In wake of Harvey recovery, Sen. Bernie Sanders says "we are one nation"
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders says in the wake of Hurricane Harvey's devastating impacts, the country now needs to stand together to help others during their time of need.
"If there's any silver lining in the terrible suffering that's going on in Houston, is to remember that we are all one country, and I am sure whether you're white or black or Latino, people are coming together to help each other all over the country," Sanders said on "CBS This Morning" on Tuesday. He added, "We are one nation and we have got to stop the type of divisions that Trump and others are bringing about trying to divide us up."
Sanders, who spoke to CBS News about his latest book "Bernie Sanders Guide to Political Revolution," said he shared the concerns of Texas officials during Harvey, having seen the damage wrought by Hurricane Irene in his home state of Vermont, after the state sustained $730 million dollars in damage.
"We went through that in 2011, I think people don't appreciate unless you're there talking to the folks who are impacted, what it means to lose home you've lived in your whole life that was there the day before."
Sanders recalled that he had to fight "very hard" for federal funding, and also remembered Texas Senators Ted Cruz's and John Cornyn's "no" votes opposing some $60 billion in federal programs for Hurricane Sandy disaster relief.
"In fact, both of them voted against Hurricane Sandy, and we have got to end that stuff," said Sanders. "The lesson to be learned is when people in any part of the country are in trouble, we stand together."
While Cruz claimed that the Sandy bill contained funding for projects unrelated to Sandy, which Sanders denounced as "not true." He said that bill was "sincere and honest."
"We don't want pork but when you're talking about bridges and roads and homes and people suffering, we've got to stand together," added Sanders.
Sanders did say he wants to see a bill first before committing to support such legislation, but he said he's "sympathetic" to a disaster relief measure.
Sanders noted that relief efforts have to be taken care of "efficiently and rapidly," and those efforts are in the hands of the officials in Houston.
Meanwhile, President Trump is now en route to the hurricane-ravaged state, a visit Sanders criticized as "probably" too soon. Sanders says the focus needs to now be on "doing everything we can to address the pain taking place."
He added, "Generally speaking, the task right now is for the officials to do everything they can to protect the people of Houston."