Transcripts For CSPAN3 Road To The White House 2020 LULAC Presidential Candidates Forum 20240714

You have two minutes with the introductory round so i will try to do the question first in spanish and then english because we are live on univision. [speaking spanish] thank you to all of our lulac chapters. [cheers and applause] i am julian i have twitter bet joaquin says i am one minute uglier than he is which is not true. Im happy to be here this evening about conversation of the future of the country. We had our first president ial debate and at the end i said i was happy to be there in my presence on that stage marked some of the tremendous progress we have made is a Latino Community. The question before us the next few months is what kind of country do we want to be from cracks and then to achieve the dreams you have achieved because generations have worked for progress to make sure no matter the color of their skin if you went out for a an apartment to rent you can get good job opportunities. And exercise your right to vote at the ballot box. The question before us is if we continue to be that the question before us is whether were going to continue to be that country that expands opportunity to people no matter who they are, what they look like, how much money they have or dont have, how long they have been in our country, what their last name is, or are we going to go backward and become a nation where opportunity is only afforded to those who look a certain way, who live a certain way, who sound a certain way. I believe in america that is broad, that is expansive, that is full of opportunity for hardworking americans all over our country. Im glad to be here because i know that so many people in this room have made that kind of beautiful progress possible. Gracias, thank you so much for the work you are doing as part of lulac to create a stronger america for all of us. I look forward to a conversation about how we can make our country Even Stronger and ensure that all of those folks whose shoulders we stand on we do right by by passing that opportunity onto the next generation in a country that is better than ever before. Thank you. Thank you. I think in the past six months weve talked over tacos, books, now we get to talk in front of the lulac audience. We ate tacos in san antonio. An institution you get engaged with your wife. Quickly, a show of hands, how many of you in the audience have ever been told to focus on english or not speaking spanish at all . [ speaking spanish ] so thats probably around half of the audience here. You explain that yourself in an interview recently with us and then with cbs news also. [ speaking spanish ] how do you celebrate spanish american language but still get the message across that its latino is about more than just language. I think its partly language. Ive been asked a lot on the campaign trail about how well i speak spanish, and i tell people that i think like a lot of Second Generation latinos that i understand spanish pretty well. Im not fluent at it. I can speak some. One of the things i tried to explain, especially to the mainstream media, i grew up in texas, and my grandmother got here in 1922. When my grand mother got here, there was still signs on storefront windows that said no mexicans or dogs allowed. The folks who grew up in texas, or states like it, will remember, this is exactly one of the reasons lulac was formed in 1929 to make sure that the Latino Community could have some support amongst each other, amongst families and to push for equal rights. One of the things that happened during that time and my grandmothers time and my mothers time was that spanish was looked down upon. You would be punished in a lot of the Public Schools, and even some of the catholic schools, if you spoke spanish in class. In a very real way they were trying to beat the spanish out of you. The saddest part of that, a lot of our families, people started looking down on speaking the Spanish Language and wanted to teach their children english first. People here in the audience will remember those generations. One of the things im proud of about our country today is that we live in a country where understanding spanish and speaking it for another second language is celebrated. My daughter goes to a bilingual program and is learning spanish. Thats wonderful thing. Its a marker of the progress weve made as a nation. I think terms of being a latino candidate, i think your ability to speak spanish is certainly something thats important to connect with the community, its one part of that. Theres so many other things, right . Theres your Life Experience cultural culturally, also where you stand on issues, whether your positions on issues are going to do something for the Latino Community or not. Lets talk about issues, proposals on immigration. [ speaking spanish ] the former dhs secretary jay johnson called some of your immigration proposals extreme and unworkable. How do you react to the friendly fire . Well, its obviously not friendly. [ applause ] i would say secretary johnson is wrong, Vice President biden is wrong on this, and congressman orourke is wrong on this, and let me tell you why. From the late 1920s around the time lulac was formed, until about 2004, we treated crossing the border as a civil violation, not a criminal violation. So for years and years generations, we didnt treat that as a criminal violation. Then post 9 11, it started being treated as a crime. After it started being treated as a crime, a lot of the problems were seeing today exploded. So i have called for repeal of 1325 of immigration nationality act to guarantee to guarantee that a future administration cannot use that law to incarcerate a migrant parent and separate that parent from their little child. We are not going to have that in this nation in the years to come if im president. I will not abide by it. I wont stand for it. Were not going to do it. Now, secretary johnson has suggested somehow that people will take that as open borders. Correct. Open borders are a right wing talking point. We have 364 miles of fencing, thousands of personnel at theord boer, planes, helicopter, boats, guns, security cameras. We still have civil courts if somebody crosses the border. We have an asylum process. Folks will know, the folks that live along the border also, a lot of the folks coming today, they are presenting themselves at the border. They arent trying to go anywhere. They want to present themselves to our border officials. So it makes no sense to make policy based out of fear, political fear. I am not going to make policy based out of fear. Im going to make policy to stand up for the people who need a voice right now. We have these little children that are being separated from their parents, kept in conditions where some of them dont have soap, they dont have toothbrushes. They are crowded into pens. They are going to be traumatized, many of them, for the rest of their lives. I said im not going to do that. Im not going to do it. Im going to work hard to make sure no future administration can weapon size that law to do what donald trump has done. [ speaking spanish ] a quick followup on that. President trump says some of the conditions these families face in Detention Centers are better than the ones they have in this home countries. What would you say about that . I would say people coming from honduras, el salvador, guatemala, they are no different from people who came from germany or poland or italy or folks who came from cuba in the early 1960s, everybody was fleeing desperate circumstances. Thats the common denominator. They have just as much to add to this country as generations of immigrants have before. Maybe also just say enrique, i think one of the things that distinguishes that ive put forward versus some of the critics is that im actually talking about solving this challenge. Ive said we need to do a 21st century Marshall Plan for Central America to partner with the countries so people can find safety and opportunity at home instead of coming to the United States. Thats the longterm way to solve challenge. Spanish] [ speaking spanish ] ut austin announced last week its offering full tuition to graduates whose families make 65,000 or less per year. Do you think other colleges should take the lead, uts lead on this . Yes. Ive been very blessed in my life to have gone through the Public Schools of texas and gotten a Higher Education thats allowed me to provide for my family and to have the career success that ive had. I want to make sure that kind of opportunity is available to everybody. One of the things we need to do is to get tuitionfree public state universities, Community Colleges and job training and certification programs. There are people in this room and people watching that will remember it wasnt very long ago that the university of texas system was almost tuitionfree and the university of california system until the late 1970s or early 80s was tuitionfree. A whole bunch of other State University systems just a generation ago were tuitionfree. Today its more imperative than ever that we actually make that investment because as yall know jobs require more knowledge and more skill than ever before. That means that our kids out there, they need to get that Higher Education. Its not always a fouryear degree or even a Community College degree, sometimes its job training, a certification program, but they need something beyond high school so they can get gainful employment. Thats why we need to make that investment. I like what ut austin is doing but i would take that further to make sure Higher Education is accessible to everybody. Thank you. [s [ speaking spanish ] thank you very much, enrique. Now its time to hear from the family of lulac. We have questions that have been sent in my members from all over america. From those we have screened them and you have some of those guests tonight who will be asking you, mr. Secretary, some of these same questions. Id like to first invite up here a man from the illinois area. Hes a green card veteran. He also is a bronze star recipient. With him carlos luna, holding a helmet in hand. We now have in the audience two lines of veterans who are standing here before you. Sir, what is the significance of the helmet and standing men and women here . Ladies and gentlemen this wartorn helmet is here to symbolize our brothers and sisters who have protected our country, even when our country hasnt protected them. Our members from green card veterans standing before us at attention are standing in solidarity with deported brothers and sisters who have been deported and showing we are ready to do whatever it takes to help get them back. So the question is, mr. Secretary, will you commit upon your election to be the president to have those individuals who have served this country bravely be repatriated from their exile . What is your answer to that . Yes, i will. First of all, thank you very much