Jindal: Christie should stay RGA chair
Today on CNN’s State of the Union with Candy Crowley, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (R-LA) told CNN that he thinks New Jersey Governor Chris Christie should remain the chairman of the Republican Governors Association.
During the interview, Jindal told Crowley, “Yes. Yes. I don’t think he should step down. I think he should stay there. I think what’s more important, though, is we got some great governors…RGA is not about one governor…”
Additionally, Jindal responded to President Obama’s interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper from January 30, 2014 on The Lead, which airs at 4:00 p.m. ET on CNN. He also spoke to Crowley about immigration reform, the legalization of marijuana, and the Keystone pipeline.
For the latest updates and information, check out the following blog posts.
The CNN Political Ticker
Jindal: Christie should stay RGA chair
Despite report, final Keystone decision not near
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Governor Jindal on Chris Christie’s position as chairman of RGA
CROWLEY: Well, that’s hardly ringing endorsement of Chris Christie. I know that there’s — what they’re doing, but he runs and I just wonder if you — you know, and he raises money and helps people raise money in their states. You think he ought to stay there?
JINDAL: Yes. Yes. I don’t think he should step down. I think he should stay there. I think what’s more important, though, is we got some great governors in states like Florida, South Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, all across the state doing great things. We got 36 governors races. RGA is not about one governor. It’s about all 29 of these governors, all 36 races. Republican governors are doing a great job on a private sector economy. That’s what’s really important.
Videos and a transcript of the interview are available after the jump.
VIDEOS
Gov. Jindal: Secure the border first
Jindal: Too many locked up over pot
TRANSCRIPT:
THIS IS A RUSH FDCH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CROWLEY: Joining me now, Governor Bobby Jindal, Republican from Louisiana. Governor, thanks for being here. I want to start at the newsiest part, I think, of this interview with the president may be showing a little opening there when it comes to immigration reform. But you know and I know there’s a split within the Republican Party about how to get this done.
Now, some of the more moderates, those who think this has to be done this year saying, OK, instead of a path to citizenship, let’s give those who are in this country right now a path to legalization, some sort of work card, that kind of thing. But still, there’s not real clarity about whether it could be passed in the House.
Could you look at it from your point of view and tell me what the political cost might be for Republicans, and for that matter, the president, if immigration reform is not passed this year?
JINDAL: Well, Candy, good morning. Thank you very much for having me. You know, there are folks in the Republican Party that would tell you the president’s doing so poorly right now in the polls, especially with the flawed implementation of the design of the Affordable Care Act, of Obamacare. There are a lot of folks who would tell you we should just stay out of his way and run 2014 as a referendum on that.
I’m not one of those people. I think that we were elected to solve the problems facing the country, includes replacing Obamacare, includes addressing immigration issues, most importantly, includes growing the economy. When it comes to immigration, we’ve got completely — a completely backwards system today. What I believe we need is a system of high walls and a broad gate.
Right now, we’ve got the opposite. We’ve got low walls and a narrow gate. What I mean by that is we make it very difficult for people to come here legally. We make it very easy for people to come here illegally. As the son of immigrants, I think that, certainly, a lot of people think we should let more people come in to our country because it’s compassionate for them, and it certainly is.
I think we should also let more people come into our country legally because it’s good for us. When people want to come here, work hard, get an education, play by the rules, that’s good for America. And so, I think that this is a problem we can address. I think our system right now is completely backwards.
CROWLEY: You know, a lot was made after the re-election of the president about the Hispanic vote that the president got, which was well over 60 percent. It was said then, as it was said in the first election, Republicans need to get on-board here, pass some sort of immigration reform, get it off the table, then move on to outreach.
Is there a political price for not acting this year?
JINDAL: Well, if Republicans act, I think we should do it because it’s the right thing to do for the country. Let’s not just do it because a pollster tells us one thing or another. Let’s do it because it’s wrong. Look, right now, we’re educating some of the world’s best and brightest then kick them out of our country to compete with us.
I do think it’s right to say we need to secure the border first. I think if the president had been serious about this the last five years, we’d be further along in this discussion. I think the American people are compassionate. I don’t think we’re the kind of people that are going to kick people out of schools or hospitals or punish kids for what their parents have done. But I think it’s also right the American people are skeptical.
We’ve seen this play before. We remember what happened in the 1980s. So, we have to secure the borders first, but I think after we do that — and when I say secure the border, I mean, let the border governors certify it as secure. Let’s not measure it in terms of just dollars spend or effort expended. Let’s actually look at results. Once we do that, I think there is broad agreement on, like you said, on legalization.
There’s broad agreement on letting people work here and contribute to our economy if they learn the language, they pay a fine, they go pass a criminal background check. I think there’s broad consensus. And you heard it in the president’s interview, secure the border first. But I go back to what I said before. Let’s have high walls, let’s have a broad gate.
After we get through this, as part of this, let’s also — we’ve got to reform the ways that people come here legally. We need to increase dramatically the opportunities for people to come into our country legally. Again, it’s good for them, but it’s also good for our country.
CROWLEY: Governor, let me move you to marijuana. Certainly, you’ve seen some states approved — two states approved recreational use. I know you said that under certain circumstances you could see the medicinal use of marijuana in your state. Let me ask you, though, about the enforcement of laws. Louisiana has some of the toughest marijuana penalties for casual users, meaning, those with low amounts of marijuana.
Do you think it is time to look at the laws in your state for use of small amounts of marijuana and maybe crank down those punishments?
