Dem Sen. Tester on the Border Wall: Trump Wants To ‘Use the American Taxpayer Like an ATM Machine’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT senator Shelby ░░░░░░░░ you for joining us ░░░░░░░░ have your work cut ░░░░░░░░ for you Thank you ░░░░░░░░ We turn to Montana ░░░░░░░░ senator Jon tester He ░░░░░░░░ also one of only ░░░░░░░░ moderate Democrats to win ░░░░░░░░ re election in a ░░░░░░░░ red state Good morning ░░░░░░░░ you senator Good to ░░░░░░░░ here Margaret thank you ░░░░░░░░ Your colleague senator Shelby ░░░░░░░░ negotiations are at an ░░░░░░░░ they need to find ░░░░░░░░ what Democrats want and ░░░░░░░░ As Democrat here what ░░░░░░░░ you explain Well first ░░░░░░░░ all Margaret I would ░░░░░░░░ say that we passed ░░░░░░░░ bill a couple of ░░░░░░░░ ago to keep the ░░░░░░░░ open and house refused ░░░░░░░░ take it up I ░░░░░░░░ that the fact were ░░░░░░░░ government Shu shutdown is ░░░░░░░░ short of ridiculous Senator ░░░░░░░░ and others are spot ░░░░░░░░ we need to sit ░░░░░░░░ and pound out a ░░░░░░░░ I think that that ░░░░░░░░ that the Senate passed ░░░░░░░░ bipartisan way couple of ░░░░░░░░ ago would give us ░░░░░░░░ opportunity to come to ░░░░░░░░ agreement The problems is ░░░░░░░░ the president has 3 ░░░░░░░░ dollars from last year ░░░░░░░░ border security actually 21 ░░░░░░░░ for border security 1 ░░░░░░░░ for the wall that ░░░░░░░░ has spent very little ░░░░░░░░ Brennan He needs more ░░░░░░░░ says yet he needs ░░░░░░░░ Yet there s no ░░░░░░░░ to go how the ░░░░░░░░ is going to be ░░░░░░░░ or any analysis on ░░░░░░░░ s most effective to ░░░░░░░░ the border Bottom line ░░░░░░░░ Margaret is that I ░░░░░░░░ t talk to anybody ░░░░░░░░ the Senate that doesn ░░░░░░░░ want secure borders just ░░░░░░░░ the money is going ░░░░░░░░ be spent If the ░░░░░░░░ wants to continue to ░░░░░░░░ promise that he made ░░░░░░░░ is to have Mexico ░░░░░░░░ for a wall the ░░░░░░░░ have changed now we ░░░░░░░░ still going to build ░░░░░░░░ wall but have the ░░░░░░░░ taxpayer pay for it ░░░░░░░░ ll use the American ░░░░░░░░ like ATM machine that ░░░░░░░░ not the right direction ░░░░░░░░ go Brennan the White ░░░░░░░░ says it s Democrats ░░░░░░░░ walked away from the ░░░░░░░░ Senator Shelby says there ░░░░░░░░ an offer that he ░░░░░░░░ forward of 5 billion ░░░░░░░░ year and next year ░░░░░░░░ happened to that Well ░░░░░░░░ think that that deal ░░░░░░░░ got past leadership but ░░░░░░░░ did happen this last ░░░░░░░░ is the president asked ░░░░░░░░ 1 6 billion in ░░░░░░░░ budget proposal for this ░░░░░░░░ year The appropriations committee ░░░░░░░░ senator Shelby chairs and ░░░░░░░░ Leahy is a ranking ░░░░░░░░ of agreed to that ░░░░░░░░ Shelby voted for it ░░░░░░░░ president moved the goal ░░░░░░░░ Said no now I ░░░░░░░░ 5 billion Brennan They ░░░░░░░░ down to around two ░░░░░░░░ can t Democrats come ░░░░░░░░ from 1 3 That ░░░░░░░░ negotiations that need to ░░░░░░░░ done