] There is a Republican majority in the state house where I worked in the state Senate and Republicans [3:32] have the governor's mansion. [3:34] I was able to pass 60 bipartisan bills during my time in the legislature. [3:39] And the only way I could pass those bills is by working with Republicans. [3:43] And so I have no problem standing up to my own party. [3:46] I'm a proud Texas Democrat, but I already have a religion and I already have a sports team. [3:51] So I have, I have no problem. [3:54] I have no problem sharing hard truths with my party if it's what's best for Texas. [3:58] Okay. [3:59] No, I do, I hope that is the case here, because you are going to be going to, if you do get [4:04] select to be our senator representing Texas, you will be a junior senator and Hakeem Jeffries [4:12] is going to come over and say, hey, this is what we're voting on and we are going to vote [4:15] across the board. [4:16] And I need to know that you represent Texas, not California or New York. [4:19] Absolutely. [4:20] And you can look at my record in the legislature and see that I always did what was best for [4:23] my district and my constituents, even if it meant pissing off my own party. [4:28] And that's exactly what I'm going to do in the U.S. Senate. [4:29] Oh, yeah. [4:30] Good luck. [4:31] Good luck. [4:36] Great. [4:37] Thank you so much, Rodrigo. [4:38] Holly, over here in the Democratic section. [4:39] Holly, why don't you go ahead and make your way up? [4:42] There you go. [4:43] If you go that way and then you can walk around. [4:48] And Holly, of course, when you do get to the stage, remember to introduce yourself. [4:53] And I won't start the clock till you get there. [4:55] So you keep, you keep going. [4:58] I'm so glad you're here. [5:05] Hi, Holly. [5:06] My aunt's name is Holly. [5:07] It's a great name. [5:08] You said you're a rabbi? [5:09] Yes. [5:10] Wonderful. [5:11] Thank you for being here, Rabbi. [5:14] Thank you, Holly. [5:15] And Rabbi, where are you from? [5:17] I'm from Dallas. [5:18] I've moved around a lot growing up. [5:20] But what I wanted to ask you, I'm Rabbi Holly Levin-Kohn. [5:24] I've been a rabbi for over 26 years. [5:28] And I'm also the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors. [5:31] And so I'm concerned with some of the things that I've been hearing lately about your stance [5:36] of Israel and also on your support of the Jewish people. [5:40] With the rise of anti-Semitism and perception being reality, I'm very concerned to want to [5:47] know where you do stand on this issue. [5:49] Yeah. [5:50] Well, thank you for what you do for the community. [5:52] And thank you for being here and asking that question. [5:54] Sure. [5:55] I have deep love and respect for the Jewish people, for the Jewish scriptures. [6:01] I, as a seminary student, my seminary required that I spent the first year of my seminary [6:08] studies learning the Hebrew scriptures from a local rabbi. [6:11] Shout out Rabbi Blumoff, who hopefully is watching. [6:14] So I didn't learn it from a Christian perspective. [6:16] I learned it from a Jewish perspective, which I think is so valuable to understand our [6:21] mother tradition and have deep reverence for that tradition. [6:25] And as a state lawmaker, I have stood by Jewish leaders in Central Texas against anti-Semitism. [6:32] I've stood against hate in all its forms because I believe that all of us should feel welcomed [6:38] here in Texas, no matter our religious beliefs. [6:41] In fact, in the state capitol, I have been the fiercest critic of Christian nationalism [6:48] because I don't think there's anything Christian about Christian nationalism. [6:51] I was raised by my granddad, a Baptist preacher, to follow the two commandments Jesus gave us. [7:00] And Jesus, as a good rabbi, took the two commandments from the Torah, to love God and to love neighbor. [7:06] And there's no exception to that second commandment. [7:09] I'm called to love all of my neighbors, not just my Presbyterian or Christian neighbors. [7:13] Well, I'm curious then also then where you stand on Israel in relation to all of this. [7:20] Yeah, absolutely. [7:21] That's a big issue that can impact anti-Semitism as well. [7:26] Yeah. [7:27] And I'm always very careful when I talk about this to make sure that my criticisms are directed [7:33] toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and not the Israeli people. [7:37] Absolutely. [7:38] I have, as you know, have been very critical of Prime Minister Netanyahu. [7:42] You know, I, as a former teacher, seeing the death and the destruction in Gaza, seeing what's happening to children in particular makes me sick to my stomach. [7:56] I know that October 7th was the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. [8:01] Right. [8:02] And I believe that Israel, like any nation, has a right to defend its people. [8:07] But I don't believe that Benjamin Netanyahu has a right to wage war against civilians or use collective punishment or restrict aid to civilians. [8:17] And so that's what I've spoken out against. [8:19] I want to address the restricting aid. [8:21] Yeah, please. [8:22] Because there has been humanitarian efforts and food brought in and things like that on behalf of the Israelis. [8:29] But Hamas takes those resources. [8:33] And so what looks like Israel is not doing that. [8:37] I mean, the border that's closed is with Egypt. [8:39] And so when there's medical help that's needed, the Israelis step up. [8:44] And I would be on the same path as you as far as Netanyahu. [8:48] But I think there's a lot more further that is going on in Israel and how it's projected in the media that, as a senator, I think you'd be able to address some of the things that might be, again, perception is reality. [9:03] Well, and I think regardless of how we feel about the current situation, hopefully we can all come together to fight for a two-state solution where we have security for Israel and we have freedom and self-determination. [9:17] Self-determination for Palestinians. [9:18] Right. [9:19] What my hope is is my prayer actually is out of this chaos, this death, this destruction, this bloodshed, something new can rise out of the ashes. [9:33] And I hope it's a sustainable, durable peace for all people in the region. [9:38] I pray that there's peace as well. [9:40] And this is a very tough issue. [9:42] And just want to make sure that what you're communicating is what people are hearing as far as the perception of everything. [9:52] So that's a really important topic. [9:53] And I take that feedback. [9:54] And, you know, as a leader, I know that my words carry weight. [9:58] And I'm always trying to improve how I talk about things, especially something as sensitive and difficult and painful as the conflict in the Middle East. [10:10] And so you have my word that I'm going to continue to listen to all sides of this conflict. [10:16] I'm going to continue to learn as much as I can so that I can lead with moral clarity in the United States Senate. [10:21] Thank you both so much. Rabbi, thank you very much with Representative Tallarico. [10:28] Now, there are a number of voters here who, when you came in, told us that you were undecided, [10:33] that you had not decided whether you were voting at all or for Mr. Tallarico or for Mr. Paxton. [10:38] So can you raise your hand if you told us when you were coming in that you were undecided? [10:43] Okay, not a lot. [10:46] But if I'm watching this race from anywhere else in the country, I'd say any is a lot, right? [10:50] Because we keep hearing about it. [10:51] So this is important. [10:53] What will change your mind? [10:55] What will get you over the finish line? [10:57] So let's go to Jasmine. [10:59] Jasmine, that's you. [11:00] Hi. [11:03] How are you? [11:04] Oh, yes, I get to stay. [11:05] And you can introduce yourself, too, of course, Jasmine. [11:07] My name is Jasmine Carter. [11:08] Hi. [11:09] I was bamboozled when I went to go become a press secretary for a police department. [11:13] Found out I was born in Tarrant County. [11:15] I said, Mom, what were you going to tell me this? [11:17] She said, well, you cross the street. [11:18] It's Dallas County. [11:19] I said, oh, okay. [11:20] But thank you for having us tonight. [11:22] I want to have a very frank conversation with you about homeownership. [11:27] I am a young lady who has a very good income to debt ratio. [11:32] I was responsible. [11:33] I pay my student loans, which are almost like a car note. [11:36] Yes. [11:37] And in 2022, when I finally saved $30,000 cash, I went to go house shopping. [11:43] And upon arrival, I had a family from California put an extra $80,000 cash down. [11:50] Wow. [11:51] And all the Texans looked at each other and said, peace out, okay? [11:55] And so my question to you is, what are you really going to do about the infrastructure that's taken place? [12:01] We know that Texas is number seven and now beating France as far as our region and what we have to offer. [12:08] But when it comes to affordability for us that are homegrown here, eight generations here, we cannot afford a house. [12:14] That's right. [12:15] And so I need you to do something about it, but I want to know what you're going to do about it. [12:18] Well, and I'm... [12:19] That's bipartisan applause. [12:22] Yeah. [12:23] I'm hearing this, especially from young people like you all over the state, [12:26] who were promised that if they worked hard, if they played by the rules, if they went to school, if they studied, [12:31] they could live the American dream. [12:33] And that was a lie. [12:34] It's a nightmare. [12:35] It's a nightmare now. [12:37] And so many young people can't afford to buy a home. [12:40] I've actually worked on this in the state legislature. [12:43] I passed a bipartisan bill to allow for a new kind of housing to be built here in Texas. [12:50] Our outdated building codes don't allow for something called single stair housing, [12:54] which is smaller apartment complexes, smaller condos. [12:57] It's a great entry point for home ownership. [12:59] And because our regulations wouldn't allow it, we weren't building it here. [13:02] And so I worked with the Republicans across the aisle. [13:04] We repealed that outdated regulation. [13:06] Now we're building that kind of housing here in Texas. [13:09] But do you know that when it comes to purchasing in Texas, [13:12] the average home is $360,000? [13:14] That's crazy. [13:15] If I would like to walk outside and not feel safe. [13:18] Right, that's right. [13:19] You know, when I'm going somewhere, it's a nice house where I can walk around. [13:23] And I'm not saying I'm a Rockefeller or anything, because I'm not. [13:26] But I'm saying, why do I have to spend $605,000? [13:29] Yeah. [13:30] And then your incentives for Texas? [13:32] Oh, we can help you with closing costs. [13:34] Do you know what $20,000 does for something that's $605,000? [13:38] Nothing. [13:39] Nothing. [13:40] So I need you to really change that. [13:42] That first-time homebuyer incentive should not be $20,000 to $30,000. [13:45] It needs to be like $60,000. [13:46] Yes. [13:47] Because