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Mike Pence Speaks in Rockport, Texas; Thousands Still in Houston Shelters as They Assess Damaged Homes; 90,000 Texans Register with FEMA for Relief; Former HUD Secretary Assesses Federal Response to Harvey; Worries Over Brazos River Levels for Nearby Communities. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired August 31, 2017 - 13:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


(APPLAUSE)

[13:30:00] MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you so much, Governor.

Thank you to the inspiring team here at First Baptist Church. Thank you all for coming out.

After difficult days, here in Rockport and across southeast Texas, President Trump sent us here to say, we are with you. The American people are with you. We are here today. We will be here tomorrow. And we will be here every day until this city and this state and this region rebuilds bigger and better than ever before.

(CHEERING)

(APPLAUSE)

PENCE: I also want to pay a debt of gratitude to all of those that have -- that have stepped forward and shown their work in this dark hour, the life of this community and the life of this state.

As the president said yesterday in Missouri, your governor and his team have done an incredible job for the people of Texas.

And we commend you, Mr. Governor. We commend the state officials. We commend the extraordinary first responders who at this very hour are pulling citizens out of harm's way.

Would you join me in thanking this great governor and the state of Texas?

(APPLAUSE)

PENCE: We're also grateful, grateful to be joined by many members of the cabinet of this administration. President Trump sent us here to ensure that the full resources of the national government are being brought to bear in a consistent way. Through the course of this rescue operation, which is still under way, and the recovery that will follow, and the rebuilding that we will see through. I'm grateful to be joined by these great members of the cabinet who are with us here today. And lastly, let me also say thank you -- say thank you to those of you

who have, in a difficult hour for you and your family, come alongside neighbors and friends. Those that are looking on now, maybe from around the state and around the country, who have already given of their resources and their prayers to support the people of Rockport and the people across southeast Texas. As Franklin Graham just said, it's a long way to go. It's not months, but it's years. The challenges will be great. But we know that the generosity and the prayers and the faith of the people of Texas and the American people will be greater still.

(APPLAUSE)

PENCE: I called the president from Air Force Two this morning and asked him what he wanted me to tell you, and he just said, just tell them we love Texas.

(APPLAUSE)

PENCE: You've inspired the nation. We've inspired -- you've inspired the nation by your resilience and courage. And we came here to commend you and to encourage you and to assure you we'll be there. We're one family. When one hurts, we all hurt.

On behalf of President Trump, on behalf of this governor, and all of us who have the privilege of public responsibilities, just know we are with you. And we will stay with you until Rockport and all of southeast Texas comes back.

(APPLAUSE)

PENCE: Thank you very much.

(APPLAUSE)

PENCE: I'm joined by my wife, Karen, the second lady of the United States, who --

(CHEERING)

(APPLAUSE)

PENCE: -- agreed to offer a quick word of prayer and so those of you that are so inclined, join us, would you?

Karen?

KAREN PENCE, SECOND LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: Heavenly Father, we thank you for these amazing people who are an inspiration to us all across the United States and across the world. We pray that you would build them up, give them the strength and the endurance as they go forward. We thank you for the first responders and those who at this very moment are saving lives. We pray for their safety and a blessing on them. We thank you for every level of help that's here. It's such an inspiration to see so many who have given so much and so selflessly come alongside their neighbors. So we thank you for this. We know that your word says where two are more are gathered there you are. So we know you're here with us, Lord, and we pray your blessing on the state of Texas and Louisiana as they go through some hard days going forward. We know you will lift us up. In your name, we pray. Amen.

[13:35:09] ALL: Amen.

(APPLAUSE)

PENCE: Thank you, all.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

PENCE: It's an honor to be with you today, Mr. Governor. Thank you so very much.

Thank you to the ministry here that knows that unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.

ALL: Amen.

PENCE: We're here today. President Trump will be back in Texas with the first lady on saturday. And we promise you, we're going to stay with you every step until we bring southeast Texas back bigger and better than ever.

Thank you very much. Thanks.

(APPLAUSE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: We watched -- just watched Vice President Mike Pence there touring a storm-damaged area in Rockport, Texas, wrapping up remarks there at a damaged church, along with the second lady, the vice president's wife, Karen Pence, who you saw led that group of people in prayer.

We'll coming back after a quick break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:40:17] ACOSTA: OK. You're looking at live pictures now of Vice President Mike Pence on a tour of Rockport, Texas. You can hear there in that video, a pretty stirring image of people singing "God Bless America."

(SINGING)

ACOSTA: Let's listen in.

(SINGING)

(APPLAUSE)

PENCE: All right.

(CROSSTALK) ACOSTA: Pretty, some remarkable images. A few moments ago, people singing "God Bless America" as Vice President Pence and his wife, Karen Pence, shaking hands with people actually impacted by Harvey. You're seeing pictures live right now on CNN.

