Transcripts For CSPAN Washington Journal 20240622 : vimarsan

Even as the investigation into the suspected domestic terrorist case continues. Many are looking to the federal government, we are asking viewers to weigh in this morning. Should soldiers be able to carry their guns on military bases and recruiting sites . The phone lines are open. Democrats call 202 7488000 republicans call 202 7488001 independents, call 202 7488002. A special line is boring for active and retired members of the military, 202 7488003. You can also catch up with us on social media, twitter, facebook or email at journal cspan. Org. We begin with the debate over whether restrictions on soldiers carrying their weapons on military facilities should be lifted. Heres how the washington times, put it. The chattanooga shooting spree has reignited the debate over whether will sorry military personnel should be able to carry on basis. As we noted, governors in several states already taking action since that shooting last week. The wall street journal, says some of the actions taken since that shooting spree last week. Another governor who is set to take action this week, or at least reviewing security measures at military facilities is governor bill haslam of tennessee. He was on meet the press, yesterday. Heres what he had to say. We have a review of all facilities, like the one that was attacked on thursday. And reviewing where it is appropriate for our officers to be armed to a better degree than they were in the past. Both were thats appropriate and where it is legal. One of the challenges we have is that many of our facilities are federal facilities. We dont want generals in a difficult position of giving them in order they cant carry out because they are on a federal facility. We are doing a complete review to see what we can, we are concerned. We dont want to leave our folks out there as targets when we have has such a horrible event happen just three days ago. You may need and ask an act of congress . That would clear things up. On federal grounds, we have limited things we can do. It will be better if we have clarity from the federal government. Host the governors statements making headlines in tennessee papers this morning. Here is the daily times, as calls for reviews for security, and the free press, has orders tips taken to ensure the safety of the guardsmen as the headline. Federal lawmakers are calling for action, the tennessean notes that a tennessee congressman republican, plans to introduce a bill today as a direct response to that shooting in chattanooga. That is republican congressman has released yesterday. A special line for active and retired numbers of the military, or if you are a member of a military family, we would like to hear your thoughts as well. 202 7488003 is the number. Otherwise for democrats, republicans, an independents. Steve in georgia, good morning. Caller good morning. I absolutely think the soldiers should be allowed to carry on a military base. I think it goes bigger than that, im tired of feeling like a sitting duck anywhere i am. Anytime there is a crowd, were a target. The world has changed i believe that everyone who is responsible should have the ability to protect themselves. Host do you carry a weapon when you are out . You have a permit to carry a weapon . Caller i do. I carry all the time. I have been in places that i felt scared to death without it. Host do you have friends that are members of the military, do you talk to them since this incident last week . Caller i do. I have a good friend i work with is a former active marine, once a marine, always a marine. He feels the same way, these guys need to be allowed to protect themselves. I get that there is youthfulness that may not allow them, when they are young, to control themselves. Maybe there needs to be some studies on how aware where to let people carry there. But they need to be allowed to protect themselves. Host steve in georgia. Trisha is in warsaw, indiana. For independents. You are on washington journal. Caller im in total agreement with allowing are listed men our enlisted men and reservists to carry weapons at all times. Our Police Departments men and women have their weapons with them, and i feel like in the age we are living in now, that this was a targeted shooting directed at our military people. In our governor, although i agree with him very little on things that he does, and governor indiana has made a statement that that will be allowed from now on, i totally agree, their safety in our country is of the utmost importance. They are sacrificing their lives , they are sacrificing their family time to serve our country , they deserve to be able to protect themselves. Not only in war overseas, but also here at home. If the radicals are going to make targets of them, to make their statements, however sick and twisted it is they need to be able to defend themselves. Host in indiana, the governor according to the wall street journal, directed his state to authorize arming at the storefront recruiting centers. One of the six states that is taking action as directed by the governors. The other five, texas florida oklahoma, louisiana, and arkansas. He saw statements from bill haslam of tennessee, was go to ralph for active and retired numbers of military, we oh texas. In el paso, texas. Caller my opinion is that you should have more military police in uniform with security on the post, as they get more security people out there. Theres no way you should arm everybody on a military installation with a weapon. When i finished service, retired. And during that time, i fired my weapon very little because i was an administrative job. All of the military personnel would not be right, but visible people in uniform, so they could be a deterrent, that they conserve and protect the service people. Host ralph, before you go, the army chief of staff in a well quoted statement from friday in the Associated Press talked about his concern about over arming military personnel on basis. Would you agree with that concern . Caller well, i dont know about over arming. We can go to far. But the main thing i think we should do is just put more visible people out there in all areas of the service, and we will be ok. Host ralph in el paso, texas. Security in centers will be reviewed, but its too early