Full transcript of "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Sept. 1, 2024
On this "Face the Nation" broadcast, moderated by Nancy Cordes:
- Jonathan Dekel-Chen
- Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey
- Sean O'Brien, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters
- Rep. Tony Gonzales, Republican of Texas
- David Becker, Center of Election Innovation and Research executive director
Click here to browse full transcripts of "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan."
NANCY CORDES: I'm Nancy Cordes in Washington.
And this week on Face the Nation: shocking news out of the Middle East, as Israel recovers the bodies of six hostages, including one American. Anger and grief from hostage families, as Israel confirms the discovery of the bodies in a tunnel in Gaza. New outrage in Israel aimed at the country's prime minister and new political pressure here at home. What will all of this mean for efforts to secure an elusive cease-fire?
We will hear from the father of one of the hostages still held in Gaza.
And back in the U.S., Labor Day campaign kickoff. Both sides embark on a battleground blitz, talking reproductive rights, the border, and the economy.
(Begin VT)
KAMALA HARRIS (Vice President of the United States (D) and U.S. Presidential Candidate): And unlike Donald Trump, I will always put the middle class and working-class families first.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: I come from the middle class. I know what I'm talking about.
AUDIENCE: Kamala! Kamala! Kamala!
DONALD TRUMP (Former President of the United States (R) and Current U.S. Presidential Candidate): We have illegal immigrants coming into our country living in luxury hotels, above where the veterans are. It's so reverse of what it should be.
(End VT)
NANCY CORDES: One big union still hasn't endorsed either candidate, the Brotherhood of Teamsters. Their president, Sean O'Brien, spoke at the Republican Convention. What are he and his members thinking now?
Then, we will get a report on the impact of the Biden administration's asylum restrictions at the border. Texas Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales will join us.
Democratic Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey will also join us.
And, finally, with early voting in some states about to get under way, we will check in with CBS election law contributor David Becker.
It's all just ahead on Face the Nation.
Good morning, and welcome to Face the Nation. Margaret is off today.
We begin this morning with new details from the Middle East, where the Israeli military says the bodies of the hostages in Gaza were found in a tunnel. One of the hostages was Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old American Israeli who was abducted from a music festival, one of 250 hostages taken captive on October 7 of last year.
In a statement last night, President Biden said he was – quote – "devastated and outraged" and recalled that Hersh had lost his arm helping friends and strangers during the attack.
Imtiaz Tyab is in Tel Aviv this morning with the latest.
(Begin VT)
RACHEL GOLDBERG-POLIN (Mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin): His name is Hersh.
IMTIAZ TYAB (voice-over): The parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin worked tirelessly to keep Israel's hostage crisis on the global stage…
(CHANTING)
IMTIAZ TYAB: … even addressing last month's Democratic Party convention.
RACHEL GOLDBERG-POLIN: Hersh, if you can hear us, we love you. Stay strong. Survive.
IMTIAZ TYAB: Following the announcement the 23-year-old Israeli-American's remains had been recovered from a tunnel in Southern Gaza, his family released a statement saying: "With broken hearts, the Goldberg-Polin family is devastated to announce the death of their beloved son and brother Hersh."
The bodies of five other hostages have also been recovered, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Master Sergeant Ori Danino. According to the Israeli media, preliminary autopsy reports have found all six were shot in the head.
The Israeli military has said Hamas was responsible for their brutal murders. It also said the remains were discovered not far from where another hostage, Farhan Alkadi, was found alive just last week.
(MAN SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
IMTIAZ TYAB: The news of the killings has triggered grief and anger across Israel, with many Israelis blaming the deaths on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for, in their words, sabotaging the hostage release and cease- fire deal with Hamas that's been under negotiation for months.
PROTESTER: All they care about is the politics, and they didn't approve to do a deal with Hamas. And so our loved ones are still there. And, currently, we don't see the horizon and don't see – know when they will be back with us.
(PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
IMTIAZ TYAB: In a taped address, Netanyahu said the Israeli government is committed to continue striving for a deal that will return all of the hostages, while President Biden told reporters it was time to end the war on Gaza.
JOE BIDEN (President of the United States): I think we're on the verge of having an agreement. It's just time to end it, time to finish it.
IMTIAZ TYAB: But until an agreement is reached, the violence rages on, even as the U.N. attempts to vaccinate 640,000 Palestinian children to prevent a major outbreak of polio in Gaza.
(End VT)
IMTIAZ TYAB: And based on the framework of a deal Israel and Hamas have already agreed to, three of the six hostages who were killed would have been released as part of what's called the humanitarian category during the first phase of an eventual cease-fire agreement, Nancy, and Hersh Goldberg- Polin would have been one of them.
NANCY CORDES: So close to freedom.
