WEBVTT - Senator Dick Durbin Talks Trump Administration First Week

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<v Speaker 1>Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, the ranking member on the Senate

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<v Speaker 1>Judiciary Committee. Senator, welcome back to Bloomberg TV and Radio.

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<v Speaker 2>It's good to see you.

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<v Speaker 1>We hear the line, a lot elections have consequences. Was

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<v Speaker 1>President Trump acting within his authority? Was the acting legally

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<v Speaker 1>in firing these people?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, there's a question about that and about a lot

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<v Speaker 3>of other things. In eight days this notion. A gentleman

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<v Speaker 3>named mister Vaith was the acting director of the Office

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<v Speaker 3>of Management and Budgeting. He sends out this notice yesterday

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<v Speaker 3>that basically shuts down the federal government in terms of

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<v Speaker 3>the money that's flowing to local communities. And so with

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<v Speaker 3>one dash of the pen, he ends up hurting the

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<v Speaker 3>kids in head start hurting the elderly people who are

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<v Speaker 3>in food programs, and then cutting off medical research. It

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<v Speaker 3>took a federal judge today to bring people back to

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<v Speaker 3>their senses.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, that just developed.

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<v Speaker 1>In fact, you're right, the president's freeze on grant funding

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<v Speaker 1>and aid has been temporarily halted by a And i'd

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<v Speaker 1>love to get your take on a lot of the

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<v Speaker 1>actions that we've seen in the last eight days with

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<v Speaker 1>regard to the Department of Justice, though, is that the

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<v Speaker 1>president's right to fire those people who, in many cases

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<v Speaker 1>serve beyond a single president's term.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, many of them are career employees, and certainly they

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<v Speaker 3>have their legal rights under the law, and they're going

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<v Speaker 3>to assert them in many instances, I think, for to

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<v Speaker 3>have maximum effect and to have reaction from the public.

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<v Speaker 3>You're seeing some of these extreme things happening in the

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<v Speaker 3>Department of Justice and other departments. Ultimately this will be

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<v Speaker 3>sorted out in the courtroom.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I guess it will be.

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<v Speaker 1>You've also got inspectors general for any number of agencies,

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<v Speaker 1>dozens in this case that have been fired the president.

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<v Speaker 1>The White House did not notify Congress, as would typically

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<v Speaker 1>be the custom here. I believe it's thirty days notice.

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<v Speaker 1>Was this move legal, of course not.

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<v Speaker 3>He tiktoked this issue, just like he did the TikTok issue.

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<v Speaker 3>Ignore the law, ignore what the courts say, do what

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<v Speaker 3>you can to do, and in this situation is basically

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<v Speaker 3>saying that the inspector generals are gone. Who are these

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<v Speaker 3>women and men. They are individuals who have no allegiance

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<v Speaker 3>to the individual heads of the agency. Their allegiances to

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<v Speaker 3>the law and to the Constitution and to the budget.

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<v Speaker 3>And they call them as they see them. They're the

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<v Speaker 3>referees and the empires. Well, he wanted to get them

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<v Speaker 3>off of the scene as quickly as possible so that

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<v Speaker 3>he could pursue this next measure of shutting down federal spending.

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<v Speaker 2>It's not a.

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<v Speaker 3>Pretty picture, and it indicates gathering more and more power

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<v Speaker 3>by Donald Trump at a time in history when we

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<v Speaker 3>need to be careful, to be respectful of this constitution.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, that brings us to the actions of today.

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<v Speaker 1>And as we just learned, once again, a judge has

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<v Speaker 1>halted the president's freeze on grant funding.

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<v Speaker 2>There were already some hiccups today.

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<v Speaker 1>We tried to get answers at a White House press

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<v Speaker 1>briefing and there were some clarifying remarks from the Press

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<v Speaker 1>Secretary's office. But we do know that the online portal

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<v Speaker 1>for head Start is warning of delays.

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<v Speaker 2>Here. Before that judges ruling, the online Medicaid.

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<v Speaker 1>Portal was not accessible in some states, including Illinois. And

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<v Speaker 1>so it becomes a question of what do you do

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<v Speaker 1>about it now, Senator, If there's not a legal solution,

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<v Speaker 1>will there be a legislative one.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, I don't know that a legislative one is worth

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<v Speaker 3>anything at this point, because Donald Trump is basically announced

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<v Speaker 3>with TikTok and the Inspectors General, he's going to ignore

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<v Speaker 3>the law. He doesn't care what Congress says. And with

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<v Speaker 3>the spending decision it was made yesterday, it caused such

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<v Speaker 3>chaos all across the country and hurt so many innocent people.

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<v Speaker 3>Is basically a decision on their path that they're going

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<v Speaker 3>to go ahead and do it. Did the law be damned?

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<v Speaker 3>So the American people have basically got to stand up

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<v Speaker 3>and take notice here that there are some people who

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<v Speaker 3>are part of the transition that are in a radical

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<v Speaker 3>and extreme position.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, there are reports that some Senate Democrats, some of

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<v Speaker 1>your colleagues, are calling for a delay to slow the

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<v Speaker 1>confirmation process of Russell Vote to head up the Office

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<v Speaker 1>of Management and Budget until this freeze is taken off

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<v Speaker 1>the table or at least somehow clarified.

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<v Speaker 3>Would you support that, Yes, Votes got his fingerprints all

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<v Speaker 3>over this, this project twenty twenty five. They're following this roadmap.

