Okay, thank you very much
it's a great honor to have Nancy Pelosi with us and Chuck Schumer with us and
We've actually worked very hard on a couple of things that are happening: criminal justice reform,
,as you know, uh, we just heard word got word that
Mitch McConnell and the group; we're going to be putting it up for a vote
We have great Democrat support. Great Republican support.
So criminal justice reform something that people have been trying to get - how long Nancy - many many years.
Looks like it's going to be
Passing. Hopefully, famous last words on a very bipartisan way and
it's uh
it's really something we're all very proud of and uh.
Again, tremendous support from Republicans and tremendous support from Democrats
And I think it's going to get a very good vote and we'll see soon enough
But it will be up for a vote very shortly. A lot of years they've been waiting for it.
The other thing, the farm bill is moving along nicely, and I guess they'll be voting on Friday or so
but pretty close soon.
And we think the farm bill is in very good shape. A lot of good things are happening with it and our farmers are
well taken care of and again, that'll be quite bipartisan and
It'll happen pretty soon.
And then we have the easy one: the wall.
That'll be the one that will be the easiest of all. What do you think Chuck, maybe not?
It's called funding the government, Mr President.
So we're going to see, but I will tell you the wall will get built - we'll see what happens
It is not an easy situation because the Democrats have a different view I think and I can say the Republicans
We have great Republican support. We don't have Democrat support, but we're going to talk about that now. We're going to see
one thing that I do have to say is tremendous amounts of wall have already been built and a lot of
A lot of wall when you include the renovation of existing
Fences and walls, we've renovated a tremendous amount and we've done a lot of work in San Diego
We're building new walls right now. Right next to San Diego. We've completed a major section of wall, and it's really worked well
So a lot of wall has been built. We don't talk about that
We might as well start because it's building. It's being built right now, big sections of wall and
We will continue that and one way or the other it's going to get built. I'd like not to see a government
closing, a shutdown
We will see what happens over the next short period of time, but the wall is a very important thing to us.
I might put it a different way, border security is extremely important.
And.
We have to take care of border security.
When you look at what happened with the caravans, with the people with a lot of.
We shut it down we had no choice we shut it down.
But it could be a lot easier if we had real border security. I just want to pay my respects to the Border Patrol
Agents and officers. They've been incredible. The ice agents and officers
They've been incredible and very importantly our military; our military went in and they did an incredible job
they have been really really spectacular a
lot of the people that wanted to come in to
The country and really they're willing to come in, no matter how they wanted to come in
They were going to come in, even a rough way.
Many of these people are leaving now and they're going back to their countries, Honduras Guatemala
El Salvador and other countries.
They're leaving, if you notice it's getting a lot less crowded in Mexico. And a lot of them are going to stay in Mexico and
The Mexican government's been working with us very well. So we appreciate that, but they haven't been coming into our country
We can't let people come in that way. So that's pretty much it. We're going to talk about
The wall. I wanted to talk about criminal justice reform, just to let you know how positive that is.
I want to talk about the farm bill
How positive that is, and I want to talk about the wall, and I will tell you it's a tough issue!
Because we are in very opposite sides of
Of Uh.
I think I can say border security, but certainly the wall. But the wall would get built. A lot of the wall is built
It's been very effective. I asked for a couple of notes on that if you look at San Diego
Illegal traffic dropped 92 percent once the wall was up, El Paso
Illegal traffic dropped 72 percent then ultimately 95 percent, once the wall was up. In Tucson, Arizona
illegal traffic dropped
92%
Yuma, it dropped illegal traffic 95 to 96 percent, I mean
uhh
and that when when I say dropped
The only reason we even have any percentage where people got through is because they walk and go around
areas, that aren't built. It dropped virtually a hundred percent in the areas where the wall is, so I mean
It's very effective. If you really want to find out how effective a wall is just ask Israel!
99.9% effective. And our wall will be
Every bit as good as that if not better. So we've done a lot of work on the wall
A lot of wall is built. A lot of people don't know that. A lot of wall is renovated
We have walls that were in very bad condition that are now in tip-top shape
uh, and
Frankly, some wall has been reinforced by our military. Our military's done a fantastic job. So the wall will get built but we may not
We may not have an agreement today. We probably won't
But we'd have an agreement on other things that are really good. Nancy would you like to say something?
Well thank you Mr President, It's an opportunity
To meet with you, so that we can work together in a bipartisan way
to meet the needs of the American people.
I think American people recognize that we must keep government open.
That a shutdown is not worth anything, and that you should not have a Trump shutdown.
You'll have the White House
Did you say Trump down?
You have the white house, you have the Senate, you have the house of representatives, you have the votes
You should pass it!
