SCHUMER AND SENATOR PATTY MURRAY OF HARD-HIT WASHINGTON ARE
PREPARING A LETTER TO THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. JOINING US NOW, THE SECOND
RANKING DEMOCRAT IN THE SENATE,
MEMBER OF THE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE, MINORITY WHIP DICK
DURBIN OF ILLINOIS.
THANKS FOR BEING ON.
SHOULD THE PRESIDENT DECLARE A
NATIONAL STATE OF EMERGENCY?
>> YES, I BELIEVE HE SHOULD.
WE HAVE TO KEEP AMERICA SAFE.
SPECULATING ON HOW THIS STARTED,
WHERE IT STARTED AND WHERE THERE
WERE POLITICS INVOLVED IN IT,
LEAVE THAT TO THE HISTORIANS.
WE WANT AMERICAN FAMILIES TO
FEEL SAFE AND FEEL THAT WE’RE
DOING EVERYTHING WITHIN OUR
POWER.
POWER. THE FIRST THING IS TO MAKE SURE
WE HAVE THE TEST KITS OUT AND
AVAILABLE.
AVAILABLE. WHEN THE GOVERNOR OF ILLINOIS
CALLS ME, CALLS MY OFFICE AND
TELLS ME THERE’S A SHORTAGE OF
THESE KITS AND THE CDC IS NOT
PROVIDING THEM TO MY HOME STATE
OF ILLINOIS, ONE OF THE FIRST
WITH AN IDENTIFIED CORONAVIRUS
VICTIM, THAT, TO ME IS A -- THE
NEED FOR A NATIONAL EMERGENCY
RESPONSE.
RESPONSE. WHY DID WE TURN DOWN THE W.H.O.
OFFER OF TEST KITS THAT WERE
BEING GIVEN TO OVER --
>> WHY DIDN’T WE SET IT UP --
SENATOR, WHY DID WE DO THAT?
IT HAS PUT US BEHIND.
WHY DID THE PRESIDENT TURN DOWN
TEST KITS THAT WOULD HAVE
ALLOWED US RIGHT NOW TO KNOW WHO
IS INFECTED, THE EXTENT OF THE
INFECTION AND HOW WE LIMIT
FURTHER SPREAD OF THE INFECTION?
WHY?
WHY? >> THAT’S THE QUESTION THAT’S
GONE UNANSWERED.
GONE UNANSWERED. I’VE GONE TO ALL MY COLLEAGUES,
PATTY MURRAY AND CHUCK SCHUMER
AND OTHERS AND SAID, YOU’VE
TALKED TO PEOPLE IN THE
ADMINISTRATION.
ADMINISTRATION. I HAVE, TOO.
I HAVEN’T HAD AN ANSWER.
CDC TOLD ME AS MUCH YESTERDAY ON
THE PHONE THAT THEY DON’T HAVE
THE CHEMICALS, THE REAGENTS
NECESSARY SO THESE TEST KITS CAN
BE TAKEN TO A LABORATORY AND
ACTUALLY PROCESSED.
ACTUALLY PROCESSED. THAT, TO ME, IS A BREAKDOWN,
BASIC BREAKDOWN.
BASIC BREAKDOWN. IF IT TAKES A NATIONAL HEALTH
EMERGENCY TO GET BEYOND THAT AND
HAVE THE TEST KITS WE NEED,
LET’S DO IT.
>> SO WHAT DO WE DO?
WHAT DO YOU DO SPECIFICALLY
TODAY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE
PEOPLE OF ILLINOIS, THE PEOPLE
OF FLORIDA, ARIZONA, WHERE THERE
ARE MORE ELDERLY POPULATION,
WHAT DO YOU DO AS A UNITED
STATES SENATOR TO BEGIN MOVING
THE PRESIDENT, MOVING THE
ADMINISTRATION, MOVING THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FORWARD MORE
AGGRESSIVELY TO GET THAT TESTING
OUT?
OUT? AND MORE IMPORTANTLY TO EDUCATE
AMERICANS TO LET THEM KNOW WHEN
THEY’RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET
A TEST.
A TEST. WHEN THEIR MOTHER, THEIR
GRANDMOTHER, THEIR GRANDFATHER
ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET
THOSE TESTS.
