CBS "Face the Nation" - Transcript: Immigration Policy

Interview

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MARGARET BRENNAN: There will be dozens of new faces on Capitol Hill next year when Congress convenes, including our next four guests--all incoming members of the House of Representatives, who each bring a unique perspective here to Washington. Democrat Joe Neguse is Colorado's first black congressman. His parents came to this country from Eritrea as refugees more than thirty-five years ago. He's also a new father of a baby girl. Congrats on that. Democrat Deb Haaland of New Mexico is one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress. She's also a single mother. Republican Dan Crenshaw of Texas is a retired Navy SEAL who fought in Afghanistan. He may also be the first representative elect to appear on Saturday Night Live--at least that I remember. And Democrat Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania is a former captain in the Air Force, a former chemistry teacher and she is also a mother of two. So you, ladies, know something about multitasking here. A lot of Americans, when you talk to them, seem to have lost faith in Congress. In fact, the approval rating CBS News just took was at nineteen percent. What made you run?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT JOE NEGUSE (D-Colorado 2nd/@JoeNeguse): You know, look, I was very concerned about the direction that our country was taking. As you mentioned, my parents were Eritrean immigrants to this country and we've been able to live the American dream and the freedoms and the opportunities that have enabled us to live the American dream in every sense of that phrase, I felt like we're slipping away for a lot of Americans in our country. And so decided that I would try to do something about it and threw my hat in the ring.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Congresswoman:

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DEB HAALAND (D-New Mexico 1st/@Deb4CongresNM): Yes, well.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Congresswoman-elect.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DEB HAALAND: Thank you, thank you. Well, of course, this is an important job. It's an important job for my district in New Mexico. I wanted to feel like I could help more people. The constituent services program that we're all responsible for, I think, is extremely important for our districts. And that's absolutely one of the reasons that I decided to run.

MARGARET BRENNAN: What about you, Congressman-elect?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW (R-Texas 2nd/@DanCrenshawTX): Well, you know, I was in the military for ten years. I took an oath to the Constitution twelve years ago.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-Hm.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: And, you know, that oath has not ended. So it's really about service. It's about service and it's about impact. You know, how can I impact the-- the issues that matter to my constituents? You know, we're still reeling from Hurricane Harvey. We want more individual freedom. We want less government in our lives. We want to live that American dream. And those are things we can actually agree on. And that's what I'll be fighting for.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So when you hear that there's an approval rating of just nineteen percent, you think you can do better than that?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: Well, I hope so. Is that an improvement or-- or, it might be an improvement. I thought it was lower at one point.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: I understand that's the case. And-- and, you know, the-- the military has-- has long brought a lot of credibility to American institutions. I hope to bring some of that credibility to Congress. You know the way we do that is we talk to each other like we're actually people. Let's not attack each other's intent, let's not attack-- attack each other as a person, let's attack ideas. All right. We can debate ideas, we can disagree on ideas all day long. Let's find the things that we actually agree upon and work on those.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Are you equally as optimistic, Congresswoman-elect?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN (D-Pennsylvania 6th/@HoulahanForPa): Well, so I-- I share a lot of commonalities with my fellow colleagues in terms of why I'm running. I am third-generation military. My dad and grandfather served careers and I did as well, served as a captain in the Air Force. And as a third-generation military member, I am deeply concerned about the democracy right now. I am worried about the direction that we're heading as a people. I am similarly interested in making sure that we maintain civility and decency with one another in the way that we treat each other and the way that our government works. And, personally, my motivation for running is-- is one of service. I want to continue the service that I've done, both in the military and also growing good and strong businesses and most recently in education as a-- as a teacher and also as a nonprofit leader in early childhood literacy.

MARGARET BRENNAN: The district that you were elected in, you flipped it.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: Yes--

MARGARET BRENNAN: Red to blue.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: Yes.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But you've described it as more purple.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: Yes.

MARGARET BRENNAN: It-- it's a mix--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: Yes.

MARGARET BRENNAN: --of people of different convictions here. How do you balance those forces? And does that mean that, as a Democrat, you're willing to work with President Trump?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: Absolutely. We are a district that's forty percent Democrat, forty percent Republican, and twenty percent Independent. And I-- I call us-- us purple people because I believe that we are, I believe largely that we sit in the middle and what we're looking for is head and heart issues.

MARGARET BRENNAN: One of the more divisive issues is immigration. It's also what President Trump says he wants to tackle. Obviously, there are different views on how to do that. But Congresswoman-elect, you're in a very unique position, as one of only two--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DEB HAALAND: Sure. Right.

