HEROES AND VETERANS, SACRIFICES THEY MADE 80 YEARS AGO. SAVANNAH. >> PETER, THANK YOU. JOINING US FROM PARIS, JAKE SULLIVAN. MR. SULLIVAN, GOOD MORNING TO YOU. >> GOOD MORNING. >> LET ME START BRIEFLY WITH THIS BREAKING NEWS OUT OF LEBANON, AN ATTACK ON A U.S. EMBASSY NEAR BEIRUT. WHAT CAN YOU SHARE WITH US ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW? >> Reporter: WELL, SAVANNAH, WE HAVE BEEN IN REAL-TIME CONTACT WITH NBC BEIRUT. ALL AMERICAN PERSONNEL AT THE EMBASSY ARE SAFE AND ACCOUNTED FOR. ONE LOCAL LEBANESE GUARD OUTSIDE WAS WOUNDED. HE'S RECEIVING CARE NOW. AND WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO ASCERTAIN WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED HERE TO ENSURE THERE IS NO CONTINUING THREAT AND WE WILL DO ALL WE NEED TO DO TO PROTECT OUR PEOPLE. >> OBVIOUSLY THERE IS A CONFLICT IN THE NORTH THAT ISRAEL HAS WITH HEZBOLLAH AND INSIDE LEBANON AND THAT'S A PIECE OF THE LARGER PUZZLE HERE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. WHERE DO THINGS STAND ON THIS POTENTIAL CEASE-FIRE DEAL? IT WAS DESCRIBED AS AN ISRAELI PROPOSAL. THEN IT SEEMS LIKE THEY BACKED OFF FROM IT, KIND OF DISTANCED THEMSELVES. IS IT STILL A LIVE PROPOSAL ON THE TABLE FOR HAMAS? >> YES, IT IS. ISRAEL IS A RUCKUS DEMOCRACY. THEY RECONFIRMED REPEATEDLY, AS RECENTLY AS TODAY, THAT THAT PROPOSAL IS ON THE TABLE. AND NOW IT IS UP TO HAMAS TO ACCEPT IT. THE WHOLE WORLD SHOULD CALL ON HAMAS TO ACCEPT IT. THE G7 COMPANIES CALLED ON HAMAS TO DO THE DEAL, GET THE HOSTAGES HOME. THAT'S WHAT PRESIDENT BIDEN IS FOCUSED ON. >> LET'S TALK ABOUT IMMIGRATION BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCED THERE IS AN EXECUTIVE ACTION BANNING MOST ASYLUM APPLICATIONS ONCE THEY REACH THE THRESHOLD OF 2,500 A DAY. IT GIVES YOU A BIG HEADLINE, A TOUGH ON THE BORDER HEADLINE. BUT IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS TELL OUR REPORTERS, ANALYSTS SAY THERE IS REALLY NO ABILITY TO CARRY THIS ON BEYOND A CERTAIN LEVEL. THEY DON'T HAVE THE FACILITY, THE MONEY, THE MANPOWER TO HOLD MGRANTS IN DETENTION OR FUND BACK TO THEIR HOME COUNTRIES. >> WELL, FIRST, WE BELIEVE THAT THIS ACTION THE PRESIDENT TOOK YESTERDAY TO BAR MIGRANTS WHO ENTER UNLAWFULLY FROM SEEKING ASYLUM WILL HELP OUR BORDER PATROL AGENCIES MANAGE THE BORDER IN A MORE ORDERLY WAY. AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT IS NOT A COMPLETE SOLUTION BECAUSE THE ONLY COMPLETE SOLUTION IS ONE THAT INCLUDES CONGRESS STEPPING UP ON A BIPARTISAN BASIS AND PROVIDING THE FUNDING THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN ASKED FOR, FOR MORE AGENTS, MORE FACILITIES, MORE CAPACITY. REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS REFUSE TO PUT THAT BILL ON THE FLOOR AND VOTE FOR IT. THE PRESIDENT HAS ASKED AGAIN, INCLUDING IN HIS SPEECH YESTERDAY FOR