THE SUPREME COURT TO ADDRESS THAT LAWLESSNESS THAT
CONTRAVENES THE SUPREME COURT’S
RULING.
RULING. >> WELL, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
BILL BARR, WE’VE BEEN TALKING
ABOUT HIM.
ABOUT HIM. HE ACTUALLY WENT FURTHER THAN
THE PRESIDENT.
THE PRESIDENT. HE SAID THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
WILL LOOK INTO WHETHER ONLY
CITIZENS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED
WHEN APPORTIONING THE NUMBER OF
REPRESENTATIVES AND ELECTORAL
VOTES EACH STATE SHOULD RECEIVE.
>> THERE IS A CURRENT DISPUTE
OVER WHETHER ILLEGAL ALIENS CAN
BE INCLUDED FOR APPORTIONMENT
PURPOSES.
PURPOSES. DEPENDING ON THE RESOLUTION OF
THAT DISPUTE, THIS DATA MAY BE
RELEVANT TO THOSE
CONSIDERATIONS.
CONSIDERATIONS. WE WILL BE STUDYING THIS ISSUE.
>> HOWEVER, AS NBC NEWS NOTED
EARLIER TODAY, THE CONSTITUTION
BASES THAT APPORTIONMENT ON THE
CENSUS, WHICH COUNTS PERSONS,
NOT CITIZENS.
NOT CITIZENS. CONGRESSWOMAN LEE, LET ME GO TO
YOU ON THAT.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT MOMENT AT
THE EVENT IN THE ROSE GARDEN
CAUGHT A LOT OF PEOPLE BY
SURPRISE, AND THEY’RE TRYING TO
INTERPRET THAT.
INTERPRET THAT. HOW DO YOU INTERPRET WHAT THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL IS SAYING
THERE?
THERE? IS HE TEEING UP BROADER LEGAL
FIGHT ABOUT HOW TO COUNT PEOPLE
WHO ACTUALLY SHOULD BE COUNTED
IN THE CENSUS WHEN IT COMES TO
APPORTIONMENT?
APPORTIONMENT? >> REALLY LLOYD OUT EXACTLY WHAT
THEIR MOTIVATION HAS BEEN ALL
ALONG, AND THAT HAS BEEN TO MAKE
SURE THAT THE COUNT IN THE
CENSUS IS REDUCED, TARGETING, OF
COURSE, PEOPLE OF COLOR,
INTIMIDATING AND TRYING TO SCARE
PEOPLE OF COLOR FROM FILLING OUT
THE PROPER CENSUS FORMS.
I THINK THEY’RE DOING THIS FOR
POLITICAL REASONS.
POLITICAL REASONS. WE HAVE REDISTRICTING COMING UP.
AND OF COURSE THEY WANT FEWER
PEOPLE WHO WOULD MORE THAN
LIKELY VOTE AS DEMOCRATS.
SO I THINK FROM DAY ONE, THAT’S
BEEN THEIR MOTIVATION.
AND I THINK IT’S REALLY AN
ATTACK ON OUR DEMOCRACY.
IT’S AN ATTACK ON OUR
CONSTITUTION.
CONSTITUTION. AND THIS PRESIDENT IS SHOWING US
ONCE AGAIN WHO HE REALLY IS.
AND SO I’M CERTAIN THAT WHEN WE
BEGIN TO LOOK AT THE LAWSUITS,
IF IN FACT THEY MOVE AHEAD ON
THAT, PEOPLE WILL REALLY REALIZE
WHO THEY ARE, WHAT THEY’RE UP
TO.
TO. REMEMBER NOW, THE CENSUS
DETERMINES THE FUNDING FOR
SCHOOLS, FOR HOSPITALS FOR,
ROADS.
ROADS. AND SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE
HAVE AN ACCURATE COUNT SO THAT
THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE
RECEIVE THE TYPE OF SERVICES AND
REQUIRES.
REQUIRES. >> SO THE ARGUMENT, THOUGH,
AGAINST THE CITIZENSHIP QUESTION
THAT YOU’RE MAKING THERE AND
FOLKS ON YOUR SIDE HAVE BEEN
MAKING, ONE OF THE ARGUMENTS HAS
BEEN IT WILL NOT END UP LEADING
TO AN ACCURATE COUNT FOR THE
REASONS YOU’RE SAYING.
