Representative James Talarico (D-TX) isn't afraid of a fight, especially when it's against one of Texas's most entrenched politicians.
The Democratic state representative, currently running for U.S. Senate, fired back at Republican Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) in a recent CNN interview after Sen. Cornyn criticized his plan to lower fuel costs, arguing it would balloon the national deficit.
Rep. Talarico had a pointed response. "John Cornyn is never worried about the deficit when it comes to billionaire tax cuts or new foreign wars, but when we start talking about lowering gas prices for working people, suddenly he's a deficit hawk," he said.
More than ever, gas prices have become a central battleground in the Texas Senate race.
According to Talarico's campaign, the average American household is on track to spend an additional $740 on fuel this year alone. Diesel has climbed even further, jumping $1.68 since February to around $5.40 per gallon, a figure that's been quietly rising.
What Talarico Is Proposing
Talarico's plan calls for suspending both the gas and diesel taxes until prices return to levels seen before the war in Iran began.
He also wants federal agencies to be empowered to stop oil companies from quietly pocketing the savings rather than passing them on at the pump.
Beyond that, he's calling for an immediate end to the Iran war and a broader push for energy independence, spanning oil, gas, nuclear, wind, and solar.
Turning Up the Heat on Cornyn
However, Talarico didn't stop at policy. He went straight at Cornyn's four-decade presence in Washington.
Adding: "John Cornyn has had 40 years to lower the cost of housing, to lower the cost of health care, to lower the cost of groceries and utilities and gas," he said during the interview. "What's the hold up?"
With economic frustration running high across the state, the Senate race is shaping up to be one of the most compelling matchups of the coming election cycle.