MARGARET BRENNAN: --Native American women elected to Congress. How do you think that affects your approach on things like immigration?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DEB HAALAND: Sure. Sure. Well, New Mexico is a border state. So we-- we actually feel confident about the security of our borders and New Mexico. We-- New Mexico as a whole was appalled when the policy to separate children from their parents happened on the border. It made me immediately think about governmental policies back when my grandmother was a child and she was separated from her family and taken to Indian boarding school. So it seems like at some point, we need to look at our history and stop doing the things that are harmful to our children and work toward finding solutions that are absolutely humane. Well, I--

MARGARET BRENNAN: You would work with President Trump?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DEB HAALAND: Well, I-- I think we all have to do it together. We are-- the Democrats won back the House. We didn't win back the Senate or the presidency yet. So we do have to work across the aisle to make sure that we can get things passed. Yes.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman-elect, you-- you are a vet. You mentioned your service. How do you feel about the deployment of U.S. troops, U.S. personnel to the border? Is that the right way to be using the U.S. military?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: Well, what they're using them for is-- is logistical support. You know they're not there-- they're not down there as-- as combat troops stopping people from crossing the border.

MARGARET BRENNAN: They're not actually at the border, right?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: That-- that-- that's not-- that's not what's actually happening--

MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: What's actually happening is they're-- they're-- they're reinforcing the law enforcement that is there to do their job. You know, the reality is-- is I-- what I want to-- well, the-- the question I always have the Democrats is, do we agree that our borders should be secure, yes or no? I understand you don't like the wall. I understand that. But can we agree that the border should be secured? And if you have other ideas to-- to-- to secure that border, and especially in Texas we are willing to listen because, you know, we have a river along the border. We can't always put a wall there. We get that. You know we've got other options, as well. So will you work with us on--

MARGARET BRENNAN: But in terms of using the U.S. military--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: Mm-Hm.

MARGARET BRENNAN: --in that role. Essentially, you know, we have--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: Right, well-- well-- well, when you have-- when you have-- sure.

MARGARET BRENNAN: --a border patrol that has the job that you just laid out that the military is now there to back them up on.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: Well, right, but there was also thousands of thousands of people coming up to the border in a caravan. And so you have to take different measures to do that. So--

MARGARET BRENNAN: You do see that as a threat even though they're on foot and not at the border yet?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: Well-- well, what's the other option? To just let them cross? Because we don't have enough law enforcement officials to deal with that possibly. So, you know, again, we're not putting combat troops on the border. That's not what's happening. We are dealing with this in a very humane way and as I think we should and we can all agree on that for sure. None of us really like seeing families separated. I've said that all along. That's-- it's the last thing we want to see. Republicans tried to put legislation forward that would stop that. Okay. And we would continue to do that. But-- but, yes, if-- if-- if it's between letting people across and not letting people cross, we have to secure our border. And I-- and I hear that we agree on that a lot. I do. And I-- and I understand that Democrats don't like the rhetoric and don't like the wall. I-- I absolutely get that. But I want to see other options on the table then on what we can do to actually secure it.

MARGARET BRENNAN: He's comfortable using U.S. troops in that way. Are you?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT JOE NEGUSE: No, no. I think it's the wrong approach. I think it's imprudent. I disagree with it and I think the other option is to follow existing law and-- and let folks go through the asylum process and to the extent that they are able to successfully claim asylum. I-- I say this as the son of refugees. I mean I-- I think immigrants to this country have so much to give and it's important we get this right.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Will the Democrats at the table vote for any kind of immigration reform that includes funding for a border wall?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DEB HAALAND: I wouldn't.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT JOE NEGUSE: No, I don't support a wall.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: I wouldn't as well. And I am also the daughter of a refugee. My dad was a survivor of the Holocaust and came here with his mom as a very small child, as a five-year-old and this is a very personal issue to me.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Let me take a break here and come back. We talked about finding agreement. We've already found a disagreement. Let's see what-- what else we can--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: That was easy.

MARGARET BRENNAN: --we can get to. Got there pretty quick. After this short break we will be back in a moment with more from our panel.

