UNTIL MARK ESPER IS NAMED I GUESS PATRICK SHANAHAN REMAINS
ACTING.
ACTING. >> LET’S GET A REACTION FROM OUR
2020 CANDIDATE.
2020 CANDIDATE. >> PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE JULIAN
CASTRO HAPPENS TO BE WITH US
FORMER HUD SECRETARY UNDER
PRESIDENT OBAMA, FORMER MAYOR OF
SAN ANTONIO.
SAN ANTONIO. SECRETARY, LOOK.
SECRETARY, LOOK. WE HAVE ESCALATING TENSIONS WITH
IRAN.
IRAN. WE HAVE AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH
NORTH KOREA.
NORTH KOREA. WE HAVE NO NAMED DEFENSE
SECRETARY.
SECRETARY. WE NOW HAVE A NEW ACTING DEFENSE
SECRETARY.
SECRETARY. WE’RE NOT REALLY EVER SURE
AROUND HERE WHETHER AN ACTING
DEFENSE SECRETARY IS MEANT TO
BECOME THE ACTUAL DEFENSE
SECRETARY.
SECRETARY. IS THERE ANY CONCERN THAT YOU
HAVE ABOUT THAT SPOT NOT BEING
FILLED AND BASICALLY JOHN BOLTON
WHO IS THE PRESIDENT’S NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISER SEEMS TO BE
SETTING MILITARY POLICY AT THE
MOMENT?
MOMENT? >> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS
BEEN VERY CLEAR FROM THE
BEGINNING OF THIS ADMINISTRATION
IS THAT THIS PRESIDENT DOESN’T
TAKE BEING COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF AS
SERIOUSLY AS HE SHOULD.
LOOK AT ALT VACANCIES WE’VE
SEEN, AMBASSADORIAL POSTS, A
WHOLE BUNCH OF POSTS IN THE
STATE DEPARTMENT.
STATE DEPARTMENT. WE ARE NOT ABLE TO BE AS WELL
REPRESENTED OR STRONG AS WE
COULD BE AS A COUNTRY IN OUR
DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS.
DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS. WE’RE TRYING
WE’RE TRYING OR TRYING TO GATHER PARTNERS
BECAUSE THIS PRESIDENT HAS NOT
DONE THE HARD WORK OF ACTUALLY
APPOINTING PEOPLE TO THESE
POSTS.
POSTS. WHEN HE HAS, SEVERAL CABINET
SECRETARIES AND OTHERS HAVE HAD
TO RESIGN BECAUSE OF ETHICS
ISSUES.
ISSUES. THIS GENTLEMAN THAT YOU JUST
MENTIONED TODAY WHO IS
WITHDRAWING HIS NOMINATION
BECAUSE OF WHAT SOUNDS LIKE IT
MIGHT BE A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
ISSUE IN HIS PAST, IT HAS BEEN
TOTAL CHAOS.
TOTAL CHAOS. AND THE ONES THAT ARE HURT
BECAUSE OF IT ARE AMERICANS WHO
DEPEND ON STEADY LEADERSHIP, OUR
ALLIES WHO NEED OUR LEADERSHIP,
AND ALSO OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN
UNIFORM WHO ARE OUT THERE ON THE
LINE WHO ARE DEPENDING ON STRONG
LEADERSHIP HERE AT HOME.
AND THEY’RE JUST NOT GETTING IT.
THIS IS JUST ONE MORE EXAMPLE.
>> LET’S TALK ABOUT I.C.E.
THE PRESIDENT WILL HAVE MEMBERS
OF I.C.E. WORKING OVERTIME NEXT
WEEK AS HE IS CALLING FOR RAIDS
LOOKING TO DEPORT THOUSANDS OF
UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS.
UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS. IF ELECTED, YOU ARE CALLING FOR
THE BREAKUP OF I.C.E.
IF I.C.E. WERE TO BE BROKEN UP,
HOW WOULD YOU DEAL WITH THE
MILLIONS OF UNDOCUMENTED
IMMIGRANTS ALREADY HERE AND
THOSE THOUSANDS CROSSING THE
BORDER?
BORDER? >> AS YOU KNOW, I WAS THE FIRST
2020 CANDIDATE TO RELEASE A
COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION PLAN
AND I HAVE A COMPLETELY
DIFFERENT VISION FOR HOW WE’LL
DO THIS THAN THIS PRESIDENT.
