REQUIREMENTS ARE MET.
JOINING ME NOW, HOUSE MINORITY
WHIP, LOUISIANA CONGRESSMAN,
STEVE SCALISE.
CONGRESSMAN, FANTASTIC TO SEE
YOU, AS ALWAYS.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS MOVE BY
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO DENY
GREEN CARDS TO LEGAL I'M P IMMIG
GREEN CARDS TO LEGAL I'M P IMMIA
GREEN CARDS TO LEGAL I'M P IMMIT
GREEN CARDS TO LEGAL I'M P IMMIS
WHO DRAW FROM SOME SOCIAL
PROGRAMS?
>> GOOD MORNING, DYINGEN.
GOOD TO BE -- DAGEN.
GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.
IF YOU LOOK, THERE ARE A LOT OF
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS
BEEN DOING TO MOVE TOWARDS A
MERIT BASED SYSTEM OF
IMMIGRATION WHICH I THINK MOST
PEOPLE WANT TO SEE US DO.
IF YOU LOOK, THIS ISN'T OUT OF
LINE THAT WITH OTHER THINGS THAT
ARE BEING DONE TO DISCUSS THE
BREAKDOWN, FRANKLY BANKRUPTCY OF
OUR SOCIAL NETWORK PROGRAMS.
ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE GOING
BANKRUPT IF WE DON'T FIX THEM.
SOME OF THE WELFARE PROGRAMS,
WHERE WORK IS AVAILABLE FOR
ABLE-BODIED AMERICANS, TO HAVE
TO GO BACK TO WORK IF THERE'S A
JOB READY FOR YOU INSTEAD OF
BEING ABLE TO SIT AN SOME OF
THOSE PROGRAMS THAT TAXPAYERS
ARE FUNDING AND BE PAID NOT TO
WORK WHILE TURNING DOWN JOBS.
IT'S SOMETHING HE'S BEEN WORKING
ON TO ADDRESS THE POTENTIAL
BANKRUPTCY OF THESE SOCIAL
NETWORK PROGRAMS THAT ARE GOING
BUST BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT BEING
RUN PROPERLY AND WE NEED TO GET
TO A MERIT BASED SYSTEM OF
IMMIGRATION.
DAGEN: I WANTED TO POINT OUT,
THE USE OR POTENTIAL USE OF
BENEFIT PROGRAMS LIKE MEDICAID,
SOMETIMES TYPES OF HOUSING
ASSISTANCE, FOOD STAMPS BODIES
QUALIFY AN APPLICANT.
SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAMS, HOMELESS
SHELTERS, THE CHILDREN'S HEALTH
INSURANCE PROGRAM WOULD NOT
DISQUALIFY.
IT'S NOT ALL SOCIAL WELFARE
PROGRAMS.
>> YEAH, AND AGAIN, IF YOU LOOK
AT WHAT THE PRESIDENT WORKED
WITH CONGRESS ON A FEW YEARS A
AGO TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE
PROBLEMS WITH THE WELFARE SYSTEM
WHERE IF SOMEBODY IS ABLE-BODIED
ANDS CHOOSING NOT TO WORK, WE'RE
NOT TALKING ABOUT THE SINGLE MOM
WORKING THREE JOBS, WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT THE 28-YEAR-OLD
WHO IS SITTING ON HIS MOM'S
COUCH, BEING PAID IN TAXPAYER
BENEFITS WHILE THERE'S A JOB
HE'S TURNING DOWN, THAT'S GOT TO
END AS WELL.
NONE OF THESE COULD BE LOOKED AT
IN ISOLATION.
AGAIN, OUR WHOLE IMMIGRATION
SYSTEM IS BROKEN.
WE KNOW IT.
WE HAVE A CRISIS AT THE BORDER.
WE ALSO HAVE A NUMBER OF THINGS
THAT CONGRESS NEEDS TO TAKE UP
TO ADDRESS THESE LOOPHOLES,
INTERIOR LOOPHOLES WHERE WE'RE
NOT PROPERLY DEALING AND GIVING
OUR BORDER PATROL AGENTS THE
TOOLS THEY NEED TO SECURE
AMERICA'S BORDER.
ALL OF IT ULTIMATELY NEEDS TO BE
FOCUSED ON A MERIT BASED SYSTEM
WHERE COMING TO AMERICA TO SEEK
THE AMERICAN DREAM IS SOMETHING
THAT WORKS FOR EVERYBODY.
RIGHT NOW IT DOESN'T.
DAGEN: CONGRESSMAN, THE TIMING
OF IT SEEMS MORE PLIGHT L
OF IT SEEMS MORE POLGHT L
OF IT SEEMS MORE POLITT L
OF IT SEEMS MORE POLITICL
OF IT SEEMS MORE POLITICAL THAN
FINANCIAL.
