1 00:00:02,500 --> 00:00:03,433 JUDY WOODRUFF: As we reported earlier, President Trump today unveiled his long-awaited infrastructure 2 00:00:03,433 --> 00:00:05,466 plan and spending priorities. 3 00:00:05,466 --> 00:00:07,700 Both were overshadowed, though, by internal struggles at the White House and the questions 4 00:00:07,700 --> 00:00:11,433 of how top staff handled domestic violence allegations against two aides. 5 00:00:11,433 --> 00:00:15,533 It was a major focus of today's White House briefing with Press Secretary Sarah Sanders. 6 00:00:15,533 --> 00:00:19,000 SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, White House Press Secretary: The president and the entire administration 7 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:21,166 take domestic violence very seriously and believe all allegations need to be investigated 8 00:00:21,166 --> 00:00:23,166 thoroughly. 9 00:00:23,166 --> 00:00:24,400 Above all, the president supports victims of domestic violence and believes everyone 10 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:26,466 should be treated fairly and with due process. 11 00:00:26,466 --> 00:00:31,100 QUESTION: Why haven't we heard the president say exactly what you just said right there, 12 00:00:31,100 --> 00:00:33,733 that he takes domestic violence very seriously? 13 00:00:33,733 --> 00:00:38,300 SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS: I spoke with the president, and those are actually directly his words 14 00:00:38,300 --> 00:00:39,566 that he gave me earlier today. 15 00:00:39,566 --> 00:00:40,800 QUESTION: But why hasn't he said that? 16 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:41,866 He had the opportunity. 17 00:00:41,866 --> 00:00:43,633 He's been active on Twitter. 18 00:00:43,633 --> 00:00:47,600 SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS: It's my job to speak on behalf of the president. 19 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:52,400 I spoke to him, and he relayed that message directly to me, and I'm relaying it directly 20 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:53,933 to you. 21 00:00:53,933 --> 00:00:55,966 JUDY WOODRUFF: And our Yamiche Alcindor joins me now for more. 22 00:00:55,966 --> 00:00:58,600 So, Yamiche, what the White House wanted to talk about today was the budget and something 23 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:02,400 else, and we will get to that in a minute. 24 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:07,400 But this lingering story is still hanging out there, reporters asking, how did the president, 25 00:01:11,133 --> 00:01:13,000 how did the White House handle this? 26 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:15,066 Why is this still going on? 27 00:01:15,066 --> 00:01:18,033 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Well, this was, as you know, supposed to be infrastructure week. 28 00:01:18,033 --> 00:01:23,033 This is the White House's second try at infrastructure week and each time it's been overshadowed 29 00:01:23,633 --> 00:01:25,600 by this scandal. 30 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:28,933 We're talking about it still largely because President Trump tweeted about it over the 31 00:01:28,933 --> 00:01:31,033 weekend. 32 00:01:31,033 --> 00:01:33,933 He didn't name Rob Porter, the other aide that resigned because of domestic violence 33 00:01:33,933 --> 00:01:38,933 allegations, but he said that people's lives were being destroyed and that they needed 34 00:01:39,900 --> 00:01:42,000 due process. 35 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:45,500 Because of that tweet and because of the fact nobody really knows who knew what when at 36 00:01:45,500 --> 00:01:49,300 the White House, this has been an issue the White House is continuing to deal with. 37 00:01:49,300 --> 00:01:54,300 John Kelly, who is the chief of staff to President Trump, has said as soon as he heard about 38 00:01:55,933 --> 00:01:57,966 the allegations, that 40 minutes later Rob Porter was out of the job. 39 00:01:57,966 --> 00:02:02,800 But Sarah Sanders today from the podium said that it was actually 24 hours later that Rob 40 00:02:03,666 --> 00:02:04,866 Porter resigned or terminated. 41 00:02:04,866 --> 00:02:06,900 And even that detail is still murky. 42 00:02:06,900 --> 00:02:10,300 So there is the idea this President Trump continues to likely -- come to the defense 43 00:02:10,300 --> 00:02:12,500 of men who are allegedly domestically violating people. 44 00:02:12,500 --> 00:02:17,500 And you have this idea that Sarah Sanders said herself that the president dictated a 45 00:02:18,933 --> 00:02:21,333 statement to her in support of domestic violence victims. 