Fox News "Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace" - Transcript: Interview with Reps. Elissa Slotkin and Mark Green

Interview

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WALLACE: With the old guard in Washington not getting much done, we met this week with two new members of the 116 Congress to get their fresh ideas. We sat down with Democrat Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, who served three tours in Iraq with the CIA, and with Republican Mark Green of Tennessee, who was on the special ops team that captured Saddam Hussein. And they are our "Power Players of the Week."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

Welcome to "Fox News Sunday."

REP. MARK GREEN, R-TENN.: We're delighted to be here. Thanks, Chris.

REP. ELISSA SLOTKIN, D-MICH.: Thanks for having us.

WALLACE: You both talk about trying to get things done, trying to compromise, to break the gridlock in Washington. Be specific.

Let me start with you, Congresswoman Slotkin. How?

SLOTKIN: Sure. Well, the perfect example is the government shutdown right now. We have the basis of a deal, right? Both sides are saying they care about border security. They believe in national security. Start having a real negotiation about border security, border forces, more technology at the border, fencing if we needed it in some areas. It doesn't just have to be a wall. That's the essence of a negotiation.

So I think we can start now if people really care about getting something done.

WALLACE: You're talking about the issues, I guess I'm talking more about attitude. Because it's -- you know, there are problems there and people have known about possible deals, possible solutions for a long time, but it never gets done. Why not?

GREEN: I think what we, as a class, the freshman class, brings, particularly the congresswoman and I, is, you know, a life of service to the country. You know, she's prior military, I'm prior military and we want solutions. And we're just sick and tired of it not happening. And our constituents sent us here to get it done. So we're -- we're rolling up our sleeves and going to -- going to get it done.

WALLACE: Well, I want to pick up on that because Congressman Green was a special operations flight surgeon in Iraq, part of the capture of Saddam Hussein. You served for years in the CIA, then for Presidents Bush 43 and Obama, a Republican and Democrat. What's the one thing that you think you can take from your service in national security and maybe help you here in Washington?

SLOTKIN: I mean, for me, it's mission, right? You have a mission. And when you're serving in the CIA or military, you wake up every day, you know what you're doing and why you're doing it. And I think it's no different in Congress. Some people have treated it as if they don't have a mission, that they're there for themselves, they're show horses, whatever. I think making sure that people remember that they were elected to get something done and passed legislation is the most important thing.

WALLACE: There are a lot of very well-intentioned people in that building behind me and somehow it doesn't get done.

Let's take the shutdown. The wall that the president says has to be a wall or, you know, some version of a wall. You hear Nancy Pelosi say a wall is immoral. How do you compromise from that kind of rhetoric?

GREEN: I think we find, you know, some common ground with what is border security and we get it done. I mean that's really what we have to do. And, you know, the president has looked at this and has said, this is what we need to do and, you know, I'm supporting him in this -- in this effort.

SLOTKIN: I just think it -- literally, life is about negotiations. There is no one who lives their lives just saying I'm going to unilaterally decide what happen. So, negotiate. Get in the room, kick out the cameras and get something done.

WALLACE: Where are you both on Donald Trump?

Question for you, Congresswoman Slotkin, are the Democrats, particularly in the House, too anti-Trump?

SLOTKIN: I think the tenor and tone that the president has set is just unbecoming of the country that I love. And, for me, that's critically important. I don't like policy by Twitter, but, to me, just because you're providing a check and balance on the president doesn't mean you don't have a responsibility to legislate and get something affirmative done. If we're only anti-Trump, we are not doing our job.

WALLACE: On the other hand, congressman, you said during the campaign you can't imagine an issue where you would differ with Donald Trump.

GREEN: So far every action he's taken has been spectacular, from cutting taxes that created massive growth at least in our state in Tennessee, to one of the biggest pay raises for our veterans -- our soldiers in -- in ten plus years. You know, I -- I think the actions that he's taken are spectacular and I can't see an area where I would disagree with him at this point.

WALLACE: What about the tone?

GREEN: I think maybe in some cases there are better ways to say things. But, again, I 100 percent support the actions that have been taken.

WALLACE: Over the next two years, and I'll start with you congresswoman, how confident are you that you're going to be able to change Washington instead of Washington changing you?

SLOTKIN: I think the nice thing is, we have over 100 new members in a body of 435 people. Any organization with that many new people, the culture changes. So I'm not saying it's going to be easy, and I've seen it already, you know, that sucking sound of people trying to get you to be very political, you know, salute the party instead of the country. You've got to be strong enough to push back. And that happens when you have people that you can link arms with and say, no, we're not going to do it that way, and I think we have that.

GREEN: I came from a dirt road in a small rural town. My friends are not going to let me go off the rails. Many years in the military. You know, the night stalkers that I went to combat with are going to be on the phone with me saying, Mark, what -- what are you thinking if I -- if I do make the wrong decision or go the wrong way.

Tip O'Neill and Ronald Reagan would fight like cats and dogs in the daytime and in the evening they'd go out as Irishmen and have a scotch. And we've got to get back to doing that. And that's how we become friends. Maybe not agreeing, but -- but those relationships I think are what's really missing right now and something that I want to be a part of fixing.

WALLACE: Congresswoman Slotkin, do you like scotch?

SLOTKIN: You know, I'm going to suggest Michigan beer. You might want to try it. But --

GREEN: Tennessee whiskey.

WALLACE: All right. We'll leave it there.

You see, can't even agree on that.

SLOTKIN: Never.

WALLACE: Congresswoman, congressman, thank you both.

GREEN: Thanks for having us.

WALLACE: Good luck. We'll have you back and see how it goes.

GREEN: Sounds good.

SLOTKIN: Thanks for having us.

GREEN: Thank you.

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