Fox News "Sunday Morning Futures" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Steve Scalise

Interview

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BARTIROMO: Welcome back.

President Trump and Democrats reaching a three-week deal to end the longest government shutdown in history. It doesn't include funding for a border wall, as the president had demanded.

House Minority Whip Louisiana Republican Congressman Steve Scalise joins me right now.

And, Congressman, it is a pleasure to see you. Thanks so much for joining us.

REP. STEVE SCALISE, R-LA, HOUSE MINORITY WHIP: Good morning, Maria. Always great to be back with you.

BARTIROMO: Do you expect to have border wall funding in the next three weeks, before the next deadline?

SCALISE: Well, I sure hope it's going to be part of a final agreement.

And while President Trump said, we're going to give you another three weeks, kind of calling the Democrats' bluff, who were saying, we won't negotiate on wall while the -- while the government's closed, OK, now the government's reopened.

We have to have a real specific conversation about how much money they will support. The president said -- and it's not the president. It's our experts who protect the border who say it's going to cost $5.7 billion for all the technology, including wall.

What are the Democrats willing to support? They're going to have to put a real number to paper now in these next three weeks, Maria.

BARTIROMO: So what do you think they will support?

I know that you have actually had support from your colleagues on the other side, some colleagues on the other side. But is the Democratic Party facing its own division, where a part of it is -- part of the party is just resist, resist, resist whatever the president comes up with?

SCALISE: Yes, I think we were starting to see fissures.

And, in fact, you saw even the House majority leader, Steny Hoyer, saying physical barriers should be part of the solution. You had committee chairmen on the Democrat side saying, give the president the money for the wall.

And so I think this growing drumbeat got Pelosi nervous. But, at the same time, she's going to now have to confront it, because in every negotiation I have been in, when we have had meetings in the White House with the president, when pressed on, what amount of money will she support, she always said, I won't talk about numbers while the government is shut down.

OK, now the government's back open. It's time to get serious about these negotiations. Hopefully, there is a State of the Union that happens in the next two weeks, which I think there will be. And the president can make even a stronger case to the rest of the country, because it's that growing support across the country that ultimately will push more Democrats to our side.

BARTIROMO: Now, wait a minute. What do you mean that you think there will be a State of the Union?

The American people want a State of the Union. The State of the Union was supposed to be this Tuesday. It feels like Nancy Pelosi has bested the president, obviously. She now forced him to not have the State of the Union this week.

I'm being told it's going to be February 5. Is the State of the Union happening on February 5?

SCALISE: Well, the -- Nancy Pelosi was holding the State of the Union hostage.

And, ultimately, the speaker has to invite the president. The Constitution requires the president to give a State of the Union. It doesn't mean it has to be in Congress, but it ought to be in Congress.

And, Maria, I'm hearing similar things, that February 5 is likely the date. But, ultimately, that's something that's up to the speaker of the House, if it's going to be in the House chamber, which it should be.

I thought it was disgraceful that she removed the State of the Union from the invitation that she had already issued to the president, to say that she was going to uninvite him. That had never happened before in the history of our country.

I think Nancy Pelosi is afraid of the country hearing this message that the president has about why we need to secure the border.

BARTIROMO: Congressman, stay with us. We're going to slip in a short break.

I have got more to talk with you about this situation. It certainly feels like politics, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise.

Also joining the conversation is Mark Penn, out with a new op-ed this morning -- straight ahead.

"Sunday Morning Futures" continues.

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BARTIROMO: I'm back with House Minority Whip Louisiana Republican Congressman Steve Scalise.

Congressman, you just said, yes, you think it is February 5 for the State of the Union. Why is there uncertainty about this? The American people want a State of the Union.

SCALISE: The American people deserve a State of the Union, and it ought to be in the House chamber.

The speaker of the House controls the House chamber. Nancy Pelosi, I thought, was very petty in uninviting the president from the original date that they agreed upon. I think she ought to do it quickly. I think, early next week, she ought to send a letter out formally inviting the president.

February 5 is a date that seems to work well. But do that quickly. End the charade. And, frankly, I think it's -- it's something the American people look at in a very negative way when they look at Nancy Pelosi trying to hold the State of the Union hostage as part of this debate over border security.

BARTIROMO: Congressman ,it's really good to have you on the program this morning. Thanks so much for being here. We will see you soon.

SCALISE: Always great to be with you, Maria.

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