I'LL POINT TO THIS.
IN THIS COUNTRY WE HAVE WAY MORE
JOB OPENINGS THAN PEOPLE WHO ARE
UNEMPLOYED.
THE DISTEAR AT THIS
THE DISPAAR AT THIS
THE DISPARI AT THIS
THE DISPARITYT THIS
THE DISPARITY ITHIS
THE DISPARITY ISHIS
THE DISPARITY IS MS
THE DISPARITY IS MORE THAN A
MILLION BETWEEN THE JOBS THAT
ARE AVAILABLE AND THE NUMBER OF
PEOPLE WHO ARE UNEMPLOYED.
I THINK IT'S A MILLION
AND-A-HALF IN THE MOST RECENT
READING.
WE ALSO HAVE RESEARCH THAT'S
BEEN DONE OVER TIME THAT SHOWS
IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR CHILDREN
USE LESS WELFARE THAN THIRD AND
HIGHER GENERATION AMERICANS.
>> WELL, LOOK, I'M GLAD THAT WE
HAVE THIS GREAT ECONOMY WHERE
THERE ARE MORE JOB OPENINGS THAN
PEOPLE LOOKING FOR WORK.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN
CELEBRATING FOR A FEW YEARS NOW.
IT'S ONLY BECAUSE PRESIDENT
TRUMP WORKED WITH A REPUBLICAN
CONGRESS THE LAST CONGRESS TO
CUT TAX RATES, TO MAKE OUR
COUNTRY COMPETITIVE AGAIN, TO
GET REGULATIONS UNDER CONTROL
WHICH WERE CRIPPLING THE ABILITY
FOR MIDDLE CLASS JOBS,
ESPECIALLY IN THE BLUE COLLAR
FIELDS TO HAPPEN.
NOW WE'VE GOT THIS ROBUST NONE
OF THIS CAN BE LOOKED AT IN AN
ISOLATED LENS.
WHAT THE PRESIDENT DID ON WORK
REQUIREMENTS FOR AMERICANS, NOT
JUST IMMIGRANTS, WAS SOMETHING I
THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT TO SAY
THAT IF YOU'RE DOWN WORK AND --
IF YOU'RE TURNING DOWN WORK AND
YOU'RE TAKING BENEFITS WHILE THE
PROGRAMS ARE GOING BROKE, THAT'S
GOT TO BE CHANGED.
DAGEN: BUT FOREIGNERS COMING
INTO THE UNITED STATES ARE
LOOKING TO COME HERE, GENERALLY
HAVE TO PROVE THEY HAVE ENOUGH
INCOME TO PREVENT THEM FROM
BECOMING WHAT'S CALLED A PUBLIC
CHARGE.
AND THE DENIAL OF VISAS ON THE
GROUNDS THAT THE APPLICANTS
COULD BECOME --
>> THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
DAGEN: LET ME FINISH.
THE DENIALS OF VISAS BASED ON
THE GROUNDS THAT WOULD
POTENTIALLY BECOME A PUBLIC
CHARGE HAVE INCREASED DURING THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, UP TO MORE
THAN 5500 IN FISCAL 2018.
>> WELL, AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, YOU
CAN'T JUST LOOK AT ONE CHANGE OR
ONE PROPOSAL ISOLATED IN ITS OWN
LITTLE SILO.
THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS
THAT THE PRESIDENT'S BEEN DOING
TO GET TO A SYSTEM WHERE WE CAN
SECURE OUR BORDER.
WE'VE GOT OVER 3,000 PEOPLE A
DAY COMING A ACROSS OUR BORDER
ILLEGALLY.
NOT ALL OF THEM ARE COMING HERE
TO SEEK THE AMERICAN
TO SEEK THE DMERICAN
TO SEEK THE DRERICAN
TO SEEK THE DREAMCAN
TO SEEK THE DREAM.AN
WE KNOW WE HAVE DRUG
TRAFFICKERS, GANG MEMBERS COMING
ACROSS.
WE'RE CATCHING A LOT OF THEM AND
FINDING THAT OUT.
HOW MANY OTHERS ARE WE NOT
CATCHING?
THE PRESIDENT'S BEEN TRYING TO
GET CONTROL OVER THE BORDER AND
SECURE AMERICA'S BORDER.
I THINK MOST AMERICANS SUPPORT
THAT.
WHETHER YOU CAME HERE LEGALLY,
ILLEGALLY -- MY GREAT
GRANDPARENTS CAME FROM ITALY,
SEEKING THE AMERICAN DREAM.
