Juliana Stratton (00:00):
[inaudible 00:00:01].
Governor J.B Pritzker (00:00):
Got it. Oh, there you go.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
And I know that [inaudible 00:00:03].
Speaker 2 (00:00):
I think that's hers.
Speaker 3 (00:00):
[inaudible 00:00:06]
Speaker 2 (00:09):
I was like, "When did I become a chair?" It's like [inaudible 00:00:12].
Governor J.B Pritzker (00:10):
Yes sir. Just sir.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Thank you.
Governor J.B Pritzker (00:10):
You're okay?
Speaker 4 (00:10):
I'm good. Yeah. I'm good.
Governor J.B Pritzker (00:10):
Okay. I don't want you to [inaudible 00:00:17].
Speaker 4 (00:19):
Oh. I am short, but I'm wearing green.
Governor J.B Pritzker (00:21):
Good, good. That's true, that's a good color.
Ms. Hernandez (00:22):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
[inaudible 00:00:26].
Ms. Hernandez (00:29):
Go? Well, good morning everyone. Can you hear me?
Crowd (00:32):
Morning.
Ms. Hernandez (00:34):
I'm standing in front of some incredibly brave legislators today, democrats who despite pressure and despite calls for their arrests, left Texas to stop Republicans from passing a map that blatantly keeps Republicans and Trump in power. A deliberate attempt led by Republicans to silence voters and appease Donald Trump. But what the GOP didn't count on, was a public ready to fight back against their power grab. Or legislators will put themselves on the line for their constituents, as chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois, I must say I am proud to welcome Texas House Democrats to our state.
Crowd (01:28):
Yeah.
Ms. Hernandez (01:33):
As the first Latina chair of the state party, I am proud to stand with them to protect voting rights, fairness, and the representation for Black and brown voters. With that, I want to pass it over to one of the most extraordinary people that I have encountered and met, our lieutenant governor, Juliana Stratton.
Crowd (01:59):
Yes.
(01:59)
Whoa!
Juliana Stratton (01:59):
Thank you so much, Chair Hernandez, and good morning everyone. I'm Juliana Stratton, I'm proud to serve as Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. And I'm honored to be running for the United States Senate. To my friends from Texas, while I'm glad to welcome you all to the great state of Illinois, I wish we were coming together under different circumstances. We are here today, not because we want to be, but because we have to be. Right now we are facing the voting rights fight of our lifetime. Donald Trump and Texas Republicans are staging a blatant attempt to strip away voting rights and rig the next election.
(02:44)
Texas families are still recovering from devastating floods. Americans nationwide are suffering under rising prices, and cuts to healthcare and food assistance. But Trump and Texas Republicans are choosing to ignore the needs of their constituents, and focusing on further rigging the system for their own advantage. And there's no line they won't cross. Governor Abbott has even called for duly elected representatives to be hunted down and arrested. That is authoritarianism, and all of us should be outraged.
(03:23)
It's not lost on me that it's Black and Latino communities who will disproportionately be silenced by this attack. Tomorrow marks the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, which was specifically designed to prohibit racial discrimination in voting. That progress was only possible because people were brave enough to fight for it. People like my dad, Henry, a Navy veteran who marched from Selma to Montgomery 60 years ago because voting rights were under attack. But here we are in 2025, Trump and Republicans will stop at nothing to roll back that progress. This is personal to me because my 92-year-old dad, Henry, has passed the baton to me and to all of us, and now is our time to stand up and fight.
Crowd (04:19):
Yeah. Yeah.
(04:20)
Whoa! Whoa!
Juliana Stratton (04:25):
We have a message for President Trump and Governor Abbott, we are watching you. In Illinois we don't sit on the sidelines. In Illinois we don't take kindly to threats. And in Illinois we fight back. If Trump and Texas Republicans won't play by the rules, we will look at every option available to stop their extreme power grab, and nothing will be off the table.
(04:52)
My friends, I assure you that while you're here in Illinois, we will do everything in our power to support you and protect you because this isn't just about Texas, it's not just about Illinois, it's about every American having the right to be heard. Now is the time for fighters to be bold, unflinching, and fearless as we stand up for our democracy. And that's what we'll continue doing in Illinois, and we're proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our friends in Texas in this fight. And with that, it is now my honor to pass it over to a true champion for democracy who also happens to be the best governor in the nation, Governor J.B Pritzker.
Governor J.B Pritzker (05:42):
Well, good morning everyone.
Crowd (05:46):
Good morning.
