Transcripts For LINKTV Democracy Now 20180214

A Burmese Military massacre of Rohingya Muslims. The two journalists to uncover the killings have been locked up in the burmese prison for the past two months. We will speak to the Reuters Bureau chief in burma, then to capitol hill. And budget should reflect our moral priorities. It is budget only demonstrates that trump is committed to lining the pockets of his wealthy friends. We need a budget that is based on equity and compassion. A budget that puts working families first. And that is the kind of budget that i intend to fight for. Amy we will speak with seattle congresswoman Pramila Jayapal as president for proposes deep cuts to education, health care, and social safety net programs while massively increasing the pentagons budget. Finally, we mark the 20 the anniversary of vday, the Global Movement to stop violence against women and girls. All of that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. The white house is embroiled in need of more controversy over rob porter after fbi director Christopher Wray testified to the senate that the fbi told the white house about the physical and verbal abuse allegations that were holding up porters background check months earlier than the white house is admitting. The fbi submitted in partial report on the investigation in question in march. And then a completed Background Investigation in late july that is soon thereafter we received inquiry,or followup and we did the followup and provided that information in november. Then we could minister it if it closed the file in january. Any car that was the fbi director christpher wray. Porter resigned after both of his exwives accused him of abuse and photos were released showing porters first wife with a black guy, which she said she suffered after he punched her in the face like i, which she said she suffered after he punched her in the face. A further exposes how to the Administration Officials allowed porter to continue working in the white house despite the serious accusations of domestic violence. In fact, cnn reports white house officials are considering promoting porter to deputy chief of staff under general kelly before the photos were released. President trump has repeatedly defended porter, emphasizing porter claims he is innocent. Trump himself has been accused of Sexual Harassment or assault by at least 16 women. A second federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump Administration from canceling daca, the obamaera deferred action for childhood arrival program, which gives some 800,000 young undocumented immigrants permission to live and work in the United States. On tuesday, judge Nicholas Garaufis in new york issued an injunction to temporarily keep the program in place, warning its cancellation would have profound and irreversible social costs, writing it is impossible to understand the full consequences of a decision of this magnitude. This comes as lawmakers on capitol hill are continuing to debate the future of daca. Republican lawmakers are pushing to include an amendment to punish socalled sanctuary cities as part of any immigration legislation to protect dreamers. In more news on immigration, activists and Civil Liberties advocates are issuing warnings over reports that the immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, known as ice, is seeking to become an intelligence agency. Critics say the move would give ice access to an array of raw Intelligence Data that could lead to further abuses as ice carries out President Trumps mass deportation efforts. This is jack laperruque, of the independent watchdog agency, the project on government oversight. I think within the last year, ice has demonstrated a willingness to be more severe and more arbitrary in its arrest , deportations, and actions. This would enable them to a much higher degree. It is sort of like taking someone youre not comfortable with giving a kitchen knife to and handing them a grenade. Amy meanwhile, the chief counsel for ice in seattle has been charged with stealing the identities of seven immigrants in order to defraud credit card companies. Raphael sanchez has resigned from the agency amid the charges and faces one count of aggravated Identity Theft and another of wire fraud. This comes as President Trumps longtime personal lawyer Michael Cohen says he personally paid 130,000 to former porn star stephanie clifford, better known as stormy daniels, several weeks before trumps election to keep her from going public about her 2006 sexual encounter with donald trump. Cohen says he was never reimbursed for the payment to silence daniels. U. S. Intelligence officials claimed tuesday that russia is likely planning to meddle in the u. S. 2018 midterm elections. This is u. S. Director of National Intelligence dan coats. , false flagdia personas, sympathetic spokesman, and other means to influence to try to build on its wide range of operations and exacerbate social and political figures in the United States. There should be no doubt that russia received his past efforts as successful and views the 2018 u. S. Midterm elections as a potential target for russian influence operation. Amy the intelligence communitys warnings during Tuesdays Senate Intelligence Committee hearings contradict President Trump, who has repeatedly cast doubt on whether russia meddled in the 2016 president ial election. This is separate from trump currently under investigation for allegedly colluding with russia ahead of the president ial election. The United States is refusing to commit any direct money for reconstruction in iraq after the u. S. Led