WELCOME THAT. >> WE NEED TO WORK ACROSS THE
PARTY LINES. LET'S BRING IN REPUBLICAN
SENATOR TOM COTTON OF ARKANSAS. SENATOR, ALWAYS GREAT TO TALK TO
YOU. OBVIOUSLY EVERYBODY'S TALKING
ABOUT DACA. WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO WORK
WITH DEMOCRATS TO PASS A CLEAN BILL TO KEEP D.R.E.A.M.ers IN
THE UNITED STATES AND NOT HAVE THEM DEPORTED?
>> JOE I'M WILLING TO WORK WITH DEMOCRATS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S UNLAWFUL EXECUTIVE ORDER CREATED LEGAL
STATUS TEMPORARILY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THEIR 20s AND 30s
NOW. IF WE DO THAT WE'RE GOING TO
CREATE SOME NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES.
ONE OF COURSE WE'RE GOING TO ENCOURAGE MORE ILLEGAL
IMMIGRATION WITH CHILDREN IN THE FUTURE WHICH IS DANGEROUS, AND
TWO, WE'RE GOING TO CREATE A WHOLE NEW CATEGORY OF PEOPLE WHO
CAN BE GRANTED LEGAL STATUS THROUGH UNLIMITED FAMILY
REUNIFICATION, THE PARENTS OF THESE PEOPLE, THE VERY PEOPLE
WHO BROUGHT THEM HERE ILLEGALLY. >> CAN YOU NOT DRAFT THE BILL
TIGHTLY ENOUGH THAT IT IS, IT PERTAINS TO THE 600,000, I HAVE
HEARD 800,000, 600,000, I THINK IT'S CLOSER TO 600,000, BUT
ALEX, CHECK ON THAT, BUT CAN'T YOU DRAFT SOME LEGISLATION THAT
IS TIGHTLY DRAFTED JUST TO APPLY TO THOSE 600,000 D.R.E.A.M.ers?
>> JOE, I THINK WE CAN BUT WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE UNDERLYING
LAW BECAUSE IF WE DO SO AS YOU SAY JUST APPLYING TO THOSE
600,000 PEOPLE UNDER CURRENT IMMIGRATION LAW, THEY CAN THEN
GET LEGAL STATUS ULTIMATELY FOR THEIR PARENTS, AND THEIR
SIBLINGS AND THOSE PEOPLE CAN GET LEGAL STATUS OF THEIR
SPOUSES AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. BUT IF WE PASS SOMETHING LIKE MY
BILL, THE R.A.I.S.E. ACT WHICH STOPS FAMILY REUNIFICATION
SPOUSES AND UNMARRIED MINOR CHILDREN AND REORIENTS
IMMIGRATION TOWARD HIGH SCHOOL IMMIGRATION, AND ALSO WE HAVE
ENHANCED ENFORCEMENT LIKE SAY MORE EMPLOYMENT VERIFICATION SO
BUSINESS OWNERS CAN'T HIRE AND ABUSE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, THEN
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN ON
IMMIGRATION BUT WE ARE ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM
IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF US. >> RIGHT.
>> AND MITIGATING THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT.
I'VE DISCUSSED -- >> WOULD YOUR BILL INCLUDE THE
600,000 D.R.E.A.M.ers, GIVING THEM PERMANENT LEGAL STAT US?
>> SIR, MY LEGISLATION DOESN'T INCLUDE THAT NOW BUT WHAT I'M
PROPOSING IS THAT WE COULD SIT DOWN AND NEGOTIATE, INCLUDE
LEGAL STATUS FOR THE 600,000 TO 800,000 PEOPLE WHO ARE COVERED
BY THE DACA PROGRAM, AND ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS THAT THAT WOULD
CREATE SECONDARY EFFECT, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE NOT OPENING UP
LEGAL STATUS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO VIOLATED THE LAW IN THE FIRST
PLACE AND THAT WE'RE NOT ENCOURAGING PARENTS IN THE
FUTURE TO BRING THEIR CHILDREN ACROSS OUR BORDER WHICH IS A
VERY DANGEROUS THING TO DO, AS WE'VE SEEN IN THE NEWS THIS
SUMMER WITH PEOPLE ASPHYXIATING IN BOX TRUCKS IN TEXAS.
I'M SAYING WE SHOULDN'T TRY TO DO THE SAME THING THAT CONGRESS
HAS FAILED TO DO THREE TIMES IN THE LAST 11 YEARS, WHICH IS
SOLVE EVERY SINGLE PROBLEM WE HAVE.
WE SHOULD ADDRESS THE PROBLEM THAT'S IN FRONT OF US AND
MITIGATE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT ACTION.
THAT'S WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP WANTS TO DO.
THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DISCUSSED. THAT'S WHAT HE SAID IN HIS
STATEMENT YESTERDAY. >> SENATOR COTTON YOU STARTED TO
ANSWER MY QUESTION THERE. WHAT IS YOUR INTERPRETATION OF
THE PRESIDENT'S POSITION ON DACA, AND WHAT WAS YOUR
INTERPRETATION OF WHAT ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS SAID YESTERDAY,
MANY PEOPLE SAID HE DIDN'T REALLY END DACA.
HE ENDED PRESIDENT OBAMA'S PROGRAM THAT WAS UNTENABLE, BUT
THEN ASKED TO THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO TAKE CARE OF IT AND
CODIFY IT AND MAKE IT INTO A LAW.
>> CONFUSING. >> IS THAT YOUR READ OF IT?
>> WILLIE, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT POINT BECAUSE I DON'T THINK
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS COULD PLAUSIBLY
DEFEND THIS MATTER IN COURT, AND BY EXTENDING IT FOR SIX MONTHS
IT GIVES CONGRESS THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE LEGISLATIVE
ACTION TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID HE WANTS TO
TAKE CARE OF THESE PEOPLE. I'M FINE DOING THAT AS LONG AS
WE MITIGATE THE CONSEQUENCES, THE R.A.I.S.E. ACT WOULD STOP
THE UP LIMITED CHAIN MIGRATION LEGALIZING THE 600,000 TO
800,000 PEOPLE WOULD DO AND MORE
ENFORCEMENT, WORKPLACE EMPLOYMENT VERIFICATION SO
BUSINESSES CAN'T HIRE MORE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHICH IS
GOING TO ENCOURAGE MORE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IN THE FUTURE.
OTHERWISE WE'LL BE BACK HERE IN THREE OR FOUR YEARS TALKING
ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH THE NEXT 200,000 YOUNG PEOPLE BROUGHT IN
THIS COUNTRY