Governor J.B Pritzker (05:46):
I really am so pleased to welcome DNC chair Ken Martin, along with Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher, and Congressman Al Green, all of course from the state of Texas. And we're here of course, because Texas House Democrats are demonstrating what it means to fight for the preservation of our constitutional republic. Donald Trump, Governor Abbott, Texas Republicans, well, they know that they're headed toward a loss of the Congress in 2026. They're afraid, and they should be because when you try to tear healthcare away from veterans and seniors, from children and people with disabilities, when you raise tariff taxes on groceries and beer and automobiles, when you let poor and working-class families go hungry, when you allow smokestack industries to pollute the air and remove safety standards from food producers, well, all so that you can give a massive tax break to Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos and Bill Ackman. Well, frankly, you'd better watch out.
Crowd (07:01):
Yeah.
(07:01)
That's right.
(07:01)
Yes.
Governor J.B Pritzker (07:01):
You're going to lose your elections. So they've decided that the only way to save themselves is to cheat, to change the rules in the middle of the game. And what do MAGA Republicans in Texas do when Donald Trump ignores, well, his oath of office and theirs, and when they're taking it upon themselves to thwart the will of the American people? Well, they say when Donald Trump calls, they say, "Yes, sir. Right away, sir. Happy to lick your boot, sir." When Donald Trump says, "Jump." Greg Abbott and Ken Paxton say, "How high?" They don't care that they're violating the Voting Rights Act, and racially gerrymandering their state. Well, they're hoping they can rob the bank and get away before anyone notices.
(07:50)
Texas Republicans are trying to diminish the voting power of their own constituents. And in doing so, diminish the rights of Illinoisans and all Americans. Texas House Democrats are putting their lives on hold, and their livelihoods at risk because they don't want to live in a country where the President rigs elections for his side. That's not democracy, that's not America. To be in public office right now is to constantly ask yourself, "How do I make sure that we're standing on the right side of history?" Well, there's a simple answer. The wrong side of history will always tell you to be afraid. And the right side of history will always expect you to be courageous.
(08:36)
Texas House Democrats are leading the way in choosing courage and country over politics and party. That's what it means to fight for what's right. And I love this country too, and I love it so much that I'm going to fight for it too, right alongside my heroes, the Texas House Democrats. So the state of Illinois is proud to stand side by side with these brave Texas Democrats, heroes in the battle to save our democracy. Ladies and gentlemen, I want to introduce the leader of the National Democratic Party, the great Ken Martin. Ken.
Ken Martin (09:22):
Thank you Governor. Thank you. I want to thank Governor Pritzker, of course, Lieutenant Governor Stratton, and Chairwoman Hernandez. Most importantly, I want to thank the patriots behind me. Patriotism means standing up for our constitution in this time when it's under assault from people throughout this country, including our President of the United States. Let me tell you something though, and you heard it from the governor, democrats are fighting back. We're not rolling over. And I've been saying to these Texas Republicans, if you want a showdown, well, you're going to get a showdown. And here it is right now, here in Illinois.
(09:57)
Unlike Texas Republicans who held just one hearing, one hearing on flood response, but eight hearings on rigging maps. Texas Democrats are doing their damn jobs. They're standing up for the constitution, they're standing up for the democracy, they're standing up for the voices of their constituents. There is nothing more American than calling out corruption, blasting bullies who seek to harm others, and defending democracy and the will of the voters. We are here on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, to once again stand up for fairness and justice, because just as the icons of the Civil Rights Movement marched, protested, and got into good trouble. Just as Dr. King and Fannie Lou Hamer, and John Lewis fought to ensure that Americans could access the ballot regardless of the color of their skin, so too are these courageous Texas House Democrats standing up and fighting back against a racial, gerrymandering scheme to disenfranchise Black and Latino voters all to desperately hold on to Congress in the midterms.
(11:02)
I am here because the DNC is standing shoulder to shoulder with them every single step of the way. And let me tell you something, we are supporting them not because it's a political fight, although it is. Not because it's a necessary fight, although it is. We are supporting them because this is a moral fight, a fight worth fighting with every tool at our disposal. A fight for the fundamental value that voters should get to choose their leaders, not the other way around. Now, our message today is simple, it didn't have to be this way. It did not have to be this way. But Governor Greg Abbott, he could have simply picked up his pen to directly support individuals and families affected by the devastating floods in Kerr County.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
Yeah. [inaudible 00:11:45] Today.
Ken Martin (11:45):
He didn't. He could have said no to Donald Trump, and refused to redraw the electoral map in Texas. He didn't. It's clear Republicans would rather play politics with our elections than support flood victims. They'd rather cheat than try to campaign on their failing record. A failing record, which by the way includes voting for Trump's budget bill, which rips away healthcare for up to 1.7 million Texans. Republicans are running scared that voting for this monstrosity will make them lose their majority, and it certainly will, which is why they're trying to disenfranchise Texas voters by packing and cracking them into districts to dilute their voting power, a clear and blatant violation of the Voting Rights Act.