No we don't have the votes Nancy, because in the Senate we need 60 votes
No, but in the House you could bring it up right now!
Yeah, but I can't. Excuse me - but I can't get it passed in the house
If it's not gonna pass in the Senate
I don't wanna waste time
Well the fact is you can get it started that way.
The house we could get passed very easy.
Okay then do it!
But the problem is the Senate, because we need ten Democrats to vote and -
That's not the point Mr President!
The point is, is that there are equities to be weighed. And we're here to have a conversation in a careful way
So I don't think we should have a debate in front of the press on this, but the fact is the -
House Republicans could bring up this bill if they had the votes
- immediately, and set the tone for what you want.
If we thought we were going to get it passed in the Senate, Nancy -
We would do it immediately. We'd get it passed very easily in the house!
No! That's not -
We would get it Nancy!
I'd have it passed in two seconds
It doesn't matter though because we can't get it passed in the Senate because we need ten Democrat votes
let us have our conversation that will meet with the press again. But the fact is, is that
Legislating, which is what we do. You begin, you make your point, you state your case
That's what the House Republicans would do, if they had the vote
but there are no votes in the House
A majority of votes for a role, no matter where you start.
- She's exactly right, you don't have the votes.
If I needed the votes for the wall, in the House
I would have them in one session, would be done!
Then go do it!
It doesn't help because we need ten Democrats in the Senate
No, don't put it on the Senate, put it on a negotiation.
Okay, let me ask you this - just - and we're doing this in a very friendly manner.
It doesn't help for me to take a vote in the house where I will win easily with the Republicans
You will not win!
It doesn't help to take that vote because I'm not going to get the vote of the Senate. I need ten senators. That's
Mr President you have the White House, you have the Senate -
I have the white house. The White House is done. And the house would give me the vote if I wanted it!
But I can't because I need - Nancy - I need ten votes from Chuck.
Let me say something.
- Let me just say one thing!
Alright.
The fact is you do not have the votes in the house.
- Nancy I do and we need border security Nancy Nancy
- Well lets take a vote and find out!
We need border security, its very simple.
Of course we do!
We need border security! people are pouring into our country, including terrorists!
We have terrorists. We caught 10 terrorists over the last very short period of time.
Ten!
These are very serious people. Our border agents -
All of our law enforcement has been incredible what they've done, but we caught 10 terrorists.
These are people that were looking to do harm. We need the wall. We need more important than anything
We need border security of which the wall is just a piece, but it's important. Chuck -
Did you want to say something?
Here's what I want to say -
We have a lot of disagreements here
the Washington Post today gave you a whole lot of
Pinocchio's because they say you
constantly miss state how much of the wall is built, and how much is there but that's not the -
- point here.
We have a disagreement about the wall. Whether it's effective or - not on border security, but on the wall!
We do not want to shut down the government
You were called 20 times to shut down the government. You say I want to shut down the government
We don't! We want to come to an agreement, and if we can't come to an agreement
We have solutions that will pass the House and Senate.
right now! and will not shut down the government.
And that's what we're urging you to do. Not threaten to shut down the government because
You don't want to shut down the government
Let me just finish!
Cause you can't get your way!
- Last time you shut it down you got killed!
Let me say something Mr. President. You just say my way or we'll shut down the government. We have a proposal that
Democrats and Republicans
will support to do a CR that
Will not shut down the government we urge you to take it.
And if it's not good border security I wont take it.
It is very good border security.
- And if it's not good border security I won't take it!
Cause when you look at these numbers
Of the effectiveness of our border security, and when you look at the job that we're doing you -
- You just said that it is effective!
Can I be, can I tell something?
- Yeah you just said it's effective.
Without a wall, these are only areas we have the wall.
- We want to do the
When you have walls, Chuck, it's effective!
When you don't have walls it is not effective.
Yeah, let's call a halt to this. We've come in here as the first branch of government. Yeah
Article 1, the legislative branch. We're coming in in good faith to negotiate with you about how we can keep the government open.
We're gonna keep it open if we have border security!
If we don't have border security, Chuck, we're not going to keep it open.
- I'm with you!
We're hoping to have border security.
And it's the same - you're bragging about what has been done
But we want to do the same thing we did last year, this year
That's our proposal
If it's good, then it's good now and it won't shut down the government!
Chuck we can build a much bigger section with -
Let's debate in private. Okay. Yeah, let's debate in private
- We have taken this conversation to a place that is devoid, frankly, of fact and
-We need border security, I think we all agree that we need border security.
Yes! we do, we do.
Good, see - we get along! Thank you everybody.
Reporter: You say border security and the wall, can you have border security without the wall?
Yeah, you need the wall, the wall is a part of border security.
