WEBVTT - Bloomberg Surveillance: Florida Senator Rick Scott on Border Security

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<v Speaker 1>Senator Rick Scott right. In this our lawless southern border

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<v Speaker 1>poses a huge threat. The Schumer, McConnell Biden deal still

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<v Speaker 1>allows criminals and terrorists to continue to pour into our country.

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<v Speaker 1>We need actual border security, Senator Scott, I'm pleased to say,

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<v Speaker 1>joins us now for more. Senator, I'm just going to

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<v Speaker 1>start the conversation by sharing two quotes with you, and

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<v Speaker 1>you can help me understand who's got this right. The

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<v Speaker 1>first quote is from House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who says,

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<v Speaker 1>here's what people pushing this deal aren't telling you. It

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<v Speaker 1>accepts five thousand illegal immigrants a day. The bill, as

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<v Speaker 1>you know, sir, because you've read it, specifically, refers to

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<v Speaker 1>five thousand encounters. Your colleague in the Senate, Senator Langford

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<v Speaker 1>said this to Fox News. If you get to five thousand,

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<v Speaker 1>which we have been there every single day except for

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<v Speaker 1>seven in the last four months, seven days in the

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<v Speaker 1>last four months, that it completely closes the border down.

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<v Speaker 1>It deports everyone. Senator, why are Republicans struggling to get

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<v Speaker 1>on the same page on this bill.

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<v Speaker 2>The problem is this is not a border security bill.

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<v Speaker 2>It's an immigration bill. When you go back home to

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<v Speaker 2>my state of Florida. What people want is they wanted

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<v Speaker 2>porter to be secured. A Chris Murphy, who is the

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<v Speaker 2>Democrat leading the negotiations on the Democrat side, said, the

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<v Speaker 2>border will never be closed. Uh So when when even

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<v Speaker 2>when you hit that five thousand, all that has happened

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<v Speaker 2>is all those individuals get shipped to a uh you know,

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<v Speaker 2>a port of entry and they can still come through.

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<v Speaker 2>So it was it's it's not unfortunately, it's not a

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<v Speaker 2>border security bill. Uh, it's an immigration bill. And that's

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<v Speaker 2>why it's not going to happen. It was unfortunately just

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<v Speaker 2>you know, you know, they did it behind closed doors.

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<v Speaker 2>They didn't ask for people's input.

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<v Speaker 1>Uh.

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<v Speaker 2>They sprung it on us Sunday night. And it's not

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<v Speaker 2>something that you know, we want to do. We want

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<v Speaker 2>to we don't want an immigration bill. We want to

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<v Speaker 2>a border security bill. And that's why that's why it's

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<v Speaker 2>not going to pass today.

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<v Speaker 3>Senator, how are you left behind in negotiations?

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<v Speaker 1>Though?

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<v Speaker 3>In December in the Wall Street Journal, you along with

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<v Speaker 3>your colleagues like Mike Lee, were quoted as saying one

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<v Speaker 3>of the proposals is that this would reduce illegal crossings

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<v Speaker 3>and that number of legal crossings reduced by about twenty

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<v Speaker 3>thousand from the prior month's level. That's what you were

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<v Speaker 3>looking for, those reductions of those crossings. And you said, quote,

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<v Speaker 3>we've been told that that's part of the conversation. So

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<v Speaker 3>you've known about some of these conversations from December. Why

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<v Speaker 3>are you shocked now, Oh.

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<v Speaker 4>I'm not shocked. It was clear.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, Mitch McConnell made the decision that we would

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<v Speaker 2>not hold a lawless Biden administration to secure the border.

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<v Speaker 2>The only week we could do that is say we

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<v Speaker 2>will not give you Crain aid on a monthly basis

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<v Speaker 2>unless the number of people crossing the border and staying

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<v Speaker 2>here comes down.

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<v Speaker 4>So I've always had a concern about the bill.