46 00:02:21,333 --> 00:02:26,333 But the president, who of course has no qualms ever using his Twitter account to say whatever 47 00:02:28,233 --> 00:02:32,666 is on his mind, has not spoken publicly in support of the women here. 48 00:02:34,633 --> 00:02:37,600 JUDY WOODRUFF: And people were pointing to a series of these statements over the last 49 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:41,600 several years where he's spoken out in more sympathy for the people have been accused 50 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:43,600 of abuse. 51 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:45,700 So, Yamiche, let's talk about the other things going on at the White House today. 52 00:02:45,700 --> 00:02:49,033 The president did roll out -- they did roll out their budget for the coming fiscal year. 53 00:02:49,033 --> 00:02:51,166 Just give us the highlights. 54 00:02:51,166 --> 00:02:53,233 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Some of the highlights are that this is a budget that's $4.4 trillion. 55 00:02:53,233 --> 00:02:56,300 That's 10 percent more than Republicans spent in -- or wanted to spend in 2017. 56 00:02:56,300 --> 00:02:59,866 The other thing that's happening here is that they're asking for $23 billion in border security. 57 00:02:59,866 --> 00:03:01,966 That includes money for the wall. 58 00:03:01,966 --> 00:03:05,500 Of course, that's the wall on the border of Mexico -- then you have -- $28 billion, sorry. 59 00:03:05,500 --> 00:03:07,866 Then you have $13 billion for opioid treatment services. 60 00:03:07,866 --> 00:03:11,600 That's a critical step since President Trump has declared a public health crisis about 61 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:13,633 this issue in October. 62 00:03:13,633 --> 00:03:15,666 And then you have $200 billion for infrastructure structure over 10 years. 63 00:03:15,666 --> 00:03:18,300 So, then you have 17 -- I'm sorry -- $716 billion for military spending. 64 00:03:18,300 --> 00:03:21,833 The other thing that's happening here is that it eliminates 62 agencies, including the Corporation 65 00:03:21,833 --> 00:03:23,866 for Public Broadcasting. 66 00:03:23,866 --> 00:03:26,100 It eliminates a lot of entitlement programs, which is something that Republicans wanted 67 00:03:26,100 --> 00:03:27,100 to get rid of. 68 00:03:27,100 --> 00:03:28,100 They said 64 agencies. 69 00:03:28,100 --> 00:03:30,166 Sorry about that. 70 00:03:30,166 --> 00:03:32,133 Then they have $554 billion are getting cut from Medicaid; $250 billion are getting cut 71 00:03:32,133 --> 00:03:35,000 from Medicaid; $214 billion is being cut from the SNAP program, which of course used to 72 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:37,433 be known as the food stamp program. 73 00:03:37,433 --> 00:03:40,166 The other thing that's really being cut is here the EPA. 74 00:03:40,166 --> 00:03:41,333 It's going to be losing $2.8 billion. 75 00:03:41,333 --> 00:03:42,900 That's a lot of money. 76 00:03:42,900 --> 00:03:45,233 Most of those programs are to eliminate climate change programs. 77 00:03:45,233 --> 00:03:49,333 So, that's a big deal, because a lot of people are saying that this is an administration 78 00:03:49,333 --> 00:03:51,800 that has been hostile to climate change issues. 79 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:56,800 And then the last thing that it does is that it adds $984 billion to the deficit in 2018 80 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:02,033 - - in 2019, which is a huge, huge change for Republicans who have really been wanting to 81 00:04:02,033 --> 00:04:04,066 balance the budget. 82 00:04:04,066 --> 00:04:07,233 JUDY WOODRUFF: It's been noted that they don't even make a pretense of getting to balance, 83 00:04:07,233 --> 00:04:08,800 of worrying about deficits. 84 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:10,833 So, the last thing, just quickly, of course, is infrastructure. 85 00:04:10,833 --> 00:04:12,600 This has been long awaited and the White House did finally push out their plan. 86 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:14,966 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: The White House pushed out their plan today. 87 00:04:14,966 --> 00:04:19,433 And it's a plan -- it's an issue, I should say, that the White House should be able to 88 00:04:19,433 --> 00:04:21,400 get some bipartisan support on. 89 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:23,933 The president, when he talked about infrastructure, it was a very popular thing. 90 00:04:23,933 --> 00:04:27,433 Bernie Sanders, when I was on the campaign trail with him, also talked about infrastructure. 