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MARGARET BRENNAN: We're back with our new member panel. And let's pick up the conversation. I know the two of you, both vets, have made a vow to try to find at least one point of agreement that you can legislate around. Do you know what that's going to be?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: There's multiple points--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: Yep.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: So, I mean, opioids--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: Yep.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: --infrastructure issues. You know different infrastructure issues around the country. But for us it's flood mitigation, opioid epidemic is-- is terrible. You know, more-- more people died of opioids last year than the entire Vietnam War. That's-- that's just the reality. And--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: Mm-Hm. Mm-Hm. Mm-Hm.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But is there anything that you particularly want to shepherd here?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: Well I-- I agree, infrastructure and-- and a big infrastructure bill--

MARGARET BRENNAN: Is that number one for you?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: Absolutely. Opioids is an enormous problem in our community as well. Pharmaceutical prescription prices I think is something that we need to look at, we have to look at.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: And another thing I would bring up is workforce training issues. You know there are seven million job openings, which is a great problem to have. We've got a great economy.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: Yep.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: But we need middle skill labor to fill those jobs.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to ask the Democrats at the table about your own leadership, your own party identity. I know you, Congresswoman-elect, have said you will support Nancy Pelosi to be speaker.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DEB HAALAND: Yes.

MARGARET BRENNAN: The two of you. Did you learn anything this week? Did she earn your votes and your support?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT JOE NEGUSE: Well, so I'd say, I just want to-- one quick tangent, criminal justice reform is also another--

MARGARET BRENNAN: Oh, you're deflecting. You are a politician.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT JOE NEGUSE: I know. No, I will answer it. I will answer the question but--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: Absolutely.

MARGARET BRENNAN: It's a-- it's a yes--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT JOE NEGUSE: It's a really important issue where there's some emerging bipartisan consensus for Republicans and Democrats--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: I think that's great.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT JOE NEGUSE: I'm passionate about that. No. Look, I- it's fascinating to me that it's the question that we got most often, at least the Democrats did--

MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT JOE NEGUSE: --here during orientation, which is particularly interesting since there's no other candidate that I am aware of--

MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT JOE NEGUSE: --that's running against Leader Pelosi. I intend to support her. You know I think that it's important that we have steady leadership right now. And I found it pretty heartening over the course of the last week some of the developments around it becoming clear that this leadership team is going to work to try to make sure that everyone has a seat at the table. You saw a message from Leader Pelosi's office by way of example around making sure that there is progressive representation on key committees in the Congress--

MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-Hm.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT JOE NEGUSE: --and the Congressional Progressive Caucus leaders endorsing her shortly thereafter. So-- so yeah, that's where I am.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Is that what changed your mind? The pledge to diversity council?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT JOE NEGUSE: That among many other things. I wanted to have conversations with existing leadership and also with my fellow freshmen, you know, fellow classmates to talk to them about their vision for the caucus, their vision for the future. And-- and, ultimately, that's where I landed.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you know how you'll vote yet?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: Right now she's the only person who's running, so it would appear as though that's where my vote would go. And right now I believe that she's an effective person in that job. And so--

MARGARET BRENNAN: But you're open to being swayed?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: I-- I believe right now it looks as though it's heading in the direction that she will be our speaker.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-Hm.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: And I think she's a pretty powerful person and a capable person.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman-elect, you-- during your run were backed by Bernie Sanders. Do you think he represents the future of your party?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT JOE NEGUSE: I think we're a big tent party. I mean if-- if-- if there's--

MARGARET BRENNAN: But he's a more progressive voice within it.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT JOE NEGUSE: Of course. And, you know, there are also many other voices and many of our freshmen that we've spent this week with come from different areas of the country, different regions of the country. Obviously, I, you know, am a progressive Democrat and-- and believe that we should be bold in pushing for some really comprehensive solutions around some of the pressing public policy challenges that we face: climate change and the planetary crisis being the best example perhaps. But, look, again, we are a big tent party. We are inclusive. We are diverse. I think that's a good thing. So I-- I appreciate his voice just as I do the voice of many, many other leaders in the party who are all stepping up to the plate at a really critical time for our democracy.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You know, but Republicans learned this when they had sort of an insurgent group, the Tea Party, right. That it can, while being part of bigger tent, cause problems for leadership or at least, you know, try to create some issues around finding consensus. Do you see that happening for Democrats? Do-- do progressives now become the problem for Nancy Pelosi rather than part of the caucus really on the same page?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT JOE NEGUSE: No, I don't think that's the case. I've only been in Washington for five days. So-- but, you know, my experience thus far and-- and I think Deb can touch on this as well as a member of the Progressive Caucus. But, no, I don't think that's the case. I think we are all working together rowing in the same direction trying to save our democracy, to be frank and so--