for your service, to each and every one of you who have stepped up out of your patriotism and served our country honorably. We appreciate your service and the sacrifice you have made for our country. Also appreciate the voice youre using on behalf of veterans who have been deported, which is shameful. In migration plan, peoples first immigration plan i released on april 2nd, one of the things i called for is to immediately in sure veterans who have been deported can come back into the United States and pursue citizenship here in the United States because they served our country honorably. They did this duty for our country and we owe them a debt of gratitude. The last thing we should do is see them deported away from their family and unable to enjoy the fruits of their labor in defending this country. Thank you. Our next question from isabel, a lulac member from illinois and she is here to ask this question. Would you please direct it to the stage. There is a Teacher Shortage that is growing nationwide, especially in poverty areas. What is your plan to improve the unequal distribution of highly qualified teachers, and more important help motivate individuals to seek a career in education . Thank you very much for the question. You know, gracias, thank you to all of the teachers in our audience and those that are watching. I know we have a lot that are part of lulac. My father was a teacher, Public School teacher for 31 years, and my wife has been a Public School educator for the last 15 years. My brother and i are proud products of the Public Schools. So i know the value of Great Teachers in our country. I released an Education Plan a few weeks ago. One of the things i called for is to increase teacher pay. We would do that in part through a tax credit that would go range from 2,000 to 10,000 and would get higher on a sliding scale based on the percentage of students who are on free or reduced lunch. In other words, we would incentivize teachers to go into those areas that are the most impoverished, oftentimes the most struggling schools in our country, and to pursue their careers there. We also would ensure we get more teachers into the pipeline by investing in tuitionfree public universities communities colleges and Training Programs and invest more money in teacher recruitment and retention. As you know, we get a lot of great people that go into the teaching profession. But then after one or two years they leave. They get frustrated or they are not sure if its for them. Thats especially true in some of the Toughest School districts in the United States. I would invest in teacher recruitment and training to help them succeed professionally and be able to stay and do a good job in those schools they are in. I have to tell you that part of my experience and part of why i proposed that, after college and before law school, i went back to my old high school, Thomas Jefferson high school in san antonio, texas, and i was a permanent substitute teacher. I remember i had one class that i think had 37 people in it, one class had 38 and the other had 39. I knew right away that i knew very little about how to teach effectively. I gained a tremendous amount of respect for what it takes to be a good teacher. I knew its not as simple as walking into the classroom and talking. Its a craft. It takes skill. It takes patience. It takes understanding. Oftentimes youre not only a teacher, you turn into a counselor. We need to invest in those teacherings at the beginning to retain them. Thank you very much. Thank you. Our next question comes from debra. She is from milwaukee, wisconsin and debra has this question for you, please. Hello, and as a teacher, thank you very much for your comments. If elected, what will you do to reduce gun violence and how do you plan to accomplish this working with republicans in congress . Thank you very much, debra. Thank you very much for the question and even more so for your activism and act vichls iv moms demand. You have inspired so many people across the country as parkland students have as well. I believe in universal background checks. We need to limit the capacity of magazines. We need a new assault weapons ban. We also should pass red flag laws so that were able to stop folks from getting a gun who should never get it in the first place. Close loopholes like the boyfriend loophole and charleston loophole. And i believe also ensure that we do things like end this distinction between physical health care and Mental Health care so that we invest in Mental Health care in our country [ applause ] because as you know one of the things we talk about less is the fact that a lot of folks a lot of people who died because of especially a handgun died by suicide. Too many people suffer in silence with bipolar disorder or depression or Something Else that they spiral downward in silence until they take their own life. We have a role in connecting these dots with our Health Care System to make sure were investing in coverage for Mental Health care in a productive way and eliminating the stigma that too oftentimes goes with Mental Health issues. In doing that, i think its going to have a positive impact on reducing gun violence when it comes to death by suicide. I think we can also do things like smart targeted gun buybacks in different communities. So across the board, we can make our country safer. Thank you very much. We have one minute left. May we inject one minute from mary from wisconsin. Please, your question. Thank you. What do you propose to do about the student loan borrowers who are still struggling to pay off the loans . Ive heard their student loan forgiveness plans but want to know how the program you would initiate would work. For example, if you were proposing paying 75 of the loans, would the unsubsidized portions be paid off first . Will the remaining 25 left to pay, would the incomebased repayment plan still be available to apply to it. I apologize, we have very little time. Briefly. I hope folks will go to my website, Julian Castro. Com and check out Education Plan that includes Student Loan Debt relief. Its a huge problem in the country. It saddles folks with too much debt that prevents them from buying a home, starting a family. My plan addresses that. The way that it works just briefly is if you make less than 250 of federal poverty level, then the repayment is zero. If you make over that, then it scales up. But the most you would have to repay would be 10 of your income. The total amount you would have to pay would be capped. Interest would be capped as well. So i invite folks to go to Julian Castro. Com and check out my full plan. Thank you so much secretary castro. In one year [ speaking spanish ] in one year the national convention, Democratic National convention in milwaukee. Do you see yourself as the candidate for the party receiving that nomination here in a year . Yes, i do. You have two minutes to make your closing statement. Thank you very much for having me here. Gracias lulac. Thank you very much. To all of my fellow texans also, i know we have a large texas contingent. Thank you for being here. Just briefly, look, this election is all about what we want our nation to become in the years ahead. I want you to know that if you elect me president that i will work hard every single day to make sure that your children and your grandchildren can get a good education, because they have a Strong Partner in washington that will work hard with states and with local School Districts to make sure that education works for everybody in this country. Ill work hard to ensure that you and your family can have Good Health Care when you need it, that we have universal health care so that no matter how much money you make or dont make, no matter what your back ground is you can get medication and health care when you need it and you can have good job opportunities. Whether you live in a big city or small town. So that you can get gainful employment and provide for your family. And that no matter what the color of your skin is, what your Sexual Orientation is, how you identify, whether youre a man or a woman, that you can reach your dreams in this country. My grandmother came here when she was 7 years old from mexico and worked as a maid, cook and babysitter because they never finished elementary school. My mom raised my brother and me as a single parent. Two generations after my grandmother got here with almost nothing, one of her grandsons is now the congressman for the city that she came to, san antonio, and the other one is here asking for your support to be president of the United States. That is the greatness of the United States of america. And i ask for your support in the year ahead. And with your support, on january 20th, 2021, were going to say adios to donald trump. Thank you so much, muchos gracias. [ speaking spanish ] [ applause ] okay. Lets take an instant poll. Let me ask the former National President of lulac will you please stand, sir. Hectare flores, i want your reaction. Did he convince you . Do you think he has a solid response to the questions he was asked. Absolutely. He not only has my vote but hes got my money. All right. Let me get reaction over here. Would you please stand. May i ask you a question. What did you think about what you heard from secretary Julian Castro. I thought it was very genuine. Its a great opportunity not just for the community but for all of those who are willing to put in hard work and to see Immigration Reform and really move this country, continue to move it forward. Let me ask you this. Do you think he has that temperament to take on someone like donald trump who attacks very personally and very aggressively . I think so. That you very much. Lets move over here. You asked a tough question. You asked about you asked about repatriating member and wom men and women who have served this country, is this a broken promise in your view, a promise made to these people who came here and served in uniform. Definitely. The promise was made when they enlisted in military. They served for their country. A lot gave blood for their country. Did he answer your question . He did. He did. Theres always more we can do to get these guys back sooner. Thank you. Youre a young man sitting over here. Ive got about 40 seconds left. As you listened to that man, could you see yourself one day seeking public office. Absolutely. I would run for congress the minute i got a chance to when i turn 25. You should see the spark in his eyes. We thank you all for his reaction. Youre very happy over here and dressed smartly. We have a few seconds left. Where are you from, young man . From california. Strawberry country, Central Coast of california. Tell us about that community. Do you think Julian Castro could connect with them. Definitely. Absolutely. Now, as you hear the candidates tonight, whats important to you when youre listening to their answers prosecute of everything he says is very important to me from people from the military and how families are being separated that really catches my attention. I thank you very kindly. You guys are doing wonderful. Thank you. We continue with Elizabeth Warren. Gracias. Enrique. [applause] [speaking [ speaking spanish ] [ speaking spanish ] [ speaking spanish ] [ speaking spanish ] Elizabeth Warren is here to join us on stage. Please, maam, welcome to lulac and welcome. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Its good to see you. Two minutes if you would like to start out. Id love to. Let me start by saying thank you so much for inviting me to be here. Theres a whole range of issues that i know are important to the Latin Community from education to housing to entrepreneurship and i hope we get to talk about all of them, but i want to say a little bit at the top about migration plan if i can. It starts with a premise and that is immigration is good for the United States of america. Im. It starts with a premise and that is immigration is good for the United States of america. Mi. It starts with a premise and that is immigration is good for the United States of america. It helps us build a strong economy, and it ties us to families and people all around the world. Now, our immigration system is broken. I get that donald trump goes out there every single day and tries to exploit that for his political ends, but we all know in this room it was broken long before donald trump came along. And we need big change in the immigration system. We need the kind of change that helps us build a stronger future. Is that better . Thats about our security, that is about building a future that promotes our economy and that also is about living our values every day. So let me just give you the highlights. You know me when i do my plans, there are lots and lots of details. Its who i am. But let me give you the highlights. It starts with expanding legal immigrati immigration. Families have been held apart too long. We have a backlog that now runs years. That makes no sense for the United States of america. Part two is a path to citizenship for everyone who is here to stay. [ applause ] its for dreamers and for grandmas and for brothers and for sisters. Its for our neighbors, for people who started businesses. Its for people who work farms. Its for people who have been here for years and who are part of our Great American family. That path to citizenship has to be both fair and achievable. Part three to this plan is to say we have got to stop the crisis at the border. I will stop the crisis at the border. We can talk a little more about that in detail. Can i just do one more . Sure. No great nation tears families apart. No great nation locks up children, and thats critical. And then the fourth part is just to say quickly we need to provide more aid around the world, and particularly in Central America. Help establish the rule of law, make a little investment in the economy and not so many people will feel that they need to run for their lives. We should be a country that builds a future here in america and encourages others to do it all around the world. Thank you for having me here. Sorry to interrupt. Im going to ask the question first in spanish and then ill jump right into english. [ speaking spanish ] i want to start out by asking about this breaking news. President trump decided today to withdraw his Court Challenge to include that Citizenship Question in the census. Whats your reaction to that . Wow, hes going to follow the l law . He said hes going to seek other ways to get this information, right . This is not about trying to find out real information about citizenship and noncitizenship in america, this is about trying to stir up some more hate, to try to get more people excited. Donald trump has one big message to the American People. If theres something wrong in your life, if theres something thats not working, blame them. Blame people who dont look like you. Blame people who dont sound like you. Blame people who dont pray like you. Blame people who werent born where you were born. He wants to build an america that pits working people against hardworking people. That is not how we build a future in this country. We build a future together. Thats how we make a stronger america. [ speaking spanish ] he has millions of followers. We focus sometimes too much on trump and not enough on trumpism. If you become president , how do you make sure those followers dont feel disenfranchised under the president as many feel under trump. Here is how i see this, the question in 2020 is who government should work for. This is not a problem again that just started with trump. Weve gone for a long time where america has worked better and better and better for a thinner and thinner and thinner slice at the top. Its just not working well for anyone else. We live in an america that works great for giant Drug Companies, just not for people trying to get a prescription filled. It works great for giant Oil Companies that want to drill everywhere, just not for those of us that worry about Climate Change bearing down upon us. It works great for corporate executives, for billionaires, but its not working for the rest of us. Here is how i see this. We have a chance in 2020, in a democracy, to take this back and make this government work for all of us. We can attack the corruption of a government in washington that only works for those with money, we can attack it head on and we can make this government work. Not just for those at the top but for everyone. We can help restructure this economy, we can strengthen unions so working people have a real voice in this economy. Yes. We can put a wealth tax in place. Tax two cents on the top onetenth of one percent. Do you know what we could do with that . We could provide universal child care, baby age 0 to 5 in this country. Think about that. Universal prek for every 3yearold and 4yearold. Raise the wages of every Child Care Worker and preschool teacher to the professional levels they deserve. Tuitionfree Technical School Community College and Fouryear College for every one of our kids who wants to get an education. 50 billion into historically black colleges and universities and minority serving institutions, level that Playing Field. And cancel Student Loan Debt for 95 of the kids who have got it. Thats how we build a future for everyone, democrat and republican. Talking about the Playing Field r thoughts on some of the backlash against the u. S. Soccer [ speaking spanish ] i want to get your thoughts on some of the backlash against u. S. Womens soccer team after they came back with their fourth world cup. What do you think about that . I love seeing the women win at soccer. Come on, guys, this is fun. Wow so i have to say both my kids played soccer and my husband, bless him, did not play soccer but he became a soccer coach because thats what good daddies do, right . As he used to say when he first started out, hed say, you know, he had played very good tennis player, very driven. Thats the kind of person he is. He said coaching little girls at soccer, its kind of a different world. Youre totally into Running Drills and then someone says, a butterfly. But over time i truly believe i watched him as he coached and our daughter grew up, our son. I think soccer made my children and husband better people. The demand for equal pay, its much more than that. Its about a chance. This is a womens team that gets out there every day and produces. When women produce, then by golly, womthey should be paid f it. I agree. [ speaking spanish ] we just had another record breaking month in june. We talk about a Climate Emergency but were not getting any leadership from this administration. [ speaking spanish ] what would you do as president in the first 100 days as president. I think we are getting leadership from this administration, they are just leading us in the wrong direction and its important to turn this around. This is a crisis. This is the one that threatens our very existence on this planet. So i see this as a twopart. One is you do everything you can do, a president can do, by herself. And for example, on [ speaking spanish ] and just, for example, on the first day, i will put in place a moratorium so there will be no new drilling, no new mining on any federal lands and no offshore drilling. That moves us in the right direction. Rejoin the paris climate accord. Well move in that direction. But i also have a bigger bill. This is a green manufacturing bill. Let me do this in as short a view as i can. Think of it this way, as we move forward, the United States, we could get to net zero emissions by 2030. Its an ambitious goal but we could do it. That will only solve 20 of the problem. We have a worldwide problem when were talking about climate. So think of it this way. There is an upcoming 23 trillion Worldwide Market for green. Green energy, green products, products that help clean the area, products that help clean the water. A lot of these products havent been prevented yet. So here is my plan. First we do what we do really well in the United States, and that is we invest heavily, ten times more in research and development, in creating all those new ways to do things, all those new products. Part two, we say to anybody who wants to develop them and turn them into a product they can sell, you can do it, you just have to build it here in the United States. You build it here in the u. S. Third, we need to increase our marketing and sales of these products all around the world. China outspends us right now 100 to one on marketing their products around the world. We need to do that. That will produce new manufacturing jobs right here in the u. S. This is a way to create a future, to build allies and protect this planet and create a greenspan Sustainable Planet for all of us going forth. Thank you, senator warren. Thank you and welcome senator. I want to ask the first question that has to do with criminal justice. We invite the man from california to ask that question. Given the Current Conditions of the criminal Justice System, what steps do you plan to take to prevent miscarriages of justice as recently reported, specifically the one regarding mr. Epstein and secretary acosta. Thank you. So im kind of guessing from that question you actually believe in accountability. Here is the problem weve got in america. We have two Justice Systems. One for people who are rich and can hire lawyers and lobbyists and have lots of connections and friends, and one for everybody else. But the words engraved over the Supreme Court of the United States are equal justice under law. And thats what we have had to abide by. So let me just say this about it. That is we need to reform our criminal Justice System from the front end, what we declare illegal, all the way through the Justice System itself where mr. Epstein got a pass that i didnt know was available to people on through incarceration and at the end helping people reenter