I THINK WHAT PEOPLE ON DIFFERENT
SIDES OF THE AISLE CAN
ACKNOWLEDGE IS THAT THIS
PRESIDENT HAS FAILED.
HE CAME IN SAYING THAT HE WAS
GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THIS,
QUOTE-UNQUOTE, IMMIGRATION
QUOTE-UNQUOTE, IMMIGRATION PROBLEM.
PROBLEM. AND HE HASN’T.
IN OUR NAME, LITTLE CHILDREN
HAVE BEEN SEPARATED FROM THEIR
MOTHERS.
MOTHERS. PEOPLE ARE IN CAGES.
SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WHAT
I WOULD DO IS, NUMBER ONE, I
WOULD MAKE SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN
BORDER SECURITY AND I BELIEVE
THAT OUR BORDER IS AS SECURE AS
IT EVER HAS BEEN.
I WOULD ENSURE WE MAINTAIN IT.
SECONDLY, I WOULD TREAT PEOPLE
WITH COMPASSION AND COMMON SENSE
AND NOT WITH CRUELTY.
I WOULD MAKE SURE THAT WE DON’T
SEPARATE FAMILIES, THAT WE DON’T
PUT PEOPLE IN CAGES, THAT WE
TREAT THEM LIKE HUMAN BEINGS.
I WOULD ALSO GET TO THE ROOT OF
THE PROBLEM.
THE PROBLEM. NUMBER ONE, WE GOT TO CREATE AN
IMMIGRATION JUDICIARY, COURT
SYSTEM, THAT HAS ENOUGH JUDGES
AND SUPPORT STAFF TO ACTUALLY
GET THROUGH THE ASYLUM CLAIMS SO
THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT WAITING IN
LIMBO FOR YEARS AND YEARS.
WE GOT TO GET TO THE BASE
CHALLENGE IN COUNTRIES LIKE
HONDURAS AND EL SALVADOR AND
GUATEMALA.
GUATEMALA. PEOPLE ARE COMING OVER TO THE
UNITED STATES BECAUSE THEY CAN’T
FIND SAFETY AND OPPORTUNITY
THERE.
THERE. WE NEED TO PARTNER WITH THOSE
COUNTRIES.
COUNTRIES. I’VE CALLED FOR A 21st CENTURY
MARSHAL PLAN SO PEOPLE CAN BE
SAFE AND FIND OPPORTUNITIES AT
HOME INSTEAD OF COMING HERE.
>> THOSE COUNTRIES ARE IN
DESPERATE STRAITS AND IF THEY
WEREN’T WE PROBABLY WOULDN’T SEE
THEM LEAVING TO THAT DEGREE.
HOWEVER, YOU WERE MAYOR OF SAN
ANTONIO AND TO THE EXTENT THAT A
VERY LARGE PORTION OF PEOPLE WHO
CLAIM ASYLUM AT THE SOUTHERN
BORDER WHO ULTIMATELY GET A
LAWYER AND A HEARING AFTER YEARS
IN MANY CASES, MOST OF THEM ARE
NOT GRANTED ASYLUM.
AND SO WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
YOU’RE PRESIDENT.
YOU’RE PRESIDENT. SAY 70% ARE STILL NOT GETTING
GRANTED ASYLUM.
GRANTED ASYLUM. WOULD YOU CAUSE THEM TO LEAVE
THE COUNTRY?
THE COUNTRY? >> WELL, NOT EVERYBODY DOES GET
ASYLUM.
ASYLUM. >> MOST PEOPLE DON’T.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
AND THIS IS AN IMPORTANT POINT.
BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT WHEN THEY
MAKE THEIR ASYLUM CLAIM THAT WE
SHOULD RESPECT THAT CLAIM.
YEAH, I DON’T THINK EVERYBODY IS
ARGUING THAT EVERYBODY THAT
CLAIMS ASYLUM OR WANTS ASYLUM OR
TO COME INTO THE UNITED STATES
IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
>> SO WHAT DO YOU DO WITH ALL OF
THOSE IMMIGRANTS WHO ARE, WHO
DON’T GET ASYLUM?
WHERE DO YOU SEND THEM?
>> WELL, SOME PEOPLE, SOME OF
THE FOLKS WHO ARE HERE IN THE
UNITED STATES AS THEY WAIT FOR
THAT CLAIM TO BE ADJUDICATED ARE
GOING TO BE LIVING WITH FAMILY
MEMBERS.
