To lift people to safety. In beaumont, authorities confirm a woman was killed, her young daughter rescued. Six family members were killed in greens bayou after their van was swept away by floodwaters. The death toll now stands at 21. Greg abbott activated 14,000 Texas National guard troops said the worst is not yet over. We are up to our highest level of Texas National guard members who are deployed to help deal with these challenges. There are more than 32,000 people currently in shelters in the state. Importantly, we have approximately 30,000 beds that are available for sheltering as needed. In houston, the rain has stopped but flooding persists with evacuations ongoing. That citys mayor has already blasted the federal response. Im hoping that people at the federal level, at the very top, will understand that this was catastrophic and they will be responsive and not put us on you do the cleanup and send us your bills later on. That would be totally unacceptable. We need a whole lot of fema representatives on the ground now. It all comes as President Trump tries to answer critics who say he didnt do enough to talk about the victims of the flood yesterday. Well get to more on that in a minute. But for more on the ground, we have micheal on the ground, youre east of houston, so much attention on houston in the last few days that storm has moved to where you are. Set the scene for us. Were close to beaumont were as close as can you get before water divides this city. It is literally an island tonight we were with the navy who was carrying coast guard members who were getting ready to launch near texas a m. When they got the call to come to beaumont because there were so many people in distress. In our time in the air we could see so many people that needed rescue. One by one the army and navy hoisted about 300 people to safety suddenly here as the floodwaters began to rise in beaumont they were able to air lieft all of those people back to this area, to orange texas they came to a convention center, get checked in and get helped and get their lives sorted together. We were with them in that helicopter as one by one, children as young as 7 years old, and their parents were pulled to safety. They were very terrified and relieved. They were at their homes, went to bed overnight, there was no water in front of their homes by the time they woke up they said it was at their feet near their bed. It was a terrifying situation for so many people hauled out of that area today. The terrified faces as we were with the them in the air. They were hauled up on the emergency baskets as the winds ripped around, the rain blew side ways. Many of them lucky to be here and made it out of beaumont alive. The response to the storm is bringing out the best in the community p. Video emerging of neighbors forming a human change to help a pregnant woman in houston. Volunteers using their own boats to rescue victims. Tony wade harvey is one of those people. He joins me now by phone from sulfur, louisiana thank you for taking a few minutes. So you are manning this rescue operation in boats going to houses flooded in. We see so many of these scenes on our screens of rescues from these homes. Take us through that process. When youre coming to a flooded home, trying to rescue the occupants, what is the biggest chall e challenge for you to do that . The biggest challenge is logistical issues. There are so many hazards submerged cars that we couldnt see. And just lifting the people out of their homes into the boats is a physical struggle constantly. We talked so many this is from houston i dont think you can see it. Volunteers helping a pregnant woman. The assistance youve received, youre a volunteer squad. Talk about the work thats being done just members of the community, by volunteers, what are you seeing on the ground there in terms of Community Members helping Community Members. Its staggering and it gives you a lot of faith in humanity. People are leaving their own families to come out and help. Our support to the victims, all our support, weve been fed by multiple people over the day wes eve been out. Its heart warming to see people coming out to help their neighbors or Community Members who have lost everything and are in, basically, dispair. Whats that moment like when you get to one of these houses maybe theyre in the attic, on one of the top floors of the roof and youre able to rescue these stranded people from their homes. Whats that moment like . Thats their reaction like . What are they saying . A lot of times theyre not saying a lot. Its extremely emotional. Theyre stressed, theyre scared. Theyre confused. They dont know whats going to happen to them. And to see that, one of the persons we saved it was like heaven opened up and placed us in that spot. Its just very emotional. We rescued an asian family a few days ago that spoke very little english. But there was no need for words to be said. The facial expressions, hugs, kisses, it was all selfexplanatory. T its a wonderful feeling on both sides, relief for them and good for us that we were able to get them out of there alive and in good condition. You are getting a view of your community and that area you probably never thought you would see. Weve seen so many before and after shots in the media of highway that now look like a river or an ocean in some cases. As you move around the area, is part of you thinking ahead to the rebuilding project that comes after this . Were doing the rescue phase right now and tomorrow well move to another area the water has receded and well go with k 9 teams on a rescue operation. After thats clear we have to go in to helping the communities clean up, get rid of the debris and then well move in to help people rebuild the homes. Get them cleaned up, back home again. Toni wade youre doing heroes work. Thank you for taking time with us. Meanwhile, nbcs Kerry Sanders is joining us, hes on a rescue helicopter hes over beaumont, texas. Weve been talking about whats going on there. Kerry, what are you seeing . Were having some trouble hearing kerry