to say if the service will boost protection according to an Associated Press report. Stars stripes, reporting that the Department Defense spokesperson said the commanders already have flexibly charms troop two arm troops. It will be limited and controlled to a cash to avoid accidents. It shall be limited to missions or threats, the policy refers issued in 1992 by donnell atwood, the deputy secretary of defense under president george w. Bush and defense secretary dick cheney. The former fbi special agent brad garrett, who was also talking about this on the sunday shows yesterday on abcs this week, heres a bit of his exchange. [video clip] the world is a soft target except for these little bitty pockets. You cant take a recruiting station and target part of it because you take away what is therefore, which is for us to walk in and decide if we want to join the military. We have to face the reality that some of us are just going to be vulnerable doing what we do day in and day out. Having said that do think they should arm people of these recording stations . We should not be in a big hurry. You are talking about arming folks that are Walking Around in a civilian population. I see big issues with that. What do you think we can do about soft targets . The only thing you can do is improve your intelligence. In other words, the shooting at january, we didnt know about. Cannot happen again . Can that happen again . Of course again. But we are not going to an lockdown every facility in the country. Host we are asking viewers should soldiers be allowed to carry guns on both military bases and recruiting sites. We want to hear your thoughts, weve especially for active and retired members in the military. We go back to that line, in amherst, wisconsin. Caller good morning. I fervently believe we should have our military carry weapons. Thats what we are trained for. To defend our citizens and our country. If president obama doesnt believe in guns are his secret Service Protectors carrying guns . When he gives up his gun, i will give up mine. In wisconsin, you dont have to take a class or anything if you are former military. You can conceal carry. I believe we have to protect ourselves. This is getting out of hand. Until we take a stand and defend ourselves, the terrorists will keep going. They just keep growing and growing, as we stand there helpless. Host you are retired military, correct . Caller former military. I served in vietnam, content combat, infantry. In the military, its you were him, thats the way we are trained. Host when you were on a military facility in the United States, did you ever feel threatened or the need to have a weapon . Host i was in the 1960s. This world was a different place in the 60s. There were a few radical people but they didnt come around shooting like they do now. Host i appreciate the call. Adriana cohen and her piece in the Boston Herald makes some of the same points. She writes in an age of terrorism and makes no sense whatsoever that our military and veterans are left defenseless when the jihadist shows up to slaughter americans. Why on earth is our government forcing them to hide behind furniture when the jihadist comes lasting into a military center. Host andrew in naperville, illinois. Good morning. Caller good morning. Firsttime caller, i would like to keep my comment short. I have two comments. One is guns on the base, i disapprove of. Because we dont really know each other, we dont really get along with each other. I think it would be totally unsafe. And would like to comment on john mccain, i was a vietnam veteran myself and i believe the donald trump is speaking the truth because john mccain has been writing on the back of the military for so long, and hes doing much better than some of the rest of us. John mccain is doing fine. He is not doing what he is supposed to do to help the vets. John mccain should wake up and stop goading and riding on the back of vets. Host andrew in illinois. Line for democrats this warning. John mccain waited on the issue of military members having guns on base. He writes after the attacks on fort hood, little rock, and chandigarh, its painfully clear that u. S. Service members, many stationed in bases across arizona, targets both at home and abroad. The brave men and women of our military who volunteered to defend our nation around the world should not be left defenseless and military facilities here at home. He says i will work to take immediate steps in this Years National Defense Authorization act to strengthen the security of u. S. Military installations as well as other military facilities including recording stations and ensure that military Service Members are able to defend themselves. That is part of his statement that he released on friday. Ted is up next in los angeles california, line for democrats. Good morning. Caller good morning. What i do believe is the military should have loaded firearms. But when i was in the military, im a vietnam veteran, we stood watches. And the person that had watch had a loaded firearm. And were instructed on what to do. I dont know why military facility would overlook the fact that they should just handle it the military way. As to some of the callers making mention that all society should have this open carry gun, unless they do anything about alcohol use in america, they are going to make a sad mistake letting people carry loaded guns on them. Thats all it got to say. Host fred from huntersville huntsville alabama. Line for active and retired members of the military. Fred, good morning. For calling washington journal. Caller good morning, cspan washington journal. Retired veteran, air force and army. Im going to say this and im going to say clearly. Not know, but heck no. Heck no you dont need to go arming military people and installations. I was going to say down, thats an extreme idea. Lets start out with baby steps using bulletproof glass of recruiting sites, lets step up the metal detection. Use metal detectors and things of that nature. You dont want to have all these kids Walking Around with weapons. Thats one of the dumbest, most extreme lets start out slowly first and if he gets up to where we have to arm the troops on post, heaven help us all. Host when you are on post, on base in a u. S. Military facility, was there ever a time you wish