>> GLENN GROTHMAN, THANKS VERY
MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.
>> NEXT, WE TURN TO SECOND
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT U.S.
REPRESENTATIVE MARK POCAN, WHO
HAS CALLED FOR A CEASEFIRE OF
HOSTILITIES AGAINST CIVILIANS IN
THE WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND
HAMAS.
TO PAVE THE WAY FOR ROBUST AID
IN AN UNFOLDING HUMANITARIAN
CRISIS.
HE JOINS US NOW.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> YEAH.
THANK YOU, FREDERICA.
>> FIRST, IN THE FACE OF WAR AND
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS, THE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES REPUBLICAN
MAJORITY IS IN CHAOS.
HOW DOES THEIR STRUGGLE TO ELECT
A SPEAKER EFFECT THE U.S.
RESPONSE THIS ISRAEL?
>> WELL, IT AFFECTS ANYTHING
THAT WE CAN DO IN CONGRESS.
WE CAN'T PASS ANY LEGISLATION ON
THE FLOOR UNTIL WE HAVE A
SPEAKER, BY OUR RULES, AND
BECAUSE OF THAT, UNTIL WE HAVE A
SPEAKER, WE'RE A BIT PARALYZED.
NOW, ACTION HAPPENS OFTEN AT THE
ADMINISTRATION LEVEL SO THE
PRESIDENT IS ACTING AND DOING
WHAT WE NEED TO IN THE IMMEDIATE
SITUATION IN SOME WORLD EVENTS,
BUT WE DO NEED CONGRESS TO PASS
FUNDING AND OTHER ISSUES THAT
ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HAPPEN AND
YOU CAN ONLY DO THAT WHEN THE
REPUBLICAN CAUCUS BECOMES LESS
CHAOTIC AND CAN SELECT A
SPEAKER.
>> DID PRESIDENT BIDEN ADDRESS
LAST NIGHT WHAT YOU THINK IS
NEEDED IN TERMS OF SUPPLEMENTL
MILITARY AND HUMANITARIAN AID
FUNDING?
>> WELL, WHAT WE NEED ABSOLUTELY
IS FUNDING FOR HUMANITARIAN
NEEDS IN PARTICULAR.
I THINK THAT FIGURE IS GOING TO
HAVE TO BE MUCH MORE SUBSTANTIAL
THAN WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST
GIVEN WORLD EVENTS, AND I THINK
THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE
THAT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF HOW
THE U.S. IS POSITIONED IN THE
WORLD, IS THAT KIND OF --
SHOWING THAT COMPASSIONATE
VALUES OF OUR COUNTRY.
AND THEN THERE WILL ALSO BE
ADDITIONAL MILITARY ASSISTANCE
FOR UKRAINE, THEY'RE PROPOSING
FOR ISRAEL AND SOME BORDER
FUNDING AND OTHER THINGS.
THERE'S ALSO GOING TO BE ANOTHER
DOMESTIC SUPPLEMENTAL THAT WILL
HAVE MONEY FOR THINGS LIKE
CHILDCARE AND OTHER ISSUES.
SO THOSE ARE TWO THINGS THAT
CONGRESS DOES HAVE TO ACT ON
WHICH IS, AGAIN, ALL THE MORE
REASON WHY WE NEED TO HAVE A
SPEAKER, SO THAT WE CAN DO THAT.
SHORT OF THAT, SOME OF THOSE
FUNDS CANNOT BE EXPENDED.
>> YOU'VE CALLED FOR CESSATION
OF HOSTILITIES TOWARDS CIVILIANS
IN THE REGION.
WHAT ARE YOUR UTTERING CONCERNS
ABOUT WHAT'S -- URGENT CONCERNS
ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT
NOW?
>> THERE'S NO QUESTION.
THIS IS A HORRIFIC ATTACK BY A
TERRORIST ORGANIZATION, HAMAS,
AND THE PRICE HAS TO BE PAID.
I DON'T BLAME ISRAEL IN GOING
AFTER HAMAS.
THE PROBLEM IS WHAT WE'RE SEEING
IS NOT GOING AFTER STRATEGICALLY
HAMAS.
WE'RE SEEING A COLLECTIVE
PUNISHMENT, IT APPEARS TO BE, OF
ALL PALESTINIANS IN GAZA.
THERE ARE 2.2 MILLION PEOPLE.
CLEARLY THEY ARE NOT ALL HAMAS.
HALF OF THEM ARE CHILDREN.
AND WE'VE SEEN THOUSANDS PLUS
NOW OF PEOPLE DEAD, INCLUDING
CHILDREN, AND THE AMOUNT OF
BOMBING, THE TYPE OF PLACES THAT
ARE BEING BOMBED, THE VERY BROAD
ATTACK IS NOT A TARGETED ATTACK
GOING AFTER HAMAS, AND THAT'S
WHY WE WANT TO STOP THE
CESSATION OF THIS -- IN REGARDS
TO CIVILIANS IN PARTICULAR, AND
THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU CAN ENSURE
THAT PEOPLE AREN'T BEING JUST
PUNISHED IS TO DO THAT.
>> JUST SPEAKING WITH REPUBLICAN
GLENN GROTHMAN, HE AND OTHERS
CALL TO CLOSE OUR BORDERS TO
PALESTINIAN REFUGEES OF WHAT'S
YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT?
>> IT'S CREDIBLE XENOPHOBIC.
NOT ALL PALESTINIANS ARE MEMBERS
OF HAMAS, BY AN UNBELIEVABLE
AMOUNT, AND HAMAS DOESN'T
NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE
PALESTINIAN PEOPLE.
IN FACT, THEY'VE HAD PEOPLE IN
GAZA UNDER QUITE TOUGH
CONDITIONS WITH THEIR GOVERNING
IN THAT AREA, COMBINED BY THE
INABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO COME AND
GO BECAUSE OF ISRAEL AND EGYPT
ON THE BORDERS HAS REALLY MADE
THIS, IN MANY WAYS, AN OPEN AIR
PRISON FOR TO 2.2 MILLION PEOPL.
I'VE BEEN DENIED TO GET INTO
GAZA WHEN I WANTED.
I WOULD BE THE FIRST MEMBER IN
10 YEARS TO GO INTO GAZA AND
THEN THIS HAPPENED OF IT'S AN
ISSUE THAT'S BEEN BREWING FOR A
LONG TIME, BUT CLEAR, A HORRIFIC
ATTACK LIKE OCCURRED IS WRONG AT
ANY LEVEL.
THERE'S NO JUSTIFICATION
WHATSOEVER.
BUT HAVING THE OVERRESPONSE
THAT'S HAPPENING, INCLUDING
PEOPLE SAYING NO PALESTINIANS
SHOULD BE ABLE TO COME, THAT'S A
RIDICULOUS STATEMENT AND IT
REALLY SHOWS I THINK AN
UNAWARENESS OF WHAT'S ACTUALLY
HAPPENING ON THE GROUND.