No country has been more invigorated by immigrant culture, more rewarded by immigrant labor and immigrant ideas than America.
— Marc Veasey
The American Dream has always focused on building a better life for yourself and your family, striving for success, and even fleeing from religious prosecution.
Sitting on the House Armed Services Committee is a great responsibility and an opportunity to represent not only the thousands of veterans in the 33rd Congressional District of Texas that I represent in Dallas-Fort Worth but also the active-duty men and women of our armed forces, national guard, and reserve components.
As a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the Congressional Joint Strike Fighter Caucus, I have been a staunch supporter of the production of the F-35 since day one and understand the importance of its production for my fellow Texans and our nation's security.
Starting in 2005, my first session in the legislature, my colleagues elected me to be Democratic whip.
I would love to see public option. If we had public option, then people would have that ability to supplement that public option with an additional health plan.
Sadly, voter suppression is not a thing of the past.
I know other people who have started their kids in tackle football for, like, four- and five-year-olds. So I think it's up to each individual's parents, but for me personally, no I wouldn't. But would I be OK with him playing in seventh or eighth grade? Yes.
Instead of continuing with his empty crusade against voter fraud, President Trump should urge his Republican colleagues in Congress to work with Democrats to update the 1965 Voting Rights Act and restore the right to vote to all American citizens.
There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud during the 2016 elections or any relatively recent election.
During my time in the Texas State Legislature, I witnessed firsthand the lack of evidence behind the rampant claims of voter fraud and the obstacles voters would face if the 2011 photo Voter ID were put in place.
There're a lot of Republicans in the state of Texas that vote by mail, probably more than Democrats. We make it an incentive to make it easier for seniors to be able to vote. I do believe, from a personal experience, it discourages people from voting. It's the hassle of getting the stamp that is my biggest concern.
You would hear stories of people that lost their houses. I remember people who had their whole lives turned upside down. I think people did learn lessons from the '80s.
It's amazing how small business owners figure out how to stretch a dollar as far as they possibly can.
One of the issues that differentiates union members in Texas and the Northeast is guns. That's a big issue.
When you go out and meet new people, you can come up with new ideas and be enlightened and help the country become a better place.
When the F-16 first was rolled out, there were many problems in the development. There were cost issues, and it ended up being one of the best planes the military has ever seen and kept this country protected and kept many jobs in the North Texas area.
Please continue to voice your beliefs, as your participation is the foundation of our country's democracy.
I look forward to doing my part to keep our solemn vow to veterans who have served our country with pride and distinction. They are all heroes in my eyes, and they deserve no less.
We must provide an improved early education system so that all students have the opportunity to learn and reach their full potential.
It is clear that the photo ID requirement is not a solution to a problem but is instead a political ploy to prevent traditionally disenfranchised populations from voting for the candidates of their choice.
I've always done party building and party fundraising.
I want police to be protected.
Let us not return to the old battlefield where so many shed blood and tears for the right to vote. Instead let us move forward to an era where all eligible Americans have equal access to the ballot box and have the freedom to vote for the candidate of their choosing.
Millennials want to live in urban areas.
As the lead plaintiff in Veasey v. Abbott, I'm proud of our fight and the progress made.
There are some policemen who overuse force, especially when there's an African-American involved, regardless of age.
The Supreme Court 2013 ruling that gutted the 1965 Voting Rights Act set in motion what many feared: the subjection of minorities, seniors, and low-income Americans to unfair, punitive barriers preventing them from exercising their most basic right as American citizens.
When I was a campaign worker, you would meet people who would want to vote but didn't have any money for postage. It happens more often than people think.
There's no question about the fact that for Democrats, Texas is a tough place.
You gain a lot of insight from employees by listening to them.
Elected officials want to paint everyone with a broad brush. What they don't get is that everyone pays bills. Liberal activists pay bills. Conservative activists pay bills. Independents pay bills.
I really want to do something to make our lives healthier.
I work in the commercial real estate sector.
Our friends, neighbors, and their families have been forced to live in the shadows out of fear of being torn from their families and deported from what is, for many of them, the only country they have ever known.
While I never served in uniform, I fully understand the great service and sacrifice that our brave men and women have given to our country.
What we need is an education system that works for every child, not a select few. This starts with providing a quality education for our youngest Americans so they can learn, grow, and become prosperous citizens.
I helped write the expunction code in the State of Texas to give people the opportunity to have their names cleared when they have been mistakenly arrested.
I've been a good Democratic leader.
I work hard to reach out to a lot of different people.
Voting rights matter. They are a major part of who we are as Americans.
Trinity River Vision is huge for Fort Worth.
I know from firsthand experience that claims of non-existent voter fraud are used to raise fears, steamroll facts, and overcome common sense, resulting in laws that have nothing to do with ballot security and everything to do with voter suppression and discrimination.
People really like the fact that I've worked at their job. It gives them a good feeling that I've experienced, even for a few hours, what they do on the job.
No one law or set of laws will end horrific acts of violence, but Congress has an obligation to take action and make sure that terrorists and bad guys don't have easy access to guns in our country.
I would say to Republicans that when you look at civil rights legislation that took place in the 1960s, it took a bipartisan effort to get those things done, and so what I would tell my colleagues, both Republicans and Democrats, is let's come together, and let's be for fairness.
When you have a system that increases border security funding by about 300 percent, and it only increases funding for immigration courts by 70 percent, you have a disaster.
When I go to Lockheed or General Motors... all those union members are gun owners. They believe in responsible gun ownership and responsible gun safety, but all those guys are gun owners, and that's not necessarily an issue in New Jersey.
I encourage all young people who are interested in government to try and apply to work for a congressman or some other elected official because you get very good experience.
I want to work on changing the way this country views exercise and nutrition.
