Transcript for April 9

REP. BONILLA: We can. But again, first deal with the crisis at hand, and then deal with the guest worker issue. I support that, and we, we need to put a plan in place to, to not only take care of the workers that need these jobs, but the employers who need to fill the jobs. But again, when you have something that’s a—it’s an acute situation, that’s threatening national security with, again, the people that I mentioned earlier that are infiltrating our country and invading our, our nation, we need to deal with that first.

MR. RUSSERT: But if the president and the Senate both come up with a bill that does both, could you accept it?

REP. BONILLA: I could accept it if there is first some progress made on border security. And let me say categorically that as it stands now, unless we do see some progress, the House of Representatives will not take up a comprehensive bill.

REP. GUTIERREZ: Let me—let me just say this: The first thing, when Senator Kennedy, McCain, I, Kolbe and Flake drafted the legislation, and introduced it, the first bicameral, bipartisan approach, comprehensive approach to immigration reform, first thing we did, if you read the first sections of our bill: enforcement, enforcement, enforcement, enforcement. And then when we gave a pathway to legalization for undocumented workers, the first thing we said was you’ve got to pay a $2,000 dollar fine; B, you have to give us your fingerprints. We want to make sure that no one that’s been arrested and convicted of a felony is allowed a pathway to stay here in this country. We want people who have followed the law.

And then we said pay your back taxes, but more importantly, read our legislation. If the American public could only see—when we introduced it last year we said we want you to learn English, we want to you learn about civics classes so you can learn about our Constitution, so that you can weave yourself fully into the fabric. That’s a pathway.

Lastly, let’s remember, we have 11 million undocumented workers living in the United States. We don’t know who they are, we don’t know where they send their kids, we don’t know where they live. Shouldn’t we allow them to come out of the shadow of darkness, so that we have more security in our nation?

MR. RUSSERT: Before we go, Congressman Hayworth, you are locked in a very tight reelection battle with the former mayor of Tampe, a fellow by the name of...

REP. HAYWORTH: Tempe.

MR. RUSSERT: Tempe. Fellow by the name of Harry Mitchell. One of the issues that has emerged is your relationship with Jack Abramoff, the Washington lobbyist. The Center for Responsible Politics says you’re number one in receiving money from Abramoff or his associates. Do you regret having interacted with Abramoff, and will you in fact give all that money back?

REP. HAYWORTH: You know, I’m so glad you raised that, because I took the step of writing the tribes that support me. We should point out, when I was elected to Congress, I have more American Indians in my district, nearly one out of every four of my constituents was American Indian, I’m part of a Native American caucus, the co-chair. The real story would have been if the tribes were not supporting me. But you know what I did? I wrote the tribes who enlisted Abramoff and his associates as lobbyists, I said, “Do you want your campaign contributions back?” And they said, “No.” They said, “You have consistently stood up for the sovereign rights of Native peoples, and we respect that, whoever our advocate is in Washington.”

MR. RUSSERT: But perception, corruption big issue this year.

REP. HAYWORTH: Yeah.

MR. RUSSERT: Arizona Republic also pointing out you have a PAC called TEAM set up, raised over $600,000 dollars from special interest groups, many who have legislative interests before your committee, and your wife received over $100,000 dollars, nearly 20 percent of the PAC, in salary. Is...

REP. HAYWORTH: Over—gosh, over almost a decade.

MR. RUSSERT: But...

REP. HAYWORTH: If we, if we took your salary, Tim, over 10 years, it’d probably be more than that, a lot more than that, I’m sure.

MR. RUSSERT: But I’m not a public official who oversees legislation.

REP. HAYWORTH: Oh, but you’re up for public scrutiny.

MR. RUSSERT: Would, would, would the perception of that cause you to perhaps abolish your PAC?

REP. HAYWORTH: You know what’s interesting, Tim? Perception and reality. I welcome the chance to talk about this issue just as I welcomed the chance today to talk about the number one issue in America, illegal immigration. Ultimately, the voters will decide on all these issues. And they’ll decide from this framework, not the unfair blanketing and stereotyping or the most dramatic case people can make. I’ve done nothing illegal or unethical. The fact is following the law should apply to every American. That’s why I embrace enforcement first here, because reality must be followed, not simple perception or talking points. And the fact is, at the end of the day, I believe I will be reelected, I welcome the support of Arizonans, and despite the wishful thinking of many, I’m going to be around for a while.

MR. RUSSERT: Well, Harry Mitchell, the former mayor of Tempe, has a different view.

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