THAT TO HAPPEN. WE'D LIKE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN. >> WHY DID THE PRESIDENT WAIT SO LONG TO ADDRESS IMMIGRATION? I MEAN, THESE BORDER PROBLEMS ARE NOT NEW. THIS IS THE FINAL SIX MONTHS OF HIS FIRST TERM. WHY WAIT? >> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, AS THE PRESIDENT SAID IN HIS REMARKS YESTERDAY, HE'S TAKEN A SERIES OF ACTIONS AT THE BORDER. SECONDLY, AND THIS IS CRITICAL, HE PUT FORWARD A COMPREHENSIVE PROPOSAL TO THE CONGRESS THAT ACTUALLY THE ADMINISTRATION WORKED WITH REPUBLICANS ON. THAT PROPOSAL WAS AGREED TO SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AFTER PAIN STAKING NEGOTIATIONS. AND THE PROPOSAL REPUBLICANS AGREED TO, THEY DECIDED NOT TO VOTE FOR BECAUSE THE LEADER OF THEIR PARTY -- >> THAT'S ALL TRUE, JAKE, BUT EVEN THAT WAS SIX MONTHS AGO. >> SAID DON'T VOTE FOR IT. >> THAT IS TRUE. BUT EVEN THAT WAS IN DECEMBER. I MEAN, THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN IN OFFICE SINCE 2021. THIS IMMIGRATION PROBLEM IS NOT A NEW ONE. >> WELL, AS I SAID, IN HIS SPEECH HE LAID OUT A SERIES OF STEPS HE HAS TAKEN AT THE BORDER TO INCREASE CAPACITY, TO DEAL WITH MEXICO AND OTHER COUNTRIES TO REDUCE THE FLOW. TO FLOW RESOURCES TO OUR COMMUNITIES SO THAT THEY COULD DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM AS WELL. ALSO, SAVANNAH, ONE OF YOUR QUESTIONS WAS IF HE HAS TO ACT ON HIS OWN, HIS LAW ENFORCEMENT AND BORDER PATROL AGENTS DON'T HAVE ANYTHING THEY NEED. THAT REQUIRED PREPARATION AND EXECUTION. THAT'S WHAT THE PRESIDENT HAD BEEN FOCUSED ON SINCE THAT BORDER DEAL DIDN'T COME THROUGH SO WHEN HE MADE HIS ANNOUNCEMENT YESTERDAY HE MADE IT AFTER A PERIOD OF INTENSE PREPARATION SO THAT IT COULD BE AN EFFECTIVE POLICY. >> WE ARE GETTING CRITICISM FROM THE RIGHT YOU EXPECT. ONE DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN SAID THE PRESIDENT REVIVED TRUMP'S ASYLUM BAN IN DENYING ASYLUM APPLICATIONS. ISN'T BIDEN DOING PRECISELY WHAT HE EXCORIATING PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR DOING WHEN HE WAS IN OFFICE? >> FIRST, THERE IS A MAJOR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT THE PRESIDENT DID AND WHAT HIS PREDECESSOR DID. >> BUT THE DENIAL OF ASYLUM APPLICATIONS. >> AND, CRITICALLY, IT DOES NOT SHUT DOWN ASYLUM. WHAT IT DOES IS SAY IF YOU COME ACROSS THE BORDER ILLEGAL, YOU ARE BARRED FROM MAKING AN ASYLUM CLAIM. AND THE PRESIDENT HAS GONE FURTHER THAN ANY PRESIDENT IN GENERATING THOSE LUFL PATHWAYS SO THAT PEOPLE LOOKING TO COME HERE TO THIS COUNTRY WITH A LEGITIMATE CLAIM TO COME HERE CAN DO SO EFFECTIVELY. IT IS NIGHT AND DAY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE POLICIES OF THIS ADMINISTRATION AND THE LAST ONE. BUT THE PRESIDENT IS NOT GOING TO SHERK FROM STEPPING UP TO TAKE ENFORCEMENT ACTION HE BELIEVES IS NECESSARY AT THE