our communities when they have served their time. I have plans in every part of this, but ill mention a couple. There are so many places in here where race intersects the notion of justice and that people of color are simply treated differently from white people. Let me give you some examples. We know, for example, from the data that africanamericans and whites on exactly the same crimes, affirms are more likely to be detained, taken to trial and have harsher systems. That is a criminal Justice System that is broken. And it is for all of us in america to live our values. That means we need public defenders. We need to change the cash bail system. We need to get rid of for profit prisons. No one should make money by locking people up. Senator, thank you. Senator warren, the next question just a quick followup, because its relevant to the question. [ speaking spanish ] are you also supporting senator schumer on this demand that secretary acosta resign . Yes, but i was there a long time ago with him. Yes. Thank you. Let me count the ways. So senator warren, the next question deals with puerto rico. This was sent in by juan carlos, from new york. Sir, your question. Thank you. Senator, as president , you will have the courage to support equality rights and state hood for american citizens i will su puerto rican people want. If the puerto rican people vote for statehood, count me in. Senator, to that point if i may add to his question, the victims of the worst hurricane to ever strike the island were thrown some paper towels way back when. Yes. 23 months later, they were still waiting for help. What do you attribute the fact that they had to wait two years to get aid that also would have been dispensed quite differently in other parts of america . I think this is part of Donald Trumps same plan to say people who dont look like you, who dont sound like you, people who dont worship like you, people who werent born where you were born. Everything is their fault. Treat them differently. He treats them as if they are not part of our country, and they are part of our country. People from puerto rico serve in the military at higher rates than most other places in this country. I have three brothers who are veterans. We honor the service of those in puerto rico. Hard working people who deserve more respect than they have been given by this president. Does that mean that you would commit when youre elected to become president of the United States to immediately provide the promised relief that they were given and never delivered upon . Yes. Thank you. The next question, senator warren, is on immigration and specifically, mixed status marriages. Let me please invite demarice. Hes a member of lulac. Heres the question she has to offer. Hello. Hi. My question for you, and this is coming from someone who is also from a mixed status family. So i have a little sister who is a u. S. Citizen. A current daca recipient, but my daca has been delayed. And i am my mom is also here illegally. So will you support the right to Family Campaign . The National Movement to create a threeyear renewable and retroactive visa program for parents and spouses of u. S. Citizen and parents and spouses of dreamers . We need a candidate that will advocate for all of our mixed status families that are separated every day by mass deportations. And i would also like to add the borders are no longer just down south. The borders are in our communities, in our homes, and theyre willing to come in and separate us. We have a bill. Are you willing to support it . Or do you have a better bill . So, i think i actually have a better bill. But i want you to understand about this bill. It was written in part by spending a lot of time with mixed status families. And thats how i came to the understanding that i understand why we want to protect our dreamers. Im all for protecting our dreamers. But not just our dreamers. What does it mean to protect a dreamer . If her mother is taken away . If her father is taken away . If an older sibling is taken away. If a younger sibling has missed the time cutoff. Thats not who we are. We are about families that stay together. Thats what makes families stronger, but its also what makes our country stronger. Senator, we have a question on a very important topic to millions of latinos across america. And that is Mental Health. Yes. And making sure that is included in our health coverage. We have a question here submitted by Melissa Vermillion from milwaukee, wisconsin. If i could please ask her to come forward. Heres her question for you tonight. Hello. Hi. So given suicide rates have increased for the current youth population, whats your plan to ensure insurance start provide real Mental Health services to the minority population, especially for minority youth . Im so glad you raised this issue. I just want everybody in here to think about whats happened with Mental Health in this country. You go to an emergency room and say, i think ive broken my leg. They find a way to treat you. But come in with a Mental Health problem and they say come back in three weeks. They say, im sorry. You only get this many treatments, whether its what you need or not. Now i want to be clear on this part. The law says that Mental Health must be treated the same as physical health. That means coverage is supposed to under the law be the same. But this is one more example of where our government isnt on our side. Theyre not fighting the Insurance Companies over this. They just bow to the Insurance Companies. So heres my promise to you. Mental Health Issues matter to me. And i have the courage to take on Insurance Companies all across this country and make sure that they provide equal coverage. And that this government provides equal coverage. Thank you, senator. I want to ask you about education. The question submitted by our member, alejandro in harbor city, california, is this. What are you going to do for the lowincome communities and the children of color who are struggling with schools that need School Supplies and also accommodate schools that dont have the things to teach the kids with the tools that they need. Good. So i let me go back to where i started a few minutes ooh and that is to talk about a wealth tax in this country. I want to underline this for everyone. This is a tax on the onetenth of one percent. The greatest fortunes in this country. Its about 75,000 fortunes. It says your first 50 million free and clear. I see some of you relaxed with that. But on your 50 millionth and first dollar, youve got to pitch in two cents. And two cents for every dollar after that. That produces enough money to start making Real Investments in our kids. I started with universal child care. Universal prek for every 3yearold and 4yearold raising the wages of preschool teachers and Child Care Workers. But it also carries through what we need to be doing in k through 12. I have supported, while ive been in the senate, more investment in our schools and making sure those schools that that money goes to the schools that need it most and have the children that need it most. This is about money. Its about numbers. Im a numbers nerd. I admit it. But heres the deal. Its really about our values. Is it more important to leave two cents on the dollar with the ba zillionairs or is it to say, you made it big. Good for you. Were glad you made it big. But pitch in two cents so every other kid in this country has a chance. I want to ask you this. Do you support the privatization of Public Education . The privatization of Public Education . No. Whats your position on that . No. Thank you, senator warren. Senator warren, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us today. Thank you for coming here. You have two minutes for your closing statements. Oh, good. So let me just say one more word. Its a great honor to be here with all of you. I grew up in a family that was a paycheck to paycheck family and sometimes didnt have a paycheck. As i mentioned earlier, all three of my older brothers went off and joined the military. I had a different dream. From the time i was in second grade, ive known what i wanted to do and ive never varied from it. I wanted to be a Public Schoolteacher. And that was my dream. By the time i graduated from high school, my daddy was working as a janitor. We didnt have money for me to apply to college, much less four years of college. I have a twisty, tourney story on how it all happened, but i ended up at the university of houston which back then was it was a commuter college that cost 50 a semester. And for a price i could pay for on a parttime waitressing job, i got my fouryear diploma, and i became a special needs teacher. Ive lived my dream job. [ applause ] im somebody who has lived opportunity. And that opportunity came from the fact that other people around this country made an investment to make that education available to me. I am grateful down to my toes. And the reason im running for president of the United States is out of gratitude. I want us to be an america that doesnt just work for those at the top. I want us to be an america that fulfills that dream of opportunity and says to every single kid, you get out there. You work hard, and the skys the limit. Here i am. My daddy ended up as a janitor, but i got the tupopportunity to a Public Schoolteach eto be a College Professor, a United States senator and now a candidate for president of the United States. Dream big. Fight hard. Thats how we win. Thank you. Thank you so much, senator warren. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you so much. Elizabeth warren. Thank you. All right. Now we take a straw poll. An opportunity to get your reaction. May i invite you over. So weve heard two of the four candidates tonight. Im at random picking people out of the audience. May i have your name police . Margaret stewart. Where are you from please . Milwaukee, wisconsin. So youre right here in your hometown. Youve heard Elizabeth Warren speak with so much passion. She says, i have a plan for everything. But tonight, she wasnt going too much into the weeds. She was sticking to the key points. How does she do with you . I felt she was being very open and honest. Its up to us as voters to dig deep into what her thoughts are and get that information from other sources. We only get a snippet today but its up to us to ultimately figure out where she really what impact she can really make. I thank you so very much. Thank you for having us in your hometown. I want to invite i want to invite Teresa Montano from the state of california. One of the academic leaders in that state. So you heard her response very simple, very clear on the issue of privatization of Public Education. Was she convincing with you . She was convincing, but i wish she would have had more time to actually talk about the dangers of privatization. But anyone who was a Public Schoolteacher and a College Professor and now a candidate who has supported Public Education for all her career, i believe will take on privatization. Everyone in this room seems to feel that education is one of the top priorities. Youve spent your life in education and were still deal with the achievement gaps. Your reaction to that . For us, especially for those of us in the Latin Community, education remains a top priority. We know that its important. We know that its a way out of poverty. We know that its important to our children. We know how to do it. We just need the resources to improve it. I want to thank you very much and the entire audience. You gave a rousing reception to senator Elizabeth Warren. Thank you. [ speak iing Foreign Language ] senator Bernie Sanders, welcome. Good to see you, sir. Welcome. Thank you very much. You have two minutes for your introduction round. Please go ahead. Well, let me let me thank lulac and domingo and all of you for doing the incredibly important work you are doing at this unprecedented and dangerous moment in american history. It gives me no pleasure to tell you what you already know. And that is tragically, we have a president who today is a racist, who is a bigot, who is a xenophobe, who is an embarrassment who is an embarrassment to everything this country stands for. My father, his name was eli, came to this country from poland at the age of 17. And he came to this country with very little education, without a nickel in his pocket and could not speak one word of english. He is exactly the kind of person that donald trump does not want coming into the United States. And we know that trump is doing something unprecedented as a precedent. And that is in order to win votes, he is appealing to the most base instincts of people. He is trying to divide this country up based on the color of our skin or where we came from or our religion or our Sexual Orientation. And the reason that trump is going to lose the coming election is because were going to do exactly the opposite. Were going to bring the American People together. Black and white and latino. Asian american, native american. We are going to bring our people together around an agenda that works for all of us and not just wealthy campaign contributors. So not only we are going to end bigotry in this country, were going to move forward to provide health care to all people as a right. Were going to make public colleges and universities tuition free. We are going to guarantee health care to every man, woman and child. Lets Start Talking about the details, senator sanders. Its good to see you again. I think we spoke only two weeks ago. Yes, we did. Im going to ask the question in spanish and then ill try to understand some of it in spanish. I speak very fast, but i know you can understand part of it. [ speaking spanish ] many of the issues that were talking about on the campaign trail today were introduced by yourself in 2016. Do you feel responsible for moving the party to the left, and how are you going to regain ownership on some of this Progressive Agenda . Well, i feel proud because all that we are doing is doing what the American People want us to do. The American People want an economy and a government that works for all of us, not just the 1 . The American People know that we are the only major country on earth. Im supposed to look at you, right . Thats fine. Youre more interesting than i am. Every other major country on earth guarantees health care to all people as a right. We have got to do the same. We have too many young people in this country who come from families like the family i came from that doesnt have a lot of money. They cant afford to go to college. Therefore, we are losing their ability, their potential to be teachers and doctors and scientists. That is why we have got to make sure that all of our young people have the opportunity for a Higher Education. Other countries are doing it. Its not a radical idea. Making public colleges and universities tuition free is exactly what we should be doing. And ill tell you what else we should be doing. Instead of giving a trillion and a half dollars in tax breaks to the top 1 and large corporations, we should cancel student debt in this country. And these are some of the issues that were going to talk about. If you want to sit ill just chase you around the stage. Thats fine. [ speaking spanish ] age became an issue after the first debate. What did you say . Youve called it ageism in the Democratic Party. Some of the younger candidates, as you pass the torch, how do you view this generational change in the Democratic Party . I think we need a lot of change in this country, to tell you the truth. But when you look at a candidate, age is a factor, experience is a factor. The candidates record is a factor. Most importantly, what that candidate stands for is a factor. And i would simply say, and i say this as honestly as i can knowing, you know, all the other candidates. Good people, all. Is that if you look at my record, there are very few, if any candidates out there, who have spent as much time and effort with success in standing up for the working people of this country. When we talk about age and you also have to talk about vision. Where do we want to go as a nation . Where do we want our future to be for our kids . So let me be very clear. I know not everybody agrees with me. I get criticized every day. But i dont believe that america is about three people owning more wealth than the bottom half of the country. I dont believe that it is about giving massive tax breaks to people who dont need it when we have 500,000 people who will be sleeping out on the streets of this country today. We need to build Affordable Housing so that people do not pay 40 , 50 of their limited incomes in housing. We need instead of having a president who denies the reality of Climate Change, we need a president who will lead the world in transforming our Energy System and moving away from fossil fuel to Energy Efficiency and sustainable energy. This is this is an incredible threat, not just to the United States, not just to latin america, but to africa, to asia, to europe. You all are reading about the heat waves in europe, in india. People are dying right now. And what the scientists tell us, if we do not act aggressively in transforming our Energy System within 12 years, which is no time at all, the damage done to this planet will be irreparable. Here is my vision. This is a radical idea. I dont know if it will ever happen. But this is my dream and what i will do as a president. What i will do is go to russia and china and brazil and india and all the countries around the world and tell them that instead of spending a trillion and a half dollars every year on weapons of destruction designed to kill other human beings, maybe we should use our resources to come together and fight our common enemy which is Climate Change. [ speaking spanish ] quite a welcoming. [ speaking spanish ] lowering the cost of health care was cited as a number one priority for latino voters in a most recent poll. I want to ask you, not just how you plan to pay for this, because i know youve been asked that question a thousand times, but how are you going to convince republicans in congress to support this idea after the kind of hyperpolarization, hyperpartisanship weve seen from washington . Were going to make the republicans an offer they cant refuse. First of all, my sincere hope is that were going to get rid of republican control of the United States senate. And im going to work as hard as i can to make that happen. But second of all, if that is not successful, and its, by the way, not just republicans. Weve got some democrats we have to worry about as well, to be honest with you. Look, as a nation, we have to answer two questions, and people disagree. The first question is, do we believe that health care is a human right which should be enjoyed by all people whether they are rich or poor . I think most americans believe that. And the second question is, okay, if we believe that, if we think that it is absurd that in America Today, we have 34 Million People who have no Health Insurance, we have even more who are under insured and that hits the Latino Community particularly hard. Okay . If we are spending twice as much per person on health care as do the people of any other country, if we pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs, if the function of the current Health Care System is not to provide quality care to all but to make huge profits for the Drug Companies and the Insurance Companies, the answer to me is that we need to move toward medicare for all. Medicare for all, single payer program. And we the way we do that is the way that real change, the way we bring that about is the way real change always takes place. Anybody who has understood history understands that in america or any other country on earth, the only way that change takes place is from the bottom on up, never from the top on down. All right. And what that means, what that means is that millions of people have got to stand up to the Drug Companies and the Insurance Companies and anybody in congress and say, sorry, i am a human being. My children are human beings, and as human beings, we are entitled to health care as a right. Now you want to ask how were going to pay for it, the answer is, were already paying for it. We are spending twice as much per capita on health care as do the people of any other nation. You are paying for it through your premiums, through your outofpocket expenses, through your outrageous deductibles and copayments and high cost prescription drugs. We can lower the cost of health care substantially for the vast majority of the people through public funding of a medicare for all single payer system. I want to open the floor. Good. To questions. And say that to interview Bernie Sanders is actually a workout. Senator sanders, thank you very much. In the interest of so many questions that have been submitted, id request brevity. The first comes from fernando on behalf of Reggie Gonzalez from chicago, illinois. The question for the senator . Good evening. Do you favor the abolishment of the Electoral College . It is hard to defend a system in which we have a president who lost the popular vote by 3 million votes. So the answer is, yes. Thank you, senator. Thank you for the brevity. This question comes from joe perales from dallas, texas. Senator sanders, im a math teacher and love polling data. Whether its good or bad, i love polling data. Based on recent polling based on democrat voters, more than half of them prefer to keep their private Health Insurance. Even though medicare for all if medicare for all was an option, would you give them that choice . Nope. Look. There is lets understand. Thank you for the question. I am going to try to be brief, but its hard. All right. The American People do not love their health Insurance Companies. In fact, in many cases they detest their health Insurance Companies. Because they