there. Were going to see if we can set that connection up again. He is over beaumont, texas. If we can get that established well check in with him. Even as it continues, the politics, senator ted cruz offered his assessment of the local response. Were seeing houstonians come together, but every one of us gives thanks. This disaster could have had a much, much higher death toll. He said he and the states other senator, john cornyn, will lead the funding fight in texas but doubled down on his own vote for super storm sandy. It was a 50 billion bill, 70 wasnt emergency aid, only 30 of that bill was emergency aid. That comes after Chris Christie took a his own shot at cruise. Where do you get a number like two thirds . He made it up. Teds good at that. He made it up. He talks about playing politics, thats what he did in 2012, 2013. He should stand up now and say i was wrong. I was wrong in 2012, it was the wrong thing to do and now i hope that the people of new jersey and new york are willing to let by gones be by gones. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said the funding will far exceed the funding dollars provided after katrina. Sheila jackson is joining me, thank you for joining us, congresswoman. You have governor christie there in new jersey who went through with with sandy a few years ago. You have ted cruz, the reluck stance of some members of congress to go along with the sandy plan, is that going to factor at all in deciding how much money texas gets in the wake of this tragedy . I had like to look to the future and the future is this is a catastrophic incident no one has seen. I am sympathetic to every disstaser, wherever the American People are suffering we in the United States congress got to get our act together. And frankly, i think what i hear from those in washington, my colleagues have called me nonstop, i spoke to the speaker of the house, the democratic leadership and what they said is there will be no divide, no sunshine between them on what texas needs. And im going to take them at their word. Right now im writing a bill of aid for house that i hope to introduce for 152 billion. And frankly, it may go up even more. And i welcome the support of our two United States senators and their leadership and i look forward to the bipartisan leadership. Let me tell you, people are dieing, people are still needing to be rescued. As the mayor of beaumont said theyre underwater. People have been heroic, we lost a wonderful member of the Houston Police department. Who left his home and said, ive got to go to work. Tragically he lost his life. We lost that wonderful family in my constituent area. So i feel the pain of people who are still suffering. Let me say this, were probably losing 30 to 40,000 homes, hundreds of thousands of kars. These numbers are going to be astronomical. We have no time for anyone dividing on the funding for the state of texas. You mentioned the cars, the homes, do you have a sense, are you able at this point to get your head around what daytoday life in houston and the area is going to be like in the months first few years after this . Whats it going to be like a year from now as a result of this storm . Well, let me tell you, we have heard from those who have been through this, and as well, experts, fema representatives, that this may be years of recovery. Our local officials, mayor and county judge and others, years of recovery. What ive seen is already places its flooded before last year we had the tax day floods, memorial day floods back to back. One of the areas i represent, greens point. Those families have suffered more than double, triple time. But theyre taking their water logged carpet up again, maybe some of it is brand new. Theyre looking at lost appliances, lost clothing, school books lost, this is going to be a process that is going to be step by step. May i tell you last night when i was in the shelter, a lady came on a walker and she was walking up to the office of fema that we finally got set up, finally got it into the shelter. And she started walking up and she just broke down. She said, i dont know ive got a house, i dont know what to do. Now ive lost my phone. Shes thinking because she doesnt have a phone she cant sign up to get on her tracking number. She just needed a hug. And thank goodness i was there, the fema people were still open, it was 10 30 at night, they took that lady in. That lady needed a hug, a personal hug, but she needed the hug of the federal government to stay with her. Fema has to stand up, the federal funding has got to stand up. President trump has got to stand up. I hope we can put the border aside, closing the government aside, and look at this catastrophic emergency because these people need hugs. They really do. The storm still very much front and center as it recedes that will be the political question here, what constitutes the long term response to this. Congresswoman, thank you for the time. Can i thank the volunteers, please. It has been the world of diversity that has come out, people from all racial, ethnic, religious backgrounds have come out. Im so proud of houstonians and americans for all they have done. That is something everyone would share. We are going to try again now with Kerry Sanders, hes in a rescue helicopter, theyre circling beaumont, texas. Tell us what youre seeing there. Were in customs and Border Protection aircraft now. This is the air and operations unit. We went over beaumont and went to port arthur where we were able to pick up two victims. This victim is paralyzed. He told me because of his paralysis were it not for, as we heard the guests say, the warm hugs of the federal government coming to rescue him, he would be in the misery of the water down there. Theyve given him ekgs, theyre monitoring his health. How are you . What did you feel when you saw the hospitelicopter and the teae rescue you . I had no idea. I never would have made it out. Reporter its hard with the helicopter for me to hear him. You can probably hear him. We have another person over here that was rescued. This