Coalition Bombing campaign against isis militants destroyed home schools, hospitals, and Critical Infrastructure across wide swaths of iraq. The United Nations says 40,000 homes were destroyed in mosul alone. At an International Conference in kuwait this week, the Iraqi Government has asked for 88 billion to rebuild. But so far, other countries have pledged only a combined 4 billion. The United States has offered a 3 billion loan. This comes after the u. S. Senate reached a 2018 budget deal that includes 700 billion for the military. In the United States. In israel, the Justice Minister has sparked outrage by saying that maintaining a jewishmajority in israel justifies committing human rights violations. Speaking at a conference on monday in tel aviv, Ayelet Shaked said there is place to maintain a jewish majority even at the price of violation of rights. During her speech, shaked also defended the controversial socalled jewish nationstate bill, which would legally define israel as the National Home of the jewish people. Critics say if passed, the bill could be used to justify the widespread discrimination against israels nonjewish citizens. In more news on israel, the police have recommended indicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on criminal corruption charges. Netanyahu is under investigation in two separate criminal corruption cases. In one case, he is accused of trying to push tax breaks to benefit an israeli billionaire hollywood producer after receiving gifts from the him. In the second case, netanyahu is accused of trying to strike a deal to secure more favorable coverage from a leading israeli newspaper by offering to curtail the circulation of one of the newspapers rivals. The group pen america has announced it will honor two imprisoned reuters journalists, wa lone and kyaw soe oo, with this years freedom to write award. The two have been jailed in burma after investigating a massacre committed by the Burmese Military against Rohingya Muslims in the village of inn din. They appeared in Court Earlier today in burma after having been charged with violating burmas official secrets act. Later in the broadcast well go to burma for more. In ethiopia, a senior oromo Opposition Leader has been released from prison, after protesters staged widespread demonstrations on monday to demand his freedom. Bekele gerba is the secretary general of the oromo federalist congress. He was arrested in 2015 amid an uprising in oromia over efforts to displace them from their land. After being released, bekele gerba called for the release of other oromo political prisoners. There is still thousands and thousands of people languishing in jail, so our release a luncheon the considered as the omo rse of all of the orm shoretel should not stop as long as theres a single oromo remaining in prison. British judge upheld an arrest warrant for wikileaks founder julian assange. Assanges lawyers have been trying to argue the british arrest warra for jumpi bail should be scinded because it is contrary to the Public Interest and because its related to a swedish Sexual Assault investigation against assange, which has since been dropped. Tuesdays ruling comes after, one week ago, the same british judge, emma arbuthnot, ruled for the firstime not drop assanges arrest warrant. Back in the United States, the council on American Islamic relations known as care is suing Southwest Airlines on behalf of a recent university of california berkeley graduate who was removed from a southwest plane in april 2016 and prohibited from reboarding after a fellow traveler complained about him speaking arabic. Khairuldeen makhzoomi was talking to his uncle on his cell phone as he was boarding the flight, when a fellow passenger claimed he was using words related to an attack. In fact, he was using the word inshallah, which means god willing, and is one of the most common words in the arabic language. American olympian shaun white faced questioning the accusations of Sexual Harassment after he won yet another olympic goldmedal for the mens snowboard half pipe at this years litigants in south korea. He has been sued for sexual harassing his former bandmate and then firing her without paying her after she rebuked his behavior. The News Conference today in which female journalist say the Olympic Committee has only called on the journalists, shaun white try to claim the lawsuit and i stations were gossip. You know, im your a talk about the olympics, not gossip i am here to talk about olympics, not gossip. I dont think so. I am who i am and i am proud of who i am and my friends, you know, love me and vouch for me and i think that stands on its own them a so thank you. So youre saying allegations against you are gossip . I think we are here to talk about the goldmedal and the today. Day we are here i would like it to be a little bit. I think were here to talk about the goldmedal today in the amazing day we had. Folks i feel like i addressed it. Shaun white reached of private settlement with the woman months ago. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. We begin todays show in burma, where two journalists from the Reuters News Agency have entered their third month in jail. Wa lone and kyaw soe oo were arrested on december 12 and charged with violating burmas official secrets act. They have been denied bail and face up to 14 years in jail. At the time of their arrest, they were investigating a massacre committed by the Burmese Military targeting Rohingya Muslims in the village of inn din. While the two journalists remain in prison, other journalists with reuters have continued to piece tother what happened in inn dinn. In a shocking new expose, reuters reports burmese soldiers and members of an informal militia executed 10 Rohingya Muslim captives. At least two of the men were hacked to death. The others were shot. Reuters published one photo showing the 10 men lined up in a row on the day of their execution. The 10 men are kneeling on the ground with their hands tied behind their backs. A second photo shows the mens bloodied bodies buried in a single grave. The dead included two high school students, fishermen, shopkeepers, and an islamic teacher. The killings were part of what the United Nations has described as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing. Since last year, at least 6700 Rohingya Muslims have been killed in burma. Entire villages have been destroyed and about 700,000 rohingya have fled across the border into bangladesh. The jailing of the burmese journalists has sparked international outrage. On tuesday, the group pen america announced it would honor wa lone and kyaw soe oo with this years freedom to write award. On sunday, fellow journalists in burma took part in a protest. This is salai thant zin of the publication the irrawaddy. The situation is now more obvious that wa lone and kyaw soe oo were arrested because of their investigative report on the inn din massacre. Journalists have a right to access information. This is an abuse of justice. This is also evident the media are being intimidated in burma. Amy earlier today, the imprisoned journalists wa lone and kyaw soe oo appeared in a Burmese Court. As lone left the court he said i can tell you we worked in accordance with media ethics. I totally believe that. We go now to singapore to speak with antoni slodkowski, Reuters Bureau chief in burma. He worked closely with wa lone and kyaw soe oo and cowrote the Reuters Special report. Welcome to democracy now the two burmese reporters, your colleagues, have just been in a Burmese Court and face 14 years in jail. And you have just released this explosive expose that they and you were working on. Can you talk about what happened in inn din and why then these two reporters were arrested . Right, so i think this story that wa lone and kyaw soe oo worked on, it is really important for three main reasons. First of all, it is this painstaking detailed account of the execution of these 10 men who apparently were picked at random by the Security Forces held overnight at school, and the following day, they were executed step as you said in your material before i came on air, they were shopkeepers, fishermen. Two of them were students. And we also were able to meet ,heir families in bangladesh who has since fled to bangladesh. And who told us about them and recognized them on these dramatic pictures before the execution. But apart from this incredibly reconstruction of that execution, what is really striking in white wa lone and kyaw soe oo uncovered is not just the depths, but the breadth of the reporting. The story is not only limited to inn dinn, it also gs the dynamic, the mechanics of this military operation across a wider area. There was reporting from villages several miles to the north of inn dinn where we are also hearing about very similar accounts of how the secretive forces and the buddhist earnings carried out burnings of the rohingya homes. I think the third really important thing is that these accounts, for the first time, are coming from the people who carried out those acts them selves. So we have insider accounts from Police Officers describing how idingactually went about ra those villages. We also have accounts from row kind buddhists and not just one or two, but many, many. So i think those are the three key points that really tied the story together and perhaps, and this is sort of what wa lone and kyaw soe oo are working on, and we are very proud of the reporting and i hearing today, they were very happy with the impact that the story has had so far. Amy can you talk about the day they were picked up . December 12 . What they were doing in line with what you were talking about the particular significance with this report is that this was a report based on admissions by the killers in this massacre . Right. So kyaw soe oo and wa lone were meeting to Police Officers they ,ad never met before for dinner as reporters around the world do. We meet people and we discuss things with them and they were handed over some documents that they never even had a chance to look at. They were told, look at them when you get back home. But before they were able to get back home, immediately after leaving the restaurant, they were apprehended. They were arrested by the police will sto. Wa lon wase able to send me a text message saying, i have been arrested. We spent the whole night trying to find out more information about him, going from one Police Station to another, trying to establish their whereabouts. Only several hours later, me and memoir myanmar authoritys released a statement saying they had been arrested. But even from that point, for about two weeks, they were held without access to lawyers and families and then eventually, emerged at a court hearing, like i said, pretty much two weeks after they were arrested. Amy lets turn to your imprisoned colleague wa lone. To reportersoke earlier this month as police led him away in handcuffs from a courtroom. The police told us to sign a document about our arrests we were detained. They said they would add more charges unless we signed the document. Amy so then we see the military putting him in a car and taking him away. Earlier this month, the office of you and secretarygeneral