Senator Marshall: The Democrats Need to End this Shutdown for the Good of America

Senator Marshall Joins The Guy Benson Show

Washington - U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined Fox News Radio's The Guy Benson Show to discuss a possible deal to fund DHS and TSA, the future of ICE funding, and the confirmation of Markwayne Mullin as DHS Secretary.

Click HERE or on the image above for Senator Marshall's full interview.

On a possible DHS funding deal with the Democrats:

"Right, I'll do my best to explain it, but we've had the Democrats on the floor the past week, I think it was clear they were never going to fund ICE, that they kept removing the goal post, but they said they would fund everything except ICE. So we're going to put that on the table. So basically, it's about 95% of what the Appropriations Committee had already funded for DHS, plus $5 billion for ICE enforcement. But the good news is we already prefunded this; we prefunded it in our Working Family Tax Cuts bill. So we're going to ask them to put their money where their mouth is. I think we're going to put this on the floor within a day or two, and hopefully end this nightmare that we're seeing. A four-hour wait down in Atlanta airport right now in John Ossoff's state. So we're hoping to put this baby to bed soon."

"Yeah, that's spot on, Guy, thanks, you're explaining it better than I am, and I appreciate the help. So you're spot on, we prefunded ICE, and we will do a reconciliation bill. I'm meeting here in a couple of hours - I'm on the Budget Committee, Senator Lindsey Graham leads that Budget Committee. As you can imagine, Lindsey is talking to the White House constantly, so the answer is "Yes, yes, and yes." I think the big follow-up question is, what about all these reforms that the Democrats are asking about? Well, they can go pound sand, right? They cannot have their cake and eat it too here. We're allowing them to move on and not fund ICE, but we're not going to let them change any of the process. You know, we're going to keep the administrative warrants, we're going to let them wear their masks, those types of things as well. So we really do need to move on from this, and I think this is a good - I wouldn't even call it a compromise - I think it's a win-win for both parties."

On President Trump's opinion of the deal:

"It's my understanding, but I would never speak for the President. But we've had senators up there talking to him, there's constant communication, and I think the answer is yes. But I would never want to speak on behalf of the President."

On the Democrats' opinion of the deal:

"Well, that's a great question. You know, surely 10 of them will come across the aisle and vote yes on this. Everyone who's running for president over there is going to raise holy hell until this is voted on, and that's why we just need to get it done, right? The last thing they want is to let those Democrats go home and just get the tar beaten out of them by their radical, liberal base on this particular issue. So all those that are running for President, I'm sure they're already on the microphones right now, just bashing this deal, but I think that Chuck had better take a win. Chuck Schumer better take a win; we should take a win; let America have a win. We're going to keep our border safe and secure, we're going to fund TSA, and we'll come back with even more funding for the ICE officers at the end of the day."

On whether assisting at airports will help the public's view of ICE:

"Guy, I think you're right. I hope you're right. My dad was a chief of police for 25 years, and I certainly understand this image issue as well. I can tell you, when I walk around Washington, D.C. today compared to two years ago, it's day and night seeing the Army Reserve Officers and the National Guard. I'm walking through a park yesterday with my wife, and to see those folks there, it's like, "Ah, everything's okay." And I think there's a little bit of that - there are so many things you cannot control in an airport, but to feel safe, that's a really good thing. And they are professionals at watching people come in and out and making sure that we're all safe at least, so I think you're right. And a big shout out and thank you to the TSA officers who've hung in there with us, and I feel so bad for them, and hopefully that we can make this right."

On funding ICE and DHS in the future:

"Yeah, Guy, I think this is why you're a political analyst. Certainly these are the points that we discussed over the lunch hour. The Republican Conference gets together for lunch every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and we debated exactly that point. I would just go back to say, look, we anticipated this, we prefunded ICE, DHS at levels to protect them for three years. But you're right, if each party is so far right and so far left on this, it's really hard to ever get to a compromise. I still think this is the best thing we could do under the circumstances, it's not a perfect world, the days have gone by when both part when the minority party is very willing to help the other side out on this. You throw Minneapolis in the middle of this - that's nothing that we were counting on when this process started, but it did happen. Okay? It did happen. I think that ICE did make some mistakes, and this is where we are; this is the best deal we can do. I think this is the very best we can do is get TSA up and running. We funded ICE, we were ahead of them on this one in my opinion - we were a year ahead of them on the game - and now we can do reconciliation again and even fund it for the next 10 years, if we want to."

"You got it - it sounds like you were in our lunch, these are exactly the debates that we had. And at the end of the day, I hope that America looks at these two parties and says the Republican Party is the party of law and order, they're the ones that want to fund DHS, that want to fund ICE, and the Democrats are the defund the police party. A month from now, or six months, the 70% of Americans who aren't as engaged as you and your listeners are, I hope that's what they see out of all this. And we get TSA paid, and we get our airports back in order as well. So I think this is the best we can do in this situation, and I think this is the best way out of this situation."

On the confirmation of Markwayne Mullin as DHS Secretary:

"Well, it was too bad, it was almost on party lines. But all I know is Markwayne very well - he is a patriot, he loves this country, he wakes up thinking law and order, safety, and security. He's going to do a great job, I've got his back. And getting DHS funded, I think, is a big step in that direction, and I think the fact that he was part of this plan where we are today will help him do his job better. And really, I'll give him a lot of credit, I think, behind the scenes of helping pull this off and come up with a plan that we all can live with."

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