TO ACTUALLY DELIVER ON SOME OF
THE POLICY PLATFORMS THEY
CAMPAIGNED ON.
LET’S BRING IN LAUREL LEE,
FLORIDA CONGRESSWOMAN ELECT,
REPRESENTING DISTRICT 15.
SHE’S ALSO THE FORMER FLORIDA
SECRETARY OF STATE, SO MISS LEE,
THANKS FOR BEING HERE, JUMPING
IN, HOW DO YOU STRIKE THE
BALANCE BETWEEN OVERSIGHT AND
OVERREACH?
>> WELL, BOTH OF THOSE
OBJECTIVES ARE CRITICAL.
TO BE SURE, IT IS TIME FOR
REPUBLICANS TO SEIZE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT OUR
POLICY AGENDA AND WHAT
CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP MEANS IN
CONGRESS.
AND ABSOLUTELY WE ARE PREPARED
TO DO THAT.
THERE IS A VERY DETAILED POLICY
AGENDA THAT INCLUDES ECONOMIC
CHECKS AND BALANCES ON THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION AND THE ECONOMY
THAT’S STRONG, A NATION THAT’S
SAFE, A GOVERNMENT THAT’S
ACCOUNTABLE, BUT I CAN TELL YOU
MY CONSTITUENTS WANT ANSWERS TO
THE CRITICAL ISSUES DURING THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, SO AS THE
NEW REPUBLICAN MAJORITY I THINK
WE NEED TO DO BOTH.
FOCUS ON THOSE POLICY ISSUES BUT
ALSO ENSURE THAT WE ARE ASKING
THE RIGHT QUESTIONS AND HOLDING
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
ACCOUNTABLE.
>> Arthel: ALSO IN TERMS OF
POLICY MAKING, THE PEOPLE WANT
THAT AS WELL.
HOW CAN THE REPUBLICAN-LED HOUSE
COME OUT STRONG?
WHAT POLICIES SHOULD YOU
PRIORITIZE IN TERMS OF BRINGING
ISSUES TO THE TABLE THAT CAN
MAKE THE LIVES OF EVERYDAY
AMERICANS BETTER?
>> WELL, I THINK IT BEGINS WITH
THE ECONOMY.
VOTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE
FEELING THE EFFECTS OF THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION’S WRECKLESS
SPENDING AND WRECKLESS ECONOMIC
POLICIES.
SO WE NEED TO BEGIN BY FOCUSING
THERE.
AND ENSURING THAT WE CURB
EXCESSIVE AND WASTEFUL
GOVERNMENT SPENDING, AND ALSO
INVOLVE TAX AND REGULATORY
POLICIES THAT ACTUALLY SUPPORT
BUSINESSES AND ECONOMIC GROWTH.
SO WITHOUT QUESTION, REPUBLICANS
ARE PREPARED TO DO THAT.
AND REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO
HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO
SHOWING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHAT
A DIFFERENCE IT CAN MAKE TO HAVE
PRINCIPLED CONSERVATIVE LEADERS
IN CONGRESS.
>> Arthel: HOW MIGHT THE
BEHAVIOR OF THE HOUSE OVER THE
NEXT TWO YEARS IMPACT THE 2024
PRESIDENTIAL RACE?
>> WELL, REALLY IN BOTH OF THOSE
WAYS.
TO BEGIN, I THINK IT IS
IMPORTANT THAT WE TAKE THIS
OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY
DEMONSTRATE WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT
WILL MAKE TO PUT A STOP TO SOME
OF THE WRECKLESS SPENDING.
JUST THIS WEEK, WE SAW JOE BIDEN
AGAIN WITH STUDENT LOAN POLICY
THAT MAKES NO SENSE FOR
AMERICANS AND MORE FUNDAMENTALLY
IS ABSOLUTELY DEVOID OF
CONSIDERATION FOR BASIC
SEPARATION OF POWERS.
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS
ATTEMPTING TO DO THROUGH
UNELECTED BUREAUCRATS THAT WHICH
BELONGS IN CONGRESS, MAJOR
QUESTIONS, POLICY QUESTIONS AND
SPENDING SHOULD ALWAYS BE DONE
IN CONGRESS.
SO IT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO
PUT A STOP TO THAT INAPPROPRIATE
EVER BY THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
TO DO ADMINISTRATIVELY THAT
WHICH THEY HAVE NO
CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY TO DO.
IT’S ALSO A KEY ISSUE FOR VOTERS
IN MY AREA THAT WE FOCUS ON THE
SOUTHERN BORDER AND THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION FAILURE TO SECURE
THAT BORDER.
EVERY DAY WE SEE UNCHECKED
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, EMPOWERING
THE CARTELS, NOT JUST TO BRING
IN DEADLY FENTANYL, WHICH IS
COMING INTO ALL OF OUR
COMMUNITIES IN AMERICA, BUT ALSO
AS A FORMER PROSECUTOR I CAN
SPEAK TO THE TRAVESTY THAT IS
HUMAN TRAFFICKING, WHICH IS
HAPPENING EVERY DAY AT OUR
SOUTHERN BORDER.
