>> GOOD MORNING, GLAD YOU COULD JOIN US, I’M MICHAEL PUTNEY. >> I’M GLENNA MILLBURG.
>> WE HAVE A PACKED HOUR AHEAD
AND WE BEGIN WITH THE SOUTH
FLORIDA RACE FOR CONGRESS WITH
FLAT ATTENTION-- NATIONAL
ATTENTION.
>> CONGRESSWOMAN RUNNING FOR A
SECOND TERM AND CHAL
EN-- CHALLENGED BY CARLOS
GIMENEZ ALL TO REPRESENT THE
PEOPLE OF THE 26th
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT FROM
KENDALL TO KEY WEST.
CONGRESSWOMAN GOOD MORNING.
>> GREAT TO SEE YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING, REPRESENTATIVE.
>> GOOD MORNING GLENNA AND
MICHAEL.
>> WE HAVE SO GLAD YOU ARE WITH
US.
LET’S BEGIN WITH THE OBVIOUS
PLACE WHICH IS THE DEATH OF RUTH
BADER GINSBURG AND THE FACT THE
PRESIDENT SEEMS INTENT ON MOVING
VERY QUICKLY HERE.
SENATOR MITCHELL SAYS THERE WILL
BE A SENATE VOTE.
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THE
SPEED IN WHICH THEY ARE MOVING
TO REPLACE HER.
>> YES, MICHAEL, FIRST OF ALL,
LET ME JUST SAY THAT IT IS A
HEARTBREAKING LOSS FOR THIS
COUNTRY.
WE’RE ALL MOURNING THE DEATH OF
THIS INCREDIBLE, BRILLIANT LEGAL
SCHOLAR WHO DEDICATED HER ENTIRE
LIFE TO FIGHT FOR JUSTICE FOR
ALL AMERICANS.
FOR MEN, FOR WOMEN.
I CAN’T TELL YOU HOW IMPORTANT
IT IS FOR US TO UNDERSTAND HOW
MUCH HIGHER THE STAKES ARE NOW
IN THIS ELECTION.
BECAUSE WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT
THE SUPREME COURT IS GOING TO BE
HEARING THE CASE TO REPEAL THE
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT.
AND IN MY DISTRICT AS I HAVE
SAID MANY TIMES WE HAVE CLOSE TO
100,000 PEOPLE THAT GET THEIR
HEALTH CARE THROUGH THE ACA,
300,000 INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH
PREEXISTING CONDITIONS THAT HAVE
COVERAGE BECAUSE OF THE ACA.
AND RUSHING FOR A NOMINEE AND
POLITICIZING THIS PROCESS IS
JUST GOING TO BE EXTREMELY
DANGEROUS FOR OUR HEALTH-CARE
SYSTEM ESPECIALLY NOW DURING A
PANDEMIC.
BUT WHAT I THINK IS INTERESTING
IS THE SENATE IS RUSHING TO
BRING A VOTE TO NOMINATE A
SUPREME COURT JUSTICE.
AND YET THEY HAVE DONE
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FOR THREE
MONTHS AS WE’VE BEEN TRYING TO
NEGOTIATE ANOTHER PACKAGE TO
PROVIDE RELIEF FOR SO MANY
FAMILIES HERE IN MY DISTRICT
THAT NEED THAT ASSISTANCE.
SMALL BUSINESSES THAT KEEP
CALLING US, THAT NEED FURTHER
RELIEF.
SO I WOULD ASK THE SENATE
REPUBLICANS TO RUSH BACK INTO
THE SENATE CHAMBERS TO ACTUALLY
BRING A VOTE ON THE HEROES ACT.
>> I JUST WANT TO GO ON RECORD
AND SAY SOMETHING THAT WE
LEARNED HERE, THAT I LEARNED
THIS MORNING IS THAT IN THE
HISTORY, AMERICAN HISTORY OF
THESE KIND OF SITUATIONS WHERE
THERE IS A SUPREME COURT OPENING
AND A PRESIDENTIAL YEAR,
WHENEVER THERE IS A PRESIDENT
AND A SENATE OF THE SAME PARTY,
THAT KIND OF RUSH IS, HAS ALWAYS
BEEN DONE THE MAJORITY OF THE
TIME.
I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT
THERE.
