>>> AS YOU LOOK TO WHAT THE
MAJORITY LEADER HAS IN MIND FOR
JUNE, ITS PRETTY CLEAR THE ERA
OF BIPARTISANSHIP IS OVER.
>> WELCOME BACK.
JOE IS OFF.
NOT SURE WHEN THE ERA OF
BIPARTISANSHIP EVER BEGAN.
BUT OKAY.
THAT INCLUDES FOR VOTING RIGHTS.
AS WE REPORTED SENATOR JOE
MANCHIN DASHED HOPES ON SUNDAY
OF PASSING A SWEEPING ELECTION
OVERHAUL BILL THAT WOULD
GUARANTEE UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO
MAIL-IN VOTING AND SECURE 15
DAYS OF EARLY VOTING IN EVERY
STATE.
THE FOR THE PEOPLE ACT HAS THE
BACKING OF TOP PARTY LEADERS
INCLUDING PRESIDENT BIDEN.
DESPITE HIS MEETING YESTERDAY
WITH TOP CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS,
THE WEST VIRGINIA DEMOCRAT
REMAINS UNMOVED.
>> WHAT WE HAD WAS A GREAT -- WE
HAD A RESPECTFUL, WE HAD A VERY
INFORMATIVE AND IT WAS A VERY
GOOD CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD
AND STARTING OF A GOOD
RELATIONSHIP.
IT REALLY WAS.
>> MANCHIN SAYS HE WOULD BACK A
DIFFERENT VOTING RIGHTS BILL,
BUT THAT TOO IS FACING SERIOUS
OBSTACLES.
NAMED AFTER JOHN LEWIS, IT FACES
UPHILL CLIMB TO BREAK A
FILIBUSTER IN THE SENATE.
SENATOR MAJORITY LEADER MITCH
McCONNELL MADE THAT CLEAR AGAIN
YESTERDAY.
>> THERES NO THREAT TO THE
VOTING RIGHTS LAW.
ITS AGAINST THE LAW TO
DISCRIMINATE IN VOTING ON THE
BASIS OF RACE ALREADY.
AND SO I THINK ITS UNNECESSARY.
>> JOINING US NOW PRESIDENT AND
CEO OF THE NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE
WHO ORGANIZED THAT MEETING WITH
SENATOR MANCHIN AND CIVIL RIGHTS
LEADERS YESTERDAY.
GREAT TO SEE YOU THIS MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING, WILLIE.
>> TAKE US INSIDE THE ROOM BUT I
THINK IT WAS A ZOOM CALL SO TAKE
US INSIDE THE ZOOM CALL WE HEARD
SENATOR MANCHIN USING TERMS LIKE
RESPECTFUL AND COURTEOUS IM NOT
SURE THAT MOVED THE BALL FORWARD
IN THE WAY YOU HOPED IT WOULD.
BUT WHAT WAS THE CASE YOU MADE
FOR SENATOR MANCHIN.
>> WE THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT
FOR SENATOR MANCHIN TO HEAR
DIRECTLY THROUGH US, NOT THROUGH
STAFF, INTERMEDIAS, THROUGH
MEDIA HOW IMPORTANT THE FOR THE
PEOPLE ACT IS AND HOW IMPORTANT
THE JOHN LEWIS VOTING RIGHTS
ADVANCEMENT ACT ARE TO
CONFRONTING THE TSUNAMI, THE
PANDEMIC, THE ONSLAUGHT OF VOTER
SUPPRESSION LEGISLATION WHICH IS
SWEEPING ACROSS THE NATION.
NOW, LETS BE CLEAR, WE ASKED
SENATOR MANCHIN TO RECONSIDER
HIS POSITION ON THE FOR THE
PEOPLE ACT AND CERTAINLY WE DID
NOT CHANGE HIS MIND IN THIS
MEETING.
