"THE 11th HOUR" WITH BRIAN
WILLIAMS STARTS NOW.
>> GOOD EVENING ONCE AGAIN.
IM IN FOR BRIAN WILLIAMS.
DAY 153 OF THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION.
ITS THE OPENING TO WHAT LOOKS
TO BE A CRUCIAL WEEK FOR THE
PRESIDENTS DOMESTIC AGENDA.
TOMORROW THE SENATE IS EXPECTED
TO BEGIN DEBATING A BILL THAT
WILL ENACT SOME OF THE BROADEST
VOTING RIGHTS.
DEMOCRATS ARE DEMANDING A TEST
VOTE WHICH THEY SEE AS THE
PARTYS BEST CHANCE TO UNDO
RESTRICTIVE NEW VOTING LAWS IN
THE STATES.
>> ITS A VOTE ON WHETHER THE
SENATE SHOULD SIMPLY DEBATE THE
ISSUE ABOUT VOTING RIGHTS.
THE CRUCIAL ISSUE OF VOTING
RIGHTS IN THIS COUNTRY.
WE SHOULDNT HAVE TO DEBATE THE
VOTING RIGHTS.
WE SHOULDNT HAVE TO DEBATE
VOTING RIGHTS ON THE FLOOR OF
THE UNITED STATES SENATE.
THESE RIGHTS SHOULD BE
SACROSANCT, BUT THE EVENTS OF
THE LAST FEW MONTHS COMPEL US TO
HAVE THIS DEBATE NOW.
I CHALLENGE YOU, REPUBLICAN
SENATORS, COME TO THE FLOOR,
DEFEND THESE POLICIES.
TELL US HOI THEY SECURE THE
VOTE.
TELL US HOIW THEY PREVENT NEARLY
NONEXISTENT VOTER FRAUD.
>> MITCH McCONNELL HAS ALL BUT
PROMISED NO REPUBLICANS WILL
VOTE TO ADVANCE THE BILL.
THAT MEANS IT WILL LIKELY FALL
SHORT OF THE THREE-FIFTHS OF
SENATORS NEEDED TO OVERCOME A
FILIBUSTER.
>> FOR SENATOR DEMOCRATS TO
ENTER JUNE WITH AN AGENDA THAT
WAS DESIGNED TO FAIL.
THE DEMOCRATIC LEADER PLANNED
VOTES ON A HOST OF THE LEFTS
MOST RADICAL PRIORITIES.
IN THE END, ONE PARTICULAR
RADICAL PROPOSAL TOOK PRIORITY.
S1 IS THE SAME BAD BILL ITS BEEN
SINCE THE HOUSE INTRODUCED ITS
VERSION BACK IN 2017 WITH THE
SAME NAKEDLY PARTISAN VOTERS.
>> SO TOMORROWS VOTE IS NOW
BASICALLY A SHOW OF UNITY FOR
SENATE DEMOCRATS.
THIS AFTERNOON, WEST VIRGINIAS
DEMOCRAT MANCHIN, WHO IS PUSHING
FOR HIS OWN VOTING RIGHTS BILL
SAT DOWN WITH JOE BIDEN AT THE
WHITE HOUSE.
MORE ON THAT IN JUST A MOMENT.
THE PRESIDENT IS ALSO TRYING TO
MOVE THE BALL FORWARD ON HIS
AMBITIOUS INFRASTRUCTURE AND
JOBS PROPOSAL.
TODAY BIDEN MEET WITH KIR STEN
CINEMA, ONE OF THE GROUP OF
SENATORS WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING
ON THEIR OWN VERSION OF THE
BILL.
BIDEN PLANS TO MEET WITH WEEK
WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GROUP.
>> HES READY TO ROLL UP HIS
SLEEVES.
THE DOOR TO THE OVAL OFFICE IS
ALWAYS OPEN AND HELL BE DEEPLY
INVOLVED AND ENGAGED IN
NEGOTIATIONS OVER THE COMING
DAYS.
HE DOES NOT FEEL THAT TIME THE
UNLIMITED.
IT IS NOT WEEKS IN HIS VIEW, IN
TERMS OF MOVING FORWARD AND
SEEING IF THERE IS A BIPARTISAN
PATH FORWARD.
SO THAT IS WHY HES EAGER TO
HAVE THESE MEETINGS AND
DISCUSSIONS AND SEE WHAT IT
LOOKS LIKE, SEE IF WE CAN
ADDRESS SOME OF THE QUESTIONS HE
HAS ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL AND
CERTAINLY HED LIKE TO MOVE
FORWARD SOONER RATHER THAN
LATER.
>> THE ADMINISTRATION IS ALSO
LOOKING FOR A DEAL ON POLICE
REFORM BILL.