the times are different. [13:48] Yes. [13:49] And we really need help with that. [13:50] Yeah. [13:51] We need substantial assistance for first-time homebuyers. [13:53] And you mentioned the Californians putting down money. [13:56] Actually, the folks who are buying up most of the properties here in Texas, it's Wall Street. [14:00] And so we need to ban Wall Street from gobbling up our housing stock here in Texas so that we can allow actual Texans to report home. [14:09] And I'm not shaming Californians. [14:11] I want everybody to come. [14:12] But what I would like for you to do is create some type of legislation that is grandfathered to people who are born and raised here. [14:18] I love that idea. [14:19] We're not going to have New York policy. [14:21] We're not going to have New York retirement. [14:23] We're not going to have Arizona retirement money. [14:25] We're not going to have California minimum wage. [14:28] Yeah. [14:29] It's still $7.25. [14:30] That's right. [14:31] So I mean, for me. [14:32] And let's raise that minimum wage. [14:33] I'm going to. [14:34] Amen. [14:35] Amen. [14:36] All right. [14:37] We have time for one more question. [14:40] Monica, that is you. [14:42] So hold on. [14:43] Let's just get the mic over to you. [14:44] You were undecided coming in. [14:47] So how do you feel now? [14:48] What concerns you? [14:49] And please introduce yourself, Monica. [14:50] My name is Monica. [14:51] I'm a software engineer and I'm also a content creator. [14:55] Oh, wonderful. [14:56] So I am still undecided because I feel like there's an elephant in the room that no one [15:01] has brought up. [15:02] And that is AI data centers. [15:04] Okay. [15:05] Data centers are coming in. [15:08] They seem to be like coming in in droves. [15:10] Like there's like, I think a hundred planned to be coming into Texas. [15:12] I'm not sure. [15:13] Or more. [15:14] I think one was just built. [15:16] People don't even know that these things are being built in their areas. [15:20] It's just like one just pops up and they're like, okay, wow. [15:23] So on top of that, people are afraid that the aquifers are like losing water. [15:28] We're already having droughts as it is. [15:30] Texas is a very dry, hot place. [15:32] So now the water is being diminished. [15:35] People are worried about their bills, like their electric bills going up, their water bills [15:40] going up. [15:41] A decrease in quality of water. [15:42] It's already a dry place as it is, especially in the middle of Texas. [15:46] So I just want to know what are your, what's your take on like the AI boom in those data centers? [15:53] I was actually up in Abilene meeting with residents, Democrats and Republicans alike, [15:59] because they are building three giant data centers in Abilene. [16:03] I met a mother. [16:05] She and her husband moved out to Abilene to build their dream home. [16:08] And then a data center popped up right across the street. [16:11] Now her, her young son wakes up in the middle of the night and thinks it's day because the [16:16] light's shining through his window. [16:18] And, and so I've rolled out a plan to crack down on these giant data center companies. [16:23] I've said that we got to force them to pay for their own energy instead of jacking up our [16:27] utility bills. [16:28] We got to force them to recycle their water so they are not exacerbating the water crisis [16:32] here in Texas and force them to get the consent of the people who live in these communities [16:37] before they start building. [16:38] And one, another thing too, is that a lot of these data centers are being halfway built. [16:43] And there's a lot of bureaucracy within the towns that are trying to stop the data centers. [16:47] That's right. [16:48] So you have a half built building. [16:49] Um, you have things being tied up in court. [16:52] Like, what do you think about that as well? [16:53] And here, and here is the central problem because corrupt politicians who are bought and [16:59] paid for by these data center companies are giving sweetheart tax deals to these companies. [17:04] This is, this is, I think, a, a theme of this entire conversation tonight. [17:08] We have an affordability crisis because we have a corruption crisis. [17:13] We, we have seen, we have seen for the last five decades, since the late 1970s, [17:21] corporate special interests, billionaire mega donors buying politicians. [17:25] And then those politicians in both political parties rigged the rules of the economy in favor [17:31] of those wealthy special interests at our expense. [17:34] But we can change that in this year, in this state, in this race. [17:39] You may have noticed that I haven't talked about my opponent at all tonight [17:42] because I don't want people to vote. [17:44] I don't want people, I don't want people to vote just against Ken Paxton. [17:51] I want them to vote for me. [17:52] I want them to know my values and my vision. [17:55] But the last thing I will say is that we are running against the most corrupt politician in Texas. [18:01] And, and this is not an exaggeration. [18:05] Since taking office, Ken Paxton has increased his net worth by $27 million. [18:10] He now owns 15 homes, while most Texans can't afford one. [18:15] He has taken bribes from wealthy special interests, including half a million dollars from data center companies, [18:22] all while he sells us out when he makes public policy. [18:26] We cannot afford Ken Paxton's corruption. [18:29] We have an opportunity in this race, not just to defeat the most corrupt politician in Texas. [18:34] We have an opportunity to defeat this entire corrupt system. [18:38] This election is not about left versus right. [18:40] It's about whether we will have a senator who puts money in your pocket, [18:43] or a senator who puts money in their own. [18:45] That is the choice before us in November. [18:48] And, Representative Colorado, I want to thank you so much for coming here and for being part of our town hall. [18:53] I appreciate it. [18:54] And thanks so much to all of you for being part of this. [18:56] It matters so much to everybody to see this sort of thoughtful conversation and respectful debate. [19:01] So, we have a special post-show analysis coming up here on CNN with Caitlin Collins. [19:06] And that starts right now. [19:07] Very good. [19:08] Thank you, guys. [19:09] Thank you all. [19:10] And you've been watching a CNN and Jubilee Town Hall with candidate James Tallarico in Fort Worth, Texas. [19:27] Thank you for staying with us for this special edition of The Source. [19:31] I'm Caitlin Collins. [19:32] We're going to check back in with Aaron and some of those audience members that you just heard from asking some really great questions of the candidate in this tight race. [19:40] Are they satisfied with what they heard? [19:43] Did it change anyone's mind inside that room tonight or anyone watching? [19:48] I'll be joined here by some of our top political reporters, data experts and strategists with insights and analysis on what we just heard from James Tallarico, [19:57] who, as you can see there, is saying his goodbyes to the audience members that he was just sitting down with. [20:02] And also, of course, who is vying to become the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in Texas in 38 years. [20:10] We're 20 days out from the midterm elections from tonight. [20:13] And a pair of new polls that we've gotten show no clear leader between Tallarico, the Democrat in this race, and his opponent, the Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. [20:23] Now, polls like that explain why President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance have been making several stops in Texas in just the last two weeks alone. [20:31] And why these two parties have spent more than half a billion dollars on this Senate race alone. [20:37] And as we keep an eye on Fort Worth, James Tallarico is there greeting everyone, saying goodbye. [20:43] Obviously, we're watching it all closely. [20:45] And I also have my powerhouse sources here at the table with me. [20:48] And, Paul Begala, you're our Texan. [20:51] You tell us what you thought. [20:52] Three of us are Texans. [20:53] This is a great thing. [20:54] Three of us are Texans. [20:55] Nothing against Mason. [20:56] We're feeling a little outnumbered. [20:58] We're feeling a little outnumbered. [20:59] We need some Alabama folks. [21:00] You know, James is a friend of mine. [21:02] I've known him for a number of years. [21:03] Having said that, do you know what I was thinking of? [21:07] I was thinking of July 27, 2004. [21:09] Fleet Center, Boston, Massachusetts. [21:11] A skinny state legislator with a funny name that nobody had ever heard of. [21:15] Gave the best speech I have ever heard at a convention. [21:18] The best introduction to the nation I've ever seen. [21:20] This guy, these people at Fort Worth, digging it 22 years from that, I can say, man, I was there. [21:25] When James Tallarico burst on the national scene. [21:28] Yeah, we've all heard about him, okay? [21:29] But my, you know, my friends, you know, around the country have not. [21:33] And this was, first, I thought it was wonderful because it was him. [21:36] He was authentic and he was engaging and he was intelligent and empathetic. [21:39] But it was strategic. [21:40] This was a heat-seeking missile at Republican voters who supported John Cornyn but don't like Ken Paxton and an independent-leaning Republican. [21:47] That's why he went 90 minutes, all positive. [21:51] In just the last minute, he had to kind of put the wood to Mr. Paxton. [21:54] That's fine. [21:56] This was relentlessly positive because he knows those voters, they've already heard all the bad about Ken Paxton in the primary. [22:01] He's reaching them with ideas and positive and moderate positions. [22:05] I just thought it was brilliant. [22:06] And so, Chi, I mean, obviously, another Texan that we've got with us. [22:09] And I should note, your sister is running for governor of Texas as a Democrat in that race. [22:13] We've had her on the show. [22:14] People have heard from her. [22:15] She's running against Governor Abbott. [22:17] But what did you make, obviously, from your perspective? [22:20] Because Democrats have obviously been heavily invested in Texas before, come up short. [22:25] What did you make of what you heard tonight? [22:27] Yeah, absolutely. [22:28] So I think there are a few things. [22:29] One is he had a positive message. [22:31] But he also talked about how we are all on the same team, regardless of political party. [22:35] He also talked about a lot and the message I think that is working in Texas for Democrats right now is that it is us as Texans versus a few billionaires. [22:46] And when they're talking about a few billionaires, they're also talking about the elected leaders in the state that have enriched themselves. [22:52] You heard a little bit about it tonight from James Tallarico talking about how a man in public service has now made $27 million and owns almost 15 homes. [23:02] How does that happen when you were in public