English subtitles for clip: File:Congressman Pete Sessions Discusses DC Response To Hurricane Harvey - Morning Joe - MSNBC.webm

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REPORTER FOR AXIOS, JONATHAN SWAN.

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JOINING US FROM DALLAS, REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN PETE

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SESSIONS OF TEXAS. WE HAVE BEEN GETTING REPORTS

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THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM HOUSTON THAT ARE EVACUATING ARE

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EVENTUALLY GOING TO END UP IN DALLAS.

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TELL US WHAT'S GOING ON THERE. >> JOE, IN FACT, WE DO EXPECT

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THAT. WE HAVE OPENED UP OUR OPERATION

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CENTER IN DALLAS. AS YOU REMEMBER, DURING KATRINA

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WE TOOK IN SOME 30,000 PEOPLE. HE WE PLACED A GREAT WELCOME

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SIGN THEN, AND WE'RE GOING TO AGAIN.

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WE WILL HAVE BEDS. WE WILL HAVE PHYSICIANS.

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WE WILL HAVE EMERGENCY PHYSICIANS AND EMERGENCY

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OFFICIALS WHO ARE AVAILABLE. WE HAVE THE FAITH COMMUNITY

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THAT'S READY HERE. JOE, WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR

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EVERYONE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT AFTER THE TRAUMA OF WATER THAT

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EVERYBODY HAS THEIR TETANUS SHOTS, THAT THEY GET THEIR

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MEDICINE, THAT WE TAKE CARE OF CHILDREN.

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OBVIOUSLY, WHEN PEOPLE GET TOGETHER, WE THEN -- WHETHER WE

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LIKE IT OR NOT, WE HAVE DIARRHEA PROBLEMS.

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WE HAVE FOOD PROBLEMS. WE HAVE NEEDS OF PEOPLE.

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WE ARE PREPARED FOR THIS, I BELIEVE.

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THE PROBLEM IS THAT PEOPLE ARE HAVING TROUBLE GETTING OUT OF

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HOUSTON BECAUSE OF THE BANDS OF RAIN.

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JOE, BOTH OF YOU ARE AMAZINGLY KIND IN HOW YOU TALK ABOUT THE

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NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR HELP. AT CHURCH YESTERDAY WE TALKED

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EXTENSIVELY ABOUT BEING PREPARED TO HELP OUR FRIENDS FROM HOUSTON

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AND WE'RE READY TO DO THAT. >> WE HEARD FROM SEVERAL FRIENDS

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IN TEXAS THAT WE HAVE TALKING ABOUT HOW THE CHURCH IS AND I'M

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SURE OTHER RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS. I'M JUST TALKING TO PEOPLE THAT

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I KNOW FRIENDS FROM CHURCHES TALKING ABOUT GETTING IN CARS,

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KIND OF LIKE WE DID IN KATRINA. GETTING IN CARS AND DRIVING OVER

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AND EVERYBODY IN DALLAS DOING WHAT THEY CAN TO HELP THEIR

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FRIENDS. >> WE WILL BE ORGANIZED FOR

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THIS. JOE, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM

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DISCUSSION IN YOUR MEDIA ABOUT PREPARING LOUISIANA AND EAST

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TEXAS. PEOPLE PREPARING THEMSELVES FOR

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WHAT WILL BE A FLOOD. THIS OBVIOUSLY.

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>> WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD FROM FEMA AND OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES?

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>> WELL, AS YOU KNOW, JOE, THE AREA OF CONCENTRATION ABOUT THIS

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TENS OF THOUSANDS OF HOMES, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF HOMES THAT FIND

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THEMSELVES NOT COMPLETELY FLOODED, BUT AT LEAST PROBABLY

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THE FIRST 15 INCHES IN A HOUSE. THAT MEANS THAT TENS OF

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THOUSANDS OF HOUSES, THE

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INFRASTRUCTURE. IT IS GOING TO MEET A MASS OF

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PEOPLE THAT WILL BE THERE. A FEDERAL EFFORT, YES, BUT

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MOSTLY NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR HELP.

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WHAT ARE WE GOING TO NEED? WE'RE GOING TO NEED PEOPLE TO

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STAY VIGILANT AND KNOW WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, BUT THE

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AFTERMATH OF THIS IS WHERERE WE HAVE GOT TO CONTINUE TO STAY UP

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TO THIS FOR SIX TO TEN WEEKS. TWO POINTS.

