Party Politics

This week on Party Politics, co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jay Aiyer break down the new realities of the presidential race as the Beto O’Rourke campaign ramps up. Jay and Brandon analyze O’Rourke’s political leanings and discuss the challenges he faces as he takes on the other candidates who want to lead the Democratic ticket in 2020.

Will O’Rourke’s past come back to haunt him? Is he liberal, moderate, or progressive? How long can he dominate social media? How long can he continue to raise money?

NATIONAL TOPICS
-Trump vetoes Congress bill to rebuke national emergency declaration
-Trump v. John McCain
-2020 roundup – Joe Biden run? Does Elizabeth Warren want to abolish the electoral college?
-College admissions scandal
-California Congressman Devin Nunes sues Twitter

TEXAS TOPICS
-Massive fire at Deer Park petrochemical facility
-Joaquin Castro’s potential race for U.S. Senate challenging John Cornyn
-DPS director takes blame for data errors in voter review
-Texas House Appropriations Committee passes $115 billion budget plan
-Native American inmates win right to long hair in Texas

You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Tweet us using #PartyPoliticsPod or email [email protected]. Party Politics is produced by Don Geraci, the audio engineer is Todd Hulslander and our digital editor is Alvaro ‘Al’ Ortiz.

This week on Party Politics, co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jay Aiyer chat with Lizzie Fletcher, the newly-elected Representative for U.S. House District 7 (D-Houston), which encompasses parts of western and northwestern Harris County.

Congresswoman Fletcher gives us a look at an "average week" on Capitol Hill, discusses Harvey recovery funds, and what her priorities are going forward. Plus, she dishes on her go-to Houston ‘Tex-Mex’ and her favorite Houston Rodeo memories!

NATIONAL
-Freshman class of the 116th Congress
-Style vs. substance on legislation
-Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund
-Co-chairing the Task Force on Trade, Chairing Subcommittee on Environment
-Democrat Coalition Caucus

TEXAS
-Texas’ political demographics
-Mass transit in Houston
-Congressional District 7’s issues
-March 2020 primary in Texas
-Congresswoman Fletcher’s personal preferences

You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Tweet us using #PartyPoliticsPod or email [email protected]. Party Politics is produced by Don Geraci, the audio engineer is Todd Hulslander and our digital editor is Alvaro ‘Al’ Ortiz.

Earlier this week the Texas Senate unanimously passed their first piece of legislation on school finance reform, addressing one of Governor Greg Abbott’s emergency items for the current legislative session.

The bill passed in the upper chamber would cost $4 billion over the next two years and provide $5,000 annual pay raises for full-time classroom teachers and librarians.

As the bill heads to the state House of Representatives, reactions across the political aisle seem to be at odds, with many raising concern on the bill’s ability to provide property tax relief.

This week, Party Politics co-hosts Jay Aiyer and Brandon Rottinghaus discuss the political implications of the bill and the obstacles it will face as it passes through the lower chamber of the Texas Legislature.

NATIONAL
-2020 Presidential update
-Congress blocks Trump’s national emergency at the border
-Jared Kushner’s security clearance
-Trump’s speech at Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC)
-Ivanka Trump jokes about her dad at Gridiron Club dinner

TEXAS
-Representative Victoria Neave sued over unpaid property taxes
-Update on special election in Texas House District 145
-2020 U.S. Senate roundup
-Proposed legislation to loosen anti-marijuana laws

You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Tweet us using #PartyPoliticsPod or email [email protected]. Party Politics is produced by Don Geraci, the audio engineer is Todd Hulslander and our digital editor is Alvaro ‘Al’ Ortiz.

Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer, testified before the House Oversight Committee and described the President as a con man, as well as a racist and disloyal person. His explosive testimony came in the aftermath of Cohen’s own plea deal for lying before Congress.

Will Cohen’s testimony matter in the ongoing investigation of the President? Should his testimony even be considered, in light of his own conviction? What are the political implications for Democrats and Republicans? Party Politics co-hosts Jay Aiyer and Brandon Rottinghaus break down the testimony and look at the impact it might have for Trump.

