CNN "Anderson Cooper 360" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Mark Pocan

Interview

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COOPER: Raw emotions were everywhere today with Democrats also lashing out at other Democrats. One co-chair of the House progressive caucus, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal blamed Senate Democrats who support and made any opposition among House Democrats difficult. She said they lacked "spines."

And on Twitter, the other caucuses other co-chair asks, "Since when did the problem solvers caucus become the child abuse caucus," referring to a bipartisan House group. Here with me now is that congressman, Congressman Mark Pocan of Wisconsin.

Congressman, thanks so much for being with us.

So, a spokesman for problem solvers caucus, Co-chairman Congressman Tom Reed, responded to your tweet saying, "Were it not for the bill passed today, Congress would have gone into next week without passing humanitarian aid." Is he wrong about that?

[20:35:00] REP. MARK POCAN (D-WI): So, what we were asking really is to have 24 more hours. The Senate's around -- we could have stayed one more day before we went home around congressional delegations to get a little bit better provisions in the bill. The House bill was better.

The House had a bipartisan vote just a couple days ago that had a bill that had stronger provisions for these facilities that have these horrific conditions where kids are literally dressed in filth, they don't have soap, they don't have toothbrushes, they're slipping on a concrete floor with a blanket and we just wanted to make sure that these firms, if they continue to do this, that they can lose their contract. That's so simple. It's shouldn't be a Democratic or Republican issue.

But if we were to stay a little longer, I think we would have got those provisions and that's why we were a little upset. It's the Trump administration's policies that were really aiming our fire at, but we wish that we could have the opportunity to make those bills better.

COOPER: Well, I mean, do you really believe that the so-called problem solver's caucus and more moderate Democrats did more to harm kids today than to help? I mean, isn't -- some would argue something is better than nothing.

POCAN: Well, I think they mistakenly threaten to vote down the rule for the House bill that we were going to send today over to the Senate that would included those better provisions. Instead, they were on the clock, wanted to get home, and we had to finally capitulate and take up the Senate version. It was a lost opportunity.

Again, it was a bipartisan vote out of the House with much better provisions that had better conditions for the children, and that's really what it should be about. And unfortunately they didn't allow us to take that bill up. And, again, I think if we had stayed 24 hours, we could have got it done.

So, the fire is really at the Trump administration's policies, please don't be mistaken. But I do think people today could have done things differently to get it closer to actually making it a better situation for the kids.

COOPER: What do you say to Speaker Pelosi who says that in the wake of the conditions we're seeing at many of the border facilities and the horrible image, obviously that father and daughter who died crossing the river, that the children needed to come first and that the resources to protect them needed to be available?

POCAN: And we could have done that easily tomorrow or even next week. In fact, people who voted no included the chair of the appropriations committee and the two lead negotiators from the appropriations subcommittee.

So the people who actually knew what was going on voted no because we knew we had a better provision in the House bill that, again, I think it's not a Democratic or Republican issue to say a contractor who has these horrific conditions if they keep it up, they shouldn't have a contract, right? That's simple

COOPER: And is that the main difference between the House bill, which had more accountability than the Senate bill?

POCAN: Yes. And it took some of the other conditions that some facilities have to abide by to all facilities. So, you really wouldn't be able to get away with this no soap, no toothbrush, sleeping on the floor, concrete floor with a blanket. We would have had a better provisions for the children who are there. The best situation is not to have children detained this long in these facilities.

So, again, the Trump administration is really where the problem is created. We just had a better opportunity with the bipartisan vote or the House this week to have had a bill with some better provisions that had people just been willing to stay around 24 more hours in Washington, I think we could have fixed.

COOPER: Congressman Pocan, appreciate your time. Thank you.

POCAN: Thank you.

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