across alaska by ferry. ahead of our stop in fairbanks. be sure to join us july 21 and 22nd. we will feature our visit to alaska, watch alaska weekend on c-span. , or listen on the c-span radio app. >> senator charles grassley of iowa, the chairman of the judiciary committee. oining me is bob q sac -- kusak. the house isrted, still in progress. with your many years watching this town, what is your view of what this city and country went through regarding immigration policy? where are we going to end up? of journalists can turn

things around quickly. there is a good chance, at least in the senate, we could next -- we are going to work on basis to get a bill passed. children separated from their parents. there are things that demand you cannot hold children in housing, detention with their parents. there is more that can be done.

i think there is a good chance. there was a bipartisan discussion of this. some differences of opinion. certainty we ought to get some legislation passed. we approve of what the president did but i would call that a short-term solution. the solution has to be legislative. we are elected to legislate. you bring certainty with legislative action. leverage,int of capitol hill has been trying to work on immigration legislation for months. for those who saw this policy as a means of moving capitol hill, do you think it was effective? ask the president doing what he did -- sen. grassley: the president doing what he did? there are a lot of things people think congressmen are supposed

to know. how laws are enforced. you do not know that right away. been 3-4nce, it has months since i got the phone calls from islands, outraged about anything the federal government is doing. they have been on top of this. maybe people back at the grassroots do not think they can make an impact on congress, but the publicity and people understanding the problem, the every senator i know does not think kit should be separated, bringing things to a head. the white contact house to lobby president trump to move forward with the executive order? sen. grassley: i did not.

there were 12 people who signed a letter. i have been looking at the case we talked about. only way you are going to keep these children with their parents and do it with certainty is to change the law. when i saw the house moving in that direction, the president endorsing one of those bills, similar to what we were trying to do in the senate, i thought there was a good chance it might bring congressional action. i still hope that is possible. the president can issue executive orders. he can change it. a new one can come along. on an issue like keeping kids with their parents, it ought to be law not the whim of a president. >> are you optimistic it will pass the senate?

some democrats have raised concerns, indefinite keeping the kids and families together. the best thing to do is to consider the legislation and hope next week down, that is a broad range of opinion. we will pass legislation. >> to move on to a different justice reform. there is a bit of a stalemate. the majority leader said he is not interesting -- interested in bringing up the prison built for more comprehensive package. anyoneu reached out to with any offer to break this? always reaching out to the white house through his special assistant, mr. kushr.

my very first meeting with the president included a short conversation, can we work together? feels the best way to work together is with prison reform. that is 100% of a loaf of bread. the thing that will really bring about social justice and compassion. sentencing reform. it is so bipartisan. senator lee on one and, senator , i think the other that is the best hope of moving. i think the opportunity to do when we do prison reform, sentencing reform together. have been reaching out

fairly constantly, we have not seen movement. sen. grassley: the thing that makes me optimistic, we have high-level people that think some of it needs to be passed. as we build support, we are building support almost every seeswhen the white house -- i better say when president trump finally comes to the understanding this is why partisan and can be a win for he needs to show bipartisanship, that is the key .. getting it up on the senate inspectorwas a big general report.

displeasure james comey did not show up. he had time for media appearances but not congress. are you going to subpoena him to respond? i will want to subpoena him what in the senate rules, you have to have both agreed to it. i cannot tell you she would agree to it. we will subpoena. >> loretta lynch as well? when you think a decision will be made? sen. grassley: if senator feinstein tells me yesterday, we will do it. that also go for a compulsory process for mccabe? sen. grassley: that involves a few steps. agreeing to it. i want to do that. we are in negotiations. goes to the justice

department to see it is not interfere with their potential prosecution. step that is not so regular, we are working through his lawyers on this, having a conversation of what he can contribute to our oversight. if he cannot contribute anything substantial, there is no point going forward. a provided that results in positive outcome -- sen. grassley: yes. republicantalked to senators and they are frustrated with president trump. they have made the case to him you are hurting the people you elected with your trade policies. are you frustrated with president trump and his moves on terrorists, possibly pulling out of nafta?

