ED: CONGRESSMAN STEPHEN LYNCH
ON
THE SCHOOLS AND THE POWER OF
IOWA WITH A ROUNDTABLE ON THE
RECORD WITH THE PROJECTED
WINNERS IN THE CAUCUSES.
BOSTON STRIKES A DEAL WITH WYNN
BUT WAS IT WORTH THE POLITICAL
CAPITAL?
>> WCVB FROM
, THE INSIDE WORD,
TODAY'S NEWSMAKERS ARE GOING TO
VOTE ON THE RECORD."
ED: GOOD
MORNING, OUR GUEST IS
CONGRESSMAN STEPHEN LYNCH.
HE HAS REPRESENTED THE EIGHT
DISTRICT OF BOSTON SINCE 2001.
HE IS A FORMER IRONWORKER AND
UNION PRESIDENT.
GREAT TO SEE YOU.
HAPPY BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY.
>> YOU
JUST GOT BACK FROM
JORDAN, LEBANON, TO, AND HUNGARY
TO EXAMINE THE REFUGEE PROCESS
>>.
HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU?
>>I WAS VERY SKEPTICAL GOING
OVER THERE.
>> WITH RESPECT TO SYRIA
AND THE
TURKISH BORDER AND JORDAN AND
BEIRUT, YOU HAVE WAR ZONES
THERE.
THE ISLAMIC STATE IS FIRING
ROCKETS INTO SOME OF THOSE
AREAS.
EVEN WHERE THE REFUGEE AND KIM
AND SARP
-- REFUGEE
ENCAMPMENT'S.
I DID NOT THINK WE COULD DO A
COMPREHENSIVE VETTING
PROCESS
BUT I WAS IMPRESSED WITH WHAT
THEY HAD THEIR WITH THE YOUTH
AND HIGH COMMISSION ON REFUGEES,
THE UNITED STATES HAS SEVERAL
AGENCIES THERE CONDUCTING THIS.
I CAME AWAY WITH THE ASSESSMENT
THAT IT'S MUCH MORE ROBUST THAN
I THOUGHT.
THEY DO FINGERPRINTING, RETINAL
SCANS.
STEVE RUSSELL AND I
WENT DOWN TO
THE BORDER WITH SYRIA.
WE SET UP 10 WHERE SYRIANS AND
TAKE US THROUGH THE VETTING
PROCESS.
WHAT WOULD WE GO THROUGH?
THEY TOOK US THROUGH THE VETTING
PROCESS.
THEY ARE ACTUALLY INTERVIEWING
FAMILIES.
I SAID I WANT YOU TO ALLOW
MYSELF AND MY INTERPRETER TO SIT
IN ON THESE INTERVIEWS.
WE PICKED A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT
FAMILIES AT RANDOM TO SIT IN
WITH.
>> WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME
TERRORISTS HAVE MANAGED TO EVADE
THAT PROCESS.
HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN AND ARE
THEY DOING ANYTHING TO STOP
THAT?
>> THOSE
INDIVIDUALS LIKE THE
SITUATION IN PARIS WERE TWO OF
THE INDIVIDUALS IN HUNGARY
PARTICIPATED IN THOSE ATTACKS.
WE ALSO HAD A PERSON WHO HAD
REGISTERED AS A REFUGEE GO UP
INTO
ISTANBUL AND DETONATE A
SUICIDE VEST AND KILL 10 GERMAN
TOURISTS.
THOSE INDIVIDUALS WENT AROUND
THE PROCESS.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REFUGEES FOR
RESETTLEMENT.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE RESETTLED
IN THE UNITED STATES, YOU HAVE
TO GO THROUGH THIS TO YOUR
PROCESS.
IT'S VERY THOROUGH.
-- THIS TWO-YEAR PROCESS.
THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN TAKE
A PLANE TO MEXICO AND THEN CROSS
THE BORDER.
ED:
LOCKS ONLY KEEP HONEST
PEOPLE OUT?
IF TERROR GROUPS ARE USING
REFUGEES TO GO TO TARGETED
COUNTRIES, HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU
THAT WE ARE SAFE IN THE BOSTON
AREA?
>> I WOULD SAY WE ARE SAFE FROM
REFUGEES COMING THROUGH THE
REFUGEE SCREENING PROCESS WE
HAVE SET UP.
>> 100%?
>> NOTHING IS 100%.