you had a weapon when you didnt . Caller never. In 25 years, i have been all over the world, stationed in at least seven duty stations in the United States, i have never been in a situation where i felt i needed a weapon. Host do you think the threats today are different than what you faced when you were in the military with isis encouraging people on social media platforms to seek out members of the military and their families and do harm to them . Caller i do, thats what we have to be more vigilant. Ive been retired i probably got the beginning of that. But we need to be more vigilance, these posts that have security of the front gate, mindy to check more, have metal detectors and check more vehicles. Start out doing something slowly. We dont want to have a kneejerk reaction of the weapons in every socials in every soldiers, thats extreme. Thanks, have a nice day. Host from huntsville alabama. We will get back to more of your calls in just a second. I want to turn to a preview of ahead this week on capitol hill. To do that were joined by mike lillis of the hill. What are the key legislative items on tap this week . Just a few weeks ahead of the august break. Guest good morning, john. Thanks for having me. I think it is going to be all highways all the time. Is the last thing they have to do, the last musthave piece of legislation they have to do before they leave for the long august recess. The time restraint here because the trust fund dips below a certain level up in of this month and that means that it is going to cut off aid to states other local governments. Very few lawmakers want to get back home and explain to people there why they are not getting highway funds. Theres a lot of pressure on congress to do this. Theyve done a number of times over the past the statistic ive read since 2009 they passed 34 shortterm funding bills, the real trick is to they do a shortterm patch or a longterm fix . The house is already passed its bill, last week it passed an 8 billion attached video and about five months. The Senate Republicans dont want to do that, they want to do something much longer. As mcconnell has said he wants to do some thing to get you at least 2016 election. Theres another group Bipartisan Group of senators that wants to do something much longer than that, they want to do a sixyear bill. But a lot of sticking points here and the number one concern is going to be the pay force Everyone Wants the highway bill, but a lot of disagreements on a partisan disagreements about how you pay for it and so you can expect all those fights to be taking place this week. Host is there enough time for a longterm patch for that fight to happen in the senate and the house . At what point does the senate abandon those plans of is not working for shortterm patch . Guest good question. The answer is it depends on who you ask. There are guys that think a lot of these are not nearly enough. There are people have been working on them for years. The trick is getting more and more people on board. As the week evolves, we want open quickly of people are getting on board and if there is a possibility for longerterm plan. Again, the ideas we see floated in the senate right now, one is 80 billion bill that we get you through the 2016 elections, this with senator mcconnell is looking at, and is and group that wants a 275 billion sixyear deal. No one really think thats possible, at least this month. Good question, when did they just go back to the house bill and passed the 8 billion and get you through december . How long do they keep fighting for 80 billion. We dont know the answer. We should know pretty soon, they have a procedural vote on this thing tomorrow. There shall he live on something, they dont a what it is. But we will know quickly what they are going to do. Host before you go, you mentioned members already looking ahead to the long august recess area gives a preview of some of the deadlines that hit in the fall, pretty quickly right when numbers of congress get back into town and take up legislative again . Guest they going to come back in september, the federal government shuts down a much over first. They have a month to pass appropriation bills or some kind of big package to prevent a government shutdown. Remember two years ago, the government did shutdown because they couldnt get that job done and it really bit the republicans politically, now they control both chambers, they dont want that to happen again, particularly a president ial election. No one is expecting a shut down but we do expect a tough fight over government spending. Later in the fall unit the debt ceiling, another enormously contentious issue. A lot of republicans dont want to raise the debt ceiling, they just want to cut deficits and cut the debt that way. We will have that fight a later. The big one when they come back is going to be government funding with the twoyearold shutdown in mind and its not an easy issue for the republicans to legislate with their conservative caucuses. Host mike lillis with the hill. We always appreciate you on washington journal. Coming back to his question of whether soldiers should be allowed to carry their weapons on military bases, and i recruiting centers. We are getting your fox your thoughts this morning. Democrats, republicans independents and a line for retired military. Donald trump stirs the pot with a comment on military bases being gun free zones, this from the boston globe. Before marine shot to death on thursday never had a chance. The death toll rising out of five. They were highly trained but helpless without guns. Trump tweeted on friday morning before later writing in all capital letters, military lives matter, and gun free zones. Soldiers must be able to protect themselves, this has to stop. Donald trump tweeting about that getting headlines on that. And other comments from over the weekend that we will get to. We want to get your thoughts, johnny is up next in maryland the line for active and retired members of military. Caller good morning. I was stationed in vietnam on two different occasions i was in thailand, and i served a week at a special forces camp near cambodia. At no time during my military career do i have a gun, because i was in the medical crew. At no time when i have wanted everyone in my installations to have a gun because we prob