NATIONAL TOPICS
-2020 Presidential roundup! Who’s in and who’s out
-North Carolina 9th Congressional District gets a redo
-Joaquin Castro’s resolution passes the U.S. House and rebukes the border wall
-Trump and Kim Jong Un’s summit ends with little progress
-The President invites Americans to set aside Fourth of July for a celebration

TEXAS TOPICS
-Governor Greg Abbott sets record on fundraising
-Senator John Cornyn quotes Benito Mussolini - U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez reacts
-The Texas Legislature discusses billion dollar figures for funding of public schools
-A federal judge orders Texas to end effort to purge voter rolls

You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Tweet us using #PartyPoliticsPod or email [email protected].

Party Politics is produced by Don Geraci, the audio engineer is Todd Hulslander and our digital editor is Alvaro ‘Al’ Ortiz.

President Trump won the battle over his proposed border wall, but the war rages on. Despite Congress passing and the President signing a budget full of border security funds, including some for physical barriers, Trump declared a national emergency to tap into additional funds to build the wall his way.

Party Politics co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jay Aiyer discuss the implications of this order, the political blowback and legislative relations following this executive action. 

NATIONAL TOPICS
-2020 Roundup! (Feel the Bern, Bill Weld enters Republican fray, Obamas not endorsing)
-New Jersey Attorney General looking into Trump’s inauguration
-SCOTUS and the Census’ question on citizenship
-Heather Nauert withdraws from UN ambassadorship
-Trump talks Venezuela
-Nobel Peace Prize for Trump? Japanese PM mum on his nomination

TEXAS TOPICS
-Senate poll has Beto O’Rourke close
-Angela Paxton files legislation to help her husband
-Kim Ogg is denied more prosecutors
-Butterfly habitat saved from wall by Congress

You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Tweet us using #PartyPoliticsPod or email [email protected]. Party Politics is produced by Don Geraci, the audio engineer is Todd Hulslander and our digital editor is Alvaro ‘Al’ Ortiz.

Against the backdrop of a potential second shutdown, House and Senate leaders came up with a compromise funding bill to keep the government open. The White House said President Trump will sign the bill, but will also declare a national emergency to stop what the administration categorizes as a “national security and humanitarian crisis at the border.”

Jay Aiyer and Brandon Rottinghaus break down what happened and what happens next in the wall debate. Also, a look at the current 2020 roundup of presidential candidates, from Senator Amy Klobuchar’s snowy debut to Senator Kamala Harris’ pot smoking story.

Plus, the Democrats’ Green New Deal, the president’s physical, Dan Patrick and the Freedom Caucus on the border wall, and military veteran MJ Hegar looks to take on Senator John Cornyn. All that and more on this episode of Party Politics.

National Topics
-2020 roundup — Klobuchar makes a snowy debut, Kamala talks about pot
-Green New Deal — A viable plan or a progressive fantasy?
-Jeff Bezos v. David Pecker
-Trump is fit as a fiddle!
-The President comes to El Paso, Beto O’Rourke was waiting

Local Topics
-MJ Hegar looks to take on Cornyn
-SB2 — Property tax bill heads to Senate floor
-Is Texas Secretary of State nominee David Whitley in trouble?
-Texas Freedom Caucus proposes using Rainy Day Fund for wall
-Dan Patrick says border wall prevents beheadings!
-Harris County DA loses bid to add more prosecutors

You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Tweet us using #PartyPoliticsPod or email [email protected]. Party Politics is produced by Don Geraci, the audio engineer is Todd Hulslander and our digital editor is Alvaro ‘Al’ Ortiz.

An embattled President Donald Trump delivered his postponed State of the Union address this week and Party Politics co-hosts Jay Aiyer and Brandon Rottinghaus highlight the top issues and controversies.

Did Trump reset his policy agenda? Did he deliver on his promises of bipartisanship and make overtures to wavering Republicans? Did the President double-down on funding for the border wall? Did he make a surprise announcement on a long-planned summit with North Korea?

This week’s episode answers these questions and more!