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CONGRESS IS GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS APPROPRIATELY AS

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WE HAVE HAD TO DO OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS OF BIG FLOODS AND

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ATTORNEY YOEZ. I WOULD OFFER SOME BIT OF ADVICE

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TO THE ADMINISTRATION. TO THE ADMINISTRATION AND TO THE

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UNITED STATES SENATE. THEY NEED TO FINISH 100% OF A

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CONFIRMATION. THEY NEED TO FINISH DOING THEIR

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WORK RATHER THAN THE GAMES THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON.

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WE NEED REAL LIVE PEOPLE WHO WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE AND

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RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENS FOR SEVERAL YEARS FROM THE

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ADMINISTRATION ACROSS THE BOARD, AND I ENCOURAGE THE

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ADMINISTRATION TO FINISH OFTEN ITS BUSINESS.

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I ENCOURAGE THE UNITED STATES SENATE TO END WHATEVER THEY'RE

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DOING. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THE NEEDS

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OF THE NATION TO BE LOOKED AT. WE'RE GOING TO PLAYING HELP OUR

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NEIGHBOR. >> AND, JONATHAN SWAN, WE FOCUS

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SO MUCH ON THE STATE DEPARTMENT, BUT AFTER ONE OF THESE STORMS

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COMES THROUGH, FEMA IS NOT -- FEMA IS UNDERSTAFFED, IF SPA IS

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UNDERSTAFFED, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.

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>> YEAH, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.

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>> DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. >> ALL OF THESE PEOPLE, IF

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THEY'RE UNDER STAFFED, THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT AN IMPACT

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THAT HAS ON TAKING CARE OF AFFECTED AREAS LIKE THIS.

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JONATHAN SWAN WITH AXIOS, HAS A QUESTION.

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JONATHAN. >> TO THAT POINT CONGRESSMAN,

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WITH APPROPRIATIONS, MAKING SURE THAT THE MONEY GETS WHERE IT

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NEEDS TO GO, CAN YOU TALK US THROUGH WHAT CONGRESS IS

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PLANNING TO DO AND ALSO HELP US UNDERSTAND YOUR OWN

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DELIBERATIONS WHEN THESE THINGS COME UP?

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MY UNDERSTANDING IS YOU VOTED FOR THE KATRINA AID PACKAGE

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AGAINST AT LEAST SOME ELEMENTS OF THE SANDY AID PACKAGE.

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CAN YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND HOW YOU MAKE DECISIONS LIKE THAT?

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>> YES, I CAN. THERE WERE ESSENTIALLY AN EARLY

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PACKAGE AND A LATE PACKAGE. ONE THAT WENT FROM ABOUT -- AS I

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RECALL, THAT $17 BILLION TO $60 BILLION, AND I FELT LIKE THAT --

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AND I THINK MOST MEMBERS FROM TEXAS DID -- THAT WE NEEDED TO

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GET IMMEDIATE AID THERE. NOT THE FINAL PACKAGE.

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THE FINAL PACKAGE ENDED UP BEING ABOUT THREE MONTHS LATER, AND WE

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NEGOTIATED AND TRIED TO WORK WITH THAT.

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THIS IS GOING TO BE WHAT AN IMMEDIATE PACKAGE IS.

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NOT THE FINAL PACKAGE TO HELP PEOPLE IN THIS AREA.

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WE LOOKED AT THE LONG-TERM IMPACT THAT IS STILL PLAYING

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ITSELF OUT IN LOUISIANA. >> SO, PETE, DID YOU VOTE FOR

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THE FIRST PACKAGE, THE $17 BILLION PACKAGE?

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>> I -- JOE, I HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO CHECK, BUT AS I

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RECALL, YES, BECAUSE I WAS AT THE CENTER OF THAT NEGOTIATION.

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>> RIGHT. >> TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE DID

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THAT. ONCE AGAIN, IT WENT FROM $17

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BILLION AND BY THE TIME IT CAME BACK SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, $60

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BILLION. I FELT LIKE WE COULD HAVE BEEN

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MORE CAREFUL IN THAT PROCESS. ONCE AGAIN, IT'S NOT REALLY A

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MATTER OF WHETHER YOU VOTE AGAINST IT OR NOT.