MEMBERS. SOME MAY HAVE -- THERE ARE ALSO
OTHER VISAS THAT MAY BE
AVAILABLE TO SOME OF THEM.
I WOULD MAKE SURE WE EXHAUST THE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOLKS TO BE
ABLE TO APPLY FOR VISAS THAT MAY
APPLY TO THEM.
FOR INSTANCE IF SOMEBODY HAS
BEEN A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE AND HELPED THE
AUTHORITIES TO CATCH THAT
PERPETRATOR OF DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE, THERE IS A VISA THAT
APPLIES TO THAT.
SO WE NEED TO IMPROVE THAT
SYSTEM AS WELL.
BUT IF YOUR QUESTION IS, IS
EVERYBODY GOING TO BE ABLE TO
STAY IN THE COUNTRY?
THEN OF COURSE NOT.
THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME
PEOPLE THAT DO NOT.
I WOULD WORK A LOT HARDER SO
THAT, NUMBER ONE, WE EXPAND OUR
VISA SYSTEM SO THAT MORE PEOPLE
CAN COME IN.
WE EXPAND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE
WHO GET ASYLUM IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND WE TREAT PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE
WITH RESPECT AND HUMANELY, WITH
COMPASSION, AND NOT CRUELLY THE
WAY THAT THIS PRESIDENT HAS BEEN
DOING.
DOING. >> AND JUST, I KNOW WE’RE OUT OF
TIME, BUT THEN WHAT DO YOU SAY
TO THOSE AMERICANS WHO SAY, THEY
UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE FOR
COMPASSION AND OPENING THINGS
UP, BUT TO THOSE AMERICANS WHO
SAY THEY, THEMSELVES, ARE NOT
GETTING AMPLE HEALTH CARE, THEIR
KIDS DON’T GO TO GOOD SCHOOLS,
AND THEY’RE NOT HAVING THEIR
BASIC NEEDS MET OR BEING TREATED
WITH COMPASSION.
WITH COMPASSION. HOW WILL WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO
HELP OTHERS?
HELP OTHERS? >> WELL, THAT’S WHY WE NEED TO
ENSURE THAT EVERYBODY WHO WANTS
MEDICARE IN THIS COUNTRY CAN GET
IT.
IT. THAT’S WHY I PUT OUT AN
EDUCATION PLAN THAT ENSURES THAT
NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE IN THIS
COUNTRY, NO MATTER WHETHER YOU
LIVE IN A RURAL COMMUNITY OR AN
URBAN ONE THAT YOU CAN GET A
GREAT PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION.
THESE TWO THINGS ARE NOT
MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.
MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. WE CAN BE HUMANE AND LIVE UP TO
THE BEST OF OUR IDEALS WITH
PEOPLE WHO ARE FLEEING DESPERATE
CIRCUMSTANCES AND TRYING TO FIND
A BETTER LIFE AND TREAT THEM
HUMANELY AND SOMETHING WE CAN BE
PROUD OF.
PROUD OF. AND ALSO ENSURE THAT WE PROVIDE
GREAT OPPORTUNITY AND AN
ECONOMIC BOOST TO PEOPLE AND
FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES
THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.
THAT’S WHAT I’M ABOUT AND WHY
I’M RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.
I WAS ONE OF THOSE AMERICANS
THAT GREW UP IN A FAMILY THAT
WAS STRUGGLING THAT KNOWS WHAT
IT’S LIKE TO WONDER IF WE’LL BE
ABLE TO PAY THE RENT.
THAT GOES TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
AND HAS ALSO BEEN ABLE TO
ACHIEVE MY DREAMS.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT NO
MATTER WHO YOU ARE YOU CAN
ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS, TOO.
>> SECRETARY, YOU WERE THE
SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN
DEVELOPMENT SO IT IS A TOPIC YOU
KNOW A LOT ABOUT AND A TOPIC
THAT WOULD REALLY HELP BRIDGE
THE WEALTH GAP IN THIS COUNTRY.
IT’S A BIG STRUGGLE.
TODAY YOU’RE LAUNCHING A
THREE-PART PLAN TO MAKE HOUSING
MORE AFFORDABLE AND TO END
HOMELESSNESS INCLUDING EXPANDING
AND REFORMING THE HOUSING CHOICE
VOUCHER PROGRAM, CREATING A
RENTER’S TAX CREDIT, EXPANDING
PELL GRANTS TO COVER HOUSING,
EXPANDING ACCESS TO MENTAL
HEALTH CARE.