91 00:04:27,433 --> 00:04:30,266 But the way that President Trump is talking about the infrastructure plan is essentially 92 00:04:30,266 --> 00:04:33,833 saying that states and local governments are going to be the ones bearing the brunt and 93 00:04:33,833 --> 00:04:35,933 paying for the most of it. 94 00:04:35,933 --> 00:04:37,366 The federal government would spend something like $200 billion, but that's a small fraction 95 00:04:37,366 --> 00:04:39,333 of what they want to spend. 96 00:04:39,333 --> 00:04:41,933 And today Senator Chuck Schumer came out and basically said that there are going to be 97 00:04:41,933 --> 00:04:44,500 Trump tolls all across the country, saying that for President Trump to get this plan 98 00:04:44,500 --> 00:04:45,933 passed, it's going to have to turn into tolls and all sorts of fees being passed on to different 99 00:04:45,933 --> 00:04:47,933 Americans. 100 00:04:47,933 --> 00:04:50,333 Republicans, on the other hand, some of them have been saying they praised this program. 101 00:04:50,333 --> 00:04:51,833 And some of them, of course, have been saying that they want more explanation, because they're 102 00:04:51,833 --> 00:04:53,933 very worried about the fact that they're adding to the deficit. 103 00:04:53,933 --> 00:04:55,200 JUDY WOODRUFF: A lot of discussion still about how this is paid for, in very early stages. 104 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:55,866 Yamiche Alcindor, so much going on. 105 00:04:55,866 --> 00:04:56,800 Thank you. 106 00:04:56,800 --> 00:04:59,100 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Thanks. 107 00:04:59,100 --> 00:05:01,700 JUDY WOODRUFF: So, as Yamiche said, the president's broad infrastructure blueprint does rely on 108 00:05:01,700 --> 00:05:02,233 states and local governments to fund much of the money that would be needed for a trillion-dollar-plus 109 00:05:02,233 --> 00:05:04,266 plan. 110 00:05:04,266 --> 00:05:06,300 It also would depend on a major infusion of investment from the private sector. 111 00:05:06,300 --> 00:05:06,966 We get some reaction now to all this from the Democratic mayor of the city of Los Angeles, 112 00:05:06,966 --> 00:05:09,000 Eric Garcetti. 113 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:10,533 He's also the chair of a task force on the subject for the U.S. Conference of Mayors. 114 00:05:10,533 --> 00:05:12,266 Mayor Garcetti, thank you very much for joining us. 115 00:05:12,266 --> 00:05:14,200 So, let me just start out by asking, what's your overall reaction? 116 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:15,400 They are talking about leveraging federal dollars to state and local dollars and the 117 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:17,033 rest of it, something like one to five. 118 00:05:17,033 --> 00:05:19,100 ERIC GARCETTI (D), Mayor of Los Angeles: Well, good evening, Judy. 119 00:05:19,100 --> 00:05:20,300 And any day that Washington is talking about infrastructure is music to my ears, but, of 120 00:05:20,300 --> 00:05:22,366 course, the devil will be in the details. 121 00:05:22,366 --> 00:05:23,166 But we have got a yawning $5.4 trillion gap, and we want to get home to our families quicker. 122 00:05:23,166 --> 00:05:24,400 We want to cut traffic. 123 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:26,500 We don't want to be on unsafe bridges. 124 00:05:26,500 --> 00:05:27,833 And we need the next generation of ports and airports to help fuel prosperity in this country. 125 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:32,566 So, since President Trump was elected, American cities have passed $260 billion of infrastructure. 126 00:05:32,566 --> 00:05:34,933 This only proposals $200 billion over 10 years. 127 00:05:34,933 --> 00:05:39,933 There is more money, for instance, in his budget for the wall than there is for the 128 00:05:41,900 --> 00:05:43,200 next 10 years for all the cities in America to have transit dollars and to fix their roads, 129 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:45,166 to fix those potholes. 130 00:05:45,166 --> 00:05:48,066 So we're doing our part, and we want to see federal government do its part and not just 131 00:05:48,066 --> 00:05:50,033 take $20 out of our wallet and give it to themselves, give it back to us, and say, here's 132 00:05:50,033 --> 00:05:52,000 your infrastructure money. 133 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:52,800 We want it to be real money for real jobs and for real infrastructure repair that this 134 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:54,800 country so badly needs. 