internet iteris called for the journalists release, citing the erosion of press freedom in burma. On tuesday, deputy u. N. Political affairs chief Miroslav Jenca reiterated calls for the journalists to be released. Advise address the unfortunate arrest of two journalists. Calledretarygeneral has in clear terms for the release of the journalists. And urged the authority to respect the right to freedom of expression and information. Allow me to reiterate those calls you today. The ability to exercise the right to freedom of expression and information is a barometer for respect for human rights were broadly. Reuters has now published the story these journalists were working on a deeply disturbing account of 10 rohingya men in inn dinn village in northern right kind rahkine state. They also reported five mass graves in a village elsewhere. These and other shocking reports of great abuses demand our attention and action for the sake of lasting peace and justice. Amy and now i want to turn to burmas ambassador to the United Nations speaking just tuesday. Mr. President , the case of two reuters reporters has attracted much attention in recent weeks. You might recognize the freedom of press. The two reporters are charged for illegally preserving government documents. Bound by the existing lock the land. It is important it must be within the bounded the law with journalists. According, therefore legal rights. Amy so that is burmas ambassador to the u. N. Antoni slodkowski i can you respond to what he is saying . Published ine have the special report, the investigation that they were carrying out is what prompted their arrest. Addition, isayn would not want to sort of directly response, but i will say that we believe amy we may have just losthat feed to singapore. I think we will get him back. Were talking to antoni slodkowski, who is the Reuters Bureau chief in burma. He cowrote the special report with the two imprisoned reporters, imprisoned december 12. Lets see if he can hear us. Anthony, youre just responding to the allegation that the burmese ambassador to the u. N. Said. Right. Think id before, i story irst of all, the hope shows to the whole world and the myanmar public that these individuals were not some suspicious people doing something strange or, i dont know. Indeed, they were journalists working incredibly har on a very important story, a story of global importance. Just any journalists, but journalists of the highest order. We believe they have done nothing wrong, and we are confident the Legal Proceedings will show that. Amy i want to clarify for listeners, viewers, readers, when we use these words burma and myanmar, the same country myanmar was the name the military regime data to burma, the capital rangoon they renamed step antoni slodkowski is the bureau chief in burma, but were speaking to him in singapore. The issue of suu kyi, known around the world as the nobel priest laureate who herself was imprisoned for years, what role as she played in this . She is the de facto leader, even a few dozen of the formal title of president of burma. She has been criticized. Many said her Nobel Peace Prize should be revoked. Theyou talk about significance of what she is and is not saying . I think the ambassador does myanmars ambassador to the u. N. , he works for the ministry of byeign affairs, which is run suu kyi, who has several different roles and one of them is the role of minister of foreign affairs. I believe he was speaking on behalf of the government. I will just leave it at that. , we ashink more broadly journalists at reuters are here factsnmar to report the and report on the events of global importance. This story that wa lone and kyaw soe oo worked on and published contribute to our understanding of to the understanding of everybody in myanmar, including, i hope, state counselor aung san suu kyi. It is the most detailed account to date. For the first time, were hearing from several buddhist members of the Security Force describing in great detail the , looting, burnings and a dramatic execution early last year. Amy on sunday, britains foreign minister, boris johnson, met with displaced Rohingya Muslims hours after meeting with burmas de facto leader aung san suu kyi. Johnson later told reporters hes not sure whether suu kyi really understands the full horror of what has happened. The difficulty is, to be honest, im not sure she really understands the full horror of what just happened up here. I dont think she is been in a helicopter to see what we have seen today. Really, what i was trying to get over to is the importance of her leadership i believe in her and i believe in her leadership. I think she is an incredible things in her life. Im very sad to see what is happening to burma now and is the the direction the country is going. I believe she can still make a change, make a difference. But you do that, she needs to get get the agencies in, those refugees back home in a way that is safe and voluntary and dignified. Amy so lets wrap up, antoni slodkowski. Just beenagues have in court just hours ago. They face 14 years in jail for exposing this latest report. You decided talk about your decision to release this report as they were in jail. They werent arrested before the report came out. And the effect that this massacre in september in inn dinn had on the rohingya population, more than half a million of whom have fled to neighboring bangladesh. So when kyaw soe oo arrested,e were first we focused all of our efforts and all of our energy on making sure they are safe. And safety is sort of a car mount importance for reuters paramount imports for reuters and