GETTING THE JOB DONE IN A BIG
BOLD WAY IS THE NUMBER ONE
PRIORITY
PRIORITY.
>> CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS HAVE
A PLAN TO GET COVID RELIEF TO
AMERICANS VOWING TO PASS IT
QUICKLY AND BY ANY MEANS
NECESSARY.
NOW TEN MODERATE REPUBLICANS
WANT A SEAT AT THE TABLE
REQUESTING A MEETING WITH THE
PRESIDENT TO PITCH A SLIM DOWN
RELIEF PROPOSAL. THE PRESIDENT IS OPEN TO WAYS TO
THE PRESIDENT IS OPEN TO WAYS TO
MAKE THE PACKAGE BETTER.
WALK US THROUGH WHAT THESE
REPUBLICAN SENATORS ARE
PROPOSING.
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT THAN THE
PLAN THAT DEMOCRATS HAVE ALREADY
PROPOSED?
>> THE REPUBLICAN PLAN IS STILL
COMING TOGETHER BUT FROM WHAT WE
KNOW IT’S ABOUT A FOURTH, MAYBE
A THIRD THE SIZE OF PRESIDENT
BIDEN’S 1.9 TRILLION PLAN. THE CENTER IS FOR VACCINE
THE CENTER IS FOR VACCINE
DISTRIBUTION.
BEYOND THAT THEY ARE SAYING
LET’S GIVE SOME MORE MONEY TO
HELP SCHOOLS ROPE AND PROVIDE $4
BILLION FOR HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE
ABUSE PROGRAMS.
IT DOES NOT INCLUDE SEVERAL
THINGS THAT ARE HIGH PRIORITY
FOR DEMOCRATS INCLUDING RELIEF
ON STUDENT LOAN PAYMENTS AND
STATE AND LOCAL AID FOR WHICH
THEY HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR
MONTHS.
DOES HE WANT TO DO
BIPARTISANSHIP AND UNITY AND
SUBSTANTIALLY SHIMLIM DOWN HIS
PLAN.
>> YOUR THOUGHTS OF WHERE
DEMOCRATS ARE.
>> THE BIDEN/HARRIS
ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN TALKING
ABOUT UNITY AS THEY HAVE COME
INTO OFFICE BUT THEY HAVE ALSO
BEEN STRESSING AND EMPHASIZING
EQUITY.
A LOT OF THE PEOPLE PART OF THE
COALITION GOT THEM ELECTED VOTED
FOR THEM TO ADDRESS NOT IN
INCREMENTAL WAY BUT A HUGE WAY.
THE FOLKS THAT ARE BEING
CONFIRMED AND IN THE
ADMINISTRATION ARE TOUTING THE
$1.9 TRILLION PACKAGE AS ONE
THAT WOULD BENEFIT WOMEN AND
PEOPLE OF COLOR.
SOMETHING WE HAVE REPORTED OVER
AT 19th NEWS.ORG THAT WOULD
ADDRESS ISSUES FROM CHILD CARE
TO FOOD INSECURITY TO RENTAL
ASSISTANCE.
THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT REALLY
ARE EXPOSED DURING THIS PANDEMIC
BUT PRESENT LONG BEFORE THE
PANDEMIC HAPPENED FOR WOMEN AND
FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR.
I THINK THOSE CONSTITUENCIES IN
PARTICULAR ARE LOOKING FOR REAL
RELIEF THAT ADDRESSES THE
DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT THIS
IMPACT HAS HAD ON THEM.
>> ON THURSDAY, VICE PRESIDENT
LARS DID
HARRIS DID INTERVIEWS WITH LOCAL
NEWS STATIONS TO TALK ABOUT THE
RELIEF PLAN THAT DID NOT SIT SO
WELL, IT SEEMS WITH SENATOR JOE
MANCHIN PUSHING FOR THE WHITE
HOUSE TO CUT A DEAL WITH
REPUBLICANS LIKE THE ONE WE’RE
HEARING ABOUT NOW.
I WANT YOU TO TAKE A LISTEN TO
MANCHIN SAID ABOUT THAT
INTERVIEW.
>> I SAW IT.
I COULDN’T BELIEVE IT.
NO ONE CALLED ME.
WE’RE GOING TO TRY TO FIND A
BIPARTISAN PATHWAY FORWARD.
I THINK WE NEED TO.
WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER.
THAT’S NOT WAY OF WORKING
TOGETHER WHAT WAS DONE.
IF A PERSON IS MAKING 250 OR
$300,000, I DON’T THINK THEY ARE
IN MUCH AS NEED AS A PERSON
MAKING 40 OR 50.
>> CAN YOU GIVE US A SENSE, YOUR
SENSE OF THE ADMINISTRATION’S
CALCULUS IN DEPLOYING VICE
PRESIDENT HARRIS AND THEN THE
RESPONSE THAT THEY GOT THERE
FROM MANCHIN.
>> THE ADMINISTRATION’S THINKING
SEEM TO BE SHE WAS GOING TO DO
SOME LOCAL INTERVIEWS IN KEY
STATES AND TRY TO DRAW UP
SUPPORT.
MAKE IT EASIER FOR THOSE
SENATORS TO SUPPORT THE BILL.
IN THE CASE OF JOE MANCHIN IT
BACKFIRED.
MANCHIN DOES NOT LIKE BEING
PRESSURED FROM THE LEFT.