it doesn't seem like the arguments republicans are making who are pro-trade are resonating. they may noty: resonate with him but i can tell you on the points we have made, particularly agriculture, there has also been manufacturing. i was a big agriculture state. three meetings at the white house where these points of view have been expressed. remember this. we know from history, carter, putan, george w. bush on terrorists. it is the first to be hurt by it. dramatichurt with the drop of soybean prices in the midwest. corn prices. a terrible drop in soybean

prices. a lot of us related to this. not just to the president himself in the white house. over the course of a year. ross. secretary mnuchin and to read they have heard from agricultural states generally. as well as well. it could be very harmful. nobody is going to be offended if the president can succeed in getting a better deal on trade for all segments of our economy. it is kind of a big gamble. it seems the president is using the usual business tactics of with aning, start extreme position and bring people to the brink.

if he goes over the break, i think it could be catastrophic to read if not, it can be a big win for america. you posted you have had a chance to sit down with your former governor. the ambassador to china. what did you learn about the reaction to terrorist? arrifs?orists? -- ts senserassley: it was in a confidential. five or six people were in on it aside the governor. i can tell you what we talked about. some of the things i said about trade, i have expressed. we talked about the leadership. china. the leadership. china's involvement with north

korea, things of that nature. generally, getting a feel, how china is going to react to some of these things we are doing. it kind of boils down to the u.s. being the biggest economy. second-biggest. they have a different political system than we do. one person there may be can decide whether or not they are going to cave or not cave. uncertainties, as it deals with trade. --t is the only part at a time when it seems like we need china, doesn't make tariffo have trade and

issues? the president referred to xi as a friend of mine. difficult to know what the president knows and we might not know. feels hehe feeling he is in the driver's seat. have to take his word for it. there is uncertainty doing that. doj. the campaign manager made waves when he called for the firing. there is is content with the deputy attorney jeff role -- general. you said, i do not have time to confirm new generals.

do you continue to have confidence? sen. grassley: yes. senator sessions, now attorney general sessions, the only he doesce is i have, not support my efforts. i told him a year ago in march, i said you can be tough on crime. there is some unfairness. all we are doing in sentencing reform, we are not opening the prison gates. we are allowing people to have another bite at the apple with the judge. the prosecutor. let a judge look at this. maybe the mandatory minimums are unfair to this person.

nobody is getting out of prison the next date. if that passes, 6000 people are going to walk the next day, i believe you read law enforcement people, particularly the thatiation of attorneys, is what they want you to believe. you go before a judge, you are going to get out right away. what about the bill that passed the house? that guts their argument. and deputy ag, you have confidence. >> you are known for

investigations of both administrations. there are some republicans including those on capitol hill who have said, it is time for robert mueller to wrap up this probe. is it time for him to wrap up this probe? sen. grassley: i hope the president reads what i say. i said, it seems to me like you are winning. they haven't found any basis for collusion. that is the charge come up between his campaign and russia. just let it play out. the less you say about it, the stronger your presidency is going to be. i have faith in molar -- m ueller. let him play it out. speedd like to have him up.

>> do you think it will be better he comes out before the election? sen. grassley: i believe, i think he would be the type of person professionally, he either gets this done by labor day or december,ll come january. i don't think he should do it, for sure during october. anothert it to official, scott pruitt. you have raised concerned about the way he has handled ethanol. beyond that, he faces allegations of misuse of government resources. as someone who has made oversight a priority, do you have concerns jamar -- concerns? it does not sound good and a lot of questions are being raised. say until all the

investigations are done. there are things that are very disturbing, particularly when he asked people to help get his wife a franchise. left.r minutes >> speaking of nominees, there is a process you are familiar with. concern among democrats republicans are going to do away with that process. sure brown got on the news. what is the future of blue scripts -- slips? sen. grassley: i think i proved that being chairman, they have not been done away with. they will continue and they ought to continue. i am the 19th chairman of the slipstee since blue started 100 years ago and only

