Robert Siegel talks to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, an Arizona Democrat who represents the Tucson area, about immigration and security on the U.S.-Mexico border.
ROBERT SIEGEL, Host: Security on the U.S./Mexico border has been a top concern for Representative Gabrielle Giffords. She is a Democrat who represents Arizona's 8th congressional district. Her district includes the Tucson area and it also runs for 114 miles along the border. She joins us from Capitol Hill. Welcome back to the program.</s>GABRIELLE GIFFORDS: Good afternoon.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, Host: And, first, your reaction to President Calderon's address to Congress today, did he say enough to meet your concerns about protecting citizens along the border?</s>GABRIELLE GIFFORDS: Certainly the pomp and circumstance of a joint session of Congress is always a spectacle. And having President Calderon here was at this time very important. But for me, it's memorable because I had in the gallery a guest who is a rancher from my district. And he is truly an amazing representative for the ranching community. One, of course, who was tragically murdered on March 27th.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, Host: This is Mr. Krantz, one of your constituents who was actually killed on his own ranch?</s>GABRIELLE GIFFORDS: That's correct. Rob Krantz was murdered by suspected drug smugglers. And after attending his memorial service, hearing the outpouring of grief and frustration, I just realized that even though I work extraordinarily hard to make the connection between the federal government and the ranchers in Cochise County, it's important to have those ranchers here in Washington as well. And for the president to look into the human face of the border crisis.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, Host: Now, President Calderon and many other Mexicans point out that the guns that are used by Mexican drug dealers often have come across the border from the United States. And one of the things that he urged the U.S. to do today in his speech was to reimpose the assault weapon ban. What do you think of that?</s>GABRIELLE GIFFORDS: Frankly, that's not very likely to happen here in Washington right now. We have been working towards a comprehensive immigration reform bill that also will not likely happen before the November election. Until we can secure the border, we're not likely to see any movement on these other pieces of legislation that are part of the problem.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, Host: But Representative Giffords, would restoring the assault weapons ban not just be unlikely, but in your view, unwelcome?</s>GABRIELLE GIFFORDS: But the reality is that I am urging the federal government to put national troops on the border. I'm urging the federal government to stand up forward operating bases, put more boots on the ground. And unless the federal government steps up and actually secures the border, we're really not going to have a conversation about any of these other peripheral issues.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, Host: But you urged President Obama to do just that a couple of days after the death of Mr. Krantz in your district, on his ranch. He hasn't sent the National Guard in. Are you disappointed?</s>GABRIELLE GIFFORDS: And you would talk to the ranchers that have their property destroyed on a regular basis, that have traffickers both human and drugs coming across, increased violence. National security is border security. And the federal government needs to step up.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, Host: But if the federal government has not stepped up, you've also been critical of the Arizona government for having passed the very controversial immigration bill that Arizona Governor Brewer approved of and signed. It seems as though you can see that Washington isn't doing the job, but when your own state tries to do the job, you're against that as well.</s>GABRIELLE GIFFORDS: That being said, I get it, I understand the frustration because these are my constituents. Arizonans are incredibly angry that we live in the most porous section of the border in the country. And until we can secure the border, it's very hard to have a conversation about anything else.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, Host: Well, Representative Gabrielle Giffords, Democrat of Arizona, thanks a lot for talking with us today.</s>GABRIELLE GIFFORDS: Thank you for having me.