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<v Speaker 2>There's a lot of other concerns about the bill, but

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<v Speaker 2>my biggest concern never was addressed. We have a lawless

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<v Speaker 2>administration that could secure the border today. Trump's secure with

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<v Speaker 2>the existing law, and we don't have There's nothing in

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<v Speaker 2>here that would make Biden secure the border today. And

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<v Speaker 2>then Chris Murphy said he was clear the border will

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<v Speaker 2>never be closed.

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<v Speaker 3>Does this bill what you see and you've read through

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<v Speaker 3>the three hundred pages, wee can any immigration law we

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<v Speaker 3>currently have.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, I think a lot.

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<v Speaker 2>Of concerns are is that it will prevent a Republican

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<v Speaker 2>president that does want to secure the border because it

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<v Speaker 2>will have some limitations on their ability to actually close

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<v Speaker 2>the border, which the prisident has ability to close the

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<v Speaker 2>border today. So there's a lot of concern that through

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<v Speaker 2>the court system that you know, people that want to

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<v Speaker 2>completely open border, like Joe Biden does, will be able

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<v Speaker 2>to go to the courts and forever keep the border open.

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<v Speaker 4>As Chris Murphy said, the border will never be closed.

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<v Speaker 4>That was their plan. So here's the problem. James Langfort

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<v Speaker 4>is a good person, tried hard.

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<v Speaker 2>Nos the issue, but he was negotiating with somebody that

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<v Speaker 2>didn't want to have a secure border, and he was

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<v Speaker 2>hamstrung by Mitch mcconough who said, we're not going to

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<v Speaker 2>tie by his hands have forced him.

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<v Speaker 4>To secure the border today.

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<v Speaker 2>That's what Sourians want. They want a secure border today.

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<v Speaker 3>Biden says that he would close the border if this

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<v Speaker 3>bill became law, So why not put in his hands

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<v Speaker 3>and see if he does it.

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<v Speaker 2>He could do it today. He hasn't done it today.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean he's the day he came into office. He's

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<v Speaker 2>you know, is implemented Catcher release. He stopped remain in Mexico,

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<v Speaker 2>he stopped building the wall, he sold off this steel.

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<v Speaker 4>So, I mean, look, Biden doesn't want to have a secureboorder.

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<v Speaker 2>You're going to trust somebody that has shown you through

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<v Speaker 2>their actions for three years they don't want to have

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<v Speaker 2>a secureboorder. He doesn't need another bill. I mean, the

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<v Speaker 2>only way this is going to happen is we get

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<v Speaker 2>a president that wants to secure the border. He could

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<v Speaker 2>do it today.

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<v Speaker 4>He's made the decision, Biden, to not have a secure border.

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<v Speaker 5>Senator, I have to say, just taking a step back,

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<v Speaker 5>there's just a lot of feeling that there's just utter

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<v Speaker 5>dysfunction and nobody wants to negotiate with anyone because it's

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<v Speaker 5>the political season and it makes Biden maybe have a

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<v Speaker 5>win rather than the former President Trump who's running on

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<v Speaker 5>this issue. How push back against that when it seems

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<v Speaker 5>like some people are rejecting the bill before even reading it, Well, I.

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<v Speaker 2>Mean I told them my concern was we've got to

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<v Speaker 2>we've got to make Biden enforce the law. And that

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<v Speaker 2>was my concern all along. There's there's a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>provisions in here that make this an immigration bill. But

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<v Speaker 2>look what you're we should be doing up here is

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<v Speaker 2>we should be having robust conversations on the Senate floor.

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<v Speaker 2>All everybody there, bring your ideas. But that's not how

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<v Speaker 2>this is done. What we've been doing. I've been up

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<v Speaker 2>here five years. Sher McConnell negotiated a deal behind the scenes.

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<v Speaker 2>They showed its last minute and expected vote. They gave

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<v Speaker 2>us this bill Sunday night, we've not seen intects before

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<v Speaker 2>and expected us vote on it today. That's not the

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<v Speaker 2>way this should happen.

