WEBVTT 00:02.133 --> 00:05.466 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% JUDY WOODRUFF: And now, for a Democrat's take, we turn to Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. 00:06.600 --> 00:08.266 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Senator, welcome back to the "NewsHour." 00:08.266 --> 00:10.633 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% Is there any sign of a breakthrough, as far as you know? 00:10.633 --> 00:12.600 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% SEN. 00:12.600 --> 00:15.400 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D), Maryland: I have not given up hope that we can get a vote in the 00:15.400 --> 00:20.400 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Senate tomorrow to reopen the government for two weeks, until February 8, which would give 00:22.800 --> 00:26.966 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% us a little breathing room, a little space to end this madness, because a time-out really 00:28.966 --> 00:31.900 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% doesn't prejudice anybody's arguments. 00:31.900 --> 00:36.533 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% It would allow federal government employees to get their paychecks, to be repaid. 00:36.533 --> 00:38.566 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% They can pay their bills. 00:38.566 --> 00:42.900 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% It would allow us to do a little bit of the business of the federal government and then 00:42.900 --> 00:46.733 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% have a discussion to end this shutdown madness. 00:46.733 --> 00:49.433 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% JUDY WOODRUFF: But you're referring to the Democratic proposal. 00:49.433 --> 00:50.433 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% Is that right? 00:50.433 --> 00:51.966 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% SEN. 00:51.966 --> 00:53.566 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Well, it's not really a Democratic proposal. 00:53.566 --> 00:56.966 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% I would say the Democratic proposal is the one that I support. 00:56.966 --> 01:01.166 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% It was voted on the very first day of the session in the House of Representatives. 01:01.166 --> 01:03.200 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% It's in the Senate. 01:03.200 --> 01:06.466 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% It's had bipartisan Senate support, which would open the federal government and fully 01:06.466 --> 01:09.000 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% fund the agencies through the end of the fiscal year. 01:09.000 --> 01:11.766 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% So this is not that Democratic proposal. 01:11.766 --> 01:16.200 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% This is a stopgap measure, stopgap measure, two weeks' time-out. 01:16.200 --> 01:21.200 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% And, again, I don't think it's the greatest idea, but it's certainly the best alternative 01:22.633 --> 01:24.733 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that we have in front of us right now to end the shutdown. 01:24.733 --> 01:29.233 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: But, as far as we know, right now, Republicans are not prepared to support 01:29.233 --> 01:30.400 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% that. 01:30.400 --> 01:32.266 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% They have got the majority in the Senate. 01:32.266 --> 01:36.200 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% You were just telling me you're about to go to a meeting of bipartisan senators. 01:36.200 --> 01:41.200 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Is there some give on both sides that you think could reach some kind of agreement tomorrow? 01:41.900 --> 01:43.900 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% SEN. 01:43.900 --> 01:46.866 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Well, what I hope to come out of this meeting is an understanding that 01:46.866 --> 01:51.833 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% the best way forward tomorrow would be to open the government for this two-week period 01:53.500 --> 01:58.366 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% and give the Senate time to work on these issues in the regular order. 02:00.933 --> 02:03.633 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% So, we can consider the president's proposal, but it should also be subject to open amendment. 02:04.800 --> 02:06.833 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Let people vote however they want. 02:06.833 --> 02:10.300 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Let the American people know where they stand. 02:10.300 --> 02:15.300 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% Look, Lindsey Graham, Senator Graham proposed the idea of a three-week opening of the government 02:16.200 --> 02:18.533 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% a little while ago. 02:18.533 --> 02:23.500 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% This is even a smaller window, a shorter window, two weeks. 02:23.500 --> 02:25.566 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And that would give a little breathing room here. 02:25.566 --> 02:29.033 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: Obviously, you have a lot of federal employees in the state of Maryland. 02:29.033 --> 02:31.266 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% What are you hearing from your constituents right now? 02:31.266 --> 02:32.733 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% SEN. 02:32.733 --> 02:34.800 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: I'm hearing two things, Judy. 02:34.800 --> 02:38.433 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% First and foremost, people want to get back and do their jobs for the American people. 02:38.433 --> 02:43.433 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% I mean, these are people who are civil servants, but they're also telling stories about how 02:44.500 --> 02:46.166 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% they're getting totally squeezed, right? 02:46.166 --> 02:49.566 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% I mean, their paychecks have stopped, but the bills keep coming in. 02:49.566 --> 02:53.966 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% So lots of them are having trouble paying their rent and their mortgages. 02:53.966 --> 02:58.966 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% I spoke to the head of a community college recently who said that they were having to 02:58.966 --> 03:03.633 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% work out payment plans because parents who work for the federal government, parents who 03:03.633 --> 03:07.566 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% had students at college, couldn't make the monthly installment plans. 03:07.566 --> 03:09.733 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% So this is really squeezing the pocketbooks. 03:09.733 --> 03:14.733 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% And that's why you're seeing even those 100,000 employees who are still being asked to work 03:16.733 --> 03:19.766 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% without pay, they're not able to cover some of their very basic expenses, like getting 03:19.766 --> 03:21.266 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% to work. 03:21.266 --> 03:24.766 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% It's costing them to do their work for the federal government. 03:24.766 --> 03:29.433 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: Senator, on just the basic proposal here, the president wants some money 03:29.433 --> 03:32.300 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% at least for a physical wall. 03:32.300 --> 03:34.833 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Democrats have supported that in the past. 03:34.833 --> 03:39.200 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Why not go along with some of that now in order to get the government open again? 03:39.200 --> 03:41.233 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% SEN. 03:41.233 --> 03:45.200 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: As you said, we have proposed physical barriers in strategic areas. 03:46.833 --> 03:51.066 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% What we will not do is operate under a total threat of shutdown. 03:52.966 --> 03:56.800 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% And the reason why is because this will become habit-forming for President Trump. 03:58.866 --> 04:03.166 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% If he thinks that every time he doesn't get his way, he can shut down the government like 04:03.166 --> 04:06.766 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% this, it will be a recipe for continuing government shutdowns. 04:06.766 --> 04:11.766 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% So I will say that, if you look at the proposal the president made the other day from the 04:13.800 --> 04:17.133 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Oval Office, as you look more closely, it includes all these poison pills that he didn't 04:17.966 --> 04:20.166 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% talk about. 04:20.166 --> 04:23.966 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% It would actually change our asylum laws in ways which would make it much harder for unaccompanied 04:26.100 --> 04:31.100 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% adults who have been victims of sexual violence and were the victims of sexual trafficking 04:32.300 --> 04:33.800 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% to seek asylum in the United States. 04:33.800 --> 04:37.100 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% A lot of things like that that were in that proposal. 04:37.100 --> 04:42.100 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% We should not be holding the entire country hostage in the process. 04:43.500 --> 04:47.500 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And that's why this two-week time-out is a good idea. 04:48.666 --> 04:50.333 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% It's not the best idea, by any means. 04:50.333 --> 04:52.666 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% But it is the best option on the table today. 04:52.666 --> 04:56.200 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, thank you very much. 04:56.200 --> 04:57.200 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% SEN. 04:57.200 --> 04:57.333 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Thank you.