CONVERSATION RECORDED A SHORT
WHILE AGO.
>> THE DEMOCRATS HAVE COME OUT
SWINGING.
FORMER FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA
SAID PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP WAS
IN OVER HIS HEAD AND REPUBLICANS
MADE THEIR PITCH TO VOTE FOR JOE
BIDEN AND BERNIE SANDERS CALLED
TRUMAN ATHOR TEARIAN AND THAT IS
NIGHT ONE OF THE VIRTUAL
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
AMID THE NEWS THAT THE U.S.
POSTMASTER GENERAL WILL SUSPEND
CUTS TO THE POSTAL SERVICE AFTER
CONCERNS THAT CUTS WERE AN
ATTEMPT TO ALTER MAIL-IN VOTING.
HERE TO JOIN US NOW ARE
CONGRESSMAN JESUS "CHUY" GARCIA
A DEMOCRAT WHO REPRESENTS THE
FOURTHTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
INCLUDING PARTS OF THE NORTHWEST
AND SOUTHWEST SIDES OF CHICAGO.
>> AND CONGRESSMAN DANNY DAVIS A
DEMOCRAT OF THE 7TH
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT WHICH
INCLUDES PARTS OF THE WEST SIDE
OF CHICAGO AND WESTERN SUBURBS.
GENTLEMEN THANK YOU FOR BEING
BACK HERE ON "CHICAGO TONIGHT".
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> THE NEWS OF THE DAY, THE
POSTMASTER GENERAL ANNOUNCING
THAT THE POSTAL SERVICE WILL
SUSPEND ANY FURTHER SERVICE
CUTS.
REMOVAL OF MAILBOXES AND SORTING
MACHINES UNTIL AFTER THE
ELECTION TO AVOID THE APPEARANCE
OF IMPROPRIETY.
CONGRESSMAN DAVIS DOES THIS
ASAGE YOUR CONCERNS?
>> I THINK THERE WAS ACTION ALL
OVER THE NATION BY DEMOCRATS WHO
WERE HOLDING PRESS CONFERENCES,
HAVING DEMONSTRATIONS, TALKING
ABOUT HOW RIDICULOUS IT WAS THAT
THOSE DECISIONS WERE BEING
CONTEMPLATED.
SO I THINK THE BACK OFF OR THE
BACK DOWN FOR THE MOMENT BUT WE
ARE NOT GOING TO SLEEP ABOUT IT.
WE ARE GOING TO STAY AWAKE AND
STAY WOKE AND WE ARE GOING TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE HOLD HIM TO
THE DECISIONS THAT HE SAY HE
MADE TODAY.
>> AND SOME ILLINOIS DEMOCRATS
JOINED OTHER DEMOCRATS IN
CALLING FOR A CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATION TO WHAT HAS
HAPPENED AT THE POSTAL SERVICE.
WHAT WRONGDOING DO YOU BELIEVE
MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED?
>> I THINK THAT MANY OF US HAVE
SUSPECTED THAT THE INITIATIVES
BY DeJOY TO CUT BACK ON
OVERTIME TO REDUCE HOURS, TO
PROHIBIT THE NORMAL DELIVERY OF
MAIL WAS AN ATTEMPT ON BEHALF OF
THE PRESIDENT TO DELIBERATELY
TAMPER WITH THE ELECTION OUT
COMES IN NOVEMBER.
I THINK THE RESPONSE FROM THE
PUBLIC INCLUDING THE POLLING
THAT HAS BEEN DONE ON THIS ISSUE
TOLD THEM THAT THEY BETTER NOT
GO FORWARD WITH IT, BECAUSE IT
WOULD BOOMERANG.
IT WOULD AFFECT THEM IN A
NEGATIVE WAY.
AND YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE CAME
TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS WAS
AFFECTING PEOPLE'S MEDICATIONS,
THEIR UNEMPLOYMENT CHECKS THEIR
BENEFITS THEIR IMMIGRATION
PAPERWORK, THEY STARTED TO SPEAK
OUT AND I THINK THE CLAMOUR THAT
THEY CAUSED HAS FORCED THE
ADMINISTRATION TO RECONSIDER.
