Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith sat down with U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin, for a live discussion about the federal government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, the economic impacts facing Texans across the state and his thoughts on how the state and the country should move forward.

Here’s a look at some of Roy’s responses to questions during the interview.

What should the process of reopening the economy look like?

What should enforcement of existing state and local orders look like? And how should we handle cases where people are found to be in violation of those orders?

What is Roy’s opinion about the federal response to the coronavirus outbreak?

What issues has this pandemic raised about public access to democracy and health care? Does Roy think certain policy reforms are needed?

Roy is serving his first term representing Texas’ 21st Congressional District. He sits on the House Budget, Oversight and Reform, and Veterans’ Affairs committees. He faces a reelection battle this year against Wendy Davis, a former state senator and Democratic gubernatorial candidate. Previously, Roy served as director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Center for Tenth Amendment Action. He also served as the state’s first assistant attorney general and as chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

The interview was streamed on the Tribune’s website, Facebook page and Twitter, as well as by our media partners at KXAN to a live audience of more than 4,600 viewers.

Disclosures: The Texas Tribune, as a nonprofit local newsroom and a small business, applied for and received a loan through the Paycheck Protection Program in the amount of $800,000.

The Texas Public Policy Foundation has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

This event is presented by AT&T and TEXAS 2036. Media support is provided by KXAN.

Tribune events are also supported through contributions from our founding investors and members. Though donors and corporate sponsors underwrite Texas Tribune events, they play no role in determining the content, panelists or line of questioning.

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