>>> SAY IT’S REOPENING. WE’RE ALL TALKING ABOUT IT.
WE’RE ALL COVERING IT.
MORE PEOPLE WILL BE PUT AT RISK.
THAT IS AN INHERENT FACT.
BUT HOW IS IT HAPPENING?
LET’S DIG INTO IT.
THERE IS A NEW STUDY AP HAS
SHOWING THOUSANDS OF INFECTIONS
AS PEOPLE DO RETURN TO WORK, AND
IT INCLUDES SURGING IN MEAT
PACKING AND POULTRY PROCESSING
PLANTS, PLUS CONSTRUCTION
WORKERS.
WORKERS. TODAY IN THAT HEARING THAT GOT
SO MUCH ATTENTION THAT WE’VE
BEEN COVERING, THIS IS A
DIFFERENT ASPECT OF IT THAT WE
WANT TO GET INTO RIGHT NOW.
DR. FAUCI DISCUSS KWHAG HEING WH
CALLS A, QUOTE, MORAL IMPERATIVE
FOR WORKERS WHEN THEY’RE OUT
THEIR PUTTING THEIR LIVES AT
RISK.
RISK. >> I WOULD THINK WHEN YOU’RE
CALLING ON PEOPLE TO PERFORM
ESSENTIAL SERVICES YOU HAVE THE
HONUS TO MAKE SURE THEY’RE TAKEN
CARE OF AND PROTECTED.
THAT’S ME SPEAKING AS A
PHYSICIAN AND A HUMAN BEING.
>> I TELL YOU WHAT, WE COULD USE
PEOPLE SPEAKING AS PHYSICIANS,
AS EXPERTS, AND AS HUMAN BEINGS,
IF BY THAT WE MEAN WITH A LITTLE
BIT OF HEART AND MORAL CENTER,
BECAUSE WE’RE GOING THROUGH THIS
TOUGH, TOUGH TRANSITION AS A
NATION.
NATION. WHAT THE DOCTOR IS ASKING US TO
DO IS TO PAY ATTENTION TO HOW
THIS IS REALLY GOING DOWN, THAT
THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT GROUPS
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHO HAS TO GO
BACK OUT THERE, REOPEN THE
ECONOMY FOR THE REST OF US.
THERE IS A GROUP OF LOW INCOME
COMMUNITIES WHICH IS
DISPROPORTIONATELY MADE OF
RACIAL MINORITIES THAT ARE
SHOULDERING THE BURDEN OF THE
CRISIS, WHICH MEANS, YES, BEING
MORE LIKELY TO GET SICK, EVEN AS
YOU DO THE ESSENTIAL STUFF THAT
EVERYONE IS ASKING, AND THEN
YOU’RE MORE LIKELY TO ALSO LOSE
A JOB, AND YOU’RE ALSO TAKING
RISKS FOR THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU,
PEOPLE IN YOUR HOME OR
COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY. YOU CAN’T SOCIAL DISTANCING
INSIDE YOUR APARTMENT.
A NEW STUDY ALSO REVEALS THE
COUNTIES WHERE AFRICAN AMERICANS
ARE A DISPROPORTIONATE SHARE OF
THE POPULATION REFLECT OVER HALF
OF THE CORONAVIRUS CASES AND
NEARLY 60% OF ALL COVID DEATHS.
THIS IS SOMETHING WE’VE TOUCHED
ON BEFORE IN OUR BROADCAST, BUT
THE NEW STUDIES ADD CONTEXT,
REVEALING FACTORS LIKE
EMPLOYMENT STATUS AND ACCESS TO
QUALITY HEALTH CARE, NOT THE
BARE MINIMUM CAN BE PREDICTORS
OF WHETHER YOU GET SICK, HOW YOU
HANDLE IT, AND WHETHER YOU DIE
FROM RELATED HEALTH CONDITIONS.
THIS IS AS IMPORTANT AS IT GETS.
IT’S ABOUT HOW WE PROTECT EACH
OTHER WHEN WE NOW SEE EYES WIDE
OPEN WHAT THE RISKS ARE, AND HOW
DO WE DEAL WITH GETTING THE
FACTS AND THE INFORMATION OUT
THERE.
THERE. THAT’S PART OF WHAT WE DO IN THE
NEWS SO THAT EVERYONE AS A
NATION AND A DEMOCRACY CAN
DECIDE HOW WE DO THIS.