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<v Speaker 3>Centator I understond. You don't like the way this process

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<v Speaker 3>went done. But when you look at say, say the

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<v Speaker 3>Border Patrol Union, they endorse former President Trump, they say

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<v Speaker 3>this is better than nothing. You look at the numbers

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<v Speaker 3>in December, more than three hundred thousand migrants along the

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<v Speaker 3>southwest border. That's nearly ten thousand a day. I've read

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<v Speaker 3>the tax and it says if this deal is in

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<v Speaker 3>place in December, five thousand encounters the border automatically shuts

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<v Speaker 3>at that. If you look at those numbers at minimum,

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<v Speaker 3>then this would be cutting December in half. How is

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<v Speaker 3>that not better than what you have today?

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<v Speaker 4>Well, it doesn't say the border closes.

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<v Speaker 2>What it says is you have to go to a

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<v Speaker 2>port of entry, so the border does not close. So here,

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<v Speaker 2>why aren't we Why don't we go back and secure

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<v Speaker 2>the border with the existing law. I mean, we have

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<v Speaker 2>a lawless president. It doesn't matter what bill we pass,

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<v Speaker 2>he's not going to enforce it. So why doesn't you know,

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<v Speaker 2>Joe Biden do his job. He's the President of United States.

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<v Speaker 2>His responsibility to secure the border. We've got seventy thousand

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<v Speaker 2>people dying a drug overdose, We've got terrorists, we've got

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<v Speaker 2>human traffickers, we got criminals come across the border.

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<v Speaker 4>Why does he do his job?

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<v Speaker 2>That's what That's what the expectation should be, is we

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<v Speaker 2>have a president that does the job.

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<v Speaker 3>You have a democratic president, you have a Democratic held Senate.

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<v Speaker 3>The Republicans control one of one branch of government. Why

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<v Speaker 3>is this not an incremental step that you can build on.

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<v Speaker 3>It is a divided government. You're going to need Senator

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<v Speaker 3>Chris Murphy to bring his Democrats along.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I mean, why do we have a secure border?

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, we have a lawless administration. I'm not going

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<v Speaker 2>to support I'm not going to say, oh, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>I'm okay, with fifty terrorists coming into my neighborhood, I

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<v Speaker 2>know I don't want that. I think we ought to

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<v Speaker 2>have a secure border. I don't want drugs coming to

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<v Speaker 2>my neighborhood. I don't want I don't want terrorists. I

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<v Speaker 2>don't want human traffickers. I don't want any of this

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<v Speaker 2>stuff in my neighborhood. We should expect our government to

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<v Speaker 2>do their job secure the border. This will not secure

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<v Speaker 2>the border. We don't have a person that's willing to

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<v Speaker 2>do it. There's nothing in this bill that's going to

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<v Speaker 2>force him to secure the border.

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<v Speaker 3>President Trump has been very public that he does not

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<v Speaker 3>want to see this bill go through. Do you speak

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<v Speaker 3>to him regularly?

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<v Speaker 4>I do?

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<v Speaker 3>And is your sense that this is the top issue

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<v Speaker 3>he wants to run on, and that is why it's

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<v Speaker 3>become politicized in Washington. D see, he's.

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<v Speaker 2>Not talked to me about it. He's not asking he's

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<v Speaker 2>not asked me not to support it. I've been clear

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<v Speaker 2>all along, I want a secure border. Uh, We've we've

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<v Speaker 2>been We've been having the same conversation for months. I

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<v Speaker 2>will support a bill that has a secure border, all right,

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<v Speaker 2>but we have to remember the only way that's going

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<v Speaker 2>to happen. Is we have something in here that forces

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<v Speaker 2>Biden to do his job.

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<v Speaker 4>He could do he could.

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<v Speaker 2>Secure the border today he is elected not to secure

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<v Speaker 2>the border.

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<v Speaker 1>Senator is fantastic a couch overvisa. I have no doubt

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<v Speaker 1>we'll be continuing this conversation in the weeks and months

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<v Speaker 1>to come. Thanks for joining us today. Senator Rick Sculpte

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<v Speaker 1>on the latest situation down at Washington, d C.