>>> AS PRESIDENT BIDEN TRAVELS
TO GEORGIA THE MEET WITH
ASIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY LEADERS
FLAGS ARE FLYING AT HALF STAFF
AT THE WHITE HOUSE AND OTHER
FEDERAL BUILDINGS AND THE HOUSE
HELD A MOMENT OF SILENCE TO
HONOR THE VICTIMS OF THE
SHOOTINGS IN GEORGIA AND IN
SOLIDARITY WITH THE MEMBERS OF
THE ASIAN-AMERICAN AND PACIFIC
ISLANDER COMMUNITY WHO HAVE
FACED DISCRIMINATION AND
VIOLENCE BECAUSE OF THE
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC.
JOINING ME NOW ISDRESSMAN JIMMY
GOMEZ OF CALIFORNIA, A MEMBER OF
THE CONGRESSIONAL ASIAN PACIFIC
CAUCUS AND ASSISTANT WHIP OF THE
HOUSE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME
THIS AFTERNOON.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF PRESIDENT
BIDENS TRIP TODAY AND HOW HAS
THE ADMINISTRATION HANDLED THE
INCREASE IN ATTACKS ON
ASIAN-AMERICANS?
HOW WOULD YOU RATE IT?
>> HES DONE A GREAT JOB.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HES
DOING IS REALLY ACKNOWLEDGING
THAT THERE ARE DIRECTED ATTACKS
ON THE ASIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
I REPRESENT ONE OF THE LARGEST
KOREAN POPULATIONS IN THE ENTIRE
COUNTRY, AND I KNOW THAT THEYRE
APPRECIATIVE AND THANKFUL FOR
HIS RESPONSE.
AND HIS TRIP TO ATLANTA,
GEORGIA, SENDS A MESSAGE OF
SOLIDARITY AND THAT THEYRE
GOING TO CONTINUE WORKING TO
COMBAT THE RACIAL STEREOTYPES
AND RACIAL HATE SPREADING ACROSS
THE COUNTRY BECAUSE OF COVID-19.
>> IS THERE SOMETHING SPECIFIC
YOU WANT TO SEE DONE TO ADDRESS
THESE -- THE SURGE IF YOU WILL,
THE RISE IN ATTACKS?
>> PART OF IT IS YOU HAVE TO
SPEAK OUT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
REMEMBER WE HAD A PRESIDENT,
DONALD TRUMP, THAT HE WOULD SAY
THAT THIS WAS THE WUHAN VIRUS,
THE KUNG-FLU.
THIS WAS SOMEBODY THAT SPREAD
HATE OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND
PRETTY MUCH BLAMING THE PANDEMIC
ON THE ASIAN COMMUNITY.
SO BIDEN COMING OUT AND
DENOUNCING THESE ATTACKS,
STANDING IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE
ASIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY, ITS A
BIG DEAL BECAUSE IT SAYS THIS IS
NOT APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR FOR
ANYONE AND IT MUST STOP.
>> LET ME SWITCH GEARS IF I CAN
FOR A MOMENT AND TALK ABOUT
IMMIGRATION.
HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY
ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS AND A
BIPARTISAN GROUP OF SENATORS ARE
VISITING TEXAS TO LOOK AT THE
SURGE OF MIGRANTS COMING ACROSS
THE SOUTHERN BORDER BUT THERES
NO REPORTERS TRAVELING WITH
THEM.
ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THE
APPARENT LACK OF TRANSPARENCY
FROM THE ADMINISTRATION ABOUT
WHATS ACTUALLY HAPPENING THERE?
>> NO.
REMEMBER THE PREVIOUS
ADMINISTRATION LIED ABOUT THEIR
POLICY WHEN IT CAME TO CHILD
SEPARATION.
THEY LIED ABOUT HOW THE MONEY
WAS BEING SPENT DOWN THERE.
THEY LIED OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
I BELIEVE THEYRE GOING ON A
FACT FINDING MISSION AND THEYRE
GOING TO TAKE THAT INFORMATION
AND USE IT TO DETERMINE POLICY.
AND THAT POLICY WILL BE BASED ON
FACTS NOT ON RHETORIC, NOT
TRYING TO SCORE POLITICAL
POINTS.
>> DONT YOU THINK WERE BETTER
OFF IF WE CAN HAVE THAT
TRANSPARENCY?
IM ASKING ABOUT THIS ONE
SPECIFICALLY.
IF YOU DONT HAVE VISIBILITY ON
IT DOES IT THEN MAKE IT HARDER
TO HAVE THAT OPENNESS AND, YOU
KNOW, THE FACTS AS YOU
MENTIONED?
>> YEAH, ITS FINE THAT I THINK
IF THEY WANTED TO INVITE THE
PRESS, GREAT.
