IN THE DAYS AHEAD.
MIKE: MARK MEREDITH ON THE NORTH
LAWN, THANKS A LOT.
JOINING US NOW IS MARYLAND
DEMOCRAT SENATOR AND MEMBER OF
THE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE,
BEN CARDIN.
SENATOR, WELCOME.
>> MIKE, IT’S GOOD TO BE WITH
YOU, THANK YOU.
MIKE: WHAT IS YOUR ASSESSMENT OF
WHAT WE’VE BEEN SEEING AT THE
SOUTHERN BORDER?
>> WE REALLY DO NEED
COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION
REFORM.
I’VE BEEN TO McALLEN, TEXAS,
SO I KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING
THERE.
WE HAVE A GLOBAL PROBLEM IN
REGARDS TO DISPLACED
INDIVIDUALS, BUT CLEARLY AT OUR
SOUTHERN BORDER WE NEED TO HAVE
A POLICY THAT REFLECTS THE VALUES OF AMERICA.
VALUES OF AMERICA.
WE CERTAINLY DO NOT WANT TO SEE
WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE PRIOR
ADMINISTRATION, THAT’S AGAINST
OUR VALUES, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE
A SENSIBLE POLICY TO PROTECT
PEOPLE WHO ARE AT RISK BUT ALSO
TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE SECURE
BORDERS.
MIKE: AS YOU WELL KNOW,
COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION
REFORM’S BEEN TOUGH TO GET
ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.
ARE THERE SOME A LA CARTE
MEASURES THAT MIGHT HAVE COMMON
GROUND THAT ARE, PERHAPS IF,
MORE REALISTIC IN GETTING DONE?
>> WELL, WE’RE GOING TO TRY TO
MAKE PROGRESS WHEREVER WE CAN.
OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE THE CONCERNS
ON THE SOUTHERN BORDER ITSELF,
ON WE’VE SEEN FLARE-UPS OF
VIOLENCE THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE,
THE SEPARATION OF FAMILIES WHICH
WAS UNCONSCIONABLE.
BUT I HOPE WE CAN DO SOMETHING A
LITTLE MORE COMPREHENSIVE.
I CAN TELL YOU THERE ARE
DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS, WE
DID IT ONCE BEFORE, WE PASSED
COMPREHENSIVE REFORM IN THE
SENATE, IT WASN’T TAKEN UP IN
THE HOUSE, BUT IT HAD A STRONG
VOTE.
I HOPE WE CAN DO IT AGAIN.
I THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT
US TO DO.
THAT.
THEY -- TO DO THAT.
WE RECOGNIZE WE HAVE ECONOMIC
ISSUES WITH REGARDS TO VISAS FOR
EMPLOYMENT, WE HAVE ISSUES
CONCERNING FAMILY REUNIFICATION.
WE HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES THAT WE
REALLY NEED TO DEAL WITH, AND
IT’D BE GOOD TO PASS A
COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION BILL.
MIKE: IS THERE SOMETHING
DIPLOMATICALLY WE CAN DO WITH
MEXICO AND PERHAPS THOSE CENTRAL
AMERICAN COUNTRIES IN A HUMANE
WAY TO SLOW DOWN THE FLOW OF
THOSE MIGRANTS?
>> OH, ABSOLUTELY.
PARTICULARLY IN CENTRAL AMERICA.
WE NEED TO HAVE A POLICY THAT
HELPS THE GOVERNMENTS OF CENTRAL
AMERICA IN REGARDS TO GOOD
GOVERNANCE, DEALING WITH
CORRUPTION, DEALING WITH THE
DRUG TRAFFICKING BUT ALSO
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOR THEIR
PEOPLE.
IT’S IN OUR INTEREST.
AND WHEN WE DO THAT, WE’LL SEE
LESS PRESSURE FOR PEOPLE FEELING
THAT THEY HAVE TO LEAVE IN ORDER
TO PROTECT THEIR FAMILIES.
SO, YES, WE NEED TO WORK IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTRIES
IN OUR HEMISPHERE, AND I THINK
THAT CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE
IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE
MIGRATING TO OUR BORDER.
MIKE: TO THE $1 IS.9 TRILLION
FUNDING BILL THAT JUST PASSED
THE SENATE, MAKE THE CASE, SIR,
FOR PROGRESSIVES IN THE HOUSE
WHY THEY SHOULD SUPPORT THIS
BILL.
>> OH, THIS BILL’S GOOD FOR
AMERICA.
IT ADDRESSES THE CONCERNS OF
GETTING COVID-19 BEHIND US FROM
A MEDICAL POINT OF VIEW,
PROVIDING THE FUNDS TO GET THESE
VACCINES DISTRIBUTED AS QUICKLY
AS POSSIBLE, VACCINE
DEVELOPMENT, IT PROVIDES MONEY
FOR SCHOOLS SAFELY, IT TAKES SO
MANY OF OUR FAMILIES OUT OF
POVERTY WITH THE CHANGES IN THE
TAX CODE AS WELL AS PROTECTING
THOSE WHO ARE UNEMPLOYED, HELPS
SMALL BUSINESSES BY TARGETING
THE AID.
IT’S REALLY A BILL THAT TARGETS
THE AID TO THOSE WHO NEED IT,
PROVIDES HELP FOR AMERICAN
FAMILIES, HELPS GET OUR ECONOMY
BACK ON TRACK.
BUT THIS IS A MAJOR BILL, IT’S A
BILL THAT HAS THE STRONG SUPPORT
OF A BROAD SECTION OF AMERICA.
IT’S NOT A PARTISAN BILL,
ALTHOUGH I REGRET WE DIDN’T GET
ANY REPUBLICAN VOTES ON THE
BILL.
IT’S NOT A PARTISAN BILL, IT’S A
BILL TO HELP AMERICA, AND I HOPE
THE HOUSE WILL PASS IT QUICKLY.
MIKE: WELL, TO TAKE THE OTHER
SIDE’S POINT, WHAT ABOUT
CONCERNS ABOUT DEBT AND ALSO
POSSIBLY INFLATION, SIR?
>> WELL, THE -- LOOK, MOST
ECONOMISTS ARE TELLING US THAT
WE ARE FAR BELOW WHERE WE WERE
PRECOVID FROM THE POINT OF VIEW
OF OUR ECONOMY.
LET ME JUST GIVE YOU ONE
PROVISION I KNOW, PROVISIONS
THAT WILL HELP RESTAURANTS.
WE’VE LOST 2 MILLION JOBS IN THE
RESTAURANT FIELD ALONE.
SO WE STILL HAVE A WAY TO GO
BEFORE WE CAN DECLARE VICTORY,
SO WE’RE NOT AT RISK OF THIS
PARTICULAR MOMENT OF OVERHEATING
OUR ECONOMY.
WE’VE GOT TO GET JOB CREATION,
AND WE NEED GOOD JOBS HERE IN
AMERICA.
MIKE: ONE ITEM STRIPPED OUT, AS
YOU WELL KNOW, $15 MINIMUM WAGE.
IS THAT DEAD, SIR?
>> NO, I DON’T THINK THE MINIMUM
WAGE IS AT ALL.
I WAS LISTENING TO SENATOR
MANCHIN MANY MORNING ON SOME OF
THE SHOWS WHERE HE WAS SAYING
THAT LET’S SEE WHETHER WE CAN’T
GET A BIPARTISAN AGREEMENT.
I SUPPORT A $15 MINIMUM WAGE
OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, BUT LET’S
SIT DOWN, SEE WHAT WE CAN WORK
OUT AND TRY TO GET THIS DONE
WITH BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.
MIKE: SENATOR BEN CARDINING OF