THESE ARE ISSUES OF WEALTH AND
ACCESS, AND THEY IMPLICATE
EVERYTHING ABOUT HOW WE
APPROACH, THIS INCLUDING THE
HOPEFUL ROAD AHEAD OF WHETHER
YOU CAN TREAT AND GET BETTER
TREATMENTS OR VACCINES.
NOW SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS WAS
PRESSING OFFICIALS ON SOME OF
THAT TODAY.
THAT TODAY. >> IF AND WHEN THE VACCINE
COMES, IT WON’T DO SOMEBODY ANY
GOOD IF THEY DON’T GET IT.
AND IF THEY HAVE TO PAY A SUM OF
MONEY FOR IT IN ORDER TO PROFIT
THE DRUG COMPANIES, THAT WILL
NOT BE HELPFUL.
ARE YOU GUARANTEEING THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE TODAY THAT THAT
VACCINE WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ALL
PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF THEIR
INCOME?
INCOME? >> SIR, THE PAYMENT OF VACCINES
IS NOT A RESPONSIBILITY OF THE
FDA, BUT I’M GLAD TO TAKE THIS
BACK TO THE TASK FORCE.
I SHARE YOUR CONCERN THAT THIS
NEEDS TO BE MADE AVAILABLE TO
EVERY AMERICAN.
EVERY AMERICAN. >> WE’RE JOINED BY HEATHER
McGHEE, A DISTINGUISHED SENIOR
FELLOW AT DMOS AND A MSNBC
POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR AND
SOMEONE I KNOW WHO HAS BEEN
WORKING AND LEADING ON THESE
ISSUES FOR MANY YEARS.
WELL WANTED TO SPEND SOME TIME
WITH YOU, LEARN FROM YOU WHAT IS
IT ABOUT THIS CRISIS, THIS
PANDEMIC THAT REVEALS AND
EXACERBATES THE UNLYING ECONOMIC
AND RACIAL DISPARITIES IN HEALTH
CARE AND THE ECONOMY.
WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT IT.
>> YOU KNOW, THIS VIRUS DOESN’T
ATTACK PEOPLE BASED ON RACE OR
CLASS OR GENDER, BUT AMERICAN
SOCIETY DOES.
SOCIETY DOES. AND WHAT WE ARE STARTING TO SEE
WITH SOBERING CLARITIES IS THAT
IF YOU HAVE THE UNDERLYING
CONDITION OF BEING A SUBJECT OF
RADICAL INEQUALITY, IF YOU ARE
AN IMMIGRANT, IF YOU ARE A
PERSON OF COLOR, IF YOU ARE
SOMEONE WHO IS WORKING IN A LOW
PAID JOB WHO IS DENIED HEALTH
INSURANCE AND SICK DAYS BY THEIR
EMPLOYER.
EMPLOYER. IF YOU’RE AN ESSENTIAL WORKER
WHOM CORPORATIONS ARE NOW SEEING
AS SACRIFICIAL WORKERS WITH THE
COMPLICITY AND SUPPORT OF
REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS AND IN
THE WHITE HOUSE, THEN YOU ARE ON
THE FRONT LINES OF A WAR THAT
NOBODY HAS SIGNED UP FOR.
THIS IS THE AMERICAN INEQUALITY
THAT MAKES US SICK BEING
REVEALED TO US ALL.
IT’S ALSO SHOWING RIGHT NOW THAT
AMERICAN WORKERS WHO ARE
DISPROPORTIONATELY BLACK,
DISPROPORTIONATELY BLACK, IMMIGRANTS AND WOMEN ARE THE
ONES WHO ARE KNITTING THIS
COUNTRY TOGETHER WITH OUR LABOR.
AND THE MOST IMPORTANT AND BASIC
THING THAT THEY DESERVE IS THE
ESSENTIAL WORKERS BILL OF
RIGHTS, WHICH IS A BILL THAT IS
IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE.
RO KHANNA AND ELIZABETH WARREN,
MOST OF IT WAS PUT INTO NANCY
PELOSI’S PROPOSAL TODAY THAT
JUST CAME OUT MERE HOURS AGO FOR
THE NEXT ROUND OF STIMULUS, BUT
IT’S BASIC THINGS.
IN THE EXACT OPPOSITE WAY THAN
THE REPUBLICANS ARE SAYING, IT’S
SAYING THAT THE ONUS IS ON
EMPLOYERS TO MAKE SURE THAT IF
THEY ARE DEMANDING PEOPLE COME
BACK TO WORK, THEY’RE GIVING
THEM PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, PAID
SICK DAY, HAZARD PAY, HEALTH
CARE, AND A RIGHT TO HAVE A
VOICE ON THE JOB.
