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JUDY WOODRUFF: President Trump 
is being challenged tonight on 
both sides of the U.S. Capitol.

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First to the House of 
Representatives and the 
battle over the border 
between the United States and

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Mexico.

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Majority Democrats 
pushed a resolution this 
evening to terminate 
the president's national

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emergency declaration.

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It came after arguments over 
Mr. Trump's plan to divert 
other government funds in order

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to build a southern border wall.

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REP.

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TOM MALINOWSKI (D), New 
Jersey: The Emergencies Act 
is for genuine emergencies.

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It is not a get out of 
the Constitution free 
card for presidents 
who want something that

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Congress won't give them.

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REP.

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JODEY ARRINGTON (R), 
Texas: I will be voting 
today for our president, 
for his constitutional

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legal authority to defend 
this country, to protect our 
borders and our citizens.

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I will be voting for the safety 
of the American people today and 
the safety for our communities

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not just in West Texas, but 
throughout this country.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: The resolution 
will now go after the House 
to the Senate, where the focus

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today was President 
Trump's former personal 
attorney Michael Cohen.

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He testified in a closed 
session with the Senate 
Intelligence Committee.

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Tomorrow, he testifies publicly 
at a House oversight hearing.

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Late today, Florida Congressman 
Matt Gaetz tweeted a warning 
to Cohen, saying his wife

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is about to learn a lot about 
-- quote -- "your girlfriend."

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Later, Gaetz insisted 
that he wasn't engaging 
in witness intimidation.

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Our own Lisa Desjardins has been 
keeping track of this entire 
swirl of news today on Capitol

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Hill.

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It doesn't get any 
busier than this, Lisa.

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Let's start by talking about 
the emergency declaration.

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They have been talking 
about it in the House.

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They're about to vote.

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What have you been hearing?

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LISA DESJARDINS: I'm 
watching my phone.

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That vote should 
happen any minute.

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This is that vote which 
would terminate this 
emergency declaration, 
and Congress does have

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that power.

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This is the first step in trying 
to block that declaration.

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It is believed this will pass.

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And it will pass easily.

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The question is, how 
many Republicans will 
be on board, Judy?

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And many Republicans are 
having a very difficult 
time with this issue.

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I spoke to one, Tom Massie of 
Kentucky, who said he is now 
going with Democrats and saying

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that he thinks this is an 
overreach by the president.

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However, I talked to another, 
freshman Denver Riggleman of 
Virginia, who said he walked

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in this morning he too 
would agree with Democrats, 
then received a briefing 
about the situation

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at the border, and after that 
briefing he felt that it was 
enough of a crisis that he

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is struggling, but he is now 
going to vote with the president 
in trying to keep the emergency

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declaration going.

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This is important because 
ultimately we think two-thirds 
of the members of the House will

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have to agree in order to 
actually override a likely veto.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: A likely 
presidential veto.

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So all but certain 
it passes the House.

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LISA DESJARDINS: Yes.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: What 
about in the Senate?

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LISA DESJARDINS: That's 
an interesting question, 
because, right now, of 
course, there are 47

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Democrats who are planning 
to vote to try and terminate 
this emergency declaration.

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That means four Republicans are 
needed to go alongside with them 
to just pass this resolution.

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Right now, Judy, we have three 
Republicans who say they agree 
with Democrats, Susan Collins

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of Maine, Thom Tillis 
of North Carolina, Lisa 
Murkowski of Alaska.

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Those last two, Senators Tillis 
and Murkowski, Judy, their two 
states have some of the largest

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number of projects, military 
construction projects, which 
the president could freeze,

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take money from, in 
order to build his wall.

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They also say they have 
constitutional objections 
largely to what the 
president is doing.

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So we think that it is likely 
another Republican will 
probably side with them.

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I spoke to eight 
Republicans today who are 
- - who are deciding.

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But Vice President Pence was 
in the Senate today trying to 
tell Republicans, side with

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the president, keep this 
emergency declaration going.

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We don't know when 
that vote will be.

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Our Saher Khan got information 
from Republicans that 
it may be in two weeks.

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It could be sooner.

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We're not sure.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: Not right away.

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But it looks like it's at 
least delayed for a few days.

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LISA DESJARDINS: They have 
some choices to make on that.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: So, now 
let me ask you about 
the other big thing, the 
story that everybody's

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watching.

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And that is the president's 
former personal attorney 
Michael Cohen went behind closed

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doors talking to the Senate 
Intelligence Committee.

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The information 
has trickled out.

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And now we have this tweet that 
has gotten everybody's attention 
from the Florida congressman.

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What do we know about him?

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LISA DESJARDINS: Right.

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Right.

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Matt Gaetz is seen as 
one of the president's 
strongest allies in Congress.

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He's a conservative firebrand.

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He also, importantly, 
Judy, sits on the House 
Judiciary Committee.

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That's not the committee that is 
meeting with Mr. Cohen tomorrow.

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However, it is the 
committee where impeachment 
proceedings would begin.

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And Matt Gaetz is seen as 
someone who would be one of the 
most ardent defenders of the

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president, should impeachment 
proceedings happen.

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Judy, more importantly, I think 
what's happening here is we're 
seeing what Republicans will

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do tomorrow when Mr. 
Cohen testifies publicly.

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They are going to assail him as 
an witness with no credibility.

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And as much as the 
Democrats ask questions 
about the president's 
activity, Republicans

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will be going after Mr. 
Cohen about his personal 
life, as we have seen today.

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And also it's interesting to 
see, is this a threat against 
Mr. Cohen by a member of

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Congress?

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That's still being debated.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: So, again, 
that's the House Oversight 
Committee where he's going to be

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testifying tomorrow in public.

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LISA DESJARDINS: Tomorrow.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: Cameras will be 
there, but we don't know what 
he -- what more he's likely

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to say, do we?

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LISA DESJARDINS: We do have 
some reporting, thanks to 
our great Yamiche Alcindor.

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She's speaking to a source 
close to Cohen who tells her 
that -- in fact confirms other

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reports -- that Mr. 
Cohen will speak to 
what he sees as criminal 
activity by the president,

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that he will also talk 
about the president saying 
racist statements to him.

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And, indeed, he will speak, 
Yamiche is told, to financial 
statements from the president.

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These are all very 
serious allegations.

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So I think we have two 
things happening, one, 
an intense political 
atmosphere where we see

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both sides ready to perhaps 
exaggerate what's happening.

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And then we have very serious 
dramatic testimony that 
may not need exaggeration.

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And it's going to be very 
difficult and have to be very 
careful in figuring out how to

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weigh all of this in a 
very frenzied atmosphere.

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It could be quite 
circus-like tomorrow.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: Very -- enormous 
attention on what Mr. Cohen is 
going to be saying tomorrow,

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and, of course, all this 
while the president's 
out of the country.

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Lisa, thank you very much.