(12:26)
Now, I want to be very clear about this. The Trump-Abbott gerrymander is a test case for the rest of the country. What Republicans are trying to do in Texas is a model for other red states to lie, cheat, and steal their way to victory. They don't give a damn about the will of voters or their needs. In fact, they'd rather bend the knee to Donald Trump in Washington D.C. than advocate for Texas. It's insulting, it's shameful, and it's wrong. And as I've said, Democrats are going to fight this tooth and nail, and until the will of the voters is respected. This is not the Democratic
Ken Martin (13:00):
…. at party of your grandfather which would bring a pencil-to-the-knife fight. This is a new Democratic Party. We're bringing a knife-to-a-knife fight, and we are going to fight fire with fire. We cannot, we will not let Republicans succeed in their efforts to gerrymander the map and tilt the election in their favor.
(13:20)
I want to thank all of those who are here in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the Texas House Democratic Caucus who have broken quorum to prevent this illegal Republican gerrymander from going through. And with that, it's my great honor to introduce one of those brave patriots, true patriot, State Representative Ramon Romero from Fort Worth.
Ramon Romero (13:49):
Thank you, Chair Martin. My name is Ramon Romero, Jr., state representative, District 90 in Fort Worth, Texas, and also chairman of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, the oldest and largest Latino caucus in the United States of America.
(14:03)
So right now, there's folks saying that we walked out. I think everyone behind me will say we're standing up. And as Texans would say, "We're standing tall." There's others that are saying and warning us that they're going to arrest us or make us pay fines. I'll pay that price for America.
Audience (14:23):
Yes.
Ramon Romero (14:24):
And I think everyone behind me would say they would do the same.
Audience (14:26):
Right.
Ramon Romero (14:27):
That would be a very small price to pay for what we would save for these Americans that have fought so hard and against the maps that aim directly at Black and brown voices. Tomorrow marks 60 years since the Voting Rights Act was signed into law, and that law that was born at a sacrifice of people bleeding, marching, and even dying for the right to vote.
Audience (14:57):
Right.
Ramon Romero (14:58):
And now, here we are one day before that anniversary, watching Trump try to destroy it. That power grab by Trump and Abbott doesn't just have the goal of getting five more seats in Congress. It has another goal, a goal more sinister than that. And that is to make people believe that their vote doesn't really matter.
(15:19)
That's why it's all of our fight, just like it was 60 years ago. LBJ signed that law. He was a proud Texan willing to stand up and fight for the sake of a better America. In a very difficult time, many of us remember what it was like prior to integration. And remember those fights, they were not anything we want to go back to.
(15:43)
I had my femur broken when I was four years old just for being in the wrong place, thrown off of my own porch, broken because of those race wars. Today, we should never want to go back to. That's what's being created right now when you shut a community out. Americans previously silenced through the era of segregation and a lack of basic human rights in a nation that was founded by principles, freedom, liberty, and yes, justice for all. That's what LBJ fought for even though he knew he would lose the South.
Audience (16:18):
That's right.
Ramon Romero (16:18):
We don't have that kind of leadership in Texas anymore. We have a follower. We fought a fight this year as Governor Abbott had his voucher scam to remove public school dollars and sent him to private schools and he was losing. He made a call to Trump, "Trump, I need your help." And those people on the Republican side, they folded. So what we have today is Governor Abbott receiving the call from Trump and repaying that favor.
Audience (16:51):
That's right.
Ramon Romero (16:51):
And that's a shame. So today, we Texans, we're doing something we don't normally ask for. We're asking for help, maybe just as they did back in the days of the Alamo when they asked the rest of the country to come and join in on this fight. So we do ask you to join this fight because we're defending the rights of all Americans to value their vote and never be discouraged by way of a map drawn to say that your vote doesn't matter.
(17:27)
We live in a blessed land, and the land is for all, for freedom above all. So I want to thank you today, Governor Pritzker for welcoming us in Illinois. And Lieutenant Governor Stratton, thank you for that beautiful message. And I don't know your daddy at 92 years old, but I love that man already.
(17:45)
DNC Chair Martin, thank you. For everyone in DC, thank you for everybody that's come out on this fight. Lisa Hernandez, thank you for welcoming us as well and all the Texas congressional members that are standing behind us. And now, I want to welcome somebody that's famous in many, many, many ways and a very gifted speaker, a very passionate human, my colleague, Barbara Hawkins, leader of the Legislative Black Caucus.
Barbara Hawkins (18:17):
Thank you, Romero. I want to talk to America. America, this is not a Texas fight. This is an American fight.
Audience (18:29):
Right.
Barbara Hawkins (18:30):
And we need each and every one of you involved and engaged. I'm Barbara Gavin-Hawkins, state representative out of San Antonio, Texas. I'm also chair of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, and I'm on the redistricting committee. So I've seen firsthand what my colleagues are attempting to do.
