The next is a transcript of an interview with Rep. Tony Gonzales, Republican of Texas, on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that aired on Dec. 22, 2024.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Good morning and welcome to Face the Nation. We’re simply three days away from Christmas and the beginning of Hanukkah. Congress has gone dwelling, however is final week’s chaos on Capitol Hill an omen of what’s forward in 2025? Texas Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales is right here in studio to reply that. Good morning to you.
REP. TONY GONZALES: Good morning, Margaret, thanks for having me.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So we simply noticed turmoil throughout the celebration over the previous few days after President elect Trump and Elon Musk scuttled this bipartisan deal, then demanded one other deal that could not get sufficient Republican help to recover from the end line. Then we’ve this emergency stopgap measure that solely takes us by way of mid March. You had been one in every of 34 Republicans to vote towards it. Why?
REP. GONZALES: It is fairly easy, my- my constituents had been towards the CR simply as a lot as I used to be towards the CR. This- it has been a tricky week, although. It began with a tragic taking pictures in Madison, Wisconsin. I’ve labored in a really bipartisan method to ensure we’ve a nationwide technique that forestalls towards a few of the college shootings which might be occurring. I have been working with others to get that carried out. I believe that is vital. After which in the home, in fact, we’ve this messy invoice that was placed on the ground. It began with a 1500 web page invoice. In my eyes, there isn’t any doubt that there is a illness in DC, and that illness is not going to be cured with these massive, lengthy, pork-filled payments. You do received to present President Trump lots of credit score, although he was capable of whittle that all the way down to 116 pages. As soon as once more, the rationale I voted no is I believe CRs are horrible. They do nothing however kick the can down the highway. Let’s quick ahead to March. Do you assume we will be any nearer to developing with a spending deal then than we are actually? I do not assume so.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But when the federal government had shut down, the Border Patrol brokers who reside in your district would not have obtained paychecks.
REP. GONZALES: Proper, that is why we must always have carried out our job, as a substitute of simply saying, ‘Hey, give us three extra months, and I promise you, in three months, we will do our job.’ We have ran that play earlier than–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Yeah.
REP. GONZALES: In my eyes, you employ Christmas, you employ New Yr’s. You lock everyone in a room and also you say, ‘let’s get it carried out now.’ There’s additionally a much bigger hazard to this too, is that if we’re not funding the federal government long run, now abruptly you are telling the federal government you need to spend a 12 months’s price of cash in six months or three months. That is not truthful to any of those companies as effectively. So mainly, it was- it was a vote on my finish to say, ‘let’s do our job.’
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper which the Republicans who’re in management had did not get a few of these, these payments carried out. Actually, Speaker Johnson selected to go this route with the CR, however I wish to ask you concerning the dynamic right here, as a result of it is complicated, frankly. I imply, Elon Musk is tweeting towards bipartisan offers negotiated and led by the Speaker of the Home. At- what position precisely is he taking part in right here?
REP. GONZALES: It is form of attention-grabbing. We now have a president, we’ve a vice chairman, we’ve a speaker. It seems like as if Elon Musk is our prime minister. And I spoke with Elon a few instances this week. I believe many people–
MARGARET BRENNAN: -unelected.
REP. GONZALES: Unelected, However I imply, he has a voice, and I believe lots of the massive a part of that voice is a mirrored image of the voice of the individuals. As soon as once more, these- a 1500 web page invoice, how does that go the odor check? It is completely incorrect. It is what’s incorrect with this place. So we’ve to get again to common order. The opposite a part of it too is, whereas Home Republicans had been combating over the spending invoice, guess what Senate Democrats had been doing? They were- they had been making certain that President Biden received his 235th liberal choose over the end line. That is why it is so vital that Home Republicans keep united, keep laser-focused on delivering on a President Trump agenda subsequent 12 months.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However Republicans within the Home are clearly not united, and it was Speaker Johnson who led that bipartisan deal. Do you help him if- he is standing for reelection ought to he nonetheless lead the celebration for those who’re saying he was leaning within the incorrect route with a 15 web page, preliminary, funding deal?
