MSNBC "The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell" - Transcript: Interview with Mark Pocan

Interview

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VELSHI: Joining us now is Democratic Congressman Mark Pocan of Wisconsin. Congressman, good to see you.

I want to put up a poll, it`s an NPR/Ipsos poll which shows what Americans think about evacuating Afghans who worked with the United states and resettling them in the United States. 69 percent support it, 19 percent oppose it. And again, 69 percent of support is something in this politicized environment is actually quite a big deal.

There`s no question amongst 69 percent at least of Americans these folks helped us, they put themselves on the line, they`re in danger, we need to evacuate them and bring them here.

POCAN: Absolutely, Ali. Thank you so much for having me here.

You know, we went there. It`s a really well-run operation. By the weekend already I think they`re going to have some people going into communities throughout the country and this is our obligation and it`s also our opportunity to thank people who protected our soldiers who were in Afghanistan for 20 years. They and their families now are out of any harm`s way with the Taliban and we`re going to make sure that they`re part of this country.

VELSHI: Interestingly enough, there are some conservatives who were putting -- I didn`t want to put the pictures up because they`re frankly offensive - - but pictures of these groups of refugees. I don`t know if they`re real or they`re just random Muslims that they put pictures up of and instilling fear.

"You really want these people here? You really want these people in this country?" Our history in America with refugees across the board has been overwhelmingly positive. People forced out of their own countries who are allowed into the United States kiss the ground that they come to and generally make themselves very hard working and successful in America.

POCAN: Yes, no question. In fact, they`ve been really great at Fort McCoy, nothing but great stories. They`re getting vaccinated. In fact, the COVID vaccine out of near capacity -- with the capacity of 13,000 people there, one person has turned down a COVID vaccine. Wouldn`t you like to see that with the United States population.

So you know, they`re ready to be a part of this country. They served and protected our soldiers for many, many years. And any kind of rhetoric about whatever background they may have, we have to remember if we want to ever be able to work with another country in a future situation, we`re going to have to deliver, and I think right now this country certainly is lifting both its hands and hearts to those people.

VELSHI: So those you saw, the 12,000 people who were there -- you know some (INAUDIBLE) you had some sense of how pleased they are to be in America. Did you get a chance to talk to any of them about what`s going on back home and how they feel about the Taliban having taken over Afghanistan?

POCAN: We weren`t allowed to talk to them directly. We did talk to one of the interpreters who shared some stories with us. But, you know, this is something where we really are doing our best right now. They`re doing their best at the facility, you know. It`s going near perfect in the transition.

And now, you know, they`re finding 50,000 places across the country to host folks. So, you know, people will start going throughout the country.

But this is really important that we get it done right. I think we`re on the right track. And you know, I give President Biden a lot of credit because he made a very tough, but important decision to leave Afghanistan.

And I think at the end of the day you look at polling there as well, people agree with that decision.

VELSHI: What do you think as a member of Congress we need to be thinking about as next steps with Afghanistan? We`ve heard from Tony Blinken, the secretary of state, that we do not think we`re going to be recognizing or any time soon recognize the Taliban.

But, you know, these flights that are taking off out of Kabul, there`s a certain amount of coordination that is going to have to be done because, like it or not, the Taliban are now the government of Afghanistan.

Yes. I think we`re going to have to see how the Taliban decides to proceed. If they`re going to really be a more responsible government or if we`re going to have additional issues.

But I think what`s important is we need to double our efforts of getting more folks out of Afghanistan, especially some of the interpreters, you know. I think there is an issue with some of the families still are in Afghanistan. And since they`re helping us with interpreting right now, we really have to do more to get those folks out.

But, again, I`ve been really impressed with the effort despite the fact that the Taliban took over so quickly. I think Joe Biden got things done by August 31st, as he said, and we`ve got ourselves out of this situation.

And I just hope that the next time someone decides they`re going to go into a country that`s very different than the United States, that they don`t do what Dick Cheney and George Bush did which is think that we`re going to leave with a bunch of Dunkin` Donuts and Disney Lands.

That was never going to happen and it`s the right thing to get out of there. But let`s make sure we pause next time someone looks at nation- building in a country like this.

[22:59:59]

VELSHI: Congressman Mark Pocan, thanks for joining us tonight. Congressman Mark Pocan of Wisconsin.

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