♪♪ >> CATHY: MORE EXECUTIVE ORDERS THIS WEEK COULD IMPACT IMMIGRATION, POLICE REFORM, AND MORE.

PLUS, THE U.S. HOUSE PASSED A RECISSION PACKAGE TO CLAW BACK FOREIGN AID AND FUNDING FOR THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING.

LET'S KEEP THE POLITICS THEME GOING WITH A DUO OF PROFESSORS.

NEIL KRAUS TEACHES AMERICAN POLITICS AND PUBLIC POLICY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, RIVER FALLS.

AND LARRY JACOBS HEADS THE CENTER FOR POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE AT THE U OF M'S HUMPHREY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS.

LARRY JACOBS, DID YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO WATCH THAT HEARING?

AND WHAT DID YOU THINK?

HOW DID THE GOVERNOR COME ACROSS?

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK HE WAS A FOOD FIGHT.

I MEAN, THIS WASN'T KIND OF A -- I WOULD SAY A SERIOUS POLICY DEBATE.

HE WAS GETTING MULTIPLE QUESTIONS.

IN FACT, AT ONE POINT HE SAID, WHICH QUESTION SHOULD I ANSWER?

SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK HE TOOK A HIT.

I THINK THE WHOLE INSTITUTION TOOK A HIT.

YOU KNOW, I THINK WALZ HAD A NIX.

HE HAD SOME AREAS WHERE HE WAS IN A BIT OF A RETREAT.

BUT THEN HE SHOWED HE WAS WORKING WITH REPUBLICANS BACK HERE.

HE EMPHASIZED THE COOPERATION WITH FEDERAL OFFICIALS ON IMMIGRATION, UNDOCUMENTED.

SO I THINK THIS WAS NOT A AD SHOWING FOR HIM.

I THINK IT'S WAY TOO EARLY TO BE KIND OF FINE-TUNING, YOU KNOW, WHERE DOES HE STAND.

HE'S IN THE IN THE CONVERSATION.

THAT'S THE STORY.

>> AND E WAS BACK ON HIS HOME TURF.

HHE WAS A MEMBER OF CONGRESS.

DID IT STRIKE YOU HOW DIFFERENT THIS CONGRESS WAS THAN THE ONE TIM WALZ SERVED IN?

>> OH, YEAH, I'M SURE.

GIVEN HOW CONGRESSMAN EMMER QUESTIONED HIM, KIND OF GAVE A FIVE-MINUTE SPEECH AND I AGREE WITH LARRY.

IT WASN'T ANY SORT OF DEBATE ON THE MERITS OR ON POLICY.

THEY CLEARLY HAVE A HUGE INCENTIVE TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT.

TO NOT ONLY MAKE IT ABOUT IMMIGRATION BUT TO LINK IMMIGRATION CONSTANTLY TO CRIME.

BECAUSE I GUESS IMMIGRATION ISN'T ENOUGH, RIGHT?

SO YOU HAVE TO CONSTANTLY LINK IT TO CRIME, HUMAN TRAFFICKING, FENTANYL, I MEAN, EVERYTHING ELSE.

SO, YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT WORLD FROM WHAT WALZ -- >> Cathy: I MENTIONED THAT "WASHINGTON POST" SURVEY ABOUT IMMIGRATION AND HOW VOTERS ARE LOOKING AT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S STABS ON IMMIGRATION.

WILL IMMIGRATION BECOME A STATE ISSUE IF WALZ RUNNING FOR ANOTHER TERM?

>> WELL, FOR URE, IT'S GOING TO BE A STATE ISSUE WITH REPUBLICANS.

AND TIM WALZ HAS GOT A RECORD.

I MEAN, HE DID SIGN LEGISLATION.

YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR THOSE IMMIGRANTS THAT ARE NOT DOCUMENTED TO GET DRIVER'S LICENSES.

AROUND THERE IS COVERAGE IN MERBLUM UNTIL RECENTLY.

IN MNSURE, UNTIL RECENTLY.

THE THING IS, DEMOCRATS ON SEVERAL ISSUES, ARE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF VOTERS.

YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT THE POLLS AND YOU SEE THAT IT'S A 30-YEAR HIGH IN DETERMINES OF DECREASING IMMIGRATION.