IT DOESN’T MOVE HIM AND
DEMOCRATS WILL HAVE THIS
STRUGGLE THROUGHOUT.
HE’S REPRESENTING WEST VIRGINIA
WHICH IS LITERALLY THE TRUMPIST
STATE IN THE COUNTRY.
IT’S A MIRACLE THAT HE HAS THAT
SEAT.
HE WON HIS LAST PRIMARY BY ABOUT
40 POINTS.
HE’S THE 50th VOTE TO GET MUCH
OF ANYTHING DONE.
HE’S MUCH MORE CONDUCIVE TO
POSITIVE REENFORCEMENT THAN
NEGATIVE REENFORCEMENT.
BEING CONVINCED PLAN IS GOOD FOR
WEST VIRGINIA AND OUTSIDE GROUPS
MAYBE RUN ADS AND TALK ABOUT HOW
HE IS TRYING TO WORK TOGETHER,
DO SOME BIPARTISAN THINGS AND
DELIVER FOR THE STATE, THAT’S
THE KIND OF THING HE RESPONDS
TO.
THIS INTERVIEW BY VICE PRESIDENT
HARRIS DID APPEAR TO BACKFIRE.
SHE HAS EVERY RIGHT TO DO IT AND
DOESN’T NEED ANYONE’S PERMISSION
TO GO TO WEST VIRGINIA.
THE QUESTION IS HOW TO WIN JOE
MANCHIN.
THIS DOESN’T STEAM BE THE WAY TO
DO THAT.
>> LISTEN TO BERNIE SANDERS
ARGUMENT ABOUT WHY DEMOCRATS GO
THIS ALONE AND NOT INCLUDE
REPUBLICANS IN THIS RELIEF
LEGISLATION.
>> WHEN WE TALK ABOUT UNITY AND
BIPARTISAN, REMEMBER, THAT WHEN
THE REPUBLICANS HAD CONTROL,
THEY PUSHED THROUGH A 1.9 OR
ALMOST $2 TRILLION PROGRAM WHICH
CONSISTED OF TAX BREAKS FOR THE
WEALTHIEST PEOPLE IN THIS
COUNTRY AND THE LARGEST
CORPORATIONS.
THEY DIDN’T REACH OUT.
SECOND OF ALL, THEY CAME WITHIN
ONE VOTE OF REPEALING THE
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT AND THROWING
OVER 30 MILLION AMERICANS OFF OF
THE HEALTH CARE THEY HAVE.
>> THIS IS HALF OF THE
RATIONALE.
LOOK AT WHAT REPUBLICANS DID.
WHY SHOULD WE DALLAS/FT. WORTH
EARLIER.
I WOPDSERNDER WHAT YOUR CENTURY
HOW MANY DEMOCRATS ARE WITH
SANDERS, THAT APPROACH THEY WILL
NEED TO GO THIS ALONE AND THOSE
WHO ARE SAYING WE NEED TO DO
THIS WITH REPUBLICANS. WHAT IS MOTIVATING THAT
WHAT IS MOTIVATING THAT
RATIONALE?
THOSE LINGERING FEELINGS ABOUT
WHAT HAPPENED WHEN REPUBLICANS
WERE IN CHARGE AS JOE BIDEN,
PRESIDENT BIDEN IS KNOWN AS
SOMETHING WHO IS A COMPROMISING
WHO WANTS TO TRY TO WORK ACROSS
THE AISLE TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
THIS WOULD BE REALLY HIS FIRST
REAL EFFORT AT DOING THAT.
KIND OF BALANCING WANTING TO
GIVE HIM A CHANCE TO WORK WITH
THESE REPUBLICANS BUT AT THE
SAME TIME THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO
HAVE BEEN SENATORS OPERATING IN
A SENSE THAT’S BEEN VERY DIVIDED
OR VERY PARTISAN.
TA
THEY ARE OPERATING IN A MUCH
DIFFERENT CLIMATE.
>> IN THAT SAME INTERVIEW, YOU
HAND
HAD SANDERS SAYING HE THOUGHT
THERE WERE THINGS THEY COULD
WORK TOGETHER ON.
DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT
THOSE THINGS ARE?
>> VACCINE MONEY IS THE MAIN
THING.
MONEY TO HELP SCHOOLS REOPEN IS
THE OTHER THING I’VE HEARD FROM.
BEYOND VACCINE MONEY AND MONEY
FOR COOL, I DON’T SEE ANYTHING THAT CAN GET REPUBLICANS BUY IN
THAT CAN GET REPUBLICANS BUY IN
TO THE LEVEL OF LEADERSHIP.
DEMOCRATS ARE LOOKING AT THE
LESSONS OF THE OBAMA ERA.
MANY OF THEM FEEL BURNED BY 2009
AND 2010 WHEN THEY AGGRESS IFRIV
PURSUED BIPARTISAN WITH
REPUBLICANS AT THE COST OF GOING
BIG AND BOLD AND PAIRING DOWN
THEIR PROPOSALS FOR THE SAKE OF
TRYING TO WIN BROAD BIPARTISAN
SUPPORT AND THEY WERE HAMMERED
FOR IT IN THE ELECTION.
IT DIDN’T WORK.
THERE WAS A MASSIVE CRISIS GOING
ON.
MANY BELIEVED THAT CONGRESS WAS
TOO TIMID IN THE WAY IT