'I'm Listening To The Farmers': Dem Rails Against New Bill | Morning Joe

>>> WELCOME BACK TO "MORNING JOE."
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN LUIS GUTIERREZ.
SO YOU'RE AGAINST THE BILL BACKED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP, TELL
US WHY. >> FIRST, LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT
OUR PERSPECTIVE. MY MOM HAD A 5th GRADE
EDUCATION, BUT DAD A 8th GRADE EDUCATION, BUT THEY WORKED
REALLY HARD. AND THEIR SON GOT TO BECOME A
MEMBER OF THE UNITED STATES. THAT'S A TRADITION THAT I DON'T
WANT TO DENY TO OTHERS. IT HAS GIVEN ME SUCH GREAT
OPPORTUNITIES. SENATOR CRUZ'S AND OTHER
PEOPLE'S FAMILIES WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ALLOWED IN THESE STANDARDS.
IN MY HOUSE, A CATHOLIC
HOUSEHOLD, WE HAD TWO PICTURES IN THE KITCHEN, THE POPE AND
PRESIDENT KEN I CAN. HIS GREAT GRANDSON BECAME
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. ON THE BASIS OF TRADITION,
MAKING AMERICA THE GREAT COUNTRY IT IS, I HAVE TO OPPOSE THIS
BILL. >> BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, IT
WASN'T LONG AGO THAT MANY DEMOCRATS, INCLUDING BERNIE
SANDERS, RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT LOW SKILLED OR UNSKILLED
IMMIGRANTS AND WHAT THEIR EFFECT WOULD BE ON THE WAGES OF LOW
SKILLED AMERICANS. >> BECAUSE THE JOBS THE
IMMIGRANTS ARE I WOULD SAY TO H THE FOLLOWING -- THERE ARE 2
MILLION PEOPLE THAT WORK IN OUR AGRICULTURE.
THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT GO OUT IN THE FIELDS EVERY DAY.
THEY'RE DAIRY FARMERS TOO. I WANT TO BE AND SUPPORT THE
AMERICAN FARMER, AND AMERICAN AGRICULTURE.
AND THE FACT IS THIS -- THE FOOD WHEN WE WALKED INTO OUR GROCERY
STORES AT THE PRODUCE SECTION, THAT FOOD WAS PICKED BY FOREIGN
HANDS, HAS BEEN PICKED BY FOREIGN HANDS AND IN THE FUTURE
WILL BE PICKED, BECAUSE ANOTHER THING IS TRUE -- NO ONE ON THE
PANEL TODAY NOR THIS MEMBER OF CONGRESS IS SENDING THEIR KID TO
SCHOOL TO WORK AT PRETTY HARD BACK-BREAKINREAKING WORK IN THES
OF AMERICA. SO, LOOK, I'M LISTENING TO THE
FARMERS OF AMERICA. I WISH SENATOR COTTON AND
SENATOR PURDUE WOULD LISTEN TO THEIR FARMERS.
HERE'S WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO TELL THEM.
THEY'RE GOING TO TELL THEM, WE NEED THOSE WORKERS AND THEY'RE
VITAL. I KNOW WE TALK A LOT ABOUT
ENERGY INDEPENDENCE. WHAT ABOUT FOOD INDEPENDENCE AND
WHO MAKES SURE THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND THE COUNTRY
FOOD -- >> RIGHT.
>> SO I UNDERSTAND YOU WANT SKILLED WORKERS.
AND LET ME BE VERY CLEAR. 2004 I INTRODUCED A BILL WITH
SENATOR McCAIN, SENATOR KENNEDY, AND THEN CONGRESSMAN FLAKE.
IT WAS A BIPARTISAN BILL. WE MADE SURE THAT WE IN THAT
BILL INTRODUCED AND BROUGHT WORKERS AS OUR ECONOMY NEEDED
THOSE WORKERS, RIGHT? SO I GET THAT.
ESPECIALLY HIGH SCHOOL WORKERS. LOOK AT THE SENATE BILL IN 2013,
THE ONE APPROVED IN THE SUMMER, 69 VOTES, REPUBLICANS AND
DEMOCRATS. WE RECOGNIZE THE NEED TO HAVE
SKILLED WORKERS. BUT LET ME ADD AT THE SAME TIME,
I ALSO UNDERSTAND THE NEED OF HAVING A DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
THAT SAYS LET'S HAVE AMERICA FIRST AND AMERICANS THAT ARE
BORN IN THE UNITED STATES FULFILL THOSE JOBS AND LET'S
EDUCATE THEM AND CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY CAN FILL
THOSE JOBS.
>> CONGRESSMAN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> THANKS FOR BEING WITH US. >> EMOTIONAL ISSUE.
>> BUT IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT YOU'RE HEARING ON THE DEMOCRATIC
SIDE AND FROM THE REPUBLICANS LIKE LINDSEY GRAHAM IT LOOKS
LIKE THIS PROPOSAL IS GOING NOWHERE.
>> I DON'T THINK IT IS. I ALSO THINK IT'S INTERESTING IF
YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC AND ELECTORAL
ANALYSIS OF TRUMP VOTERS, THERE ARE COUNTIES WHERE THERE'S VERY
LITTLE LEGAL MEXICAN IMMIGRANTS. IT'S THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE
VERY MUCH TRUCK WITH ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO SEEM TO BE THE
MOST UPSET BY IT. WHAT YOU DO SEE ONE OF THE
BIGGEST ISSUES IN ANY TRUMP COUNTY IS THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC.
NOT DOING ANYTHING. YOU KNOW?
SO THIS IS ALL RHETORIC. I WANT'S NOT ACTUALLY

'I'm Listening To The Farmers': Dem Rails Against New Bill | Morning Joe | MSNBC

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