(18:52)
I'm proud to be here in Illinois with my colleagues who've given up and have sacrificed a lot, jobs, family, being caregivers. It's been a challenge and people say, "What are you doing in Illinois?" We hear understanding that we do have real allies, allies who's also willing to sacrifice for us. I also want to talk to my colleagues, my Republican colleagues in Texas. You wrong for this, you wrong for this.
Audience (19:30):
That's right.
Barbara Hawkins (19:31):
You already have the governor's office. You're the majority of the Senate, the majority in the House. What more do you want?
Audience (19:40):
Freedom.
Barbara Hawkins (19:41):
What more do you want? You have the power. It is time for y'all to love America again. I'm looking for my colleagues, my Republican colleagues to be brave and stand up to what this demand has come. Think about it. We have a devastation that we have not addressed in our city. Over 130 people passed away. Many young people, some of those camp owners I know. But yet, we're trying to ram a redistricting map. If they were serious about truly trying to go the will of the people that they think, we could do this next year or next time or wait for 10 years to do this.
(20:31)
But the reality is Trump called, and they fell down and say, "What do you want us to do?" which says they're weak, and we don't need that in Texas. Texas is a grace state, and we need to show our courage. And I'm asking my colleagues to show your courage, to be willing to fight the fight and stand against as we all together save America.
(20:59)
I'm also looking at our Republicans across the country. Call some of your colleagues and tell them to vote against this because it is shameful. Now, I come from an athletic family. If anybody heard the name Gervin, they know about the finger roll.
(21:18)
My brother may not have won a championship. But guess what? He never cheated in a game.
Audience (21:24):
That's right.
Barbara Hawkins (21:24):
He never cheated. And guess what our Republican colleagues are trying to do? Cheating the game, and that's wrong. With that, I'd like to introduce a congresswoman, Fletcher, who's in DC also fighting the fight because as we join together collectively as Americans, not Black, white, brown, green or blue, but as Americans who love this great country, let's stand together. Congresswoman.
Audience (22:03):
Yes.
Lizzie Fletcher (22:03):
Thank you so much, Representative Hawkins. And I am here to say thank you. I am Lizzie Fletcher, and I have the privilege of chairing Texas's Democratic Congressional delegation in the 119th Congress.
(22:16)
So on behalf of all of us, I'm here to say thank you to Governor Pritzker. Thank you to Lieutenant Governor Stratton. Thank you to Chairwoman Hernandez. Thank you to the Illinois Congressional delegation members who are joining us here today and who have been welcoming our friends and colleagues and heroes from Texas here in Illinois.
(22:36)
It is good to be back in Illinois. I was last here about a year ago, and I headed home to Texas after a pretty big convention, feeling hopeful for democracy and inspired by what I saw here in Chicago, here in Illinois. And I returned to Illinois last night feeling the same kind of hope and feeling a real inspiration because what we see here happening in Illinois is the fight for our democracy, is the fight for America. And the people standing here today are on the front lines of that fight. These are the fighters for our democracy, and they are helping give a voice to all Texans and all Americans.
(23:22)
And it's Democrats who are leading that fight. They are the ones fighting for democracy here in Illinois and across our beautiful country. So I also want to thank the head of the Democratic Party, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Ken Martin, who's here with us today who we already heard from. I'm here to say thank you to him too because he knows what we know.
(23:42)
In Texas, we're used to saying everything's bigger in Texas. And it's a pretty big state, 254 counties, 30 million people. But we know that this is bigger than Texas. And Chair Martin, everyone in Illinois and people across the country are standing up and standing up with us.
(23:59)
So I'm here to say thank you to all of them. And I'm here to say thank you for standing up for our country, for America, for the land of the free and the home of the brave. And I am here today to thank the brave, and that is the members of the Texas House Democratic Caucus who are here in Illinois who are fighting the fight on behalf of Texans and all Americans. Representative Hawkins, Representative Romero are such great examples of the incredible members of the Texas House Democratic Caucus who have been working tirelessly to protect the rights of our fellow Texans and of all Americans. And the Texas House Democrats have taken a courageous stand. Make no mistake, they are here despite aggressive threats from our governor, from our attorney general and from others who are threatening them. They are coming here at great sacrifice and at great risk.
(25:04)
But let's make one thing clear. They are here to do their jobs, and they are doing their jobs by being here.
Audience (25:14):
That's right.
Lizzie Fletcher (25:19):
They are protecting our fellow Texans from the racist and illegal maps that the governor and the Texas legislature are trying to rush through at the behest of President Trump. They are here standing up for the millions of Texans whose voices will be taken away if these maps are enacted.
