this is "Facing South Florida with Jim DeFede."
>>Welcome to "Facing South Florida."
I'm Jim DeFede,
and today we interview Congressman Ted Deutsch.
In a few days he will be leaving Congress
after serving more than 12 years
to start a new job with the American Jewish Committee.
During his time in Congress, he dealt with the aftermath
of the Parkland shooting in his district,
attacked the growing scourge of fentanyl,
and helped pass needed legislation
on animal abuse and cruelty.
I began our talk by asking him
about the emotion of these final days.
>>Well, I think about how fortunate I am, Jim,
to have been able to do this job
that so few people in history have been able to do,
which is to represent their neighbors
in the United States House of Representatives.
I'm thinking about the people that I've met along the way,
the colleagues here, the friends I've made.
There's a lot that goes through your head
after having had this experience.
>>So why leave then?
>>Well, we talked about this once before.
I love representing South Florida in Congress
and I wasn't looking to leave
but this opportunity to transition
to American Jewish Committee
where I'll work full time on enhancing the wellbeing
of the Jewish community around the world
and the state of Israel
and defending democratic values and pluralism,
a lot of the issues
that motivated me to get into politics in the first place,
and it's a rare opportunity
to continue the kind of work that I've done
on a global scale.
So that's why I'm leaving,
but it doesn't make the decision easier, and it doesn't mean
that I leave without obviously a lot of emotions
that have guided me throughout
and the people that I'll be thinking about
for the rest of my life.
>>Later I want to talk to you
about the work with the American Jewish Committee,
and I think it's prescient too
with the ADL just issuing a report in Florida, you know,
hate in the sunshine state showing the rise
of white supremacists and antisemitic groups
here in the state.
But for now, let's talk for a second
just about what you see the state of politics is,
how it has changed, particularly there in Congress
over the 12 1/2 years you served.
Are you optimistic or pessimistic?
>>Well, I couldn't do this job if I weren't optimistic
and I continue to be optimistic and I know it...
Look, I know the way this comes out
but I continue to be optimistic cuz I really believe
in our country and I believe in the American people
and I believe in democracy.
That said, Jim, this is a really challenging time
and we're not that far removed from January 6th
and what that moment meant for our democracy
and the very real challenge to our democracy
and the attack on the Capitol.
That's still reverberating around this place.
And when you think about the number of people
who refuse to certify the outcome of the election
and have made apologies for some of the activities,
the attacks that went on here,
it makes it challenging.
But ultimately, we don't have a choice.
We have to make our democracy work
and it's gonna be challenging
but it's really important work.
And as someone who has spent an awful lot of time
over all these years
really trying to have good, working relationships,
friendships with colleagues of mine,
not just the ones I agree with,
but the ones whose opinions differ from mine
in a lot of respects,
I think we've gotta find our way through
and I think there is a way to do that.
Last thing I'll say on this, Jim, it starts with recognizing
that we can have differences of opinion,
but it doesn't mean that if I disagree with you
that you are evil
or if you disagree with me
that somehow I pose an ongoing challenge to America.
We've gotta figure out how to get through this.
>>Well, here's where I'm more pessimistic
than I think you are.
I would've thought January 6th was the moment
where the fever broke.
That it had gotten to such a point
where it would've snapped folks back to reality
of how dangerous this was.
But as you point out,
we continue to see candidates running across the country,
Republican-party candidates
still denying the election was valid,
still echoing support for the former president
in a way that is both scary and dangerous.
I would've thought January 6th was that watershed moment
but we've glided right past that.
Why do you believe that to be the case?
>>Well, (scoffs) I would differ with you some.
I wouldn't say we've glided right past it.
I think the January 6th committee
has done really important work
in highlighting exactly what happened that day
and exactly the threat that it posed to our country.
And I know, I acknowledge that there continue to be
conspiracy theorists who have glided right by,
but I think there's a much better awareness now
because of the work of the committee.
And remember, there's a report
that's gonna come lay all this out clearly
that will remind us just what the significant threat was
to our democracy at the moment.
That's what we're going to have to build from.
And there's an election coming up
and we'll see how that plays out,
but just because there are still
some conspiracy-theory-espousing people in politics
doesn't mean that that represents the future of our country.
I would argue strenuously that it doesn't
and I think as we head through this election,
I'm confident that there will be
a strong showing on election day for sanity
and for the rejection of conspiracy theories
and standing instead for truth
and the need for us to repair our democracy.
>>Except here's what I will say.
You talk about members of Congress
from across the aisle
who you can have friendships with,
that you can have conversations with, you need more of that,
there needs to be more of that.
And yet, so many of those members are leaving.
Whether it's Adam Kinzinger or Liz Cheney
or I can cite another...
I think at least eight
out of the 10 Republicans who crossed party lines
and voted for impeachment are all gone.
I think the Republican party has done a very good job
of weeding out those dissenting voices,
those moderate voices.
Am I wrong?
>>Well, the question is how do you get to...
How do you get to the fundamental issue
of breaking the fever the way you described it before?
>>Well, if January 6th, if an attempted insurrection
doesn't break that fever, what will?
>>(sighs) Well, we'll see what happens in the election,
but regardless of what happens,
the future of the our democracy doesn't rest
on a handful of members who are retiring from Congress.
Not Republicans, not me, no one.
This place is gonna go on.
They're 435 members of Congress
who will be sworn in in January.
And they're going to have to figure it out, Jim.
This gets back to the question, am I optimistic?
I don't...
You only have two choices here.
And this is fundamental for me.
There are two choices you have.
We can look at this place and say,
"My God, the challenges are enormous
and we're right around an election
and I don't know, given the people who are leaving,
all of these people, and we're looking at impeachment vote
as the deciding factor, all these people were leaving,
that I don't know how this place is gonna go on."
Well, that's a luxury we don't have.
Congress is going to be here
and we're going to have to figure it out going forward.
And there are colleagues of mine who are coming back,
Democrats and Republicans alike,
who are going to have to figure out how to work together.
And I know, we're then rolling into a presidential campaign,
and all the challenges that that will bring,
nut the fact is, there have to be ways to come together
and there are every day-
>>Well, wait, wait. See, here's what I would say.
You keep saying there has to be ways
for us to come together.
And I think that this is part of the...
I'm gonna use this word cautiously.
The arrogance of American politicians
just to believe that because we've been a democracy
for 246 years, we'll always be a democracy
is I think a fundamental mistake.
>>No, no, no, no.
I'm not saying that.
And respectfully, I don't think it's arrogance
that suggests that our democracy
is so precious and special
that it will automatically go on.
That's not what I'm saying.
What I'm saying is,
and I think there are a lot of us who feel this way,
is that it is so precious and requires a lot of work
and a lot of effort to make it so.
I don't take for granted...
It will be arrogant, I don't disagree,
for me to sit here and tell you,
"Everything's gonna be fine.
Congress is gonna go move forward.
There'll be a new Congress. They're gonna be great.
We're all gonna put this in the rear-view mirror
and focus on the issues
that everyone wants us to focus on every day."
It would be arrogant for me to tell you that.
That's not what I'm saying, Jim.
What I'm telling you is, having been here as long as I have,
that there will be a new Congress
and there are those who are committed to working hard
to make sure that this place
really functions on behalf of the American people.
It is not without challenge.
It is not without enormous concern about the future.
It is because of the need to meet those challenges
and address those concerns
that we'll be able to get through this.
But I don't want you to think
that I take any of this for granted because I don't,
and you shouldn't and your viewer shouldn't.
>>When we come back, we turn to governor DeSantis's decision
to fly migrants from Texas to Martha's Vineyard.
Stay with us.