I'M GLAD WE WILL BE THERE
SATURDAY IN THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES TO TAKE ACTION
TO PROVIDE THE FUNDING NECESSARY
TO TAKE MEASURES TO MAKE SURE
THAT THIS DOESN'T AFFECT THE
OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION.
>> AND THIS IS THE $25 BILLION
APPROPRIATION TO THE POSTAL
SERVICE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO
VOTE ON.
DOES THAT HAVE BIPARTISAN
SUPPORT?
I HAVE SEEN SOME REPUBLICAN
CONGRESS PEOPLE COME IN FORWARD
WITH SUPPORT?
>> IT DOES HAVE SOME BIPARTISAN
SUPPORT.
WE PASSED IT MORE THAN TWO
MONTHS AGO.
WE HAVE BEEN WAITING ON THE
REPUBLICANS TO COME AROUND.
AND I THINK THE HUMAN CRY OF THE
PUBLIC IS SUCH THAT THEY WILL
COME AROUND AND WE'RE GOING TO
HAVE THE RESOURCES NEEDED BY THE
POSTAL SERVICE TO FUNCTION IN AN
EFFICIENT WAY AND MAKE SURE THAT
WHEN PEOPLE VOTE THAT THEY DON'T
HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHETHER OR
NOT THEIR VOTE IS GOING TO BE
DELAYED OR WON'T GET COUNTED OR
WON'T BE WHERE IT'S SUPPOSED TO
BE IN TIME.
>> I WANT TO MOVE ON TO
POLITICS.
IT WAS DAY ONE OF THE CONVENTION
LAST NIGHT.
DIFFERENT CONVENTION VIRTUAL.
CONGRESSMAN GARCIA ALL THIS IS
HAPPENING AS THE LEADER OF YOUR
PARTY, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN
ILLINOIS, MICHAEL MADIGAN IS
UNDER SCRUTINY FOR HIS ALLEGED
TIE TO THE ComEd BRIBERY
SCHEME.
DO YOU BELIEVE HE SHOULD STILL
SERVE AS THE LEADER OF THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY?
>> I AM A STRONG BELIEVER IN DUE
PROCESS.
I AM LEADING A BILL IN CONGRESS
TO RESTORE DUE PROCESS IN THE
IMMIGRATION SYSTEM IN THE
COUNTRY AND PROTECT PEOPLE'S
RIGHTS TO DUE PROCESS.
BECAUSE THERE HAS NOT BEEN A
CHARGE BROUGHT AGAINST HIM I
THINK THAT WE SHOULD NOT
PREJUDGE HIM.
THERE'S REASON TO BE CONCERNED
AND SOME LEGISLATORS CALLED FOR
HIS RESIGNATION FROM THOSE
POSTS.
BUT I BELIEVE IN DUE PROCESS AND
I'M NOT READY TO SAY THAT HE
OUGHT TO RESIGN.
>> ALTHOUGH, THE CRIMINAL
INFORMATION AGAINST ComEd
MAKES IT CLEAR THAT MADIGAN IS
ALLEGEDLY PUBLIC OFFICIAL A.
CONGRESSMAN DAVIS ARE YOU
COMFORTABLE WITH MADIGAN LEADING
YOUR PARTY IN ILLINOIS?
>> WELL, I THINK WE HAVE TO
PRACTICE WHAT WE PREACH.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN TAUGHT THAT
INDIVIDUALS ARE INNOCENT UNTIL
PROVEN GUILTY.
AND OFTENTIMES WHEN THERE ARE
SPECULATIONS AND ACCUSATIONS,
YOU GOT TO WAIT-AND-SEE WHAT
REALLY HAPPENED.
AND SO I BELIEVE IN THIS
CONCEPT.
I BELIEVE THAT UNTIL ONE IS
DETERMINED TO BE GUILTY, IT IS
AN ACCUSATION.
AND THE ACCUSATION HAS NOT BEEN
PROVEN.