between leadership between ░░░░░░░░ Shelby senator Leahy and ░░░░░░░░ and move forward the ░░░░░░░░ thing is that how ░░░░░░░░ the money going to ░░░░░░░░ spent What is the ░░░░░░░░ effective way to secure ░░░░░░░░ southern border that is ░░░░░░░░ is important here We ░░░░░░░░ do it with technology ░░░░░░░░ manpower much more effectively ░░░░░░░░ with a wall Brennan ░░░░░░░░ heard senator Shelby thinks ░░░░░░░░ you re going to ░░░░░░░░ to talk about things ░░░░░░░░ Democrats want including profession ░░░░░░░░ drea dreamers is that ░░░░░░░░ sweetner that would get ░░░░░░░░ to reconsider I think ░░░░░░░░ ve been here before ░░░░░░░░ was in the room ░░░░░░░░ the president said if ░░░░░░░░ passes something I m ░░░░░░░░ to sign it then ░░░░░░░░ moved back away from ░░░░░░░░ so I think ultimately ░░░░░░░░ the end we do ░░░░░░░░ comprehensive immigration reform no ░░░░░░░░ about that Margaret But ░░░░░░░░ the end we need ░░░░░░░░ know what the president ░░░░░░░░ and hopefully he will ░░░░░░░░ to it When we ░░░░░░░░ the bipartisan funding to ░░░░░░░░ to the 1st of ░░░░░░░░ the president said he ░░░░░░░░ going to sign it ░░░░░░░░ after we passed it ░░░░░░░░ said he wasn t ░░░░░░░░ to sign it We ░░░░░░░░ some predictability Brennan The ░░░░░░░░ said of the two ░░░░░░░░ children that died is ░░░░░░░░ Democrats fault There is ░░░░░░░░ in the U S ░░░░░░░░ that encourage people to ░░░░░░░░ to take this really ░░░░░░░░ migration route How do ░░░░░░░░ respond to that Well ░░░░░░░░ respond to the fact ░░░░░░░░ we need comprehensive immigration ░░░░░░░░ that needs to be ░░░░░░░░ for a while it ░░░░░░░░ everybody s fault this ░░░░░░░░ acceptable Bottom line is ░░░░░░░░ if we re able ░░░░░░░░ get comprehensive immigration reform ░░░░░░░░ which is going to ░░░░░░░░ some leadership Then I ░░░░░░░░ we ll see things ░░░░░░░░ down in the southern ░░░░░░░░ in a big big ░░░░░░░░ Brennan Is there a ░░░░░░░░ for Democrats to appear ░░░░░░░░ work with the president ░░░░░░░░ I think what Democrats ░░░░░░░░ to do they need ░░░░░░░░ work for the country ░░░░░░░░ sure that not only ░░░░░░░░ border but northern board ░░░░░░░░ he secure make sure ░░░░░░░░ have atability on the ░░░░░░░░ to be able to ░░░░░░░░ every vehicle coming across ░░░░░░░░ make some that drugs ░░░░░░░░ t come into this ░░░░░░░░ If we re able ░░░░░░░░ get a plan to ░░░░░░░░ able to do that ░░░░░░░░ I don t think ░░░░░░░░ that hard to do ░░░░░░░░ think Democrats and Republicans ░░░░░░░░ work together H to ░░░░░░░░ sure that we of ░░░░░░░░ secure border and keep ░░░░░░░░ country safe Brennan We ░░░░░░░░ you I pointed out ░░░░░░░░ re on of only ░░░░░░░░ Democratic senators to get ░░░░░░░░ elected in the state ░░░░░░░░ the president took by ░░░░░░░░ digits back in 2016 ░░░░░░░░ president came to mob ░░░░░░░░ personally campaigned against you ░░░░░░░░ do you take your ░░░░░░░░ and advise other Democrats ░░░░░░░░ how to win states ░░░░░░░░ the west and midwest ░░░░░░░░ don t look like ░░░░░░░░ basic Democrats Margaret We ░░░░░░░░ farm my wife and ░░░░░░░░ still farm we believe ░░░░░░░░ the citizen legislation model ░░░░░░░░ go everywhere in the ░░░░░░░░ I go everywhere in ░░░░░░░░ state I listen to ░░░░░░░░ answer in conservative areas ░░░░░░░░ take those ideas back ░░░░░░░░ to Washington D C ░░░░░░░░ them into action I ░░░░░░░░ it s more of ░░░░░░░░ function of listening and ░░░░░░░░ everywhere I don t ░░░░░░░░ in model is that ░░░░░░░░ you just knock on ░░░░░░░░ door you just to ░░░░░░░░ this community and you ░░░░░░░░ get elected elected I ░░░░░░░░ you go everywhere and ░░░░░░░░ legs ento everybody everybody ░░░░░░░░ got ideas Some of ░░░░░░░░ are great and take ░░░░░░░░ great ideas back to ░░░░░░░░ D C Brennan Saying ░░░░░░░░ are you implying that ░░░░░░░░ have gotten out of ░░░░░░░░ with the part of ░░░░░░░░ country I think all ░░░░░░░░ have gotten out of ░░░░░░░░ In fact they just ░░░░░░░░ to certain places where ░░░░░░░░ think they get enough ░░░░░░░░ to win What nation ░░░░░░░░ this country great Washington ░░░░░░░░ for this country and ░░░░░░░░ order to do that ░░░░░░░░ got to go everywhere ░░░░░░░░ listen to everybody s ░░░░░░░░ and needs And go ░░░░░░░░ and try to find ░░░░░░░░ Brennan You said you ░░░░░░░░ one of the few ░░░░░░░░ farmers still in the ░░░░░░░░ I want to ask ░░░░░░░░ about the impact of ░░░░░░░░ trade war that White ░░░░░░░░ put together the second ░░░░░░░░ out package for American ░░░░░░░░ Because of some of ░░░░░░░░ impact of the trade ░░░░░░░░ What is the impact ░░░░░░░░ ve seen in your ░░░░░░░░ and are people questioning ░░░░░░░░ support for the president ░░░░░░░░ of it Well margins ░░░░░░░░ production in agriculture are ░░░░░░░░ narrow narrow so when ░░░░░░░░ get a situation where ░░░░░░░░ start to lose export ░░░░░░░░ which is what happened ░░░░░░░░ this trade war you ░░░░░░░░ up lowering prices at ░░░░░░░░ farm gate you have ░░░░░░░░ farms potential going to ░░░░░░░░ where they re thought ░░░░░░░░ any more and bankruptcy ░░░░░░░░ trade war has to ░░░░░░░░ We need those foreign ░░░░░░░░ I personally have about ░░░░░░░░ of my crops go ░░░░░░░░ the farm from 2 ░░░░░░░░ because of the trade ░░░░░░░░ Most folks can t ░░░░░░░░ that in fact after ░░░░░░░░ 18 months they start ░░░░░░░░ growing We need those ░░░░░░░░ We need to hold ░░░░░░░░ accountable but we need ░░░░░░░░ markets And we need ░░░░░░░░ move forward There are ░░░░░░░░ ways to put pressure ░░░░░░░░ China other than using ░░░░░░░░ family farmer the American ░░░░░░░░ as a tool For ░░░░░░░░ use the financial system ░░░░░░░░ will bring them to ░░░░░░░░ table much more quickly ░░░░░░░░ believe and it won ░░░░░░░░ put folks in rural ░░░░░░░░ out of business and ░░░░░░░░ think that if this ░░░░░░░░ we ll see more ░░░░░░░░ go broke and we ░░░░░░░░ see rural America further ░░░░░░░░ Brennan: Senator tester,