Talarico: We have a lot more work to do, and we gotta keep our foot on the gas, because it’s gonna take all of us to win this race
AUSTIN, TX — On Tuesday, U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico joined The Breakfast Club to discuss how he is working to earn the vote of every Texan. In the hour-long conversation, Talarico discussed Texas’ senseless THC ban, how his faith shapes his politics, voting rights, attacks on Black political power, and his time as a teacher.
KEY CLIPS
WATCH: TALARICO CONDEMNS TEXAS THC BAN
James Talarico: This is a prime example of what corruption looks like when you’ve got big industries buying politicians and pushing bills that harm people but benefit them financially. And I think a lot of Texans, a lot of young Texans, a lot of our veterans, they use THC products for PTSD; seniors use it.
Charlamagne tha God: It’s from the earth, James. It’s in the Bible – the burning bush.
Angela Rye: Okay, that’s not the burning bush.
Talarico: I mean, they legalized hemp in Texas, I think it was six years ago, and this is now a booming industry in our state. I mean, these are local, small businesses. This bill, this ban is a gift to the drug cartels.
WATCH: TALARICO ON LEGALIZING WEED
Charlamagne tha God: Why do you wanna ban weed?
James Talarico: No, no, no, I’m for legalizing weed
Charlamagne: Oooooooooohhh
WATCH: TALARICO ON JESUS’ POLITICAL PARTY
Charlamagne tha God: If Jesus came back today, which political party do you think would be most uncomfortable for him?
James Talarico: I think both political parties would be deeply uncomfortable. Jesus is far more radical than any political party. And when I say ‘radical,’ I don’t mean extreme.
WATCH: TALARICO ON GERRYMANDERING DILUTING THE VOTING POWER OF BLACK AND BROWN TEXANS
James Talarico: This is the most aggressive attack on Black political power since Jim Crow. You look at the last 12 months, you look at these Supreme Court cases, you look at this racist redistricting map in Texas — and I say racist because it is systematically diluting the voting power of Black and Brown Texans.
WATCH: TALARICO ON RESTORING VOTING RIGHTS
James Talarico: The first thing that we have to do when we win this seat, when we have a government that actually serves people, we have to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. We have to restore federal voting rights protection. My faith is very important to me and I believe that these rights are God given. I don’t think these rights come from politicians because if they come from politicians, it means politicians can take them away. I think they are inherent to each person to each citizen.
Charlamagne tha God: Oh, they do take them away.
Angela Rye: But they have taken them away.
Talarico: Well, yeah, that’s what I’m saying. What they are doing is robbing people of rights that are inherent to them as human beings. The ability to shape your own destiny, the ability for all of us to shape our own destiny, that comes from something a lot bigger than any elected official or any political party.
WATCH: TALARICO ON POLITICIANS CHEATING BY REDISTRICTING
James Talarico: We can disagree on budget policy. We can disagree on education policy. But if you rob people of their voting rights, that means we don’t have a shot in the next election to make our case and change the power structure… What they’re doing in Texas is they are redrawing the lines in the middle of the decade, which is unprecedented. It’s like changing the rules after halftime because you’re worried that the other team’s going to win the game. It’s cheating.
Charlamagne tha God: I think more politicians should say that.
Talarico: That they’re cheating?
Charlamagne: Yes. Just like that.
WATCH: TALARICO ON WHY HE GOT INTO POLITICS
James Talarico: I entered the classroom right after the state legislature in Texas cut $5 billion from public schools. As a brand new teacher, I saw the impact of those cuts firsthand. At one point, I had 45 students in one classroom. There weren’t enough desks for all those kids, and so I had students sitting on the air conditioning unit. That got me mad. This is the wealthiest country in human history, and you’ve got kids sitting on the air conditioning unit.