service? [23:04] There is some corruption there. [23:05] So this message of it is us versus those very few that are benefiting off of the policies made by Republicans is really working at a time when people are struggling with costs. [23:19] And I would say, on the other hand, if you look, if you are in the state of Texas and turn on your television, there are ads and they are not on the economy. [23:27] All of those ads are on culture wars. [23:30] And Republicans believe that what happened in 2024 when they ran on the culture wars will work again this year. [23:38] And that is just not the case when they are in charge of everything and have not delivered on affordability. [23:43] Yeah, and what was his line about the minority that he wants to talk about as the billionaires? [23:47] The billionaires, exactly. [23:48] Yeah, yeah, the exact line was the only minority destroying America is billionaires. [23:53] Yeah, which was a response of obviously, you know, taking those culture wars and what has been such a focus of this. [23:58] Sure, Michael, as the Republican, how did you hear that? [24:01] I mean, because this is a close race. [24:03] It is a close race. [24:04] Look, he's a talented guy. [24:05] I'll give him that. [24:06] But he pretended to be a moderate tonight. [24:09] Here's a guy who was asked about a school choice by one of the questioners. [24:14] And he said it was essentially a scheme by billionaires outside of the state of Texas. [24:18] Well, tell that to the mother and the father who would like to remove their child from a bad school system. [24:23] He talked about wanting to, Aaron actually challenged him on ice. [24:27] Several months ago, his campaign said we have to remove ice, tear it down, something new, whatever that new thing is. [24:32] Apparently they didn't know then. [24:33] He doesn't know now. [24:34] And he said, well, that's no longer my position. [24:36] I think we need to reform ice because now I'm a moderate Democrat who believe we need to have some type of immigration reform. [24:41] That's not what he said several months ago. [24:43] So, look, I think he's a talented, clever guy. [24:45] He's running a competitive race, which is outside of the norm, considering the environment. [24:49] But I'm looking at a governor who is in a close race against Sochi's sister, who's raised nearly $100 million, [24:55] currently $20 million cash on hand with 92% approval of Republican voters in Texas. [25:00] If he wins in Texas, and look, Kim Paxton is certainly not my kind of guy. [25:04] He is not morally or ethically, and I'll just be honest about that. [25:06] But he's who the hell we have because Donald Trump decided to endorse him. [25:09] It is what it is. [25:10] That said, though, if Abbott wins, I'm of the assumption that he will pull Kim Paxton with him across the finish line. [25:18] I don't see Texas Republicans split tickets the way they did in Georgia with the Governor Kemp, [25:26] and then they voted for Raphael Warnock as opposed to the football player that President Trump endorsed at the time. [25:32] Jeff Mason, this is a race that the White House is deeply invested in. [25:37] I mean, Trump doesn't like the way Kim Paxton looks or dresses or talks, as he has made clear in many appearances that you and I have covered. [25:44] But that is his candidate, and they have been in Texas because clearly they are worried about James Tallarico's momentum. [25:51] Well, and I think in part to sure Michael's point and yours now, it's his candidate, and therefore his reputation is also on the line. [25:57] Not only the president's reputation as a picker of candidates, but also potentially his agenda if this particular race ends up turning the Senate blue. [26:07] So there's a reason he's going to Texas and the advance is going to Texas, and it's that. [26:12] They want to help him even if they're not entirely sold or President Trump isn't entirely sold on his appearance and some of the other things. [26:18] Yeah, and I thought the format was really interesting tonight because obviously voters were directly asking him questions. [26:23] It's a town hall. But there was also this moment where he would sit down across from voters and engage with them on a range of issues from, you know, housing affordability to abortion and all kinds of topics. [26:36] And picking up on what Paul said, I mean, in my reporting, a lot of people who may be against President Trump are also skeptical about Democrats and feel like Democrats don't have a vision for the country. [26:47] And he used this town hall tonight to express his vision. [26:52] It could end up being a bit of an example for others in the party. [26:56] Look at what he's doing here, Caitlin. [26:58] Yeah. [26:59] The town hall ended, you know, 10 minutes ago. [27:01] He's still there. He's talking to people one-on-one. [27:03] That's reminiscent, I already compared to Obama, that's reminiscent of my old boss Bill Clinton. [27:07] And here's why it's so hard for a Texan to do that, Texas politician. [27:10] Clinton was from Arkansas, and I always used to tease him that Houston has more people in the state of Arkansas. [27:14] It's adorable they get their own little state, okay? [27:17] But he learned person-to-person politics by growing up in a small state. [27:20] Yeah. [27:21] For James, who's running a state with 30 million people, two time zones, 19 media markets, for him to still have the touch of a guy who can just sit and chat with you, you know, they're going to have to drag him out of there the way we used to have to Clinton. [27:35] Yeah, and he remembered that one voter who got up and described his two sons as butt heads. [27:40] I just heard him a second ago saying, you're the one with the two kids at home, which was good recall because that happened about 8.15. [27:47] David Urban, you're also here with us. [27:49] And as you're watching that, you know, Republicans have been sweating this race. [27:53] I think, as Shermichael just laid out there, he thinks that maybe Governor Abbott being at the top of that ticket will help pull Ken Paxton, Tallarico's opponent across the line. [28:02] What did you hear tonight? [28:03] What stood out to you? [28:04] Oh, Kaitlin, Kaitlin, Kaitlin. [28:07] Listen, the unchecked adulation of Paul Begala is almost too much for me to stomach. [28:14] I love Paul. [28:15] Paul should run for senator-governor. [28:17] He's way better than James Tallarico and way more likable. [28:22] Listen, I heard a guy get up there and try to have it both ways, right? [28:26] I support oil and gas. [28:28] He introduced the piece of legislation in the Texas House, excuse me, the Texas Legislature to ban oil and gas. [28:34] He's talking about the Bible. [28:36] I think the Bible, it's silent on abortion. [28:39] Earlier in the year, he said the Bible gives explicit instructions how to perform abortions. [28:44] He dodged. [28:45] He weaved. [28:46] He ducked. [28:47] He didn't answer. [28:48] Listen, no one asked a tough question on guns. [28:50] It's the state of Texas. [28:51] I'd like to hear his position on guns. [28:53] I think some people came prepared. [28:55] Listen, I love the format. [28:57] Kudos to CNN for putting it on. [28:59] And look, I give him credit for showing up and doing it, but nobody laid a glove on him. [29:04] I wish there was somebody there who really pushed hard and asked him on some of these questions. [29:09] He didn't answer the question when asked about, listen, why do you think about negative ads? [29:13] And if you're going to work with everybody, you know, what are you going to do about him? [29:16] He didn't answer that question. [29:17] We talked about the deficit. [29:19] He didn't say anything about like, well, we're going to rein in spending. [29:22] I'm going to make sure we don't cut. [29:23] We don't go crazy as Democrats and spend, spend, spend. [29:27] He painted himself as a moderate, as Shermichael said. [29:30] He is the furthest thing from a moderate. [29:32] In Fort Worth, Texas, the Democratic candidate took questions from a live audience of Texas voters, [29:37] some of them who showed up undecided. [29:40] My colleague Erin Burnett is with some of those audience members. [29:43] Erin? [29:44] All right, thank you. [29:47] And Mr. Tallarico is still here talking. [29:49] He's been, you know, meeting people, taking pictures, talking to voters ever since this ended just a few moments ago. [29:55] I am here, though, with three women who were undecided. [29:58] You all said when you came in, and you did have a chance to talk to Mr. Tallarico during the town hall to ask questions, [30:04] but you were undecided coming in. [30:05] And I believe, Tina, you're a registered Republican, right? [30:08] I am a Republican. [30:09] You are a Republican. [30:10] You are an independent. [30:12] Yes. [30:13] And you're an independent. [30:14] So, you came in with different perspectives. [30:15] Mm-hmm. [30:16] Okay. [30:17] So, I guess, let me just, let me start over here with you, Monica. [30:19] You just brought up AI data centers. [30:21] Yes. [30:22] Now, I was in the room watching. [30:23] There were certain, there were a few topics where there was applause across the board. [30:26] Not everybody, but across, across the board. [30:28] The Iran War was one of those. [30:30] AI data centers, raises for teachers, were another one of those. [30:33] AI data centers was another one. [30:35] Yes. [30:36] Okay. [30:37] So, you asked him what he was going to do about it. [30:38] Right. [30:39] Did the answer satisfy you? [30:40] Did you change, or not change your mind, did you decide who you're going to vote for? [30:43] When he actually mentioned that King Paxton is actually, you know, for data centers, and [30:49] that he was actually going to make some, give some resolution to, like, the, you know, he [30:56] actually has in mind to actually give some policies against that, or, you know, that did [31:01] kind of sway me a lot. [31:03] So, I think I probably will, he probably will get my vote after hearing that he has that [31:08] policy in place. [31:09] For the AI data centers. [31:10] Yes. [31:11] All right, Tina, you asked about the border. [31:12] I did. [31:13] Which was top issue for you, as well as for others in the room. [31:15] Absolutely. [31:16] Okay. [31:17] So, what did you hear? [31:18] Well, what I heard him say is a no to my answer, which is if, if someone enters our [31:27] country illegally and has no legal right to stay, will the federal law support, you know, [31:40] deporting them? [31:41] Deporting them. [31:42] Thank you. [31:43] And even though he kind of talked around it, he still said no. [31:46] He would, he doesn't believe in that. [31:48] So, it was interesting. [31:49] I'm curious, because he talked about, well, if someone's a criminal, in any case, he thinks [31:52] they should be kicked out. [31:53] Right. [31:54] So, protecting that, that was unacceptable. [31:55] But he did talk about Uber drivers. [31:56] Right. [31:57] And people in the community. [31:58] Correct. [31:59] That he felt they should have a pathway to citizenship. [32:01] But that did not resonate with