(25:39)
And it's important to know that in Texas, that means taking away the voices of minority voters who are the majority in our state. And with it, with all they are doing, it's important to understand this. We have, and I'll say just very briefly for those who need to know, we have 13
Lizzie Fletcher (26:00):
Democrats in Congress out of a delegation of 38 and all 13 of those Democrats who've been elected to the United States Congress are elected by a coalition of minority voters. Those are the only members of Congress who are consistently and reliably the candidates of choice of minority voters in Texas. This map wants to take away five of those opportunities for minority voters to have their say and elect their candidate of choice.
(26:33)
In Texas, we have a long and shameful history of discrimination against minority voters. We all know about the white primaries that were struck down by the Supreme Court in 1944 and the other racist tactics to prevent people from exercising their right to vote at the ballot box. Tomorrow we will celebrate the anniversary of the Voting Rights Act that said that people who live in states like Texas cannot do that anymore.
(27:04)
Ever since the Voting Rights Act was enacted, Texas has been found in congressional map after congressional map and legislative map after legislative map to have violated the rights of Texans, of minority Texans who've historically been discriminated against in our state. So it is absolutely critical that we use our voices and our opportunity now to explain that this map, this proposal violates the Voting Rights Act. It is an illegal racial gerrymander.
(27:34)
In Texas those things are synonymous. When the GOP does a partisan gerrymander, it is a racial gerrymander. There is no difference in Texas. It's important for everyone to know that this isn't just politics. This isn't just politics. So it's important that everyone across the country know and understand that we're fighting for the rights that are enshrined in the Voting Rights Act and that are the rights of every single American to have a say and the ability to exercise their right to vote in our country.
(28:03)
So Texas Democrats are here to do that, and I am so proud to see my representatives, my friends and colleagues taking a stand for all Texans and with it, with the stand they're taking they're inspiring the nation. That's important because we need to know across the country what's happening and what's at stake.
(28:22)
Over the last six months, we have seen an unprecedented and un-American power grab by the White House. We've seen Republicans in Congress and now Republicans in Texas at every turn letting it happen and sometimes cheering it on. Well, Democrats aren't going to do that. Democrats are not going to let it happen. While Republicans are surrendering, Democrats are fighting. Texas Democrats are fighting and every American can and must fight back. With that, I'm proud to turn it over to my colleague from Houston, Congressman Al Green.
Al Green (28:59):
I am proud to be a Democrat and I'm very proud to be here with some people who are making trouble. We got some Texans who've come all the way to Chicago to make trouble. John Lewis would call them good troublemakers, good troublemakers. These are the kinds of people who want to make sure that we take care of people here on Earth. Why do I say this? Because I just heard this morning that this administration wants to put a nuclear reactor on the moon. I'm concerned about accessible housing here on Earth.
(30:03)
These are good troublemakers, so I cannot help but harken back now to the Edmund Pettus Bridge. John Lewis was a personal friend of mine, and if I may say so, we shared time together and we spent time together. We went to jail together. I'm proud to tell you, he told me the story of the Edmund Pettus Bridge. John Lewis explained to me that as they approached the crest to the bridge, they could see the men on horses. They could see men with clubs in their hands, yet they marched on. He knew what their intentionality was, but they marched on. They didn't turn back.
(30:51)
These good troublemakers are not turning back. They're going to march on. They're going to stand strong. They marched on and when they encountered the constabulary, they were met with clubs. They were simply trying to march peacefully from Selma to Montgomery. They were beaten all the way back to the church. John told me, he said, "I thought I was going to die on that bridge." The Edmund Pettus Bridge. This, my friends, is an Edmund Pettus bridge moment. This is one of those seminal moments in time that can impact the rest of time.
(31:32)
It's time for all of us, not just those of us who are here, but all of us in this country who believe in government of the people, by the people, for the people. Not government of the bureaucracy, by the bureaucracy, for the bureaucracy. Not government of the plutocrats, by the plutocrats, for the plutocrats. Not government of the very, very wealthy, for the wealthy, but government for you. The people. The people. If you believe in government for the people, you got to stand up for the people.
(31:59)
That doesn't just apply to the people who are here. There are some people who have strong voices, who have criticized Democrats, but they're not using their strong voices. You got to use your voice now. You got to come out. You got to come out. This is no time to take a break. Get involved. This is about us all. This is about our democracy, this is about our country. We all have to get involved.
(32:27)
As we get involved, let's remember this. At some point on the infinite continuum that we call time, we're all going to have to account for our time. On that day, the question won't be, how many full bellies did you feed? The question won't be, how many billionaires did you try to get money in their pockets and lend money to them?