135 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:56,833 JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, we know that is important to you and other state and local officials 136 00:05:56,833 --> 00:05:58,366 around the country, Mayor Garcetti, but at the same time, the federal government is -- has 137 00:05:58,366 --> 00:05:59,833 to be focused on the deficit, on how much spending there is. 138 00:05:59,833 --> 00:06:01,966 We just heard some red ink numbers that are pretty scary. 139 00:06:01,966 --> 00:06:03,233 You can't -- or can you, I should say, expect the federal government to come up with the 140 00:06:03,233 --> 00:06:05,300 lion's share of this money that's needed? 141 00:06:05,300 --> 00:06:07,333 ERIC GARCETTI: No, we expect them to do what they have in the past, and think about the 142 00:06:07,333 --> 00:06:08,266 Erie Canal, the work the federal government did to help the interstate highway system 143 00:06:08,266 --> 00:06:09,200 or to build the Internet. 144 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:11,600 These are things that pay back. 145 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:13,733 And when we don't take care of our infrastructure, we pay billions, even trillions of dollars 146 00:06:13,733 --> 00:06:15,833 in lost competitiveness, in literally millions of hours we're away from our family, companies 147 00:06:15,833 --> 00:06:16,500 that don't start here in the United States because it's too difficult to get through 148 00:06:16,500 --> 00:06:17,966 the red tape. 149 00:06:17,966 --> 00:06:20,066 So this is money that helps bring more money in. 150 00:06:20,066 --> 00:06:21,000 And we're not expecting them to have the lion's share, but they actually cut existing programs 151 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:22,666 in some cases to pay for this. 152 00:06:22,666 --> 00:06:24,666 And we want to work with Congress, both houses, both parties. 153 00:06:24,666 --> 00:06:26,300 We have got Democratic and Republican mayors who are ready to show how what we have been 154 00:06:26,300 --> 00:06:27,966 doing and have the federal government can come and help lead. 155 00:06:27,966 --> 00:06:30,033 But we're going to need that money to be paid for with real dollars. 156 00:06:30,033 --> 00:06:30,833 We should have done it with probably the offshoring of those overseas profits -- or onshoring 157 00:06:30,833 --> 00:06:32,466 of those, rather. 158 00:06:32,466 --> 00:06:34,533 But we will keep looking at other alternative ways to get in there. 159 00:06:34,533 --> 00:06:36,066 JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, we know the federal is also -- this administration is also looking 160 00:06:36,066 --> 00:06:37,000 to the private sector to come up with some of these dollars. 161 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:37,933 Why isn't that a good idea? 162 00:06:37,933 --> 00:06:39,200 ERIC GARCETTI: It can be. 163 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:41,233 And we're doing that here in Los Angeles. 164 00:06:41,233 --> 00:06:42,166 Denver was able to help the private sector build a new rail line from downtown to the 165 00:06:42,166 --> 00:06:44,200 airport quicker and cheaper. 166 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:46,300 But don't expect the private sector to come and to redo water that right now in many cities 167 00:06:46,300 --> 00:06:47,733 is polluted or to always upgrade our electricity lines, to build out our port or our airports. 168 00:06:47,733 --> 00:06:49,366 Those are things that we have to do with federal help. 169 00:06:49,366 --> 00:06:50,033 And American cities have a loud and clear message for Washington. 170 00:06:50,033 --> 00:06:51,266 We will help. 171 00:06:51,266 --> 00:06:53,366 In fact, we're doing more than you are. 172 00:06:53,366 --> 00:06:55,433 But we want some of our federal tax dollars back in our communities, from rural communities 173 00:06:55,433 --> 00:06:55,966 to our most densely populated urban areas, to match those dollars, as we traditionally 174 00:06:55,966 --> 00:06:57,633 have. 175 00:06:57,633 --> 00:06:59,700 And we both can count those dollars if we do it the right way. 176 00:06:59,700 --> 00:07:01,366 JUDY WOODRUFF: Mayor Garcetti, another quick point I want to ask about is what the president 177 00:07:01,366 --> 00:07:03,033 had to say about streamlining, in effect, the permitting process. 178 00:07:03,033 --> 00:07:04,233 He said, Washington will no longer be a roadblock to progress. 179 00:07:04,233 --> 00:07:06,366 Washington is now going to be your partner. 180 00:07:06,366 --> 00:07:08,366 We know that a number of your fellow mayors are saying, hey, it's a good thing that they're 181 00:07:08,366 --> 00:07:09,033 talking about streamlining, cutting back on some of the federal regulations. 