CNN "The Lead" - TRANSCRIPT Massive Flight Delays & Cancellations After System Outage; List Of Republicans Calling On Santos To Resign Is Growing; McCarthy: Won't Call For Santos' Removal, The Voters Decide; Report: House GOP Will Have More Chairs Named "Mike" Than Women; W.H. Accuses GOP Of "Political Stunts" Over Biden Family Financials; GOP Texas Rep. Gonzales Says He Opposes Mayorkas Impeachment; Rep. Tony Gonzales, (R- TX), Is Interviewed About Mayorkas Impeachment; Lone GOP Rep. Gonzales Voted "No" On House Rules Package; Supporters Of Fmr. Brazilian President Bolsonaro Call For New Protests Today After Sunday's Riots; Iran Orders Harsher Punishments Being Issues To Women Not Wearing Hijab; Classes At The University Of Idaho Resume Today. Aired 5-6p ET

Interview

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TAPPER: And topping our politics lead, Texas Republican Congressman Pat Fallon has filed articles of impeachment against the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas. This after a wave of fresh Republican criticism following President Biden's rather sanitized border visit. Not every Republican is on board with impeaching, Mayorkas. Joining us now, Texas Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales.

Congressman, good to see you. Thanks for being here. So, today you said that you oppose the impeachment of Mayorkas because the process is too drawn out and people in your district need help right now. What is the best way, you think, to actually address this crisis on the border? Because you and I have talked about this before.

REP. TONY GONZALES (R-TX): Sure.

TAPPER: It seems to me with the Democratic Senate and White House, there is a big comprehensive immigration bill to be done that includes a huge border security part component.

GONZALES: Yes, look, impeachment is in case of emergency break glass. And it seems as if we have taken that to a common thing. It shouldn't be a common thing.

Look, DHS Secretary Mayorkas has made a lot of mistakes and there's clearly a lot of people upset, my approach has not been to shun them per se, but to go to the administration and work with them. And also impeachment hearings are going to take place. Where that takes us, I don't know where it is, but that's going to be -- who knows how many months that's going to be.

I look at the President's visit to the border. And this -- look, the President could have had a layup, they could have had me there, I didn't ask to be on Air Force One. All I wanted to do was have a policy discussion. When I host him Uvalde I didn't embarrass him, it's a President of the United States. I want to have a more clear discussion.

But if they can't make layups, how are they going to make three pointers? And if they don't want to meet with me, what Republicans are they going to meet with?

TAPPER: Right. And you've called the President's trip to the border a partisan trip. A White House official responded to your complaint saying that they were not able to accommodate all requests from Democrats and -- from Republicans and Democrats alike due to space constraints. What's your response to that?

GONZALES: Yes. Once again, I didn't ask to be on the plane. I would have met him at the tarmac. I would have met him any of these facilities, you know, like five minutes aside. And what really upset me was when I met with him in Uvalde, I specifically asked the President, Mr. President, now is not the time or place, but I like to meet with you on the border, whether at the border or at the White House.

He agreed to that. He called over one of his aide and said, hey, I want to get Tony in the White House for us to have a discussion. Seven months later, nothing. So it tells me it's very frustrating, but I'm not going to give up. I'm a retired master chief. You go over, under, or through, you have to find solutions, not rhetoric. So that's what I'm focused on.

TAPPER: Is there a comprehensive immigration reform bill that does something about the Dreamers and does something about the more humanitarian aspects of this that maybe Democrats are pushing for, that also adds to border security that you want and you're hearing from your constituent. But I guess my question is there's no will for it that I can see.

GONZALES: I think it start -- Jake, I think it starts with having a dialogue. Who is willing to sit down and have a discussion? To me, my energy is solely focused on border security. If I can't have a conversation on that, how can we move to the more contentious topics?

I will tell you, I had a conversation with Senator Cornyn today. I was really pleased to see the senators, the Senate, come together in a bipartisan manner and do this border trip. I think that's a promising move. Those are kind of things that we need to have a discussion. Hey, what are the parameters? To me, it starts with border security, but if nobody will sit down with me, how can we get to step two, three, and four if we can't get off the starting block?

TAPPER: I also want to ask you, because you were the only Republican to vote no on the new House rules package. You cited threats to the defense budget as a result of not what's in the rules package, I don't think, but the side deal, side agreements that Speaker McCarthy has made.

Republicans traditionally were more on your page when it came to the defense budget, but they don't seem to be bothered by it now. What's going on?

GONZALES: Jake, I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone. I mean, you know, like you mentioned historically, Republicans were hawkish on defense, and it seems that it has changed. I spent 20 years in the military. I don't believe in having cuts without reforms. I'm happy to have the conversation, but let's talk about what was going to reforms in order -- defense reforms in order to get to it.

If you're just going to cut without reforms, all you're doing is cutting off your nose in spite of your face, and it makes us weaker. We also have to protect our allies, like Ukraine, like Taiwan, and invest more in Central and South America. The President of Mexico basically made a point to go, I never see you.

The United States doesn't play a role here. Why are you having this discussion now? These are some of the things I think the American defense should focus on.

TAPPER: Any blowback from House leadership for voting no on the rules package?

GONZALES: I was very clear with leadership early on, and when you look at it, this wasn't an anti-leadership vote. It was really a pro- leadership vote. Another reason why I voted no was I didn't want to see the circus that was last week play out month after month. We have real problems in this country.

You know, the borders, one. Immigration reform is another. Health care, education. I mean, the list goes on and on. How do we come together and solve this? I don't want to see, you know, as much that CSPAN got. I mean, I don't want people watching CSPAN. I want people watching the Congress deliver real results for everybody.

TAPPER: And just the last question I have is Congresswoman Nancy Mace, Republican of South Carolina, she's been pretty outspoken, saying she wants to know what compromises, what deals McCarthy made. I mean, this is my words, it's not hers, but it's the people's House, not Kevin McCarthy's House.

GONZALES: Yes.

TAPPER: Do you want to see that list?

GONZALES: You know what, Jake, you have a limited amount of energy. My focus is on forward. Like how do we secure the border? And I'm all in on that. How do we talk about immigration reform? How do we school safety? I mean, these are things that are important to the American public.

What I will say, though, in the 118th Congress, there is real power in rank and file members. I mean, the margins are so small, five members of Congress can shape things. So I'm focused on making sure that we have meaningful legislation, not get stuck into what was given, what was not given. What are these promises?

I mean, that's all D.C. politics stuff. I have no interest in that. I want to -- I came to Washington to serve for the district, serve for the country.

TAPPER: All right. Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales of Texas. Thank you so much. Always good to see you, sir.

GONZALES: Thanks, Jake.

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