Congressman Marc Veasey and Council Member Casey Thomas II will kick off the first session of our Monday Morning Message COVID 19 Weekly Political Update. Join us as we review where we are and where we are going in this era of COVID 19.

CONGRESSMAN MARC VEASEY

Congressman Marc Veasey is the first African-American from Tarrant County to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. He represents the 33rd Congressional District of Texas which spans from Fort Worth to Dallas and includes prominent neighborhoods in both Tarrant and Dallas counties. The 33rd District is anchored in Fort Worth’s historic neighborhoods which include Carver Heights, Stop Six, Rolling Hills, the Northside, Diamond Hill Jarvis and Forest Hill. The district also extends east through parts of Arlington and into Dallas County communities like Oak Cliff, South Irving, Grand Prairie and West Dallas.

Congressman Veasey comes to Congress with over a decade of public service experience and has established himself as a strong and effective advocate who finds fair-minded and balanced solutions to problems. First elected to the Texas State House in 2004, Congressman Veasey represented District 95 – an area now part of the 33rd Congressional District – for four consecutive terms. As a member of the Texas State House, Congressman Veasey served in a number of leadership positions including Democratic Whip and Chair of the Democratic Caucus. At home, he earned a reputation for his strong voice in the state legislature, fighting for good jobs, good schools, affordable healthcare, voting rights and justice for all Texans.

As a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Veasey serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the Science, Space and Technology Committee. With over 15 major military installations in Texas, defense and scientific research and development are key industries in the 33rd District. In the 114th Congress, Congressman Veasey proudly accepted his appointment by U.S House Democratic Minority Whip, Steny Hoyer, MD-5, to serve as an Assistant Whip and Regional Whip.

Congressman Veasey has been a tireless advocate for communities of color. In Congress, Congressman Veasey is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. He has also been at the forefront of the redistricting battle, working to defend the voting rights of all Americans, especially those in the state of Texas. As the lead plaintiff in Veasey v. Abbott, Congressman Veasey took on the 2013 Texas voter ID law which was struck down by one of the most conservative courts in the country. In May 2016, Congressman Veasey launched the first Congressional Voting Rights Caucus to address the immediate need to overcome the barriers our communities face when exercising their right to vote.

Prior to serving in the Texas House of Representatives, Congressman Veasey worked as a congressional staffer in North Texas. In both Southeast Fort Worth and Dallas, Congressman Veasey worked on important issues dealing with transportation, economic development and higher education that benefitted the entire Dallas-Fort Worth area. Congressman Marc Veasey was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas. He and his wife Tonya live in the DFW Metroplex and have a ten year-old son, Adam. Congressman Veasey earned a BA from Texas Wesleyan University, where he majored in Mass Communication.

COUNCIL MEMBER CASEY THOMAS II

City of Dallas Councilmember Casey Thomas, II – Bio As the Dallas City Council Member for District 3, Casey serves as Chair of the newly formed Workforce, Education, and Equity Committee, which is the Mayor’s top priority for his first term.  This committee will be responsible for overseeing the city's workforce development strategy and implementation of the city’s reliance plan to make Dallas a more equitable city.

He is also chair of the Mayor’s Complete Count Committee for the 2020 Census.  He is responsible for seeing that every eligible resident in the City of Dallas is counted, and the city receives the resources it is due following the census count.

He also serves as vice-chair of the Housing and Homeless Solutions Committee, where he helped to develop the city’s first comprehensive housing policy. He also has led efforts to reduce and end homelessness through the previous, Human and Social Needs Committee.

He serves on the Public Safety committee, where we led the council effort to establish the Community Police Oversight Board.  He also serves on the Government Performance and Financial Management Committee, where he is responsible for reviewing and monitoring major contracts the city of Dallas, and outside vendor.

Casey is a native of Dallas, Texas, where he was born and raised. He attended Dallas ISD schools and graduated from Skyline High School and received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resource Management from the University of North Texas in Denton.