FOR DONALD TRUMP, IT'S KIND OF WORKING FOR HIM.

ON THE TRANS ISSUE, IT'S ANOTHER ISSUE WHERE DEMOCRATS ARE KIND OF TIED DOWN.

IT'S ISSUE AFTER ISSUE, WHERE DEMOCRATS MAY BE ON THE WRONG SIDE, PARTICULARLY ON SOME OF THESE CULTURAL ISSUES.

>> Mary: AND HOW DOES IT PLAY BETWEEN OUR TWO STATES, MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN, IMMIGRATION?

IS IT CHANGING?

ARE THERE NUANCES EMERGING?

>> I MEAN, I DON'T THINK SO.

I THINK IT SEEMS PRETTY FIXED.

THE POLLING ON THAT.

AND THAT'S WHY I THINK THE REPUBLICANS KEEP GOING BACK TO CRIME AND KEEP GOING BACK TO THINGS THAT ARE MUCH MORE INFLAMMATORY LINKING THAT STUFF TO IMMIGRATION.

I MEAN, I DON'T THINK IT'S AS SALIENT WITH AS MANY PEOPLE.

IF IT WERE, I DON'T THINK WE WOULD SEE THE MILITARYZATION OF LOS ANGELES, AND REALLY, I THINK, WHAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S TRYING TO DO AS MUCH AS ANYTHING IS JUST CRUSH DISSENT, JUST CLAMP DOWN ON, YOU KNOW, PIECEFUL -- >> Mary: DOES IT WORK IN MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN?

THE LEGISLATURE TACKLED THAT ISSUE.

THAT WAS THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE.

>> I THINK IMMIGRATION IS GOING TO WORK AND IT'S GOING TO WORK BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT A PRESIDENT WHO HAS NATIONALIZED THE ISSUE.

YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR WHO'S GOING TO FOLLOW ON THAT.

YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF MONEY IN HERE.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE HAMMERING IT.

SO REPUBLICANS ARE GOING TO WANT TO CHANGE THE CONVERSATION.

THEY'RE GOING TO WANT TO REALLY HYPE ISSUES.

WE MAY SEE THE ECONOMY WEAKENING, INFLATION GOING UP MORE AND ALL OF THAT IS GOING TO HURT REPUBLICANS.

SO YEAH, THEY WANT A FIGHT ON IMMIGRATION.

IT'S LIKE, BRING IT ON.

>> Cathy: THAT ALSO INCLUDES CLAWING BACK OF FOREIGN AID.

I'M WONDERING WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THAT.

HOW FAR WILL THE SENATE GO WITH THIS?

>> I THINK THE SENATE'S GOING TO MODERATE ON A LOT OF THESE ISSUES.

I THINK, FOR INSTANCE, ON THE MEDICAID CUTS, I DON'T SEE THEM GOING NEARLY AS FAR AS THE HOUSE.

PARTLY BECAUSE WHAT THE HOUSE IS DOING IS GOING TO HURT A LOT OF STATES, AND THE PUBLIC HOSPITALS THAT SERVE POOR PEOPLE, WHICH ALSO IS THE BASIS FOR THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.

SO NO, I THINK THE SENATE'S GOING TO MODERATE.

THEY MAY CLAW BACK -- YOU MAY REMEMBER, 2017, WHEN THEY TRIED TO REPEAL THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, IT COLLAPSED IN THE SENATE.

>> Mary: AND WHAT ABOUT THOSE SOURCES OF INFORMATION, THE PUBLIC BROADCASTING THEY'RE GOING AFTER?

>> I THINK MAYBE MODERATED A LITTLE BIT MORE.

I'M REMINDED SEVERAL YEARS AGO IN WISCONSIN, GOVERNOR WALKER PROPOSED A $300 MILLION CUT TO THE U.W.

SYSTEM, AND THEN THE REPUBLICANS IN THE LEGISLATURE CUT IT 50 AND WE ALL CELEBRATED, RIGHT?

>> Mary: AND YOUR PUBLIC BROADCASTING IS WITH U.W., RIGHT?

>> YEAH, I THINK IT MIGHT BE MODERATING SOMEWHAT, BUT I THINK THE CUTS ARE GOING TO BE PRETTY SEVERE.