BUT WE, I THINK, SPENT A GOOD
DEAL OF TIMESHARING WITH HIM HOW
OUTRAGEOUS, RIDICULOUS,
DISCRIMINATORY AND UNNECESSARY
MANY OF THESE NEW LAWS AND
PROPOSED NEW LAWS ARE IN LIGHT
OF THE RECORD VOTER TURNOUT AND
THE FLAWLESS ELECTION WE HAD IN
2020.
WE ALSO SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF
TIME TALKING ABOUT THE
FILIBUSTER FROM THE STANDPOINT
OF ITS HISTORY, WILLIE.
THE FILIBUSTER HAS BEEN USED FOR
BETTER THAN 100 YEARS, BUT IT
HAS PRIMARILY BEEN USED TO BLOCK
CIVIL RIGHTS LEGISLATION.
YES, ITS BEEN USED FOR OTHER
THINGS, BUT ITS PRIMARY USE OVER
THE YEARS WHETHER ITS RICHARD
RUSSELL, STRAUM THURMAN AND
OTHERS AND NOW MITCH McCONNELL
IS, IF YOU WILL, STANDING IN
THAT TRADITION.
THE TRADITION OF RICHARD RUSSELL
AND STROM THURMAN SAYING HELL
USE A FILIBUSTER TO BLOCK THE
JOHN LEWIS VOTING RIGHTS
ADVANCEMENT ACT.
I THINK IT WAS A LOW MOMENT.
I KNOW SENATOR McCONNELL.
HE HAS SAID TO ME ON NUMEROUS
OCCASIONS HOW PROUD HE IS OF HIS
RECORD ON CIVIL RIGHTS.
HE JUST THREW THAT AWAY WITH HIS
ANNOUNCEMENT YESTERDAY.
I THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE NEED
TO BE CLEAR, HES SMART ENOUGH
TO KNOW THAT THESE VOTER
SUPPRESSION LAWS ARE
DISCRIMINATORY, THEYRE
INTENTIONALLY DISCRIMINATORY.
THEYRE DESIGNED TO SUPPRESS THE
VOTES OF BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE.
AND HE SET HIMSELF UP AS AN
OBSTACLE, AS A STONE WALL TO
WHAT THE MAJORITY OF THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT.
SO WITH SENATOR MANCHIN, WE
AGREED TO MEET AGAIN.
IT WAS A STARTING POINT BECAUSE
FROM A CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERSHIP
PERSPECTIVE, FROM A NATIONAL
URBAN LEAGUE PERSPECTIVE, FROM
MY POINT OF VIEW, WE ARE NOT
GOING TO GIVE UP.
WERE NOT GOING TO GIVE IN
FIGHTING TO PASS THESE BILLS.
THIS IS A TOUGH CLIMB.
WE KNOW ITS A HARD CLIMB.
BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS TO
BE DONE.
ITS SO CRUCIAL WHEN YOU LOOK.
I LOOKED THIS MORNING AGAIN AT
WHAT IS HAPPENING AT THE STATE
LEVEL.
IF YOU LOOK AT THESE BILLS,
WILLIE, THEY SOUND LIKE
SOMETHING OUT OF SOVIET RUSSIA N
IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT THEY SEEK TO
DO.
THEYRE ABSURD, UNNECESSARY,
OPPRESSIVE.
>> LETS UNDERLINE SENATOR
McCONNELL DIDNT JUST COME OUT
TO OPPOSITION OF THE FOR THE
PEOPLE ACT, WHICH WE KNEW, HE
ALSO BELIEVED THE JOHN LEWIS
VOTING RIGHTS BILL IS, QUOTE,
UNNECESSARY.
SO YOURE NOT GOING TO GET TO 60
VOTES THAT WAY.
SO, WHAT DID YOU SAY TO JOE
MANCHIN, WHO SAID, LOOK, IM FOR
THE JOHN LEWIS VOTING RIGHTS
BILL.
I JUST CANT GO AS FAR AS THE
FOR THE PEOPLE ACT?
