"Face the Nation," March 26, 2023
Interview
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Yes, thank you for having me.
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Look, January 6 was a terrible day. We have to make sure that never happens again. I certainly was here at the Capitol keeping -- keeping folks from -- from getting on to the House floor.
But it was great to have President Trump back in Texas. And it was a reminder that Trump's policies, President Trump's policies, worked. And, right now, we're in a time where Biden -- Biden is failing us. And so, you know, I welcome any serious presidential candidate to come to Texas, see it firsthand. In particular, come see the border.
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So I haven't met with President Trump yet. I look forward to meeting with President Trump.
But, right now, I'm focused on securing this border.
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And I think that's a key part to it.
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Yes.
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Yes.
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The rhetoric is absolutely out of control on both sides, on all sides.
But I would also see -- I see President Trump, honestly, being attacked, being demonized on all these different fronts. You know, things that are happening to him in regards to the classified documentation, similar -- similar things happen to President Biden, and you don't see those things.
I think a lot of people are done with the political rhetoric. They want solutions. And whichever presidential candidate is going to bring real solutions to their lives is going to get their vote.
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Sure.
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Well, I spent 20 years in the Navy. I'm a retired Navy master chief. I'm always going to fight for what I believe is right.
And what I see right now is, people are fed up with the environment that is happening. They're fed up with the rhetoric. They're tired of inflation. They're tired of the border crisis. They're tired of the national security policy.
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And they want real action. And whoever delivers that for them is going to get their vote, whether that's President Trump and -- or anyone else.
So I think that's the part people are missing out on.
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Look, January 6 should never have happened.
And those that are -- that -- that have -- found wrong for doing that, they need to be held to this -- the highest standard. I absolutely agree with that.
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Sure.
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Yes, look, there...
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There is -- there is no room for anyone that assaults law enforcement, right, similar to what happened in -- in Oregon or anywhere else throughout our country.
We have to absolutely be -- surround our law enforcement and ensure -- they have the toughest job right now. You have to get it right every single time.
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So, now's not the time to attack law enforcement.
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Yes, Margaret, sadly, this isn't a new issue for any of us that live in Texas' 23rd District.
So, Knippa, happens all the time. Hondo is another city where this happens regularly, Uvalde, Eagle Pass. This has been ongoing for a couple of years now. Just last week, just last week in Ozona, Texas, small little town out in West Texas...
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... there was a smuggler that came through town and killed -- that killed a woman, a grandmother and her granddaughter. So, every day, someone is dying.
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Sure.
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I'm asking for a border package that focuses on securing the border and an immigration package that focuses on legal immigration.
Both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party often get it wrong when they focus on illegal immigration. And I'm going to do everything in my power, whether it's to buck my own party or buck the other party, to be able to say, we have to have real tangible solutions. H.R.29 is a prime example, this Border Safety and Security Act.
It does anything but secure the border. So guess what? That bill in particular, it's dead.
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There's no way it's going to get on the floor. I'm going to do everything in my power to prevent that, because, in my district...
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... people are dying. And we need real solutions, not political rhetoric.
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I spent 20 years in the Navy. I spent five years in Iraq and Afghanistan. I fought in two wars. I know what war looks like. I hate war, I want to prevent war.
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And not -- and not -- and not do these things.
But part of it is rolling up your sleeves and going to work. Just last week, I gave Senator John Cornyn a lot of credit. He put together this congressional delegation, 12 members, six Republicans, five Democrats and an independent. We traveled to Mexico City last week -- last weekend.
We met with the president of Mexico, and we had a four-hour dialogue, four- hour discussion. That is how you solve problems. Now, I look at it that's the State Department's job. And the State Department isn't doing their job.
But Congress can't just point fingers. We can't just please blame.
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We are an equal body, and we got to roll up our sleeves and find solutions.
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Thank you, Margaret, yes.
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