On the recordMarch 30, 2023
I am Greg Casar, and I represent the heart of Texas. I rise today to sound the alarm. Extremist Republicans are using the Texas legislature as a testing ground for their most extreme policies that they plan to spread across the country. Right now, top Texas officials are considering new laws to, one, create vigilante bounty hunter groups to go after immigrant families; two, defund our public schools; three, bar doctors from providing healthcare to transgender Texans; four, cap how much renewable energy our State can create; five, ban books and drag shows; six, block water breaks for construction workers; seven, ban citizens from Asian countries from attending public college; eight, they have already banned abortion and now they are going after emergency contraception. This vile blueprint may be the Republicans' plan for our State and our country, but they are not representative of Texas values. Texans take care of our neighbors, look out for each other. Americans want decent healthcare, housing they can afford, and a decent future for their kids. As public servants, we should lead with love and integrity. After all, Texas is a native word that means friendship, not cruelty. I may yield back my time, but not my efforts. ____________________
