Unaccompanied children who are crossing into the United States illegally. Over the past ten months, 52,000 unaccompanied children have crossed the u. S. america can border with three fourths of them originating in honduras, guatemala and el salvador. Attempts at housing the immigrants elsewhere has been met with resistance and protest, president obama on the fund raising trip to dallas, texas, declined to visit the somewhat distant border, and was criticized by republicans and democrats for failing to do so. After all, he had air force one. But he dismissed the visit nonetheless. Theres nothing that is taking place down there that i am not intimately aware of, and briefed on. This isnt theater. This is a problem. Im not interested in photo ops, i want to solve a problem. The president said this knowing that governor perry wanted the nations leader to see the complexity of the situation firsthand. What has to be addressed is the security of the bore kerr. You know that, i know that is correct the president of the United States knows that. I dont believe he particularly cares whether or not the border of the United States is secure. The two men met at the dallas airport, and in a meeting with other elected officials, they discussed the border problem. In a later cbs interview, governor perry likened the president s refusal to visit the border to former president bushs katrina moment. When mr. Bush did not visit new orleans after a hurricane devastated that city until many days later. The parallel for me is that when we know a hurricane is coming, we put things into place, so that we can deal with it. I have told this administration and others have told this administration for years that this is exactly what was going to happen. Question in its february 24 team, 6 months ago, budget proposal, the department of health and Human Services requested funding for an anticipated 60,000 unaccompanied minors at the texas border. Is that six month evidence that obama, the white house knew all along about the border . Namely that they would be swamped . Pat buchanan . It is an argument that fulfills what people have been saying that barack obama is asleep at the switch. Hes not a handson president , things are going on he never knows about until afterwards, ben gaza and the rest of it, but his failure of refuel not to call an audible and go to the border when a democratic congressman said come down and is comparing him to katrina, indicates this is a serious problem for the president , but hes not running again. This border issue, john, is, this issue is goes to mistakes size, and this is it will kill reform, be a major issue in the republican, in the politics of 2016. Eleanor . Administration new for many month that the numbers of unaccompanied minors were flowing, and they were trying to put the resources in place to deal with it. He didnt go to the border. If he had gone, youd be accusing of grand standing, im sure, but i think you can argue you dont like photo opposite, and ops, and then spend three days on the road doing photo ops, meeting with voters in a diner and shooting pool. I think the optics are terrible, but the meeting with governor perry, they found lots of agreement. The president said hes open to the National Guard. He has deployed the National Guard to the border once or twice before. President bush also d maybe this is time to think about, you know, putting some troops along the border as a deterrent. But these are children sent here by desperate parents to get them away from the equivalent of assassination squad, and girls, its sex trafficking. And both parties are in agreement on this. In 2008, president bush said the children should get due process and treated at refugees, and i dont think we want to walk away from that. We have to remember what the country stands for. On january 9, there was a bid to handle an influx of 60,000 unaccompanied minors, january 29, there was a lot of notice. Is this evidence that the Obama Administration knew the numbers would surge . Absolutely its evidence of that, but lets also remember that the republican controlled house also knew about it. Both sides of the aisle are barack obama made a total pr blunder by not going to the border. His entire message would have resinated far more deeply had he done it from a theater stage like that, whether he denies or not. However, what we have to consider is that hes actually now said to the congress, discreetly in a letter two weeks ago, hes open to changing the legal structure to give his department the power to kick Illegal Immigrants out more easily, particularly from honduras and guatemala. And hes kicked it over to the republicans in congress and what are they doing with it . Right now, they are arguing about whether or not to fund the very initiatives that rick perry is asking for, so both sides are accomplice the president has asked congress for 3. 7 billion to deal with the texas crisis. Heres the break counsel, 1. 8 billion for child care, food, shelter and medicine by the department of Human Services, 1. 8 for customs enforcement, ice, witness the u. S. Department of homeland security. With that 1. 1 billion including expenses for undocumented adults, traveling with children. Their detention, and removal. Another separate disbursement, 433 million for homeland securitys customs and border protection. Also, 64 million for teams of Immigration Judges expansion of courtroom capacity, and lawyers to assist the detainees and the u. S. Government. And 295 million to quote unquote re patriate and redintegrate migrants. , a k a, sends send them back. That such journeys to the u. S. Are dangerous and children will be sent back, if they are unaccompanied. 