(32:51)
No. The question's going to be, what did you do for the least, the last, and the lost? What did you do for those who were hungry? Did you try to feed them or did you try to take Snap from them? The question's going to be, what did you do for those who are unhoused living on the bridges, veterans with signs up that say, "Veteran, need help. Will work for food." What did you do for them? Did you try to build a nuclear reactor on the moon or did you try to get affordable, accessible housing for them right here on Earth?
(33:28)
There's some difficult days ahead, but on this infinite continuum, here's one thing that I know. I don't know what the judgment would be, but I know what the record will show. The record's going to show that troublemakers, good troublemakers, that Democrats, that Democrats were there for the least, the last, and the lost, that Democrats made a difference in the lives of people who were living in the streets of life, not just those living in the suites of life. Democrats are making a difference and yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, they're on the right side of history, but more important than all of this, they're on the right side of righteousness. Righteousness. Yes, what the governor is doing in Texas is wrong. What is wrong with you, Governor?
(34:22)
What is wrong with you? You've had babies to lose their lives. Families are suffering, and you are trying to redistrict Texas. You make this your number one item on your scorecard. What is wrong with you, Governor? You ought to be ashamed. Somebody's got to call you out. We're going to call you out now, and I believe we'll call you out in November of next year.
Speaker 5 (34:53):
That's right.
Al Green (34:54):
I close with this, dear brothers and sisters, and I say brothers and sisters because I truly do believe as Dr. King did, that there's just one race and that's the human race. All of us were created to live in harmony. Here's my closing.
(35:16)
I am a son of the segregated South. The laws that were recognized to protect me and the Constitution, my friends and neighbors denied me those laws. They denied me those privileges. I drank from colored water fountains. I sat in the back of the bus, the balcony of the movie, and I was locked up once and it was the bottom of the jail.
(35:40)
Yes, I was denied. I know invidious discrimination when I see it. I know what it looks like. I've celebrated my 25th birthday three times. I'm now two years into my fourth 25th. I know what it looks like. I know what it sounds like. I know what it smells like. What's happening in Texas is invidious discrimination. It is racial, my dear friends. It is racist. It is. We have to say it. We have to say it. That's what it is. I know it when I see it. I know it when I smell it. I know it when I hear it.
(36:19)
We have a duty, a responsibility and an obligation to stand up to it, all of us. I'm telling you, it's not just Texas. If it were just Texas, Emanuel Cleaver wouldn't have his seat on the chopping block in Missouri. It's more than Texas. It's this country. We, the Democrats are going to make the difference because when democracy was on the line, let it be said that Democrats took the stand to preserve and save democracy in the United States of America. God bless you. Thank you.
Ken Martin (37:03):
Thank you so much. Say, before we open it up for questions, there is one person I want to acknowledge, a couple people.
(37:07)
Of course, Leader Wu, thank you for your leadership of the caucus. I also want to acknowledge, he's somewhere here, my colleague, the chair of the Texas Democratic Party right over there, Kendall Scudder. Thank you for your leadership, Chairman. Of course, Congressman Marc Veasey is here, and Congresswoman Julie Johnson is here somewhere, I believe. There she is over there. Thank you both.
(37:29)
We're going to open it up for questions now, and I'll just call right over there. Go ahead. Can you please introduce yourself? Yes, of course.
Speaker 6 (37:37):
[inaudible 00:37:37]. Can you talk a little bit about why do you think President Trump has held back in talking about these issues since making that initial message to Governor Abbott?
Ken Martin (37:53):
Well, he hasn't held back. Just this morning, he said that the Republicans are entitled to these five seats. Let me just be really clear about this. No party is entitled to any district. We have to go out and earn the votes, and that's what a democracy is about. The fact that Donald Trump believes he's entitled to these seats and he's entitled to this unconstitutional power grab, should tell you everything you need to know.
(38:17)
Listen, at the end of the day, as I said, we're going to keep standing up to this. It's illegal, it's immoral, it's racist. Look, Donald Trump has talked about it. He's going to continue to talk about it. His first call was to Greg Abbott. They're doing his bidding. It's very clear what they're up to here because they know they're going to lose in 2026.
Speaker 7 (38:40):
[inaudible 00:38:40] with the Chicago Tribune. I have a question for Governor Pritzker.
Ken Martin (38:42):
Yes.
J.B. Pritzer (38:42):
Sure.
Speaker 7 (38:45):
I believe Trump said as recently as this morning that Illinois is already gerrymandered. I'm curious whether you're any closer now than you were a few days ago to possibly [inaudible 00:38:56] us from Illinois. If you're taking any actions to that such as
Speaker 8 (39:00):
What about the… You've been active for [inaudible 00:39:02]
Governor J.B Pritzker (39:05):
Look, I've been really clear that… Again, let me repeat. Donald Trump is a cheater. So is Governor Greg Abbott.
Barbara Hawkins (39:14):
That's right.