Imtiaz Tyab reporting in Tel Aviv, thank you.
We are joined now by Jonathan Dekel-Chen, the father of one of the Israeli- American hostages still being held by Hamas. He joins us from Tel Aviv.
Jonathan, thank you so much for being with us. I can only imagine what a difficult night it has been for your family, for all of the families of the hostages.
Have you been able to connect with the Goldberg-Polins or any of the families who lost their loved ones?
JONATHAN DEKEL-CHEN (Father of Hamas Hostage): Sorry about that.
I – yes, I have corresponded with them over the course of the last few hours, expressing condolences. We are all absolutely horrified by the needless, senseless death of these six beautiful young people.
NANCY CORDES: What, if anything, have you been told by the Israeli government about how these six individuals died and when they died? Hamas is saying that they were killed by Israeli bullets. Do you believe that?
JONATHAN DEKEL-CHEN: Yes, we from – from – we know what we know from the media, actually, and from some statements from our military.
They died very shortly before they were found by IDF troops. All of them were – were certainly living in a state of deprivation for many, many months. But, in the end, as your reporter said, they were executed by Hamas. And the same is true, evidently, of six other bodies of Israeli hostages who were returned the week before, four of them from my kibbutz.
Those were older men, and, in this case, this week, younger people, but all of them alive for months in Hamas captivity. So, time is absolutely working against us, and, quite honestly, against the people of Gaza as well.
NANCY CORDES: Well, you heard Imtiaz report that several of the hostages who were killed were next in line to be released if there were to be a cease-fire.
Who do you hold responsible for the fact that there is still no cease-fire today?
JONATHAN DEKEL-CHEN: Well, the situation exists because Hamas, on October 7, invaded Israel, killed nearly 1,400 people, committed mass rape, mass looting, destroyed homes and property, and has refused since October 7 to return all of the hostages.
Now, that being said, you know, given that we're dealing with Satan – I mean, that's sort of the launching point for any discussion – Israelis at large, and myself included, have been extremely critical of the Israeli government for not negotiating in good faith now for many, many months.
There is no explanation, a reasonable explanation why our government is refusing to deeply engage in these negotiations and complete them, when our entire senior military establishment and intelligence community has been saying publicly and openly for weeks and months that the time has come to end the fighting in Gaza, get our hostages home, as many alive as possible – we know that many dozens of the 101 remaining hostages have already been murdered – and to end the madness in Gaza, simply the government that is preventing it.
NANCY CORDES: You are originally from Connecticut. Your son Sagui is the father of three young girls, one of whom was born while he was in captivity.
He's among 38 hostages taken from your kibbutz. What, if anything, do you know about where he is being held and what condition he is in?
JONATHAN DEKEL-CHEN: Well, one small correction.
On October 7, 79 people were taken from our kibbutz, and 51 slaughtered. There are 29 remaining from my kibbutz. We know that – well, he's 36 years old, father of three little girls. His seven-month pregnant wife miraculously survived with their two little girls on October 7.
The only thing that we know for sure about Sagui is that, as of late November, early December, we know that he was alive, wounded, but alive. And we know that because, in the first hostage exchange, 40 of the 100 women and children who were released by Hamas in that first negotiation were from our kibbutz.
And a handful of them had seen Sagui and other men mostly in the tunnels and could tell us that he was still alive.
NANCY CORDES: Israel's opposition leader is now calling the Netanyahu government a death cabinet. He's calling for labor strikes against Netanyahu.
Do you share that anger? You said that Netanyahu has not engaged seriously. Why do you think that is?
JONATHAN DEKEL-CHEN: Well, I don't think it's just my opinion alone. I think the vast majority of Israelis now have come to believe, by his actions, not his words, but by his actions, that he's been driven primarily by a desire to retain power with a narrow, very radical messianic coalition in the Israeli government.
And he has made choices to pursue this fantasy of total victory over Hamas, a terrorist organization, no doubt. But this idea of total victory is a messianic one from his coalition partners, and not realistic. And he's preferred that, at least to date, over the well-being of all the hostages.
There are seven Americans still remaining in Hamas captivity amongst the 101.
NANCY CORDES: CBS News has confirmed that National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is going to meet virtually today with you and the other families of American hostages.
Do you believe that the U.S. government has done everything it can to bring these hostages home?
JONATHAN DEKEL-CHEN: Well, I think the U.S. government itself would say that they would have done enough when all the hostages are home, all of the 101. They say that in our meetings.
I can absolutely state that since a couple of days after October 7, the U.S. administration, from top to bottom, has been extraordinarily supportive of the hostage families, inclusive, sensitive, empathetic.