5 million. Question, is money the answer to this calamity . Its a part of the answer, no question about it. Were going to have to expand the court system, have to expand the officers who are patrolling the borders, were going to have to expands all kinds of support facilities for a lot of people coming in, whatever we may do on the border. The problem is, look, its always been the case in the United States, the president is the person who symbolizes policy, and for him to have a drink at a bar, you know, instead of going down to the border, just, its terrible Public Relations for him, and gives people the sense he doesnt care. It may be unfair, but youre the president of the United States, you have to show up, and he didnt. But john, look, this problem has existed since i ran in 1999, down on the border. Terrible problem in san diego. Its a nail your of both failure of both parties, both bushes, a disaster for this country, and frankly, john, one of the problems is the United States will not call up the government of mexico, the president of mexico, and tell him look, you are letting these children walk up to our border and walk into our country, and yourenge gog to cancel napta, and say if you want another keim in foreign aid, youre dime in foreign aid, youre going to yeah, but before 9 11, people guatemala and el salvador would come here freely and work at low wages, and send money back and they would leave their children in these countries. After 9 11, the gates came down, and now these children want to be reunited with parents they have havent seen for a decade. Then they should go home. I dont think thats the answer, pat. Theyve made their lives here. Thats what congress is sorting out. If they broken in, theyve broken in, because our businesses want to employ them, we want them to take care of our children. They deserve something in return. Okay, Republican HouseSpeaker John Boehner responds to president obamas request for money to msdeal with the immigration crisis. Our priorities are clear, take care of cheese thin, these children, return them to their home countries to their families, and secure the border. I sent a letter to the president last month laying out specific actions that he should take to address the crisis, including sending in the National Guard. The National Guard is uniquely qualified to address these types of humanitarian crisis, and utilizing the expertise to free up Border Agents to focus on their job of securing the border. Now the president said he would consider doing that, only if he gets more money with no strings attached. He wont do it for the kids, its all about politics. This is a problem of the president s only making. Hes been president for five and a half years. Whens he going to take responsibility for something . Question. Is this a problem of the president s own making as Speaker Boehner asserts . Guy . I think to some degree it is, and i think thats why john boehner took off like an airplane. At the same time, however, boehners not offering a real solution. The obama requests to congress for the money, specifically said, tell me how you want to, how you want the money spent so rather than ranting from the podium, john boehner could be saying, were preparing that right now, and its going to include National Guard and this, well give you the money if you do this. Theres going to be legislation on the floor in the senate soon, it will probably pass, go to the house. Lets see what boehner does. He could pass comprehensive Immigration Reform it would pass in a maybe he would no lock longer be speaker. [ talking over one another ] hold on, hold on. Reform is dead, and mr. Perry, if hes a wise man, and i think hes smart, can ride this issue into the primaries, because it is a blazing issue, its gone national, its been on television. Take a look at drudge, he must have 30 stories about t its gone on for weeks. Taken off. And obama is on the defensive. Adding fuel to the fire . Prior to visiting texas, the president was in the state of colorado where he shot some pool tuesday night at a bar, originally founded by colorado governor hicklenlooper. And a man off camera held up a marijuana joint, and extended an invitation to the president. You want to hit this . Listen closely. Do you want to hit this . Colorado recently legalized recreational marijuana. So question, why is the president so uptight about taking a friendly toke. Wasnt that rude . Look at the contrast between the border and him with a pool cue and shooting pool. Its legal. But it looks likes hes relaxing and having a wonderful time, and you go to the crisis on the border with the kids. [ talking over one another ] hes awol. Its also republican politics. I dont mind if he does that, but he has to show up at these places. Its also republican politics to whip this up for november after their Party Looks Like its its approaching the test voter fastest voting block. And perry wants to stamp out ted cruz in texas. If he ming gels with the if he mingles with the people he gets hit. I think the marijuana he was offered was grown in the United States, and was legal, and it may have been a good move for him to accept it, because it is legal. I dont think so. This issue wasnt whether it was grown United States or mexico. John, if he had smoked that marijuana, there would not be a democrat in america that would want to campaign. Is the border break down helping, hurting, or having no impact on president obamas political standing . Pat buchanan . I think it is hurting him badly , and im sure the white house staff is tearing its hair out he didnt go down there to the border. I think he probably should have gone to the border, but with the Senate Control at