MSNBC "The Beat with Ari Melber" - Transcript: "Democrats launch new probe of Trump aides."
Interview
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RI MELBER, MSNBC "THE BEAT" HOST: New scandal hitting Donald Trump`s immigration policy tonight. Homeland Security officials spent millions of dollars on office furniture while claiming resources have been too short to house immigrant families including forcing migrants to sleep on the floor. "The Daily Beast" reporting Trump officials have spent $120 million on furniture, most frequently at luxury furniture maker Herman Miller. Tonight, Trump also under fire for raiding funding, which would have been used to educate children of American military personnel. Now, they won`t get a planned new middle school. Also, Trump can divert funds to the wall that he said, never forget, "Mexico would pay for." I`m joined by Arizona Congressman, Ruben Gallego, a Marine veteran. Good to see you. And what do you see as important about all these stories coming together?
REP. RUBEN GALLEGO, D-ARIZONA: Well, look, the most important thing you have to understand, what the president cares about when it comes to your family separation and deportation policy, is they want to maximize cruelty, and that`s why they`re depriving these people of beds and the sanitary conditions they should be in, clearly not money. But number two, it also makes it very hard, I think, for us in Congress to continue to appropriate money to these homeland security efforts when we know that they`re just being wasteful and they`re coming back and asking for more money. And then, also raiding our military budget, something that many of us have worked hard on to improve, and to increase, because of the need that we have in our family basis. So this president really does not take this series as serious at all.
MELBER: We checked on that and prior administrations have also spent money on furniture at similar rates, but they haven`t had the same policies, and then claim budget shortfalls.
GALLEGO: Correct.
MELBER: He was the acting DHS secretary doing that again. You`re in Congress -- to you, effectively. Take a look.
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KEVIN MCALEENAN, ACTING HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We`re in the midst of an ongoing security and humanitarian crisis in our southwest border. Given the scale of what we`re facing we will exhaust our resources before the end of this fiscal year, which is why, this week, the administration will be sending a supplemental funding request to the Congress.
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Is that on the level?
GALLEGO: No, it`s not on the level and it`s going to make funding decisions more difficult, I think, in the future for us in Congress. And, look, at the same time, you know, that they`re raising all these other efforts. Let`s not forget that they`ve also been raiding in the FEMA fund. That they took money away from the Coast Guard, things that are very important right now. This administration is irresponsible and reckless to a point that they`re actually more dangerous than anything else. They`re not effectively controlling the border. If anything they`re just making the whole process more dangerous, both for those crossing the border for, but for us as citizens, too, because we no longer have as strong as an effective FEMA, or Coast Guard, because they`re being raided by this administration.
MELBER: Yeah. These are important stories, especially and holding them to account. Congressman Gallego, thanks so much for joining us today.
GALLEGO: Pleasure.
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