DALLAS — Inside Texas Politics, hosted by Jason Whitely, covered an array of political headlines in Texas this week, including the support, or lack thereof, of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson from the state's Congressional leadership.
The show also featured insight on new efforts to make sure extra vaccine doses in Texas aren't going to waste.
As always, you can watch the full episode below. Here's a recap of this week's show:
Cornyn on Jackson's nomination
On Monday, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee will consider Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination to the Supreme Court. This starts the process for all 100 U.S. Senators to vote on whether she will join the Supreme Court.
Democrats have the support to get Judge Jackson out of the Judiciary Committee. And within days, it looks like they will also confirm her as the first Black woman to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Texas' two senators are not in support of her nomination. Inside Texas Politics began with a discussion with the state's senior senator, John Cornyn, who has just returned from Poland and Germany.
State Rep. Richard Raymond on extra vaccine doses
Surplus doses of the COVID vaccine usually end up in the trash. But for months, Laredo has rescued them from all over Texas. And the doses have been used to vaccinate Mexico residents who live right across the river from Texas.
The Texas Tribune first reported this story a few days ago. State Rep. Richard Raymond was an early proponent of this effort.
He's a Democrat from Laredo who joined Inside Texas Politics to talk about the efforts to make the most of the extra vaccine doses.
Dwaine Caraway is out of prison
Dwaine Caraway spent more than a decade as one of the most powerful men at Dallas City Hall. He even served as the 60th mayor of the city. But his career came crashing down when he pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges.
Caraway has just finished his prison sentence.
And he said in a special episode of Y'all-itics that there is still a lot more he wants to get done in Dallas.
Texas political headlines
Abby Livingston, the Washington D.C. bureau chief for the Texas Tribune, joined Jason Whitely for a discussion on the latest political headlines in Texas.
The committee will decide whether to send Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination to the full Senate. Democrats have the votes to get her there. And now it appears they have the votes to confirm Jackson as the country's first Black woman to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court.
This is a story Livingston has been living and breathing for the last few days. Judge Jackson has a lengthier resume than any of the last three Republican nominees. Is there another reason why Ted Cruz and 48 other Republicans do not support her?
Reporter Roundtable
Texas Tribune’s Abby Livingston and Bud Kennedy with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram joined Berna Dean Steptoe, WFAA’s political producer, for a discussion on the two political storylines in Texas:
- Attorney General Ken Paxton is using state money to defend his law license - it involves the complaints about his lawsuit to overturn the presidential election. Is this a state or personal matter? George P Bush is the challenger - is his campaign effective so far?
- U.S. Representative Filemon Vela resigned Thursday night. Why does this complicate things for Texas Democrats in south Texas?
Watch this week's episode below:
