BEFORE THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE. SO THE BIG QUESTIONS REMAIN WHAT
HAPPENS NEXT AND WHAT IS GOING
TO FIX THIS CRISIS.
JOINING ME NOW IS ONE OF THE TOP
MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT
COMMITTEE, DEMOCRATIC
COMMITTEE, DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN JERRY CONNOLLY FROM
VIRGINIA.
VIRGINIA. CONGRESSMAN, THANK YOU FOR
TAKING A FEW MINUTES WITH US.
>> NICE TO BE WITH YOU, STEVE.
>> YOUR COMMITTEE HAS SAID IT
WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE
ACTING DHS CHIEF, WOULD LIKE TO
HEAR FROM THE CBP CHIEF, AND
TODAY WAS THE DEADLINE THAT THE
CHAIRMAN, ELIJAH CUMMINGS, HAD
SET FOR RESPONSES FROM THEM.
HAVE YOU HEARD FROM THEM?
>> NOT THAT I KNOW OF, STEVE.
IT IS THE DAY BEFORE THE
HOLIDAY, SO IT’S POSSIBLE THAT
IT MAY HAVE BEEN DELAYED, BUT I
HAVE NOT BEEN INFORMED THAT WE
HAVE HAD A POSITIVE RESPONSE.
>> WHAT IS YOUR VIEW -- CHUCK
SCHUMER IS OUT THERE CALLING FOR
THE CBP CHIEF TO BE FIRED.
WHAT’S YOUR VIEW OF THAT, DO YOU
AGREE WITH THAT CALL?
>> WELL, I’D LIKE TO HAVE OUR
HEARING FIRST AND HAVE HIM
ACCOUNT FOR HIMSELF AND THEN WE
CAN ALL DETERMINE FOR OURSELVES
WHETHER HE IS, FRANKLY, UP TO
THE JOB AND WHETHER HE NEEDS TO
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE
INHUMANE CONDITIONS MIGRANT
FAMILIES FIND THEMSELVES IN.
>> DO YOU THINK THAT HAVING
CHUCK SCHUMER OR HAVING
POTENTIALLY OTHER DEMOCRATS OUT
THERE MAKING THAT CALL BEFORE
YOUR HEARINGS, MAKING A DEMAND
FOR MARK MORGAN TO BE FIRED, DO
YOU THINK THAT WILL AFFECT HIS
WILLINGNESS TO TESTIFY?
>> HOPEFULLY IT WILL INSPIRE HIM
TO WANT TO TESTIFY SO THAT HE
CAN GIVE HIS VERSION OF HIS
MANAGEMENT AND DEFEND HIMSELF.
FRANKLY IF HE JUST RESPONDS BY
IN FACT DEFYING OUR REQUEST FOR
HEARING, I THINK HE MISSES AN
OPPORTUNITY TO ACCOUNT FOR
HIMSELF IN PUBLIC.
>> THE PRESIDENT THIS AFTERNOON
MAKING SOME COMMENTS ON TWITTER.
HE SAID IF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
ARE UNHAPPY WITH THE CONDITIONS
IN THE QUICKLY BUILT OR REFITTED
DETENTION CENTERS, JUST TELL
THEM NOT TO COME.
ALL PROBLEMS SOLVED.
WHAT’S YOUR REACTION TO THAT?
>> I THINK THAT’S ONE OF THE
MOST WRETCHED STATEMENTS ANY
PRESIDENT HAS EVER ISSUED.
FIRST OF ALL, IT IS A MATTER OF
VIRTUALLY ALL FAITHS THAT
THERE’S A STANDARD SET OF MORAL
BEHAVIOR IN TERMS OF HOW WE
TREAT THE STRANGER.
WE IN AMERICA HAVE A TRADITION
THAT GOES BACK TO THE FOUNDING
OF THE REPUBLIC WELCOMING THOSE
SEEKING ASYLUM AND REFUGE.
FOR HIM TO SAY WHAT HE SAID
TODAY IS VIRTUALLY TO CONCEDE BY
IMPLICATION THAT, YEAH, I
DELIBERATELY MADE THE CONDITIONS
INHUMANE TO DISCOURAGE THEM FROM
COMING.
COMING. THE RESULTS, THE CONSEQUENCES,
THE TRAUMA, THE ACTUAL DEATHS OF
PEOPLE IN OUR CARE BE DAMNED,
AND I THINK THAT’S JUST A VALUE
NO AMERICAN SHOULD WANT TO
EMULATE OR ACCEPT THE DAY BEFORE
OUR INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATION.
>> I WANT TO PUT A POLL RESULT
UP HERE.
UP HERE. THIS IS FROM A CNN POLL ON THE
SITUATION AT THE BORDER.
THEY PUT THE NUMBERS OUT
YESTERDAY.
YESTERDAY. ASKED THIS BASIC QUESTION OF IS
THE SITUATION AT THE BORDER,
DOES IT AMOUNT TO A CRISIS.
THERE IS NOW BROAD CONSENSUS
THAT THE ANSWER TO THAT IS YES,
THAT CONSENSUS CUTS ACROSS PARTY
LINES.
LINES. THE ANSWER THERE IS 74%.
REMEMBER BACK IN JANUARY THIS
WAS A MUCH MORE CONTESTED
QUESTION.
QUESTION. NOW THERE’S BROAD AGREEMENT.
THE BIG CHANGE THERE IS
DEMOCRATS NOW WHO WERE SAYING NO
IN JANUARY ARE SAYING YES NOW.
WHERE IT SEEMS THERE’S
DISAGREEMENT HERE, CONGRESSMAN,
IS THE DEFINITION OF THAT
CRISIS.