reporters around the world. After we were able to clarify the legal situation, we decided obligation duty and to the Global Public and the public in myanmar to go ahead and publish this groundbreaking investigation. Bothne and kyaw soe oo very strongly supported that decision. In the end, were all journalists and this is what we do. That thisf the impact massacre had on me rohingya population the rohingya population, this is what we were able to report under incredibly difficult circumstances. Lets not forget access to the northern part of myanmar is curtailed by the Security Forces. It is not easy to go there and to be able to report on it independently and to speak to all of the stakeholders without consequences. What we have seen at the United Nations Security Council meeting yesterday was that a line of observers and a lot of diplomats underscored this report, as well as many other reports that have come out recently, highlight the need for sort of a thorough and independent investigation into those allegations that are being raised around the world, according to those diplomats present at the secret he Council Meeting yesterday. Amy antoni slodkowski, we thank you for being with us, Reuters Bureau chief in burma, in myanmar. He cowrote the special report. N the massacre in inn dinn on tuesday, his colleagues will be honored with this years freedom to write award, which will be awarded next tuesday. The two have been killed in burma after investigating the massacre committed by the Burmese Military against Rohingya Muslims in the village of inn dinn. This is democracy now when we come back, the budget busting budget in washington, d. C. We will stick with congressmember about what it means we will speak with a congressmember about what it means for the American Population and others. [music break] amy this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Trumpsrn to president 4. 4 trillion budget plan unveiled this week. The plan proposes deep cuts to education, healthcare and social safety net programs, while massively increasing the pentagons budget. Trumps plan would slash the department of educations budget by more than 10 . It would sharply reduce incomebased Student Loan Repayment plans, while ending the Public Service loan forgiveness program. Trumps budget would cut more than 17 billion from the supplemental nutrition assistance program, or snap, barring food stamp recipients from buying fresh fruit and vegetables, and instead providing only a boxed food delivery program. The budget would also phase out federal funding for the corporation for public broadcasting, which supports public and Community Radio and tv stations. This comes as mcclatchy reports the Trump Administration is considering a plan that would not only impose work requirements for medicaid enrollees, but which would also put a lifetime limit on adults access to medicaid. Meanwhile, trumps budget would see a 13 rise in spending on weapons and war, bringing the pentagons budget to 686 billion. The Administration Says its plan would add 7. 1 trillion to u. S. Budget deficits over the next decade, though many economists say that number relies on rosy projections. The budget comes less than two months after trump signed into law one of the largest tax cuts in u. S. History one that overwhelmingly favors the wealthiest americans. On tuesday, senator Bernie Sanders question budget director Mick Mulvaney. Explained to me the morality of a process by which we give the third wealthiest family in reader, a major critique to the Republican Party i might add, over 1 billion year in tax breaks and yet we cut a program which keeps children and the elderly warm in the winter . Heres the morality of the proposal, senator. 11,000 dead people got that benefit the last time the gop look at it. That is not moral. To take your money come to take my money, to take money 11,000 people got it that should have, so correct that. At 7 Million People get the program. To say that 11,000 out of 7 million deal with that. Am to talk more about the budget, we go to capitol hill to speak to Pramila Jayapal, the Democratic Congress member representing washingtons seventh district. She is vice Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee and formerly served in the Washington State senate. In 2001, she founded hate free zone, now called one america Washington States largest immigrant rights organizations. Welcome back to democracy now can you respond to president theps budget . I call it three strikes you are out budget. For working people and the poor and the elderly and the sick and the disabled because strike one 1. 3o actually transfer trillion from the wealthiest. Theyre finally sank in this budget that those gop tax cuts dont pay for themselves, because of rejecting these anonymous deficits as a result of the tax cuts. Strike two is that they are essentially going to balloon the deficit, and as you said, seven trillion this year and next year. And strike three is cutting every program that allows people to live with any shred of dignity, any shred of hope, any shred of opportunity. And just as an example, lets look at snap. The supplemental nutrition assistance program. They are proposing a 213 billion cut to snap. Theyre proposing that people have to work in order to get these benefits. Remember him a three quarters of all of the snappers abuse are the elderly, disabled, and families which open. The average per person, per meal benefit the people get on snap is a dollar . 