I DON’T KNOW WHERE THIS IS HEADING IN TERMS OF THE ECONOMY,
BUT IT’S LOOKING PRETTY BLEAK.
>>> JOINING US NOW, PRESIDENT
AND CEO OF THE NATIONAL URBAN
LEAGUE, MARC MORIAL.
LET’S START THERE.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> MAJOR COMPANIES ARE
CONSIDERING BANKRUPTCY.
CONSIDERING BANKRUPTCY. THE RELIEF PACKAGE THAT’S BEEN
PUT TOGETHER AND THE EFFORTS
THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS MAKING,
IS IT ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF
AFRICAN-AMERICANS, MANY OF WHOM
ARE BEING DISPROPORTIONATELY
IMPACTED BY THIS VIRE?
VIRUS?
VIRUS? >> GOOD MORNING TO THE MORNING
SHOW AUDIENCE.
SHOW AUDIENCE. THE FIRST PACKAGE THAT THE
CONGRESS -- THE 2.2 TRILLION
PACKAGE THAT THE CONGRESS PASSED
HAD SOME FEATURES IN IT WHICH,
IN CONCEPT WERE EXCELLENT.
IN EXECUTION THERE WERE
PROBLEMS.
PROBLEMS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE PAY PROTECTION
PROGRAM WE HAVE LEARNED NOW
BECAUSE OF REPORTING BY YOUR
SISTER STATION CNBC, THAT TWO
THIRDS OF THE MONEY WENT TO
PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANIES.
I DON’T BELIEVE THAT THAT WAS
THE VISION FOR A PROGRAM THAT’S
TO BENEFIT SMALL BUSINESSES.
SO IN THE NEW BILL THAT PASSED
THE SENATE AND IS EXPECTED TO
RECEIVE FINAL PASSAGE TODAY,
THERE WAS SOME CARVE-OUTS IN IT.
THERE’S A $60 BILLION CARVE-OUT
FOR $10,000 EMERGENCY DISASTER
LOAN/GRANT FOR THE VERY SMALL
BUSINESSES.
BUSINESSES. I WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO PURSUE
THAT MONEY IMMEDIATELY.
THERE’S A $60 BILLION CARVE-OUT
FOR RURAL BANKS, MINORITY BANKS,
COMMUNITY LOAN FUNDS, CBFIs AND
THE OTHERS.
THE OTHERS. THESE ARE IMPROVEMENTS, BUT I
THINK SO MUCH MORE NEEDS TO BE
DONE.
DONE. THE ECONOMY IS IN A SELF-INDUCED
COMA, DESIGNED TO HELP US SAVE
LIVES AND PRESENT THE SPREAD OF
THIS VIRUS.
THIS VIRUS. THERE’S A FUNDAMENTAL
RESPONSIBILITY THAT THE
GOVERNMENT HAS, I BELIEVE, TO
HELP ALMOST EVERYONE BRIDGE
THESE TROUBLED WATERS.
SO MORE WILL NEED TO BE DONE.
THIS IS, MIKA, THE CHALLENGE OF
OUR TIMES.
OUR TIMES. IF I SAY SO, IT IS WORLD WAR
III.
III. >> MIKE BARNICLE IS WITH US.
YOU HAVE THE NEXT QUESTION FOR
MARC.
MARC. >> HEY, MIKE.
>> MARC, IF ANYBODY IS OUT THERE
WHO DID NOT BELIEVE COMING INTO
THIS SITUATION THAT THERE ARE AT
LEAST TWO AMERICAS, THE VIRUS
CASUALTY RATE IN MINORITY
COMMUNITIES WOULD CERTAINLY
POINT THAT OUT.
SO GOING FORWARD, GIVEN THE
CATASTROPHIC ATTACK THE VIRUS
HAS MADE ON MINORITY COMMUNITIES
IN THE UNITED STATES, WHAT HAS
TO BE DONE -- WHAT CAN
REALISTICALLY BE DONE IN THE
IMMEDIATE FUTURE -- NOT LONG
TERM -- IMMEDIATE FUTURE ABOUT
ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, ACCESS TO
HEALTH INSURANCE IN THESE
MINORITY COMMUNITIES.
MINORITY COMMUNITIES. >> LET ME FRAME IT BOTH WAYS.
SO THE SHORT -- WE’VE GOT TO
MAKE SURE THAT TESTING IS GOING
TO BE UNIVERSALLY AND EQUITIABLY
AVAILABLE, AND THAT TREATMENT,
MEDICINES, WHEN THEY WERE
DESIGNED, ARE COVERED, AND
FINALLY A VACCINE THAT IS
UNIVERSALLY AND EQUITIABLY
AVAILABLE AND NOT SOME PEOPLE IN
THE FRONT OF THE TRAIN AND
OTHERS IN THE CABOOSE.
THAT’S THE SHORT RUN.
GOING FORWARD ON ACCESS, NUMBER
ONE, I THINK THOSE STATES THAT
HAVE NOT EXPANDED MEDICAID NEED
TO DO SO IMMEDIATELY.
IT WOULD HAVE A VERY SIGNIFICANT
EFFECT ON HEALTH ACCESS
DISPARITIES.
DISPARITIES. NUMBER TWO, I THINK IT’S TIME TO
TAKE THE STEP TO ALLOW PEOPLE
AGE 50 TO ENROLL IN THE MEDICARE
PROGRAM, AND THEN THIRDLY, WE
NEED A PUBLIC OPTION.
SO WE’VE GOT TO FIX THESE ACCESS
ISSUES THAT COULD EASILY BE
FIXED.
FIXED. I THINK THERE’S TREMENDOUS
SUPPORT FOR THIS, SO THAT
EVERYONE IS COVERED, SO THAT WE
CAN SHIFT OUR SYSTEM FROM A SICK
CARE SYSTEM TO A SYSTEM THAT
PREVENTS ACUTE, CHRONICIC AND
DIFFICULT HEALTH PROBLEMS.
THAT TO ME IS VERY DOABLE.
IN THE SHORT RUN, WE HAVE TO
MAKE SURE THE TESTING, VACCINE,
TREATMENTS ARE UNIVERSALLY
AVAILABLE.
AVAILABLE. WE NEED THE HAND OF THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT AND PRINCIPLE OF
EQUITY, INCLUSION AND UNIVERSAL
ACCESS.
ACCESS. THESE ACCESS ISSUES ARE ISSUES
FOR URBAN COMMUNITIES, BUT I’M
LEARNING THEY’RE ISSUES FOR
RURAL COMMUNITIES, INDIAN
COUNTRY AND SMALL CITIES.
IN GEORGIA, FOR EXAMPLE, MANY
COMMUNITIES HAVE NO HOSPITAL AT
ALL.
ALL. >>> MARC MORIAL, THANK YOU SO
MUCH.
MUCH. >> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>>> GOOD TO HAVE YOU.
IN THE FINAL MOMENTS HERE, MIKE
BARNIC
BARNIC BARNICLE, TEN SECONDS OR LESS,
WHAT’S YOUR GUT LOOKING AT
TODAY?
TODAY? >> MY GUT IS WE ARE JUST
WALLOWING IN MEDIOCRITY, AND
THAT’S THE BASIC PROBLEM.
>> LET’S HOPE THAT CHANGES.
FOR WILLIE, JOE AND ME, THAT
DOES IT FOR US THIS MORNING.
STEPHANIE RUHLE PICKS UP THE