NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE YOUNG
PEOPLE WHO I INTRODUCED.
THAT'S WHAT THIS CONVERSATION
AND DEBATE IS ALL ABOUT.
MADAM SECRETARY, I HOPE YOU
REMEMBER ME.
WE WERE TOGETHER AT TWO
MEETINGS LAST WEEK.
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU ABOUT
ONE OF THOSE MEETINGS.
IT OCCURRED ABOUT NOON ON
JANUARY 11th.
YOU WERE A FEW MINUTES LATE.
AND ASKED FORGIVENESS BUT WERE
CALLED AT THE LAST MINUTE TO
COME AND ATTEND.
SOME THINGS WERE SAID AT THAT
MEETING WHICH I BELIEVE WE HAVE
TO ADDRESS TODAY.
PEOPLE ACROSS THE UNITED STATES
AND AROUND THE WORLD WANT TO
KNOW WHAT THIS PRESIDENT
BELIEVES SHOULD BE OUR
PRIORITIES WHEN IT COMES TO
IMMIGRATION.
I'LL ASK YOU AS BEST YOU CAN TO
RECALL WHAT YOU HEARD THE
PRESIDENT SAY WHEN IT CAME TO
THOSE PRIORITIES.
WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER THE
PRESIDENT SAYING ABOUT
IMMIGRATION FROM AFRICAN
COUNTRIES TO THE UNITED STATES?
>> WHAT I HEARD HIM SAYING WAS
THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE AWAY
FROM A COUNTRY-BASED QUOTA
SYSTEM TO A MERIT-BASED SYSTEM.
NOT WHERE YOU'RE FROM BUT WHAT
YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE
UNITED STATES.
>> HOW DID HE CHARACTERIZE
THOSE COUNTRIES IN AFRICA?
>> I DON'T REMEMBER A
CATEGORIZATION OF COUNTRIES IN
AFRICA.
I THINK WHAT HE WAS SAYING AS
FAR AS BEST I COULD TELL ANDS
YOU KNOW THERE ARE A DOZEN
PEOPLE IN THE ROOM AND A LOT OF
CROSS CONVERSATIONS AND A LOT
OF ROUGH TALK BY A LOT OF
PEOPLE IN THE ROOM.
BUT WHAT I UNDERSTOOD HIM TO BE
SAYING IS LET'S MOVE AWAY FROM
THE COUNTRIES AND LET'S LOOK AT
THE INDIVIDUAL AND MAKE SURE
THAT THOSE WE BRING HERE CAN
CONTRIBUTE TO OUR SOCIETY.
>> DO YOU REMEMBER THE
PRESIDENT SAYING EXPRESSLY I
WANT MORE EUROPEANS.
WHY CAN'T WE HAVE MORE
IMMIGRANTS FROM NORWAY?
>> I DO REMEMBER HIM ASKING
ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF
UNDERREPRESENTED COUNTRIES AS A
FIX.
THIS IS IN THE CONVERSATION
ABOUT REMOVING THE DIVERSITY
LOTTERY AND HOW WE COULD
REALLOCATE THAT.
I DO REMEMBER HIM ASKING IF WE
DO THAT AND WE THEN ASSIGN
THOSE TO COUNTRIES THAT ARE
UNREPRESENTED, AREN'T WE JUST
CONTINUING NON-MERIT-BASED
IMMIGRATION?
SO FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE I
THINK HE DID ASK WOULD THAT
COVER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES OR
WOULD THAT MEAN THAT WE'RE
FURTHER ESTABLISHING
IMMIGRATION TO PURPOSEFULLY
EXCLUDE EUROPEANS.
I HEARD HIM REPEATING WHAT HE
HAD LEARNED IN A MEETING BEFORE.
THEY'RE INDUSTRIOUS AND A HARD
WORKING COUNTRY AND DON'T HAVE
MUCH CRIME THERE, THEY DON'T
HAVE MUCH DEBT.
I THINK IN GENERAL I HEARD HIM
GIVING COMPLIMENTS TO NORWAY.
>> YOU SAID ON FOX NEWS THE
PRESIDENT USED STRONG LANGUAGE.
WHAT WAS THAT STRONG LANGUAGE?
>> LET'S SEE, STRONG LANGUAGE
THERE WAS -- APOLOGIES.
I DON'T REMEMBER SPECIFIC WORD.
WHAT I WAS STRUCK WITH FRANKLY
AS I'M SURE YOU WERE AS WELL
WAS THE GENERAL PROFANITY THAT
WAS USED IN THE ROOM BUT ALMOST
EVERYONE.
>> DID YOU HEAR ME USE
PROFANITY.
>> NO, SIR, NEITHER DID I.
>> DID YOU HEAR SENATOR GRAHAM?
>> I HEARD TOUGH LANGUAGE FROM
SENATOR GRAHAM, YES, SIR.
>> WHAT DID HE SAY?
>> HE USED TOUGH LANGUAGE AND
HE WAS IMPASSIONED.
I THINK HE WAS USING SOME
STRONG LANGUAGE.
>> DO YOU RECALL IT REPEATED
EXACTLY WHAT THE PRESIDENT HAD
SAID PRIOR TO THAT?
>> I REMEMBER SPECIFIC CUSS
WORDS BEING USED BY A VARIETY
OF MEMBERS.
>> I WON'T ASK YOU TO SAY THOSE
WORDS HERE BUT I WILL SAY FOR
THE RECORD SENATOR GRAHAM SPOKE
UP IN A WAY THAT I RESPECT VERY
MUCH COUNTERING WHAT THE
PRESIDENT HAD SAID ABOUT
COUNTRIES IN AFRICA REMINDING
THE PRESIDENT HIS FAMILY DID
NOT COME TO AMERICA WITH GREAT
SKILLS OR WEALTH BUT THEY CAME
HERE AS MOST FAMILIES DO.
LOOKING FOR A CHANCE TO PROVE
THEMSELVES AND MAKE IT A BETTER
NATION.
HIS STRONG WORDS REPEATED
EXACTLY THE WORDS USED BY THE
PRESIDENT WHICH YOU CANNOT
REMEMBER.
LET ME ASK YOU ANOTHER QUESTION.
>> IF I COULD, SIR, I WANT TO
SAY THAT I GREATLY APPRECIATE
NOT ONLY SENATOR GRAHAM'S
LEADERSHIP BUT YOURS AS WELL.
YOU'RE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT
THIS.
I SAID I'M HAPPY TO COME TALK
TO YOU ANY TIME TO TRY TO WORK
ON THIS DEAL.
I THINK SENATOR GRAHAM