Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D. TX), U.S. Senate candidate going up against U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R. TX) this year, got into a pretty heated debated with Fox News clown Tucker Carlson over DACA and Dreamers. Here’s where the debate really got heated:
The two also debated the economic contributions of Dreamers, a central focus of the liberal argument for more open immigration policies. Carlson, snickering, termed the estimated economic benefits, which O'Rourke counted in the "tens of billions" of dollars, as "extrapolations and theoretical."
But Carlson's main attack point was about O'Rourke's support for taxpayer-paid legal representation and health care, issues that are likely to come up in any debate with Cruz, who ran for president in 2016 on an immigration platform not dissimilar to Trump's.
"How does that benefit Americans, exactly?" Carlson asked.
"It's keeping true to who we are," O'Rourke said, noting that many of those in need of help are families with children seeking refuge from "violent, brutal countries" like El Salvador. "I want to make sure that they have every opportunity to apply for asylum in this country."
But, Carlson noted, most come illegally, not through refugee programs.
Very often, O'Rourke countered, they come as asylum seekers who give themselves up at the border.
"So then taxpayers are paying for them to fight American law in court?" Carlson said.
"Not to fight American law," O'Rourke said. "Actually to get right with American law."
Pivoting to O'Rourke's health care proposal, Carlson asked why taxpayers should pay the doctors' bills for immigrants who entered the country illegally.
"It's good for people who are in our country, who are contributing to this country's success, to be safe, to be healthy, to be able to continue to contribute," O'Rourke said.
Carlson noted that O'Rourke's bill did not distinguish between those who are contributing and those who are not.
"I'm confused by why we should pay for the health care of someone who broke our laws to get here?" Carlson said.
"I think there's an interest in making sure that if someone is going to be sick, if someone needs help, that we deliver it in the most efficient, cost-effective way possible," O'Rourke replied.
"How about not paying for it at all?" Carlson shot back.
"Yeah," O'Rourke replied, "then you can watch people die."
Back to Carlson: "Oh, yeah, I must be a mean person for not being in favor of it."
I for one am proud to be backing Beto who truly understands the importance of DACA and looking out for Dreamers. This is the kind of guy we need in the Senate and he has a good shot at unseating Senator Shitkicker. Click here to donate and get involved with Beto’s campaign.