Congressman Scott Taylor (R-VA), member of the Appropriations Committee, former Navy SEAL and author of “Trust Betrayed”, joined The Brian Kilmeade Show today to discuss President Trump’s offer to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, remains of American service members killed during the Korean War being returned to the U.S. from North Korea, and the possibility of a government shutdown.
Rep. Taylor on the 55 boxes of remains returning from North Korea:
I’m cautiously optimistic and hopeful. I think that that’s great that some of these folks have finally come home where they can be laid to rest here and have some closure for some of their families. I’m grateful for that.
Rep. Taylor on opportunity for President Trump to create a fund to bring North Korea into this century:
I think there’s a huge opportunity for this president, a historic opportunity quite frankly, you’re familiar with the Marshall Plan where the United States sort of financed the rebuilding of western Europe after WWII, there’s potential there for something similar where the United States doesn’t use our money but you have the president shepherding Asian economies like Japan, like South Korea, like Taiwan, like China coming forth and creating sort of a fund to help bring these folks, North Korea, into this century in exchange for denuclearization. Because of course those economies and those countries stand to lose a hell of a lot more than we do in treasure and people and things like that, so it may make sense for them to open that market, create new infrastructure for North Korea in exchange for denuclearization. And I would love to see the president sort of move in that direction because I think there’s a historic opportunity there.
Rep. Taylor on if President Trump will be able to persuade Kim Jong Un to rethink denuclearizing and moving forward:
I would love to see concrete steps towards that but I also think we would be naive to think that it’s going to happen quickly. It’s going to take some time to do that but I think there is that carrot that’s sort of missing, I think that could be a great thing for leverage over there in Asia for the president to actually get on the path to denuclearization.
Rep. Taylor on the possibility of a government shutdown:
I fought against a government shutdown the last time when democrats shut it down over a clean Dream act which was an unrealistic, something that didn’t have enough votes to even get on the floor. And the reason why is because I represent an area that has more military and veterans than anywhere in the nation, and a government shutdown and certainly these continued resolutions are horrible for out military. 47% of the war effort comes from National Guard and Reserves. They shut down, you have missed training opportunities and people have to go home and not be paid. Federal workers, contract workers, all those things end up costing the tax payer much more money and it’s bad for our national security, so I’m against a government shutdown.
Listen to the full interview below:
