Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson speaks with Sen. Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders), I-Vt., about immigration policy, President Trump's budget proposal and the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on "worldwide threats" Tuesday.

Interview Highlights

On whether he'd support an immigration plan that encompasses President Trump's "four pillars" for immigration

"No. I think what the American people are very clear about — close to 90 percent — is they want to make sure that the 'Dreamers' in this country get legal status and they get a path toward citizenship. And, by the way, most Americans do not think it makes a whole lot of sense to be spending billions of dollars on a wall. So, first thought, I think we should do what the American people want us to do. We have a few days, just a few days, to deal with this great moral crisis. And, in my view, what we should be doing is focusing on two issues: No. 1, a path toward citizenship and providing legal status for the 1.8 million people who are eligible for DACA. And, No. 2, we should improve border security, and we can do that in a more cost-effective way than by spending billions on a wall that we really don't need."

On where members of Congress stand

"What I can tell you is there is a strong majority of members here in the Senate — I'm guessing 56, 57 members, Democrats, all, and some Republicans — who think that the focus should be on legal status for the 'Dreamers' and a path toward citizenship, and border security, not getting into other areas. I hope that's where we will go. And I can tell you also that there is a majority in the House who support that. And I would very much appreciate [House] Speaker [Paul] Ryan allowing the House to have a vote on what the members want.

"I think, in terms of border security, that has to be part of the program. How much you spend on a wall that I think is unnecessary is another story. But I do believe there is a majority in the Senate, we're trying to get 60 votes for people to say let us focus on making sure that the 'Dreamers' have legal protection and a path toward citizenship. Let's deal with border security. There is strong support both in the House and the Senate for going forward. Broader comprehensive immigration reform, something that we should be looking at. But, between you and me, it is not going to be resolved in three days."