GEOFF BENNETT: And for perspective on how# many elected Democrats are weighing these## developments, I spoke earlier with# Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut.

Senator Chris Murphy, welcome to the "News Hour."

SEN.

CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT):# Yes, thanks for having me.

GEOFF BENNETT: I want to start with today's# global threats h.. director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard,# say that the intelligence community has identified## no foreign threat to the upcoming congressional# elections, which would be a first since 2016.

And she also described Iran's regime as# intact, but largely degraded.

How should## Americans interpret all of that?

Are key# threats actually diminishing, in your view,## or is the intelligence community# changing how they're presenting them?

SEN.

CHRIS MURPHY: I wasn't in that hearing today,# so I didn't get to listen to her full testimony.

But, of course, there are foreign actors that# are still trying to meddle in and manipulate## American politics.

The Russians have never# stood down their efforts to try to pit us## against each other, to try to undermine our# democracy.

The Chinese continue as well.

So it is patently ridiculous and# really dangerous, heartbreaking,## even, to hear the person who's in charge# of interpreting our intelligence say that## there are no countries that are trying to# manipulate or interfere in our elections.

The Iranian regime is intact.

They are# still able to launch attacks in the region.## They are likely planning attacks# against the United States.

And we## are frankly more at risk of harm from Iran# today than we were before the war began.

GEOFF BENNETT: Let me ask you about# that, because you and other Democrats## have pushed for a war powers vote, since# Congress hasn't authorized this conflict.

At the same time, the U.S.

is expanding its# presence.

The scope of the war appears to## be widening.

There is this fundamental mismatch,# where Congress is trying to assert its authority,## some members of Congress, at least, and the# events on the ground have already moved ahead.

SEN.

CHRIS MURPHY: Well, Congress is not# asserting its authority, because Congress is## run by Republicans, and, right now, Republicans# view themselves as employees of Donald Trump.

Not a single open hearing on a war that is# lighting the world on fire.

We have a new war## breaking out right now between Israel and Lebanon# that is a consequence of Trump's invasion of Iran,## where 1,000 have already died.

And we have# prices going up for everybody here at home,## gas prices that are already becoming# unaffordable, food prices to follow.

We want Republicans to go on record# over and over and over again.

I think## at some point they will have to start# voting against this war because it is## becoming more and more unpopular as# it's becoming more and more illegal.

GEOFF BENNETT: After the classified briefings# that you and your Senate colleagues received,## you emerged from that briefing and# said the administration's approach## is incoherent.

What specifically was missing?

SEN.

CHRIS MURPHY: So I had another# two-hour briefing this morning again,## another one behind closed doors.

The intent# here is to give the public no information.

But what we know for certain is that the# administration has no plan on how to end this war.## They have basically said that they are not going# to try to change the regime.

So you are going to## be stuck with an Iranian leadership that is worse,# more anti-American than the prior leadership was.

They have also said this war will have# an end, which means, though we will do## some damage to their missile capacity and their# drone capacity, the minute that we stop bombing,## they will rebuild all that capacity.

And that# won't take them years.

It'll take them months.

GEOFF BENNETT: Have they presented# any evidence that you can tell us## about that would suggest that Iran posed# an imminent threat before the war started?

SEN.

CHRIS MURPHY: The closest they come is# this idea that, if Israel had attacked Iran,## maybe Iran would have attacked the United# States and so we're better off attacking first.

But they still attacked the United States.

So# we didn't limit the exposure to us.

We just## participated with the Israelis in the initial# attack that created the risk for America and## our allies.

But, no, they don't even try to# present evidence that there was some independent,## imminent threat against the United States.

There# wasn't, and they can't even pretend there is.

GEOFF BENNETT: In the time that remains,# I want to ask you about a potential way## out of this partial government shutdown.# We're now five weeks into it.

The most## visible strain is at the nation's# airports, longer security lines,## callouts from TSA workers who've not# been paid in longer than a month now.

Yesterday, the White House offered this.

They said# that they would expand the use of body cameras for## federal immigration agents, limit enforcement in# sensitive locations like hospitals and schools,## additional oversight of DHS detention facilities,# visible officer identification, and that they## would follow existing law prohibiting the# deportation or detention of U.S.

citizens.

From your vantage point as a ranking# member on Homeland Security Appropriations,## is any of this -- is this a meaningful# starting point or is this largely cosmetic?

SEN.

CHRIS MURPHY: I mean, it's not# even really cosmetic.

If you actually## sort of read the proposal that they sent us, they# basically said we will just observe existing law.

And you can't trust what they have said# because they are violating laws every## single day.

A federal judge named 94# different court orders that they are## currently in violation of.

Here's the quickest# way to solve the problem.

Let's just open TSA## back up.

Let's just open FEMA back up.# Let's just open the Coast Guard back up.

Almost every day during the last# week, Democrats have gone to the## Senate floor and offered a motion to# open up TSA, the Coast Guard and FEMA,## and isolate our difference.

We have a# major difference on how the administration## is breaking the law in the way that they# implement and enforce our immigration laws.

Let's not hold TSA hostage.

Let's not hold# the Coast Guard hostage.

Republicans refuse## to open up TSA and the Coast Guard,# because they want to use the closure## of those agencies as leverage to try to# get us to condone Trump's lawlessness.

GEOFF BENNETT: On that point, what specifically# is still missing for you to support a deal?

SEN.

CHRIS MURPHY: Well, we have put# on the table some pretty reasonable## priorities that are, frankly,# what the American public wants.

We want to end the masks and require# identification.

We want to end these## roving patrols where officers are just# going around asking people to show their## papers.

And then we need accountability# for these murders and these beatings.## They can't be just swept under the rug# with an internal DHS investigation.

Like always happens, states and independent# law enforcement prosecutors have to be able## to investigate.

We have seen no offer# from the administration that they're## going to stop the roving patrols, that# they're going to get rid of these masks,## and that they're going to allow# for independent investigations.

If they just do those three things,## I think that there will likely be# the Democratic votes to open up ICE.

GEOFF BENNETT: Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of# Connecticut, thanks for your time this evening.

SEN.

CHRIS MURPHY: Thank you.