CONGRESS WELL LET’S TALK ABOUT
YOUR DISTRICT A LITTLE BIT,
DISTRICT 26 IS CONSIDERED RIGHT
NOW A TOSS UP AND KIND OF IS ALL
THE TIME BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A
SPLIT DISTRICT AND NOW THERE ARE
SO MANY INDEPENDENTS VOTING THAT
DIDN’T VOTE IN THE PRIMARIES.
AND SO YOU, WE WERE TALKING THIS
MORNING, ONE OF THE CRITICISMS
WE HEAR ABOUT YOU AS A MEMBER OF
CONGRESS IS THAT YOU ARE PRETTY
PARTISAN AND THAT YOU VOTE A
STRAIGHT DEMOCRATIC LINE.
HOW IS THAT GOING TO PLAY WHEN
YOU APPEAL OR TRY TO APPEAL TO
YOUR CONSTITUENTS TO RE-ELECT
YOU?
>> YEAH, GLENNA, LOOK, I’VE
SPENT MY CAREER.
I DIDN’T COME FROM POLITICS,
RIGHT.
I SPENT 20 YEARS WITH MY CAREER
WORKING HERE IN THIS DISTRICT.
AND SO I DON’T PLAY POLITICAL
GAMES IN THESE RATINGS.
THOSE ARE FALSE.
I HAVE ESTABLISHED VERY CLOSE
RELATIONSHIPS WITH SOME OF MY
REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES,
REPRESENTATIVE FRANCIS ROONEY.
WE COLEAD DIFFERENT BILLS TO
PROTECT OUR-- I WORKED VERY
CLOSELY WITH REPRESENTATIVE
BRYAN MASS SO WE CAN PASS
LEGISLATION TO SUPPORT
EVERGLADES RESTORATION AND WE
WERE VERY SUCCESSFUL DOING THAT.
SO THOSE ATTACKS ARE COMPLETELY
FALSE.
WHAT I HAVE DONE IS DEDICATE THE
ALMOST TWO YEARS THAT HAVE I
SERVED IN OFFICE IN MY FIRST
TERM HERE IN CONGRESS WORKING
FOR THE FAMILIES, REALLY
BRINGING DOWN RESULTS, PASSING
200 MILLION FOR EVERGLADES
RESTORATION, PASSING LEGISLATION
THAT WOULD PROVIDE SAFETY TO OUR
COMMUNITIES THAT ARE AFFECTED BY
GUN VIOLENCE.
WE PASSED SEVERAL BILLS TO
REDUCE PREMIUMS FOR THE ACA, TO
REDUCE THE PRICING OF
PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES.
THOSE ARE THE BILLS THAT I HAVE
BEEN VOTING FOR.
SO THAT WOULD TELL MY VOTERS
EVERYONE IN THE DISTRICT TO NOT
REALLY LISTEN TO THESE DESPERATE
FALSE ATTACKS BECAUSE THEY DO
THIS TO MISINFORM, TO CONFUSE.
GO AND LOOK AT MY RECORD AND
WILL YOU SEE WHAT I STAND FOR
AND I WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR
THE PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY.
>> CONGRESSMAN, ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT MAYOR CARLOS
JIMENEZ, YOUR REPUBLICAN
OPPONENT HAS SAID TO ME AND SAID
REPEATEDLY THROUGHOUT THE
CAMPAIGN IS THAT ONE OF THE KEY
DIFFERENCES THE WAY YOU
DIFFERENTLY, YOU SEE THE WORLD
DIFFERENTLY, YOU WENT TO THE
HOME-- HOMESTEAD DETENTION
CENTER.
YOU CALLED IT REALLY ABOMINABLE
PLACE, THAT IT WAS WRONG, THE
CHILDREN WHO WERE THERE, A
COUPLE THOUSAND AT ONE POINT
WERE NOT BEING TREATED WELL.
MAYOR JIM EN-- GIMENEZ WENT IN,
SPOKE PRIVATELY WITH SOME
CHILDREN AND HE CAME OUT AND HE
SAID IN IS NOTHING THERE THAT
MAKES ME ASHAMED TO BE AN
AMERICAN.
BOY, THERE COULDN’T BE TWO MORE
DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW ABOUT
THE SAME THING.
>> YES, MICHAEL, LOOK, YES, WE
SEE THE WORLD IN COMPLETELY
DIFFERENT WAYS.