182 00:07:09,033 --> 00:07:09,966 What about that? 183 00:07:09,966 --> 00:07:11,966 ERIC GARCETTI: Absolutely. 184 00:07:11,966 --> 00:07:14,000 Any day we cut red tape is also music to the ears of America's mayors. 185 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:15,233 And so I think that's a great part of this proposal, if it actually bears out. 186 00:07:15,233 --> 00:07:17,266 But we do need to have money to match that. 187 00:07:17,266 --> 00:07:19,866 We don't want projects to take a decade to move forward, two decades to move forward. 188 00:07:19,866 --> 00:07:21,400 We have built some of the greatest infrastructure in this country in a war, in moments of growth 189 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:22,666 in this country in a matter of months or just a year or two. 190 00:07:22,666 --> 00:07:23,466 We should be able to do that again. 191 00:07:23,466 --> 00:07:24,900 So, that part is good. 192 00:07:24,900 --> 00:07:26,133 But we need to make sure there is also money to match. 193 00:07:26,133 --> 00:07:28,166 Money is what moves projects forward. 194 00:07:28,166 --> 00:07:29,166 And we are stepping up, as I said, with a quarter of a trillion from America's cities 195 00:07:29,166 --> 00:07:31,200 just in the last year-and-a-half. 196 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:31,866 We need the federal government not to space out $200 billion, which is less than that, 197 00:07:31,866 --> 00:07:33,866 over a decade. 198 00:07:33,866 --> 00:07:35,800 JUDY WOODRUFF: Mayor Garcetti, I also want to ask you a question about immigration. 199 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:37,066 As you know, the Senate, the United States Senate is beginning a major debate tonight 200 00:07:37,066 --> 00:07:39,166 on what to do about immigration reform. 201 00:07:39,166 --> 00:07:41,133 Among others, the big -- one of the big questions being discussed in the Congress is what to 202 00:07:41,133 --> 00:07:42,600 do about these young people who were brought into the country without documentation as 203 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:44,533 children and whether they should be given a path citizenship. 204 00:07:44,533 --> 00:07:46,566 There is something like 700,000 of them, so-called DACA recipients. 205 00:07:46,566 --> 00:07:48,600 Right now, people are asking, are Democrats prepared, if Republicans give on that and 206 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:51,166 keep that path to citizenship for these DACA young people, are Democrats, in turn, prepared 207 00:07:51,166 --> 00:07:52,633 to give on things like the visa lottery, on so-called -- what Republicans call chain migration, 208 00:07:52,633 --> 00:07:55,133 letting more family members in, parts of legal immigration? 209 00:07:55,133 --> 00:07:57,166 ERIC GARCETTI: My opinion is that we should hold the president and hold Republicans leaders 210 00:07:57,166 --> 00:07:59,233 who have said they are for these dreamers to their words, independent of other things. 211 00:07:59,233 --> 00:07:59,900 I'm the grandson of a dreamer who came to this country when he was 1-year-old fleeing 212 00:07:59,900 --> 00:08:02,066 war in Mexico. 213 00:08:02,066 --> 00:08:03,000 He volunteered to fight for the only country he knew in World War II and got his citizenship. 214 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:04,466 I'm literally here today. 215 00:08:04,466 --> 00:08:06,466 I have seen the brilliance of these young men and women. 216 00:08:06,466 --> 00:08:07,266 Paul Ryan, of course, the president, they have all said they want to do something. 217 00:08:07,266 --> 00:08:09,266 Do that independent. 218 00:08:09,266 --> 00:08:10,466 And then negotiate the rest of immigration, whether it's border protection, whether it's 219 00:08:10,466 --> 00:08:12,000 the type of family reunification we have. 220 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:13,966 That's the place where we can give and take in negotiations. 221 00:08:13,966 --> 00:08:16,033 But holding the dreamers hostage after people have publicly said and over 80 percent of 222 00:08:16,033 --> 00:08:16,833 Americans support giving them a permanent pathway to some legal status, that needs to 223 00:08:16,833 --> 00:08:18,900 get done right away. 224 00:08:18,900 --> 00:08:20,900 People should -- I believe, kind of old-fashioned, that people should live up to their word. 225 00:08:20,900 --> 00:08:22,900 JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, we're going to watch that debate unfold this week. 226 00:08:22,900 --> 00:08:24,133 Mayor Garcetti, Mayor Eric Garner, of Los Angeles, thank you very much. 227 00:08:24,133 --> 00:08:24,666 ERIC GARCETTI: Great to be with you, Judy. 228 00:08:24,666 --> 00:08:24,800 Thanks.