BUT EVEN MORE SO, I THINK AT
THIS MOMENT WE ARE SEEING THAT
SO MANY OF THE FRONTLINE WORKERS
ARE ALSO PEOPLE WHO HAVE A
TARGET ON THEIR BACKS BECAUSE OF
RACIAL INEQUALITY IN THIS
COUNTRY AND BECAUSE OF RACISM.
YOU KNOW, BREANNA TAYLOR, WHO IS
SOMEONE EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW,
SHE WAS IN HER HOME IN
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY. SHE WAS A 26-YEAR-OLD ASPIRING
NURSE WHO WAS AN EMT, EXACTLY
WHO WE ARE DEPENDING ON RIGHT
NOW, AND POLICE CHARGED INTO HER
HOME, SHOT EIGHT ROUNDS INTO HER
WHILE SHE WAS SLEEPING AND AT
REST BECAUSE THEY WERE LOOKING
FOR SOME PERSON ON A DRUG CHARGE
WHO ACTUALLY TURNED OUT WAS
ALREADY IN CUSTODY.
IT’S HEARTBREAKING.
IT’S HEARTBREAKING. IT’S THE KIND OF LIFE THAT
AMERICANS -- YEAH.
>> AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
WE’RE ON A SLIGHT TAPE DELAY.
I’M JUMPING IN BECAUSE THERE IS
ONE THING I DO WANT TO INCLUDE,
HEATHER.
HEATHER. SO OFTEN WE’RE HITTING WHAT
NEEDS TO CHANGE AND THE NEWS
HITS THE NEGATIVE.
I DID WANT TO NOTE IN THE SENATE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE THAT REBECCA
DIXON, WHO RUNS THE NATIONAL
EMPLOYMENT LAW PROJECT WAS
TESTIFYING ABOUT THESE ISSUES.
IT’S IMPORTANT THAT THE
GOVERNMENT IS ACTUALLY DOING
THAT AS PART OF OVERSIGHT.
SO FOR YOUR RESPONSE ON THE OVER
SIDE, WE DID WANT TO PLAY THIS.
IT’S IN THE LANGUAGE OF
TESTIMONY.
TESTIMONY. IT WOULD APPEAR DRY IF YOU
LISTEN CLOSELY JUST AS WE WERE
TO YOU, YOU HEAR THE IMPORT.
LET’S LISTEN TO THAT BRIEFLY.
>> THERE ARE WORKERS ON THE JOB
NOW AND RETURNING IN THE NEXT
WEEKS AND MONTHS THAT ARE RISK
OF ILLNESS, BLACK AND LATINX
WORKERS AND OTHER WORKERS OF
COLORS INCLUDING IMMIGRANTS ARE
MORE LIKELY TO BE IN FRONTLINE
JOBS AND AMONG INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE, THESE COMMUNITIES HAVE
DISPROPORTIONATE RATES OF
ILLNESS AND DEATH RELATED TO THE
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC. AS DETAILED IN MY TESTIMONY, FAR
TOO MANY EMPLOYERS WERE SLOW TO
FOLLOW THE BASIC CDC
RECOMMENDATIONS SUCH AS THE USE
OF PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT,
HAND-WASHING AND SPACING AT
LEAST SIX FEET APART.
LET ME BE CLEAR.
WORKERS ARE GETTING SICK AND
DYING.
DYING. >> HEATHER, THAT’S WHERE THE
MORAL MEETS THE ECONOMIC.
THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE LOOKING
AT THESE COVID LIABILITY ISSUES
AND WHO IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE
ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK WHEN YOU
HAVE THE ECONOMIC QUESTIONS.
I GIVE YOU THE FINAL WORD.
>> THERE JUST ONE QUESTION RIGHT
NOW.
NOW. WHO’S LIFE ARE WE EVALUATING?
WHO ARE WE PROTECTING?
AND RIGHT NOW THERE IS A VERY
CLEAR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE
RESPONSE FROM THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY,
AND IT’S SAD TO SAY THAT IT
SHOULD BE PARTISAN, BUT THAT’S
WHAT’S GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
REPUBLICANS ARE PROTECTING
CORPORATIONS AND DEMOCRATS ARE
TRYING TO PROTECT WORKERS AND
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
>> HEATHER, WE WERE RUNNING OVER
ON TIME.