aircraft was air born all day. They started monday as soon as the weather cleared up. They were working in houston and then moved to katy, as they were heading to kay at this time today, everything started happening here in beaumont. Were with them as theyre getting ready to come in and were going to land, i think, perhaps near the hospital. Im not sure what city were in right now. But steve this is the dynamic operations of all the different aircraft that are airborne again. This is the folks from the cpd. But as we look at the aircraft in the area, there is the Texas Air National guard. You have the helicopters from the coast guard. There are sheriffs aircrafts that are not set up with the hoists and the litters to bring people up that are doing that terrible dance for a helicopter pilot to come down in an area thats not a traditional landing zone. Were touching down in a landing zone, if you look out the window you can see theres an ambulance waiting and the ambulance will immediately take this patient, whos going to be taken off the aircraft now, to a hospital. So, steve, this is going on just about every which way you look and its been like this all day. Nbcs Kerry Sanders again. That hospital has landed. Thank you for that. One day after his trip to storm ravaged beaumont, texas he heads to tax reform. Hes still dealing with some criticism over his trip to texas yesterday. And his pardon of Sheriff Joe Arpaio is on both sides. Chris christie said he wouldnt have done it and the top democrat said it could be an ominous sign of things to come in the russia investigation. Ax owe is calling trump the incredible shrinking president. Theres growing disappointment in his presidency, even according to a new focus group of his voters and the hardball round table will be here to tell me three things i dont know. This is hardball where the action is. Y business is differe. Y business is differe. But every one of those businesses will need legal help as they age and grow. Whether it be help starting your business, vendor contracts or employment agreements. Legalzooms network of attorneys can help you every step of the way so you can focus on what you do. Well handle the legal stuff that comes up along the way. Legalzoom. Legal help is here. Heri think i might burst. Totally immersed weekenders. Whatever kind of weekender you are, theres a hilton for you. Book your weekend break direct with hilton. Com and join the summer weekenders. I am totally blind. And non24 can throw my days and nights out of sync, keeping me from the things i love to do. Talk to your doctor, and call 8442142424. President trumps Budget Proposal would slash the budget of agencies that help with relief, like the one from hurricane harvey. It would cut funding to the department of housing which helps rebuilds home after disasters, and also the National Atmospheric administration. It would erode fundings put in place after the slowed response to Hurricane Katrina 12 years ago. This is a financial Transaction Secure from hacks and threats others cant see. This is a skyscraper whose elevators use iot data and ai to help thousands get to work safely and efficiently. This is not the cloud you know. This is the ibm cloud. The ibm cloud is the cloud for enterprise. Yours. The ibm cloud is the cloud for enterprise. With no artificial preservatives hot doin all of our meat. And no added nitrates or nitrites. In every. Single. One. So, fire up the grill before summers over, and finish summer strong with oscar mayer. When i walked through for a cigarette, thats when i knew i had to quit. For real this time. Thats why im using nicorette. Only nicorette gum has patented dualcoated technology for great taste, plus intense craving relief. Every great why needs a great how. Livestreat the airport. E sport binge dvrd shows while painting your toes. On demand laughs during long bubble baths. Tv on every screen is awesome. The Xfinity Stream app. All your tv at home. The most on demand your entire dvr. Top networks. And live sports on the go. Included with xfinity tv. Xfinity, the future of awesome. Welcome back to hardball as most of america continues to monitor the situation in texas, President Trump pivoted from commander in chief to salesman in chief. He waded back into waters making the hard sale for tax reform. His speech was why it should happen and not specifics of how it should happen. He called on congress to come together. So lets put, or at least try to put, the partisan postturing behind us and come together as americans to create the 21st century tax code that our people deserve. Minutes before he delivered that call to unity he took direct aim at missouris senator whos up for reelection in 2018. Look. We must, we have no choice, we must lower our taxes. And your senator, she must do this for you, and if she doesnt do it for you, you have to vote her out of office. The renewed president ial focus on tax reform comes one day after his visit to texas. For the latest im joined by a New York Times correspondent, glen thrush. So two different scenes yesterday, but in terms of the politics of what the president is looking for, asking for today. He wants congress to move on tax reform when they come back to town. How much of what is happening in texas in terms of congress having to respond to that, come up with money for that, how much of that is going to derail the ability of congress to akts on anything else, including tax reform. Weve covered, those of who would have been here too long covered a lot of these government shutdowns, we covered, since 2010, the Tea Party Movement on the hill. Every time you increase spending, fereach dollar of increased spending they ask for a dollar in cuts. Same thing for tax cuts. You have to offset with spending cuts. If you go for both of these things, a massive tax cut, plus a again Governor Abbott is referring to 100 billion plus Recovery Plan and you throw other stuff on to it as will happen in these bills youre throwing it out of whack. So you have Nick Mulvaneys budget which throes out block grants for hud. The t