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IT'S A MATTER OF DID THE PACKAGE, WAS IT TAILORED TO THE

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NEED? WE WILL TAILOR THIS ONLY TO THE

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NEEDS, I HOPE, AND WE'LL BE A PART OF THAT TAILORING.

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ONCE AGAIN, THIS IS FAR LARGER. >> YOUR GOAL WILL BE WHEN THE

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PACKAGE COMES THROUGH, THAT IT WILL BE ACTUALLY ABOUT AID

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ACTUALLY FOR THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON AND THE SURROUNDING

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AREAS IN TEXAS. I MEAN, ALL OF US KNOW THAT

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USUALLY WHEN THESE AID BILLS COME UP, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD BE

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LUCKY NOT TO GET FIVE OFF RAMPS AND, YOU KNOW, IN KANSAS.

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>> YOU UNDERSTAND THIS, JOE, BECAUSE YOU SERVED AND

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UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS. WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS -- TO

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ANSWER JONATHAN CORRECTLY, WE ARE GOING TO -- THE WEEK WE GET

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BACK, WHICH IS NOT THIS WEEK. IT IS NEXT WEEK.

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WE'RE GOING TO FINISH OFF OUR AID PACKAGES.

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IT IS FAR TOO EARLY FOR US TO ACTUALLY TO HAVE EXCEPT FOR AN

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INITIAL VIEWPOINT THE FINAL PACKAGE ON THIS.

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IT MAY TAKE INTO DECEMBER FOR TEXAS TO REALLY GET A HANDLE

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AROUND WHAT ITS NEEDS ARE. WE'LL ADDRESS THAT.

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I BELIEVE PEOPLE WILL DEAL FAIRLY WITH EACH OTHER.

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I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THAT. >> SO CONGRESSMAN, THE PACKAGE,

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WHENEVER IT'S DONE, WHETHER IT'S DONE IN TWO WEEKS OR IN DECEMBER

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AS YOU INDICATED, IT'S GOING TO BE OF IMMENSE COST TO TAXPAYERS

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TO CARRY THIS BURDEN AND HELP THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON IN GREATER

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TEXAS. YOU HAVE HAD TIPS THAT YOU JUST

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GAVE US FOR STAFFING, OTHER DEPARTMENTS, THAT ARE CRITICAL

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TO THIS EFFORT. DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS THIS

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MORNING FOR THE FREEDOM CAUCUS WHO SEEM TO RESENT SPENDING EVEN

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A PENNY OF PUBLIC MONEY? >> YES, AND I WILL TELL YOU, WE

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HAVE WATCHED OUR COLLEAGUES OVER A PERIOD OF TIME AS THEY HAD

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BEEN IMPACTED TO COME TO A SENSE OF REALITY.

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HERE'S WHAT I WOULD SAY TO YOU. THE PACKAGE NEEDS TO REPRESENT

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THE REAL NEED, AND IN TEXAS THIS -- I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO

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UNDERSTAND HOW LARGE IT IS. THIS IS MAYBE TWICE AS LARGE AS

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THE LARGEST WE'VE EVER HAD, AND I THINK THAT WAS BACK TO 1982.

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WHAT I WOULD SAY TO YOU IS THAT MY COLLEAGUES THAT ARE IN THE

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FREEDOM CAUCUS ARE VERY DEAR FRIENDS OF MINE AND OF A NUMBER

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OF PEOPLE WHO RECOGNIZE THE NEED.

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IF THE PACKAGE IS IN ANY WAY BLOATED, IT WILL HAVE PROBLEMS.

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IF IT IS TAILORED TO FIT THE NEED, THEN WE CAN SUBSTANTIATE,

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MY COLLEAGUES AND THE FREEDOM CAUCUS WILL BE THERE.

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>> YOU KNOW, THAT'S A THING, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU NEVER KNOW IN

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THE PROCESS WHEN IT GOES OFF THE RAILS.

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FIRST OF ALL, OUR HOPES AND PRAYERS ARE WITH THE GOOD PEOPLE

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OF TEXAS THAT THEY GET THROUGH THIS, AND ALSO, WOULD LOVE TO

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HAVE YOU BACK, PETE, JUST TO TALK ABOUT THIS PROCESS AND MAKE

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SURE THAT ACTUALLY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE SPENDING TAX MONEY

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ON HELPING THE PEOPLE OF TEXAS AND NOT SOME SIDE PROJECTS

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THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO CRAM IN TO OMNIBUS BILLS FOR TEN Y