CBS News "Face the Nation" - Transcript: Immigration Crisis
Interview
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We're going to turn now to the number two Democrat in the Senate, Richard Durbin. He's in Springfield, Illinois, this morning.
Is Hillary Clinton your favorite Democrat, Senator?
SEN. RICHARD DURBIN (D-IL), MAJORITY WHIP: Well, I think Hillary Clinton would be a great president. And I support her. I served with her in the Senate.
I watched her as secretary of state. I think she has what it takes.
SCHIEFFER: All right, much more serious question here.
I want to ask you also about these children that are flooding our borders. The federal government seems paralyzed to doing anything about this. Where do we start to fix this? What needs to be done here? And I'm not talking about passing some bill in the future. I'm talking about fixing this problem right now.
DURBIN: Well, there are two points I want to make for you, Bob.
First is, I think this administration understands what needs to be done. And it's a really amazing challenge. First, get down to Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, and make it clear that sending these children north is a desperate and deadly decision and that they have got to stop as quickly as possible, and force that information- gathering in those countries.
Secondly, these smugglers and coyotes ought to be hit with the hardest penalties we can possibly come up with. The fact that they would lure these children into this deadly journey is just unspeakable. It is an awful crime.
And, third, we have to deal with these children. It was the Homeland Security Act signed by President George W. Bush which says, we treat these children humanely, which means we view the compassionate responsibility of the United States for these kids as their processed back to where they came from.
They have no legal status here in the United States. Now, let me see the second point. I am really getting fed up with some of the critics of this administration, particularly from House Republicans. They had the opportunity for one solid year to call the immigration reform bill, and yet they refused to.
And now they're arguing we need more enforcement at the borders and a lot of other things. When are they going to accept their responsibility to govern, to call this bipartisan bill for consideration?
SCHIEFFER: I want to ask you also about Iraq. You just heard Senator McCain. You just heard Senator Graham. Do you think Democrats will stand behind the president if he decides to order airstrikes, if he decides to go after ISIS?
And I guess I would ask you also, do you agree with the two senators we just heard that this really is a threat to American security, this ISIS group and what they stand for?
DURBIN: Well, I think we need to take them seriously, but realistically.
And, realistically, this is what it comes down to. What have we learned in the last 12 years in this part of the world? We have learned that the United States has the best military on earth, the best weapons, the best technology, and yet even those troops, even that capacity cannot restore a leadership to Iraq.
Maliki has not unified Iraq. Our American forces can't change it. How do we bring about nationalism in Iraq, where people are still wedded to blood feuds and sectarian violence? And do we honestly believe that sending airstrikes in is going to change a 14-century-old battle within the religion of the Muslim people?
That is not going to happen. So, let's be careful. As the president says, use our power and our authority in an effective way. He's called for a counterterrorism partnership. I think that is a move in the right direction. Engage other countries with the United States.
This go it alone, call in airstrikes is not going to solve the problems.
SCHIEFFER: Well, who do we work with? Do we work with Iran? Do we work with Syria? Who exactly in this broad strategy do we work for -- with?
DURBIN: It's interesting. Neither of those countries want us anywhere near the situation in Iraq and Syria today.
And we have to carefully choose our allies. But within the region, there are other countries that I think will come and stand behind us to stop the spread of terrorism. That's what the president is looking for, partnerships to bring peace to this part of the world.
Haven't we learned our lesson after 12 years? Look what happened in Iraq; 4,484 Americans gave their lives. Over 30,000 came home seriously injured, $2 trillion to our national debt. The suggestion that now we're going to engage more military force in this region should be done carefully. And I think the president is trying to do that at this point, and I support him.
SCHIEFFER: All right. Well, Senator Durbin, we thank you for joining us on this Fourth of July.
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