I believe that they have done everything in their power up to now. But, at the end of the day, two men have to say yes. One is Yahya Sinwar in a tunnel under Gaza somewhere, with the blood of thousands on his hands, Israelis and Palestinians, and Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
President Biden, I believe, has done everything that he can. We need – we need some more. But time – time is certainly against us. There's no question of that.
NANCY CORDES: Well, we are hoping that you get more.
And we appreciate you sharing your story with us today. Jonathan Dekel- Chen, thank you so much.
And Face the Nation will be back in one minute. Stay with us.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
NANCY CORDES: We're joined now by Massachusetts Democratic Governor Maura Healey, who is joining us from Boston this morning.
Governor Healey, welcome to Face the Nation. So good to have you.
You know, there has been an assumption by many progressives when it comes to Israel that Vice President Harris is more sympathetic towards the Palestinian cause than President Biden is. But when she was interviewed this week, she said that, actually, she is in lockstep with President Biden, she wouldn't do anything differently.
You are the governor of a state with a lot of colleges and universities. You know how young people in particular feel about this issue. Does she need to say more?
GOVERNOR MAURA HEALEY (D-Massachusetts): I think what she has said is exactly right, her statement last night, this morning, and what she said last week at the convention.
I mean, she's been very clear about the need for America to continue to stand by Israel, for the hostages to come home, for there to be a cease fire and a peaceful resolution here. And I think the way she has articulated this has been both with compassion and also with a very clear understanding about what needs to happen.
NANCY CORDES: You signed a big maternal health bill in your state last week. It would expand insurance coverage for pregnant women, for women who are struggling with postpartum depression.
President Trump announced this week that he wants to require insurance companies to cover IVF treatments. Is that something that you and parents in your states would welcome?
GOVERNOR MAURA HEALEY: Well, first of all, don't believe anything that Donald Trump says.
You know, as attorney general, I had to sue him over 100 times for his lies. And, as governor, I have seen the very real difference between a Trump administration and an administration that we'll have with Kamala Harris.
When it comes to health, women's health, reproductive freedom, there can be no clear – a difference in this in this election. Kamala Harris stands squarely for reproductive freedom. She supports women's access to health care. She knows the importance of giving women the freedom and the resources to protect care.
Donald Trump, remember, is the architect of the undoing of Roe. He has said just the other day he's going to support the draconian abortion ban in Florida, the six-week abortion ban.
So, you know, I don't think Donald Trump can spell IVF, let alone understand what it means, because his own Project 2025, remember, which establishes a fetal personhood, would undermine and take away IVF treatment.
In addition, Donald Trump is the person who tried to undo the Affordable Care Act time and time again. So don't believe Donald Trump when it comes to women's health, women's reproductive freedom, and Americans' access to health care.
He doesn't believe in or support any of it. Kamala Harris does. She'll fight for it. She'll protect it.
NANCY CORDES: But were you surprised to hear a Republican embracing what sounds like an insurance coverage mandate? Do you see that as a step in the right direction?
GOVERNOR MAURA HEALEY: You can't take this seriously.
I mean, this isn't just a Republican. This is – and, by the way, I work well with Republicans. This is Donald Trump, who will say anything and everything, depending on where the wind is blowing. He caught some heat the other day, you know, and so he comes out with a statement that, all of a sudden, he's a believer in IVF.
It's just – it's just patently false. It's – it's offensive. And I think, you know, what's important is that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are out there day after day on offense. I mean, they're – they're touching rural areas. They're in red counties. They're in red states. They're all over.
And they're not just talking to Democrats, Nancy. They're talking to Republicans, to independents, and to so many Americans who are just tuning in this Labor Day and haven't made up their mind about who they're going to vote for.
And on issue after issue, protecting the middle class, a well-functioning economy, standing up for reproductive freedom, these are all things that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz believe in and will fight for, and things that Donald Trump and J.D. Vance don't know the first thing about and cannot deliver on.
NANCY CORDES: I want to turn to immigration, because, last year, you blamed a, quote, federal crisis of inaction for the large numbers of undocumented migrants who were ending up in your state and other states.
You even declared a state of emergency. Border crossings have come down pretty significantly over the past couple of months after the administration's asylum restrictions went into effect.
Is your state still at capacity or overcapacity? Or has the situation improved?
GOVERNOR MAURA HEALEY: You know, I'm glad you point that out, Nancy, because border crossings are actually below 2019 levels.
Border crossings have come down as a result of President Biden's executive action. What I have said and experienced as a governor in Massachusetts – and I talk to colleagues around the country – this is the problem of Congress.
Now, remember, months ago, we actually had a bipartisan deal on the table negotiated by Democrats and Republicans. It would have solved the border crisis. It would have put more agents down there. And, as a former attorney general, I know the importance of securing the border, as does Kamala Harris.