THERE IS NOT GOING TO BE A
CITIZENSHIP QUESTION NOW.
WE KNOW THAT.
IT’S UNCLEAR IF THIS EXECUTIVE
ORDER THE PRESIDENT IS
ANNOUNCING TODAY IS GOING TO
CHANGE MUCH IN TERMS OF WHAT THE
GOVERNMENT IS ALREADY DOING.
BUT DO YOU THINK BY HAVING SUCH
A PUBLIC FIGHT OVER THIS, AND
THE PRESIDENT AND HIS ATTORNEY
GENERAL TALKING THE WAY THEY DID
TODAY, IS THAT GOING TO HAVE ANY
EFFECT DO YOU THINK ON WHO DOES
AND DOESN’T ULTIMATELY ANSWER
THE CENSUS NEXT YEAR?
>> WELL, I THINK THE PUBLIC
FIGHT, IF HE THROWS DOWN LIKE HE
IS TRYING TO DO, THEN WE HAVE TO
HAVE THAT PUBLIC FIGHT, BECAUSE
THIS PRESIDENT CANNOT VIOLATE
THE CONSTITUTION.
THE CONSTITUTION. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT HE’S
TRYING TO DO, AND WHEN YOU LOOK
AT HOW HE IS TRYING TO -- NOW
THAT HE LOST IN THE COURTS
BECAUSE THIS IS -- HE IS A
LAWLESS PRESIDENT, QUITE
FRANKLY, AND THEIR
ADMINISTRATION IS ACTING IN A
LAWLESS WAY, THIS PUBLIC FIGHT
WILL PUT THE DEBATE OUT FRONT SO
THAT EVERYONE WILL KNOW WHAT
THEY’RE UP TO.
AN IN FACT, IT REALLY IS AN
ATTACK ON OUR DEMOCRACY AND THE
CENSUS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
FOR MANY, MANY REASONS,
INCLUDING WHAT I JUST SAID, IN
TERMS OF BUILDING HOSPITALS, FOR
SCHOOLS, FOR ROADS, AND FOR
EVERY OTHER PUBLIC SERVICE THAT
THE MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES
NEED.
NEED. AND SO IF HE WANTS TO FIGHT, OUR
LAWYERS ARE READY FOR THE FIGHT.
>> SO YOU KNOW, THIS PUBLIC
FIGHT MAY HAVE THIS UNINTENDED
CONSEQUENCE -- OR MAYBE IT’S AN
INTENDED CONSEQUENCE WHICH IS TO
MAKE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND ALSO
EVEN IMMIGRANTS WHO ARE HERE
LEGALLY SKITTISH ABOUT
PARTICIPATING IN THE CENSUS.
I THINK IF YOU’RE NERVOUS ABOUT
YOUR STATUS, OR IF THERE IS
SOMEBODY IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD WHO
IS HERE IN AN UNDOCUMENTED WAY,
EVEN IF YOU’RE HERE LEGALLY, IT
COULD MAKE YOU SUSPICIOUS ABOUT
DOING ANYTHING WITH THE
GOVERNMENT THAT YOU DON’T TRUST.
SO IT COULD CONTRIBUTE TO AN
UNDERCOUNT EVEN WITHOUT HAVING
THE CENSUS QUESTION ON THE
DOCUMENT.
DOCUMENT. >> SURE.
>> SURE. EVEN PEOPLE NOW ARE ALREADY
SKITTISH.
SKITTISH. I KNOW FOR A FACT IN MY
DISTRICT, PEOPLE ARE WORRIED,
QUITE FRANKLY.
QUITE FRANKLY. ONCE THIS PROPOSAL TO PUT THIS
QUESTION ON THE CENSUS FORMS
CAME FORWARD, PEOPLE GOT
WORRIED.
WORRIED. THEY’RE AFRAID RIGHT NOW.
AND SO, YES, THE CHILLING EFFECT
IS HAPPENING AS WE SPEAK.
AND SO IT’S GOING TO BE UP TO US
TO TRY TO MAKE SURE WE
COMMUNICATE THE REALITIES OF
WHAT THE PROTECTIONS ARE OF THE
CONSTITUTION AND WHY MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS, QUITE FRANKLY,
ESPECIALLY DEMOCRATS, ARE GOING
TO FIGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY
HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FILL OUT