RIGHT NOW, YOU'VE GOT SOME
PEOPLE WAITING OVER 10 YEARS TO
COME HERE LEGALLY AND THEY'RE
WATCHING EVERY DAY WHEN 3,000
PEOPLE ARE COMING ACROSS THE
BORDER ILLEGALLY.
LET'S MAKE THE SYSTEM WORK
BETTER FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE
WAITING THE RIGHT WAY.
DAGEN: THIS NEW RULE IS NOT --
GO IF
-- IF
YEARS AND YEARS TO COME TO HERE
LEGALLY.
DON'T LOOK AT AN ISOLATED PIECE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT
HAVE BEEN DONE TO TRY TO GET TO
A TRUE MERIT BASED SYSTEM WHERE
THE LEGAL SYSTEM WORKS AGAIN,
WHICH IT DOESN'T.
DAGEN: ON THE SURFACE, BECAUSE
THE NEW RULE FROM THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION TARGETS LEGAL
IMMIGRANTS WHO ARE SEEKING GREEN
CARDS, THIS IS LEGAL
IMMIGRATION, SO IT SENDS THE
MESSAGE THAT ARE YOU TRYING TO
REDUCE THE NUMBER OF LEGAL
IMMIGRANTS COMING INTO THE
COUNTRY.
>> NOT AT ALL.
IN FACT, THE NUMBER -- THERE IS
A NUMBER, OVER 1 MILLION PEOPLE
A YEAR WE LET IN LEGALLY.
I THINK YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT.
AND THAT NUMBER'S NOT TRYING TO
BE CHANGED.
WHAT THE PRESIDENT'S TRYING TO
DO IS MOVE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE
VISA LOTTERY WHERE 55,000 VISAS
ARE GIVEN OUT A YEAR TO PEOPLE
RANDOMLY SELECTED, IN MANY CASES
FROM COUNTRIES WHO DON'T LIKE
US.
WHEN AT THE SAME TIME WE'RE
EDUCATING SOME OF THE BEST AND
PRIVATEST IN AMERICA AND IF
THEY'RE HERE ON A GREEN CARD AND
THEIR EDUCATION VISA EXPIRES,
THEY GRADUATE, THEY'RE AN
ENGINEER, EVERY COMPANY WANTS TO
HIRE THEM, WE FORCE THEM TO
LEAVE TO COMPETE AGAINST US.
HOW ABOUT YOU GET RID OF THE
VISA LOTTERY AND MOVE OVER
TOWARDS MERIT BASED, SAME
NUMBER, NOT REDUCING THE NUMBER,
JUST MAKING IT WORK A LOT BETTER
TO GET BACK TO THAT WHOLE GOAL
OF COMING HERE TO SEEK THE
AMERICAN DREAM.
DAGEN: ONE CRITICISM FOR YEARS
DURING THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION
WAS THE RULES COMING OUT OF THE
EXECUTIVE BRANCH IN TERMS OF
REGULATION AND REREGULATING
INDUSTRIES AND THIS IS-HOW IS
THIS ANY DIFFERENT?
IS THIS SOMETHING THAT, ONE, IS
PROBABLY GOING TO BE CHALLENGED
BY A MANY DEMOCRATIC STATE
ATTORNEYS GENERAL BUT ALSO
SOMETHING THAT COULD BE
OVERTURNED WHEN THE NEXT -- WHEN
ANOTHER PRESIDENT COMES INTO
OFFICE.
>> IT'S MUCH BETTER IF WE'RE
ABLE TO WORK WITH CONGRESS TO
GET THIS DONE.
THE PROBLEM IS, PELOSI MADE IT
CLEAR, SHE DOESN'T WANT TO
ADDRESS IMMIGRATION LAWS.
THE PRESIDENT BACK IN DECEMBER
WHEN WE HAD A GOVERNMENT
SHUTDOWN OVER FUNDING OF THE
WALL, THE PRESIDENT SAID LOOK,
I'LL PUT DACA ON THE TABLE WHICH
IS ONE OF THE THINGS THE LEFT
SAID THEY CARE ABOUT, WHEN THEY
WERE GIVE A CHANCE TO HELP SOLVE
THE PROBLEM, TO HELP THE PEOPLE
THAT ARE HERE CURRENTLY
ILLEGALLY, TRYING TO BECOME
LEGAL, WE HAD A PROPOSAL TO FIX
THAT AND A THEY SAID NO.
IT'S BETTER IF CONGRESS IS ABLE
TO ACT WITH THE PRESIDENT TO FIX
IT.
