Alert

WASHINGTON – In an interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday this morning, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) discussed the need to strengthen border security and pursue tax changes that will increase take-home pay for hardworking families. Blunt also addressed the unrest in St. Louis and underscored the need to continue efforts to bring communities together. 

Following are excerpts from Blunt’s interview: 

On the Importance of Strengthening Border Security as Part of a Path Forward on Immigration: 

“It’s always been three separate questions in my view. One is, how do you secure the border? Two is, what are the legitimate workforce needs of the country? And three, what do you do with people who came or stayed or in the case of the dreamers were brought to the country illegally. I think it’d be very short sighted not to try to do all we can to solve the first problem and the president has unbelievable credibility here.  If you solve the first problem the other problems, I think, are reasonably solvable. We’re seeing that happen as people want to come together and deal with the issue of kids who were brought here illegally. But, you’re not going to be able to solve these problems in a satisfactory way unless you give the president the leeway he needs to be able to at some point in the future say the  border is now operationally secure.  That allows everybody to move to solve these other problems in a better way.” 

On the Need to Pursue Tax Changes That Will Increase Take-Home Pay for Working Families: 

“On the tax front, it’s very important we get something done that increases take-home pay for working families. We’re almost into a decade now of very flat opportunities for families with their take-home pay.  A tax bill that increases take-home pay and, in the future, creates better jobs with more take-home pay – with more pay to start with – is where we should be headed. We ought to be looking for anybody who wants to be part of that but, you know, 46 Democrats sent a letter to the president that said we’d be glad to work with you  as long as you don’t do these three things that you think are important parts of a tax package. That’s not a good way to start.” 

On St. Louis and the Need to Continue Efforts to Bring Communities Together: 

“I talked yesterday to the police chiefs that are involved and what the chiefs are doing.  I also talked to a number of community leaders and African-American pastors. I do think this is a place where we have to figure out how to come together.  You do have to accept what the judge who has the obligation to look at this case determined. But at the same time, you have to look at what we need to do to bring the community together in ways that both, I think, law enforcement and community leaders have been trying to do, particularly since Ferguson.  This happened before that happened and we just need to continue to watch this.  The division in the country, whether it’s St. Louis or Baltimore, is not a good thing and we all need to be working hard to make our system work.”