THOSE TESTS. >> WELL, I CAN TELL YOU MOST OF
US ARE SPEAKING OUT AND REACHING
OUT TO THIS ADMINISTRATION TO
EXPRESS OUR CONCERN, IF NOT
ANGER OVER THIS CURRENT
SITUATION.
SITUATION. WE NEED TO MOVE AND MOVE
QUICKLY.
QUICKLY. NOW THE PRESIDENT’S ANNOUNCEMENT
LAST NIGHT IS WORTH LOOKING AT.
I’M NOT GOING TO JUDGE IT ON ITS
MERITS ABOUT TRAVEL BETWEEN
EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES.
EUROPE DOES HAVE A PROBLEM.
ITALY.
ITALY. AND IT’S ANTICIPATED OTHER IN
COUNTRIES.
COUNTRIES. BUT LET’S GET THIS RIGHT AT
HOME.
HOME. LET’S GET THIS RIGHT AT HOME.
FIGURE OUT WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE
SURE THESE TEST KITS ARE
PRODUCED IN A TIMELY MANNER AS
QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, DESPITE ALL
THE PRESIDENT’S PROMISES.
IT IS NOT A FACT, IN MY STATE OF
ILLINOIS, WE NEED MORE OF THESE
TEST KITS, NEED THEM NOW AND
WE’RE NOT THE ONLY STATE FACING
THAT.
THAT. >> SENATOR, IT’S JONATHAN
LEMIRE.
LEMIRE. A TIME OF CRISIS LIKE THIS
REQUIRES BOTH LEADERSHIP AND
ASSISTANCE FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT.
GOVERNMENT. SO I WANTED TO ASK YOU, FIRST OF
ALL, YOUR TAKE ABOUT THE TONE
FROM THE PRESIDENT LAST NIGHT,
HIS OVAL OFFICE ADDRESS, BUT
ALSO THE SENATE DEMOCRATS’ PLAN
AND WHERE THINGS STAND RIGHT NOW
WITH NEGOTIATIONS WITH YOUR
REPUBLICAN COUNTERPARTS AND THE
WHITE HOUSE TO HELPING AMERICANS
WHO ARE IMPACTED BY THIS VIRUS.
>> WELL, OUR FOCUS IS REALLY ON
THE WORKERS AND THE FAMILIES AND
THE SENIORS ACROSS AMERICA WHO
REALLY HAVE TO BE THE FIRST LINE
OF RESPONSE TO THIS PANDEMIC
CHALLENGE.
CHALLENGE. THE ILLINOIS RESTAURANT
ASSOCIATION COMES IN TO SEE ME,
AND I ASKED, SO WHAT IF A PERSON
IN THE BACK OF THE HOUSE HAS A
FEVER AND SHOULD BE GOING HOME.
CAN THEY GO HOME?
IS IT A SITUATION THAT WITHOUT A
PAYCHECK THEY CAN’T PAY THEIR
RENT, PAY FOR THEIR FOOD AND
UTILITIES?
UTILITIES? SHOULDN’T WE HAVE, AS PART OF
ANY RESPONSE BY THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT, A GUARANTEE THAT
THERE IS PAID SICK LEAVE SO THAT
SICK EMPLOYEE GOES HOME AS THEY
SHOULD, NOT INFECTING OTHER
EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS AND THE
PUBLIC AT LARGE?
SHOULDN’T WE HAVE UNEMPLOYMENT
BENEFITS READY IMMEDIATELY FOR
THOSE WHO LOSE A JOB WHEN
COMPANIES START THROTTLING DOWN
BECAUSE THE ECONOMY IS
CONTRACTING?
CONTRACTING? WHAT WE’RE LOOKING AT ARE THE
FAMILIES FIRST.
FAMILIES FIRST. MAKE SURE THEY’RE TAKEN CARE OF
AND WE DO THE RIGHT THING FROM A
PUBLIC HEALTH VIEWPOINT.
SICK LEAVE AND UNEMPLOYMENT ARE
THE STARTING POINTS FOR ME.
>> SENATOR, IT’S WILLIE GEIST.
YOU CALLED FOR THE PRESIDENT TO
DECLARE A NATIONAL STATE OF
EMERGENCY.
EMERGENCY. GOVERNORS HAVE TAKEN PAINS AS
THEY’VE DECLARED STATES OF
EMERGENCY WITHIN THEIR OWN
STATES TO SAY, THIS ISN’T A
FREAK OUT.