Just a few moments ago, you heard the vice president talk to those people there in Rockport, Texas, right outside of a damaged church. The vice president passing on a message, he says, he received from President Trump, telling the people down there that he loves Texas, and he'll be there in the state with the first lady on saturday.

We'll continue to monitor those pictures as they come in and bring more to you, as it all warrants.

For now, let's turn to, back to Houston. For thousands of evacuees at the Brown Convention Center in Houston has been a refuge in the chaotic days after Hurricane Harvey. Thousands of people coming and going since the storm while trying to assess the damage down their own homes as people wait for floodwaters to recede to assess the damage at their homes.

CNN's Scott McLean joins us now from the convention center.

And, Scott, as you're speaking, we'll show live pictures of Vice President Pence, but how are people holding up there today? I know sometimes it can be raw with some of those evacuees in that shelter there.

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Jim. There is some good news here, that the number of evacuees staying at the shelter is dropping. Around 9000 at its peak. It is now around 2,500, and the reason being, a lot of people are finding shelter with family or friends, or going to hotels or motels. According to the shelter manager, they're also going back into their flooded homes. The problem, obviously, that when a house has been flooding, you'll have problems with mold and potentially even contamination. It's really not safe. So the shelter manager is predicting that a lot of those people will end up back here making those numbers inflate once again.

There's also a lot of people here who are lining up for FEMA relief, to get information and to get registered. The last numbers we have are that 90,000 people registered with FEMA. They've already given out around $57 million worth of relief to people.

I met one gentleman in that line. His name is Matt Whitmore. He was actually moving between one apartment to another just outside of Houston when Harvey hit and he ended up driving a truck packed full of all of his things into some water, and where it got stranded, and so he's lost essentially all of his worldly possessions. But in that line for FEMA, he was not looking for replacements to be replaced by government money. He just wanted contact lenses or some glasses, and a few clothes to put on while he was getting back on his feet.

I asked why he didn't want help replacing his things.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MATT WHITMORE, HOUSTON RESIDENT: You have seen other people here four days ago? I just happen to come inside of a McDonald's and see that. And I didn't even have to see it. There were thousands. So these people that have, you know, multiple families, four, five, six. Some have disabled, handicapped, you name it. They're going to need a lot more than me. So I'm still young enough where I can rebuild. Take advantage of the resources that are here. And the way Houston pulled together, there's, you know the opportunity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCLEAN: Whitmore expects to be out of shelter and on his feet in a week or so. This place will be open a lot longer than that.

One other problem, Jim, is that FEMA is helping in temporary assistance, hotels, motels, maybe an apartment a couple of months. But given how many homes in this city have been flooded out, the expectation is a lot of those people, even receiving assistance, will have to find temporary shelter even outside of the city because of the demand.

[13:45:00] ACOSTA: Scott McLean, in Houston, thank you.

I'm joined by the former HUD secretary, of Housing and Urban Development, and the former San Antonio mayor, Julian Castro, who joins us live from San Antonio, I believe.

Secretary Castro, thanks very much for joining us.

What do you make --

JULIAN CASTRO, (D), FORMER HUD SECRETARY & FORMER SAN ANTONIO MAYOR: Thank you.

ACOSTA: You saw those, or at least maybe heard in the last several minutes Vice President Pence there on the ground in Texas. Very visibly shaking hands with some storm victims there. What is your assessment so far of how the White House, how the administration has handled things from where you sit down in Texas?

CASTRO: Well, number one, I'd say that the most impressive thing that we have seen over the last few days has been neighbors helping neighbors. The various inspirational stories of folks whether in Houston, Rockport, Beaumont, throughout southeast Texas that helped each other. The image that sticks in my head is the highway covered with water, and instead of cars, you saw boats on that highway.

But I also credit the men and women, civilian and military, who are first responders, who I think have done an admirable job of rescues folks, of trying to ensure that people are safe. I know just an hour or so ago you all had with Anderson, a live shot of folks being rescued in Beaumont, I believe.

I would separate that out from the political response from especially President Trump. You know, I'm glad to see that Vice President Pence is in Rockport. He has experience with this having been governor of Indiana. He's handled natural disasters. He also knows that there's a human touch to this. That, for the president, you need to do two things. Make sure that the federal government is deploying all of its assets as it should and coordinating with state and local government to get the job done of rescue and recovery. But also you need to be the consoling in chief. And we've seen now on several occasions where there's this or Charlottesville, that President Trump just cannot find it within himself to be centered around others, to be a true public servant. It's always about him. So I think the mistake he made the other day with showing up and talking about the size of the crowd there for him, not mentioning any of the victims that passed away because of the storm, and then saying that he had seen it all firsthand when he clearly hasn't. So I'm glad that Vice President Pence is there, because I think he's doing a little better job in that role.