stake, we dont know how this issue is going to work. Republicans do not look accepting of hispanics, and thats going to hurt them politically. You think its going to be neutral . No sides to claim . Its going to flip one way or the other. Right now, i think very little. I think there are latin american groups on the far left that dont like his openness to changing the rules, which he suggested, but more importantly, john, this is affecting rick perry more than barack obama. Positively . Positively. The plane has than off, right, pat . But the president of the United States is where you want to be as a republican. Who won in that battle . I think rick perry. The president . Look where rick perry started. [ talking over one another ] im talking about the visible exchange that we just had on television. Rick perry for you. He fumbled all over himself in the public sphere three years ago. Hes now using this to come out does rick perry look president ial to you . Yes, hes very shrewd and capable. Im not saying im supporting him but a star is born. Dont forget the Mclaughlin Group has its own website, and you can watch this program on the web. Could anything be easier or more enriching . I cant think of anything. When we come back, israeli and palestinian hostilities heat up. Temperature more angst for john kerry. At the start of this tenure at secretary of state, john kerry made re in investigate racial of the stalled peace talks about israeli and the Palestinian Authority a top priority. Heres what kerry said on july 30, 2013, a year ago. The parties have agreed here today that all of the final status issues, all of the core issues, and all other issues are all on the table for negotiation. And they are on the table with one simple goal of ending the conflict ending the claims. Our objective will be to achieve a final Status Agreement over the course of the next nine months. Well, that was then. Heres the situation now. Fighting between the palestinians and the israelis has heated up since the murders of three israeli teens followed by the apparent reprisal murder of a Palestinian Youth said to have been burned to death. Hamas has launched hundreds of the rockets from the gaza strip. And israel has retaliated. Question, are those peace talks now dead . No, and they never will be dead. That doesnt mean they will happen successfully because of all thats going on, but i dont believe theyre dead. Because both parties at some point will need it, and at some point will have the proper result. Whats happening now is one of the most serious moments of the clash between, particularly because hamas has merged with fatah, and that has changed the whole role of abbas. That puts a different character to it. Even having said that, i think there is going to be a chance for some kind of a progress, not a final solution, it wont happen in the short run, but did hamas is very weak at this point, okay . They joined up with the palestinians, but theyre broke, they had 40,000 employees, no money, and the plos is refusing to pay for it. The Palestinian Authority isnt going to pay for it. So they are being marginalized. Theres a chance to pull off a deal now. John, the peace talks are dead for now. They weres dead indefinitely. Netanyahu did not want to give you have gaza, is not going to give up the west bank, he may go back into gaza. As for hamas, they are not going to negotiate with the israelis. One thing they would do is sit there, they wanted a ten year truce, and john, this is a bloody mess, and very difficult to see how not that you get back to peace talks, but how you get this to a truce, and stop the fighting and stop the killing, because this could spread not only to the west bank, but into the larger arab world the immediate challenge is to deescalate. I dont think any side wants a war, but neither know how to walk away, and the emotions, because these are kids who were murdered is really driving this. Give me a view on this. Wheres the off ramp . Its great to think this could end, but everybody ive talked to in israel who is watching it closely, including representatives from the Israeli Defense forces will admit that theres not a what about the gurus at the state department . They have no leverage at this point, john. What two they think . Martin, he declared the process dead at what a couple days ago . In the last week. But its important, i think, to look at the facts here that the way the cease fire in 2012 between hamas and israel was reached was through an interlock who was morsi, who is now out of power, and the government they have a new president. A tremendous supporter of this. Hes blocked hamas, okay . He stopped a lot of what they do, he stopped the smuggling. He has weakened hamas dramatically. On a scale of one to ten, how much will these hostilities delay the peace talks . It killed them for the in death knit future. Five,. 8. 2,. 4. A 6. Well be right back with predictions. Welcome to Government Contracting weekly, sponsored by aoc Key Solutions, inc. Government contracting weekly is the only Television Program devoted exclusively to the competitive and Dynamic World of Government Contracting, a world where coming in second place is not an option, but where principlecentered winning is the only approach. Good morning, and welcome to Government Contracting weekly. Im jim mccarthy, the owner of Key Solutions and the host of this show. Now, as you know, Government Contracting weekly is all about winning and retaining government contracts. An oral presentation can often make the difference between winning and losing, so this morning were going to take a deep dive into the critical area of orals. Ive often felt that you could fill a large room