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<v Speaker 3>They disavow it and said they really didn't know what

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<v Speaker 3>was going on. President Trump said he had never heard

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<v Speaker 3>of the thing, and basically what it boils down to

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<v Speaker 3>if you read it, this is they're following that roadmap,

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<v Speaker 3>just stop by stop, and unfortunately it violates the law

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<v Speaker 3>and constitution.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, so you brought us there, and we can all

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<v Speaker 1>check our mail after this conversation. When you start talking

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<v Speaker 1>about Project twenty twenty five, the antennas go up across Washington.

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<v Speaker 1>What are the breadcrumbs that russ vote left in that

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<v Speaker 1>document that leads you to what he will do here

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<v Speaker 1>or informs your view on what he will do inside

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<v Speaker 1>the White House.

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<v Speaker 3>I tell you there's some radical ideas in there, and

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<v Speaker 3>extreme ideas. They won't make America great again. They'll hurt

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<v Speaker 3>a lot of innocent people. And if we want to

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<v Speaker 3>be number one in the world, and I certainly hope

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<v Speaker 3>we aspire to that, we've got to have the means

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<v Speaker 3>of educating and providing for the basic citizenry of this

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<v Speaker 3>country to excel in. Project twenty twenty has a negative

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<v Speaker 3>attitude towards this government's role in helping people and businesses

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<v Speaker 3>get off the ground and succeed.

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<v Speaker 2>So it's been eight days.

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<v Speaker 1>As we've established, Senator, you have a pretty important role

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<v Speaker 1>on the Judiciary Committee as the confirmation process unfolds here

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<v Speaker 1>and you're going to have quite a conversation. I know

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<v Speaker 1>you had the Pambondi hearings, but many folks are eagerly

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<v Speaker 1>awaiting Cash Ptel. Of course, the president has chosen to

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<v Speaker 1>run the FBI. You've gone out of your way to

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<v Speaker 1>talk about this, and I know that you're not a

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<v Speaker 1>fan of Cash Patel. As you've pointed out, he is

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<v Speaker 1>the man who wants to run the FBI, but also

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<v Speaker 1>claims the FBI is responsible for what took place on

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<v Speaker 1>January sixth. He posted on social media January sixth, never

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<v Speaker 1>an insurrection, cowards in uniform exposed. Will you ask him

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<v Speaker 1>to prove the FBI's involvement as some sort of inside

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<v Speaker 1>job that day?

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<v Speaker 3>Absolutely, and there's no proof, no evidence of that whatsoever.

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<v Speaker 3>The thing about this Cash Pattel person, as we have

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<v Speaker 3>his playbook, he wrote a book and spelled out all

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<v Speaker 3>of his weird conspiracy theories in detail. Now President Trump

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<v Speaker 3>wants to give this man thirty eight thirty eight thousand

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<v Speaker 3>FBI agents and professionals all over the world so he

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<v Speaker 3>can pursue all his weird conspiracy theories. I mean, that's

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<v Speaker 3>not fair to America. If we want to keep this

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<v Speaker 3>country safe away from drugs and terrorism and assaults on

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<v Speaker 3>our body. Politic we need someone who has a responsibility

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<v Speaker 3>and a record of proven performance. Mister pttel Ate even close.

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<v Speaker 2>Wow, well, we'll see this unfold.

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<v Speaker 1>As I read from your statement after meeting with Cash Pattel,

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<v Speaker 1>I have grave concerns about his fitness for the role

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<v Speaker 1>of FBI director. He has neither the experience, the temperament,

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<v Speaker 1>or the judgment to lead the FBI. Christy Nome, however,

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<v Speaker 1>Senator got her job to run Homeland Security and gave

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<v Speaker 1>her first remarks today as we hear reports of mass deportations.

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<v Speaker 1>She actually posted some videos of them happening in New York.

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<v Speaker 1>Here's what she said about the agency's jurisdiction, the thing.

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<v Speaker 4>That we can to protect the American people. We have

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<v Speaker 4>jurisdiction over people who live here, people who leave here,

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<v Speaker 4>and people who come here. We have jurisdiction over products

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<v Speaker 4>that come into this country and which ones leave. We

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<v Speaker 4>have jurisdiction over our internet, what comes in, what goes out,

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<v Speaker 4>what kind of business has Virtually I tell people we

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<v Speaker 4>have jurisdiction over everything, and we will exercise all legal

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<v Speaker 4>authorities that we have to protect this country. Because it

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<v Speaker 4>is the only last light of freedom left.

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<v Speaker 1>So, Senator, what should employers and in fact workers in

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<v Speaker 1>cities like Chicago be prepared for as we talk about

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<v Speaker 1>mass deportation and workplace raids.

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<v Speaker 3>Let me tell you it's going to have an impact

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<v Speaker 3>not only individual lives of people, many of whom are

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<v Speaker 3>innocent and shouldn't be swept up in this mass deportation,

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<v Speaker 3>it's going to have an impact on businesses. When business

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<v Speaker 3>leaders come to my office and with a hospitality industry,

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<v Speaker 3>restaurant industry, you name it, they tell us that migrants

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<v Speaker 3>and immigrants working on their workforce are critical to their success.

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<v Speaker 3>Forty percent of the agricultural workers in Illinois are undocumented.

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<v Speaker 3>If this administration is going to shut down their activities

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<v Speaker 3>on the farm, I guarantee the produce section is going

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<v Speaker 3>to look a lot worse in the stores across America,

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<v Speaker 3>and we're going to see a lot of things increasing

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<v Speaker 3>in price. That is not what the American people voted

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<v Speaker 3>for in the last election.

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<v Speaker 2>Senator would be watching for you Thursday morning.

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<v Speaker 1>In that hearing we discussed Illinois Senator Dick Durbin. We

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<v Speaker 1>thank you for your time. As always on Bloomberg TV,

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<v Speaker 1>and radio