>> GUNS DON'T KILL PEOPLE, PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE.

♪♪ >> TWO FORMER LAWMAKERS ARE BACK IN THE HOUSE.

WE HAVE FORMER REPRESENTATIVE STILL REPUBLICAN PAT GAROFALO.

[ LAUGHTER ] >> AND FORMER REPRESENTATIVE AND SENATOR, STILL DEMOCRAT, KARLA BIGHAM.

[ LAUGHTER ] LET'S START WITH D.C.

BECAUSE IT'S JUST -- NATIONAL ATTENTION ON MINNESOTA AND FRAUD.

THE GOVERNOR SEEMED A LITTLE MORE PREPARED THIS TIME, I THINK MAYBE FIRST TIME HE THOUGHT I KNOW CONGRESS, YOU KNOW, I USED TO BE HERE.

IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT CONGRESS THAN THE ONE HE SERVED IN.

>> YEAH, AND I'M GOING TO JUMP AHEAD OF MY COLEG HERE.

[ LAUGHTER ] I AGREE.

I THINK WALZ WENT OUT THERE WITH A MISSION TO DEFEND, YOU KNOW, I GUESS I WOULD SAY TWO THINGS ARE TRUE.

FRAUD IS REAL, IT NEEDS TO BE PROSECUTED AND PEOPLE NEED TO GO TO JAIL FOR IT.

WE NEED TO PASS LEGISLATION TO PREVENT IT, ALL OF THAT'S TRUE.

THE OTHER THING THAT'S TRUE, THIS IS POLITICAL RETALIATION FROM THE ADMINISTRATION -- AUDIO CUTTING OUT ] ALL OF THIS IS IMPACTING LIVES AND IT'S REALLY I THINK KIND OF JUST SHOOK US TO OUR CORE SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN -- THIS YEAR.

>> HALF ABOUT FRAUD AND HALF ABOUT I.C.E.

AND IMMIGRATION BECAUSE DEMOCRATS WANTED TO MAKE IT ABOUT THAT TOO.

>> I MEAN, WASHINGTON, D.C.

IS DYSFUNCTIONAL.

IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER WHO'S IN CONTROL OF THINGS, RIGHT?

IT'S JUST CONSTANT FOCUS ON FUND-RAISING AND GETTING CLIPS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, SO.

I'M NOT REALLY SURE WE GOT A LOT OUT OF TODAY'S HEARINGS OTHER THAN JUST REMINDING PEOPLE OF HOW BAD THE PROBLEM WAS IN MINNESOTA IN TERMS OF OUR FRAUD.

IT'S NOT AN EXAGGERATION TO SAY WE HAD NATION LEADING FRAUD.

THE GOOD NEWS IS IS THAT IT APPEARS THAT WE'RE KIND OF TURNING THE CORNER MAYBE.

I HAVE TO TELL YOU, THIS FRAUD COMMITTEE -- [ AUDIO CUT OUT ] THEY HAVEN'T PASSED A BILL, BUT BOY, HAVE THEY BEEN EFFECTIVE -- PROGRAM HAS BEEN COMPLETELY -- WE NOW FOUND OUT -- IN TERMS OF THE NON-EMERGENCY TRANSPORTATION -- AND USAGE.

>> YEAH.

WE JUST HEARD THAT WAS THAT CLIP WAS THAT FROM THAT COMMITTEE SAYING -- >> YEP, AND SO -- >> -- WASN'T EVEN NECESSARY, RIGHT?

>> SO IT TURNS OUT THAT -- [ AUDIO CUTTING OUT ] >> PROSECUTIONS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE, IT'S BEEN THE JUSTICE -- DEPARTMENT THAT'S BEEN DOING IT AND WHEN THEY'VE HAD SHAKEUP N THEIR STAFF -- WORRIED THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ISN'T DOING ENOUGH IN MINNESOTA, AH -- -- I THINK THE NUMBER OF DIMES BY THE DOJ IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE YEAR IS GOING TO BE OVER 200.

>> DO WE TRUST THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE?

>> I THINK THE BIGGEST CONCERN IS THEY HAVE NOT -- THEY'VE HAD SUCH A EXODUS OF ATTORNEYS AND I MEAN THERE IS A LACK OF TRUST IN THE DOJ IN Y OPINION.

[ NO AUDIO ] >> THAT IF WE CAN GET SOME LEGISLATION THROUGH THIS YEAR ON I THINK THE FRAUD AND I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE INTERACT WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE WILL BE OTHER ISSUES LIKE TO DEAL WITH REAL SERIOUS ISSUES LIKE THE FUNDING FOR HENNEPIN MEDICAL CENTER, HCMC IF THAT COLLAPSES THAT'S GOING O JUST BE ANOTHER HUGE ISSUE ON TOP OF THAT BUT THE MEDICAID CUTS, THE S.N.A.P.

SHIFTS AND CUTS, AND ALL OF THAT IS HURTING REAL MINNESOTANS AND NO ONE ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL IS STEPPING UP TO HELP -- >> AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE MINNESOTA GROCERS ASSOCIATION OBVIOUSLY WE CARE VERY DEEPLY ABOUT S.N.A.P.

BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU MY FRIEND KARLA HERE IS SEEING THE NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS OF S.N.A.P.

CUTS SHE MUST BE A TIME TRAVELER.

THIS ISN'T GONE INTO EFFECT YET.

THIS IS SPECULATION ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AND AGAIN WITHOUT GETTING INTO THE NITTY-GRITTY OF IT, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL THEY'RE TRYING TO PUT INTEGRITY INTO THE S.N.A.P.

PROGRAM, IT'S A BIPARTISAN PROGRAM THAT'S BEEN AROUND OVER 06 YEARS.

IN ORDER TO HAVE BIPARTISAN SUPPORT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC HAS CONFIDENCE IN IT AND IN MINNESOTA THEY WANT TO HAVE THAT TRUST.

I DON'T WANT TO BE NEGATIVE NELLIE HERE, THE GOOD NEWS IS THERE IS ACCOUNTABILITY.

I WISH THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE WAS DOING MORE, UNLIKE MY FRIEND HERE I DON'T REALLY THINK A LOT OF LAW CHANGES ARE GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

THIS IS A CULTURE THING.

THE ONE EXCEPTION IS THE OIG BILL.

THE OIG BILL IS SOMETHING >> OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL.

>> SENATE PASSED IT LAST YEAR.

FIRST OF ALL OUR BUDGETS WE'RE ALREADY STARTING THEM, S.N.A.P.

IS REAL FOR COUNTIES, I WILL SAY THAT, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO PREPARE FOUR OUR BUDGETS.

I WILL SAY PAT AND I COULD GO TO SWEENEY'S AND HAVE A COUPLE OF BEERS AND CHICKEN WINGS AND HAVE THIS OIG THING FIGURED.

THAT IN MY OPINION ABOUT HOW THINGS CAN'T GET DONE.

STOOD UP ON THE BCA OR STOOD UP ON ITS OWN.

>> THIS IS WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW, MEMBERS OF BOTH PARTIES ARE BEING TOLD YOU CAN'T AGREE TO NYTHING THE OTHER SIDE WANTS BECAUSE WE HAVE TO HOLD ON AND WAIT FOR NEGOTIATIONS.

AT THE END OF SESSION THE LEADERS ARE GOING TO EMERGE WITH A GLOW AROUND THEIR BODIES AND THEY'RE GOING TO PUT TOGETHER THIS GREAT DEAL AND COMPROMISE.

AND SO IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S OIG, CMC WHICH BY THE WAY -- >> WHICH MEANS