CONGRESS MANAGED TO COME TOGETHER THIS WEEK TO PASS A $95
BILLION FOREIGN AID PACKAGE. THE BILL WAS STALLED FOR MONTHS
IN THE HOUSE UNTIL SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON AGREED TO BREAK THE
FUNDING INTO FOUR SEPARATE BILLS AND LET MEMBERS VOTE UP OR DOWN
ON EACH MEASURE AND THEN REPACKAGE THEM AND SEND ONE BILL
OVER TO THE SENATE. THE MEASURE INCLUDES 60 BILLION
TO UKRAINE FOR THEIR WAR AGAINST RUSSIA, 26 BILLION TO ISRAEL FOR
DEFENSE, 8 BILLION FOR TAIWAN AND A FOURTH BILL THAT GIVES THE
SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANY, TIKTOK, NINE MONTHS TO DIVEST FROM ITS
CHINESE PARENT COMPANY. PRESIDENT BIDEN SIGNED THE BILL
INTO LAW ON WEDNESDAY. JOINING US NOW TO TALK ABOUT
THIS BILL IS REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN BRYAN STEIL, WHO
JOINS US NOW. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON. >> YOU VOTED "YES" ON AID TO
TAIWAN AND ISRAEL AND FOR BREAKING UP TIKTOK, BUT YOU
VOTED NO ON AID TO UKRAINE. CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH YOUR
DECISION SPECIFICALLY REGARDING UKRAINE AND ISRAEL?
>> FROM A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE RIGHT NOW, WE'RE IN ONE OF THE
MORE DANGEROUS POSITIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN IN IN GENERATIONS.
TYRANTS ARE TEMPTED WHEN THEY SENSE WEAKNESS AND DYSFUNCTION.
WE'VE SEEN THAT FROM A FOREIGN POLICY PERSPECTIVE FROM THE
UNITED STATES. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE
MAKE SURE WE'RE STANDING WITH OUR DEMOCRATIC ALLIES.
SO AS WE LOOK AT THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING SURE WE'RE FUNDING
ISRAEL SO THAT THEY CAN DEFEND THEMSELVES FROM THE TERRORIST
ATTACK FROM HAMAS, BUT ALSO FROM OTHER IRANIAN PROXIES, I THINK
THAT BILL WAS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
TAIWAN AND IN PARTICULAR THE U.S. NAVAL FLEET, THE RESOURCES
THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO CONFRONT AND PREVENT CHINA FROM MOVING IN
AGAINST TAIWAN. I THINK THAT'S A POSITIVE MOVE.
THE BROADER NATIONAL SECURITY BILL BANNING TIKTOK OR FORCING
ITS SALE AS WELL AS MY BILL THAT ADDRESSED SOME OF THE TERRORISM
FINANCING THAT WE CONTINUE TO SEE FROM REA IRAN WAS APPROPRIA.
I THINK IT IS APPROPRIATE TO SEND WEAPONS TO UKRAINE TO
ENABLE THEM TO DEFEND THEMSELVES.
FUNDING THAT WASN'T PAID FOR. WHEN WE SEE THIS VOLUME OF
FUNDING, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE GO IN AND WE
ARE VERY CAREFUL IN THE USE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS AS IT RELATES
TO FOREIGN AID. FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S $300
MILLION IN THE BILL TO ADDRESS NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING, AN
IMPORTANT TOPIC, BUT I THINK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING
AT WAYS TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR THAT PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.
OVERALL, THE ENTIRE PACKAGE WAS SIGNED INTO LAW AND I THINK IT'S
IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO STAND WITH OUR DEMOCRATIC ALLIES
AGAINST TYRANTS WHO ARE ON THE MOVE ACROSS THE GLOBE.
>> DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT HOW ISRAEL IS CONDUCTING
THEIR MILITARY OPERATIONS IN GAZA?
THAT THE HAMAS CONTINUES TO HOLD HOSTAGES THAT ONLY ISRAELI
HOSTAGES, BUT U.S. CITIZENS HOSTAGES.
THIS ENTIRE CONFLICT COULD BE ENDED TOMORROW IF HAMAS
SURRENDERS AND RELEASES THE HOSTAGES.
THAT ISRAEL HAS A RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF.
ISRAEL IS CONTINUING TO CONDUCT OPERATIONS AGAINST THE
TERRORISTS, THEY CONTINUE TO HOLD BOTH ISRAELI AS WELL AS
U.S. HOSTAGES. >> LOOKING AHEAD TO THE FALL,
DEMOCRAT PETER BARCA RECENTLY ANNOUNCED HE'S RUNNING AGAINST
YOU IN THE FIRST CONGRESSIONAL. WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE MAIN
DYNAMICS THAT WILL SHAPE THE ELECTION FISCAL FALL?
>> I THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE A CONVERSATION ON THE ISSUES AND
POLICY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ME AND MY OPPONENTS ARE PRETTY
SIGNIFICANT. DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY.
