MSNBC "All in with Chris Hayes" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. David Cicilline

Interview

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HAYES:  Joining me now, one of the leaders of the Democrats in the House, Rhode Island Congressman David Cicilline.  Congressman is it not unfair to cancel congressional delegations given the state of things in the country in the shutdown?
 
REP. DAVID CICILLINE (D), RHODE ISLAND:  Well, good evening. Chris.  This was a trip that the Speaker of the House is taking to a war zone not only to express gratitude for the -- for the work the troops are doing but also to get very critical national security briefings from the military leaders on the ground.  I think the President`s cancellation of that trip shows that this is a very thin-skinned, petty and insecure president who sees and perceives everything as a personal sleight to him.
 
The Speaker of the House said look, it does not make sense to do a State of the Union while the government is partially shut down.  We need to reopen govern first because the State of the Union is shut down.  I think that makes perfect sense.  It wouldn`t have been appropriate to do a State of the Union as if everything was operating fine.  She does that apparently in response to that very responsible decision, he cancels a trip to visit U.S.
troops, American heroes who are fighting in a war zone to protect the national security interest of our country.  It`s disgraceful.
 
HAYES:  Kevin Baron who is a Defense One`s Executive Editor, has covered the Pentagon for a long time.  He said Trump just caused an unfathomable amount of disruption and cost the U.S. Air Force and other services by his last-minute refusal to the codel`s travel.  Truly immeasurably but enormous man-hours, intelligence assets, vehicle and air allocations, prep, security.  Stunning.  What do you think of that?
 
CICILLINE:  Yes.  I think there`s no question.  This is a president who has shown tremendous disrespect for the men and women in uniform, for our military, for their operations.  As you said, even in the letter, he describes it as a photo-op or a P.R. excursion which really is how he perceives apparently those kinds of exchanges, all those kinds of events.  This was an important trip.  It was one in which the Speaker of the House would learn important information as well as other members of the Congress.  And the fact that the President doesn`t even understand the disruption he caused is very, very sad.
 
HAYES:  You know, every day I come to work and even before work I read headlines about what`s going on.  That there is food not being inspected, the air traffic controllers are working without paychecks, that there are people -- the absentee rate at TSA airports is twice what it should be one wonders what that would do to security.  And I get an increasing sense of dread in the pit of my stomach.  Do your fellow lawmaker share that?  Do you understand and is it understood across in both parties that you are -- you are rolling the dice and firing the trigger on Russian roulette every day this goes on.
 
CICILLINE:  Absolutely.  Look, I met with TSA workers and air traffic control is at my airport here in Rhode Island and heard it firsthand.  This is causing incredible heartache and anguish for federal employees.  Imagine being told to come to work every day, to show up, to work hard but you`re not going to be paid.  It is causing -- you know, and in the name of keeping America safe, Donald Trump is making us less safe both in terms of air travel, in terms of security at the border, in terms of food safety.
 
So you know, in this effort to -- this claim that he`s actually doing this to keep America safe, he`s making us less safe.  But the impact is having on real people`s lives is hard to describe.  These are heartbreaking stories of people who are doing their work, expect to get paid, and can`t pay their rent, can`t pay their mortgage, can`t buy food.  It`s a disgrace.  And the important thing is we should open the government immediately.  We have voted nine times to fund the government.
 
It is never appropriate to shut the government down if you have a policy disagreement.  This is the only place in the world that happens.  And Donald Trump has done it.  He should open the government.  We can have lots of debate about the best way to secure our border.  But it`s never right to shut the government down.  It`s not fair to the people who are doing the work who aren`t getting paid.
 
HAYES:  All right, Congressman David Cicilline, thanks for being with me. 

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