you. [32:03] No, I heard that. [32:04] And sure, I mean, yes, have a pathway to citizenship. [32:09] But my question was very specific, which was, if you've entered into our country illegally [32:15] and have no basis to stay legally, should you be deported? [32:19] And so, that was, that was my question. [32:23] So, does this- [32:24] Should federal law support that? [32:25] I understand. [32:26] So, where do you stand now? [32:27] Are you still undecided? [32:28] Did that shift you towards Paxton? [32:30] Did that, what, where are you? [32:31] That didn't shift me either way. [32:33] It's just another data point. [32:35] We still have time to make, to make and research this. [32:39] I got to hear a lot of points that he made today. [32:42] And I will continue. [32:43] I've been doing my research on all of the candidates. [32:46] And that is civically responsible, that we don't just choose because of a party line, [32:53] that we should know who we're choosing and, and then support that. [32:58] But, so, yeah. [32:59] So, you're still what you're still thinking. [33:01] I'm gonna, I'm gonna still, I'm Republican, right? [33:04] Uh-huh. [33:05] And I'm going to continue to do my research to make sure that I'm doing my civic duty. [33:09] So, let me ask you, and I'm sorry, I just want to keep, I want to keep pushing because I, I just, you know, [33:12] people are following this race so closely. [33:13] Yeah. [33:14] Is your choice for you right now between Tallarico and Paxton or is it between Paxton and maybe either somebody else or you sit this one out? [33:23] I mean, I'm not sure yet. [33:32] Yeah. [33:33] You know, what's important to me is, is, is women and making sure that women are able to have opportunities and making sure that there's, you know, that firefighters are protected. [33:49] And so, this isn't just immigration for me. [33:51] This is the entire thing. [33:52] Right. [33:53] No, I understand. [33:54] That was just one question you had. [33:55] It was, yes. [33:56] This is broad. [33:57] And I think coming into this room, I said that there was not one issue that was going to sway me one way or the other. [34:04] This is about Texas and our legacy and I stand on legacy. [34:08] Yeah. [34:09] I know that a lot of people on stage today were eighth generation. [34:12] I'm a fourth generation Texan. [34:13] Yeah. [34:14] And so, it is important to me as to what happens when the next person gets into the Senate and how they vote. [34:21] And, and he was talking about housing. [34:23] He did. [34:24] He made a point of saying, by the way, there were certain issues where he didn't care what California or Democrat or New York Democrats did, that he would do whatever Texas won, even if it, quote unquote, pissed the Democrats off. [34:35] Okay. [34:36] That's what he said. [34:37] You talked about housing. [34:38] Did he win your vote? [34:39] I think I'm going to take my American right and not express that. [34:44] But what I will say is, I think my goal tonight was to express to him, there are Texans that lived here before the inflation and before the high rises of, um, high rises of gas and different things like that. [34:58] And we should not brunt the cost of having a great migration. [35:01] I think that it is important for a Texas economy to grow, but not at the expense of people who stayed in Texas because we already knew the quality of Texas before everyone else caught on. [35:11] On that issue. [35:12] Yes. [35:13] Are you satisfied with his answer? [35:14] Did that hit you positively? [35:15] I'm satisfied with his answer, but what I'm burdened with is what most minorities are burdened with. [35:20] We are sold a lot of things during political campaign, but when they get in office, the priority changes. [35:26] And so for me, it's going to be like, as if someone starts a job, whomever wins, those first six months are going to be critical for me to watch and be able to observe if they really meant what they said. [35:37] All right. [35:38] Which I know is the big question that all of you have, whatever your political party may be. [35:42] All right. [35:43] Thanks so much to all of you. [35:44] And Jubilee are bringing you a new kind of town hall tonight with U.S. Democratic Senate candidate James Tallarico. [35:51] Good evening to everyone. [35:52] I'm Erin Burnett live here in Fort Worth tonight. [35:54] This is a razor thin race that could make history. [35:57] A Democrat is not one statewide office here in the Lone Star State in 32 years. [36:03] James Tallarico hopes that Democratic drought will end in 20 days. [36:07] And all eyes are on Texas because a win here could catapult Democrats to the Senate majority. [36:13] Now, we're going to welcome Mr. Tallarico to the stage in just a moment. [36:17] But first, I want to explain to everyone here and everyone watching exactly how tonight is going to work. [36:24] Now, we are teaming up with Jubilee. [36:26] And you may have seen some of their shows on YouTube. [36:30] We have gathered Texas voters from across the political spectrum tonight for the town hall. [36:35] We have roughly 20 Democrats in the blue section on the left. [36:39] In the middle, flanking me, about 20 independents. [36:42] You can see them on both sides. [36:44] And 20 Republicans over in the red section on the right. [36:47] Now, we're going to start with voters asking Mr. Tallarico about what they feel is their top issue, [36:52] the most important thing. [36:54] And then later, we're going to do something different. [36:56] And I'm excited about this. [36:57] Some of the voters here in the room are going to head to this stage one at a time. [37:01] We're going to put out a table and they're going to sit face to face. [37:04] A table for two to debate an issue that they disagree with the candidate on. [37:08] And Tallarico will have a chance to change their mind right here live on this stage. [37:13] Now, we cast a wide net to find tonight's audience. [37:16] We reached out to local and state business groups, civic organizations, religious groups, universities, [37:21] as well as a call out on CNN and Jubilee's digital platforms. [37:25] And I do want to be clear. [37:27] We offered Mr. Tallarico's opponent, Republican Ken Paxton, the opportunity to appear. [37:31] He has yet to respond. [37:33] But that invitation still stands. [37:35] So please welcome the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, Texas State Representative James Tallarico. [37:40] Thank you. [37:43] Thank you. [37:47] It's a pleasure to meet you. [37:48] All right. [37:49] We'll sit down to get it started. [37:53] So I guess in the context of all of the talk over the past few days here, I'll start with a very simple question. [37:59] How are you doing tonight? [38:00] I'm doing much better. [38:01] I got a nasty case of the flu. [38:03] I guess I've been shaking too many hands on the campaign trail. [38:06] But I'm feeling much better and so excited to be here. [38:09] I want to thank you, Aaron. [38:10] I want to thank CNN for hosting us. [38:11] And I want to thank all of you for being here. [38:14] It feels so good to be back in Fort Worth, Texas. [38:17] My faith teaches me servant leadership. [38:20] The idea that being a leader means being a servant. [38:24] And over four terms in the Texas House, I've tried to serve my constituents in Central Texas. [38:30] And I'm looking forward to doing that in the United States Senate. [38:33] I want to be your servant. [38:35] I'm applying to be your senator. [38:37] That's why I showed up here for the job interview tonight. [38:39] And I'm looking forward to answering your questions. [38:41] So I have one more question for you on this because there has been a lot of wild speculation. [38:45] Anybody on social media has seen it, right, about the flu. [38:49] So can you just clear it up for people? [38:52] Was the flu the only reason you were out? [38:54] Yeah. [38:55] And is there anything you'd do differently now when you look back at the nine days that you weren't on the trail? [38:59] No. [39:00] I think the responsible thing to do when you have something like the flu is to stay at home and not get other people sick. [39:06] And I was able to work remotely from home. [39:09] But you're right. [39:10] I mean, that decision to stay home for a week sent my opponent and his conspiracy theorists spiraling. [39:18] I opened up social media and learned that I apparently had dropped out of the race, had flown to a mental hospital in Ohio, that I had died. [39:28] This is crazy. [39:29] I mean, these false claims got millions of views online. [39:34] They did. [39:35] They did. [39:36] And this is an example of what I call the rage economy. [39:38] Conspiracy theorists can post anything they want on the Internet. [39:42] They get clicks. [39:43] The billionaires who own these platforms get rich. [39:46] We all get angry. [39:47] And nobody's life gets any better. [39:49] Conspiracy theories don't put food on the table. [39:52] They don't put gas in the tank. [39:55] They don't actually improve our communities or improve our country. [39:58] And so I'm going to stay focused on the very real problems that are facing Texans. [40:02] And that's exactly why I'm here tonight. [40:04] All right. [40:05] And I'm glad that we're all here tonight. [40:06] And you've got Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and here for the sort of civil, respectful disagreement and debate that we all want to have. [40:14] So let's get straight to it. [40:15] We're going to look at the screen here I'm going to put up. [40:17] We had surveyed everyone in the room as well as other Texas voters. [40:20] About 250 people submitted questions for tonight's town hall. [40:24] They were asked what their top issues were. [40:26] So you can take a look at what came out here. [40:28] Far and above first is economy and affordability. [40:32] Now, my goal, okay, everyone, is to get to as many of these issues as we possibly can in the various things we're going to do tonight. [40:39] Some of which are going to be exciting and new and different. [40:42] But first, can everyone in the audience who said economy and affordability or anything about that as your top issue, could you please stand up? [40:51] Okay. [40:56] All right. [40:57] So I want to start with the independent section. [40:59] And I want to start with Tyler. [41:01] Tyler, that's you. [41:03] All right. [41:04] Everybody else can sit down except for Tyler because I want to be able to see you. [41:08] And I want Mr. Tallarico to be able to see you. [41:11] So can you introduce yourself and then go ahead, please, and ask your question. [41:14] Yes. [41:15] I'm Tyler James. [41:16] And I'm local here, but I grew up in Austin. [41:19] And me and my wife moved up here because I had a job and she is a children's nurse. [41:25] My question is actually not about affordability. [41:29] My question is something that's important. [41:32] You have stated before that you have to work with both sides. [41:36] Yeah. [41:37] Recently, most of the advertisements that we have seen have been smear campaigns with mudslinging against both candidates. [41:46] My