ULTIMATELY SELECT. IF WE LOOK AT BARCA'S 40-YEAR
HISTORY, YOU SEE A SERIES OF VOTES THAT ARE OUT OF LINE WITH
THE VOTERS OF WISCONSIN. WHEN HE WAS THE DEMOCRATIC
MINORITY LEADER IN THE STATE HOUSE IN MADISON, HE VOTED TO
PROTECT SANCTUARY CITIES. I THINK IN CONTRAST, WE SHOULD
BE WORKING TO SECURE THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER.
THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE UNSECURED BORDER ARE VERY
SIGNIFICANT IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN.
IT'S NOT ONLY FENTANYL THAT'S FLOWING IN, I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW
MANY MOMS AND DADS THAT I'VE TALKED TO THAT HAVE LOST A LOVED
ONE TO FENTANYL, BUT IT'S ALSO CHALLENGES IN WHITEWATER, CITY
OF 15,000, WHERE THE CHIEF HAS RECOGNIZED THERE'S ROUGHLY A
THOUSAND MIGRANTS THAT HAS MOVED IN FROM NICARAGUA AND VENEZUELA.
AND SO THERE'S GOING TO BE A STARK POLICY CONTRAST BETWEEN
KNEE AND MY OPPONENT. I THINK THAT'S A HEALTHY
CONVERSATION TO HAVE WITH FOLKS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND ACROSS
WISCONSIN OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT 200 DAYS.
>> YOU MENTIONED THE BORDER AND DRUGS.
ORIGINALLY THIS FOREIGN AID PACKAGE INCLUDED MONEY FOR
BORDER SECURITY, BUT IT WAS DONALD TRUMP WHO TOLD
REPUBLICANS NOT TO PASS IT, NOT TO GIVE JOE BIDEN A WIN, SO TO
SPEAK. THAT CHANGING AND WHAT IS THE
IMPACT OF TRUMP ON ALL OF THESE ISSUES IN THE ELECTION?
>> I PRETTY STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH YOUR FRAMING OF THAT TOPIC.
I WOULD NOTE THAT HOUSE REPUBLICANS, WE PASSED A
COMPREHENSIVE BORDER SECURITY PACKAGE.
UNFORTUNATELY, SENATE DEMOCRATIC LEADER, CHUCK SCHUMER, HAS
REFUSED TO BRING OUR BILL TO THE FLOOR.
HE'S ALSO REFUSED TO BRING THE BILL TO THE FLOOR THAT YOU'RE
REFERENCING, SO I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT THE REASON
THAT IT'S NOT THERE IS BECAUSE OF CONSERVATIVES.
LEADERSHIP IN THE SENATE REFUSES TO BRING ANY SECURITY BILL TO
THE FLOOR. THEY SHOULD BRING THE
CONSERVATIVE PAST, BORDER SECURITY BILL, PASSED IN THE
HOUSE NOW OVER SIX MONTHS AGO TO A VOTE.
IF THEY HAVE AMENDMENTS OR WANT TO SEEK CHANGES TO IT, I WOULD
LOVE TO SEE THE CONVERSATION. THE FACT THAT DEMOCRATIC
LEADERSHIP IN THE SENATE REFUSES TO ACT AND PRESIDENT BIDEN, WHO
HAS THE AUTHORITY TODAY REFUSES TO ACT IS INCREDIBLY CONCERNING.
TODAY, PRESIDENT BIDEN COULD END CATCH-AND-RELEASE, HE COULD END
THE ABUSE OF THE PAROLE SYSTEM, HE COULD REINSTATE STAY IN
MEXICO, HE COULD RESTART BORDER WALL CONSTRUCTION IMMEDIATELY.
HE REFUSES TO DO THAT. IT'S THE LACK OF ACTION FROM THE
PRESIDENT, THE LACK OF ACTION FROM CHUCK SCHUMER THAT'S
CAUSING US A LOT OF PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE ON THE U.S.-MEXICO
BORDER. SUMMER, WE HAVE THE RNC AND
DONALD TRUMP IN WISCONSIN. WHAT IS IMPACT WILL THAT HAVE
FOR THE STATE AND FOR THE FALL? >> ONE, THERE'S NO BETTER PLACE
TO BE THAN IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN IN JULY.
I THINK IT'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW OFF OUR STATE AND TO
SHOW OFF THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE TO THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
I ALSO THINK IT'S A REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO TALK ABOUT
THE BIGGEST ISSUES FACING AMERICAN FAMILIES.
SO MANY PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED BROUGHT TO
US BY MASSIVE VOLUMES OF INFLATION DIRECTLY RELATED TO
MASSIVE RECKLESS SPENDING IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF THE
DEMOCRATIC ONE-PARTY CONTROL, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION.
THE POLICIES THAT WE NEED TO SEE MOVE FORWARD ARE GETTING PRICE
AND INFLATION UNDER CONTROL. WE CAN DO THAT BY ADDRESSING THE
RECKLESS SPENDING AND, TWO, THE IMPORTANCE OF SECURING THE
U.S.-MEXICO BORDER. POLICY ISSUES IN FRONT OF US
THIS SUMMER AND THROUGH THIS ELECTION, THAT'S GOOD FOR THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE, THAT'S GOOD FOR THE STATE OF WISCONSIN AND I
LOOK FORWARD TO THAT CONVERSATION.
CONGRESSMAN, THANKS FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.