Fox News "Hannity" - Transcript: Blackburn on budget battle: Whatever comes to the Senate has to include border funding

Interview

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HANNITY: All right. Congressman Mark Meadows, Freedom Caucus, thank you for being with us.

As we continue our HANNITY government watch, shutdown watch, and, of course, border watch and congressional watch, we're joined by new senator, Marsha Blackburn.

Senator, congratulations.

SEN. MARSHA BLACKBURN, R-TENN.: Thank you, Sean.

HANNITY: You won by a big margin in the end. There were some polls at one point that had your race closed. You ran away with it. We're very happy. We supported your candidacy.

BLACKBURN: Thank you.

HANNITY: Where is the Senate on this, where a lot of the insanity in the House of Nancy Pelosi and some of these more radical members, it's not going anywhere. So where is the Senate specifically on standing up for secure borders for the country?

BLACKBURN: I think leader McConnell has said it well. It has to - whatever comes to the Senate has to include border funding. And the reason for that, Sean, is when you look at what the President is asking for, $5 billion dollars. That is one tenth of 1 percent of the budget. And we are required to protect the country, to provide for the common defense.

And this is a part - protecting that sovereignty is a part of protecting the country. And it is absolutely outrageous that the Democrats are not coming to the table. They're refusing to negotiate. They do not want to make a deal. And I will tell you this, if I were someone with a Dreamer in my family, I would be very upset with the Democrats right now.

Because that path to legalization that they have often said is what they want, that is something on the table, and you are hearing Nancy Pelosi say, "Not one dollar, not any money". And the President is doing--

HANNITY: No, no, no. Let's be fair, she offered a dollar.

BLACKBURN: Oh, that's right, she did. She offered a dollar.

HANNITY: But here is more serious question. We've had many people murdered by illegal immigrants. And as the sheriff on this program out in California mentioned this week that he believes that Officer Singh, what happened to him, because the person responsible for that murder was in the criminal justice system outside of being in this country illegally.

BLACKBURN: Right.

HANNITY: Had ICE been allowed to do their job, they would have deported this individual. At what point when drugs pour into the country and human trafficking continues and gang members, potential terrorists and those that commit violent crimes, when we don't stop them and you have cities and states aiding and abetting them by not turning them over to ICE, do they bear responsibility for the future actions of those criminal aliens?

BLACKBURN: Well, yes. And what you're seeing is that because we have this open border, you have every town a border town, and every state a border state. And these gangs and drug traffickers, human traffickers, sex traffickers are coming to a community near you and they're all across our country, and people know that, and law enforcement knows that.

This is why you have our Border Patrol and law enforcement saying secure that border. We need a wall. We need to have a barrier, because that will help keep people from coming in. It will serve as a way to stop the traffickers.

And I - when you talk to Angel Moms and individuals that have lost their children or their spouses or loved ones to these illegal aliens, many of them criminal illegal aliens that should have been deported, it is heartbreaking. And Tennesseans want to see the border secured.

HANNITY: Well, I got to tell you, at some point they bear some of the responsibility by not enforcing the laws. Senator, great to have you back in your new capacity.

BLACKBURN: Yes, good to be with you.

HANNITY: Congratulations on a big victory. Much needed voice in the Senate. All right, when we come back this shouldn't surprise anyone. Our Hannity Media Watch segment, The View's Joy Behar says she identifies with the congresswoman who said, "Oh, we're gonna impeach the MFer". We'll tell you about what they said about the President and get reaction Tammy Bruce, Sebastian Gorka, they're next, stay with us.

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