Joaquín Castro is the congressman for the 20th District of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives. He won election as a Democrat in 2013.
HPR: With the midterm elections coming up, what would you say is the Democratic Party’s core message to voters?
Joaquin Castro: That ours is a party of opportunity for everybody, no matter where you are from or who you are in the United States. And we are going to do everything we can to make sure people can pursue their American dreams. That is why you hear us talking about building greater schools and universities, making sure that people can see a doctor when they need to, also making sure that jobs are available to folks, and that they can make their way in life, pursue their dreams.
HPR: If the Democrats take back the House, there would be a divided Congress if Republicans maintain control of the Senate. How would Democrats try to advance their agenda without the leverage that comes from controlling both chambers?
JC: Any time you have divided government—if you have a Congress of one party and a president of the other party, or a split Congress and a president of one of the other parties—it is tough. But you try to pass the legislation that is important to you and try to negotiate with the Senate, in the scenario you are describing, to try to come to a compromise. Because there are things Republicans in the legislature will want to pass [where] they will want the cooperation of Democrats. Obviously, that becomes more difficult if you have divided government, but we will continue to push forward and try. We certainly have a better chance than we do now, where we do not control either chamber of Congress.
HPR: What do you think the most likely areas of cooperation with a Republican Senate would be?
JC: It depends on the kind of mood that they are in. For example, there are areas where I thought that we would be able to cooperate where things have not occurred. I thought that we would be able to cooperate on infrastructure, for example, and criminal justice, and that has not occurred anywhere to the degree that I thought would be possible. A lot of those discussions will take place after the elections, once we sort out who is controlling which chamber. The numbers also matter: whether Democrats, if they do take back the House, have a majority by two members or a majority by 15 or more.
HPR: If Democrats retake the House, would you continue to support Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi for Speaker?
JC: If Democrats win back the House in November, Nancy is in the driver’s seat. It is up to her whether she wants to return as Speaker or not. She has not said definitively what her plans are. I also have not seen anyone step up and say that they are going to challenge her.
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
This interview has been edited and condensed.