know the function of the Health Insurance company is just to make money, to deny claims that they should, in fact, receive. What the American People do love in many cases are their doctors and their hospitals and their nurses. Under medicare for all, people will have absolute freedom of choice regarding doctors and hospitals. A choice that many people do not have today because, if your doctor is not in your network, youll have to pay out of pocket. We eliminate that and provide freedom of choice. The question the proper question is asked, and people understand, they can go to any doctor they have. The overwhelming majority of the people are prepared to get rid of private Health Insurance. Look, heres the bottom line. Last year, the top ten Drug Companies made 69 billion in profits. The top five Insurance Companies made 23 billion in profits. The function of health care should not be to make huge profits for the Drug Companies and the Insurance Companies. Thank you, senator. The next question comes from linda chavez from austin, texas. And we have a question thats been submitted now. So since lulac is all about education and civil rights, where are you on Free Education and Student Loan Debt relief . Well, as somebody who introduced a few years ago the concept of making public colleges and universities tuition free, i am proud of the success that we are already having throughout the country. University of texas today Just Announced that theyre going to have free tuition at the austin campus in california, in san francisco, free tuition at their Community College. New york state making progress. New York University medical school announced a few months ago free tuition for medical students. So we are making progress, but the bottom line is, you know and i know that if our kids are going to make it into the middle class, they need a Higher Education. And its not just college. Its the kind of job training theyll need if they want to be carpenters or sheet metal workers. And weve got to provide that in a way that is free and, second of all, as i said earlier, if we can bail out wall street and give a trillion and a half dollars in tax breaks to the 1 and private corporations, we damn well can cancel all student debt in this country. Thank you, senator. The next question comes from linda flores. Let me get chris up here. It is on immigration. Senator, please. Hello. My name is Chris Vazquez from frisco, texas. Much of the immigration from Central America is due to instability in the northern triangle caused by failed u. S. Foreign policy in latin american countries. The western hemisphere is now as unstable as the middle east. What types of policies would you put into place to help alleviate or mitigate the violence and corruption in Central America in order to create hope for cooperation and peace in our region of the world . Thank you, mr. Sanders. Good question. Youre looking at somebody who not only voted against the north American Free trade agreement, but helped lead the opposition to that. And one of the reasons was that i understood what would happen to farmers in mexico and elsewhere who could not compete with the cheap corn manufactured in the United States. And your point, i think, is that as a result of that policy, a lot of Small Farmers in mexico and elsewhere lost their farms. They no longer had any income. Where are they going to go . And they went north. Here is a promise that i make to you because your point is very important. Everybody here understands that it is only under the most dire circumstances that a mom would take a baby by foot and travel a thousand miles. That mother is fleeing the violence and the drugs and the cartels in honduras and elsewhere. So here is my promise to you. Very shortly after i would say on the first day, but i have the feeling its going to be a very busy first day. A lot of things. But very shortly, what we have got to do is deal with this crisis hemispherically. And that is we need to bring the leadership in honduras and guatemala and el salvador and elsewhere and mexico into the oval office and say, look. And you got a problem. Theres corruption. No question about it. But how can the United States play a positive role in dealing with the violence and the terrible poverty that exists . Everything being equal, nobody wants to travel a thousand miles. Theyd rather stay home and live in peace and security. [ speaking spanish ] you mentioned nafta, if you become president , or when you become president , would you support the implementation of the new agreement with canada and mexico . Not the one trump is offering but we need a new agreement. What we need is historically trade agreements have not been written with the needs of working people or poor people in mind. Not the working people in the United States or in mexico or in canada for that matter. They have been written to protect the best interest in the profits of the large multinational corporations who often write these agreements behind closed doors. So we do need a new agreement, but its an agreement that works for the working people of mexico, working people of the United States, and the working people of canada. We have two minutes left, senator. Pedro caldron from west hills, wisconsin, asks this question. He says, as someone who previously supported your campaign and is supportive of universal health care for all, irrespective of its name among other social programs, how specifically do you plan to convince the American People not just the Democratic Party that you are the right person for the role of president of the United States . Well, this is an issue in terms of universal health care, youre looking at the United States senator who has led that effort for a number of years. You are looking at the senator who wrote the bill that has 15 cosponsors in the senate and a similar bill in the house has well over 100 cosponsors. And you are looking at the senator who is prepared to take on the greed of the Insurance Industry and of the pharmaceutical industry. In fact, in terms of health care, at the end of this month, if i might say, im going to do what i did 20 years ago, and that is, im going to take people from the United States across the Canadian Border to buy insulin in this case for onetenth of the price they are forced to pay in america. So to answer your question, i believe the record will indicate that if you want somebody to stand up to the greed of the Drug Companies and the greed of the Insurance Companies, substantially low are the cost of medicine in this country and guarantee health care to all people, if you are looking for somebody, look in this direction. I think im the guy. Gracias, senator. Senator sanders, you have two minutes for your closing remarks, please. [ speaking spanish ] two minutes. Thank you. Thank you so much. And again, let me thank all of you in lulac for the enormously important work youre doing. Especially in this moment in american history. Just earlier today, i had a meeting with some folks here in milwaukee. And i saw what i have seen time and time again. Ive seen a young person come up with tears in her eyes talking about her fears as an undocumented person. I have talked to young kids, 13 or 14 years of age who are scared to death that when they leave school and go home, their mother or their father may not be there. Here is another promise that i make to you. And that is, we will end the hatred. We will end the xenophobia that currently exists in this country. We will provide immediate legal status to the 1. 8 million young people eligible for the daca program. We will move we will move to comprehensive Immigration Reform and a path toward citizenship for all 11 million undocumented. And we will develop a humane policy at the border, not one which criminalizes desperate people for having traveled a thousand miles. Not one that puts children into cages. Not one that rips babies out of the arms of their mothers. This is not just what i want. This is not just what you want. This is, in fact, what the American People want. Together were going to end the hatred and the divisiveness and create the nation of love and compassion that we must become. Thank you all very much. Thank you, senator sanders. Thank you again. Senator Bernie Sanders feel the bern okay. We are going to continue right now. Of course, weve had an opportunity now to listen to several of the candidates. Three of them. May i please address this question to you. Will you stand. I know youre here with the green card veterans, and thats a very significant issue indeed. But tonight, youve heard three candidates talk about a lot of different things. What has most impressed you about what theyve said . Well, ive always been a fan of bernie. He didnt disappoint tonight, but ms. Warren definitely was very direct. No nonsense kind of attitude that i think we need today. Shes been called a lot of names by President Trump. Do you think how do you think she would react if he calls her Something Like that in a debate if she is the nominee of this party . She wouldnt care. She would keep on going and stick to the issues. So, tonight, have you made a different decision from what you came in thinking, where you were going to stand . Not yet. Youre still weighing it. Okay. So i want to get reaction from different people in the audience. Im going to come up to this row. I want to invite lupe torres to come over. She comes from the state of texas where lulac has a long history and is the immediate past state director of the organization. I want to ask you over here, you have had a chance to study these candidates up close. You know Julian Castro. My question to you is this. Has he, Julian Castro tonight, held his own or how would you rank them tonight . Can i ask you that . Yes, i think that all three have had significant issues that hispanic Americans Care for. So its going to be very difficult because i think they have all hit the nail on the head. And we just need to continue to see if they are going to continue straight on with those issues or change their minds because of various populations. But i think they all, so far, all three have done a terrific job. In 30 seconds, i think that their tone somewhat changed. They feel more comfortable here. Do you think this is their setting where they feel that latinos are, indeed, here to listen and support . I think that they understand that lulac is the most powerful hispanic organization, and they need to bend the minds and address lulac. Thank you, lupe torres. We go back to enrique. Thank you. Gracias. [ speaking spanish ] welcome. So you have two minutes for your opening remarks and then well take it from there. [ speaking spanish ] huge honor for me to be here with you tonight. For those of you from el paso, texas i knew youd be here. For those of you who are not from el paso, texas, let me just tell you, those friends of mine who are here with me tonight, were lucky enough to live in what is the largest