Governor J.B Pritzker (39:14):
And Texas Republicans are carrying out their will. And if they're going to cheat, then all of us have to take a hard look at what the effect of that cheating is on democracy. And that means we've all got to stand up and do the right thing. So as far as I'm concerned, everything is on the table.
Mary Ann Ahern (39:35):
Governor?
Governor J.B Pritzker (39:36):
Yes.
Ken Martin (39:36):
We'll go over there. Sorry, yeah..
Mary Ann Ahern (39:40):
I'm Mary Ann Ahern from NBC in Chicago. What does that mean exactly? What is your commitment financially, if they're here for two weeks and they return again? Can you give us a little more detail on what logistics you mean?
Governor J.B Pritzker (39:52):
Well, I know that you're all interested in whether I'm writing checks to this.
Mary Ann Ahern (39:56):
Yeah. Of course.
Governor J.B Pritzker (39:57):
Let me be clear. You're saying "Of course," but let me be clear. I have stood with the Texas House Democrats. We have been in consultation for weeks and weeks. This possibility was always something that we feared. And I made it clear to them that we'd do everything that we could logistically and otherwise to try to support them.
(40:18)
I have not written a check or supported them financially, though I am not reticent to do that. But I have not done that. But lots and lots of people around the country have. Lots of people. And you can go to texasdemocrats.com/donate and give money to support this and the efforts of Texas Democrats across the state.
Speaker 10 (40:38):
Has your Think Big America donated? I noticed you guys have some-
Governor J.B Pritzker (40:42):
No.
Speaker 10 (40:43):
… messages coming up.
Governor J.B Pritzker (40:43):
No. Again-
Ken Martin (40:44):
Right here.
Governor J.B Pritzker (40:45):
I know y'all are interested in that, but no.
Speaker 11 (40:46):
Hi, I'm here with Texas Review.
Governor J.B Pritzker (40:46):
Yeah. Please.
Speaker 11 (40:51):
[inaudible 00:40:50] said the DNC is standing with Texas Democrats in every single way. Does that include financial support?
Ken Martin (40:54):
Again, right now, we are going to continue to support their efforts as we have. We've had communications help, we've provided organizing help. We've been on the ground from day one of this really tragic episode here. And we're going to continue to support those efforts. And you know what? We're going to do everything we can to help resource this, make sure that they have the resources to actually pull this off.
(41:19)
They're making huge sacrifices. Every single one of these folks have left their jobs, they've left their families, they left their communities that they love. And you know what? It's time that the Democratic Party and all people who care about democracy support them in these efforts. We're going to do everything we can to support them. Yes, back there.
Governor J.B Pritzker (41:37):
Yeah. Thank you.
Speaker 12 (41:40):
[inaudible 00:41:41] with Fox 26 in Houston. Chairman, I'm wondering what your response is to the Department of Justice saying the redistricting is for four districts in Texas that are gerrymandered because they're coalition districts, because they're predominantly Black and Hispanic, including Congressman Green's District Nine. That they're correcting an old mistake by redistricting [inaudible 00:42:00].
Ken Martin (42:00):
I think it's ridiculous. It's a pretext for them to do this. And they're absolutely wrong on their analysis here. The reality is is that this is clearly, they're violating the Voting Rights Act. There's no doubt about it. They're disenfranchising minority voters. Look, where's Congressman Fletcher? And Congressman Fletcher can talk about this, but the reality is I think that Department of Justice analysis on this is completely flawed. I don't buy it. It's garbage. It's pretext to do what they're doing right now. It's not factual. It's not based in law.
(42:33)
And again, we're going to fight it. And I expect litigation. I expect us to do everything. As I said, we're going to fight fire with fire. We're going to use every tool at our disposal, including pushing back on what the Department of Justice says here. And Lizzie, do you want to-
Lizzie Fletcher (42:45):
Sure.
Ken Martin (42:45):
… say some more on that?
Lizzie Fletcher (42:47):
Absolutely, yeah. I'll just add one thing because I think it's important. I think Chair Martin is absolutely right that that letter is pretext for this action, but that letter is not right, legally or otherwise.
(42:56)
And important facts to note, Texas Republicans drew this map in 2021, that they are now saying has a problem. And Texans have been in court just this year in a trial in El Paso where every single person involved in drawing those maps testified under oath that these maps were drawn race-blind. That is what they said they did. And it's important to know they drew these maps.
Barbara Hawkins (43:23):
Let me add something.
Ken Martin (43:23):
Right there.
Barbara Hawkins (43:23):
May I add something, please?
Ken Martin (43:23):
Oh, yeah.
