CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Texas Congressman Marc Veasey

Interview

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WHITFIELD: All right, here with me right now, Texas Democrat and member of the House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Marc Veasey. Good to see you, congressman. So you are running for reelection in Texas' 33rd district. So do you see immigration as a major concern as you stump, as you talk to voters?

REP. MARC VEASEY, (D) TEXAS: Immigration has always been a concern here, of course with us being a border state, and the Dallas-Ft. Worth economy being -- immigration being such a crucial part of the Dallas- Ft. Worth economy. Immigration has boosted our economy. It's actually helped us in job growth. And so it's a big concern that people ask me about all the time.

[14:35:03] And I have families that live here in north Texas that I represent that they fear deportation. It's a very big issue. And not only that, the businesses, local businesses will tell you that we don't have the workforce that we need, that without immigrants then we're lost, and our economy actually suffers.

And so what I think the president needs to do, instead of all of this rhetoric and all of these political stunts and what have you that he's talking about, if he's serious about doing something about immigration and caravans, what he needs to do is bring Congress back, tell us to come back, and write and pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill now. That's the real solution.

The military and all these other things that he's talking about is completely ridiculous and just, again, just a political stunt. If he's serious about doing something about this, bring us back and ask us to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill. The business community wants it. Groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the immigrant groups and families like I just talked about that I represent, they want to see a bill passed. So let's get something done and stop all this talking.

WHITFIELD: So what are you hearing, what are your constituents hearing, when the president uses language like "invaders" or the caravan is threatening our borders, that U.S. troops need to be on the border, and by the way, reportedly the Pentagon says no to the use of U.S. troops to enforce domestic law. However, we have seen that there are troops that have arrived on the border, as the president promised, to help install barricades and assist with security. Translation, when you see these images, when your constituents see the images, when they hear the language the president has been using, what do you discern? What do your constituents discern in all of this?

VEASEY: People are frustrated, because, again, people know that this is the president and him trying to pull political stunts, that he's trying to stoke his base, he's trying to get them triggered. We saw that with the racist video that was released earlier of the guy in the courtroom. It was a Willie Horton-esque type ad. Everyone knows that, and people are actually sick and tired of it. I think that the one thing that the American public has stated over and over, and what I'm hearing from people here in Dallas-Ft. Worth, is that we want Republicans and Democrats to work together to pass the solution, to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill and get something done.

We're tired of the politics. We're tired of the talk. We want to see something done. Trying to make people not like their neighbors and pit person against person, this sort of us-versus-them type of America that Trump is trying to create with these videos and his rhetoric is not getting us anywhere. That's what I'm hearing over and over. WHITFIELD: But then finally, do you believe that where you stand on

immigration, not just you, as you run again to secure your seat, but others who are running, where one stands on immigration, is that going to dictate the outcome of this race? Because the president is spending, putting most of his capital in the issue of immigration and not the economy. And will the same be seen in your race and others in terms of where you stand on immigration and whether it will secure your reelection or not?

VEASEY: I think that the president has done and said so many things, whether it's immigration or things that are dealing with a host of other topics that are so bizarre, so inflammatory, filled with lunacy, that people want a new Congress that's going to push back against a lot of things that they've heard over the last two years and that we're going to -- Democrats, I believe, will take back the House. And I think people are going to take all of this into consideration, all of the things that they've seen, and that it's going to be a good night for Democrats because of that.

And I hope the president realizes what he's done. He has absolutely hurt his party with just the crazy things that he's said and done and with the just ridiculous tweets that we've read over the last two years. It's out of control. And it needs to stop.

WHITFIELD: Congressman Marc Veasey, thank you so much, appreciate it. We have invited Republicans to join us on the air in this push toward midterms, but thus far we have not received any yeses.

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