WHEN YOU'VE GOT ONE PARTY THAT'S
LITERALLY SAYING WE'RE NOT GOING
TO VOTE FOR ANYTHING, IT MAKES
IT HARD FOR THE PRESIDENT TO GET
THAT DONE THROUGH CONGRESS.
HE'S OBVIOUSLY LOOKING AT
ADMINISTRATIVE OPTIONS TOO.
EYE DEALLY WORKING WITH CONGRESS
-- IDEALLY WORKING WITH CONGRESS
IS THE BETTER WAY TO DO IT.
IF PELOSI DOESN'T WANT TO PLAY
BALL, KIND OF HARD TO GET THAT
DONE.
DAGEN: I WANT TO TALK ABOUT
GUNS IN THE UNITED STATES, THE
AFTERMATH OF THE SHOOTINGS IN EL
PASO AND DAYTON.
THE MAYOR OF SAN JOSE IS
PROPOSING A LAW THAT WOULD
REQUIRE GUN OWNERS TO CARRY
LIABILITY INSURANCE.
CONGRESSMAN, AS THE VICTIM OF A
SHOOTING, A MAN WHO FOUGHT FOR
HIS LIFE, YOUR REACTION TO WHAT
-- TO THIS PROPOSAL AND WHAT'S
GOING ON IN THIS COUNTRY.
>> LOOK, WHENEVER YOU SEE
SOMEBODY TRYING TO PUT
ROADBLOCKS IN FRONT OF PEOPLE
WHO ARE LEGALLY CARRYING
FIREARMS TO PROTECT THEMSELVES,
IS THE SAME MAYOR GOING TO
PROPOSE THAT CRIMINALS HAVE TO
CARRY LIABILITY INSURANCE TOO.
WHEN YOU'RE ONLY GOING LAW
ABIDING CITIZENS, IT TELLS YOU
WHAT THE OBJECTIVE IS.
LET'S FOCUS ON THE ROOT OF THE
PROBLEM.
WHY ARE PEOPLE GETTING GUNS THAT
MAYBE THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO GET.
WHETHER IT'S PEOPLE WITH
CRIMINAL RECORDS THAT DIDN'T GET
PUT INTO THE SYSTEM, LIKE IN THE
CHARLESTON SHOOTING, THE
SUTHERLAND SPRINGS SHOOTING
WHERE THE BACKGROUND SIS L
TESTIMONY DIDN'T WORK.
IF YOU -- SYSTEM DIDN'T WORK.
IF YOU SEE PEOPLE THAT WANT GUN
CONTROLS, THEY WANT TO PUT LAWS
ON THE BOOKS THAT MAKE IT HARDER
FOR A LAW ABIDING CITIZEN TO BUY
A GUN.
I THINK IT TELLS YOU WHAT THEIR
INTENTION IS.
DAGEN: IS THERE ONE NEW RULE ON
GUNS IN THE COUNTRY THAT YOU
WOULD GET BEHIND?
I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT
PROPOSED LEGISLATION BUT ANY ONE
THING THAT YOU WOULD SUPPORT?
>> IN FACT, I JUST VOTED LAST
YEAR FOR THE FIX NIX BILL.
THERE WERE REAL FLAWS IN THE
BACKGROUND CHECK SIS MANY
TESTIMONY.
THINGS I MENTIONED, REAL
SHOOTINGS, PARK LAND,
CHARLESTON, WHERE THEY WEREN'T
GETTING FED INTO THE BACKGROUND
CHECK SYSTEM SO PEOPLE THAT
SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BUY
A GUN WERE ABLE TO BUY A GUN.
LET'S FIX THOSE PROBLEMS, NOT GO
AND PASS BILLS THAT WOULDN'T
HAVE STOPPED THE LAST SHOOTINGS,
BUT WOULD HAVE MADE IT MORE
DIFFICULT FOR LAW ABIDING
CITIZENS TO GET A GUN TO DEFEND
THEMSELVES.
THERE'S MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IN
THE COUNTRY.
EVERYBODY KNOWS IT.
LET'S FIND OUT WAYS TO DEAL WITH
THAT BETTER BEFORE THE NEXT
SHOOTER.
THE BEST THING TO DO WOULD BE TO
PUT RESOURCES IN THE DEPARTMENT
OF JUSTICE AND HOMELAND SECURITY
TO GO ONLINE AND ROOT OUT A LOT
OF THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE
RECRUITED AND RADICALIZED ONLINE
THAT ULTIMATELY BECOME MASS
SHOOTERS TOO.
WE CAN WORK ON THAT.
DAGEN: CONGRESSMAN, GREAT TO
SEE YOU.
AS ALWAYS.