IS THAT A COMPROMISE YOU WOULD
BE WILLING TO ACCEPT THE PEOPLE
ON THAT CALL YESTERDAY, THEY
SAID, LOOK, WE PREFER FOR THE
PEOPLE, BUT WELL TAKE YOUR VOTE
ON JOHN LEWIS?
>> WE NEED BOTH.
ITS NOT A COMPROMISE.
THE TWO WORK IN TANDEM WITH EACH
OTHER.
THEYRE DIFFERENT LEGISLATIVE
INSTRUMENTS BECAUSE OF SOME
CONSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENTS THE
BUILD THE PARTICULAR RECORD IN
THE CASE OF JOHN LEWIS BILL, BUT
WE NEED BOTH.
NOW HERE IS WHAT I THINK WE CAN
FAIRLY CHARACTERIZE, JOE
MANCHINS OBJECTIONS AS BEING
PROCEDURAL AND POLITICAL.
THEY DID NOT SEEM TO BE IN LARGE
MEASURE TO THE SUBSTANCE OF THE
FOR THE PEOPLE ACT, ALTHOUGH WE
DID NOT GET INTO A DETAILED
DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.
THIS IS REALLY TURNING INTO A
QUESTION OF WHETHER THERE ARE
PEOPLE IN THE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS,
A NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE
REPUBLICAN CAUCUS, WHO WILL
FOLLOW IN THE TRADITION, THE
AMERICAN TRADITION, ON VOTING
BILLS, WHETHER ITS THE PREVIOUS
VOTING RIGHTS ACT, WHETHER ITS
THE VOTER REGISTRATION ACT IN
THE 90s OR MANY, MANY OTHER
VOTING BILLS WHO WILL FOLLOW IN
THE TRADITION THAT THEY HAVE
ALWAYS BEEN BIPARTISAN.
WHY NOW, WHY NOW HAS THE ISSUE
OF PROTECTING DEMOCRACY AND
ACCESS TO THE BALLOT BOX BECOME
A PARTISAN EXERCISE BECAUSE
YOURE MORE INTERESTED IN POWER
THAN YOU ARE IN AMERICAN VALUES?
MORE INTERESTED IN POWER AND
MAINTENANCE OF POWER OR
REACQUISITION OF POWER THAN YOU
ARE IN SOME OF THE FUNDAMENTAL
PRINCIPLES UPON WHICH THIS
NATION HAS BEEN FORMED AND WHICH
MANY HAVE FOUGHT TO IMPROVE.
JOHN LEWIS, JOHN LEWIS, WE KNOW
HIS TRADITION.
YESTERDAY I THINK WAS A LOW DAY
IN THE CAREER OF MITCH McCONNELL
WHEN HE SAID, QUOTE UNQUOTE,
ITS UNNECESSARY.
HE KNOWS BETTER THAN THAT.
HES A SMART ENOUGH LAWYER.
HES PLAYING INTELLECTUAL GAMES
WITH THE NECESSITY OF PROTECTING
DEMOCRACY.
AND I THINK THERES GOT TO BE A
FOCUS ON THE IDEA THAT HE HAS
NOW BECOME THE NUMBER ONE
OBSTACLE I THINK TO THIS IDEA OF
BIPARTISANSHIP IN THE UNITED
STATES SENATE.
BECAUSE HE IS BEFORE YOU HAVE
HEARINGS, BEFORE YOU HAVE
NEGOTIATIONS, BEFORE YOU HAVE
CONVERSATIONS, HES DRAWING
LINES IN THE SAND.
>> YEAH.
WELL, ANNA PALMER, SORT OF HES
SHOWN WHO HE IS TO AN EXTENT.
I GUESS THERES ALWAYS HOPE FOR
RENEWAL.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU
ABOUT JOE MANCHIN AND JUST WHAT
ARE THE STICKING POINTS HERE, OR
IS THIS AN IMPOSSIBILITY AND ARE
WE REALLY AT THE POINT IN OUR
COUNTRY WHERE WE CANT IMPROVE
VOTING RIGHTS LEGISLATION?
