BILL AND SINCE THERE WERE NO
REPUBLICANS TO OBJECT IT PASSED
RIGHT THROUGH AND SO MUCH FOR
RON JOHNSON’S SILLY DELAY.
THIS AFTERNOON THE SENATE BEGAN
A PROCESS KNOWN AS VOTA RAMA
WHICH ALLOWS ANY MEMBER TO
PROPOSE AN AMENDMENT.
BUT THAT PROCESS WAS STALLED FOR
EIGHT HOURS AS BOTH PARTIES
TRIED TO WIN JOE MANCHIN’S
SUPPORT.
WE CAN REPORT AT THIS HOUR
MANCHIN HAS AGREED TO A
DEMOCRATIC PROPOSAL THAT WILL
DECREASE THE DEMOCRATIC BONUS.
THAT’S OVER THE NORMAL AMOUNT
YOU GET.
$400 A WEEK TO $300 A WEEK, BUT
IT EXTENDS IT FROM AUGUST TO
SEPTEMBER.
IT ALSO KEEPS THE FIRST $10,000
OF UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE
BENEFITS AS NONTAXABLE, WHICH IS
PRETTY CRUCIAL BECAUSE THERE ARE
A LOT OF FOLKS GETTING A
SURPRISE TAX BILL BUT THAT NOW
APPLIES TO HOUSE WITH INCOMES
UNDER $150,000.
SENATOR RAPHAEL WARNOCK PUSHED
FOR AN UPSET BILL DURING HIS
SENATE SEAT.
AND HE JOINS ME NOW.
I WANT TO ASK ABOUT THE DETAILS
HERE, BUT THE FIRST THING I WANT
TO ASK IS EVERY TIME I TALK TO
PEOPLE IN THE U.S. SENATE I SAY
I FOOL LIKE I’M TALKING TO A
CULTURE FROM ANOTHER PLANET.
IT’S A VERY STRANGE INSTITUTION,
ALL SORTS OF WEIRD TRADITIONS
THAT ARE HARD TO EXPLAIN.
YOU’RE NEW THERE.
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO GO THROUGH
THIS?
HOW STRANGE DOES THE INSTITUTION
SEEM TO YOU OR DOES IT NOT?
>> WELL, IT’S GREAT TO BE WITH
YOU HERE TONIGHT, CHRIS.
WE’RE GOING, YOU KNOW, THROUGH
THE SAUSAGE MAKING OF
LEGISLATION.
BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT AFTER
MONTHS OF WAITING -- AND WHEN
YOU THINK ABOUT THE LONG PERIOD
WHERE NOTHING HAPPENED UNDER THE
PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION, RELIEF
IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.
HELP IS ON THE WAY.
AND WE’LL BE HERE FOR A LITTLE
WHILE, BUT WE ARE THERE.
AND I’M CONFIDENT THAT WE’RE
GOING TO PASS THE RELIEF THAT
AMERICANS NEED AND DESERVE IN
THIS MOMENT.
WE’RE ABOUT TO PASS I THINK A
HISTORIC PIECE OF LEGISLATION
THAT FOR ONE THING WILL CUT
CHILD POVERTY IN HALF.
THINK ABOUT THAT.
WE WILL CUT CHILD POVERTY IN
HALF, $1,400 RELIEF PAYMENT TO
PEOPLE THAT WILL GO DIRECTLY IN
THEIR POCKETS.
AND WE KNOW WHEN POOR PEOPLE AND
WORKING CLASS PEOPLE RECEIVE
RELIEF THEY BUY FOOD, MEDICINE
THAT’S NEEDED, BABY DIAPERS, A
COAT FOR THEIR KID.
IT HELP THEM AND STIMULATES THE
ECONOMY.
WE’RE GOING TO GET THIS VIRUS
UNDER CONTROL AND GET THE
AMERICAN ECONOMY ROARING AGAIN.
I’M PROUD TO BE A PART OF THAT
PROCESS.
>> YOU ARE -- YOU WERE JUST
ELECTED IN THAT SPECIAL ELECTION
IN JANUARY OBVIOUSLY.
IT’S A CLOSELY DIVIDED SWING
STATE, THE STATE OF GEORGIA NOW.
YOU WILL BE UP AGAIN IN TWO
YEARS BECAUSE IT’S A SPECIAL
ELECTION.
I THINK YOU CAN SAY YOU HAVE THE
MOST FRONT LINE POSITION OF ANY
SENATOR IN THAT CAUCUS.
