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00:00HE JOINS US NOW FROM OUR BUREAU IN SAN FRANCISCO. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WE KNOW YOU HAVE SOME FIRES YOU ARE DEALING WITH THE NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS. WE ' RE THINKING OF EVERYONE OUT THERE. GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE FIRES AND ALSO ARE WE GOING TO GET A DEAL ON IMMIGRATION? REP. GARAMENDI: NOT THE KIND OF DEAL YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT. WE NEED COMPREHENSIVE REFORM. THE DEMOCRATS ARE ALL FOR IT. HAD THE REPUBLICANS PUT THAT BILL ON THE FLOOR AS WE REQUESTED LAST SUMMER, IT WOULD HAVE PASSED. COMPREHENSIVE. EVERYTHING FROM BORDER WALLS TO DEALING WITH DACA AND ONTO AGRICULTURAL LABOR SPECIALTY ISSUES, AS WELL IS DEALING WITH THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN HERE FOR SOME TIME. WE WILL DO IT. YOU WILL PROBABLY SEE A BILL MOVE OUT OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THIS NEXT YEAR. KEVIN: WITH REGARDS TO INFRASTRUCTURE, A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY DON ' T WANT TO SEE AN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL. THEY DON ' T LIKE THE IDEA OF GOVERNMENT SPENDING. IS THIS FOR HOUSE DEMOCRATS MIGHT BE WILLING TO MAKE A DEAL WITH THE PRESIDENT AND REPUBLICANS? REP. GARAMENDI: ABSOLUTELY. WE REALLY HAVE NO CHOICE. WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH INFRASTRUCTURE. I HAVE A HUGE WORLD DISTRICT -- RURAL DISTRICT. IT IS CHANGING TO USING BROADBAND INTERNET CONNECTIONS TO PROPERLY MANAGE EVERYTHING FROM FERTILIZERS TO IRRIGATION AND HARVESTING. YOU CAN ' T DO IT WITHOUT THE BROADBENT INFRASTRUCTURE WHICH DOES NOT EXIST IN A LOT OF AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITIES. -- BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE WHICH DOES NOT EXIST IN A LOT OF AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITIES. WE HAVE WAYS OF ACCOMPLISHING THAT. WE JUST CAN ' T DO WITH THE PRESIDENT WANTS, WHICH IS PHYSICALLY TOSS IT BACK TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL HAVE TO TAKE THE LEAD, AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DECADES. CRAIG: PEOPLE FROM A CALL AFTER DONALD TRUMP WAS ELECTED THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK THE DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS WOULD COME TOGETHER ON INFRASTRUCTURE. VIVID ARGUE ABOUT SPENDING $1 TRILLION TO BUILD BETTER ROADS? IT DID NOT HAPPEN. I FEEL LIKE BESIDES ARE FURTHER APART TODAY THAN THEY WERE BACK THEN. EVEN FOR DONALD TRUMP THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF A HONEYMOON. WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THERE IS ANY WILL TO HAND THE OTHER PARTY ANYTHING THAT LOOKS LIKE A COMPROMISE OR A VICTORY? REP. GARAMENDI: BECAUSE, AT LEAST FOR DEMOCRATS, WE ALWAYS WANTED WITH THE COUNTRY FORWARD. WE ARE WILLING TO USE THE GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATELY AND PARTLY AS A TOOL TO ACCOMPLISH THAT. THIS IS NOT NEW. THE RAILROADS WERE BUILT IN THE 1800S WITH MOSTLY FEDERAL MONEY. IT HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE THE VERY FIRST CONGRESS OF THE U.S. OR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REACHED OUT TO BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE. AT THAT POINT IT WAS CANALS AND POSTAL ROUTES. THINGS HAVE NOT CHANGED. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS A RESPONSIBILITY. THE PRESIDENT ' S PROPOSAL WAS BROAD BUT SERIOUSLY FLAWED. IT WOULD REVERSE THE ROLE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FROM BEING A MAJOR PARTNER TO BEING THE MINOR PARTNER AND FORCING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO COME UP WITH 70% TO 80% OF THE MONEY. WE COULD MOVE FORWARD ON THESE THINGS. THE BROAD OUTLINES HAVE BEEN KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME. WE WILL HAVE TO FIND THE MONEY AND WE CAN DO SO. CRAIG: THERE IS A LOT OF THINKING IN WASHINGTON AND AMONG FISCAL CONSERVATIVES IN YOUR PARTY THAT DONALD TRUMP SPENT THE MONEY FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL BY GIVING AWAY THE TAX CUT. ARE DEMOCRATS IN A MOOD TO DO ANOTHER $1 TRILLION IN DEFICIT SPENDING? IS YOUR PARTY WILLING TO GO THERE AND JACK UP THE NATIONAL DEBT? REP. GARAMENDI: LET ' S BACK UP ALWAYS. WE DID HAVE A DEFICIT PROBLEM BEFORE DONALD TRUMP CAME INTO POWER. THE TAX CUT LAST DECEMBER CREATED A $2 TRILLION ADDITIONAL HOLE IN THE FEDERAL TREASURY. IT ACTUALLY RAMPED UP THIS YEAR ' S DEFICIT TO CLOSE TO $1 TRILLION. THAT WAS ALL DONE WITH REPUBLICAN VOTES. A GREAT REPUBLICAN DEFICIT HAWKS MIGRATED SOUTH JUST A THEY COULD VOTE FOR THE