Transcript: Rep. Will Hurd on "Face the Nation," June 3, 2018
Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas, is leading the charge in the House to force a vote on several immigration bills in a move that his own party's leadership opposes. Hurd joined us to discuss immigration, the special counsel's Russia investigation and tariffs on U.S. allies.
The following is a transcript of the interview with Hurd that aired Sunday, June 3, 2018, on "Face the Nation."
MARGARET BRENNAN: We turn now to Republican Congressman Will Hurd of Texas. He sits on the Intelligence and Homeland Security Committees and he joins us live from An- San Antonio. Congressman, good morning to you. I want to quickly ask you about this New York Times obtained the letter from the president's attorneys laying out their argument saying he as president has complete control over federal investigations, cannot be compelled to testify, and could not have obstructed the FBI probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Sitting on House Intelligence as you do what do you make of this argument.
REPRESENTATIVE WILL HURD: Well this has got to be something that can be sorted out through the judicial system. And I'm not a lawyer, but one of the things I've learned is if you're innocent act like you're innocent and Bob Mueller should be allowed to continue his investigation and turn over any stone and pursue any lead.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Should the president be compelled to testify to Bob Mueller the special counsel?
REP. HURD: Again I think this is going to be a- a judicial issue. That's figure out what is- what can he be compelled to do. Again if you don't have anything to hide, why wouldn't you testify? Because I think that would help get- close this investigation quicker which I think that is something this administration wants to see. But one of the things that- that I'm focused on is on issues that is firmly in the responsibility of Congress and that's trade. That's immigration. And these are big issues that are going to be come into the forefront over the next few days and weeks.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And I do want to ask you about trade but just to button this up, the president's attorney said this morning the president probably has the power to pardon himself though doing so would be unthinkable. What would happen in the House if the president tried to do that? What would the political ramifications be?
REP. HURD: Look I think that would be a terrible move. I think people would erupt. I think even thinking about trying to- to fire Mueller is- is a bad move - politically. So I hope we don't have to get to that point. And it's- it's hard to predict what would happen but that would- that would be- that would- that would create outrage on- on both sides of the political ais- aisle.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Let's get to that issue of trade you brought up there. Would there be support in the House, where you sit, for legislation that would require the president to get congressional approval before putting on tariffs? There's talk in the Senate about doing it. Would you support something in the House?
REP. HURD: Absolutely. You know - the - the- Congress has shared our responsibility when it comes to trade with the executive branch over the last couple of decades. And I think that's something that we need to - to re-evaluate. And one of the things that, you know I, as you know Margaret I spent nine and a half years as an undercover officer in the CIA. I was the dude in the back alleys at 4 o'clock in the morning. One of the things I learned is be nice with nice guys and tough with tough guys--
MARGARET BRENNAN: So--
REP. HURD: Make sure your allies know you have their back-
MARGARET BRENNAN: So Canada, Mexico, and the European are not national security threats from your point of view--
REP. HURD: No- no they are not.
MARGARET BRENNAN: --which is the authority the president used here?
REP. HURD: No. We - we - are lucky to have Canada and Mexico as our neighbors. Imagine what some of our other allies - have to - have to deal with. A sound foreign policy, sound trade policy does not mean penalizing your allies while you're rescuing a Chinese company that firmly and clearly violated U.S. sanctions, and I'm speaking about CTE. So let's address the real problem. China is dumping steel on the world markets. Let's address that. China is stealing intellectual property. Let's address that. Let's not [INAUD] one-- a Chinese company continue to sell their widgets all around the world why we're going to ultimately impact the American consumer. Why should my fellow Americans care about this? Here in South Texas it's hot. And if you like to drink a cold beer on a hot day, it's going to be more expensive. If you've got to fill up your car with gasoline, it's going to be more expensive. If you have to buy clothes, it's going to be more expensive. If you buy food in a grocery store, it's going to be more expensive. And so this makes absolutely no sense. And they say that this could create jobs in the United States of America. Are- we are - we are celebrating a three point eight percent unemployment. That's the best it's ever been in almost half a century. So- so where - what jobs is is this going to be bringing back? It's only going to impact jobs. And so that's why, you know, most of us- a lot of us in Congress thinks, this is this is not the way you handle trade. This is not the way you deal with your allies.
MARGARET BRENNAN: On the issue of immigration, the majority of Americans polled seem to support some kind of protection for DREAMers- so-called DACA recipients. But your bosses in Congress have tried to block a vote on this. Do you have a surefire way to force a vote in the house and get a bill to the president's desk?
REP HURD: Margaret let me correct you for a second. They are not my bosses. My bosses are the eight hundred thousand people that I represent in the twenty-third congressional district of Texas. And that's why I'm working on this issue with friends like - Jeff Denham from California, Carlos Curbelo from Florida, Elise Stefanik from New York City, in order to force this vote. This is- this discharge petition where it's saying hey we're going to bring multiple bills to the floor on immigration and have that vote. I hope teachers are still teaching in- in school that having a- a- a public conversation and discourse is still important to keeping democracy alive and- and thriving in the United States of America --
MARGARET BRENNAN: Was Speaker Ryan--
REP. HURD: and that's what we're trying to push --
MARGARET BRENNAN: --Speaker Ryan and his whip and everyone with him are trying to block this from happening. Do you have the votes to force this to the floor?
REP HURD: We do and we're adding votes every single day - where we're engaged in conversations to- to- to figure out is there another path. I don't believe that there is. And the time has come in 2018. We don't have operational control over a border. We have a million plus young men and women who have only known the United States of America as their home that are in this uncertainty period. They don't know about their- their future. Now is the time to- to solve this problem and do it once and for all and--
MARGARET BRENNAN: You expect--
REP. HURD: guess what-
MARGARET BRENNAN: --that vote this month?
REP. HURD: Yes, this month of June.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Alright Congressman, thank you very much.
REP HURD: Always a pleasure.