ACOSTA: And do you think that the president's visit this weekend will be helpful or harmful? What do you hope to see? I suppose from what you're saying, you want to see him shaking hands and meeting with storm victims?

CASTRO: Yes. People need to feel like he understands the depth of the tragedy and the pain. And more than that, that he's going to stick to this and make sure that -- that the administration pushes a well-funded bill through Congress to get folks the resources they need for recovery. That's going to be many billions of dollars.

So -- whether or not his trip to Texas makes sense on saturday is really going to depend whether he approaches it in a better way than he did last time.

I was going to say about a year ago, when I was HUD secretary, I was out in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, looking at the damage from flooding there. I can't say enough about the professionalism of the folks that work, whether it's in SBA or HUD or FEMA. There have been a ton of lessons learned since Katrina. And those front-line workers oftentimes there are different places in the United States and they scramble their own lives so they can go and man those command centers and respond the way they need to. And all of that is just beginning. This is just the beginning, as many have said, of a years-long recovery process.

ACOSTA: Secretary --

CASTRO: We need the president and an administration to stick to that.

ACOSTA: Secretary, let me ask you, because all of this week we've seen a lot of Texas Republicans, members of Congress, being asked about their votes against funding to help people after Superstorm Sandy in the northeast. And that has been injected into this debate over funding to help people after Harvey. What is your message? Your brother is a member of Congress. You used to be the HUD secretary. You know about all of this firsthand. What is your message as politicians come back to Washington? Can they get their act together and get that money into Texas, despite some of the bad blood that might exist between people on all sides, because of those votes against that Sandy funding five years ago? [13:50:00] CASTRO: You know, I saw both Congressman King and

Governor Christie talking about what Senator Cruz had done a few years ago with the Sandy recovery bill. That was unfortunate. And it's true that Ted Cruz today is being a hypocrite. It's not true that that bill, the Sandy bill, was mostly full of pork. In fact, the Congressional Research Service said the opposite. They said that the bill actually stayed true to the purpose of Sandy recovery. So, they need to put politics aside, though, this time. You know, that's the past. That was addressed. There were funds that were dedicated to Sandy recovery. At HUD, we helped administer some of those funds, so I know that that has been money that has been well spent. It hasn't been without its issues, just like our experience with Katrina, but now it's important, whether you're from Texas or New York, to put the politics aside and make sure that there are sufficient funds that are part of this bill. Because this is the worst natural disaster that we've seen, maybe ever.

ACOSTA: All right, Secretary Castro, hopefully, they will put politics aside. That is a tall order these days here in Washington.

CASTRO: That's true.

ACOSTA: But we appreciate your time very much. Thank you --

CASTRO: Thank you.

ACOSTA: -- Julian Castro, for your time.

Amid all the devastation, a small act of kindness shines through. Someone dressed up as Spider-Man to cheer up all the children now living in one of the shelters in Houston. And when you look at those little faces, you can see how much it meant to those kids. Kids still have to be kids in all of this.

And for more information on how you can help the victims of Harvey, please log on to CNN.com/impact. It will make a difference in the lives of that little guy right there and many others.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:55:01] ACOSTA: The rains may have stopped in most of southeast Texas but the disaster is far from over. And communities along the Brazos River, like in Richmond, Texas, the river is topping levels that were very difficult to deal with last year when flooding destroyed hundreds of homes.

Polo Sandoval is live in Richmond, Texas, right now.

You can see the flooding behind you, Polo, and it looks like it may get worse than this. Is that right?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Especially the coming hours when you should be able to add at least one more foot of water here. The Army Corps of Engineers saying that, in Houston, some of the water levels in the reservoirs are going down. But if you take a 30-minute drive west here to Richmond, Texas, this is what you'll see. This is the swollen Brazos River that we have been showing you over the last few days. And as authorities and residents have been expecting, it's overfilled its banks and now slowly invading neighborhoods. If this isn't enough to give you an idea of the flooding that people are still dealing with, take a look from the air. These images were released by the sheriff's office here. You can see there widespread devastation, widespread flooding. I have spoken to several people here in this neighborhood, Jim. Many people telling me that they are barely recovering from a similar flooding event that took place in May of 2016. One gentleman, whose house I visited, the house still smells like fresh paint. And again, today, there's water that is damaging that house. So it's really a lot of the people who have very little, usually, lose the most.

ACOSTA: Absolutely. And it does not look like it's going to get anywhere near normal any time soon.

SANDOVAL: True.

ACOSTA: Polo Sandoval, thank you very much for that. We appreciate it.

That's it for me. Our special coverage continues of the aftermath of Harvey right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:00:14] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, there. I'm Brooke Baldwin.