She's been very, very clear about that, to stop the trafficking of drugs and guns and human beings, OK? Remember what happened? Donald Trump killed that deal and said he did not want a deal on the border.
So the fault is Donald Trump right now when it comes to the border and what has happened. And the one thing that Kamala Harris was clear about last week, among other things, is that she would not only push for bringing back that bipartisan bill; she would fight for it and she would sign it into law as president.
That's what states like Massachusetts need.
NANCY CORDES: But if you think that this policy is working, do you wish that the administration would have put it into effect a lot sooner, back when you and other Democratic governors first started sounding the alarm bells?
GOVERNOR MAURA HEALEY: No, I think the administration has handled this as best it could.
Remember, you know, it's – it's Congress that needs to act and has needed to act on this, both to give us the resources, the funding, and the res – for our – for our states who are dealing with this, but also for agents down on the border to stop the flow of fentanyl, to stop unlawful immigration into – into America.
So, really, the fault is with Congress. And, you know, unfortunately, Congress didn't act. And they didn't act because too many Republicans were kowtowing to Donald Trump. And, you know, that's why President Biden took the action that he did. I'm glad.
And, you know, I know it's so important in this election to elect Kamala Harris, so we can deal with the border once and for all.
NANCY CORDES: Governor Healey, one more quick question before I let you go. You're the former state attorney general, and your name has been floated as a possible U.S. attorney general if Vice President Harris is elected. Is that a job that you'd be interested in?
GOVERNOR MAURA HEALEY: I love being governor of this state. I love what we've been able to do, free community college, better access to health care, making sure that we do things to move forward economically.
I'm a pro-growth Democrat, as is Kamala Harris. We just cut taxes here in the state, which is also something that Kamala Harris wants to do – cut taxes for the middle class. Donald Trump only wants to raise taxes for the ultra-wealthy.
So, I'm focused, Nancy, on doing everything I can to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in November. It will be good, not just for Massachusetts. It will be good for America.
NANCY CORDES: Governor Maura Healey of Massachusetts, thanks so much for joining us this morning. Really appreciate it.
And we will be right back.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
NANCY CORDES: We turn now to Sean O'Brien. He is the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, one of the nation's largest labor unions. And he joins us this morning from Boston.
President O'Brien, thank you so much for being with us on this Labor Day weekend.
I want to start out by asking you about endorsements. You lead one of the 10 largest unions in this country, and I want to put this graphic up. Take a look. The other nine have all issued their endorsements for president of the United States. They've all endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz.
It is now September 1. Where has summer gone? When do the Teamsters plan to announce who they are endorsing?
SEAN O'BRIEN (General President, Teamsters): Well, I think, historically, the Teamsters have always endorsed after both respective conventions.
This is a little different this time. Under our leadership, we have brought every single candidate to the table in front of our rank-and-file members and our General Executive Board, and we're waiting on Vice President Harris to commit to come meet with us.
NANCY CORDES: And I believe her campaign – campaign says they are working with you to figure out a date for that.
You know, her policies are more or less in line with the current president, who you did sit down with when you thought that he was going to be the nominee, when we all thought he was going to be the nominee. Are there any concerns that you have about Harris possibly being less pro-labor, less pro-union than the current president?
SEAN O'BRIEN: So, our union is a lot different than most unions. We represent 1.3 million members. Half of our members are Republicans. Half of our members are Democrats. So we have to serve all of our membership equally.
Look, everybody has a different style of leadership. We want the opportunity to sit down with Vice President Harris. I mean, I said to someone the other day, you don't hire someone unless you give them an interview. And, you know, this is our opportunity to ask her about Teamster-specific issues and also labor issues.
So, until we have that meeting, you know, obviously, we will wait to make that determination.
NANCY CORDES: Very quickly, you didn't endorse anyone back in 1996. Is that – is there a possibility that could happen again?
SEAN O'BRIEN: Look, we want to make sure we make the best decision and endorse the best candidate for labor.
You know, 1996 was a long time ago. It's all going to be driven by our rank-and-file members and our leadership.
NANCY CORDES: Got it.
SEAN O'BRIEN: We're a very, very democratic union.
NANCY CORDES: Got it.
Sean O'Brien, stay with us. We're going to have more questions for you after the break.
We'll be right back.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
NANCY CORDES: We will be right back with a lot more Face the Nation.
Stay with us.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
NANCY CORDES: Welcome back to FACE THE NATION.
We continue our conversation now with teamsters president Sean O'Brien.
Mr. O'Brien, thanks so much for sticking with us.
One of your fellow unions, the United Auto Workers, filed federal labor charges against the Republican nominee, Donald Trump, after he seemed to celebrate the notion of firing workers who go on strike. That happened in a conversation that he was having with Elon Musk.
