CNN "Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees" - Transcript: "Interview with Rep. Henry Cuellar"

Interview

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BERMAN: One congressman who has a great deal about these kinds of concerns and represents the district where that woman Gary profile lives is Texas Democrat Henry Cuellar. I spoke with him earlier.

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BERMAN: Congressman Cuellar, what do you say to your constituents who might be afraid that the President is going to take their land with maybe not going through the proper legal channels?

REP. HENRY CUELLAR (D-TX): You know, I'm very concerned that the President is even saying things like don't worry, if you get it done, even violate the law, I will pardon you. Whether he said that joking around or whatever way he said it, that's wrong. We have to respect private property rights. We have to respect private property rights.

There are some of my constituents that have owned land along the Rio Grande for so many generations. And for the President to come in and say that he's going to take land is just the wrong way.

If you look at this, if the President gets all of the fencing that he wants to get, all of the fencing in the state of Texas, for the first time in American history, we will have a President that will seat over 1.1 million acres, 1.1 million acres and that is wrong. BERMAN: Have you seen any evidence at this point that the administration has started doing this to go around the imminent domain process? Has this started happening yet in your district?

CUELLAR: Well, you know, we're looking at that. Today, I'm in the southern part of my district and I've been hearing from folks that they're starting to do surveys and they're trying get into properties to do the surveys. Again, I don't know. This is something that we are going to investigate.

But the problem is, the President and administration have to respect the law. There is a thing called imminent domain that you have to go through the courts and you have to respect the law.

BERMAN: Well, if they start going around the imminent domain process, what will you do? How will you help your constituents fight?

CUELLAR: Well, you know, certainly two things. I mean, certainly I will be talking to the Secretary of Homeland, Kevin McAleenan. He's a good man and I know that he will do everything to respect the law, talk to the local border patrol chiefs to make sure that they understand that the members of Congress are watching and we don't want them to circumvent the law.

[20:40:12] And of course, appropriations is another way. The problem is by the time we do appropriations, which could be by the end of the year in December, if there is any damage that could be done, that will be something.

BERMAN: The reporting you mentioned from earlier this week that the President offered a pardon to any officials who might break the law and their attempt to make sure a large portion of the wall is built. The White House says the President was joking, but do you believe officials would actually do it, break the law for the President?

CUELLAR: Well, you know, even joking around, you shouldn't even say that. You know, the people that I know, the border patrol folks, the chiefs that I know in the Laredo sector, the Rio Grande sector, which is down in this area, they're good men.

They're good men that are trying to do their job. I don't think they would do that. And certainly I will make sure that we work together, that we follow the law. But the men and women that I know that are serving down here, I know they're not going to do that.

BERMAN: Some of your colleagues say if the stories are true, it constitutes an abuse of power by the President. Is this something you think should be investigated?

CUELLAR: I mean, certainly. I mean, I think there are committees that will be looking into this. And again, you know, we don't know. You know, he said it was a joke but, again, you can't say that because there's been too many actions that, you know, after one, after another one that President keeps doing, even if he jokes around, we're going to think that it's true. So, I hope that the President just understands that he's not joking around. You can't make fun of people that have had lands for generations and we got to respect those private property rights of those individuals.

BERMAN: Congressman Cuellar, thank you very much for joining us.

CUELLAR: Thank you so much.

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