I’M A MOM AND I’M AN IMMIGRANT.
I CAME HERE WHEN I WAS 14.
AND WHEN I VITSITY-- VISITED THE
HOMESTEAD DETENTION FA SIVMENT I
ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WOULD GET A
LITTLE EASIER.
AND IT WAS NEVER EASIER-- EASIER
TO SEE AND TALK TO SO MANY KIDSK
MANY OF THEM THAT HAVE BEEN
SEPARATED FROM THEIR
GRANDMOTHERS AT THE BORDERS,
SEEKING ASYLUM, FLEEING VIOLENT
REGIME, ASKING FOR HELP.
AND THESE KIDS HAVE BEEN HELD
THERE FOR MONTHS, MICHAEL.
AND IT WAS BEING RUN BY A
FOR-PROFIT COMPANY AND YOU KNOW,
THE FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF OF
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, JOHN
KELLEY WAS ON THE BOARD OF
THAT CAN, THEY WERE ACTUALLY
MAKING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS BY
FILLING THOSE BEDS IN THIS
DETENTION FACILITY.
AND MY SENSE WAS ALWAYS TO
REUNIT THOSE CHILDREN WITH THEIR
FAMILIES HERE IN THE UNITED
STATES, WITH THEIR SPONSORS.
I EVEN SAID LOOK, IF THEIR
PARENTS ARE IN-- IF THEY HAVE
ALREADY BEEN DEPORTED, THEY
WANTED TO BE WITH THEIR PARENTS.
WHAT CHILD DOESN’T WANT TO BE
WITH THEIR PARENT.
>> IN THAT PARTICULAR FACILITY,
THOSE, JUST IN THAT FACILITY,
THOSE WERE UNACCOMPANIED TEENS.
>> THAT IS WHAT.
>> NOT PEOPLE SEPARATED.
>> NO, NO, NO.
BELIEVE ME WHEN I TELL YOU,
PLEASE, I WOULD NOT SAY
SOMETHING THAT IS NOT TRUE.
I SPOKE TO CHILDREN, I SPOKE TO
IMMIGRATION ATTORNEYS, NOT ALL
OF THEM WERE SEPARATED, MANY OF
THEM WERE SEPARATED.
THEY HAD FAMILY MEMBERS HERE.
THEY HAD SEPARATED THEM FROM
EITHER THEIR GRANDPARENTS OR
THEIR PARENTS OR THEIR OLDER
SIBLINGS, SOME OF THEM.
AND I MEAN I HAVE DETAILS ON
MANY OF THE STORIES, SO YES,
THEY WERE SEPARATED AT THE
BRDER.
THAT IS A FACT.
I WOULD NOT MISLEAD.
>> OKAY, THAT’S INFORMATION THAT
WE DID NOT HAVE HERE.
>> YEAH.
>> LET’S GO BACK TO SOMETHING
YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, THE
HERO’S ACT, THIS NEXT RELIEF
PACKAGE PASSED IN THE HOUSE IN
MAY.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE
FACE AS NEWS REPORTERS FROM
PEOPLE IS ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO
NEED THIS RELEASE STILL, THE
BUSINESSES, PEOPLE, FAMILIESES
ARE QUESTIONS ON DOWN THE ROAD
HOW IS CONGRESS LOOKING TO PAY
AND FUND THIS.
WITHOUT RUNNING UP THIS ENORMOUS
DEFICIT.
THE LINE IS OUR GRANDCHILDREN
ARE GOING TO PAY FOR IT.
WHAT IS THE DISCUSSION THAT YOU
HAVE WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES WHEN
YOU VOTE FOR THIS KIND OF THING
AND HAD HOW TO PAY FOR IT.
>> YEAH, LOOK, I THINK THAT IT’S
VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO
REMEMBER THAT WE ARE GOING
THROUGH THE WORST HEALTH CRISIS
THAT HAS CAUSED AN ECONOMIC
RECESSION TO THE LEVELS OF THE
GREAT DEPRESSION AND THE FEDERAL
CHAIRMAN HAS, AND TOP ECONOMISTS
HAVE ASKED CONGRESS TO ACT
SWIFTLY BECAUSE IF WE DON’T
INFECT-- INJECT THERE CAPITAL
RIGHT NOW INTO OUR ECONOMY WE
ARE GOING TO SEE VERY
DEVASTATING RESULTS IN OUR
ECONOMY, TALK TO ANY SMALL
BUSINESS OWNER THAT LIVES HERE
IN SOUTH FLORIDA.
