‘This Is Not The Finest Hour Of The United States Government’ - Sen. Bill Nelson | All In

>>> STOPPING TO TALK TO REPORTERS ON HIS WAY TO HIS GOLF
RESORT IN NEW JERSEY, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
SAID THIS ABOUT THE DEATH TOLL IN PUERTO RICO.
>> THE LOSS OF LIFE IS ALWAYS TRAGIC, BUT IT'S BEEN
INCREDIBLE, THE RESULTS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH RESPECT TO LOSS
OF LIFE. PEOPLE CAN'T BELIEVE HOW
SUCCESSFUL THAT HAS BEEN RELATIVELY SPEAKING.
>> SO FAR, AT LEAST 16 PEOPLE ARE CONFIRMED DEAD IN PUERTO
RICO AS A RESULT OF THE HURRICANE, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO
RECOGNIZE THAT THAT NUMBER IS ALMOST CERTAINLY INCOMPLETE.
EXPECTED TO RISE AS RECOVERY EFFORT CONTINUES.
WHICH IS PERHAPS WHY THE MAYOR OF SAN JUAN PAINTED A VERY
DIFFERENT PICTURE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE GROUND.
>> WE ARE DYING HERE. FEMA ASKS FOR DOCUMENTATION.
I THINK WE'VE GIVEN THEM ENOUGH DOCUMENTATION.
AND THEY HAVE THE GALL THIS MORNING, LOOK AT THIS, LOOK AT
THIS, THEY THINK THAT WEIGHS ENOUGH?
THEY HAVE THE GALL THIS MORNING OF ASKING ME, WHAT ARE YOUR
PRIORITIES, MAYOR? I AM BEGGING.
BEGGING ANYONE THAT CAN HEAR US TO SAVE US FROM DYING.
IF WE DON'T GET THE FOOD AND WATER INTO PEOPLE'S HANDS, WHAT
WE ARE GOING TO SEE IS SOMETHING CLOSE TO A GENOCIDE.
THE WORLD WILL SEE HOW WE ARE TREATED, NOT AS SECOND-CLASS
CITIZENS, BUT AS ANIMALS THAT CAN BE DISPOSED OF.
>> SHE'LL BE ON LATER TONIGHT. JOINING ME NOW, DEMOCRAT FROM
FLORIDA, WHO HAS URGED THE PRESIDENT TO LEVERAGE ALL
AVAILABLE RESOURCES TO HELP THE PEOPLE OF PUERTO RICO.
HE JOINS ME NOW. SENATOR, YOU AND MARCO RUBIO,
WHO ALSO REPRESENTS FLORIDA, HAVE BEEN SORT OF SOME OF THE
LOUDEST VOICES ON THIS. DO YOU THINK THE RESPONSE HAS
BEEN ADEQUATE? >> IN A WORD, NO.
AND THE MAYOR'S PLEA PRETTY MUCH
SAYS IT ALL. I DO THINK SINCE THEY BROUGHT IN
LAST NIGHT A THREE-STAR GENERAL, THAT WHAT MARCO AND I HAVE BEEN
CALLING FOR IS THE MILITARY. YOU'VE GOT ALL OF THE FOOD,
FUEL, WATER, MEDICAL SUPPLIES, THEY'RE IN THE PORTS.
BUT THEY CAN'T GET OUT INTO THE INTERIOR.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE U.S. MILITARY IS TRAINED FOR.
THEY'RE TRAINED FOR THESE LONG LOGISTICAL LINES OF GETTING
THINGS WHERE THEY NEED TO BE. SO AS I QUIZ THE THREE-STAR
GENERAL THIS MORNING, I ASK HIM, WHAT'S COMING IN?
HELICOPTER PARTS ARE COMING IN. THEY'VE GOT TRUCK PARTS COMING
IN. THEY'VE GOT AN ARMY, A
BATTALION, THAT CAN MOVE THINGS. THAT'S COMING IN.
BUT THE COMFORT SHIP IS GOING TO BE ANOTHER FIVE DAYS BEFORE IT
GETS THERE. IF ALL OF THOSE TROOPS GET IN,
BUT HOW LONG IS IT GOING TO TAKE THEM TO GET IN?
THIS IS NOT THE FINEST HOUR OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
WAITING NINE DAYS BEFORE YOU GET COMMAND AND CONTROL WITH THE
U.S. MILITARY THERE. REMEMBER GENERAL ONORAY, THE
THREE-STAR, IT TOOK HIM GETTING INTO KATRINA, NEW ORLEANS, AND
FINALLY GOT THINGS MOVING. >> I HAVE TO SAY, I'VE BEEN IN
CONTACT FAIRLY REGULARLY WITH PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND, AND WHAT
THEIR DISPATCHERS SAY TO ME, IT'S BEEN A VERY SLOW LINE.
