Rep. Ami Bera demands ICE reform tied to funding, criticizing Secretary Kristi Noem's conduct while urging new leadership to prioritize due process over rights violations in San Francisco and Minneapolis. He opposes the President's potential war with Iran, arguing it lacks congressional authorization, threatens Asian allies' energy security, and inadvertently funds Vladimir Putin by lifting sanctions on Russian oil exports. Bera warns this conflict undermines Ukraine's stability despite an unacceptable Iranian counterproposal, advocating instead for direct public justification and diplomatic negotiations to ensure long-term global stability. [Automatically generated summary]
But whatever vehicle Republicans choose to fund ICE needs to have reform.
And if it doesn't have reform, it's not going to get votes on our side.
Now, I can't speak to how Senate Democrats feel on this, but I can speak to how House Democrats feel on it.
And that is overwhelmingly the sentiment that we have.
So we look forward to finding a resolution.
We look forward and are hopeful that the administration decides to engage in real reform efforts under the new secretary.
And we hope, in the meantime, that the administration chooses to fund TSA agents and other critical services that DHS provides rather than intentionally leaving them out in the cold.
Thank you so much.
unidentified
This evening, President Trump will make remarks to GOP lawmakers at the National Republican Congressional Committee's annual fundraising dinner from Union Station in Washington, D.C. Watch live at 7:30 p.m. Eastern on C-SPAN.
C-SPAN now, our free mobile app, and online at c-span.org.
Do you think Congress will or should stay in session here over these next two weeks, this recess that was supposed to happen, to get this thing solved?
You asked the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, about this imminent threat issue and the intelligence there.
It was in a recent exchange in the intelligence committee.
Just explain what she told you.
unidentified
I mean, what she told us was she presented the information to the president.
When I asked her, tell me if there was an imminent nuclear threat, she failed to answer that question.
They can't articulate why at this moment in time they took us into war with Iran.
That's totally disrupted the global economy, has impacted so many American lives.
Again, I've urged the President to go on national television, speak directly to the public, tell the public why he took us to war without congressional authorization, without coming to Congress asking for congressional support.
You know, in that back and forth with Tulsi Gabbard, I also use her words from 2020 where she said President Trump is taking us into an illegal war with Iran that is unconstitutional.
Again, if the President thinks this is a justified war, he needs to get on television and speak directly to the American public.
Have they, has the Trump administration, articulated why they need $200 billion in war funding?
unidentified
They have not.
And if they can articulate that, I don't think the American people, at a time when they can't pay for their groceries, pay for health insurance, want us to give $200 billion.
Ami Barras, our guest Democrat from California, C-SPAN viewers know him well, maybe even from one of those student cam competitions, those student documentaries.
He's appeared in a few of those.
He's here this morning to take your phone calls.
202-748-8000 for Democrats.
Republicans, 202-748-8001.
Independents, 202-748-8002.
We've got him for about another 20, 25 minutes before he has to go start his day on Capitol Hill.
This is Roberta in San Diego, Republican line.
Good morning.
unidentified
Hi, Mr. Barrett.
First off, I have spoken with your office as well, but I would like to ask you several questions, actually, and all of them are important questions.
In terms of who you work with best up on Capitol Hill, it's a question we've been asking a lot lately as viewers are concerned about too much animosity on Capitol Hill.
Who's a member of Congress that you work with the best?
unidentified
You know, right now there's a freshman member that in a lot of conversations with Jefferson Shreve from Indiana.
I think he's a really good member, thoughtful.
You know, we work with a lot of the Californians, Vince Fong, others.
You know, our motto in our office is we're friends with everyone.
I recognize that we may have different views, but we're all a reflection of the folks that vote for us.