binational community in the western hemisphere. Right in the middle of the chihuahua desert at the foothills of the rocky mountains. Home to chicos tacos but also 3 Million People from two countries speaking two languages, two histories, two cultures who are joined and not separated by the rio grande river. Forming something far greater and more powerful than the sum of the parts or the number of people involved. El paso texas, today is one of the safest cities in the United States of america. We are safe, not despite the fact that we are a see of immigrants and refugees and Asylum Seekers. We are safe because we are a city of immigrants and Asylum Seekers and refugees. And yet, inexplicably, given those facts, in the shadow of a wall that was built with the best of intentions that has caused thousands of deaths of people who sought a better life in this country, we now have a Border Patrol station in clint, texas, just outside of el paso, that has housed hundreds of children. Some separated from their parents, sleeping on concrete floors under aluminum blankets. Not afforded diapers for the toddlers or cleaning supplies or soap or toothpaste for the older children. We have right now in america the largest incarceration of children who have committed no crime in the history of this country with the exception of the internment of japanese americans. But i want to tell you this one last thing as part of my introduction. In that same community, we have a gentleman who may be here tonight, ruben garcia and enunciation house. This Catholic Charity seeks to reunite those families that have been separated, provides housing and shelter for people who are at their most vulare inable and desperate moment in their lives and enunciation house is not alone. There are hundreds who keep vigil just outside the clint Border Patrol station to report back to you and the rest of america just what is being done in our name. It convinces me that the worst of what is happening in America Today and tonight will be met by the best of our fellow americans. Like those in el paso, like the people here of lulac who are going to make sure that we live up to our potential and fulfill our promise. Thank you all for having us out here tonight. Thank you, so much. Please. You got it. Im doing spanish and english. I know you understand spanish very well. But if theres something in the question that needs translation, please let me know. You got it. [ speaking spanish ] these massive raids and massive deportations that supposedly could start this sunday. What is your reaction to this announcement . What President Trump is already doorks and i described some of it, what he proposes to do this weekend, the massive raids and enforcement operations, they are going to separate potentially thousands of families, many of whom have committed no crime against this country, pose no threat to the United States of america. Not only will remain a stain on our conscience if we allow this to continue. But will also make us less safe as a country. [ speaking spanish ] to make our communities to make our communities safe, we dont need to deport people or round them up. In fact, when immigrant communities fear local law enforcement, fear federal law enforcement, they are less likely to report crimes to testify in trials, to serve as witnesses. They are no longer participating in the civic life of our communities, and were less safe as a result. Thats why, as president , i will lead the effort in rewriting our immigration laws in our own image. To reflect our values, the reality on the ground here in milwaukee, in el paso, texas, across this country. That the very presence of immigrants makes us stronger, makes us more successful and, yes, makes us safer and more secure. So lets do this. Lets forever after never criminalize another person who comes to this country seeking refuge or asylum at our border. Lets free every child who is detained right now and reunite them with their parents at once. Lets invest in strategies in el salvador and guatemala and honduras to reduce the need to flee violence and crushing poverty and hunger. And lets make sure that the 9 million legal permanent residents here in the United States become citizens as soon as possible. The more than 1 million dreamers never again fearing deportation back to a country they do not know because we have made them citizens as well. And the millions more, working some of the hardest jobs we can imagine here in this country tonight. We allow them to come forward to get right and register with their government and contribute even more to our success, our security and our safety. Thats what i will do as president of the United States. Thank you. We can keep standing then. [ speaking spanish ] why not just focus on the senate race instead of running for president. What is your reason for staying in this race right now . I want to serve this country in the most consequential position available. I want to make sure that everything that were discussing here tonight, that we are able to accomplish. And what i learned from that senate run in texas in 2017 and 2018, along with many of you who are part of that, is that if we go everywhere, went to every single one of those 254 counties, if we write nobody off, no matter how red or rural their communities are, if we take no one for granted, no matter how big or blue, we can do nearly the impossible. At the end of the day in texas, we won more votes than any democrat in the history of that state. We won independence for the first time in decades. Young people turned out at an increase of over 200 of what they did in 2014. And though we did not win that race, there are now two new members of congress from texas, both democrats replacing republicans who helped to flip the house of representatives. Weve changed the composition of our state legislature. And we have 17 africanamerican women elected to judicial positions in harris county, changing the face of criminal justice in our most diverse city. What if we were able to lead a Grassroots Movement like that . All people, no pacs across this country. I believe its a movement and not a person that will defeat donald trump in 2020. A movement and not a person that will reunify this very divided and polarized country so we can work on the Biggest Challenges we have ever faced. Thank you. And now that you mentioned President Trump [ speaking spanish ] what would be the biggest mistake President Trump has done in terms of Foreign Policy . How would you fix it if you become president . Theres an open question in the world tonight. And maybe here in this country. Maybe in this room. Is the future a democratic one where we freely choose those who will represent our interests . Or is it an autocratic one . Ruled by strong men and dictators . Our president has chosen those strong men. Vladimir putin of russia who he not only invited to invade our democracy in 2016, but renewed the invitation just this year after the release of the mueller report. Duterte in the philippines. Al sisi in egypt. Its those strong men and dictators to whom hes become close while leaving behind our allies and the democracies. Whether its mexico and canada here in north america or the European Union and nato. How would i fix this . I will make sure that every challenge we face, whether its a trade imbalance with china, whether its the invasion of our democracy with russia, whether its a Nuclear Armed north korea or the potential of a nucleararmed iran that we meet these challenges together, unified with our friends and our allies and our partners, those allowances in some cases forged in a crucible of blood and sacrifice going back to world war ii. And lastly, i want to make sure we elevate the priority of this hemisphere in our Foreign Policy. It should not have come as a surprise to us that tens of thousands of children were willing to make an upwards of 2,000mile journey seeking refuge and shelter and safety in this country. I want to make sure that we work with the communities in el salvador, honduras and guatemala, and work with those nations and other stakeholders and governments in the region to make sure that we address these issues before they become problems there or for us at the u. S. mexico border. [ speaking spanish ] [ speaking spanish ] look, this is my message to the members of the Border Patrol. Nearly 20,000 of them who have one of the toughest jobs that i can imagine. They are to protect the United States against those who would smuggle Illegal Drugs or who would be involved in the smuggling of people. They must remain vigilant against the chance, though it has never happened before, that a terrorist or terrorist organization would seek to exploit our border and threaten the people of the United States of america. So my gratitude to them. But the job that they have and our gratefulness for the work that they do in performing it is not a license to mistreat people or act with impunity as we have seen throughout the history of the Border Patrol. Now whether it is the awful comments made about representative ocasiocortez or representative escobar when they visited the clint Border Patrol station. Or the Inhumane Treatment of children under their care or the fact that seven kids have died under their custody or just after being in their custody over the last year, there has to be oversight. There has to be accountability. And there has to be justice. As a member of congress, i wrote legislation and introduced it with a republican to do just this, to make sure that those who carry that badge have that power over the rest of us and those who approach this country at the u. S. mexico border, have the oversight and accountability necessary. As president , ill guarantee it. Ill make sure if were not able to do it legislatively that we do it by executive order. So im grateful for their work but i want to make sure we hold them to the highest of all standards. Welcome, welcome beto. We welcome you to the lulac family. They have many questions for you. The first one comes from maureen. Barbara is going to ask the question. It has to do with the topic of equal pay. Hello. My name is barbara. Good evening. According to the cps 2018 annual social and economic sup limit, women employed fulltime year around are paid 80 cents for every dollar paid to men employed full time year round. Latinas in the United States are typically paid just 53 cents for every dollar paid to white, nonhispanic men. How would you deal with this wage disparity . Thank you. Thank you for the question. First thing well do is sign into law the paycheck fairness act. And what this means is that in the workplace, you will no longer be penalized for sharing your wage level or wage history with fellow employees. So that you know where you stand and that you can take action and have the support of the courts if necessary. Well also ensure that previous wage history is not used as a factor in setting future wages. In other