Everyone has a top button item this election cycle. For some it’s the economy. For others its national defense or healthcare. For Congressman Tony Gonzales it’s the US southern border and immigration. 

Representative Gonzales is responsible for Texas’s 23rd district, a district that contains over 800 miles of the US-Mexico border, and by many accounts, ground zero for the immigration policy battle. 

Representative Gonzales is also a retired Navy Master Chief Petty Officer where he served over 20 years as a cryptologist. 

The Congressman and Host Fran Racioppi broke down the border debate from his Texas perspective, including the effects of current policy on both domestic and international security. With the election coming, we discussed the importance of battleground states and why Texas is important from the top of the ticket to the bottom.

Finally we covered leadership, how Veterans are making an impact through the halls of Congress, and why action is critical in a job in which you can do as much or as little as you want.  

Check out our conversation then head over to our YouTube channel or your favorite podcast platform to catch all our coverage of the 2024 election cycle. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Welcome to Capitol Hill
• 3:06 People are mad?
• 5:14 Solutions over problems
• 9:04 From the Navy to Congress
• 12:04 Is America ready for the next war?
• 15:00 America in 2023

QUOTES

• “I’m doing all the things I’m supposed to do, but somehow I’m in the back of this line.”
• “If Republicans are going to be successful we have to be talking about solutions, not just problems.” 
• “If you’re weak, or perceived as weak at home, that’s when your adversaries are going to take advantage.” 
• “If somebody comes over illegally, they immediately get their day in court.”
• “It isn’t my job to be the cheerleader of the organization. It’s my job to check the organization.” 
• “The best thing about being a member of Congress is that you can do as much or as little as you want.”
• “We will adapt. We will overcome. We will find a way to get to victory.”
• “Whatever your thing is, get involved.”

Special thanks to the For Country Caucus for coordinating this interview.

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation. Learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

The opinions presented on the The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are the opinions of our guests and creator and host Fran Racioppi. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Green Beret Foundation and the Green Beret Foundation assumes no liability for their accuracy; nor does Green Beret Foundation endorse any political candidate or any political party.