Fox News "The Story" - Transcript: Interview with Reps. Mark Meadows and Jim Jordan
Interview
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
MACCALLUM: That was in response to a question about concerns that the President may or may not have about those who are not getting paychecks after this Friday. President Trump's heading back to Washington at this hour. We understand is the shutdown wears on. And with little end in sight, some in the media are sounding some alarms about this calling it a doomsday scenario. NBC writing this. "The country would face an economic hellscape if the government shutdown lasts months, or even years, as the president has suggested it might.
Joining me now, Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan, and North Carolina Congressman Mark Meadows, both sit on the House Oversight Committee. Great to have both of you with us. Thank you very much for coming in tonight.
REP. MARK MEADOWS, R-N.C.: Great to be with you.
MACCALLUM: Congressman Meadows, do you -- do you agree with that?
MEADOWS: Well, obviously, not. I mean, we're talking about a partial shutdown. We're talking about really day-20 right now. And what this comes down to is the Democrats have not been negotiating. They offered zero money for the wall on day one of the shutdown. They're offering zero money, still, today for any border barrier.
MACCALLUM: Do you think they're going to change their tune on that?
MEADOWS: You know I was hopeful that they were. I don't think so. I mean, I can tell you, if you can find one Democrat and leadership that's willing to talk about anything --
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: And they're kind of -- you know, they're saying things like, well, you know, it's not that we're against border security, they will fix the fence, we'll do this, we'll do that.
MEADOWS: But they -- but they are, Martha. I think -- yes, I get it. But you've heard the rhetoric before. I can just tell you that when you look into the eyes of my Democrat colleagues, they're not serious about negotiating, they really not.
MACCALLUM: So there was a meeting yesterday on the Hill, in Senator Graham's office, Congressman Jordan, Jared Kushner, the president's advisor, and son-in-law was there. And the suggestion is that there may be discussing early discussions about a DACA trade for the wall.
REP. JIM JORDAN, R-OH: We can get to an agreement if the Democrats would be more focused on helping the country and less focus on stopping the president. I do think Democrats are starting to feel it. Joe Cunningham and Mark Sanford see it. I think he started that's a Republican seat that just barely win Democrat this year.
The individual (INAUDIBLE) Congressman Horn who won the Oklahoma City seat. You don't think people Oklahoma want to border security wall? So, this idea that is doomsday, it can end tomorrow if Democrats would just be willing to support what they supported a few years ago.
And if that negotiations are happening, that's all good. But as Mark said, I don't think they're that serious about it. They won't get serious until Joe Cunningham in that seat and Congresswoman Horn in that seat, Abby, Bamberg and Dave Brat seat until they start to feel the heat in their district.
MACCALLUM: Well, she was starting today that she wants people to understand.
JORDAN: Exactly.
MEADOWS: Yes.
MACCALLUM: She's a former CIA. She takes security seriously, which I don't doubt that she does. But you know, in terms of this argument about DACA, why not open that conversation? The president suggested it in the past to cover -- you know, as many as --
(CROSSTALK)
MEADOWS: Well, there's been real conversations. And you mentioned Senator Graham. I've been on the phone more with Senator Graham in the last two weeks than really anybody else. And he's had a lot of thoughtful conversations with some of the Senators. But even though with that, he put partial DACA, TPS, in exchange for border barrier funding. And Dick Durbin says, oh, it's going to cost you a lot more than that.
MACCALLUM: So your argument is even if he do that, they're not going to give you what you want. But I'm asking you would you -- because you guys have been very much against that. Are you telling the President DACA is a non-starter for the --
MEADOWS: I think when you look at a pathway to citizenship, but can we do something on those and how it's constructed. But I think a lot of it's a moot point right now. I mean, literally, they are not discussing anything. It's like throwing darts at a wall and hoping to hit a bull's eye when there's no target up there.
MACCALLUM: So there's this Dan Crenshaw, a new member of Congress said that he's going to forego his salary during the shutdown. Is that something that you --
MEADOWS: Yes, we've already put out -- I think both of us put out --
JORDAN: We had a letter to the Senate to get to the end of this pay (INAUDIBLE) just like think most --
MACCALLUM: Saying that you would -- you would also --
MEADOWS: I have already sent the letter in. We've gone public with that. And you know, the federal workers, the pain that they're suffering it's not lost on us, but I just came from the House floor. And let me just tell you all we need to do is stay here and get it done. So I challenge our Democratic colleagues. Let's stay here all weekend. Don't go home. Let's stay here.
MACCALLUM: Do you not care about the federal workers because they're all Democrat voters? That was the suggestion today.
MEADOWS: Well, I tell you, the majority of public workers unions support Democrat candidates and you can look at that at the FCC reports. Whether they're Democrat or Republican, the unions typically --
JORDAN: What we support is that border security wall which everyone knows needs to happen. There is a crisis on the border. Anyone who's been watching this Caravan phenomenal over the last few months knows this is a crisis. Build the border security wall but unfortunately as Mark said, Democrats, don't want to seem to talk about that yet.
MACCALLUM: Congressman, thank you very much.
MEADOWS: Thank you.
MACCALLUM: Great to see both of you tonight. So here now to respond freshman Democratic Congresswoman Katie Hill from California. She won in a GOP held district for forty to fifty years and flipped that district. Katie even listening to the conversation, what's your response?
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source