AND LET’S REMEMBER, THE
REPUBLICANS BEFORE I TOOK
OFFICE, WHEN THEY HAD CONTROL OF
THE HOUSE, THE SENATE AND THE
WHITE HOUSE, PASSED A BILL TO
REDUCE TAXES FOR HUGE
CORPORATIONS THAT ADDED ONE
TRILLION DOLLARS TO THE DEFICIT.
THEY DIDN’T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS
ADDING TO THE DEFICIT THEN.
BUT MEANWHILE WHEN WE HAVE
SENIORS WHO DON’T KNOW HOW
THEY’RE GOING TO GET THEIR NEXT
MEAL, KIDS THAT ARE GOING
HUNGRY, ONE IN FIVE KIDS RIGHT
NOW IN AMERICA ARE GOING TO BED
HUNGRY.
SCHOOLS THAT NEED FUNDING TO GET
THE RESOURCES TO PROTECT THE
TEACHERS, STAFF, KIDS SO WE CAN
SEND OUR KIDS BACK TO SCHOOL
SAFELY, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO
EXPAND TESTING, GLENNA, AS WE
START TO REOPEN, IN ORDER FOR US
TO CONTAIN THE VIRUS, WE NEED TO
MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE ARE ANY
OUTBREAKS WE TEST, WE MOODILY
QUARANTINE THOSE WHO HAVE THE
VIRUS SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO
OPEN BUSINESSES AND SCHOOLS.
WE CAN’T GO BACK TO CLOSING
EVERYTHING DOWN.
BUT WE NEED RESOURCES TO DO
THAT.
AND THE REALITY IS WE HAVE A
PANDEMIC AND WE NEED TO DO THAT.
>> LET ME JUMP IN HERE.
WE JUST HAVE A LITTLE TIME LEFT.
LET ME JUST TELL YOU A LITTLE
PERSONAL ANECDOTE.
WE WERE OUT TO DINNER LAST NIGHT
WITH A VERY NICE COUPLE,
RECENTLY MOVED FROM BOSTON.
THEY SAID WHO IS GOING TO BE ON
YOUR SHOW TOMORROW, AND I SAID
DEBBIE POWEL, AND THIS WOMAN
WONDERFUL SAID DMP, DON’T MESS
WITH MY PEOPLE.
>> YOU KNOW, I’M VERY PROTECTIVE
OF MY PEOPLE, THAT’S ALL I CAN
TELL YOU.
>> AND WHO IS TRYING TO MESS
WITH YOUR PEOPLE?
>> WELL, WE HAVE A PRESIDENT IN
THE WHITE HOUSE THAT HAS BEEN
ATTACKING IMMIGRANTS FROM THE
VERY BEGINNING, CRIMINAL SIZING
US, DE HUMANIZING US.
THOSE ARE MY PEOPLE, OUR
CHILDREN WHO NEED THE RESOURCES
TO BE PROTECTED FROM THIS
PANDEMIC, THOSE ARE MY KIDS.
MY, THE DISTRICT 26 FOR ME, FOR
YEARS, HAS BEEN LIKE MY FAMILY.
I HAVE BEEN VERY CLOSE TO PEOPLE
ALL OVER THE KEYS, OUR
FISHERMAN, OUR FARMERS, OUR
TEACHERS, OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS,
THEY’RE MY FAMILY.
>> MAY I PUT YOU ON THE SPOT
REAL QUICK.
CARLOS GIMENEZ HAS AGREED TO
DEBATE RIGHT HERE WITH US ON THE
25th OF OCTOBER.
WILL YOU JOIN US?
>> LISTEN, MI SO READY TO DEBATE
CARLOS GIMENEZ.
I HAVE ACTUALLY ALREADY ACCEPTED
THREE OTHER DEBATES AND HE HAS
REHUGHESSED TO ANSWER.
SO LET’S BRING IT ON, CAR GOES,
I’M READY.
>> OCTOBER OKAY, OCTOBER 259
WITH.
HE WILL SEE YOU AND MAYOR
GIMENEZ.
>> PUT IT ON THE CALENDER.
THANKS SO MUCH, CONGRESSWOMAN.