two chairman have had absolute slips have to be returned. others have had exceptions. one of those with an exception. in five cases, have i not had them returned. judges through the senate. the calendar of the senate. 40 working their way through my committee. just think of the number of times, very rare, a blue slip is not returned. it on a fun use one. you have complaints about the history channel. the history channel reached out and said, would you like to

collaborate on an episode, a grassley themed project? any updates? sen. grassley: we wanted to do that and ran into the situation with the house -- senate -- capital ethics people it would be promoting a profit-making organization and we could not do it. real historyo channel. you'll find history on my twitter and instagram. >> how often do you talk to president trump? i would say it would average at least twice a month. sometimes he is initiating a phone call to me. seldom do i initiate one to him. smallf the meetings are

or large group meetings. , saturday morning, the white house calls. said, the president trump was talk to you. ants toident trump w talk to. close, supreme court is winding down. are you into spitting resignations? >the usual rumors -- the usual rumors are out there. i have not had confirmation. >> canada legalized marijuana. do you anticipate the u.s. following suit? sen. grassley: not during my lifetime. >> thank you for being our guest . oursmakers is back after

senatortion with grassley. we cover a lot of territory. u.s. questions about blue slips. probably means nothing. >> that is a process where the home state senator has the ability to send an objection letter, a blue slip. judicial nominations are polarizing. senator grassley was defending his use of it. there has been some concern expressed by an number of democrats their power to use slip loose clip -- blue has been lessened. where we have seen nominations, you do not need 60 votes, this could be the next one.

trump asked for the filibuster to end. he was not wrong he said he has protected the blue slip. line is has drawn the circuit court nominees. he does not recognize it. is it is from one state, he still does. >> we did some follow-up on the hearing. what did you learn? from the remarks? what do you think is next? >> it seems to me his openness to a subpoena, as well as to the community request, was a step ahead. so far, all we have seen he wanted to comey and lynch and there could he was considering mccabe.

he gave more definitive stances than we have seen. he has a good relationship with diane feinstein. he is saying, it is up to her. he wants to move forward but the rules of the committee, it has to be bipartisan. republicans and democrats have been upset with james comey. i would think she would agree. clearly, she has not. a major portion of the ig comey usedthat james personal in email. i would be surprised if feinstein does not agree. >> the president continues to call it a witch hunt. doesn't seem like the council is going very far. >> it does not. it is important to remember, the justify atrump cannot

rod wrote his sign. very definitively. with rosenstein, the link eller probe, there is a slim 20 chance that happens. his point is a big one. it is interesting it would look political momentum what. it when he should end it should end. day oraying before labor after the midterm election. otherwise, it would look political. that is one to watch. if we don't see one by -- anything by labor day, maybe we will not see anything until after the midterm. bets go off inll

terms of calling for his job. >> or leverage to and how often they talk? -- why were you interested in how often they talk? >> just interested in how often members get calls. whether it is bad press, good press, he wants to talk about it. he has a bit of a friendship with a senator who has been at the white house. like he is going to campaign against him. in the middle of these fights. making recommendations on moeller -- mueller. concerns about trade policies. grassley would be one i figure trump would talk to a fair amount. a decent amount. workingender has been that for quite some time. senatorsence, state

where the president is popular? we could soon see an effort to check the president's use of a particular type of tara. 232 related to national security. we had a standoff. republicans stepped back because they want to discuss a consensus position. the china tariffs are totally separate. there is fairly strong support within the gop. >> we are out of time. thank you for your questions. appreciate you being here. >> this week, the c-span bus

traveled to juneau alaska. it continues the trip to the city of haynes, ahead of our stop in fairbanks. be sure to join us. watch alaska weekend on c-span. or listen on the c-span radio app. >> c-span, where history unfolds. c-span was created as a public service by cable television companies. unfilteredring you coverage of congress. the supreme court. policy events in washington dc. it is brought to you by your cable or satellite provider.