FREAK OUT. THIS FREES UP RESOURCES.
IT’S AN ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTION.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THE PEOPLE
WHO HEAR NATIONAL STATE OF
EMERGENCY AND DO GET VERY
WORRIED?
WORRIED? >> ALL HANDS ON DECK.
ALL THE RESOURCES OF OUR
GOVERNMENT AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL
AS WELL AS AT THE STATE LEVEL
SHOULD BE DEDICATED TO
RESPONDING TO THIS AS QUICKLY AS
POSSIBLE WITH THE BEST IN
TESTING, THE BEST IN MEDICAL
CARE, THE BEST IN ADVICE OF WHAT
WE DO WITH OUR FAMILIES AND OUR
DAILY ACTIVITY.
DAILY ACTIVITY. WE NEED TO MOBILIZE THIS NATION
BEHIND IT.
BEHIND IT. A NATIONAL STATE OF EMERGENCY
WOULD ACHIEVE THAT.
>> ALL RIGHT, SENATOR DICK
DURBIN, THANK YOU VERY, VERY
MUCH.
MUCH. AND AS HE SAID, JOE, AS WE CLOSE
OUT THE SHOW HERE, ALL HANDS ON
DECK.
DECK. I THINK THE BOTTOM LINE IS,
POLITICALLY, WE ARE WHERE WE
ARE.
ARE. WE ARE WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF
THIS VIRUS COMING TO THE UNITED
STATES.
STATES. AND IT’S UP TO EVERYBODY TO TRY
AND HELP OUT AND FOLLOW THE
RULES THAT THE SCIENTISTS ARE
GIVING US.
GIVING US. >> YEAH, WELL, I AGREE WITH WHAT
THE PRESIDENT SAID LAST NIGHT
THAT WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
I -- MY GREATEST HOPE TODAY IS
THAT THE PRESIDENT HE’SEDS HIS O
WORDS AND MOVES FORWARD
ACCORDINGLY.
ACCORDINGLY. DECLARES A NATIONAL EMERGENCY.
GETS THOSE TEST KITS OUT THERE
SO WE CAN SEE THE SIZE AND SCOPE
OF THIS PANDEMIC PROBLEM OF THE
UNITED STATES AND START
AGGRESSIVELY WORKING TO CONTAIN
IT.
IT. AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
ACTUALLY, I GUESS I SHOULD SAY
MITIGATE IT BECAUSE WE’RE WELL
PAST CONTAINMENT BECAUSE OF THE
ERRORS, JONATHAN LEMIRE, ALREADY
MADE BY THE UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT.
GOVERNMENT. >> NO QUESTION.
INTERESTING TO SEE THE TONE FROM
THE PRESIDENT TODAY.
WE’RE NOT EXPECTING TO SEE OR
HEAR MUCH FROM HIM.
HE DOES HAVE ONE EVENT TODAY
WITH THE PRIME MINISTER OF
IRELAND.
IRELAND. HE’S EXPECTED TO ADDRESS THE
PRESS BRIEFLY THEN.
AFTER HIS OVAL OFFICE ADDRESS
LAST NIGHT, THERE IS NO
CORONAVIRUS BRIEFING ON THE
SCHEDULE TODAY.
SCHEDULE TODAY. >> YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A
HISTORIAN, JOE, TO REALIZE AND
HAVE READ ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED
AFTER DECEMBER 7th, 1941, IN
AMERICA.
AMERICA. WHERE CITIES LIKE DETROIT
LITERALLY REBUILT THE COUNTRY
FOR PREPAREDNESS FOR WAR AND
GETTING READY FOR WAR AND WON
THE WAR.
THE WAR. AND YOU HAVE TO WONDER TODAY
LISTENING TO DICK DURBIN,
STRUCTURALLY, WHAT HAS HAND TO
THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
THAT WE ARE FACED WITH THIS
NATIONAL MEDICAL EMERGENCY.
WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH MEDICAL
TEST KITS, ENOUGH RESPIRATORS.
>> JOE AND MIKA, YOU’LL SEE
AFTER LAST NIGHT’S TURNING
POINT, THE NBA SET A STANDARD.
THE SEASON HAS BEEN SUSPENDED.
I SUSPECT THE NHL WILL FOLLOW
AND THE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
SEASON SUSPENDED IN SOME WAY.
THIS HAS CHANGED AMERICA