HEALTH CARE. YOU ARE RELEASING PART TWO NOW
WITH US I BELIEVE.
WHAT IS THAT?
WHAT DOES THAT ENTAIL?
>> WELL, PART TWO ACTUALLY
INVOLVES THE FAIR HOUSING
COMPONENT OF THIS AND ALSO
MAKING SURE THAT WE’RE AWARE OF
HOW HOUSING PLAYS WITH OTHER
IMPORTANT QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES
LIKE THE ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU
GROW UP AROUND.
I WAS JUST IN FLINT A FEW DAYS
AGO AND GOING BACK TO FLINT AND
LISTENING TO THE PROGRESS THAT’S
BEEN MADE SINCE THE FLINT WATER
CRISIS STARTED AND THE PROGRESS
THAT STILL NEEDS TO BE MADE WAS
A VERY POWERFUL REMINDER THAT
TOO OFTEN TIMES WHERE SOMEBODY
LIVES DETERMINES SOMETHING IS
STRAIGHT FORWARD BUT SIGNIFICANT
AS WHETHER THEY HAVE CLEAN WATER
TO DRINK OR CLEAN AIR TO
BREATHE, SO WE WANT TO EMBRACE
POLICIES THAT ENSURE THAT NO
MATTER WHAT NEIGHBORHOOD YOU
LIVE IN THAT YOU HAVE CLEAN AIR,
YOU HAVE CLEAN WATER.
THAT YOU DON’T, YOU KNOW, GET
ASTHMA OR SOME OTHER AFFLICTION
BECAUSE OF WHERE YOU LIVE.
THAT WE ADDRESS ALL OF THOSE
THINGS BY CONNECTING THE DOTS OF
POLICY IN A SMART WAY.
IT ALSO SAYS, NO MATTER THE
COLOR OF YOUR SKIN OR YOUR
GENDER IDENTITY OR YOUR SEXUAL
ORIENTATION WHEN YOU GO OUT AND
YOU LOOK FOR AN APARTMENT, OR
YOU LOOK FOR A HOUSE, YOU SHOULD
BE TREATED THE SAME WAY NO
MATTER WHO YOU ARE.
>> HOW DO YOU PLAN TO PAY FOR
ALL OF THIS?
>> WHAT IS THE QUESTION?
>> HOW DO YOU PLAN TO PAY FOR
THIS PLAN.
THIS PLAN. >> YEAH, SO DURING THE COURSE OF
THE CAMPAIGN, WE’RE GOING TO
RELEASE OUR PLAN ON HOW WE WOULD
PAY FOR NOT ONLY THIS HOUSING
PLAN BUT ALSO EDUCATION AND THE
OTHER PLANS THAT I’VE RELEASED
BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU A PREVIEW,
NUMBER ONE, I WOULD REPEAL AND
REPLACE THE TRUMP TAX CUTS.
THAT’S ONE PART OF IT.
BUT AS YOU KNOW IT IS NOT NEARLY
ENOUGH.
ENOUGH. SECONDLY, I WOULD CLOSE SOME OF
THE MAJOR LOOPHOLES IN OUR TAX
CODE.
CODE. I WOULD RAISE THE TOP MARGINAL
TAX RATE.
TAX RATE. AND THEN I WOULD LOOK FOR OTHER
WAYS THAT WE’VE CREATED REVENUE
TO FUND SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS
THAT AREN’T NECESSARILY JUST IN
THE TAX CODE.
A VERY GOOD EXAMPLE IS THE
NATIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND,
WHICH I MENTIONED IN MY HOUSING
PLAN.
PLAN. THE NATIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND
IS FUNDED BY A TRANSACTION FEE
ON THE GOVERNMENT SPONSORED
ENTITIES, FANNIE MAE AND FREDDIE
MAC.
MAC. EVERY TIME THEY DO A TRANSACTION
A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY GOES INTO
A HOUSING TRUST FUND FOR PEOPLE
THAT ARE EXTREMELY LOW INCOME.
BASICALLY, PEOPLE MAKING LESS
THAN 30% OF AN AREA MEDIAN
INCOME.
INCOME. THAT IS NOT DIRECTLY IN THE TAX
CODE BUT THAT IS ONE INNOVATIVE
WAY THAT WE CAN FUND A HOUSING
PROGRAM.
PROGRAM. I WOULD LOOK FOR THOSE