The following is a transcript of an interview with Rep. Summer Lee, Democrat of Pennyslvania, on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that aired on Aug. 25, 2024.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Good morning to you, Congresswoman.
REP. SUMMER LEE: Good morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Our CBS polling shows that a majority of Americans, 59% of them, think the U.S. should encourage Israel to stop or decrease its military actions in Gaza. At the Democratic Convention. Vice President Harris received loud applause for these remarks:
VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: President Biden and I are working to end this war such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Now that is largely just restating existing U.S. policy. Do you think that’s sufficient outreach to those who felt the administration hasn’t expressed empathy,
REP. LEE: You know, I think that, you know, I think people who are experiencing this, right, who were- who were outside of the arena, who have been organizing since October, you know, that is a step, but I think that what they really were asking for was a, of course, the opportunity to speak for themselves. I think that, like all people, when you are experiencing something, you want to be able to tell your own story. And a lot of the people who are Palestinian, Palestinian-American, Arabs and Muslims, were asking for that opportunity. So while, you know, we all obviously believe that there should be a ceasefire immediately and permanently, and that Palestinians, just like Israelis, deserve the right to self-determination. We have to do more than just say that we believe that. We have to actually take steps that are going to evidence that take steps that are going to show that we’re willing to start to listen to people who have been outside of the political, I would say, conversation for so long, it’s been a third rail, and there’s going to be a lot more work that we have to do to show to this demographic that the Democratic Party is- includes them in its big tent, includes them in our foreign policy considerations, and also includes them in our conversations around humanity and human rights.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You’re talking about the decision at the DNC to deny anyone from the Uncommitted Movement or Palestinian-American to take the stage. Congressman Ro Khanna tweeted, “it was a tragic mistake perpetuating the erasure of the Palestinian story and voice.” Why do you think Democratic leaders resisted it, and is it a self-inflicted wound?
REP. LEE: I think that there has been, and I think that if you really look at this, long before October 7, it was almost taboo to talk about Palestinians, to talk about the experiences that they have and that they continue to have in our politics. And I think that this was a continuation of it. To put on stage, first of all, I think it’s important that we recognize that even the way we talk about the movement is in a way that sometimes is a little wide, it’s broad. It doesn’t always take into account what folks are arguing about. I think that whether it’s the Black lives movement or the movement for Palestinian rights, there’s always this rush to say that their movement, the ways that they protest, the tactics, the strategies, are inconvenient, and I think that that’s just the way that we’ve done it. Especially when we’re nervous about a presidential election that we all know is incredibly important. Defeating Trump is the top concern, but we can do that, and we can also give space, create space for people, voices that are marginalized. We missed an opportunity to do that here, and in doing so, what we are essentially saying is that every Palestinian thinks the exact same way, that all folks who are protesting, who are voicing their concerns are one group and not individuals, not all folks who are coming with different perspectives. I think that there was room and space to say that. There was room in the Democratic Party for that particular perspective as well.
MARGARET BRENNAN: This was a historic nomination of Vice President Harris as the first Black, first South Asian nominee of a major party. She’s chosen, really, not to talk about the historic nature of that. Do you think that she should?
REP. LEE: I think that it speaks for itself. You know, I think that there is, you know, zero chance that folks all across America do not recognize that she would be the first Black woman, the first South Asian woman in person, to be not just our party’s nominee, but hopefully our president. So to talk about it, it’s almost a filler. I think that what’s- I think that what they’re doing and what they should be doing is talking about the issues. Talking about the things that not are not just unique to women, Black women, Asian women, but actually the things that make her qualified for the job, her resume, the policies that that bring Democrats to- to vote, you know on November 5, those are the things we need to focus on, we all know there’s history here.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Congresswoman, let’s talk about those things on the other side of this next break, stay with us.
– COMMERCIAL BREAK –
MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome back to Face The Nation. We’re continuing our conversation now with Congresswoman Summer Lee of Pennsylvania. Congresswoman, you were talking before the break about the need to focus on issues for- for the campaign. This past week, former Speaker Pelosi stated Vice President Harris will, quote, “have to” govern from the center, because “that’s where the public is.” I know you are a progressive Democrat. Do you think that this pivot to the center, particularly on issues like the border and immigration and crime, are they going to hurt support for the Harris-Walz ticket, or is it what’s required?
REP. LEE: Yeah, so I have to say, and I like to hope that we’re able to do this. I have to- I have to disagree a bit. I think that we have data, we have polling, we have anecdotal evidence from American- Americans all over the country, but especially out in Pennsylvania, in a swing state where we’re not actually asking for our candidates to run away from progressive ideals. We’re asking them- for them to run to them. You know, there’s this idea that to say that, you know, having health care or equitable education, or even talking about, you know, immigration reform and the border in a humane way is somehow to the left, but I think that that’s what the average American wants. And I think that in too many, in very many ways, we’ve ceded ground to Republicans, especially around immigration. They have the tendency of talking about it in an incredibly fear mongering and inhumane way. And I don’t think that it’s wise that we join them in that. I think people want to see us distinguish ourselves as a party. I think they want to see that we offer solutions for working class people, for marginalized people, and I think that we can do that vocally and proudly and still bring people to the party and not have them run away from it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, so that means you disagree with the Harris endorsement of the bipartisan border bill, which was a fairly conservative bill, and that’s the policy stated for what the Vice President would enact if she’s elected.
REP. LEE: I think that what I like to hope- I hope that what I think so many of us want to see, and not just progressives, I mean, even just Democrats, is that we can recognize that we need comprehensive immigration reform. That there are millions of folks in America who are impacted by this, folks who want to come here for a better life, who are looking for opportunities, and they are finding that the pathway, the window to achieving those opportunities, is shutting, not opening. We know that in the past, there were systems in place that- that created an easier pathway for folks who attain citizenship, for folks to work, for folks to contribute, and that’s what people want now. And I think that we need to be real about the solutions. What’s driving folks to our border and what’s driving folks to want to make a life here in the United States at the same time.
MARGARET BRENNAN: All right, Congresswoman Lee, thank you for your perspective.