WE CANT PASS ANYTHING?
>> I THINK IT IS GOING TO BE A
VERY UPHILL BATTLE.
I MEAN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE
VOTING RIGHTS ISSUE, JOE MANCHIN
IS CLEARLY THE DEMOCRAT THAT
GROUPS AND OTHERS ARE LOOKING TO
BECAUSE THEY NEED HIM.
BUT HES ONE DEMOCRAT YOURE
GOING TO NEED AT LEAST TEN
REPUBLICANS HERE.
AND MITCH McCONNELL SAID WHAT A
LOT OF REPUBLICANS FEEL AND
WHERE THEY ARE, THEYRE NOT
GOING TO SUPPORT ANY OF THIS.
WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT S1, A
FUNDAMENTAL BILL FOR DEMOCRATS
THAT HAVE -- THEY HAVE SAID THIS
IS GOING TO BE THEIR ISSUE,
CHUCK SCHUMER SAID HES GOING TO
PUT THIS ON THE FLOOR BEFORE THE
END OF THE SUMMER WHICH SLIEKLY
GOING TO FAIL, BUT WHEN IT EVEN
CAME INTO THE COMMITTEE, YOU HAD
BOTH CHUCK SCHUMER AND MITCH
McCONNELL, ITS AN EXISTENTIAL
CRISIS FOR BOTH PARTIES IN THE
SENSE THAT DEMOCRATS BELIEVE IT
IS NECESSARY AND REPUBLICANS ARE
FIGHTING TOOTH AND NAIL ON EVERY
ISSUE WHEN IT COMES TO THIS.
SO I DONT THINK THAT THIS IS
GOING TO BE SOMETHING WHERE
YOURE GOING TO FIND EVEN A
MODICUM OF THE ABILITY FOR
BIPARTISANSHIP.
YOU KNOW, IT JUST IS -- THE TWO
PARTIES ARE SO FRACTURED WHEN IT
COMES TO THIS ISSUE.
>> AND WHAT ABOUT POLICE REFORM?
IS THERE ANY HOPE ON THAT FRONT,
ANNA?
>> YEAH.
WE WERE ACTUALLY REPORTING THIS
MORNING IN PUNCH BOWL NEWS OUR
MORNING NEWSLETTER THAT ACTUALLY
THEYRE STARTING TO CIRCULATE
SOME TEXT HERE WHICH IS THE
FIRST STEP.
I WOULD SAY I CAUTIOUSLY,
OPTIMISTIC WHEN YOU TALK TO THE
NEGOTIATORS THAT THEY ACTUALLY
HAVE FOUND SOME AGREEMENT ON
THESE ISSUES.
SO DEFINITELY THEYRE LOOKING TO
TRY TO FIND A PATHWAY FORWARD
HERE IN THE NEXT TWO TO THREE
WEEKS TO FIND OUT CAN THEY
ACTUALLY COME TO AN AGREEMENT.
BUT THE FACT THAT THEYRE
CIRCULATING TEXT I THINK IS VERY
OPTIMISTIC.
ONE OTHER NOTE OF OPTIMISM I
FEEL LIKE I OFTEN COME ON AND
VERY BEARISH ABOUT MOST DEALS
BUT SOMETHING WERE WATCHING
REALLY CLOSELY IS IMMIGRATION
REFORM AND YOU HAVE SOME SENATOR
NEGOTIATORS LED BY DICK DURBIN
MEETING TODAY ON THAT.
AND THATS BEEN AN ISSUE THATS
REALLY KIND OF BEEN IN THE
BACKGROUND.
WE HAVENT REALLY SEEN A LOT OF
PROGRESS ON THAT BUT THE FACT
THAT THEYRE MEETING IS
SOMETHING THATS NOTEWORTHY AND
SOMETHING WELL BE WATCHING
REALLY CLOSELY.
>> ANNA PALMER, THANK YOU.