question for you is why would you approve one when you have to work with other people in the exact same party? [41:55] Yeah. [41:57] Thank you for that question, Tyler. [41:59] And you're right. [42:00] There is way too much mudslinging in our political discourse. [42:04] There's way too much big money in our politics. [42:07] Right now, the richest man in the world is dumping hundreds of millions of dollars into this state to try to defame me, to try to defeat this movement that we're building. [42:18] And so I'm doing everything I can to stand up against those lies. [42:22] I'm doing everything I can to correct the record. [42:24] And I'm trying not to get into the mud. [42:27] I'm trying to stay focused on my opponent's record. [42:30] I'm not lying about him. [42:31] I'm not talking about personal issues. [42:33] I am only talking about his record and trying to articulate the choice that's in front of voters in this state. [42:38] But I completely agree with you that we've got to get back to a place where we can actually work together across the partisan spectrum. [42:47] I mean, just look at how this studio is set up tonight. [42:52] I am tired of us being divided into teams, left versus right, blue versus red, urban versus rural. [43:01] Because the truth is, we're all on the same team. [43:04] I just want to do a quick experiment. [43:06] Show of hands, how many people here have an elderly parent or grandparent who needs care? [43:12] So do I. [43:15] How many people here struggle to afford the high price of everything these days? [43:20] So do I. [43:22] How many people here know what it means to carry the burden of student debt or credit card debt or medical debt? [43:30] So do I. [43:31] Do you want a good job with good benefits? [43:35] Do you want a safe neighborhood? [43:38] Do you want a high quality, well-funded public school? [43:41] So do I. [43:43] The truth is that we are all on the same team. [43:45] We are far more the same than we are different. [43:48] But those big money interests, those social media platforms, those cable news networks, they want to divide this team. [43:56] Imagine what we could do if we did it together. [43:58] Imagine who we could take on in this country if we did it together. [44:01] As one team, we are unstoppable. [44:05] All right. [44:06] Since we're doing a lot of hand raising here. [44:08] Yeah. [44:09] If hands don't get sore, raise your hand again if you had said the economy was your top issue. [44:12] Across the board, Democrat, Republican, Independent. [44:14] All right. [44:15] Let's go to the Democratic section. [44:16] Douglas, can you go ahead and stand up? [44:19] And could you, again, just introduce yourself and explain what it is? [44:23] What it is about the economy right now that speaks to you so deeply? [44:26] Yeah. [44:27] So my name is Douglas Green. [44:28] Nice to meet you. [44:29] Mr. Tallarico. [44:30] I'm a registered Democrat. [44:32] I live here in Dallas, Texas. [44:33] And I'm a family nurse practitioner. [44:35] So I think I've been a previous pediatric nurse as well five years before I became an FNP. [44:42] And I've seen how parents also have a really hard time affording things, even from before COVID through to now. [44:49] A big issue we had when I was in Houston, Texas, was parents have been able to afford garage parking. [44:55] When I first started working there, it was $13 a day. [44:58] It ended up being $20 when I left. [45:00] And, you know, parents can't really leave the hospital, you know, leave their sick children there. [45:05] So my question to you is, a lot of us in here have also, you know, the affordability crisis is an issue. [45:11] If Texas were to send you to the U.S. Congress, what are your plans on legislation, different things to, you know, combat those rising costs? [45:20] Yeah. [45:21] And especially in a bipartisan manner as well. [45:23] Well, thank you for your work providing care to Texans. [45:26] Really grateful for that. [45:27] And the cost of health care is one of the main drivers of this affordability crisis. [45:32] And I know this personally. [45:34] I was 28 years old when I first ran for the state house here in Texas. [45:38] I was perfectly healthy. [45:41] And I decided to do something a little unusual. [45:43] I decided to walk the entire length of my legislative district from Round Rock, Texas to Taylor, Texas. [45:49] It was 25 miles. [45:50] I did the whole thing on foot all in one day, all in the Texas heat. [45:54] And I held three town halls along that walk. [45:57] And I wasn't worried about my ability to do it. [46:00] You know, I hiked Big Bend every year. [46:01] It was pretty flat terrain. [46:03] But halfway through the walk, I started to feel fatigued and nauseous. [46:08] I actually threw up a couple times along the walk. [46:10] Somehow I finished it. [46:11] I went home. [46:12] I figured I was dehydrated and I just needed a good night's sleep. [46:15] I went to bed. [46:16] I ended up sleeping for 36 hours straight. [46:19] My family got concerned. [46:20] They took me to the ER where nurses checked my blood sugar. [46:23] I don't think I'd ever had my blood sugar tested before. [46:27] They said a normal blood sugar is 100 or lower. [46:30] Mine was 900. [46:32] I was in a state of diabetic ketoacidosis, which leads to coma and death without insulin. [46:39] I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes on the spot. [46:42] I was lucky to be alive. [46:44] The nurses and the doctors in Williamson County saved my life. [46:47] When I left the hospital, I went to Walgreens to pick up my first 30-day supply of insulin, [46:55] this new medicine that I now needed to live. [46:58] And it cost me $684. [47:00] I didn't have that kind of money, so I put it on a credit card. [47:05] So many Texans with diabetes can't afford their insulin, [47:08] can't afford the medicine that they need to live. [47:12] And it's all because Big Pharma has a monopoly on the global insulin market. [47:17] It's three companies that control this market and they set their prices together. [47:22] So many Texans can't get the medicine they need because these for-profit corporations [47:27] are making billions of dollars in profit off of our pain. [47:30] And so when I got elected to the State House, I brought Democrats and Republicans together [47:36] to pass the first ever cap on insulin copays in our state history. [47:41] We took it from $684 to $25 per prescription. [47:45] And that's what's possible. [47:49] If you're willing to take on Big Pharma, if you're willing to take on this corrupt system, [47:53] then you can actually make change for people. [47:55] And so in the U.S. Senate, I want to do a few things. [47:57] One, I want to roll back the cuts to the Affordable Care Act [48:00] because those cuts are driving up premiums, sometimes $1,000 a month for Texans. [48:05] I want to cap the cost of more lifesaving drugs like EpiPens and cancer drugs. [48:10] And then I think we need a robust public option that can compete [48:14] with the for-profit health insurance companies in this country. [48:18] I think if we do those things, we can guarantee healthcare for millions of Texans [48:22] and millions of Americans because I believe that healthcare is a human right. [48:26] It shouldn't depend on how much money you make. [48:28] It shouldn't depend on the zip code you're born into. [48:30] And that's what we can do if we win this seat in Texas. [48:33] All right. I want to go one more show of hands on the economy, [48:37] just to remind everyone again who had said this was your top issue. [48:40] I think you're supposed to raise your hand, Chris. [48:44] He's already ready. He's got his microphone. [48:47] Chris, go ahead with your question and please stand up and introduce yourself [48:52] and then ask your question, please. [48:53] Yes. Mr. Tallarico, welcome. [48:57] Thank you. [48:58] And my question is energy-related. [49:01] Yeah. [49:02] The importance of the gas and oil industry in Texas. [49:05] Well, it's very successful, obviously. [49:10] Yeah. [49:11] What specifically do you think in terms of how would you balance the continued success [49:16] of our oil and gas endeavors balanced against your ideas of alternative renewable energy? [49:27] Please be specific. [49:28] Yeah. [49:29] And we can do both of those things. [49:30] Okay. [49:31] You know, I'm an eighth-generation Texan. [49:33] I've had family members who have worked in the oil and gas industry here in our state. [49:37] I went to public schools here in Texas that were funded by the oil and gas industry. [49:42] That's how we fund public education in this state. [49:44] So I owe a lot to that industry, as most Texans do. [49:48] And so I'm campaigning on an all-the-above energy strategy that includes oil and gas. [49:53] I want to protect the good-paying oil and gas jobs that support whole families across the state. [49:59] And I want us to invest in the energy sources of the future, wind and solar and geothermal and hydrogen [50:06] and batteries so that we can stay dominant in the energy industry. [50:10] What I don't want to see is politicians, frankly, in both parties, playing politics with Texas Energy. [50:16] And so I will stand up to my own party if they mess with our oil and gas industry. [50:21] And I will stand up to the other party if they mess with renewables, which we've seen in recent years. [50:26] I think there are a few things we could do. [50:28] One is support efforts to streamline permitting so that we can speed up some of these projects. [50:35] I think we can restore the tax credits and the subsidies for some of these renewable industries. [50:44] And I think if we do that, we can grow this industry in Texas. [50:48] And we can stay an energy leader in the 21st century, just like we were in the 20th. [50:53] So I want to follow up here when we're talking about the economy of oil and gas [50:56] and how significant it obviously is to the state. [50:59] So in 2020, you were at a Sierra Club event. [51:02] You were talking about economics, but also about capitalism. [51:05] And at the time, you said capitalism is a, quote, oppressive system. [51:09] And you talked about, uh, your words, the process of dismantling it. [51:13] Now, we had come to your campaign a while back and asked about those comments, [51:17] and they responded that you are a proud capitalist. [51:20] So to go from oppressive system of capitalism to a proud capitalist, [51:24] that's a really big shift. [51:26] What happened? What changed? [51:28] Well, so the problem in political campaigns and the problem with the media [51:31] is they take one sentence out of a long conversation [51:35] and then use it to try to paint the picture. [51:38] If you go back and listen to the conversation that we were having, [51:41] I was talking about the system we have now, which is actually not capitalism. [51:45] It's crony capitalism. What's rewarded in this economy [51:49] is people who can pay for access and pay for control, [51:52] people who can pay for politicians. [51:54] So the current system you still see as oppressive, [51:56] but you just define that