Are you with the UAW on this? Do you support the action they took?
SEAN O'BRIEN: Look, I support anybody that attacks labor, they should be held accountable, and any organization that's going to hold them accountable.
I can't speak for the UAW. But if you recall, when those remarks were made by former President Trump, I was the first union to call them out, call the administration out, and call, quite frankly, Elon Musk out. I've been fighting corporate billionaires and greed for the last two and a half years and, you know, the UAW feels they have a right to file an NLRB (ph) charge, and that's their right. I've got a right to call out former President Trump or anybody else that attacks labor.
NANCY CORDES: Yes, if I'm remembering correctly, you called it economic terrorism.
How did it go over with your members?
SEAN O'BRIEN: Look, our members love the fact that they have a voice. They have the ability to stand up and fight corporate America. It's been a long time coming. Over the last two and a half years, the teamsters union has had 226 strikes. We've grown more than we ever have. So, there is a great appetite for the fight with our rank and file members. And our rank and file members enable us to fight for them day in and day out.
NANCY CORDES: That's a perfect segway into my next question, which is about union membership in this country. It is Labor Day weekend, after all. So, let's take a look at the state of union labor in this country. About 10 percent of the U.S. workforce are union members, down from about 20 percent in 1983. A majority of Americans say that's bad. That decline is bad for working people. Is the decline irreversible in your view?
SEAN O'BRIEN: The decline is definitely irreversible. Now, let's look back, you know, to 1983. That's when a bipartisan congressional bill was passed trucking (ph) deregulation, and we lost 400,000 members. A lot of companies went bankrupt. So, you know, although there's a lot of politicians taking credit for the labor movement over the last couple of year, they're the same politicians that caused this problem that we face today.
But to answer your question, I think we are definitely on the upswing. We have proved how valuable the American worker is to this country, especially through one of the biggest crisis we faced with the pandemic. And that has, obviously, incentivized workers to form unions. And we've got to work collaboratively with both sides to make sure that people will be able to organize without retribution or retaliation moving forward. And that's up to politicians, whether you're an R, a D, or an I.
NANCY CORDES: You know, you shared that message at the Republican Convention. A move that some members of teamsters leadership did not approve of. They were pretty vocal about that.
It appears that it also cost you a speaking slot at the Democratic Convention. Did the Democrats ever tell you why they didn't give you a chance to speak?
SEAN O'BRIEN: No, they didn't.
And, look, I'm going to say this. Whatever the critics out there - and there are very few in the leadership - whenever I get an opportunity to highlight the American worker, especially the teamster worker, I'm going to take any and all venue. We asked both conventions respectively, at the same time, and the Republican National Convention immediately responded to us. Didn't try and edit any of our messages. And I was hopeful that the Democrats would do the same, but they didn't.
I'm not upset about it. But I can tell you this, my rank-and-file members who have been lifelong Democrats are not happy about it.
NANCY CORDES: Yes, I know there were some members of the union who spoke, but that's not the same as having the leader of the organization speak.
Very quickly, did you choose to speak at the Republican Convention, which is a pretty unusual move for a union leader, because you feel that Trump has been more pro-labor than past Republican nominees?
SEAN O'BRIEN: No, not at all. I spoke there because it was the ability to highlight how important we are. It was the ability to call out the people, the corporate elitists, who forget who built this country, the American workers. You know, people like to, you know, have their own opinions on why we were there, but I was there to talk about the American workers. It wasn't an endorsement for any and all Republicans. It was strictly a message about how important and how valuable we are, and to let the people know that fight us every day that we're not going away.
NANCY CORDES: Understood.
Sean O'Brien, president of the teamsters, thanks so much. And we'll be looking forward to hearing who your union eventually endorses. Thanks for being here.
And we'll be right back.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
NANCY CORDES: Former President Trump has promised to launch the largest deportation operation in American history. And he's blamed the Biden administration for an historic number of illegal border crossings in recent years. But those crossings have fallen sharply since the Biden administration implemented new asylum restrictions in June. CBS News immigration reporter Camilo Montoya-Galvez has more.
(BEGIN VT)
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
You were deported from the U.S. today?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: This morning?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: In the morning. How are you feeling now? (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: It does (INAUDIBLE).
You don't know what you're going to do?
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ (voice over): We found that desperation is all too familiar in this border town, where scores of migrants are routinely turned away by the U.S.
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: We're in Nogales, Mexico. As you can see, the U.S. is just a few yards away in that direction. But for many of the migrants here behind me, it is now completely out of reach. They were deported just this morning from the U.S. under President Biden's executive order on asylum.
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ (voice over): That order has shut down asylum processing between legal entry points at the U.S./Mexico border, allowing officials to ramp up deportations of migrants crossing illegally.