REP. GONZALES: Yeah, and I do, I do help Speaker Johnson, I believe he is carried out a improbable job holding us all collectively. It is like feral cats in the home, proper? In order that’s a tricky job to start with, however the truth that he was capable of work with President Trump to be able to whittle it all the way down to slightly over 100 pages, the truth that he was capable of work with the, you already know, with Elon Musk and a few of these folks, different members, to discover a answer, simply goes to show that he is discovered a approach. However they’re also- this cannot be the norm. This can’t be the norm. As soon as once more, that is the rationale why I voted towards the CR is, this can’t be the norm, that we’ve to get again to common order and go our appropriations payments. Homeland Safety is actually vital to us. There’s different issues which might be occurring on this planet
MARGARET BRENNAN: So as a result of the Republican majority now’s so skinny, it’ll even be skinny within the new Congress. However proper now, any missed vote will get lots of consideration. Congresswoman Kay Granger hasn’t solid a vote since July, and there was an area reporter in Dallas who appeared into this and located the 81 12 months outdated has been residing in an area reminiscence care and assisted residing facility for a while. That was not shared with the general public. Had been you and others within the Texas delegation conscious?
REP. GONZALES: I wasn’t conscious. I believe there isn’t any doubt lots of us knew that she was gaining an age, like lots of members do. And sadly, you already know, a few of these members wait till it is too lengthy to issues have gone too far–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –And management allowed for it?
REP. GONZALES: I believe it’s- possibly, I am not too positive what management knew on it or did not know on it. I might say on the opposite aspect of the aisle is similar factor. I imply, we noticed what occurred on the Senate aspect, you already know, with Senator Feinstein and a few of these others which have missed votes for a very long time. I believe this goes- will get again to the basis of it. Congress ought to do its job, and if you cannot do your job, possibly you should not be there.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Properly, she wasn’t there, and apparently it went both unnoticed or simply not acknowledged to the general public, which actually raises eyebrows. I must get to the border, as a result of that’s what 800 miles of the border–
REP. GONZALES: -that’s proper.
MARGARET BRENNAN: In your district. Border patrol had fewer than 50,000 apprehensions on the southern border final month. That is a Biden period low. Does that imply coming into workplace that primarily, the disaster has been fastened earlier than Donald Trump even arrives, and that it is not as massive of a undertaking as initially thought?
REP. GONZALES: Oh no, it is an enormous undertaking. And whereas the Biden administration has has began to do some issues proper. The Trump administration goes to do every little thing proper on this method. And I am going to inform you why, for this reason it is vital. Earlier this week, I had a categorised briefing on the risk, the worldwide threats to homeland, to our homeland. I will not share a few of the delicate stuff, however I am going to share a few of the open supply stuff. In Syria, lots of us are rooting for a free Syria. Free Syria, it brings lots of alternatives for- for stability in that area, however it additionally brings a nationwide safety risk. Assad was a foul man, he imprisoned lots of of us, generally wrongfully. A few of these of us are terrorists. Now they’re free. The place are they? The place are they going? Let’s deliver it again to the southern border. This 12 months, the Biden administration has apprehended 600 Syrians. Does that imply all these Syrians are terrorists? In fact not. However do we all know who these persons are, and who- are they coming to our nation? That is one thing that President Trump goes to resolve.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So that you wish to halt refugee admissions, like Donald Trump is speaking about, you wish to block journey from Muslim majority nations? Just like the Trump group is speaking about.
REP. GONZALES: I need the president- I need the President to implement the legal guidelines that we’ve on the books. That straightforward.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So no, these aren’t legal guidelines on the books. Refugees are, besides in america of America.
REP. GONZALES: And they need to be proper. I need us to observe our legal guidelines proper. And if we have to make adjustments to our legal guidelines, Congress needs to be the physique to make these adjustments. And in my eyes, we will each shield these which might be heat and welcoming. We wish individuals to return and reside the dream- these which might be fleeing political persecution, however we additionally need to go after the criminals and the terrorists.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Understood. Tony Gonzales, good to have you ever right here.
REP. GONZALES: Thanks. Merry Christmas.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Merry Christmas ‘Face the Nation’ will probably be again in a minute.