Reporter: Are you defining what it means to have border security?
Yes, yes.
We need border security, the wall is a part of border security
- you can't have very good border security without the wall, no.
That's absolutely not true. that is a political promise. Border security is a way to effectively
honour our response -
The experts say you can do border security without a wall which is wasteful and doesn't solve the problem.
it totally solves the problem. And it's very important!
Unfortunately this has spiraled downward.
We came at a place to say how do we meet the needs of the American people.
Who have needs!
The economy has it's -
People are losing their jobs the markets in a mood. Our members are already
Well, we have the lowest unemployment that we've had in 50 years!
60 people of the Republican Party have lost their office
- Losing their offices now because of the transition. People are not -
And we've gained in the Senate!
Nancy! And we've gained in the Senate!
Excuse me. Did we win the Senate? We won the Senate!
When The President brags that he won North, Dakota and Indiana -
He's in real trouble
Well, I did
We did win, North Dakota, and Indiana.
This is a most unfortunate thing, we came in here in good faith
And, and we're entering into a this kind of a discussion in the public.
But it's not bad, Nancy!
It's called transparency!
I know it's not
transparency when we're not
Stipulating to a set of facts and when we want to have a debate with you about saying we confront some of those facts, that's it
You know what? We need border security!
That's what we're gonna be talking about. border security! If we don't have border security we'll shut down the government
This country needs border - security. The wall is a part of border security. Let's have a talk
We're going to get the wall built and we've done a lot of wall already!
Reporter: How big a part of security is the wall?
It's a big section it's a big part of it
Reporter: Is it everything that you need?
It's a big part of it. We need to have effective border security. We need a wall in certain parts
No, not in all parts, but in certain parts of a 2,000 mile border we need a wall
Reporter: How much money, Mr President?
We are doing it much under budget
we're actually way under budget on the areas that we've renovated in areas that we've built
I would say if we got if we got five billion dollars we could do a tremendous chunk of wall
Reporte: Mr President is that -
We're going to see, we're going to see. Look we have to have the wall. This isn't a question. This is a national emergency.
Drugs are pouring into our country. People with tremendous medical -
difficulty and medical problems are pouring in, and in many - in many cases that it's contagious
They're pouring into our country. We have to have
Border security!
We have to have a wall as part of border security, and I don't think we really disagree so much
I also know that, you know, Nancy's in a situation where it's not easy for her to talk right now
And I understand that and I fully understand that we're gonna have a good discussion and we're gonna see what happens
But we have to have border security!
Mr President please don't characterize
this rank that I bring as
Leader of the House Democrats, who just won a big victory.
Elections have consequences Mr President!
That's right.
Let me just say
And that's why the countries doing so well!
What the president is representing in terms of his cards over there is not factual
We need to have an evidence based conversation
about what does work, what money has been spent, and how effective it is?
This is about the security of our country to take an oath to protect and defend
We don't want to have that mischaracterized by anyone
- I agree with that.
No, no, I agree
So let us have a conversation where we don't have to contradict, in public -
The statistics that you put forth
but instead can have a conversation about what will really work, and what the American people deserve from us at this uncertain time in their lives.
One thing I think we can agree on is we shouldn’t shut down the government over a dispute. And you want to shut it down. You keep talking about.
I — no, no, no, no, the last time, Chuck, you shut it down.
No, no, no
Twenty times.
Twenty times — 20 times, you were called for I will shut down the government if I don’t get my wall. None of us has said
You want to know something?
You said it.
Okay, you want to put that (inaudible).
You've said it.
You know what I'll say? Yes. If we don't get what we want one way or the other, whether it's through you, through a military, through anything you want to call, I will shut down the government, absolutely.
I am proud to shut down the government for border security, Chuck, because the people of this country don't want criminals
People that have lots of problems and drugs pouring into our country. So I will take the mantle
I will be the to shut it down. I'm not going to blame you for it. The last time you shut it down it didn't work. I will take the
I will take the mantle of shutting down and I'm going to shut it down for border security.
But we believe you shouldn't shut it down.
Thank you very much everybody
We have a lot of great people for chief of staff. A lot of people want the job. A lot of people want the job. (Inaudible) a lot of friends of mine want it.
A lot of people that Chuck and Nancy know very well want it. I think people you'd like. We have a lot of people that want the job of chief of staff.
So we'll be seeing what happens very soon. We're in no rush. We're in no rush.
Reporter: Why no rush. Mr. President?
Why, because we have a wonderful chief of staff right now. There’s no — we are in no rush. Over a period of a week or two, or maybe less, we’ll announce who it’s going to be, but we have a lot of people that want the position.
Thank you very much, everybody.
Cheers