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: And so you see dozens of people -
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Many families. Yes.
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: Families with children departed every morning?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every morning. Every -
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: Every morning.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is 24/7.
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ (voice over): Dora Rodriguez crossed the U.S. border herself in the 1980s to escape the civil war in El Salvador. She comes to Nogales every week with other American volunteers to offer food and guidance to deportees in need.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, they don't even know where they are.
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: They don't know where they are.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They don't even know where they are, you know, and -
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: Or what to do.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right. So, we encourage them to go to the shelters, local shelters in this area to get a bath, to take a good meal.
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ (voice over): The Biden administration says the new measures are partly why illegal border crossings have hit a four-year low. But according to Rodriguez, those policies mean people fleeing danger are being turned away.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're fleeing violence from organized crime, from gangs, hunger. So, they're no criminals, you know? And they are yet punished by our laws. These people are traumatized for a lifetime.
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: And you wanted to protect your daughters. (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ (voice over): Rosales (ph) and her daughters had been deported that morning. She says her family fled their hometown in Mexico after a man started harassing her daughters.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: You wanted to explain to U.S. officials why you came? (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE). You did not get that chance?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: Are you planning to potentially enter the U.S. again?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: Because of your daughters.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
They can deport you again.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: You know that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: You're willing to take that risk.
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ (voice over): A risk many will still take, despite harsher U.S. policies.
Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, Nogales, Mexico.
(END VT)
NANCY CORDES: We are joined now by Texas Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales.
Congressman, thank you so much for being with us here in Washington.
You represent a border district. You heard what Camilo just reported. And let's put some numbers up on the screen so people really know what we're talking about. All year long the number of migrant encounters along the southern border was hovering a little below 200,000 a month. Then, this executive order went into place in early June, and those numbers plunged to 100,000 in July. They were cut in half.
Are you ready to call this move a success?
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES (R-TX): Nancy, it's great to be here.
You know, I represent nearly half of the overall southern border. I literally was on the border on Friday.
What I can tell you is, things are getting worse. And let me give you an example.
So, in the - in the New Mexico area, to date, there's been 100 illegal immigrants that have perished, OK. Every part of the border is different. Parts of my district, it takes you three days humping through the desert in order to make it to the border. In the New Mexico area, it takes you one hour. So, how is 100 people dying in one hour?
The reason is, these criminal organizations are holding these migrants in these stash houses for sometimes over a month, feeding them one meal and one bottle of water a day. So, when it is time for them to finally make the trek, they give them caffeine pills and they try to rush them over. So, in many time - many cases, the humanitarian crisis along the border is getting worse.
The other piece of it too, in El Paso, one of the safest countries in America, the FBI just conducted an operation this week and they scooped up dozens of these criminal gangs, these anti - via the anti-gang task force. So, in many cases, Americans are less safe because of this. And migrants are less safe because of this.
I've been of the advocate, this is how you solve it. If somebody comes over illegally, they immediately get deported. You also double down on legal immigration. If you - if we want to win the space race, we're going to need engineers from all over the world. If we're going to grow our economy, we're going to need - we're going to need the hospitality industry, construction workers and other areas. You double down on work visas. You vet people and you double down on that. We're not seeing any of that.
NANCY CORDES: So, you've been pushing for the administration to take executive action for years. They've now done it and you're saying you're not happy about it, even though the numbers have come down so sharply?
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: Well, ask the 100 families that were - that died. This is a part of the - the ugly part of it is, so many people are dying. And those are the people that are dying. What about the people that are getting assaulted and other areas. It's getting worse. So, people are looking at the numbers and think, oh, it's getting better. I look at it, who is coming over and what is happening to these people? In many cases, these criminal organizations, these (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE), TDA, they're growing in prominence, this - these Venezuelan gangs. They're all over the country and they're - they're seeping their - their tentacles into our society. We have to get ahead of this. And we need real solutions.
NANCY CORDES: OK.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: That real solution is holding these people accountable, deporting people that aren't here, and double downing - double down on legal work visas, people doing it the right way.
NANCY CORDES: Right, so there are bipartisan proposals to deal with these very complicated problems you're describing. One of them was - was struck in the Senate. But former President Trump scuttled that deal, as you know. Do you wish that he would have allowed that to go forward?
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: There were some positive things out of that - the border package that the Senate was working on, but there were some very negative things. I wouldn't have voted for that. The reason I wouldn't have voted for it, because it - it allowed 5,000 people to break the law before you enact it (ph). The numbers should always be zero. We can both be firm on illegal immigration. And there was no talk of legal immigration. What about rewarding those that are doing it the right way? What about our allies in Afghanistan that we've left behind? There's some things that could have been done. That was a failed - that was a failed bill. There's thousands of these bills. That was a failed bill before it even gets going. I'm looking for serious partners.