words, if youve been paid 53 cents on the dollar for the course of your working life and that is used as a factor in setting your wages going forward, youll always be pegged lower than where you should be. In addition, were going to make sure that we ratify the equal rights amendment so that enshrined in the constitution is equal protection for every woman in this country on every issue, including their ability to perform an Economic Life in america. Thank you. I want to thank you for that. Our next question is on the topic of lgbtq. It comes from jesus garcia from washington, d. C. And the question is going to be asked tonight by an alternate who is going to speak on his behalf. Please come forward. Oh, here you are. Great. You appear. Thank you. Last year, fbi hate crimes report showed once again an increase in attacks against hispanic and lgbtq people. Each week we learned of new attacks or murders of transgender women of color. How would your Administration Work with law enforcement, the Health Department and our Education System to reduce hate crimes against marginalized communities . Thank you for the question. I think we first have to acknowledge why some of this is happening at this moment in our country. For the last three years, theres been a rise in hate crimes every single year. When you have a president who describes mexican immigrants as rapists and criminals, Asylum Seekers as an infestation, you have given tacit approval to those who put those children in cages. When you sign an executive order attempting to ban muslim travel to the United States of america, you may explain why, on that same day, the mosque in victoria, texas, was burned on the ground. And when you enact via twitter a transgender troop ban, the violence that weve seen perpetrated against the Transgender Community under this administration, the otherwise inexplicable can become explained. We must go further than reversing that transgender troop ban which i will do on day one. We must also sign into law the equality act that guarantees the full civil rights of every single american. Weve got to look at [ applause ] i want to thank you for that response. The next question comes from matilda. Shes going to ask about climate. And she is from the state of new mexico. What are your plans to protect our environment and help with Climate Control . Thank you for the question. Were going to make sure that we save this planet for the generations that follow ours. Were going to guarantee that those communities that are disproportionately impacted by Climate Change. Very often lower income communities and minority majority communities are fortified against the floods and the storms and the droughts and the fires that are part of the Climate Change that we are experiencing right now. We will do this by mobilizing 5 trillion over the next ten years to invest in people and communities, in housing, in infrastructure and embracing the next generation of the technologies that will allow us to be freed from a dependence on fossil fuels and to create the highwage, high value, highskilled jobs that will come to america as a result. Well also we were talking about Foreign Policy earlier. Well convene the other powers of this planet to make sure that each one of them is doing their part to keep Global Warming under two degrees celsius, after which the storms, droughts and fires and floods that we are seeing today will pale in comparison. In other words, if every one of us does everything that we can, meet this not with half steps or half measures or half the country, but include everyone in the solution, we will be up to the greatest, the most existential challenge we have ever faced. We need to move on. Thank you, senator. This question from marcos. Andres is goingyou, senator. The question has to do with the economy and the working middle class in america. Im Vice President for young adults and collegiate students. The question is this. The middle class has been imporch rishd to a significant level. Thank you. The answer is yes. Lets begin by elevating the power and the prominence of unions, make sure that more women and men can join an apprenticeship that will teach them a trade or skill that they will command for the rest of their lives and will allow them to command a living wage for the rest of their lives. Lets make sure that college and Higher Education is affordable for every single american and that we radically expand the Public Service Debt Forgiveness program, so for those who want to teach school or work at the v. A. , take care of the veterans who put their lives on the line for this country, they can focus on doing that because well have wiped clean their debt. Lets make sure that a minimum wage is a living wage of 15 everywhere in this country. Paid family leave without exception for every american so you can take care of yourself, your family and your kids. And then health care. Health care is fundamental to the success of this country and to the middle class. Universal, guaranteed, highquality primary health care, Mental Health care and every woman making her own decision about her own body and having access to the care that makes that possible. Thats how we do this. Senator, we have one minute left. How will you heal america after President Trump . It certainly cannot be with more division, more pettiness and more meanness. He is defining this country right now by the walls that he seeks to construct and the cages in which he has placed those kids, to that fear we must bring our courage, our confidence and ambition and aspirations and we must bring everyone. We dont care. If youre a republican or a democratic or an independent, if you live in a big city or a install town, we are not going to write you off. We are going to bring you in, not just into this campaign and into this election, but to every single solution to every chal thae eng that we face as a company. Will you call immediately for the closures of the concentration camp child Detention Centers . Yes. Before we say goodbye, two minutes for your closing marks. And i do want to make a point [ speaking Foreign Language ] i mentioned el paso at the outset of my comments and i would like to close with a reference to my community. Texas held the First Boys High School baseball championship in 1949. A team from el paso, the bears, entered that competition with their uniforms handsewn by their mothers, won the city championship, won the regional choc championship and then traveled by bus to austin, a ninehour trip, where they were met by no dogs or mexicans allowed. In fact, the night before they played the championship game, they slept on the field under the bleachers where they would compete the next day. And they won that game. And they brought back distinction and honor to el paso, to texas, to this country. An understanding of who we are at our best. And i will tell you, as they grew into adulthood, they met the racism and intolerance and denial of civil rights with that same courage and perseverance and ability to overcome. Its exactly what we need right now in this country at this moment. Whether the challenge is health care or rewriting our immigration laws or a more inclusive economy or being there for those veterans who have born the battle for this country, i want to make sure that we bring everyone in. Republicans, democrats, folks who do not come to the same conclusion on the same issues that i do. Before we are anything else, race, egt nisty, party affiliation, we are Americans First and we are human beings and were going to start to treat each other in that way, and that is the way that well live to our full potential and fulfill this countrys promise. Thank you for having us out tonight. Thank you so much. Appreciate it. Thank you so much. Beto orourke. [ speaking Foreign Language ] was that a Great Program or no . In 1963, the grandson of Irish American immigrants for the first time addressed a lulac meeting. That grandson was john f. Kennedy. Today we carry on that tradition with president ial candidates. So i want you to get out your cell phones and i want you to go to text 52866, thats 52866, and you tell us which president ial candidate in your opinion were doing a straw poll here. 52886, and pick the candidate who you thought did the best job. Were on the move. If youre not registered to vote, vote. If youre a u. S. Resident, become a citizen and get involved, run for office. Join lulac. [ speaking Foreign Language ] [ speaking Foreign Language ] today the House Rules Committee meets to discuss a resolution citing attorney general william bar and congress secret wilbur ross for contempt of congress for failure to comply with a congressional subpoena over the 2020 census. Watch live at 5 00 p. M. Eastern here on cspan 3, or listen live on the free cspan radio app. Tonight on the communicators, congressman who represents Silicon Valley talks about the big issues facing the Tech Industry and the oversight role of congress. Hes interviewed wi Washington Post Technology Reporter greg timber. People are outraged. I presume they still are. I presume there are Things Congress should be doing to keep political campaigns from using our data to change the way we think about our votes in ways we struggle to perceive. Absolutely. We need to pass strong privacy laws and i have an internet bill of rights which articulates a few clear things. We should never have Data Collected without knowing about it and we should know whats happening to our data. So in the cambridge case, facebook should have had a responsibility to immediately notify people when they were transferring their data. They didnt do that. People should also have been able to inquire at any point with facebook what was happening to their data. That wasnt there. So i think if you pass basic protections for people online, you would avoid things like the cambridge an lit ta scandal. Watch the communicators tonight at 8 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan 2. Former special Counsel Robert Mueller is scheduled to appear before both the house judiciary and intelligence committees on wednesday, july 24th. Mr. Mueller was issued a subpoena to testify in open session about his report into russian interference in the 2016 election. Watch live coverage wednesday, july 24, here on cspan 3, online at cspan. Org or on the app. The house will be in order. For 40 years, cspan has been providing america unfiltered coverage of congress, the white house, the Supreme Court and Public Policy events from washington d. C. And around the country so you can make up your own mind. Created by cable in 1979, cspan is brought to you by your local cable or satellite provider. Cspan, your unfiltered view of government. Live now, a discussion about Nuclear Deterrence with a former supervisor in charge of arms control legal fares at the state department from 2001 to 2017. This is being hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace live here on cspan 3