ITS BEING NEGOTIATED IN THE
SENATE BY REPUBLICAN TIM SCOTT
OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND DEMOCRAT
COREY BOOKER OF NEW JERSEY.
>> THERES NO REASON NOT TO BE
OPTIMISTIC, BUT CERTAINLY WILL
BE HELPFUL TO SEE SOME PROGRESS
BETWEEN NOW AND TOMORROW,
WEDNESDAY, SO.
WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF
ALLOWING OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT
GROUPS TO ENGAGE AND TO
COMMUNICATE BACK.
>> WERE MAKING PROGRESS
BLACK JUDGES AND ATTORNEYS.
GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL ON THIS
MONDAY NIGHT.
JULIE PACE, IT SEEMS TO ME NOT
INSIGNIFICANT THAT THE PRESIDENT
MET WITH SENATORS MANCHIN AND
CINEMA.
SHOULD WE READ SOMETHING INTO
IT?
>> I THINK ITS VERY SIGNIFICANT
THOSE ARE TWO OF THE SENATORS WE
MET WITH TODAY BECAUSE THEY ARE
SO CRUCIAL FOR HIM TO GET ALL OF
THE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
THROUGH, INFRASTRUCTURE, VOTING
RIGHTS.
THIS REALLY HINGES ON HIS
ABILITY, NOT JUST TO FORGE A
BIPARTISAN COALITION, WHICH IS
CERTAINLY WHAT HES AIMING FOR
IN THESE INSTANCES BUT TO KEEP
HIS DEMOCRATIC PARTY TOGETHER
AND MANCHIN AND CINEMA HAVE BEEN
VERY CLEAR THAT BOTH ON THE
DETAILS OF THE LEGISLATION BUT
ALSO THE MECHANISMS BY WHICH
SOME OF THAT COULD GET THROUGH
CONGRESS, NAMELY THE FILIBUSTER,
THAT THEY WILL HOLD A HARD LINE
HERE, THAT THEYRE NOT WILLING
TO GO AS FAR AS A LOT OF
PROGRESSIVES ARE PUSHING.
SO BIDEN NEEDS TO FIND A WAY TO
GET THEM ON BOARD.
ITS IMPORTANT TO SEE WHERE
THEYRE GOING TO FALL.
>> AND, ASHLEY, IS THE
PRESIDENTS STEPPED UP
INVOLVEMENT AN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT
WHATEVER POLITICAL CAPITOL ANY
PRESIDENT HAS, IT HAS A TIME
LIMIT.
HOW CRITICAL ARE THE DAYS AND
WEEKS AHEAD FOR BIDENS
PRESIDENCY?
>> THEYRE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT,
RIGHT?
HE JUST GOT BACK FROM HIS FIRST
FOREIGN TRIP.
HES GOING TO BE IN THE COUNTRY
FOR A WHILE, AS WE ALL KNOW.
2022, THE MIDTERMS RAMP UP
STUNNINGLY EARLY.
THIS IS NOT JUST IMPORTANT FOR
POLICY, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR
HIS PRESIDENCY AT LARGE AND HIS
ABILITY TO FULFILL SOME OF THOSE
CAMPAIGN PROMISES AND TO TRY TO
KEEP A PRETTY FESTIVE DEMOCRATIC
CAUCUS TOGETHER, TO APIECE THE
PROGRESSIVES AND ALSO HOLD SOME
OF THE FAR MORE MODERATE
DEMOCRATS LIKE SENATORS MANCHIN
AND CINEMA.
SO AN ALL OF THESE,
INFRASTRUCTURE, POLICE REFORM,
CERTAINLY VOTING RIGHTS, FIRST
AND FOREMOST, HOW INVOLVED HE IS
AND ALSO WHAT THE RESULTS ARE
ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
>> LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT VOTING
RIGHTS BECAUSE IF THE FOR THE
PEOPLE ACT DOESNT PASS, ARE WE
JUST BACK TO A SERIES OF STATE
BY STATE COURT BATTLES DRAGGING
OUT AND POTENTIALLY DRAGGING
UNDER VOTING RIGHTS?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I MEAN, IF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT
DOES NOT PASS, IF THEYRE NOT
ABLE TO PASS SOME SIGNIFICANT
VERSION, THEN IT WILL BE UP TO
THE STATES TO REALLY IMPLEMENT THE MECHANISMS FOR VOTERS.
THE MECHANISMS FOR VOTERS.
AND THATS VERY, VERY DANGEROUS.
ITS DETRIMENTAL TO THE VOTERS.
THEY REALLY, REALLY IMPEDE
PEOPLES RIGHT TO VOTE.
THEYRE DRACONIAN.
AND IF THERE IS NO FEDERAL LAW