BILL. YES, WE WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT. THE DEMOCRATS AND NO DESIRE TO INCREASE THE DEFICIT. KEVIN: YOU ARE IN A TOUGH SPOT. YOU HAVE TO PROSECUTE THE ANGER OF THE BASE OF YOUR PARTY FALL TRYING TO GET POLICY THROUGH WITH THE REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED SENATE AND THE WHITE HOUSE. ANOTHER ISSUE THAT HAS EMERGED IS THE ISSUE OF SUBPOENA POWER. NOW THAT THE DEMOCRATS HAVE CONTROL OF THE COMMITTEE, IS THE -- U.S. OVERSIGHT OF THE GOVERNMENT SERVICES AGENCY. THAT MAKES THE DEALS WITH PLACES LIKE THE TRUMP HOTEL. IS THE COMMITTEE GOING TO LOOK INTO THAT IN ADDITION TO DEALING WITH INFRASTRUCTURE? ARE YOU LOOKING AT USING SUBPOENA POWER TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE TRUMP HOTEL DEAL? REP. GARAMENDI: ALL OF US SHOULD PULL UP THE CONSTITUTION. IT SAYS NO OFFICIAL, MYSELF AND THE PRESIDENT AND OTHERS CAN TAKE A GIFT FROM A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT, A PRINCE OR A KING. THE ISSUE HAS BEEN RAISED ABOUT FOREIGN GOVERNMENT LAVISHING MONEY UPON THE TRUMP HOTEL, THE OLD POST OFFICE. THE STRUCTURE IS OWNED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. KEVIN: THEY ARE SAYING THAT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL? REP. GARAMENDI: IT IS A MAJOR QUESTION OF WHETHER TRUMP HAS PERSONALLY RECEIVED AN EMOLUMENT GIFT OR MONEY FROM IT FORWARD GOVERNMENT. WE NEED TO LOOK INTO THAT. CAN WE USE OUR SUBPOENA POWER ON THE COMMITTEE TO LOOK INTO IT AND SEE IF THERE IS A FACTUAL BREAK OF THE CONSTITUTION? THE ANSWER IS YES. WE HAVE A CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY TO HOLD THE ADMINISTRATION ACCOUNTABLE, TO HOLD THEM IN CHECK, TO LOOK AT WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND SEE IF IT IS WITHIN THE LAW. IN THIS CASE WITHIN THE CONSTITUTION. WE SHOULD USE THE SUBPOENA POWER. WHAT WILL WE LEARN? THAT IS WHAT YOU USE THE SUBPOENA. AS A GIFT, MONEY OR EMOLUMENT FROM A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT, PRINCE OR KING? THINK ABOUT SAUDI ARABIA OR KUWAIT WHO HAS BEEN LAVISHING MONEY AT THE TRUMP HOTEL, WHICH IS IN A TRUST WITH THE PRESIDENT HAVING ALL THE POWER OVER THAT TRUST AND THE PROPHETS DIRECTLY AVAILABLE TO HIM. IT IS AN IMPORTANT QUESTION. IT IS ONE WE MUST ASK, AS LAID OUT IN THE CONSTITUTION, AND THE CHECK AND UNBRIDLED POWER OF ANY ADMINISTRATION. IN THIS CASE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. CRAIG: LET ' S GO BACK TO THE START OF HIS QUESTION. PROSECUTORIAL OVERREACH. IS THE -- ARE THE VOTERS READY FOR SUBPOENA AFTER SUBPOENA, INVESTIGATION OUT OF INVESTIGATION AT OF THIS NEW AND RELATIVELY SLIM DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY? REP. GARAMENDI: THE ELECTION WAS ALL ABOUT POLICY ISSUES IMPORTANT FOR THE PEOPLE OF AMERICA. YOU TALKED ABOUT TRANSPORTATION. WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT HEALTH CARE, THE ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE CHANGE. ALL OF THESE ARE FUNDAMENTAL POLICY ISSUES THAT THE DEMOCRATS WILL ABSOLUTELY BE PURSUING. WE ALSO HAVE A CONSTITUTIONAL OBLIGATION TO BE A REVIEW OF WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS DOING. WHEN NECESSARY, WHEN THE ADMINISTRATION REFUSES TO COME FORWARD WITH PROPER INFORMATION THAT WE NEED TO DO OUR JOB AS LAID OUT IN THE CONSTITUTION, THAT IS TO BE A CHECK OVER THE ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE FOLLOWING THE LAWS AS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN. THEN WE CAN AND SHOULD USE THE SUBPOENA. WE WANT TO PASS LEGISLATION IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE. ALL THESE THINGS INTO BE DONE. HOWEVER WE HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO HOLD THE ADMINISTRATION IN CHECK. ONE MORE THING THAT IS VERY MUCH IN PLAY, IS THE PRESIDENT SETTING UP OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE WITH MR. WHITAKER? IT APPEARS THAT HE MAY BE. THIS IS A FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION OF OVERREACH BY THE PRESIDENT. WE DID NOT ELECTED MONARCH. WE HAVE A COUNTRY OF LAWS AND CONSTITUTION. THE PRESIDENT IS NOT ABOVE THE LAW AND HE CANNOT OBSTRUCT JUSTICE. CRAIG: THANK YOU SO MUCH, CONGRESSMAN JOHN GARAMENDI IN SAN FRANCISCO. WE HAVE BREAKING NEWS. MIKE POMPEO, JAMES MATTIS

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Rep. Garamendi Says U.S. Has No Choice But to Pass Infrastructure Bill

Rep. John Garamendi, a California Democrat, discusses the House push for immigration and infrastructure legislation. He speaks with Bloomberg's Kevin Cirilli on "Bloomberg Markets: Balance of Power." (Source: Bloomberg)

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