ON A SCALE OF 1-10,
IT'S AND
NINE.
IT DOES NOT PROTECT AGAINST
SOMEONE FLYING TO CENTRAL
AMERICA OR MEXICO AND COMING
ACROSS THE BORDER.
IT DOES NOT PREVENT SOMEONE
BECOMING SELF RADICALIZED.
YOU BRING SOMEONE
IN AT FOUR
YEARS OF AGE AND 16 YEARS LATER,
THEY ARE RADICALIZED.
YOU CANNOT STOP THAT BUT EVERY
REASONABLE PRECAUTION IS BEING
TAKEN TO ADDRESS THAT.
>> ARE ANY OF THESE GROUPS
GETTING FINANCIAL HELP FROM
PEOPLE IN BOSTON RIGHT NOW?
>> NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE.
WE HAVE LOOKED AT SOME RELIGIOUS
INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN
SUPPORTING HEZB
OLLAH IN THE PAST
AND THERE IS TRADE BASED
TERRORIST FINANCING WHERE PEOPLE
ARE SELLING CARS SO THROUGH
TRADE THEY ARE MONEY-LAUNDERING
AND GETTING IT TO SOME OF THESE
GROUPS.
>> SOME OF IT HAPPENS IN NEW
ENGLAND?
>> SOME OF IT IS HAPPENING IN
THE UNITED STATES.
ED: LET ME SHIFT GEARS.
YOU LIVE
HERE AND CARE ABOUT
THIS AREA.
AS A REPORTER, I HAVE NOTICED MY
LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS THAT THERE
HAS BEEN AN INORDINATE NUMBER OF
BOMB THREATS AT SCHOOLS.
IF I
ASK YOU WHAT'S GOING ON,
WHAT'S GOING ON?
>> IT COULD BE JUST WHO LEGUMES.
HO --OLIGANS.
THAT WAS PROBABLY A DOZEN
SCHOOLS THAT WERE AFFECTED.
ED: THERE WAS 15 IN ONE DAY.
>> WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO
DETERMINE WHAT THE SOURCE OF
THAT IS.
IT COULD BE KIDS ACTING OUT.
NONE OF THEM HAVE PROVEN TO BE
REAL.
IT IS
DISRUPTIVE AND IT IS
CREATING A CERTAIN PANIC. AND
CONCERN AMONG FAMILIES AND
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS WE HAVE
HAD NO INDICATION THAT ANY OF
THESE --
ED: WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT THE
BROADER PICTURE?
MAYBE THEY DON'T WANT TO TAKE A
TEST COULD ED: WE ARE NEVER
GOING TO BE ABLE TO STOP PEOPLE
PICKING UP THE PHONE AND DOING
SOMETHING STUPID.
THAT WOULD REQUIRE A LEVEL OF
SECURITY WE DON'T WANT SO WE
HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT.
IT IS LAME.
IT IS CHILDISH, IN SOME
RESPECTS
AND ITS DISRUPTIVE.
>> EVERY THREAT HAS TO BE TAKEN
SERIOUSLY UNTIL PROVEN
OTHERWISE?
>> WE'VE GOT BIGGER FISH TO FRY
WITH US THAT OUR CHAT --
TANGIBLE.
ED: ARE YOU READY FOR THE POP
QUIZ?
>> NEVER.
ED:
YOU ARE THE PROUD SON OF A
BOSTON IRAN JOINED YOUR FATHER
AS A MEMBER OF IRONWORKERS LOCAL
SEVEN.
HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE
BUILDING TRADE?
QUESTION ONE, WHICH CANDIDATE
DID LOCAL SEVEN ENDORSE AND THE
PRESIDENTIAL RACE.
>> IT WAS BERNIE.
THEY NEVER GAVE ME AN
OPPORTUNITY TO GO THROUGH THE
INTERVIEW AND SPEAK ON HILLARY'S
BEHALF.
I AM UPSET ABOUT THAT.
ED: QUESTION TWO COMING UNIONS
MUST FILE AND YOUR REPORTS WITH
30 CARBON OF LABOR.
ACCORDING TO THE 2015 FILING,
HOW MUCH DID LOCAL SEVEN
BUSINESS MANAGER EARN?
>> NOT ENOUGH.
I THINK $104,000.
ED: $154,000.
>> HE IS A GOOD MAN.
DAVE LYNCH, NO RELATION.