Below is the full transcript of an interview with Senator Mark Kelly, Democrat of Arizona, on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” which aired on January 12, 2025.

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MARGARET BRENNAN: We now turn to Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, who joins us from Tucson, Arizona. Good morning, Senator.

SEN. MARK KELLY: Good morning, Margaret.

MARGARET BRENNAN: It’s going to be a very busy week in the Senate. Before I get to these confirmation hearings, I want to address what the FBI Director told our local Scott Pelley when discussing some of the Chinese hacking attacks and what new National Security Advisor Mike Waltz called “cyber time bombs” throughout US infrastructure described. What has to happen? What consequences must there be for China if it has done this and remains in our infrastructure?

SEN. KELLY: Well, we have to be strong in confronting them and explaining things to them, and in some cases I think the consequences have to be severe. There are things we can do, we have the tools. But I would say that even beyond that, we need to find a way to get them out of the infrastructure. As far as the telecommunications system is concerned, several companies currently have, you know, Chinese cyber software installed on these systems and we are working to resolve the issue. Part of this will require telcos to modernize their infrastructure. That could be costly. We are currently working with them to achieve this.

MARGARET BRENNAN: It’s pretty incredible that this espionage even happened, and it’s so hard to rule it out. I also want to ask you about another Chinese issue, and that has to do with Tiktok, because the company’s lawyer said that they won’t do anything next Sunday unless the Supreme Court steps in and blocks this national security law comes into effect or is delayed, as Mr. Trump has asked the court to do. What do you think will happen here?

SEN. KELLY: Well, based on the oral arguments in the case two days ago, it looks like the Supreme Court – I mean, I don’t really want to speculate – but it looks like they’re going to uphold the law that we passed have. So – I think on the 19th, the day before – before the inauguration, you know, Tiktok will be on our systems, on our servers, something that has now been banned by Congress. So I can imagine that there will be an interruption to the service here from the 19th. I know this is controversial. I know there are people who make a living from Tiktok, but it poses a risk to national security. You know, one is the data, one is the risks. What concerns me more is their ability to manipulate the people of the United States, especially in times of conflict. So it was the right decision. I voted for it. And it looks like the Supreme Court will uphold the law we passed.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We will follow this story. I want to follow up on something that Senator Barrasso brought up, which is the Laken Riley Act. You say you support this. It’s a bill that would require federal authorities to detain undocumented immigrants charged with theft crimes instead of releasing them on parole. This bill was introduced in the last Congress but failed to take effect. Was it wrong for the Democrats not to take it up? Was it election year politics that had Democrats worried about pushing it forward?

SEN. KELLY: Well, for the last year, we’ve been working with Republicans on a bipartisan border security bill, hoping to pass it and then move on to comprehensive immigration reform. I think we could do it. I think there’s a lot of, you know, there’s – you know, there’s an effort, I think that’s going to continue. You know, right now it’s certainly bipartisan. I voted to close the motion to talk about it. And ultimately I will vote –

(crosstalk begins)

MARGARET BRENNAN

But do you regret not doing this and taking this position sooner?

SEN. KELLY: – to – to pass it.

MARGARET BRENNAN: If Democrats were more forceful on this issue –

SEN: KELLY: Well –

MARGARET BRENNAN: What topic was most relevant during the election campaign?

(END TALK)

SEN. KELLY: Well, I mean, the Laken Riley Act is very specific. I mean, it does a certain thing. We were working on something much broader: money for border patrol agents, hiring, infrastructure and policy changes. And policy changes really need to be bipartisan. We cannot achieve this through the reconciliation process that you spoke about. So there is – you know, I think there will continue to be efforts. This is non-partisan. You’re right, we didn’t do that a year ago, you know, maybe we should have. But we worked on bipartisan legislation on border security. We didn’t make it across the finish line. I hope that we can achieve this at this congress.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to address two of the two tips here. You sit on the Armed Forces Committee. Normally, only ranking members and committee chairs have access to the FBI’s background check of a candidate. But as you know, many senators here are asking for more information about Pete Hegseth. Do you have any information from the ranking member of the committee, Senator Reed, that you will have access or information from this FBI background check?

SEN. KELLY: Margaret, let me start by saying that there is no job more serious and important to our national security than that of secretary of defense, and we need a qualified person for that job, and he just doesn’t seem to have the skills have qualifications. And beyond that, look at his personal conduct, particularly when he led Veterans for Freedom and Concerned Veterans of America. You know, both of these organizations were financially mismanaged. There were reports of being drunk at work and creating an environment where there were some issues with sexual harassment. Therefore, I think it is in the best interest of the candidate, Mr. Hegseth, if he wants to be confirmed for this job, that we have all the information. You know, the information from these organizations, but also the FBI background check. At the moment, as you say, the chairman and the ranking member will get it. This is an agreement with the White House, but exceptions have been made in the past for certain candidates. That’s clearly because it’s bipartisan, like a bi-You know, on the other side of the aisle, people want to see the FBI background check. I think we should get a chance to take a look.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, the New York Times reports that your… that the ranking member was informed on Friday. Are you saying no information was shared?

SEN. KELLY: Yes.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, do you think it will be before Tuesday?

SEN. KELLY: Not yet.

MARGARET BRENNAN: – at the hearing –

SEN. KELLY: I don’t know. I find-

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay.

SEN. KELLY: – you know, we’ll have an opportunity, you know – I’ll speak to the ranking member, and I’ve also spoken to the chairman about this, about his nomination in general. Furthermore, the discussion I had with Roger Wicker was simply about a meeting with Mr. Hegseth. We contacted him several times. I was unable to make an appointment at my office. And he is not meeting with any other Democrats on the committee except the ranking member. More information is better. If he wants to be confirmed for this job, I think it’s in our best interest to put everything on the table.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You’re on the Intelligence Committee. Former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard is also controversial. Republican Senator Capito was on FOX today and said that when she met privately with Tulsi Gabbard, she urged her to make the trip to Syria in 2017, which came after a chemical weapons attack by dictator Bashar Al-Assad against civilians. Gabbard told her that she didn’t even know she was going to Syria, that she planned to travel to Lebanon for the planned visit and ended up in Syria. Is that a credible answer?

SEN. KELLY: I spoke with Congresswoman Gabbard this week and met her in my office. We talked about the trip to Syria. She didn’t tell me that part. I mean, I think it’s kind of unusual that you end up in one place, that wasn’t part of the plan. But what concerns me even more about this trip in particular is the fact that it was widely known that Assad gassed civilians on several occasions and used chemical weapons against the population. And she didn’t argue about that, but she took the time and effort to conclude that there were two cases, and she used, you know, experts who weren’t critical – credible – to try , to prove that he did not use chemical weapons in these two cases. And I have a hard time understanding why you would want to do that, to use your political capital to try to prove something when there are multiple cases. And you know, if you also look at what’s going on in Russia with misinformation, she seems to have a penchant for misinformation.

(crosstalk begins)

MARGARET BRENNAN: We will –

SEN. KELLY: – and for not doing it –

MARGARET BRENNAN: – we’ll see –

SEN. KELLY: -You present an unconvincing case and don’t listen to the intelligence community.

MARGARET BRENNAN: My producer is screaming in my ear, “I have to go, Senator, I’m so sorry to interrupt you -“

SEN. KELLY: Okay.

MARGARET BRENNAN: –but we’ll see when the hearing is scheduled.

SEN. KELLY: Bye.

(END TALK)

MARGARET BRENNAN: We’ll be right back.