NATIONAL
-Cory Booker is running for President
-Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s blackface scandal
-New Interior Secretary
-Trump and “Executive Time”
-The mystery of Trump’s tan

TEXAS
-Senator John Cornyn’s impressive fundraising numbers – Is he vulnerable in a changing political climate?
-Attorney General Ken Paxton asks for more $$
-David Whitley, nominee for Secretary of State, faces a tough hearing
-Governor Greg Abbott delivers State of the State address – What emergency items did he pick?

You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Tweet us using #PartyPoliticsPod or email [email protected]. Party Politics is produced by Don Geraci, the audio engineer is Todd Hulslander and our digital editor is Alvaro ‘Al’ Ortiz.

The office of the Texas Secretary of State David Whitley recently flagged about 95,000 registered voters for citizenship checks. However, in Harris County, the number of people on that initial list has since dropped by thousands.

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), a historic civil and voting rights group, is crying foul and has filed litigation against the state of Texas.

Party Politics co-hosts Jay Aiyer and Brandon Rottinghaus separate fact from fiction, discuss the politics of voter fraud and what this newest claim may mean for the Legislative session.

You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Tweet us using #PartyPoliticsPod or email [email protected]. Party Politics is produced by Don Geraci, the audio engineer is Todd Hulslander and our digital editor is Alvaro ‘Al’ Ortiz.

NATIONAL
-Shutdown ends...for now!
-Venezuelan crisis
-Roger Stone's indictment
-Trump and spy bosses disagree
-Howard Schultz for President
-Sarah Palin calls Stacey Abrams a loser! Irony much?

TEXAS
-Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee targets 5 Texas GOP seats in 2020
-Empower Texans get a seat at the (media) table
-Harvey aid still trickling for Texas
-Special elections: HD 79 and 145
-BLAKE Act
-End of Texas Blue Laws
-Voter fraud

It’s high noon in Washington, D.C. and President Donald Trump and the Democrats in Congress are still facing off over the government partial shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history.

The President has made policy overtures, but House Democrats have rejected the offer over funding for Trump’s proposed border wall. Senate leaders have gotten involved, but prospects for an immediate solution are slim.

Party Politics co-hosts Jay Aiyer and Brandon Rottinghaus discuss prospects for the end (or not) of the shutdown.

NATIONAL TOPICS
-U.S. Supreme Court rules for Trump on transgender military ban
-Presidential roundup: Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg join the field – Howard Shultz might join too
-Pelosi offers progressives to serve on oversight committee
-Native Americans vs. school teens

TEXAS TOPICS
-State Senator Kel Seliger stripped of Chair position
-Mayoral roundup – Dallas and Houston fields shaping up
-Harris County settles misdemeanor bail lawsuit
-Vouchers DOA this session
-Fox News visits the ‘border’ town of San Antonio

You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Tweet us using #PartyPoliticsPod or email [email protected]. Party Politics is produced by Don Geraci, the audio engineer is Todd Hulslander and our digital editor is Alvaro ‘Al’ Ortiz.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick were sworn in to office this week and it was a far cry from the last legislative session. Gone are the divisive social issues of the past—replaced by more funding for schools and property tax reform.

Is this move to bread and butter issues going to hold? Party Politics co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jay Aiyer break down the speeches and highlight the politics of funding schools and cutting taxes.

NATIONAL
-Congressman Steve King is racist — And everyone is condemning him
-Shutdown drama continues
-Judge orders citizenship question removed from 2020 Census
-William Barr confirmation to become AG
-Trump unleashes fast food feast for Clemson football team

TEXAS
-Texas House proposed budget increases school funding by $7 billion!
-Julián Castro presidential run in 2020 is official — What are his chances?
-Tarrant County GOP rejects attempts to remove vice chairman Shahid Shafi
-AOC linked group ‘Justice Democrats’ goes after Henry Cuellar

You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Tweet us using #PartyPoliticsPod or email [email protected]. Party Politics is produced by Don Geraci, the audio engineer is Todd Hulslander and our digital editor is Alvaro ‘Al’ Ortiz.