as crony capitalism. [51:57] I want to get back to the kind of capitalism we had [52:00] in the middle of the 20th century in this country. [52:02] I want competition, but it's got to be fair competition. [52:05] We've got to take on these monopolies, this consolidation, [52:08] because, again, it's fundamentally anti-capitalist. [52:12] I want there to be growth, but it's got to be shared growth. [52:15] Right now, again, because billionaires can buy politicians, [52:19] all of the gains in this economy, all of the growth is going to the top. [52:23] All of the wealth is being accumulated by the top 1%. [52:27] It's actually not going to the people doing the actual work in this economy. [52:31] Capitalism was an innovation at the time from the feudal system. [52:35] The idea that you should be compensated for your labor, [52:39] that you should be compensated for your time, that was a revolution. [52:42] And so I think if Adam Smith saw the kind of crony capitalist system we have today, [52:47] he would be rolling over in his grave. [52:49] And so what I'm trying to get back to is OG capitalism, [52:52] where we actually reward work instead of wealth. [52:57] And right now... [52:58] But people could still accumulate wealth in your world? [53:00] Of course. I'm all for success. [53:01] I want an economy that creates fewer trillionaires and more millionaires. [53:07] Right now, our tax system literally taxes work more than it taxes wealth. [53:12] And I think that's backwards. [53:16] So, again, I think what I'm advocating for is a return to those original capitalist principles [53:22] that we've strayed away from in this country over the last five decades. [53:25] All right. Let me put the board back up to remind everybody of the issues again [53:28] that everyone here, as well as about 200 others, had submitted. [53:31] So democracy and corruption was number two. [53:34] 20% of people felt that this was the single most important issue. [53:37] So let's, again, have everybody stand up who had said... [53:41] felt this was your most important issue. [53:44] Okay. All right. [53:48] So now I want to go to the independent section, [53:50] which I think appropriately is, you know, you span the catwalk. [53:54] Emma, let me start with you. [53:57] Why don't you go ahead, please? Everyone else can be seated. [53:59] Emma, please stand up, introduce yourself, [54:01] and go ahead with your question, please. [54:04] Hi, I'm Emma. I'm an immigrant and adoptee from China, [54:07] and I now live in Plano. [54:09] What steps would you support to prevent corruption and protect fair elections, [54:15] even when those steps would disadvantage your own party? [54:18] And how can voters hold you accountable for following through? [54:22] Yeah, it's a great question, Emma, and thank you for being here. [54:25] I mentioned earlier that some of the wealthiest people in this country, [54:28] including the richest man in the world, are spending hundreds of millions of dollars [54:33] to try to defeat our campaign here in Texas. [54:36] And here's why they're doing it. [54:38] I don't take corporate PAC money. I never have. I never will. [54:41] I don't work for them. I work for the people of Texas. [54:44] I'm running to ban super PACs and corporate PACs, [54:49] so billionaires aren't spending unlimited secret money on our political campaigns. [54:54] And I don't care if they're Democratic super PACs or Republican super PACs. [54:58] I think we've got to ban them all because there's way too much influence from big money in our politics. [55:03] I'm running to ban members of Congress in both parties from trading stocks [55:08] and enriching themselves while they're in public office. [55:10] And again, this is a problem among Republicans and Democrats, and it has to end in both parties. [55:16] I'm running to ban gerrymandering in every state in the union, red states and blue states alike, [55:21] so that we can have actual free and fair elections in every state, in every community. [55:27] And I am running to pass term limits so that we can show career politicians in both parties the door, [55:33] because we have seen for way too long people feeling entitled to these positions. [55:39] Again, back to my very first comments, I believe in servant leadership. [55:43] I believe that public servants should actually serve the public. [55:46] And when you're in office for decades, it becomes about self-preservation. [55:52] Everything becomes about holding on to power at all costs. [55:55] I mean, we see people who are dying in office because they can't let go of these positions. [56:00] That shouldn't be the case in a democracy. [56:03] And so I'm running on these political reforms that will affect both parties, [56:08] that will clean up government, so that we can have a government of, by, and for the people again, [56:12] not a government of, by, and for the billionaires. [56:14] All right, let's put hands up again with democracy. [56:17] Cropship is your top issue. [56:18] All right, we get those hands up around the room. [56:20] Okay, let's go to the Democratic section. [56:22] Lena, why don't you go ahead, introduce yourself, please, [56:29] and explain why this issue was most important for you. [56:32] Hi, my name is Lena Rumber. [56:35] I'm a Dallas native, and I'm a senior at SMU. [56:38] Hey. [56:39] This issue is most important to me because I've seen how redlining has affected not just the state, [56:46] but I guess Dallas, because I live in Oak Cliff, and my mom was in Oak Cliff, [56:50] and then my family's from rural East Texas. [56:54] And so seeing how gerrymandering has affected that, the reducing of polling access, [56:59] and then also the misinformation that is out there of where you're supposed to go. [57:03] So, like, you may know your location, and then online it tells you it's a different location. [57:07] You go there, and they say, oh, well, no, like, you need to go here. [57:10] And so it's very disheartening, especially when I live in a community, in my community, [57:17] and then I go to a school in a different part of the same city that I've lived in my whole life, [57:22] and the access is better, the opportunities are better, and it's just kind of disheartening, I guess. [57:29] Yeah. I think you're exactly right. [57:31] Texas is one of the hardest places to vote in the country, [57:34] and it's why we have the second lowest voter turnout rate in the country. [57:38] We've seen that already over the past couple months. [57:41] I think the people in power are afraid of the movement that we're building. [57:45] They're seeing working people across the political spectrum, not just Democrats, [57:49] but independents and Republicans, too, who are fed up with their extremism and their corruption, [57:54] who are joining this campaign. [57:56] And so those people in power are going to do everything they can to hold on to power. [58:00] So they have already tried to redraw our political districts in the middle of the decade [58:07] to try to manufacture the outcome they want. [58:09] Again, this is wrong no matter if it's the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. [58:13] And both parties do it. Let's be honest about that, right? [58:16] This is about power, not about party. [58:18] So we've seen that in Texas already in this election cycle. [58:21] We've also seen them suspend more than a million voter registrations. [58:26] We've seen them in Tarrant County right here close 93 polling locations. [58:32] That's a third of the polling locations in this county, one of the largest counties in the state. [58:37] And you know what that's going to mean on Election Day? [58:39] It's going to mean longer commutes to get to your polling location. [58:42] It's going to mean longer wait times to be able to vote. [58:46] And they're hoping it's going to mean lower voter turnout in some neighborhoods. [58:50] And that's unacceptable. That's un-American. [58:52] Again, I'm fighting for voting rights for all Texans, including the Texans who aren't going to vote for me. [58:57] I want everyone to make their voice heard in this process. [59:01] That is a God-given right. [59:04] That right to shape your own destiny, to choose your own leaders, that doesn't come from politicians. [59:10] That comes from God. [59:11] And it's why we have to guarantee that right, safeguard it with everything we have. [59:17] And it's why we need everyone to show up and make their voice heard. [59:20] Voter suppression is powerful. [59:21] I'm not going to sugarcoat it. [59:23] But it is nothing compared to people power. [59:25] Thank you. [59:26] I want to move to the next issue, important to so many in this room and so many around the country, of course. [59:30] But here in Texas, you really are on the front lines of the immigration debate in a way that many other states in this country are not. [59:36] So if everyone could stand who had said immigration was your top issue, please stand up. [59:43] I know there were several people here who said that. [59:46] I want to go to the Republican section. [59:48] Tina, please go ahead and introduce yourself and ask your question to Mr. Tallarico. [59:53] Yes, ma'am. [59:54] Thank you. [59:55] My name is Tina Loren, and I protect firefighter families from the unexpected. [1:00:00] I'm also a Miss Texas United. [1:00:05] Wow. [1:00:06] And my question for you is that your Senate term would extend beyond President Trump. [1:00:12] Yeah. [1:00:13] So what would you do and what federal laws would you support to ensure that border security was durable, regardless of what party was in the White House? [1:00:23] And then if or when someone enters our country illegally and they have no basis to stay, should federal law require that they be removed from our country? [1:00:38] So I think Texans understand this issue of immigration better than most people around the country because we live with it. [1:00:45] We live with the challenges and we live with the benefits. [1:00:48] And I've said before that both political parties have failed us on this issue. [1:00:53] Joe Biden failed us during his administration by not securing the border. [1:00:58] I remember talking to my colleagues in the state legislature who represent border communities and they were telling me about the utter chaos along our southern border during the Biden administration. [1:01:07] That's unacceptable. [1:01:08] But now we've seen under this administration a different kind of extremism. [1:01:12] We've seen masked men in unmarked vehicles kidnapping our neighbors off our street. [1:01:18] We were told that ICE was going to go after violent criminals, and I support that. [1:01:22] If you're an undocumented immigrant and you commit a violent crime, you should be deported immediately. [1:01:26] But that's not what they're doing. [1:01:28] They're going after Uber drivers. [1:01:30] They're going after small business owners. [1:01:32] They're going after grandmothers and infants. [1:01:34] ICE should be focused on going after the cartels, not our communities. [1:01:39] They should be going after violent gang members, not moms and babies. [1:01:45] And so I