Democrat support for the Laken Riley Act doesn't necessarily indicate a way forward with other pieces of legislation, Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., told Newsmax on Thursday.
During an appearance on "Wake Up America," Marshall was asked if some Democrats supporting the bill aimed at making it easier for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to take custody of illegal migrants who commit theft-related crime shows how to proceed with border and tax issues. Meaning, separate out items members of the opposing party can get behind.
"I think that there's two ways, two paths to every voyage to get to the victory spot," Marshall told co-hosts Sharla McBride and Marc Lotter. "I think we need to stay focused on our goals.
"I think that [House] Speaker [Mike] Johnson is in a much harder spot, that he has Congress members from states like New York and New Jersey that want this SALT tax reinstated, the deduction. So, he's in a tough spot. At the end of the day, we've got to get it passed and support the president's agenda."
Marshall spoke the morning after he and his Senate GOP colleagues met with President-elect Donald Trump at the Capitol to discuss how the administration can hit the ground running after Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20.
"I think what the most important thing to communicate to America is just the momentum that I'm feeling in that room, that just the vibe that President Trump is putting off is such a positive vibe that he has mastered all these topics," Marshall said. "He sat down for two hours. He took every question, answered every question in depth."
Marshall added that "the whole goal is to delivering" Trump's agenda.
"I think if you would ask President Trump, he would say that he ran on the safety and security of your family, that he ran on securing the border," Marshall said. "He talked about inflation and gas and groceries. Those are important, too. But his main issue that he promised America is that he would secure the borders and make your family safe."
Marshall, a physician, plans to start a Make America Healthy Again Caucus to coincide with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s expected role as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
"I think that Bobby will get through the through the gantlet, as they say. Yes, he's going to get some tough questions, but he's absolutely committed to making America healthy again," Marshall said of RFK Jr.'s confirmation hearing.
"And really, this is a large new coalition that's joined the Republican Party. Look, 60% of Americans have some type of chronic disease, 20% of our children are on some type of a prescription drug, a third of our adolescents have Type 2 diabetes.
"I think that making America healthy again all starts with nutrition. And I look forward to trying to figure out, well, what does that mean today? How can we deliver more healthy foods, let's say for our schools, for our senior citizen lunches that we serve as well. Everything that the federal government touches, we should have an improved nutritional value, and I look forward to working with RFK Jr. on this. And I know a lot of Americans are excited about it."
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Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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