40. Iss budget to me is a budget supposed to be a statement of moral principle. This is the statement of a moral principles because it literally is saying to people that if you are poor am your worthless. If youre elderly, youre worthless. If you cannot afford housing because minimum wage has not kept up with inflation over the years, so you may be working two or three jobs, minimum wage jobs, but you still cannot put food on the table or a roof over your head, then somehow you dont get to have the assistance of the government to climb out of it. It is a cruel budget. And while it is true that this budget is not going to pass this year because it already contradicts so dramatically the agreement that was made last week in the senate and the house, the reality is, the Trump Administration is trying to put forward a proposal that, oh, deficits are ballooned so much that now we have to cut medicaid, medicare, social security. These are programs that three quarters of americans rely on. So ultimately, this is saying to the wealthiest 1 and the biggest corporations, it is a love letter on valentines day to those millionaires, billionaires, and wealthiest corporations. Those are the only people going to benefit from this budget. Amy lets go through a few more things. For example, the cutting of food dams stamps instead to give boxes of food to people. The supporters are sing it is like the blue apron approach. I can you talk about what this means . , what it means is essentially, number one, privatizing that whole program. Number two, it means essentially saying to people, you dont even get to choose what you want to eat. You have to eat what comes to you in this box. Let me tell you, there is very little guarantee that these boxes are going to provide more nutritional value. Theyre going to be based on a private companies that support those kinds of boxed programs. Mick mulvaney wanted to cut meals on wheels. Later he said his last budget did not cut it. That is a program where food is delivered to seniors because and the disabled, because theyre unable to go get the food. That is very different than they to get the families across the country, were going to determine what you eat. Not to mention the amount of infrastructure that they would have to put in place in order to deliver these boxes to people is enormous. So what they do in the budget is they actually cut the amount that is used for the program and they put it into administration of creating the infrastructure. So it is an even deeper cuts. So if you look at education, you mention it in your excellent leader for this, they say it is a 10 cut to the education budget. But if you look at how much does twoink 1. 5 million in choice programs, essentially privatization of public education, it is an even bigger cut to education and then you combine what that the public loan forgiveness. I think this is really taking away opportunity from everyone. Theres one other thing i want to quickly touch on, which is to bing ofs is a giant thum the nose to the very people that voted for trump in many rural districts, hoping he was going to somehow give them opportunity. He eliminates rural wasteter money for rural counties. He limits the economic association, which put areas of dollars into caolbase committees to try to transition them out. He thumbs his nose at the idea of Climate Change all over again and global warming, and he literally cuts all of the programs that are related to research and science. The epa alone has a 30 cut to its budget because trump and Mick Mulvaney are in the pockets of also fuel companies who are giving them fossil fuel companies are giving the millions of dollars in contributions in order to stop the transition from a fossil fuel based economy to a Renewable Energy economy. Amy i want to go back to senator Bernie Sanders comments on trumps budget proposal. I think what the american there oneerstand is vote, their one Voice Matters relatively little in a congress which is dominated by big money, wealthy Campaign Country bidders. The Koch Brothers are going to spend some 400 million in the coming campaign. You know what . This budget is the budget of the Koch Brothers. It is the budget of the billionaire class. And the American People understand it. This is a budget which will make it harder for our children to get a decent education. Harder for working families to get the health care they desperately need. Harder to protect the air that we breathe and the water we drink. And harder for the elderly to live out their retirement years with dignity and respect. , as is not a budget candidate donald trump talked about, that takes on the political establishment. This is a budget of the political establishment. This is the robin hood principle in reverse. It is a budget that takes from the poor and gives to the very wealthy. Amy Pramila Jayapal, your response . I completely agree with them. Donald Trump Campaign as a populist. He is governing as a plutocrat. That is what this budget is. As i said earlier, it is a love letter on valentines day to millionaires and billionaires. You know what offends me so much is, what does it say about working people, some of whom gave trump their support because goinghought he was to help them for food on the table or retire with dignity or give their kids more opportunity . It says, sorry, we dont care about you. It is actually assigning judgment and blame to people who may be struggling. Just going back to snap, this is a program where on average, participants are in a program for seven to nine months. And theyre getting, as i said, 0 per meal per person. This is not a situation that people try to be in in order to police the government. And all of this is literally to support the tax cuts for the richest corporations. Even if you look at his transportation infrastructure proposal, which he claimed is 1. 