Second Republican Debate Transcript: Mike Pence
Interview
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We need to build a military fitted to the widening challenges in an ever more dangerous world.
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Well, thank you for the question. I want to thank Univision and Fox Business for assembling such a wonderful forum.
Look, I do disagree with something Tim Scott just said. Joe Biden doesn't belong on a picket line. He belongs on the unemployment line.
I mean, look, I'm from the second leading manufacturing state, in the country, per capita. I was Governor of the State of Indiana. We brought 12,000 factories back to America, during our administration. I know something about manufacturing.
And I got to tell you, while the union bosses are talking about class warfare, and talking about disparity, in wages, I have to tell you, I really believe what's driving that is Bidenomics has failed. Wages are not keeping up with inflation. Autoworkers and all American workers are feeling it. And families are struggling in this economy.
And Joe Biden's Green New Deal agenda is good for Beijing, and bad for Detroit. We ought to repeal the Green New Deal, get rid of the mandates and subsidies that are driving American gasoline automotive manufacturing, into the graveyard.
And beyond that also, as President of the United States, I'll be standing with workers, all across America, and I'll be standing, for the right to work, of every American, to join a union or not join a union, as they decide.
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First, let me say, I'm glad -- I'm glad Vivek pulled out of his business deal in 2018 in China. That must have been about the time you decided to start voting in presidential elections. So, nice to have you participate in elections.
So, let me -- let me speak to this issue. Number one, I negotiated the "Remain in Mexico" policy with the Mexican government. We used economic power to bring the Mexican government to the table. We built hundreds of miles of border wall and despite what's said here today, we reduced illegal immigration and asylum abuse by 90 percent.
And as president of the United States, I can do it again.
And truth is what -- the truth is we need to fix a broken immigration system and I'll do that as well.
But first and foremost, a nation without borders is not a nation. And we have to secure the southern border of the United States of America, I know how to do it and we will do it again.
Let me say one other thing about China.
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Let me tell you, I served in Congress for 12 years, although it seemed longer.
But you know, something I've done different than everybody on this stage is I've actually -- I've actually secured reform in Congress.
You know -- you know, Ron, you talk a really good game about cutting spending but you've increased spending in Florida by 30 percent.
When I was a member of Congress in 2006, right after Hurricane Katrina, Dana, you remember it, we stood our ground. I led House conservatives. We cut $100 billion out of the federal budget.
It can be done, but as I said in the last debate, I'll say again, this is no time for on the job training. I'm going to be ready on day one to get Congress to step up, secure the southern border of the United States, build a military fitted to our times --
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and we're going to get spending in Washington, D.C. under control once and for all.
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Well, first let me speak to the mass shootings issue and then I'll answer that question, it's an important one, Dana.
Look, I'm someone that believes that justice delayed is justice denied. And as a father of three, as a grandfather of three beautiful little girls, I am sick and tired of these mass shootings happening in the United States of America. And if I'm president of the United States, I'm going to go to the Congress of the United States and we're going to pass a federal expedited death penalty for anyone involved in a mass shooting so that they will meet their fate in months, not years.
It is unconscionable that the -- the Parkland shooter, Ron, is actually going to spend the rest of his life behind bars in Florida. That's not justice. We have to mete out justice and send a message to these would-be killers that you are not going to live out your days behind bars.
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You're going to meet justice in the system.
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I think it's one of the -- I think it's one of the choices here. You know, my former running mate, Donald T rump, actually has a plan to start to consolidate more power in Washington, D.C., consolidate more power in the executive branch. When I'm president of the United States, it's my intention to make the federal government smaller by returning to the states those resources and programs that are rightfully theirs under Tenth Amendment of the Constitution.
That means all Obamacare funding, all housing funding, all HHS funding, all of it goes back to the states. We'll shut down the federal Department of Education. We'll allow states to innovate. We're going to revive federalism
in America and states are going to help bring America back.
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Well, as President of the United States, I'll -- I'll stand up for the safety and the civil liberties of every American, from every background. And I want the American people to know that. But I want to answer the question as well as, Dana, that you just asked Burgum. Because my way of full disclosure, Chris, you mentioned the President's situation. I -- my wife isn't a member of the Teachers Union, but I got to admit I -- I've been sleeping with a teacher for 38 years and a full disclosure. Look, education is a state and local function.
The state of Indiana had one of the very first school choice programs in the country, and when I was governor of the state of Indiana, we doubled that.
And as to your question, Dana, let's be very, very clear.
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Well, I think you asked a question about executive experience, and I think it's vitally important.
And I stand before you today as a candidate for president because I think this country's in a lot of trouble. And you hear the fire on the stage tonight. You hear the fire in all of our voices. And it's because Joe Biden has weakened this country at home and abroad. This is a time for those of us that have the experience, the tested experience and a commitment to the conservative agenda that Ronald Reagan brought forward in this party of a strong national defense, standing with our allies, standing up to our enemies, supporting limited government and traditional values, need to step forward
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Because, frankly, our -- our party does face a time for choosing, as they said at the top of this debate, whether we're going to stand on the foundation of that conservative agenda that Ronald Reagan poured or whether we're going to follow the siren song of populism unmoored to conservative principles. I'm
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the most experienced, most qualified and most consistent conservative in this field, and I'm ready to lead
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America at home and abroad on day one.
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I think one of the signature accomplishments of our administration was in just a few short years, we achieved energy independence, we became a net exporter of energy for the first time in 75 years.
But on day one, Joe Biden declared a war on energy, which was no surprise because when Joe Biden ran for president, he said he was going to end fossil fuels. And they've been working overtime to do that, ever since.
If I'm President of the United States, we're going to open up federal lands. We're going to unleash American energy. We're going to have an all of the above energy strategy, and I have a plan that actually would not only reclaim energy independence, but in 2006, America lost our position as the leading energy producer on Earth. I believe in the next 10 years with the right policies and an experienced leadership in the White House, we can reclaim our role as the leading energy producer on Earth, and that'll grow the American economy for generations to come.
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Well, I promise you that we're going to continue to build bridges to every community in this country. And I'm incredibly proud of that. Tax cuts and tax reform bill. I worked on Capitol Hill to help get that bill passed into law. The largest tax cut in American history. We saw literally the lowest unemployment ever recorded for Hispanic Americans. The lowest unemployment ever recorded for African-Americans. 50-year low for women.
So I think the president of the United States needs to be a champion for the American dream for every American. It begins with the unborn, and the aging and the infirmed. And it begins with every ethnic group in this country. And I promise you if I'm president of the United States, I will be a champion. I will be a champion for the American dream. For Hispanic Americans and for every American, so help me God.
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