Fox News "Sunday Morning Futures" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Jeff Van Drew
Interview
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BARTIROMO: Welcome back.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appearing to take some retribution against fellow Democrat New York Congresswoman Kathleen Rice, the House speaker blocking her bid to land a seat in the House Judiciary Committee after Rice opposed Pelosi's effort to regain the speakership.
Joining me right now, in an exclusive interview, is New Jersey Democratic Congressman Jeff Van Drew, a member of the Blue Dog Coalition and the Problem Solver Caucus.
It is good to see you, Congressman. Thanks so much for joining us.
REP. JEFF VAN DREW, D-N.J.: Oh, it's great to be with you. Thanks for having me.
BARTIROMO: So, the Blue Dog coalition, I wonder the strength of the coalition today.
Do you feel that there is a wing of the Democratic Party that wants to work with the president, that actually would like to come to the bargaining table and perhaps would vote for border security?
VAN DREW: Well, I think absolutely. I think there is a wing. And I think that we need to ensure that we negotiate as much as possible, as soon as possible, 24/7.
I believe it's been disgraceful to see our Coast Guard literally on soup lines and going to kitchens just to get food.
BARTIROMO: Sure.
VAN DREW: I think it's disgraceful to see that our corrections officers, our federal corrections officers, our FAA, all of this.
BARTIROMO: Well, I think everybody feels that way.
VAN DREW: That is -- well, if we all feel this way, I mean, if we really do feel this way, this is just not some amorphous philosophical issue.
These are real people that can't pay real bills. Then we have got to get this done. So, that doesn't mean we just...
BARTIROMO: Now, have you spoken -- have you spoken with Speaker Pelosi about this?
VAN DREW: A small amount, yes, I have, actually.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
VAN DREW: And I have spoken about it in caucus and spoken about it through both -- both of those caucuses that you have mentioned as well.
The bottom line is...
BARTIROMO: I guess what I'm asking is, are there -- is there a wing of your party that is pushing back against Speaker Pelosi saying, look, let's not go the resist route, and let's actually come up with border security?
VAN DREW: I think there is a part of the party that is beginning to really push this, because it's been taking so long, without question.
And I think you will see more and you will hear more. And it doesn't mean we're fractured and everybody is split apart. It just means that we need to get this done.
BARTIROMO: Right.
VAN DREW: And, real quickly, I think that there's ways to do that.
So, if we all know that we want to do something about DACA, we all know that we immediately want to open up our government, then we know that the problem is border security.
So let's sit down. Maybe we need a panel that both sides agree upon that would determine what the border security would look like.
BARTIROMO: Right.
VAN DREW: And then we move forward. But we just keep doing this.
BARTIROMO: Because -- because the truth is, the truth is, Congressman, there are some fractures within the party, by the way, on the left and the right.
But, specifically on the left, when the vote was happening for Nancy Pelosi, you voted no.
(CROSSTALK)
BARTIROMO: So I want you to explain that for a moment, because initially, when you vote -- like John Ratcliffe, we just had on, he voted Kevin McCarthy. The majority obviously voted Nancy Pelosi, and that's why she's the speaker.
What were you trying to say when you just said no?
VAN DREW: I was trying to say that we needed -- I thought we needed a better process, that we really needed something that represented what at least my constituents wanted.
When I spoke to them, they said, we really hope that we get somebody new that doesn't have maybe some of the preexisting ideas and feelings and attitudes towards some of the folks that are there from the past.
(CROSSTALK)
BARTIROMO: Are you willing -- are you willing to allocate some money toward some kind of a barrier fencing, given the fact that Nancy Pelosi already has a wall in her own state?
VAN DREW: Yes. I have made that clear.
We are a nation of the rule of law, and we do need some type of barriers. And, as we have all said ad nauseum, in some places, it may be electronic, some places, it may be drone, some places, it may be an actual wall, but we do need to ensure our security.
That is part of the deal, and it's something that we should do. And I think that there's a great number of Democrats as well that really believe that that is accurate.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
And, real quick, do you think $5.7 billion seems reasonable?
VAN DREW: If it's spent in an appropriate and reasonable way. And that's what we have to negotiate.
BARTIROMO: Yes. OK.
We have got to jump there.
VAN DREW: And it shouldn't take long.
BARTIROMO: Congressman, it's great to have you on the program. I hope you will come back soon. Thanks so much, sir.
(CROSSTALK)
VAN DREW: I will. Thank you.
BARTIROMO: Good to see you.
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