MARGARET BRENNAN: Why do you say save our democracy?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT JOE NEGUSE: Well, look, I think that right now it's important for this majority in the House to engage in some really critical oversight of an administration that is undermining a lot of critical freedoms for folks in our country. And so when I say save our democracy, I-- I mean, precisely that. That-- I think some of our democratic freedoms and the principles that we live by have been under attack for the better part of the last two years.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman-elect, do you want to respond to that since the President has-- is the leader of your party?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: Yeah. Well, I-- I always ask the question like--like what? You know like what is he undermining exactly? You know what-- what democratic freedoms have been undermined? We just has an election where we switched-- switched power in the House. Democracy is at work. People are voting in-- in record numbers. I-- I always ask for examples, and then we can hit those examples one-by-one and if it's-- and if it's worth criticizing, it's worth criticizing, but just kind of this broad brush criticism that the President is somehow undermining our democracy. I always wonder like, what exactly we're talking about--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: I'll be happy to-- I'll be happy to add all of the things that he's--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT JOE NEGUSE: I'm-- I'm happy to give you the example as well.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: Yeah.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: All right.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT JOE NEGUSE: I mean the undermining of the free press--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: The free press, you know, judiciary--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: Well, how has he done that?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: --CIA, FBI, the voting process--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: How-- how has he undermined the free press?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT JOE NEGUSE: Well, by way of example--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: Obama indicted--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT JOE NEGUSE: Sure.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: --had many press members under investigation. Trump has not.

MARGARET BRENNAN: That's true.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT JOE NEGUSE: So just this last week--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: So what is-- so what is-- so what is the difference here?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT JOE NEGUSE: Just this last week, one of the largest media publications in the United States, right, had to go to a federal court in order to, essentially, regain access to the press room--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: No, that was for one reporter. One reporter. Not the whole-- not the whole organization.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Other media organizations, including CBS, did file amicus briefs in support--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT JOE NEGUSE: That's right. Yeah. So I-- I mean, again--

MARGARET BRENNAN: --to disclose that.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: It was just one reporter.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT JOE NEGUSE: I think we, obviously, would be-- it's part of a much larger conversation--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: Because he was disruptive.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT JOE NEGUSE: But-- well, again--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: Highly disruptive.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT JOE NEGUSE: A federal judge disagreed.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: I-- I-- I would argue that our President is consistently disruptive in those very same press conferences. And I would argue that he treats them with disrespect--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: But how is that-- and how is that an attack on the press, though?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: Be-- because it's, literally, an attack on the press--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: Oh, I've literally been attacked. So I-- I don't-- let's choose our words carefully.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: His-- his-- his-- his-- his language is an attack in these spaces.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: Okay, so why can't he speak-- why-- why is he not allowed to use his own language and freedom of speech?

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: Because you-- and you talked about this actually, it's important that we lead from example, that we lead from the top. And the way that our President is currently leading--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: You-- I-- I agree with you there. I agree with you there. Style is one thing, if you want to criticize style, I-- I'm with you. Right? But to say it's an attack on the freedom of the press, that is a very bold statement.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: By calling the press the enemy of the people.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: Yeah, I don't like that language.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: That is literally--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: Okay, so the style, I-- I-- I agree, I don't like that language.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DEB HAALAND: And-- and fake news, of course. Yes. And I'll give you another example. His rhetoric about erasing trans people in our country, that to me--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: And he has never said that.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DEB HAALAND: Well, it-- it-- it-- it appears that he is discriminating against the LGBTQ community and I think that's troublesome. I think it's worrisome. We all have communities in-- I mean across this country. And, I mean, and we mentioned it at the beginning ripping children away from their parents' arms. Those are all things that worry me that I absolutely feel that we have to have oversight on.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: Or how about just, you know, malign--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: So they're policy differences--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: --the CIA and the FBI and the State Department and all those important institutions that are fundamental to how our democracy works and functions--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DEB HAALAND: Mm-Hm.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: So what-- what I hear a lot is you don't like what he says sometimes. Okay, but-- and you don't like the-- you know we have policy disagreements--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DEB HAALAND: And I--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: --but you're saying undermining democracy--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DEB HAALAND: --and I am--

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: And I want to-- I want to caution us because those are very bold words. If we have policy disagreements, let's focus on those policy disagreements and I'll be happy to discuss those at any point. But this is what I've been getting at kind of all week which is we tend to-- we tend to go right at the jugular, right. We say you're undermining democracy, you're a bad person fundamentally, that's not always true. We have policy disagreements on a lot of these things.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I think it's interesting that we talked about some of the most divisive issues, including immigration, but the thing that set all of you off was the President. We have to leave the conversation there. Thank you so much. Good luck to you and your new work and your new jobs and we'll be right back.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DAN CRENSHAW: Good to see you.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT CHRISSY HOULAHAN: Thank you.

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT DEB HAALAND: Thank you.

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