Fox News "The Story" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Chris Coons

Interview

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MACCALLUM: Pardon me? Here now, exclusively, Democratic Senator Chris Coons from Delaware. Senator, thank you very much for being with us.

SEN. CHRIS COONS, D-DEL.: Thank you, Martha.

MACCALLUM: Let me start with you. Do you think that the members of that Caravan, just as I said, this is at the heart of this discussion really is border security? That's where the fight is living right now. Should these migrants when they get to the border, should they be let in?

COONS: Well, if there are individuals who have a legitimate asylum claim, yes. But if they don't, no. And the larger issue here is how do we secure our borders in a way that we don't have folks who are making a dangerous, difficult, expensive 1,500-mile long trek from their home communities in Honduras and Guatemala to our southern border.

There are lots of Democrats who want to invest in securing our border, myself included. And who see this as a real humanitarian crisis. The way that we are treating folks at the border, the things we are doing that attract them to our border, and the ways that children and parents have been treated in recent months at the border. All of this is a real concern to me. I do think we can secure the border in a bipartisan way.

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: You -- you've offered $46 billion for border security in 2013 and $25 billion in 2018.

COONS: That's right. That's right.

MACCALLUM: Now, we're fighting over $5.6 billion, it seems miniscule. And it seems like something that you guys on both sides ought to be able to get together on.

COONS: That's right. Let me just remind you of the context, given those very big numbers. That 2013 bill was a broad bipartisan Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill that would have fixed the lots of aspects of our broken immigration system. It passed the Senate with a big vote, 68 votes. But was never taken up in the House.

The other reference there, the $25 billion that got 54 votes here in the Senate last spring.

MACCALLUM: Yes.

COONS: But was ultimately killed by opposition from the administration. I am hopeful --

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: But the point is that Democrats and you supported that kind of expenditure.

COONS: Yes. That's right.

MACCALLUM: And now are blocking the process because you can't agree to $5.6 billion. I think to most Americans who can do basic math that seems a little odd.

COONS: It does. And that's why I think it's important that we reopen the government and promptly move towards a bipartisan resolution to this standoff. There are Democrats willing to invest in border security. Every Democrats in the Senate voted for $1.3 billion in addition of border security.

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: Is it -- yes, I got you -- I only have a couple of minutes. So, I want to intervene. You know, so, your understanding that the White House doesn't want to do the three-week deal to sort of hit the pause button and reopen the government, and then go back on this? I think they have a real mistrust factor that, that it will ever be picked up if that happens.

COONS: That's right. And what I'm trying to do is to get a balanced number of Republicans and Democrats on a letter to the president saying, reopen the government for three weeks and we will make our best-disciplined efforts on a bipartisan basis to invest in border security in a way that meets our country's needs and is a good and responsible use of money.

MACCALLUM: Well, you mean you may have a commitment to the best bipartisan efforts. But I'm not sure that some others in your party have that same commitment. It was very interesting watching you question Bill Barr who is going through the hearing process to be Attorney General.

It sounded to me when I watched your question-and-answer that you sound like you're leaning towards a yes on Barr, is that true?

COONS: I was really encouraged by the very clear way that Bill Barr spoke about Robert Mueller, about their 30-year working relationship, his respect for him as a federal law enforcement leader and his desire for his investigation to be left alone and to reach its conclusion.

I was concerned that he wouldn't give me a concise and clear commitment to seek and follow the guidance of DOJ. Ethics counsel to release the final Mueller report to Congress and the public. And to allow Mueller to make decisions about the resolution of this case without any interference.

MACCALLUM: Well, he said it would certainly take the advice of the ethics panel. But that he's the head of the department, which seems like a pretty logical way to look at it. And he also said that he would do what was in the law in terms of releasing that report, it sounded to me like he was on the side of releasing whatever he possibly could in that report.

You know, I just want to play this little bit from Bill Barr, which -- you know, just stood out to me.

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WILLIAM BARR, NOMINEE FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL: I can assure you that where judgments are to be made, I will make those judgments based solely on the law, and I will not let personal political or other improper interests influence my decision.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACCALLUM: You sat across from him when he said that. Did you believe that man when he said that yesterday?

COONS: Yes, I did.

MACCALLUM: So, why wouldn't you say tonight, of course, I'll be a, yes, there is no reason not to be yes here.

COONS: I laid out the three concerns I have. I was clear about those concerns with Bill Barr when we met. And I'm going to send him follow-up questions for the record, and give him a chance to help me understand what those contours are.

If you watched all my questioning, I went back to 1973 when Elliot Richardson was questioned in front of the same committee. He was asked very similar questions and he gave concise unequivocal answers. I'm looking for those same clear, concise, and unequivocal answers.

MACCALLUM: And Chuck Schumer, said, you know, I think the overwhelming majority of Democrats will oppose him. But I haven't done a whip count or anything like that.

COONS: Yes, Martha.

MACCALLUM: Are you under any pressure to not vote for Bill Barr, given what you have said here tonight in your own conscience on this matter?

COONS: No, I mean, I've had input from constituents both pro and con. I've had input from a variety of groups nationally, both pro and con. It's my job as a Senator to weigh all that input from my constituents.

But also part of the point of having like a live in-person hearing is to gauge someone's trustworthiness, their intentions in person. And you know, frankly, that's why we had a very long hearing yesterday, and a long hearing today. And I think in the end, I'm going to weigh all that input and reach a conclusion.

I am going to be sitting with my counsel tomorrow and going over the questions that I'll be sending to Mr. Barr for the record.

MACCALLUM: Thank you very much. Chris Coons, good to see you tonight, Senator.

COONS: Thank you, Martha.

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