'This Hearing Is About Intimidation': Kelly Morrison Blasts GOP For Hearing With Dem Governors

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At a House Oversight Committee hearing last week, Rep. Kelly Morrison (D-MN) questioned the GOP for holding a hearing with Democratic governors.

Transcript

00:00Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the witnesses for being here today, especially you, Governor

00:07Walz. It's great to see you as ever. Welcome back to the People's House. Thank you for

00:12your distinguished service in the National Guard, 24 years, I believe. Thank you for

00:17your service here in Congress and as our governor. I'm sorry you haven't received the warmest

00:22welcome here today, but I'd like to start by taking a moment to correct the record

00:26on a few points. I think all of us here would agree that violent criminals who aren't citizens

00:31shouldn't be in this country, full stop, but that's not what this hearing is about. This

00:36hearing is about intimidation and striking fear in immigrant communities. This hearing, unfortunately,

00:42is not about moving forward with the comprehensive immigration reform our country so desperately

00:47needs. It's about distracting the American people from the disaster that has been the

00:52first few months of the Trump administration and his Republican majority in Congress.

00:57Much like our state, my congressional district is diverse. I represent many immigrant families

01:02who call our community home and we welcome them because they make our community stronger.

01:06I recently had the honor of attending a naturalization ceremony where we welcomed new Americans from

01:1285 different countries. It was an incredibly moving day, an auditorium full of new Americans who

01:19were so excited and proud to join our great American project. The room was full of hope and patriotism.

01:25I could not have been more proud to welcome them and to participate in that day. We are a country of

01:31immigrants. It is what makes us strong and dynamic and unique in the world. My colleagues' characterization

01:39of our state bears no resemblance to reality. Would you agree, sir? Minnesota is an incredible state with a wealth of business,

01:46industry, natural resources, beauty, and rich diversity. It's a state where working families thrive. As you

01:52know, Governor, we worked together for six years when I was in the state legislature and I am so proud of what

01:58we accomplished during that time. We delivered for the people of Minnesota the largest middle-class tax cut in

02:04the history of our state, historic investments in education, created a paid family and medical leave

02:10programs that allows working parents to care for their children and loved ones, codifying the right

02:15to comprehensive reproductive health care, and providing school breakfast and lunches for K-12

02:21students so no child in Minnesota goes hungry. If we want to talk about protecting our children and families,

02:28let's talk about the chaotic tariff war President Trump started which is serving only to make life less

02:33affordable for families and decimating small businesses. Let's talk about the 16 million people

02:39who are going to lose their health care or are going to have their health care taken away from them

02:44by the Republicans and their ridiculously named big beautiful bill. Let's talk about the millions of

02:50children who will go hungry if the Republicans are successful in taking away their food assistance.

02:56Governor Walz, since my Republican colleagues want to talk about threats to our children and families,

03:00let's talk about food insecurity. It's now been over two years since you signed the school meals

03:05legislation into law. What has been the impact of this program on fighting child hunger in Minnesota?

03:12Yeah well thank you Congresswoman and we uh we miss you in Minnesota but glad you're here.

03:18Well the direct impact to families is as a savings of about $1,700 a year to those families that

03:23they're able to see in mostly middle class but the real impact is on educational achievement.

03:28Um last year Minnesota was able to uh to notch the highest graduation rates in our state history.

03:34We also see school attendance rates go up. We see better behaviors less uh less discipline from it.

03:40So it's a smart investment. It's the right thing to do and the payoff for Minnesota is we have a

03:45healthier better educated workforce which is why Minnesota almost always ranks near the top in quality

03:51of life indicators. Thank you Governor. Now I want to talk more about the Republican plan to take food

03:56assistance away from our children and families. If their budget becomes law it will be the biggest

04:01cut to SNAP in history and jeopardize food assistance for millions of families across the country including

04:07a hundred thousand Minnesotans many of whom are children. Would you agree that the Republican proposal

04:13to cut SNAP is one of the biggest threats facing children and families in Minnesota right now?

04:17Yes coupled with Medicaid and Medicare cuts.

04:20Uh and also Governor Walz I just want to give you a moment to if there's anything you'd like to clarify

04:28that's been said in this unbelievable committee hearing today. I don't even know what the adjective

04:33is. Well thank you congresswoman and we have like 30 seconds. Look we're here to work with you. You've

04:37heard time and time again we have a job to do as governors. The federal government has a job to do.

04:43Not doing ICE's job is not interference or not wanting to get these people and the gentleman asked the

04:49question and then left. The gentleman he brought up with we held him. We paid for it. We called DHS

04:54before he was released. The second one he mentioned DOC called DHS prior to his release. We do that every

05:00single time in Minnesota. That law has been on the books for many years and that's how we implement it.

05:05So um I just don't understand why we don't want to work together to be successful. None of us want the

05:12criminals on the street but I certainly want immigrants in Minnesota who are contributing to our quality of life.

05:17All right gentlelady's times expired. Thank you governor. Chair recognizes uh uh

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Transcript

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