Transcript: Rep. Maxwell Frost on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Oct. 13, 2024

The pursuing is simply a transcript of an interrogation with Rep. Maxwell Frost, Democrat of Florida, connected "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that aired connected Oct. 13, 2024.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We crook present to Florida Democratic Congressman Maxwell Frost. He joins america from Orlando. Welcome to Face the Nation.

REP. MAXWELL ALEJANDRO FROST: Thanks for having maine on.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman, President Biden is successful Florida contiguous to measure harm from Hurricane Milton. At slightest 60 Democratic lawmakers, immoderate from Florida, person called for Congress to instantly instrumentality to Washington to ballot for aid. You haven't joined that call. Why?

REP. FROST: I judge I person joined that call. But- but if not, I bash judge that Congress needs to instrumentality to marque definite that we walk wealth for much aid.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But however instantly bash you request that to happen? How successful request is your community?

REP. FROST: Our community's precise overmuch successful request crossed Florida. But the happening we person to recognize is, yes, FEMA has the resources indispensable to woody with the existent situation, but similar was mentioned successful the erstwhile segment, NOAA is predicting, and we've seen, that this is 1 of the worst hurricane seasons we've seen, and we're not done with this hurricane season, it doesn't end, really, till the extremity of November. And truthful I deliberation it is important. Why permission up to accidental erstwhile we tin guarantee that FEMA has the resources it needs. And not conscionable FEMA, SBA besides has a program, and antithetic agencies person programs that assistance america to respond to these hurricanes. Why would we permission it up to accidental and hold till thing happens, erstwhile we tin marque definite that we bash that enactment now. Especially erstwhile a batch of my colleagues connected the different broadside of the aisle are moving astatine politicizing these storms erstwhile we tin really bash thing astir it.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So you request this ballot to hap earlier Congress is acceptable to instrumentality November 12th. Or you tin hold until November 12th?

REP. FROST: I deliberation we should bash it arsenic soon arsenic possible. Why hold until November 12th? We don't cognize what's going to beryllium happening successful presumption of earthy disasters oregon storms. I deliberation it's important that a bureau similar FEMA person even- not conscionable what they need, but adjacent much than what they request to guarantee that they have, the resources necessary, of course, to assistance with the existent operation--

MARGARET BRENNAN: I've gotta--

REP. FROST: -- which they person but also--

MARGARET BRENNAN: -- instrumentality a interruption here, Congressman, and proceed our speech connected the different broadside of the commercial. Stay with us.

[COMMERCIAL BREAK]

MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome backmost to Face the Nation. We instrumentality to our speech with Florida Congressman Maxwell Frost. Congressman, you are the youngest subordinate of Congress, it looks like, and you've been connected assemblage campuses trying to enactment up enactment for Vice President Harris. In our CBS polling from earlier this summer, earlier Harris entered the race, we did spot among 40% of young radical who responded, they said authorities implicit the past fewer years makes them consciousness similar there's thing other they tin do. Another 40% said they privation to tune retired and ticker thing else. Young radical whitethorn not beryllium apathetic, but they surely don't look to beryllium excited astir the governmental strategy arsenic a mode to impact change. How bash you alteration that?

REP. FROST: Well, I admit the question. And it's not conscionable up to me, right? It's up to each of our leaders, each of our organizers, radical connected the ground, to marque definite that young radical recognize that if they measurement distant from their civic powerfulness that they have, there's radical who don't person their champion interests astatine bosom that are much than blessed to measurement into that powerfulness for them. I mean, you mentioned, you know, a fig that comes earlier Kamala Harris being the apical of our ticket. I've seen, arsenic I've traveled this country, I did a backmost to schoolhouse circuit conscionable a fewer weeks ago, a batch of enthusiasm and excitement astir this election, particularly with young voters wanting to ballot for Kamala Harris. And, you know, there's this conception that young radical are not being progressive successful the governmental system, and we tin bash better, but radical should cognize that young radical are voting astatine the highest numbers successful our country's history. 2020 was the highest younker elector turnout successful the past of our country. 2018 and 20- 2022 are the highest younker elector turnout successful a midterm successful the past of our country, too. So we're really- we're trending successful the close direction. We conscionable request to proceed to scope retired to young people, not instrumentality those votes for granted.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Right. And there's that question of enthusiasm really translating to votes. You've said vibes don't mean votes. I saw you say. On different contented that we cognize is of interest to the Harris campaign, I privation to inquire you astir remarks that Former President Barack Obama made earlier this week. He was speaking to run volunteers successful Pittsburgh and helium raised the interest astir debased enthusiasm and turnout, specifically among achromatic men. He said, quote, "part of it makes maine deliberation that, well, you conscionable aren't feeling the thought of having a pistillate arsenic president." Do you stock the erstwhile president's interest that this is simply a dynamic impacting the race? How overmuch of an contented is it for Vice President Harris?

REP. FROST: I deliberation it is an contented with a batch of antithetic voters crossed this country, and it's thing that our country, you know, we've travel a agelong way, arsenic successful presumption of women's suffrage, we've travel a agelong mode successful presumption of making definite of equity successful this country. But there's inactive a batch of this bigotry successful this state successful presumption of sexism, successful presumption of racism. And we inactive person to enactment astatine getting implicit that. Those things are inactive here. They inactive beryllium successful a batch of communities. And we inactive person a batch of enactment to bash here. And truthful I deliberation President Obama was conscionable having immoderate precise serious, pugnacious talk, right, pugnacious love, with a batch of- particularly helium was speaking straight to young achromatic voters, young achromatic men specifically and making definite that they understand. Look, sometimes you person to instrumentality a measurement backmost and look astatine your ain bias. What's the bias you have? What are the existent reasons you're voting against idiosyncratic oregon for someone? Is it a morganatic argumentation thing, oregon does it person to bash much with the vibe of thing and past look much into that arsenic well. I deliberation it's truly important. This, like, authorities of vibes. We spot it a batch present successful Florida with idiosyncratic similar Ron DeSantis, who claims to beryllium idiosyncratic who's for the radical and for democracy. Yet each accidental helium gets, helium acts similar an authoritarian. Then I spell to voters who person household members, who person escaped countries with authoritarian leaders, and I inquire them, wherefore are you voting for idiosyncratic who's emulating what your parents escaped? And they can't rather explicate it. It has to bash with the vibes, with the ambiance the person has created. And I deliberation we inactive person to contend with that arsenic a country. And that's what the president was talking about.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman, convey you for sharing your insights. We're going to person to permission it determination for today. We'll beryllium close back.