think we've got to get to a place where we reject the extremism on this issue in both parties and finally pass comprehensive immigration reform. [1:01:54] And here's what I think that should include. [1:01:56] One, it should include border security. [1:01:58] I'm a border security Democrat. [1:02:00] I think we should know who's coming into our country. [1:02:02] And in fact, in the state legislature, I worked on this issue. [1:02:05] I authored a bill as a state representative to modernize our ports of entry because 93% of the fentanyl that comes into Texas comes through our ports of entry. [1:02:15] And we don't have the technology or the manpower to stop it. [1:02:19] I rolled out a common sense border security plan that was endorsed by Democratic and Republican law enforcement officials along our southern border, calling for more border patrol agents, calling for better surveillance technology so we can detect unauthorized crossings. [1:02:34] I also think that that comprehensive immigration reform package should include more legal pathways for hardworking immigrants who want to come here and contribute to our economy and make us richer and stronger as a nation, as immigrants have always done. [1:02:47] You wouldn't be at a town hall for a guy with the last name Tallarico if this was not a nation of immigrants. [1:02:53] We all have that immigrant story somewhere in our backgrounds. [1:02:56] And then lastly, I think we have to build a pathway to citizenship for our neighbors who have been here for years and decades. [1:03:02] They should pay a fine. [1:03:03] They should pay back taxes. [1:03:04] They should learn English. [1:03:05] And if they can do all those things, I think they deserve a shot at joining our communities as full citizens. [1:03:12] That's what I want to see from a comprehensive immigration reform package. [1:03:15] I hope to fight for it in the United States Senate. [1:03:18] So we have obviously, from where I sit, we've been covering ICE-involved apprehensions as well as ICE-involved shootings over the past year. [1:03:27] And a lot of them have been tragic and touched so many. [1:03:30] Earlier this year, after the Minnesota ICE shooting, Renee Goode, you said, and I quote you, Representative, [1:03:37] it is time to tear down the secret police force and replace it. [1:03:41] That was actually in your Senate primary debate back in January. [1:03:44] Your current immigration plan, as you lay it out, does not go quite that far, right? [1:03:48] It does not actually abolish ICE, if that's what... [1:03:52] Tear down the secret police force. [1:03:53] So I'm trying to understand where you stand on this issue, so important to Texas and the country. [1:03:57] Do you support abolishing ICE or not? [1:04:00] No, and I never have. [1:04:02] We need Immigration and Customs Enforcement in this country, but that's not what we're seeing. [1:04:08] What we've seen over the last year is a secret police force, and that's what we don't want in this country. [1:04:13] We don't want masked men in unmarked vehicles coming through and terrorizing our communities. [1:04:18] We don't want federal agents murdering our neighbors before our very eyes. [1:04:22] You know, I think about Lorenzo Salgado, who was our fellow Texan. [1:04:27] He lived in Houston for 35 years. [1:04:31] As a construction worker, he sent his three boys to college. [1:04:35] His oldest is a public school teacher. [1:04:37] His middle son is an engineer. [1:04:39] His youngest is still in school. [1:04:41] Lorenzo Salgado embodies the American dream. [1:04:45] He's exactly the kind of person we want in this country. [1:04:48] His three boys called him El Mundo Entero, the whole world. [1:04:55] And they watched as their whole world died in a video posted on Facebook. [1:05:01] Lorenzo Salgado was a child of God endowed with infinite worth. [1:05:08] Lorenzo, our fellow Texan, deserves justice, and that's exactly what I'll fight for in the U.S. Senate. [1:05:16] All right. I want to move on to education, which is another issue important to many. [1:05:21] If everybody could stand, who said that education was your most important issue, please? [1:05:25] All right. Thank you. [1:05:27] Let's go over to the Democratic section here to get a question. [1:05:30] Jerry, that's you. [1:05:32] All right. Everyone else can sit down. [1:05:34] Jerry, please stay standing. [1:05:35] Introduce yourself and go ahead and ask your question. Thanks. [1:05:38] Representative Tallarico, thank you so much for answering our questions tonight. [1:05:41] My name is Jerry. [1:05:43] I've been in Texas for 13 years and moved from the Midwest. [1:05:47] I have two perfect little buttheads who call me dad. [1:05:50] And so my question, looking to gain some of your knowledge from your experience in education. [1:05:58] Texas districts across the state are running million-dollar deficits. [1:06:03] The teacher turnover rate is extremely high. [1:06:06] And the basic allotment for our students, I think, has been around $6,100 since 2019, [1:06:12] even though inflation has gone through the roof. [1:06:15] Yeah. [1:06:16] So my question is, outside of opposing vouchers, which, as I understand that you do. [1:06:22] Yes. [1:06:23] What are some of your plans to raise that allotment if that's an actual solution? [1:06:27] How do we turn around the teacher turnover rate? [1:06:30] And how do we stop this backslide from the performance of our districts? [1:06:35] Yeah, thank you for asking that question, Jerry. [1:06:38] Before I was a politician on stages like this, I was a public school teacher. [1:06:43] I taught sixth grade language arts at Rhodes Middle School on the west side of San Antonio. [1:06:50] I always joked that teaching middle school is the best preparation for politics. [1:06:54] And I entered the classroom in the fall of 2011, right after our state legislature cut more than $5 billion from public education in this state. [1:07:07] So I saw the impact of those cuts firsthand. [1:07:10] I saw programs get eliminated. [1:07:13] I saw class sizes grow. [1:07:15] At one point, I had 45 students in one classroom. [1:07:18] There weren't enough desks for all those kids. [1:07:22] So I had students sitting on the air conditioning unit in the wealthiest country in human history. [1:07:28] In the 21st century, children sitting on the air conditioning unit. [1:07:33] And that made me mad. [1:07:36] I ended up leading an education nonprofit for several years. [1:07:38] And then when a seat in that very same legislature opened up in my hometown of Round Rock, Texas, I threw my hat in the ring. [1:07:45] Because I believe that educators should be sitting at the decision-making table when it comes to making decisions about education policy. [1:07:53] And you're right, the situation has only gotten worse. [1:07:56] We rank, as a state, 43rd in the nation in per-student education funding. [1:08:02] We've got teachers who are driving Ubers at night to make extra money. [1:08:07] The teaching profession is the most important profession. [1:08:10] Because without it, there would be no other professions. [1:08:14] Everything starts with a teacher in a classroom. [1:08:16] And we are nickel and diming the most important professionals in our communities. [1:08:21] And so there's a few things that I would do. [1:08:24] One, I would make sure that we fully fund the Department of Education. [1:08:29] We have seen them gut that department. [1:08:31] We have seen them go after teachers, go after our kids all across this country. [1:08:36] Including here in our state with this private school voucher scam, which is funded by out-of-state billionaires. [1:08:42] Back to the point about corruption in our politics. [1:08:45] Then I would fight to guarantee universal, high-quality early childhood education for every kid in this country. [1:08:54] The first three years, the first thousand days of a child's life are the most important when it comes to brain development. [1:09:02] It's something crazy like a thousand neural connections are formed every second during that period of brain development. [1:09:08] And we are nowhere to be seen as a society. [1:09:12] And I want to guarantee that high-quality education for every kid, no matter what zip code they're born into. [1:09:16] Because it will be a game changer for our education system in this country. [1:09:20] And then lastly, I think we can do so much to finally pass a pay raise for our hard-working educators all over the state. [1:09:28] Long overdue. [1:09:29] This is LBJ's Senate seat that I'm running for. [1:09:39] A Texas teacher before he ran for office. [1:09:42] And I hope that when we win back LBJ's Senate seat, we can pass an LBJ-sized investment in America's public schools. [1:09:50] And I think sending a teacher back to the United States Senate from Texas will go a long way toward achieving that goal. [1:09:55] I will say, you said 45 kids in a classroom? [1:10:00] Yes. [1:10:01] I have a 6th and 7th grader? [1:10:03] That's God's work. [1:10:04] And I'll tell you, it was right after lunch. [1:10:08] So you can imagine the chaos in that classroom. [1:10:10] Especially if they allow chocolate milk, which is a whole separate conversation. [1:10:13] I don't support it anyway. [1:10:14] Now we're going to do something that we have never done before. [1:10:17] And I'm pretty excited about it. [1:10:19] So we asked every member of our audience, Democrat, Independent, Republican, we asked all of you, [1:10:25] if you had an issue where anyone in this room disagrees with Mr. Tallarico. [1:10:30] Now, some of you said yes, and you came prepared to debate one on one. [1:10:36] And Representative Tallarico is going to be seated at the table here. [1:10:39] And as you can see, there is another chair. [1:10:41] And that is because in just a moment, we're going to invite some of you, some of the voters who have had their question on stage one at a time to challenge Mr. Tallarico on an issue where they disagree. [1:10:52] So you can go ahead and that's your seat. [1:10:54] And as everybody can see, there are two microphones here, right? [1:10:57] That's because this isn't a lecture. [1:10:59] It's a conversation. [1:11:00] I want everybody to speak. [1:11:02] So if you are prepared to debate Representative Tallarico, please raise your hand. [1:11:07] All right. [1:11:10] I'm glad there's some really sharp uphands here. [1:11:12] Back to, like, back to the elementary school, right? [1:11:15] Some people really want to do this. [1:11:16] Okay. [1:11:17] Where's Jody? [1:11:18] Jody. [1:11:19] All right. [1:11:20] Jody is an independent. [1:11:21] Jody, why don't you go ahead and make your way to the stage? [1:11:22] Okay. [1:11:24] Now, while Jody is doing that, I'm just going to explain exactly what's going to happen here. [1:11:27] So she's going to sit down and she's, we have a clock. [1:11:31] I'm going to put a clock here. [1:11:32] It's going to say four minutes. [1:11:33] So that's about the time that she's going to have to debate Mr. Tallarico. [1:11:37] When the bell goes off, it's going to end. [1:11:40] You'll sit down, introduce yourself, go ahead and