5ng to be this huge proposal. He is getting almost the same amount of about 187 billion, that he is taking out of Infrastructure Projects. So this is about privatizing our roads and only building where people are going to make money off of roads. It means if you have an Infrastructure Project in some community where there is no profit to be made from it, it is not going to get built. If you build those roads in certain communities where there is a prophet to be made, were literally starting a system where people will only be able to drive on roads if they have money. It is incredibly distressing to see. ,my can you say more congressman, about what he is proposing in the budget around people and Public Housing having jobs . Yes. He is proposing billions of dollars of cuts, first of all, to the department of housing. So it is a 50 cut to hud. Iftop of that, he is saying you are and Public Housing and youre not working, that you would not be eligible for those benefits. He is taking away billions of dollars from section eight vouchers this is a time when now too many people are paying 60 of their income in housing. He is taking away, as Bernie Sanders said, the ability for people to have any kind of shelter and heat. Various programs that allow people to have Housing First of all, but then also allow them to take on their utility bills, things like that. So this is, you know, every major city across the country but also some minor cities across the country are experiencing tremendous housing shortfalls. This budget is going to ensure there are more people homeless, that there are more people without adequate even temporary shelter, and more people without surviveities taxes hard, cold winters list of amy finally, Pramila Jayapal, in addition to being a cumbersome number, you are a longtime immigrants leader. Talk about what is happening in congress right now. The senate supposedly opening debate on daca, what were the body is doing, the house of representatives . The senate is supposed to be opening debate, that as you see, very little is happening because trump is saying that he wants four pillars and he is not going to sign anything without four pillars. There are numerous bipartisan deals on immigration that even give a significant amount on assessing the border of determining whether or not money is needed and how it is needed in exchange for 1. 8 million dreamers getting a path to citizenship. Endump has said he wants to Legal Immigration as we know it, wants to get rid of the diversity visas, and you al qaeda things that are fundamentally changing the family based immigration system and Legal Immigration. He was to be magnanimous, but he 1. 8 millionade germans for any the ability for 22 Million Immigrants to come to the United States as parents, as adult children, closest family members. So i think the senate is grappling with whether to make it a large proposal or a narrow proposal. I think the only way it passes is if it is very, very narrow. Paul ryan has said that trump he is not going to bring a bill to the floor unless trump is going to sign it. Which means he is not really interested in making a deal on. Gov. And ultimately, we have to remember it is trump who rescinded daca and created this crisis. If youre not able if we are million to help the 1. 8 dreamers who would be eligible for deportation, maybe deported. About theng furious way this administration has handled daca and the unwillingness of paul ryan to bring a bipartisan bill that would, i think, already has 30 sponsors on each side and would actually be able to pass if they would just give us a vote on that bill in the house will step amy finally, it is day eight of the porter scandal of the staff secretary, very highroller in the white house. Very close to trump with cnn reporting he was going to be elevated to deputy chief of staff. This is all until not information came to the white house about him beating up his two wives, one we now have a picture, but only because the picture came out showing the black eye of one of his wives. You have this question of what the white house new, when they knew it, including President Trump himself not to mention general kelly, his chief of staff and his speech writer quitting over sorensen come over allegations he ran over his wifes foot . And you have the women themselves who have accused President Trump of sexually harassing more assaulting them, saying they Want Congress to investigate the president himself. Your thoughts . I have called for general kelly to step down. I think it is outrageous that a chief of staff would allow an alleged abuser with hard evidence, not just from random sources, but from the fbi, to actually state that he proposed that he would be promoted, that he would be given the highest message with access to classified information without permanent secure declare its . Was not just about the women who were abused or the men that abused them. It was also about the coverup of all of those involved, the men and the institution that covered it up and refused to believe the women that step forward. That is exactly what john kelly has done. It is not unexpected from trump, who has these accusations of Sexual Assault against him. We recently found out he paid well, now theyre not saying it was through his campaign funds. But this is a man who consistently has shown disrespect for women. He supported a pedophile in alabama. He continues to show tremendous disrespect. John kelly, and this particular case, allowed this to happen. We have