CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA)

Interview

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BLITZER: Let's see if these leaders, the Democrat and Republican leaders in the Senate could come up with a reasonable, reasonable compromise. We're going to get back to you, Phil. Thanks very much.

Let's discuss all of this with Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu of California, he's a member of the Judiciary and Foreign Affairs Committees. Congressman, thanks so much for joining us. So, both government funding bills up for consideration in the Senate, they failed this afternoon. Now, the President says he would support a temporary reopening of the federal government if there was a pro-rated down payment for a wall. What's your reaction?

REP. TED LIEU (D-CA), MEMBER, FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE: Thank you, Wolf, for your question. Let me first say that I'm pleased the Democratic proposal to reopen government with no strings attached actually got more votes in the Republican-controlled Senate than Donald Trump's own proposal. Very pleased that six Republican Senators broke ranks with the President including Mitt Romney. I'm glad he's showing that he's not a flake, and I'm glad that Mitt Romney is putting country above party. I'm hopeful that this would now lead to talks to reopen government. And the Democratic position has always been consistent and reasonable, reopen government Mr. President, negotiate a deal.

BLITZER: But would you as a member of the House, vote for some sort of temporary spending bill that would reopen the government for the next two or three weeks if it included a few hundred million dollars for a border wall?

[17:35:07] LIEU: Absolutely not. The principle at stake is that we cannot allow Donald Trump to use the harm of a government shutdown as a negotiating tactic. We cannot allow any party or any person to take our federal government as a hostage and then extract a ransom. We will not pay that. This is much bigger than about one-eighth funding for a wall. This is about the principle. You can't put people's suffering and use that as negotiating tactic.

BLITZER: Well, the President, you heard him, repeatedly say, if there's no deal, he's got other alternatives. He says we have a lot of alternatives. I think he's referring to declaring a national emergency, a national security threat, and doing it on his own, finding funds from the Pentagon or elsewhere to build the wall, or through some sort of executive order to do so. What would you do if he decides to take those kinds of unilateral steps without Congressional legislation?

LIEU: Well, I think Donald Trump should reopen government and then if he wants to do that, that's up to him. We can fight it out in the courts. But the Democrats in the Senate and in the House simply are not going to cave to Donald Trump's demands in the middle of a government shutdown. Now, Donald Trump reopens government, then everything is on the table, and I'm happy to consider the wall in the context of a large immigration reform bill that would provide a pathway to citizenship as well as permanent status for DACA and TPS recipients. So, everything is on the table. Trump and McConnell will just have to open government first.

BLITZER: He says the U.S. is now -- and he believe -- he says the military has told him, is facing what he calls a virtual invasion of our country because of drugs and criminals trying to come in and he says the only thing that will work is a strong barrier or a wall. What's your reaction to that?

LIEU: Well, today is Thursday, Wolf., that means Donald Trump is lying again. And he told some whoppers. For example, with regard to an invasion, if you look at the Department Homeland Security's own data, border crossings are at an approximate 20-year low. If you look at the FBI's latest data, violent crime is down, property crime is down, and study after study shows that immigrants, both documented and undocumented, commit less crime. In terms of drugs, approximately 90 percent of it goes through or ports of entry, not through places where there's not a wall. So, a wall wouldn't even stop that. That's why, I think, is important that we agree on basic facts and I'm pleased six Republican Senators seem to have done that today.

BLITZER: But, you know, as you know in your district out in California, all over the country, a lot of Americans right now are suffering because of this government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history. Why not accept at least some compromise to allow them to go back, not only work but get paid for their work under the old theory, don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good?

LIEU: Because Donald Trump three weeks later will shut the government down again. If we cave in to Donald Trump's demand for a wall the first time, he's going to keep shutting government down every time we don't fund additional parts of the wall. That's why Democrats have held firm under this, and will continue to hold firm. This is not about the wall anymore. It's simply about not allowing the American President to use the opening of government as a concession. Think of how perverse that is. He's trading the opening of government in exchange for his demands. No American President should ever be doing that.

BLITZER: Congressman Ted Lieu, thanks so much for joining us.

LIEU: Thank you, Wolf.

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