Barbara Hawkins (43:23):
Please allow me to add this. Yes, there is a trial in El Paso. I'm one of the plaintiffs. I've been in court almost since I arrived in Congress, fighting against invidious discrimination. And for everybody's edification, the Attorney General of the State of Texas says that the maps were colorblind. The Attorney General, the architect, said to be one of the Senators, I won't call her name, but I know her initials.
Speaker X (44:01):
Joan Huffman.
Barbara Hawkins (44:02):
Everybody knows who she is. Joan Huffman, all right. She says that the map is colorblind.
Speaker X (44:09):
Under oath.
Barbara Hawkins (44:10):
The President of the United States, by and through his Attorney General used that language because he knows it's a buzzword, buzz language. It triggers things. It triggers emotions. That's why he did it. And well, we're not going to let him get away with it. This country still stands for liberty and justice for all. And that's why we Democrats are going to enforce just that premise, liberty and justice for all.
Speaker 9 (44:36):
Chair Martin, [inaudible 00:44:38]
Ken Martin (44:38):
We got room for a few more questions. Right over there.
Speaker 9 (44:40):
[inaudible 00:44:41] Governor, just to follow up on the questions from earlier.
Governor J.B Pritzker (44:42):
Sure.
Speaker 9 (44:43):
Can you just level set for people, there are three Republicans in the state delegation here in Illinois. You can't undo what is happening in Texas if that is successful with the five Republicans that would be added there. What's the extent of the pushback that you could have here in Illinois on what's happening in Texas?
Governor J.B Pritzker (45:02):
Look, number one, we're very happy to host these heroes and stand up with them and for them. Here in the state of Illinois, it is possible to redistrict. It's not something that I want to do. It's not something that any of us want to have to do. We're hoping that this will be successful, that the fact that there's no quorum in Texas will be successful.
(45:23)
But once again, we're fighting for democracy. There are no rules anymore, apparently. And so we're going to have to play by the set of rules that, well, that are being set out in front of us. Which, frankly, none of us believes is the right way to operate. And what Congressman Green said is right. This is unconstitutional. This is about standing up for people's voting rights and standing up for Black and brown people who are going to be iced out-
Barbara Hawkins (45:50):
That's right.
Governor J.B Pritzker (45:51):
… by what Donald Trump and Greg Abbott are trying to do. So here in Illinois, we'll do everything that we can to support that endeavor.
Speaker 13 (45:59):
Chair Martin? Can I just-
Ken Martin (46:00):
We're going to go here and then we'll go here. Go ahead.
Speaker 13 (46:03):
You said what Republicans-
Ken Martin (46:04):
Can you introduce yourself?
Speaker 13 (46:05):
… as a model for other red States to lie, cheat, and steal their way to victory. Is this also a model for blue states to lie, cheat, and steal their way to prepare-
Ken Martin (46:14):
Listen, our constitution is under assault. Voting rights are being completely violated. Now is not the time for one party to play by the rules while the other party has completely ignored them. So they've decided to cheat. They've decided to cheat, and we're going to respond in kind.
(46:31)
And listen. Listen, none of us wanted to be here.
Speaker X (46:34):
That's right.
Ken Martin (46:35):
This is Donald Trump and Greg Abbott's doing, make no mistake about it. The Democratic Party didn't start this fight, but we're not going to roll over. They want to fight? We're going to give it to them and we're going to put every option on the table.
Barbara Hawkins (46:49):
That's right.
Speaker X (46:49):
Right.
Ken Martin (46:49):
Right there. This is our last question right here. Go ahead.
Speaker X (46:54):
Mr. Chairman.
Speaker 14 (46:56):
Chairman, can you say anything more about how you'll be funding this effort?
Speaker X (46:56):
Why all you care about is money? [inaudible 00:46:58] This is bigger than the money [inaudible 00:47:01] about.
Andrew Yang (47:00):
Yeah, I'm curious about the obsession with how it's being funded. My phone and the phones of every member here have been blowing up nonstop from constituents, from people that I've met like five years ago, from people around the country somehow got my number texting me, "We support you. How can we help?" I have to have our donation link saved to a separate file so I can just go and copy it and paste it in every single time. Who is supporting us? The American people are supporting us.
Speaker X (47:36):
Yes.
(47:37)
Thank you.
Ken Martin (47:41):
Okay. Thank you everybody. Thank you everybody. And thank these Texas Patriots right here. Thank you.
Speaker X (47:47):
[Inaudible 00:47:48] Thank you so much. Thank you. [inaudible 00:47:48].
Speaker 15 (47:47):
Man, you're amazing. Thank you so much. I admire you so much. [inaudible 00:47:48] You call me. I'll come to you. I don't care what it is.
Speaker X (48:11):
Thank you guys.
Speaker 15 (48:11):
Thank you. God bless you.
Congressman Veasey (48:20):
Governor, thank you. Man, I really appreciate you [inaudible 00:48:25]. And my district is one of-