AND PARTICULARLY AREAS OUTSIDE SAN JUAN.
NO POWER, NO COMMUNICATION, NO DRINKING WATER.
THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE, HAF THE ISLAND DOESN'T HAVE DRINKING
WATER, YOU DON'T HAVE FUEL. I GUESS THE QUESTION S HOW LONG
CAN PEOPLE BE EXPECTED TO WAIT FOR -- AMERICANS BE EXPECTED TO
WAIT FOR THESE VITAL NECESSITIES?
>> AMERICANS WAITING FOR VITAL NECESSITIES FROM AMERICANS,
THAT'S WHAT'S SO FRUSTRATING ABOUT IT.
I DO BELIEVE AND MY ESSENCE ACROSS EXAMINATION OF THE
GENERAL BY TELEPHONE THIS MORNING, THAT HE UNDERSTANDS
WHAT HE'S GOT TO DO, BUT HE'S GOT TO GET ALL OF THOSE TROOPS
IN TO HELP HIM MOVE THOSE THINGS INTO THE OTHER PARTS OF THE
ISLAND. >> THE PRESIDENT -- THE CONTEXT
HERE IS THAT PUERTO RICO IS DEEPLY IN DEBT, IT DID NOT HAVE
THE STATUTORY ABILITY TO DECLARE BANKRUPTCY.
THERE WAS A LAW WHICH SET UP AUSTERITY REGIME THERE.
IT WILL NEED BILLIONS AND BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF
DOLLARS. ONE PERSON ON THE GROUND SAID
CLOSE TO SOCIETAL COLLAPSE. ARE YOU CONFIDENT THAT WHILE THE
PRESIDENT'S TALKING ABOUT HOW TO WORK OUT HOW TO PAY FOR ITS
DEBTS THAT, PUERTO RICO IS NOT GOING TO BE BEGGING ESSENTIALLY
FOR THE MONEY IT NEEDS TO REBUILD?
>> WELL, IN ESSENCE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I BELIEVE PUERTO
RICO WILL GET THE MONEY. BUT, CHRIS, YOU KNOW THERE ARE
PEOPLE IN THE CONGRESS THAT THEY WON'T EVEN INCREASE THE DEBT
CEILING SO WE CAN PAY OUR BILLS. I MEAN, THERE'S THIS KIND OF
MENTALITY. SO WITH THE BILLS MOUNTING IN
TEXAS, IN FLORIDA, THE VIRGIN ISLANDS, AND NOW PUERTO RICO, I
THINK IT'S GONNA BE A BIG BILL. AND I THINK IT'S GONNA BE FOR
THE REAL, REAL LONG-TERM IN PUERTO RICO.
WE'RE SEEING A UTILITY, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THAT'S BEEN
TOTALLY DESTROYED. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO START
THINKING CREATIVELY, INSTEAD OF NECESSARILY STRINGING WIRES,
MAYBE WE OUGHT TO START PUTTING SOLAR PANELS IN SOME OF THESE
REMOTE VILLAGES IN SMALL TOWNS, SO THAT THEY WOULD HAVE SOME
SELF-SUSTAINING IN THE FUTURE. >> PUERTO RICO IS -- HAS AN
OUTSTANDING DEBT LARGELY OWNED BY BONDHOLDERS AND TRADED BY
HEDGE FUNDS IN THE DISTRESSED DEBT MARKET, I THINK IT'S AROUND
$70 BILLION. WILL THERE BE VOICES IN CONGRESS
CALLING FOR SOME CANCELLATION OR FORGIVENESS OF SOME OF THAT
DEBT? >> THIS VOICE HAS ALREADY
STARTED THAT, BY SAYING EARLIER THIS MORNING THAT THEY OUGHT BE
CUTTING SOME SLACK ON THEIR DEBT PAYMENTS.
PROMESA, THE BOARD THAT WAS SET UP TO OVERSEE THE FINANCES, THEY
ARE FIRST IN LINE FOR ALL THE DEBTS, BUT WITH THIS TRAGIC,
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS, THE BONDHOLDERS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO
GIVE SOME GIVE IN THIS SITUATION.
>> YOU WOULD THINK SO. THEY REGIME IS AN AUSTERITY
REGIME AND THIS IS NOT AN AUSTERITY TIME FOR THE PEOPLE
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‘This Is Not The Finest Hour Of The United States Government’ - Sen. Bill Nelson | All In | MSNBC

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