sent a letter to kelly, my colleagues ted lieu and jamie raskin a night, sent a letter to john kelly saying, what did you know when and why did you keep rob porter . Why did you encourage him to stay . And why have you allowed this kind of disrespect to women to continue . I think john kelly needs to go. Amy and a president , do you think you should be impeached . I signed the impeachment articles that my colleague steve from tennessee drafted. I voted twice on the floors to begin the discussion on impeachment because i really believe that this president continues to be in violation of the constitution. He now has the properties, by the way, that he is trying to , even as he llcs said he is not going to be involved in business anymore. This president is making enormous money on the backs of americans across the country. He is using the oval office for that. He is bringing tremendous disrespect. He quite White Supremacists with those who are fighting white supremacy. I think it is to go. Amy Pramila Jayapal, thank you for being with us, Democratic Congresswoman representing washingtons seventh district. By striking member of the House Budget Committee and formerly served in the Washington State senate. When we come back, it is 20 years since vday began. Stay with us. [music break] amy as the white house is facing escalating scandal over how it ignore the serious accusations over former staff secretary rob porters verbal and physical abuse against is to exwives, allegations were he punched one of them in the face, weve seen photos of her. We ended today show looking at a Worldwide Movement called vday to stop violence against women and girls. Today marks the 20 anniversary of the move it inspired by eve enslers groundbreaking play the vagina monologues. For more, were joined by three guests, Christine Schuler deschryver, director of vday congo and cofounder and director of the city of joy. Rada boric is a vday and one billion rising global coordinator from croatia. And Agnes Pareyio is the kenya director for vday. We welcome you all to democracy now christine, i saw you last night. Eve ensler has a new play out. You spoke afterwards. Talk about the significance of this day. All, like you of said, it is the 20th anniversary. Andre very happy to be here also to show the world what vday has accomplished the last 20 years and how amazing that movement is. Also, one billion rising. Come fromboric, you croatia. Talk about what youre dealing with their and when you hear a report and what is happening in the white house and President Trump himself accused of Sexual Assault and harassment . I think, unfortunately, what is going on here is just mirroring everywhere in mainstream politics. And of course, the men, highranking men including presidts are Prime Ministers in europe try to hide the violence against women committed by their own staff. I think it is absolutely unacceptable. Especially when we talk about 20 years later of vday and what we have accomplished in the movements, that this synergy of women from different womens groups and different movements that started in the 1970s, but now we have vday, i think what we should be probably the most biggest ever Global Movement. It would be this year and it was in last year and over 200 countries from kosovo to germany or bangladesh to the philippines. Workers, domestic workers, women who have been violated, women from womens workers unions, they all are coming together with the same notion that it is really enough violence. Amy Agnes Pareyio, in kenya, you thought of the first vday safe house for girls. Explain what is there. It is meant cap girls running away from early marriages. I come from the community where they still [indiscernible] the girls say no to genital relation. To generals say no mutilation. The girls run to us. Mr. Have a process where we where we reconcile them with their parents and they are accepted back in their homes. Amy and part two of our discussion, we will go more deeply into what this means and how can be a model around the world. But i wanted to ask christine about we have been talking for years now, as you have come to this country for the last 10 years, as part of the vday movement. In this last her with the election of trump, what is the awareness of President Trump in the democratic republic of congo and the message it sends . First of all, i think donald trump is a president of the United States and he is a guy who doesnt love black people and has no respect. Because if you have no respect for women, how can you respect black people . Is in ank it foreign character, or i dont know how to call him because of no respect for him at all. We are a movement. Vday is a movement to fight violence against women. When we see somebody like him who has the respect at all for human beings and for women, i mean, it Means Nothing for us. Amy are you hopeful . And we have no expectations from the u. S. That is why i believe in movements. I think we have to be the change we want to be in drc. Amy we will leave this part of the conversation on movement that will talk about this movement in part two, which we will post online at democracynow. Org. That does it for our broadcast. Democracy now is looking for feedback from people who appreciate the close reyes former fighters from colombiasrmed conflt return to civilian life, but transitioning back into society could take years. Im elaine reyes in washington, d. C. , and this is americas now. First up, as 50 years of fighting end in colombia, farc rebels are trying to resume a normal life, but while they may be ling down tir arms, myme a are not giving up the fight