Ross Kaminsky Show, Ken Buck, May 15, 2019
Station: KHOW, 630 am
Show: Ross Kaminsky Show
Guests: Buck, Ken
Date: May 15, 2019
Topics: Senate majority, House Majority, 2020 Elections, Prosecutors, FBI Agents, Subpoenas, Search Warrants, Mueller Report, Special Counsel Investigation, Collusion, Conspire, Conspiracy, Russians, Interference in Elections, Crisis at the Border, Border Security, Health Care System, Flores Decision, DREAMers
KAMINSKY [00:00:03] As we sit in Colorado, peering out fifteen hundred or two thousand miles to our east is — the Democrats in Congress simply don’t seem to have any interest in governing. It’s a very weird thing. And I’m not sure — again, keep in mind. politics is political. Keep in mind that almost everything — I will say a good 90% of what Democrats are doing is with the mindset that they think it will help them either win the presidency in 2020 or win the Senate in 2020 or keep their majority in the House in 2020. And yet, I just — I don’t see how this is working for them. Joining us to talk about what’s going on now, Congressman Ken Buck, Colorado’s 4th Congressional District and also chairman of the Colorado Republican Party. Good morning, Ken! What are the Dems doing? Why are they doing it? And how much does it frustrate you as a guy who might be looking to actually pass some public policy?
BUCK [00:01:07] Well, great questions! The Democrats right now are chasing their tails. They — we had a special counsel investigate collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. That was the mission of the special counsel. They spent $25 million, they had 20 prosecutors, 40 FBI agents. They had 2800 subpoenas, 500 search warrants. They interviewed 500 witnesses. They created 1.4 million documents to find out that the President did not collude — did not conspire — with the Russians to interfere in this election. And so the result now is that they’re terribly disappointed. They don’t have the issue they were hoping for in the 2020 elections, and they’re trying to create something. And they’re going down this path of subpoena and contempt and impeachment, and they’re fighting executive privilege. It is so counterproductive when we have a crisis at the border. We are faced with the possibility that a million illegal immigrants will enter this country in one year. We are faced with the possibility that our health care system will continue to fail so many people in this country. We we have threats overseas and instead of focusing on those important issues, we’re trying to — or the Democrats are trying to continue to turn over this issue in hopes that they’ll find something. And the attorney general — or, the special counsel did a thorough investigation and found nothing.
KAMINSKY [00:02:50] All right. So, let me follow up with you on with at least two questions, here. I’ve got a policy question and a politics question. So with policy, the border thing: this is turning into a bigger and bigger issue and a bigger and bigger problem with each passing day. I saw Brian Kilmeade on Fox News this morning talking about how he was at the border and the day he was there they had to let 2000 illegal aliens into the United States of America, as they did the day before, and as they did the day before that, and as they did the day before that. Why do you think we haven’t seen — I know it’s not going to come from the House where Dems have control — but why do you think we haven’t seen either in the Senate or from the administration or even really proposed by Republicans in the House a specific bill to do something like override the Flores decision and say that we want to be able to keep people in detention for let’s say up to 60 days instead of 20, because with that we can process them and send them home, instead of just putting them on a bus and sending them to, you know, Denver or Omaha”?
BUCK [00:03:46] Yeah, I think that there is a stalemate in Washington D.C. over this issue, and it is largely Democrats who are fighting border security because they want an amnesty program for the eleven or twelve million people who are in the country illegally. And it’s Republicans who are demanding border security and are refusing to budge on an amnesty. And so, Republicans — and I’m one of them — are concerned that any amnesty we give will not result in long-term border security. If you look at what’s happening with sanctuary states like California and sanctuary cities around the country including Denver, the lawlessness that’s going on right now would indicate that there is no real credible honest attempt to stop people from coming into this country illegally. So, I think because there’s a stalemate you’re not going to see policy move forward.
KAMINSKY [00:04:48] Interesting. You know, I think there are plenty of Republicans who would give amnesty for DREAMers in return for true border security. The question — and you implied it in your answer just then — is, how many Republicans would actually trust that we’d get the border security since we saw what happened with Reagan where he thought he did amnesty for border security and the amnesty happened in the in the border security didn’t. So I appreciate the nuance of your argument, there. [We’ve] got about 90 seconds, let me ask you a political question. You’ve run for office quite a few times, for several different jobs, including to be chairman of the Colorado Republican Party. So you know that you’ve got to do things that voters like to get their votes. What do you think Democrats think that they are achieving politically by just sticking with all this investigation stuff that I think even a decent number of Democrats and most independents think is a waste of time?I’ve got about one minute.
BUCK [00:05:47] They are playing to their left wing socialist base right now, Ross. They’re — I agree with you. I think most Democrats in Congress even are upset that the Judiciary Committee continues to pursue this path. But when you look at some of the new members in Congress, when you look at some of the groups that are outside Congress that are very vocal, when you look at the presidential candidates and the speeches that they’re giving and the messages they’re delivering, the base — the liberal base of the Democrat Party — is demanding Trump’s scalp and they’re not going to get it on this issue. And I think it really is counterproductive for them.
KAMINSKY [00:06:28] I think so, too. And I think it’s the kind of thing that actually puts the Democrats at risk of potentially losing back the House in 2020. I’m not saying I’m predicting it, but if I were a Republican wanting Democrats to do something, I’d be wanting them to do what they’re doing. Ken Buck, Congressman from Colorado’s 4th Congressional District — Republican, of course — Chairman of the Colorado Republican Party, as well. Thanks for being here, Ken.
BUCK [00:06:53] Thank you, Ross. [It has been] great to be with you.