OFTENTIMES I GO TO THE BORDER
AND THE PRESS DOESNT COME.
SO IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE
SITUATION.
SOMETIMES IT DOESNT ALLOW FOR
IT, BUT MORE ATTENTION ON WHATS
GOING ON THE BORDER IS ALWAYS A
GOOD THING BECAUSE WE NEED TO
MAKE SURE TATHAT THE POLICY DOES
CHANGE FOR THE BETTER.
>> THE SECRETARYS VISIT COMES
ONE DAY AFTER THE HOUSE PASSED
TWO IMMIGRATION BILLS THAT WOULD
PUT DREAMERS AND MANY
UNDOCUMENTED FARM WORKERS TO A
PATH TO CITIZENSHIP.
BUT POLITICO NOTICED THIS, THE
PRESIDENT NEVER MENTIONED THE
IMPENDING VOTES ON THE BILLS
ALTHOUGH HE TWEETED ABOUT THE
LEGISLATION AND PUT OUT
STATEMENTS AFTER THE BILLS
PASSED.
THOSE BILLS RECEIVED BIPARTISAN
SUPPORT, BUT ARE YOU CONCERNED
THAT A LACK OF A PUSH FROM THE
WHITE HOUSE AND THE BORDER
COVERAGE COULD DOOM THOSE BILLS
IN THE SENATE?
>> IM NOT.
AND HERES WHY.
PRESIDENT BIDEN WAS A CREATURE
OF THE SENATE.
HE ALSO RESPECTS THE FACT THAT
CONGRESS IS AN EQUAL COBRANCH OF
GOVERNMENT.
IT IS UP TO US TO PUT FORWARD
LEGISLATION.
IT IS UP TO US TO GARNER
SUPPORT.
AND ITS UP TO US TO STRIKE THE
DEAL NECESSARY.
AND RIGHT NOW WERE NOT AT A
POINT WHERE THE WHITE HOUSE
NEEDS TO ENGAGE IN ORDER TO CUT
A DEAL, BUT THATS WHY WE ACTED.
THESE ARE STILL BIG BILLS THAT
WE PASSED YESTERDAY THAT ARE
GOING TO MEAN A LOT IF WE CAN
GET THEM DONE AND GET THEM TO
THE PRESIDENTS DESK.
>> AND LETS TALK ABOUT THE
RESOLUTION YOU INTRODUCED TODAY
CALLING FOR GEORGIA REPUBLICAN
CONGRESSWOMAN MARJORY TAYLOR
GREEN TO BE EXCELLED FROM THE
HOUSE FOR INCITING POLITICAL
VIOLENCE.
SPEAKER PELOSI WAS ASKED ABOUT
IT THIS MORNING.
HERES WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY.
>> MEMBERS ARE VERY UNHAPPY
ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED HERE AND
THEY CAN EXPRESS THEMSELVES THE
WAY THEY DO.
WHAT MR. GOMEZ DID IS HIS OWN
VIEW AND THAT IS NOT LEADERSHIP
POSITION.
>> SO IF OTHER MEMBERS,
CONGRESSMEN OF THE LEADERSHIP
ARE NOT ONBOARD ITS MORE THAN
LIKELY AS YOU KNOW THIS MEASURE
WILL FAIL TO GET THE TWO-THIRDS
VOTE REQUIRED.
WHY DO THIS NOW?
WHAT SPECIFICALLY IS THE
POLITICAL VIOLENCE THAT YOU
BELIEVE THE CONGRESSWOMAN
INCITED?
>> I WANTED TO EXCEL HER FROM
THE MOMENT -- A FEW WEEKS AFTER
THE INSURRECTION.
SHES USED POLITICAL SPEECH IN
ORDER TO INCITE THE STORMING OF
THE CAPITOL.
SHE USED POLITICAL SPEECH TO SAY
SOMEONE SHOULD PUT A BULLET IN
SPEAKER PELOSIS HEAD.
THATS NOT BEHAVIOR A MEMBER OF
CONGRESS SHOULD ENGAGE IN.
THIS IS SOMETHING I BELIEVE IN
WHOLEHEARTEDLY.
I TOTALLY RESPECT SPEAKER
PELOSI.
SHE HAS A DIFFERENT JOB TO DO
THAN I DO.
AND REMEMBER WHEN IT CAME TO
IMPEACHING THE PRESIDENT NOT
EVERYBODY WAS THERE AT THE
BEGINNING.
AND AS TIME UNFOLDED MORE AND
MORE PEOPLE CAME TO THAT SAME
REALIZATION.
SO THIS IS JUST A MATTER OF
TIMING.
I BELIEVE THAT AS THE MONTHS