CNN "Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees" - Transcript: Interview with Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Interview

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REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (D-FL): Because they really are, Anderson, still in the midst of this heartbreaking, painstaking search and rescue operation, they're not even really approaching being able to try to figure that out.

It is the most bizarre, just unbelievable situation that, especially in a community like this one in South Florida, where we have such stringent building codes, you know, 40-year inspection requirements, this building was 40 years old and was just about to undergo its inspection. They really still have not begun to even be able to sort that out.

COOPER: Yes, I believe an attorney for the condo association was on with Erin Burnett saying that, in preparation for that 40-year update, they had had an engineer or multiple people looking at the building coming up with a list of things that needed, but they didn't have any indication at this stage that any of those things may have related to this.

But obviously, you said, the focus really is on the recovery efforts right now.

SCHULTZ: Right.

COOPER: What have you been told about --

SCHULTZ: Right, with family members.

COOPER: Yes, and family -- what have you been told. We just talked to the Chief there. What's the plan for the coming hours?

SCHULTZ: So, over this period of time, you know, they've just shifted the crew here. That the search and rescue is continuing. I've been working since I got on the ground and before I left Washington this morning, to -- you know, with the White House and with our State Emergency Management officials here to make sure that all the requests that are made by Miami Dade County and Surfside are able to be granted and you know, the White House has confirmed that whatever is asked for is going to be granted in terms of the longer term housing assistance, debris removal, the expenses that are obviously massive that no budget this small, like the City of Surfside is, or even Miami Dade County can handle because it's so unexpected.

But the key thing here is that we have, you know, really dozens and dozens of families who are -- whose hearts are broken, who are desperate to get information about their people. I'm working through my district office, Anderson, to try to get visas processed quickly, so that we can get family members because there's a lot of international families here and we need to get their loved ones here who have people who might have been in the building, or who whether we think were in the building, and we want to make sure we get their loved ones close.

This is the most bizarre, freakish, chaotic situation, but we have the best search and rescue team in the country here. Our search and rescue team goes down to all of these disasters around the country and the world. Unfortunately, right now, the disaster is right here at home for us.

COOPER: Yes. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, I appreciate your time. Thank you and sorry, it is under these circumstances.

SCHULTZ: Thank you so much. Thank you.

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