JINDAL: Sure, Candy. We’ve started not just last year, but since I’ve been governor. And last year, we accelerated that looking to lower those penalties. I agree with the president that we lock up too many people for casual drug use. What I mean by that is that, certainly, non-violent, non-repeat offenders, those that aren’t committing other crimes, we should look at treatment and rehabilitation.
I’m not for the legalization. The full legalization of marijuana has been done in Colorado. But certainly, I think that it makes sense. We could use our resources more effectively. We passed some pretty good laws last year. There’s more work that we can do there. I do think when it comes to medical marijuana, I’ve said that I’m open if it’s tightly regulated, the legitimate medical purposes.
I do think this, though, on the bigger issue. And so, yes, I agree with the president. We don’t need to be locking up people who aren’t the dealers, who aren’t committing other crimes, especially those who aren’t committing other violent crimes, I think they’re better uses of our dollars, and I think we can rehabilitate those folks.
But I do think that given all the problems facing our country, there are other issues that are more important, especially when it comes to growing our economy. You know, the president gave his state of the union. And you may remember, Bill Clinton famously said in that previous state of the union the air of big government is over. It turns out that isn’t true.
You know, big government is alive and well and, unfortunately, strangling our economy. So, certainly, let’s help folks get rehabilitated and get drug treatment, but, let’s also focus on issues that the American people care more about, one going our economy.
CROWLEY: Right. One of the issues I know you are interested in is the Keystone Pipeline. The state department put out — released a report saying it would have minimal effect on the environment. Is there any reason for the president to oppose it now?
JINDAL: Absolutely not, unless, it’s just purely ideological reasons. You know, the reality is that the Canadians, one of our closest allies, wants to help us become more energy independent. And this goes to an absolutely critical issue, cheap, affordable domestic energy is an absolute critical component for us reviving our manufacturing-based economy.
Here in Louisiana, we’ve got tens of billions of dollars capital investment coming in to our state, thanks to the fracking and thanks to the natural gas boom we see going on in our state and across other states. We can see the same kind of investment across the country, in the steel industry, the fertilizer industry, the plastics industry. We can make things and we can bring investment and jobs — good paying jobs home from other countries.
You know, the president — if we’re interested in good paying blue collar — a lot of these, by the way, in private union jobs, if we’re interested in good paying jobs, affordable energy has to be a part of it. The president, you know, he’s been ambiguous on fracking that sent mixed messages on that. When you look at — I know he takes credit for the domestic energy boom, but the reality is a lot of that’s happening on private lands, not federal lands.
This is a no-brainer. It should have been made. This decision should have been made a long time ago. The Canadians are going to go and get this oil, Candy. The question is whether they sell it to us or the Chinese.
CROWLEY: Right.
JINDAL: I’d rather it come here to America.
CROWLEY: Two quick questions as my time runs out. First of all, the man who succeeded you as head of the Republican Governors Association, Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey. New accusations as yet unproven out against the government. This is — it is clear that there are going to be these sorts of stories as this investigation plays out. Should the governor step down from his Republican Governors Association chairmanship?
JINDAL: No, Candy. Here, look, I think the press doesn’t quite understand how RGA works.
With an RGA, no one governor is more important than the other. You’re right. I was chairman last year. I’m vice chairman this year. Chris is chairman this year. That doesn’t really matter. What really matters is the RGA is a place for our governors to come together to discuss policy —
CROWLEY: Well, that’s hardly ringing endorsement of Chris Christie. I know that there’s — what they’re doing, but he runs and I just wonder if you — you know, and he raises money and helps people raise money in their states. You think he ought to stay there?
JINDAL: Yes. Yes. I don’t think he should step down. I think he should stay there. I think what’s more important, though, is we got some great governors in states like Florida, South Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, all across the state doing great things. We got 36 governors races. RGA is not about one governor. It’s about all 29 of these governors, all 36 races. Republican governors are doing a great job on a private sector economy. That’s what’s really important.
CROWLEY: And finally, governor, in Louisiana, the last I saw, there will be the execution of a man next week by lethal injection. He was found guilty of murdering his six-year-old step-son.
You are using in this lethal injection the same two chemicals that are now under scrutiny because of an Ohio execution where the man being executed was — we were told it took ten minutes for him to die, writhing in convulsion. Are you comfortable with this execution going forward with this method of killing him?
JINDAL: Candy, three things. One, we’re actually in front of federal court. We’ve submitted the two-drug protocol. A federal judge where in front of federal court district court as well as United States Supreme Court. So, the judge will have to decide whether we’re allowed to proceed to fulfill the court’s verdict. I will say this, we are looking at and we will likely support legislation in this session to give the Department of Corrections more options.
We have obviously — we actually have a different protocol. We weren’t able to use. We weren’t able to get that drug, a one-drug protocol. So, we’re likely to go to the legislators this year to ask them to give the Department of Corrections other options. Like many states, we’re not always able to find and secure these drugs.
And so, we’re going to go back to the legislature and say give us additional options. Where we stand with the execution that’s coming up, we’re in front of federal court. The Department of Corrections feels confident making make that case to the judge that this is a fairway to carry out the verdict of the court.
CROWLEY: Governor Bobby Jindal, I have to have a one-word reply from you. Are you going to run for president? Yes, no, or maybe.
JINDAL: Look, Candy, let’s win the elections in 2014 first and then let’s decide about 2016.
(LAUGHTER)
JINDAL: Let’s go focus on 36 governors’ races and winning the Senate and keeping the House.
CROWLEY: You are no fun, but I really appreciate you joining us, governor. We’ll see you next time.