SO AS AMERICANS AND LEADERS IN
CONGRESS, WE NEED TO BE FOCUSED
ON DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO
PUT AN END TO THESE TYPES OF
POLICIES AND SECURE THAT
SOUTHERN BORDER.
>> Arthel: INDEED.
AND HOW DO YOU DO THAT?
>> WELL, I THINK IT BEGINS
CLEARLY WITH AN INVESTIGATION OF
SECRETARY MAYORKAS.
WE SAW EARLIER THIS WEEK,
SPEAKER DESIGNATE McCARTHY AND
REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES DOWN ON
THE SOUTHERN BORDER REALLY
SHINING A LIGHT ON SOME OF THE
ISSUES AND CHALLENGES THAT WE
HAVE DOWN THERE.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY TIME FOR
SECRETARY MAYORKAS TO BE
ACCOUNTABLE FOR HIS DECISIONS,
INDECISIONS AND FAILURES TO COME
UP WITH A BORDER POLICY THAT
WILL KEEP OUR COUNTRY SECURE.
WE ALSO HAVE INDIVIDUALS ON THE
TERROR WATCH LIST COMING ACROSS
OUR BORDER UNACCOUNTABLE HERE IN
OUR COUNTRY.
POSING A THREAT TO EVERY
COMMUNITY.
>> Arthel: I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND
YOUR POINTS.
FOR THE SAKE OF TIME HERE WANT
YOU TO TELL ME, YOU HAVE TO GET
TO THE BOTTOM OF WHAT’S GOING
WRONG, HOW DO YOU MAKE IT RIGHT
IN TERMS OF POLICY AND I KNOW
YOU NEED TO INVESTIGATE BUT YOU
HAVE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE COMING
ACROSS THE BORDER EVERY DAY AND
THE FENTANYL, THEY ARE CAPTURING
SOME OF IT, WE HAVE TO ADMIT
THEY ARE CAPTURING SOME FENTANYL
BUT A LOT IS GETTING INTO OUR
COMMUNITIES, TOO MUCH.
SO AGAIN, WHAT’S THE IMMEDIATE,
YOU KNOW, FIX TO STOP THE FLOW?
>> WELL, I THINK THE IMMEDIATE
FIX IS THIS.
IT’S QUITE SIMPLE.
WE ARE A NATION OF LAWS AND WE
NEED TO ENSURE THAT EVERYWHERE
IN AMERICA THOSE LAWS ARE BEING
FOLLOWED.
SO RIGHT FROM DAY ONE, THERE
NEEDS TO BE TRANSPARENCY ABOUT
THIS ADMINISTRATION AND WHAT
THEY HAVE BEEN DOING AND THE
DECISIONS THEY HAVE BEEN MAKING.
I HEAR EVERY DAY FROM
CONSTITUENTS IN MY DISTRICT THAT
THEY WANT ANSWERS.
WE HAVE NOT JUST AN OPPORTUNITY
BUT AN OBLIGATION TO ENSURE THAT
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE GET THE
TRUTH ABOUT WHAT’S GOING ON AT
OUR SOUTHERN BORDER AND THAT WE
PUT A STOP TO ANY, ANY EFFORTS
THAT IS NOT COMPLIANT WITH OUR
EXISTING LAWS AND POLICIES.
>> Arthel: AND NOW YOU ARE
FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE OF
FLORIDA.
WHEN WILL YOUR FORMER BOSS,
GOVERNOR DeSANTIS, ANNOUNCE HIS
RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE?
>> WELL, I’LL SAY THIS.
IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE PRIVILEGE
TO GET TO WORK AS A SENIOR PART
OF THE DeSANTIS ADMINISTRATION
AND I AM SO PROUD OF THE POLICY
OBJECTIVES THAT WE WERE ABLE TO
ADVANCE AND WORK ON TOGETHER.
HE IS AN INCREDIBLY TALENTED
LEADER AND CERTAINLY IN FLORIDA
WE ARE ALL VERY PROUD OF OUR
STRONG CONSERVATIVE LEADERS AND
LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT THE
FUTURE BRINGS.
>> Arthel: HOW LONG DO WE WAIT?
>> TIME WILL TELL, TIME WILL
TELL.
WE ARE VERY PROUD OF OUR BENCH
HERE, WE’VE GOT A LOT OF GREAT
LEADERS COMING FROM FLORIDA AND
I KNOW WE ARE ALL VERY MUCH
LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT
THE FUTURE HOLDS.
>> Arthel: YOU ARE NOT GOING TO
TELL ME WHEN HE’S GOING TO
ANNOUNCE.
MAYBE YOU’LL COME BACK AND TELL