NANCY CORDES: There's a bipartisan bill in the House. Do you support that?
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: Which bill? I mean the - the bill that I look at it through the lens is -
CORDES: I'm talking about Congresswoman Escobar's bill.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: Oh, that has no chance of going anywhere. You know why? Because it's 500 pages long. So, that gives you any one - anyone person to say, I don't like this bill. The other piece of it, too, is it talks about alloying people that are here illegally a path to citizenship. That is a dead as dead on arrival. You don't even want to go there. You have to start with securing the border and work visas. People that are vetted here to come.
You want to talk about pathway to citizenship, that's code for you really do not want to solve the problem.
NANCY CORDES: OK, but you say you want to solve the problem, and yet you don't like any of the bipartisan proposals out there. Are you writing your own?
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: I do. Yes, I have a bill. It's actually three pages long. And what it does is, it extends work visas from one year to three years and it allows people to streamline the process. Instead of mailing in work visas, you do it online, like everyone else. And there's also a border security piece to it, too. So, you can solve - you can do both. We can both be warm and welcoming, and we can both secure the border. All the proposals right now have no chance of it.
And here's another thing. When - when was - has Tim Walz ever been to the border? When was the last time he's been to the border? So, you have to see it to - to hear these stories about the hundred migrants that have died in New Mexico. You have to see it firsthand.
NANCY CORDES: You served in the Navy for 20 years. As a veteran, I want to get your take on what happened this week at Arlington National Cemetery. The secretary of the Army felt that she had to put out a statement saying that, an ANC employee" – an Arlington National Cemetery employee - "who attempted to ensure adherence to these rules was abruptly pushed aside when the Trump campaign tried to bring a campaign photographer on to the grounds with the former president."
And then a top Trump adviser posted even after that, "I'm reposting this to hope to trigger the hacks at the secretary of Army's office."
Have you ever seen a campaign talk this way about the military?
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: You know, the funny thing about President Trump is, he gets all the attention. And no matter what he does, sometimes that gets spun this way or the other.
I can tell you that veterans -
NANCY CORDES: That's not spin. That's his own campaign staff.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: Well, I can tell you, veterans support Trump far and away. And the fact that he was there to highlight that the 13 Americans that were killed at Abbey Gate, I think that's something that's overlooked.
Once again, I served in Afghanistan, unlike Tim Walz, who did not serve in Afghanistan. I've been there. I retired as a - as an E9, unlike Tim Walz who retired as an E8. It's important for us to show up at the same -
NANCY CORDES: Wait, are you saying - I'm just curious, when you - when you compare your service to Tim Walz, are you saying that he's somehow less of a veteran?
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: I'm saying he lied about what pay grade he retired at. And I'm saying, I'm not lying about the pay grade I retired at.
I'm also saying it's important that we - Arlington is a very special place.
NANCY CORDES: It is.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: We have to make sure it's a special place. And we have to keep politics out of it. And I think it's important that we do that.
And so, I mean, I wish - I wish both President Trump and, you know, President Biden were there highlighting the fact of these gold star families. This is what we need to get back to. There's so much finger- pointing. I get it. It's - it's towards the tale end of the election. But we have to get back to putting veterans first, putting our families first and putting the American people above everything else.
NANCY CORDES: Congressman Tony Gonzales of Texas, thank you so much for being here with us this morning. I appreciate it.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: Thanks, Nancy.
NANCY CORDES: And we'll be back in a moment. Stick with us.
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NANCY CORDES: Election Day is still more than two months away, but voters in dozens of states won't have to wait for November to cast a ballot. Thirty-six states plus the District of Colombia allow voters to cast early ballots by mail without providing an excuse. And in 47 states plus D.C., voters have the option to vote early, either by mail or in person.
Joining us with a look at our election system is David Becker. He's a former civil rights attorney at the Department of Justice, who now leads the Center of Election Innovation and Research. He's also a contributor here at CBS.
David, it is so good to see you. It is Labor Day weekend. So, it's the traditional kickoff of the election season. Amazing to think that voters in North Carolina are going to start getting their mail-in ballots as soon as this week.
Give us a lay of the land. Is it going to be easier or harder for voters to cast their ballots in 2024 than it was in 2020?
DAVID BECKER: Well, there's a lot of political rhetoric out there about overemphasizing fraud or overemphasizing voter suppression. And there have been some bad laws passed in some states. For instance, those voters in North Carolina will now have to provide some additional identification when they vote by mail.
But overall, if we look at the history of the United States, it is easier to vote than ever before in American history. And 99.9 percent of voters, when they go to try to vote, they're going to find it's an easy, convenient experience. If they chose to vote in person, they're going to be around their neighbors and members of their community. They're going to wait in line less than 30 minutes. That's the normal voting experience in the United States.
