Jeff Merkley: Ripping Kid Away from Parents Comes from a ‘Very Dark Place’ in the Heart of the Trump Admin

RUSH TRANSCRIPT BERMAN As ░░░░░░░░ Florence heads toward the ░░░░░░░░ the trump Administration is ░░░░░░░░ of taking money away ░░░░░░░░ the agency that spearheads ░░░░░░░░ federal response Democratic senator ░░░░░░░░ Oregon has released documents ░░░░░░░░ the Trump Administration transferred ░░░░░░░░ 10 million from the ░░░░░░░░ budget to ice The ░░░░░░░░ would help fund detention ░░░░░░░░ to assist the department ░░░░░░░░ justice controversial family separation ░░░░░░░░ Senator thanks so much ░░░░░░░░ being with us Explain ░░░░░░░░ me exactly what you ░░░░░░░░ in these documents MERKLEY ░░░░░░░░ I have a copyright ░░░░░░░░ It is a notification ░░░░░░░░ Congress of transfers that ░░░░░░░░ administration is making And ░░░░░░░░ lays out the exactly ░░░░░░░░ details of how this ░░░░░░░░ 10 million is being ░░░░░░░░ away from FEMA and ░░░░░░░░ good share of it ░░░░░░░░ in lines that say ░░░░░░░░ like preparation preparation preparedness ░░░░░░░░ response and recovery Clearly ░░░░░░░░ are funds that are ░░░░░░░░ valuable in terms of ░░░░░░░░ for the types of ░░░░░░░░ we have had in ░░░░░░░░ last few weeks A ░░░░░░░░ that almost hit Hawaii ░░░░░░░░ tropical storm hitting Mississippi ░░░░░░░░ now Florence BERMAN Give ░░░░░░░░ the response that we ░░░░░░░░ from the DHS secretary ░░░░░░░░ posted this on Twitter ░░░░░░░░ money in question transferred ░░░░░░░░ could not have been ░░░░░░░░ DHS stand fiscally and ░░░░░░░░ ready So they are ░░░░░░░░ the money couldn t ░░░░░░░░ to this hurricane response ░░░░░░░░ That s just kind ░░░░░░░░ a lot of bunk ░░░░░░░░ you have preparedness lines ░░░░░░░░ when you have lines ░░░░░░░░ to response that s ░░░░░░░░ the sort of funds ░░░░░░░░ help you prepare and ░░░░░░░░ the damage that comes ░░░░░░░░ these storms So it ░░░░░░░░ really kind of an ░░░░░░░░ partnership here in which ░░░░░░░░ funds are being taken ░░░░░░░░ from preparation after we ░░░░░░░░ the impact of the ░░░░░░░░ massive hurricanes from last ░░░░░░░░ And then the money ░░░░░░░░ being directed towards a ░░░░░░░░ that comes from a ░░░░░░░░ dark place in the ░░░░░░░░ of the administration which ░░░░░░░░ ripping thousands of children ░░░░░░░░ of the arms of ░░░░░░░░ their parents then locking ░░░░░░░░ their parents up BERMAN ░░░░░░░░ understand you have on ░░░░░░░░ record and you have ░░░░░░░░ to the forefront of ░░░░░░░░ against the administration s ░░░░░░░░ plan and the detention ░░░░░░░░ plan But in regard ░░░░░░░░ hurricane response are you ░░░░░░░░ that you legitimately fear ░░░░░░░░ the government that FEMA ░░░░░░░░ not have the money ░░░░░░░░ needs to respond to ░░░░░░░░ Florence MERKLEY I m ░░░░░░░░ saying it will have ░░░░░░░░ million less And 10 ░░░░░░░░ is significant We clearly ░░░░░░░░ are entering a season ░░░░░░░░ transfer occurred apparently in ░░░░░░░░ The document delivering the ░░░░░░░░ says it was prepared ░░░░░░░░ June June is June ░░░░░░░░ is the start of ░░░░░░░░ season It just goes ░░░░░░░░ the judgment of the ░░░░░░░░ at the very time ░░░░░░░░ season is starting in ░░░░░░░░ and with the knowledge ░░░░░░░░ last year the administration ░░░░░░░░ saying well that sort ░░░░░░░░ preparation we can cut ░░░░░░░░ on that which I ░░░░░░░░ t think that the ░░░░░░░░ want to see the ░░░░░░░░ cut on preparing and ░░░░░░░░ to these massive storms.”