‘I look forward to the future’: Rep. Jasmine Crockett talks about her early days in Congress

DALLAS. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett has spent the past week making stops to see people and places in different parts of North Texas.

Crockett, who officially completed two weeks in her new role in the US House of Representatives, said she was busy getting started running for Texas’s 30th congressional district.

“I feel energized,” Crockett said as she took a break from her schedule to be interviewed by the WFAA about her early days at the office.

“What we saw in the first week, chaos, I’m absolutely sure it will be a constant theme,” Crockett added.

Crockett spoke about the controversial election of Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy and the political drama that delayed the swearing-in ceremony for congressional freshmen.

“You know, we sat there holding our breath. Like, it will be so, because we were not involved in the conversations, ”she explained.

After 15 ballots, the Republican Party ultimately chose McCarthy as Speaker of the House. Congresswoman Crockett and her colleagues were formally sworn in at around 2:00 am on January 7.

“In 118, there was no one to read because we were not sworn in. So we were in a very vulnerable position and we didn’t want to disturb the general public. But we had to do it,” Crockett said.

According to the Democratic congressman, the work to achieve the goal has been busy so far. In Washington, she has already been elected to a leadership position.

“Shirley Chisholm was the first black woman to ever be sworn into Congress. Ever since she was sworn into Congress, a black woman has sat at the leadership table of the House Democratic Caucus,” Crockett explained.

Crockett is now one of only two black women to sit at that leadership table. She said she helps her colleagues defend positions on committees, among other things.

Closer to home, in North Texas, work is also ongoing, Crockett said.

“We’re definitely trying to make sure every part of the county knows I’m here, knows I support them, and knows I’m available,” the legislator added.

Crockett has spent the past week speaking with residents and business leaders in Dallas and Tarrant counties. She made stops to speak with staff at Southern Gateway Park and Southwest Airlines, among other places. She also witnessed the demolition of the Lane Plating Superfund site, knowing that climate and environmental injustice was still a problem in her constituency.

“I was interested in letting the EPA know that I have something else on the agenda,” Crockett said.

As the legislature continues into session this week, lawmakers in Washington, DC will be tackling some hot topics, including a controversial debt ceiling. This is what Crockett suggested, that the fight against debt limitation was a fight that could potentially have devastating consequences for working people.

“We know there are 3 million or more people whose livelihoods could be directly affected because they work for the federal government if we close, which I fully expect will happen. We also know that the last time they actually had such a confrontation, we received a downgrade,” added Crockett.

The congresswoman said she also looks forward to continuing the story of hard work and advocacy known to her predecessor, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson. Crockett said Johnson retired on a high note, advocating various federal funds for programs in and around Texas.

Crockett said she will continue this work by advocating for investment in community projects and pushing for bills to help lift people up.

“People are what motivated me to do this job,” Crockett said. “I am looking forward to the future. That’s what worries me.”