CRISIS. TO HEAR WHAT YOU’RE SAYING ABOUT
THE CONDITIONS AT THESE
DETENTION FACILITIES, YOU DEFINE
THIS AS A CRISIS WHEN IT COMES
TO THE TREATMENT OF THESE
CHILDREN AND THE CONDITIONS AT
THESE FACILITIES.
THESE FACILITIES. MY QUESTION TO YOU IS DO YOU
ALSO SEE THE NUMBER, THE VOLUME
OF MIGRANTS TRYING TO CROSS THE
BORDER, 144,000 APPREHENSIONS IN
MAY, BIGGEST NUMBER IN 13 YEARS.
DO YOU ALSO THINK THAT THAT
CONSTITUTES A CRISIS?
>> WELL, I THINK IT CONSTITUTES
A CHALLENGE.
A CHALLENGE. I THINK THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS
HYPED THE SITUATION AT THE
BORDER.
BORDER. REMEMBER THE CARAVANS THAT WERE
THE BIGGEST CRISIS IN THE WORLD?
I THINK WE HAVE A CRISIS -- A
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN TERMS OF
HOW PEOPLE ARE BEING TREATED.
I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY
DONALD TRUMP CONTRADICTS HIMSELF
BECAUSE THE NATURE OF THIS
ENLARGEMENT OF FLIGHT IS THAT IN
THE TRIANGLE REGION IN CENTRAL
AMERICA, WE HAVE ENDEMIC
VIOLENCE, GANG ACTIVITY, AND
INSTABILITY IN THOSE SOCIETIES.
AND SO NATURALLY PEOPLE WANT TO
FLEE THAT TO PROTECT THEMSELVES
AND THEIR FAMILIES.
THAT’S THE CRISIS.
AND HE WANTS TO CUT OFF AID TO
THOSE COUNTRIES AT PRECISELY THE
MOMENT THEY NEED IT AND, OH, BY
THE WAY, IT’S BEGINNING TO TAKE
HOLD AND WORK.
>> ONE OF THE RESPONSES WE HAVE
HEARD COMING FROM YOUR PARTY ON
THAT DEBATE STAGE LAST WEEK, ONE
OF YOUR COLLEAGUES -- ONE OF
YOUR PARTY’S CANDIDATES FOR
PRESIDENT, I COULD SAY, CALLED
FOR DECRIMINALIZING CROSSINGS OF
THE BORDER AND THEN OTHER
CANDIDATES WHEN ASKED ABOUT IT
THE NEXT NIGHT AGREED WITH THAT.
DO YOU?
DO YOU? DO YOU AGREE THAT CROSSING THE
BORDER WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION
SHOULD BE DECRIMINALIZED?
>> I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE A
SECURE BORDER.
SECURE BORDER. I DON’T KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO
TREAT PEOPLE CROSSING THE BORDER
AS CRIMINALS.
AS CRIMINALS. AND WHAT GETS CONFUSED HERE IS
WE HAVE A LAW THAT GIVES YOU
RATHER STRICT GUIDELINES IN
TERMS OF HOW SOMEBODY IS TO BE
TREATED BY OUR GOVERNMENT WHEN
THEY FORMALLY GO TO A PORT OF
ENTRY AND ASK FOR ASYLUM.
AND THIS ADMINISTRATION IS
TREATING THAT LIKE IT DOESN’T
EXIST.
EXIST. AND SO EVERYBODY IS BEING LUMPED
TOGETHER AS PEOPLE WHO HAVE
ENTERED THE COUNTRY OR TRIED TO
ENTER THE COUNTRY ILLEGALLY.
AND SO I THINK WE HAVE TO SORT
THAT OUT.
THAT OUT. BUT CRIMINALIZING PEOPLE FOR
WANTING A BETTER LIFE I DON’T
THINK IS A HUMANE WAY OF DEALING
WITH MIGRANTS WHO WANT TO COME
TO THIS COUNTRY.
YES, EVERYBODY SHOULD COME HERE
LEGALLY.
LEGALLY. WE’LL STIPULATE THAT.
BUT WE KNOW THAT NOT EVERYBODY
DOES.
DOES. AND THAT’S BEEN TRUE THROUGHOUT
THE HISTORY OF OUR REPUBLIC.
>> SO THAT’S THE QUESTION THEN
ON THAT IDEA OF CHANGING THE
APPROACH TO FOLKS WHO TRY TO
CROSS THE BORDER WITHOUT
AUTHORIZATION, SAYING THAT IS NO
LONGER GOING TO BE A CRIMINAL
MATTER, THAT’S GOING TO BE A
CIVIL MATTER.
CIVIL MATTER. THAT’S THE CALL WE’RE HEARING ON
THAT STAGE LAST WEEK IN THE
DEMOCRATIC DEBATE.
DEMOCRATIC DEBATE. DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT?
>> WELL, IF THAT’S MY ONLY
CHOICE, YES, I DO.
BECAUSE LOOKING AT WHAT HAPPENS
WITH AN ADMINISTRATION THAT HAS
DECIDED TO TREAT THESE FOLKS
LIKE CRIMINALS, INCLUDING
CHILDREN, IS SIMPLY NOT TO ME AN
ACCEPTABLE WAY TO DEAL WITH
FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS WHO ARE
SIMPLY SEEKING A BETTER LIFE.
THEY MAY NOT HAVE MADE GOOD
CHOICES IN HOW THEY SEEK THAT
BETTER LIFE, BUT WE HAVE TO GET
AT THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS, WHICH
IS NOT CRIMINAL.
THESE ARE PEOPLE FLEEING
VIOLENCE, FLEEING DESPERATE