Posted on 08/28/2017 5:29:31 PM PDT by Kaslin
RUSH: Vice President Pence is here. Welcome, sir, once again, back to the EIB Network. Happy to have you here.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Rush. Great to be back on. I thank you for the opportunity to speak about the extraordinary events taking place in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. I know that millions of your listeners are supporting the families and communities that are affected with prayers, and supporting organizations are coming alongside. But I appreciate the opportunity to talk about the efforts of the federal, state, and local governments to provide resources and support for rescue and recovery.
RUSH: How is it all going? How would you assess…? I know you’re biased, but how would you assess the effort so far?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, I will tell you. I just walked out of FEMA. President Trump directed me to head over there for a quick update, and I think it’s important that all of your listeners know that this is still a very dangerous storm, particularly people in the affected areas in Texas and Louisiana need to approach this with great caution. Listen to local emergency management officials; heed their warnings and direction. But I think the American people can be very proud of the effort that Governor Abbott in Texas and local first responders are making, and I’m very proud of the strong leadership President Trump has provided for our entire administration.
We have more than 8,500 federal employees on the ground. We have dozens of Coast Guard assets in the air — fixed wing, helicopter. Coast Guard is involved in rescue operations. And, frankly, you know, the volunteer effort that is also underway where people are heading out, looking after vulnerable neighbors and friends who are stranded in the midst of this historic flood is… It reminds us of everything that’s great about being an American. But, look, it’s early in this process.
We’re a hundred percent focused on lifesaving efforts right now. But the president and the first lady will be there tomorrow. We already have our FEMA director, Brock Long, on the ground in Texas today. But once the floodwaters subside, then the real work of recovery will begin in earnest, and we’re gonna be making sure that upwards to a half a million Americans that may be eligible for disaster assistance know that we are with them, we’ll support them, and we’ll see Houston and southeast Texas all the way through this crisis.
RUSH: Well, you know, you mentioned something here that I have observed myself, and that is that… It’s a sad thing, Mr. Vice President, that so much in our life has become politicized. But this incident… It has its political elements if you go to the wrong places in the media. But people that are on the ground there don’t seem to be involved in that at all. There is a great display of self-reliance. There’s a great display of neighbor helping neighbor, Americans setting aside whatever it is that divides them — and it may not be that much anyway — and all banding together to help. It seems like a unified effort here. You have a number of celebrities that are running charitable donation efforts here. It seems like a lot of things came together immediately when this storm hit. Even some of the things got set up before the storm hit, and it seems like it’s being met as well as it could be.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, we’re leaning into this effort, but I don’t think you could have been said it better than you just said it. These moments bring out the character of our nation. We’re seen the generosity, the compassion, the courage of the American people in high relief. Whether it be the first responders who… You know, the Coast Guard is in the air, was in the air as of yesterday. Even though, you know, this is still a tropical storm. I mean, you have first responders who have risked life and limb to rescue families that were stranded after Hurricane Harvey made landfall.
But to see the way that people are volunteering, to see the way that people are contacting the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Samaritan’s Purse and other organizations and providing the necessary financial resources that those groups are already deploying on the ground is… It just… It really is deeply inspiring to President Trump and myself and to our entire administration. But I can’t say enough to your millions of listeners — particularly those in the affected areas with family in the affected areas — just to know, this is still a very dangerous storm. And while the federal government is there now with more than 8,500 officials on the ground, we’ve been moving literally millions — over a million meals and over a million liters of water. We positioned Coast Guard assets, Navy assets. But the reality is that this is a long way from over.
RUSH: Right.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: It could get worse before it gets better with additional rain coming.
RUSH: The rebuilding phase, that’s gonna start… Once we get past this and the water recedes and then people see the full impact of the damage, that’s when they’re gonna be reaching out to you because that’s rebuilding time, and this is where it’s —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: That’s right.
RUSH: — gonna be a longtime, ongoing effort here, wouldn’t you say?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Right. You know, it will be, and people within the sound of my voice who are in the affected areas or have families should know that they can go to DisasterAssistance.gov, and they can already begin… We have some 22,000 that have already registered for disaster assistance. And there’s a broad range of financial support that’s available to support housing, to support businesses that are affected by storms of this magnitude. We think there might be as many as a half a million people eligible given the enormity of this storm.
RUSH: Wow!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: People can go to DisasterAssistance.gov and already begin to register for that assistance. But your listeners should know, Rush, a hundred percent of our focus — a hundred percent of the focus in that room in FEMA that I just left five minutes ago — is on the rescue operation. It’s just so important that people listen to local officials. If they’re to shelter in place, to stay there, not to return to areas that have been that have been evacuated, not to attempt to get out into what is still a very dangerous storm.
RUSH: Mr. Vice President, I’m down to five seconds, and I know you have your meeting to go to. Thanks for making time for us today. I’m sure it was valuable and worthwhile for many.
In 8 years, VP Pence will make an excellent President. He was certainly the right choice.
Trump learned from Bush’s criticism that were Louisiana mistakes, not his. Prayers for Houston and all involved.
Pence is a good man, but he has ‘politispeak’ . I prefer the straight talk of DjT. Mike always says the right thing, but takes forever saying it prettily and verbosely. Yes, I’m picking nits.
now is not the time for political junk. I’ve seen the Cajun navy and coasties from all over pitching in. Our mayor (like love him or hate him) has done darn good job given the circumstance. It was nice to see Texas guard roll into town. I lived in Galveston for Alicia and clear lake for Ike, never seen anything like this That goes for both the storm and response. Don’t forget about the folks on the coastal bend.
I’m a Hossier. In the past he hasn’t, but John 316 is right time to dump politics for humanity.
Pence is a RINO who capitulated to the cheap labor corporate elites over gay marriage back in 2015.
Pence backpedaled on legislation to give First Amendment protection to gay marriage dissenters.
The big business elites that want cheap labor across national borders and are the ultimate Never Trumpers got what they wanted from Mike Pence.
Is this interview using the hurricane as a backdrop to get us to like Pence as the planned replacement for Trump in the months ahead as the “plot unfolds”?
I had my doubts about him when he was chosen... he “was not my first choice”
I now see that I was wrong. He fulfills his duties to the letter of the law, he is one of the most balanced and well put together people I have EVER seen in D.C.
Stable, well-spoken and 100% human being. A perfect VP and a perfect lead into the next presidency.
“Pence is a RINO”
As a New Yorker, Trump has never even MET a conservative.
None of his choices are conservative, but all of them have performed their jobs and he continues to make our country better everyday.
It just works. I’ve stopped offering my analysis. Everytime he proves himself correct and I should just accept that fact.
Very well said, but you have to remember President Bush flew back from his working vacation at Crawford. Was he supposed to ask his pilot of Air Force One to land in Baton Rouge or New Orleans?
He sure was.
Shut up you troll, no one asked you about your 2 cents.
What a great team of Trump and Pence. Americans are helping each other, so as dad (DeplorableAmerican1776) said, ‘When it comes down to disasters, we don’t ask if people are Republicans or Democrats, or white, black or Asians..we help each other’
It is very sad. Texas homeowners insurance does not cover flood. Only wind) Everyone in Houston could have purchased federal flood insurance. As it is , you don’t just get a check from the tax payers if you flood out in a flood zone. At best you get a LOAN to rebuild and a mortgage on top of your other mortgage with low interest for a payback of 3 to 10 years. Every home for 300 miles is damaged according to Niel Cavuto on Fox. The economic loss is in the $ trillions.
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