It is easier to register to vote than ever before. More voters have access to online voter registration now. Forty percent - 40 states or more. More voters have access - are automatically registered at the motor vehicle agency. Things like that. And then you can check your registration easier than ever before, online, right there in - on the state's website in almost every state.
And Same with voting. As you showed, early voting is available in almost every single state. Mail voting without an excuse is available in the vast majority of states. So, voters are going to have a choice and be able to vote very conveniently.
NANCY CORDES: What should people know about registering to vote if they haven't gotten around to it yet?
DAVID BECKER: So, there's still plenty of time. That's the good news. There's - every single state allows registration to vote for November up to 30 days before the election. So, you'll have until early October to register. If you haven't registered yet, do it today. It's a great time. Go online. Go to vote.gov. That's a great site to find information about - from your state. What you'll do is there's a drawdown menu there and you put in your state and you'll find out information and it will take you to the official state source, which is the place you should always go to check your registration or register to vote.
Some states allow registration through October and even on Election Day itself, but every single state, every single eligible voter in the United States can vote - can register to vote up until early October.
NANCY CORDES: David, you've been really proactive - I see you online - pushing back when you encounter really serious election misinformation, particularly when it comes from someone like Elon Musk -
DAVID BECKER: Right.
NANCY CORDES: Who owns a social media platform and has been pushing some really inflammatory claims when it comes to voting.
DAVID BECKER: Yes. There's - there are very powerful forces that want us as Americans, who live in our democratic society, to doubt that democratic society, to doubt our elections that decide our leaders, and to hate our neighbors, to think of our neighbors as enemies if they happen to disagree with us politically. And the fact is that our elections are as secure as they've ever been. We have more paper ballots now than ever before. Those paper ballots are auditable and recountable. And we do audit them to make sure the machines counted them accurately.
We have more accurate voter lists than ever before thanks to better technology and data that allows states to share data between - between states and within a state, to make sure that we keep up with people as they move so that we have the right address for them. We have more pre-election litigation than ever before. Some people think that's a bad thing. I happen to think it's a good thing. It clarifies those rules.
When we get to Election Day, both sides, all the candidates, knows those rules. Those are the rules we're playing under. You might not like them, but those are the rules. And you can't complain about them once the - once Election Day comes.
And then we have had more post-election litigation that has confirmed and verified the results than ever before. We sit here 46 months after the last presidential election right now, an election that has withstood more scrutiny than any election in world history, more scrutiny than any election in world history, and there's still not a single shred of evidence that's been presented to any court - it's been presented on social media. It's easy to put anything up on social media. But to present it to a court, subject it to scrutiny and cross-examination, have a judge hear it and rule, there's not been a single shred of evidence presented in any court in the country.
NANCY CORDES: But are we seeing even more misinformation this election season than we've seen in the past? And where's it coming from?
DAVID BECKER: Yes, we're seeing more election disinformation for sure. It's coming from Donald Trump. It's coming from Elon Musk. It's coming from, we know, foreign adversaries, like Russia, and Iran, and North Korea and China, who are heavily invested in not only perhaps electing a particular candidate, but in also all of them are heavily invested in getting us to doubt that the correct - the accurate candidate was elected, to doubt that our democracy and our elections are working.
And so when you see information on social media in particular, that triggers something within you, that seems to make you angry about the other side, all of us, as sophisticated media consumers, should pause and say, what is - maybe that anger is the product that they're trying to create. Maybe they're getting paid, or they're benefitting from creating that anger in us. And instead, go to the trusted sources. Our election officials, Republicans, Democrats all across the country. There are hundreds of thousands of them. Our election is going to be run by them, these professionals. And we're going to rely upon about a million in volunteers. People in our communities and our neighbors who are going to volunteer their time for a long day on Election Day to make sure that our elections are accurate.
And if anyone has any doubts about the system, volunteer to join them. Volunteer to be a poll worker. Go into your local county or local election site. It's usually very easy to volunteer. They're looking for people. And you'll see firsthand all of the checks and balances and redundancies that prevent widespread fraud.
NANCY CORDES: Great advice. David Becker, election law expert for CBS News, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
DAVID BECKER: Thank you, Nancy.
NANCY CORDES: And we'll be right back.
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NANCY CORDES: The next presidential debate will be on Tuesday, September 10th. And we will have complete coverage with a preview special at 8:00 p.m. Eastern here on CBS. The live simulcast will be at 9:00 p.m., followed by expert analysis.
That's it for us today. Thanks for watching. For FACE THE NATION, I'm Nancy Cordes. Have a great holiday.
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