SO WE HAVE TO WAIT-AND-SEE.
>> LET'S MOVE TO THE SPEECHES
FROM LAST NIGHT.
HERE'S FORMER FIRST LADY
MICHELLE OBAMA OF COURSE OF
CHICAGO NATIVE MAKING HER CASE
AGAINST DONALD TRUMP AND FOR JOE
BIDEN.
>> THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO
WITHHOLD OUR VOTES AND PROTESTS
OR PLAY GAMES WITH CANDIDATES
WHO HAVE NO CHANCE OF WINNING.
WE'VE GOT TO VOTE EARLY, IN
PERSON IF WE CAN, WE'VE GOT TO
REQUEST OUR MAIL-IN BALLOTS
RIGHT NOW, TONIGHT.
>> CONGRESSMAN GARCIA, TYPICALLY
THERE IS A BOOST IN POLLING
AFTER CONVENTIONS BECAUSE OF ALL
THE EXCITEMENT AND CROWDS.
DO YOU ANTICIPATE THAT WILL
HAPPEN HERE WITH THIS ALL
VIRTUAL CONVENTION?
>> I THINK THAT WHEN PEOPLE HAVE
HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR THE
MANY MESSAGES INCLUDING THE
POWERFUL MESSAGE FROM THE FORMER
FIRST LADY LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT
SHE HAD THE MOST MEMORABLE LINES
AND SPEECHES AND APPEAL TO YOUNG
PEOPLE TO COME OUT.
THAT THERE WILL BE A BOUNCE.
I THINK WHAT IS ALSO TOTALLY
DIFFERENT FROM PREVIOUS
CONVENTIONS IS THE FACT THAT WE
ARE LIVING IN A TUMULTUOUS
PERIOD IN HISTORY WITH THE
PANDEMIC COUPLED WITH THE
MOVEMENT FOR RACIAL JUSTICE
ACROSS THE NATION.
I THINK THAT WILL MOTIVATE
ESPECIALLY YOUNG VOTERS TO COME
OUT AND PARTICIPATE AND MANY
WITHHELD THEIR VOTE OR VOTED IN
PROTEST IN 2016 RECONSIDERED AND
I THINK THE FACT THERE ARE ALSO
SO MANY REPUBLICAN LIFELONG
REPUBLICANS WHO ARE QUESTIONING
DONALD TRUMP'S ABILITY TO LEAD
THE COUNTRY DURING THIS PERIOD,
IS ALL GOING TO GO WELL FOR
DEMOCRATS.
>> LET'S LOOK AT ONE OF THOSE
LIFELONG REPUBLICANS FORMER OHIO
GOVERNOR JOHN KASICH.
>> JOE BIDEN IS A MAN FOR OUR
TIMES.
TIMES THAT THE CALL FOR ALL OF
US TO TAKE OFF OUR PARTISAN HATS
AND PUT OUR NATION FIRST FOR
OURSELVES AND OF COURSE FOR OUR
CHILDREN.
>> CONGRESSMAN DAVIS, FOUR YEARS
AGO THE PARTY WAS NOT UNITED.
YOU HAD THE BERNIE SANDERS WING
AND THE HILARY BRANCH WING NOT
GET AGO LONG HOW DOES THIS
COMPARE TO THAT?
>> LET ME TELL YOU I WAS
TREMENDOUSLY IMPRESSED WITH
SENATOR SANDERS' SPEECH HIS CALL
FOR UNITY AND UNIFICATION AND
ACKNOWLEDGING THAT, YEAH THERE
MIGHT BE INSTANCES WHERE THERE'S
DISAGREEMENT BUT THOSE
DISAGREEMENTS CAN BE WORKED
THROUGH AND NO MATTER WHAT THOSE
DISAGREEMENTS MIGHT BE, NOTHING
IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN MAKING
SURE THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP CAN NO
LONGER BE CALLED PRESIDENT.
AND SO THE UNIFICATION WAS JUST
GOOD TO SEE.
>> WE HAVE TO LEAVE IT THERE.