Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
[Ramos] Mr. Chairman, thank you so much for talking to us.
Thank you for having me on.
Mr. Gillespi, of course you were counselor to President Bush
and when President Bush left office, we were already in a deep financial crisis
and with a huge deficit.
My question is: Is this President Obama's economy?
It is President Obama's economy. The fact is that his stimulus package did not work.
His health care mandate is making it harder for small businesses to, er, bring people
new employees into the work force. The excessive regulation, er, that is being put on
companies and the threats of higher taxes, er... There is no doubt that President Obama inherited
a dificult economy. There is also no doubt that he has not been able to make it better,
in fact, his policies are making it worse.
Now, what's wrong with the rich paying more taxes?
Many people think that, think that that's simply fair.
Sure, and rich do pay more taxes. In fact, the top 1% of income tax payers today
in our economy pay 1/3 of all federal income tax that go to the United States treasury.
The top 10% of earners pay 2/3, er, of all taxes that go to the, to the treasury income taxes.
And what President Obama is now talking about is punishing investment
at a time when we ought to be encouraging investment.
We need people to be, er, you know, trying to invest in capital.
That obviously exposes you to capital gains taxes. To be trying to support, er,
businesses to become share holders to get dividends.
This is not a time to say: "If you do that, we're going to punish you."
This is the time to say that we are need to reward, er, investment in private sector
job creation. That is exactly the opposite of what President Obama is proposing.
So, so you think Republicans are not going to help President Barack Obama with
these new tax, for, with new taxes for, for the rich.
Many Hispanics I talk to get the impression that Republicans are simply opposing,
er, President Obama on everything, er, in order to try to get the White House next year.
Well, that's why I'm glad to have an opportunity on the, on the program today, Jorge.
Because, if you look at the, er, er, the House of Representatives
moved a budget to try, er, reduce our debt and our deficit.
And the United States Senate has yet to pass a budget,
in fact, under control in the previous Congress for two years
and now this year in the new Congress. Democratic, er, leaders in the
United States Senate have not even produce a, er,single federal budget.
Er, so Republicans have put forward solutions. Now, obviously, President Obama doesn't
agree with those things or about all of those things.
I do think there are some areas where, er, they could find agreement.
Raising taxes is not one of them and the President knows that in his, you know,
staff has been pretty clear that this is not really
about trying to find a solution or to legislate.
It's about trying to campaign and having a campaign issue.
And that's fine. You know, there is plenty of time for that.
But, er, hopefully they can find some common ground,
perhaps, for example, with er, Panamanian and Colombian and, er, South Korean Free Trade agreements
and maybe some regulations that, er, might be rolled back.
Er, but President Obama knows, as well as you know and I know, that, er,
the Republican House of Representatives is looking to cut spending,
not raise taxes on, er, on job creators in our economy.
Mr. Gillespi, another area where there seems to be
no agreement whatsoever in on immigration.
In, in 2007 after the Immigration Reform Debate, you said the following.
You said that "the Republican Party came out looking as if was opposed no just to
illegal immigration but also to immigrants in general."
You think this perception has changed already?
I don't think it has changed already but I'm hopeful that it's changing,
and, er, I believe that, you know, when it comes to, er, securing our borders
and, er, you know, protecting, er, our borders from illegal immigration I believe Hispanic
voters and anglo-voters and others can agree on that.
The question is what can we do relative to legal immigration?
To make sure that people who want to come here and, er, contribute to our society and
become Americans are welcomed. And, er, I think that Republicans need to do
a better job of making clear that we are as welcoming of legal immigrants into our country
and into our society as we are concerned about keeping illegal ones out.
I say that, by the way, as a son of an immigrant.
My father came here from Ireland on a, on a boat.
Came to Ellis Island, er. His father was a, was a janitor.
Neither of my parents had the benefit of a college education.
Er, you know, but Jack Gillespi, my father was born in Donegan Ireland
but he died a great American. And, er, you know, fought valiantly for his adapted country
and I see that in people who come to this country.
They want to be good Americans and, er, you know,
we need to, er, when they come here legally welcome them into the country.
And I would say, into our party.
I've been listening to all the Republican candidates
and none of them are for immigration reform.
George W. Bush was for immigration reform. John McCain was for immigration reform.
I mean, they wanted to do something with the 11 million
undocumented immigrants in this country.
I haven't heard anything of that sort with the republican candidates,
How are they going to get, either one of them, how are they going to get 35%
of the Hispanic vote, in order to get to the White House.
If they don't get 35%, and you know that very well,
er, they are going to lose the election.
Well, you know, I think there is plenty of time for, er,
candidates to develop immigration policies. And I do believe our nominee will
have an immigration policy. It's worth noting, by the way, that's, it's, it's,
it's not as if President Obama has done a lot on this front, you know, since he's been in office.
So, he's vulnerable here.
Mr. Chairman, tell me about your program
to recruit 100 Republican Hispanic candidates to run for seats in the State Legislation.
What's the plan?
Well, you know, when you look around the country, Jorge, we had a great
election year in this past cycle in terms of, er, electing, er, Hispanic Republicans
into high office, er, Governors Sandoval and Martinez
in Nevada and, er, New Mexico, respectively.
Er, er, Senator Marco Rubio, er, Congressmen Jaime Herrera Butler and Quico Canseco,
Raul Labrador. Er, and the fact is, in every one of those instances,
they're former state office holders. And, er, so what I'll like to do, as Chariman of the
Republican State Leadership Committee, we help to elect state house and senate candidates
around the country to recruit, er, 100 Hispanics to run for those offices as Republicans.
Help to them get elected. And I think that will be very important. I think that will
help us increase our share of the Hispanic vote and, er, I believe, you know,
Anglo-voters have to go and campaign, er, in Hispanic neighborhoods
and convey our message, er, to Latino voters across the board.
Er, people relate to someone who they can identify with. And, so, I do think
it will be helpful for our party to also have, er, more elected officials, er, er,
who are Hispanic and to help us get our message out.
And if we can recruit 100s...100 candidates to do that in the State House and
the State Senate, we will also have a pipe line, er, for future attorneys general
and, er, governors, and senators, and, er, president of the United States some day.
Er, but the first step of the escalator, in most cases, is, er, is, er, to get elected,
to the, to the State House.
Mr. Chairman, thank you so much for talking to us and I hope that we will have
a chance to talk in the future again.
Me too. Thank you, Jorge for having me on. Looking forward to being back with you
some time soon.
[Jorge] Thank you.