say what your issue is with him. [1:11:45] And as soon as I stop talking, I will begin the clock and go. [1:11:49] Hi. [1:11:50] What's your name? [1:11:51] I'm Jody Hunt. [1:11:52] Nice to meet you. [1:11:53] I'm from Burleson, Texas. [1:11:54] Hey, Burleson. [1:11:55] Yeah. [1:11:56] I'm also an eighth generation Texas. [1:11:57] Hey, wonderful. [1:11:58] Fantastic. [1:11:59] My family's been here since the revolution. [1:12:00] Yeah. [1:12:01] Yeah. [1:12:02] So we're very happy. [1:12:03] Very good Texans. [1:12:04] I'm a wife and mom of three. [1:12:05] Wonderful. [1:12:06] Like you, I'm also an educator. [1:12:07] Hey, thank you. [1:12:08] And back in 2011, I was teaching in San Antonio. [1:12:09] Wow. [1:12:10] We have a lot in common. [1:12:11] Yeah. [1:12:12] At a Catholic private school, Antonian college prep. [1:12:13] So shout out to all those students, the former students there. [1:12:14] That's wonderful. [1:12:15] I'm now a university professor. [1:12:17] My topic is abortion. [1:12:18] Yeah. [1:12:19] I am a Catholic, an Orthodox Catholic. [1:12:22] As you know, Catholics, we tend, and I myself included, to be a one issue voter. [1:12:28] And abortion is a large part of that, and the dignity of human person and natural law. [1:12:32] I'm a theologian. [1:12:33] Yeah. [1:12:34] I was, and so that's, we have something in common. [1:12:36] Yeah. [1:12:37] And because of that, we believe that at the moment of conception, there's a human life to [1:12:42] protect. [1:12:43] And so we struggle with the idea that it's the woman's right to choose because it takes [1:12:48] two people to create that being, and the woman is the bearer of that child into the [1:12:52] world. [1:12:53] And through co-creation, that child has been created. [1:12:56] So as people, we are to protect that life at all costs. [1:13:00] And so what makes it difficult for us to vote Democrat is that we have this idea that if [1:13:06] you cannot provide policies or support policies that protect the most innocent among us, who [1:13:12] is the unborn child, how can we trust that you're going to provide policies to protect [1:13:18] the rest of Texans and to promote dignity and human life in that? [1:13:22] Yeah. [1:13:23] So I challenge you on that. [1:13:24] Yeah. [1:13:25] And to provide some, some feedback on like, how would you convince me as a Catholic voter [1:13:28] Yeah. [1:13:29] And I can trust you that you would protect the most innocent among us. [1:13:32] I'm so, so grateful that you, that you brought that question. [1:13:35] Because I think there's a lot of folks in Texas, a lot of Catholics who are asking themselves [1:13:39] the same question. [1:13:40] So thank you for doing it. [1:13:41] I know it's not easy to do it on live television, but I'm really, really grateful you did. [1:13:45] You know, some of my spiritual heroes like Pope Francis and Pope Leo are pro-life and they [1:13:54] are consistently pro-life. [1:13:56] They're not just against abortion, but they are against poverty, against climate change, [1:14:03] against war. [1:14:04] And so I can respect anyone like you who is consistently pro-life. [1:14:09] And I actually think there's common ground we can find here. [1:14:13] We may come to different moral and ethical conclusions when it comes to the question of [1:14:18] should abortion be legal or not? [1:14:20] It sounds like you and I do come to a different conclusion. [1:14:22] That's okay. [1:14:23] You know, we're both Christians and, and the Bible is silent on the issue of abortion. [1:14:28] It means you and I both have to look at, at different scriptures to try to come to a conclusion. [1:14:34] But what I think we can do is actually come together on reducing the number of unplanned pregnancies [1:14:41] and the number of abortions. [1:14:43] Because if we treat this issue as a public health problem and not a culture war problem, [1:14:50] then we can actually make progress together. [1:14:52] And this is what drives me crazy about this debate, is we use it to kind of beat each other [1:14:58] over the head, right? [1:15:00] We treat it as a philosophical debate or a theological debate when actually it's a public policy problem. [1:15:06] Because I also want to see fewer unplanned or unwanted pregnancies. [1:15:11] I want to see fewer abortions. [1:15:13] And so you and I actually have the same goal. [1:15:16] We may have different moral conclusions when it comes to this particular ethical question, [1:15:23] but we actually have the same public policy goal. [1:15:26] And so if we can do that, if we can join together to make sure that we have scientifically valid sex education, [1:15:33] age-appropriate sex education, if we can make sure that folks who need contraception can get it, [1:15:38] if we can make sure that everyone has healthcare, something the Catholic Church has led on, [1:15:42] then we know that that reduces the number of abortions. [1:15:45] Because you can look at the research and you see that certain policy levers, like sex education, like healthcare, [1:15:52] can actually reduce the number of abortions. [1:15:54] Sure. [1:15:55] And that's what I'm willing to work with you on. [1:15:56] And I just want to add that the Bible is not silent on abortion. [1:15:59] There is the Ten Commandments, that shall not kill. [1:16:01] And as Catholics, we take great insult, I guess, sometimes when it's spouted that way. [1:16:07] But I also want to add, I know I'm up on time, but contraception and age-appropriate thing also, [1:16:13] when it comes to Catholic vote, is a very trying thing for us because we believe the parents are the primary educator of our children. [1:16:20] And so one of the things that we really struggle with is having any government interference with how we educate our children. [1:16:26] So I know we're going to agree to disagree on that, but I do appreciate your comments on tending to the life from the womb to the tomb. [1:16:33] And I think that's one common ground we can come to. [1:16:36] And I think, you know, you know that I'm an educator like you. [1:16:39] Sure. [1:16:40] And if I believed that abortion was murder, that it violated the Ten Commandments, then I wouldn't support it. [1:16:47] And so it's okay that you and I come to different conclusions about that. [1:16:50] Sure. [1:16:51] But I think we could also look at the current abortion ban in Texas, which bans abortion in all cases, including in cases of rape and incest, [1:16:59] including when the life of the mother is in danger. [1:17:02] We currently see in Texas women dying in emergency room parking lots from sepsis because their doctors are too afraid to provide life-saving care. [1:17:11] We talk about Texas women, but it's also Texas girls. [1:17:14] We see girls as young as 10 years old who need that abortion care and they can't get it in Texas. [1:17:20] And so if we are authentically pro-life, I think we should be disturbed by the outcomes of this extreme abortion ban. [1:17:27] That's why I think you and I actually agree more than we think we do. [1:17:37] Again, the theological debate is interesting and you and I should, you know, grab coffee. [1:17:41] We should have a podcast or something. [1:17:42] Yeah, we should do a podcast. [1:17:43] And I would love to get into that. [1:17:44] But as a policymaker, I'm always like, how do we solve the problem, right? [1:17:48] How do we get better outcomes? [1:17:49] And that's what you want, too. [1:17:50] That's what every pro-life person wants and we should join together to do it. [1:17:54] I'm jumping in because you did go over and I want to make sure everybody gets, everybody gets there. [1:17:58] Okay, sorry. [1:17:59] That was a really great conversation. [1:18:00] Thank you. [1:18:01] Jodi, thank you so much for starting this off. [1:18:03] I want to start off with Matthew, an independent. [1:18:05] All right, can you, you can make your way out here. [1:18:08] All right, there you go. [1:18:09] Okay, so you go ahead to the stage again. [1:18:11] I'm just going to reiterate the rules. [1:18:12] I hope we can keep it to four when that goes off. [1:18:15] Sometimes I'm going to be a tougher taskmaster than others, so be careful. [1:18:19] And I also want to just emphasize here that there are two mics. [1:18:23] Please jump in on each other, have a conversation. [1:18:26] All right, go ahead and introduce yourself and say your issue and your time starts now. [1:18:30] Representative Tallarico, it's an honor. [1:18:32] My name is Matthew and I live in Dallas. [1:18:34] My question is about an issue that is rarely talked about, but I believe is the existential problem facing our country. [1:18:41] And that is the national debt. [1:18:43] The national debt recently passed $40 trillion. [1:18:46] We have been deficit spending for decades with no end in sight. [1:18:50] And it's scary for me because throughout history we can see that most major nations and empires have fallen because in some way they've overextended themselves. [1:19:01] Now, I know and I respect that you want to invest in things such as healthcare and education, all good things. [1:19:07] But we can't even pay for our current financial obligations. [1:19:10] So my question to you is how can we get our national debt and deficit under control so that we can begin exploring to invest in the kind of policy initiatives that candidates like you support? [1:19:20] Yeah, this is such a good question. [1:19:22] I'm so glad that you brought it tonight because it rarely gets talked about. [1:19:25] Ever. [1:19:26] In forums like this. [1:19:27] But it is a it's not just an economic and political emergency. [1:19:30] It is a moral emergency because we are stealing from future generations. [1:19:36] It is intergenerational theft. [1:19:38] 100 percent. [1:19:39] And so I actually I talk about the national debt in almost every every speech at every campaign event because I do believe that it's an emergency. [1:19:49] Here's what I'll say. [1:19:50] We are often told that the only way to tackle the deficit or the debt is by doing it on the backs of working people. [1:19:58] And that's not true. [1:19:59] We can we can close the deficit and we can do it by closing billionaire tax loopholes. [1:20:06] Right now, billionaires can write off flying on a private jet from their taxes and call it a business expense. [1:20:13] They can write off their mega yacht as a business expense. [1:20:18] That that is ridiculous. [1:20:20] And that is exploding the deficit. [1:20:22] This big ugly bill that was passed a year ago gave three trillion dollars in tax cuts to the top one percent. [1:20:31] People who don't need it. [1:20:32] Nothing against the top one percent, but they don't need any help. [1:20:35] And that money could go toward closing the deficit and tackling the debt. [1:20:41] And then I'll mention one more. [1:20:43] We can close the deficit and tackle the debt by ending this disastrous war in Iran that is costing us a billion dollars a day. [1:20:50] When you the last. [1:20:53] When you. [1:20:54] When you. [1:20:55] When you. [1:20:56] When you. [1:20:57] When you. 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