SO FROM THE POSITION OF YOUR
POLITICAL LIFE WHAT DO YOU WANT
TO TELL YOUR FELLOW DEMOCRATS
ABOUT WHAT YOU NEED TO DELIVER
BACK TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS IN
GEORGIA?
>> WELL, WE’VE BEEN FIGHTING
THAT GOOD FIGHT FROM DAY ONE.
NOT FOR ME BUT FOR THE PEOPLE I
WAS SENT HERE TO REPRESENT.
YOU KNOW THAT I COME INTO THIS
JOB AS A PASTOR, SOMEONE WHO IS
USED TO WALKING WITH PEOPLE
THROUGH THEIR PAIN.
I’VE SEEN FIRST-HAND THE WAYS IN
WHICH PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING
THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC THAT HAS
LITERALLY TAKEN THEIR LOVED
ONES, HALF A MILLION AMERICANS,
HAS DEVASTATED OUR ECONOMY.
AND THE GOOD NEWS, AGAIN, IS
RELIEF IS RIGHT AROUND THE
CORNER.
HELP IS ON THE WAY.
WE’RE ABOUT TO PASS A HISTORIC
PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT WILL
CUT CHILD POVERTY IN HALF, WILL
GIVE WORKERS THE RELIEF AND THE
SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED.
IN THIS BILL WE HAVE $5 BILLION
OF DEBT RELIEF THAT WILL GO TO
FARMERS OF COLOR.
AND WE’RE GOING TO GET THIS
VIRUS UNDER CONTROL SO THAT WE
CAN SAFELY REOPEN OUR SCHOOLS
AND OUR ECONOMY.
THAT’S THE GOOD NEWS, AND I
COULDN’T THINK OF A BETTER
SERMON FOR A PREACHER TO BE
PREACHING ON THIS WEEKEND.
>> DO YOU THINK IN TERMS OF THE
FUTURE DO YOU THINK ABOUT -- DO
YOU HAVE HOPE FOR THE SECOND
HALF OF THIS YEAR EVEN AS
SOMEONE WHO, YOU KNOW, THERE’S A
LOT OF CLURMGY AROUND THE
COUNTRY WHO HAVE NOT BEEN
BREACHING IN PERSON AND WHO
DESPERATELY WANT TO COMMUNE WITH
THEIR FLOCKS AGAIN.
AND DO YOU THINK THAT THAT KIND
OF THING IS POSSIBILITY IN THE
SECOND HALF OF THIS YEAR IF
THINGS GO RIGHT?
>> WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT
WE’RE MAKING PROGRESS.
AND WHAT I’VE INSISTED ON FROM
DAY ONE IS THAT WE HAVE TO
FOLLOW THE SCIENCE.
YOU KNOW, MY FAITH HAS NO
QUARREL WITH SCIENCE.
IT’S BEEN TOUGH ON THOSE OF US
WHO WORSHIP, WHETHER WE WORSHIP
IN A SYNAGOGUE OR IN A CHURCH ON
A WEEKEND.
BUT WE HAVE STAYED APART FROM
ONE ANOTHER NOT OUT OF A SENSE
OF FEAR AS MUCH AS A SENSE OF
LOVE.
BUT THE VACCINE HAS BEEN
DISTRIBUTED.
THE PRESIDENT HAS SAID THAT
WE’LL HAVE ENOUGH VACCINES FOR
EVERY ADULT BY MAY.
AND IN THIS PACKAGE IS $20
BILLION OF AID SO THAT WE CAN
GET THE VACCINE DISTRIBUTED.
I KNOW IT’S BEEN A LONG, DARK
NIGHT.
BUT I CAN SEE THE GLIMMER OF
LIGHT JUST ON THE OTHER END OF
THAT TUNNEL.
AND I JUST WANT FOLKS TO HOLD
ON, HANG IN THERE, CONTINUE TO
SOCIALLY DISTANCE.
HELP IS ON THE WAY.
>> ONE OF THE VOTES TODAY IN
THAT VOTER ROMA WAS A VOTE ON
THE $15 MINIMUM WAGE.
THE DEMOCRATS LOST EIGHT -- HAD
EIGHT NO VOTES ALONG WITH EVERY
REPUBLICAN.
YOU WERE A YES VOTE.
WHY’D YOU VOTE FOR IT?
>> OH, I THINK IT’S A
CONTRADICTION TO SAY PEOPLE
OUGHT TO WORK AND NOT MAKE WORK
PAY.
I HAVE LONG BEEN AN ACTIVIST IN
THE FIGHT FOR $15.
AND I WILL NOT SHRINK BACK FROM
THAT NOT ONE MOMENT IN ANY WAY.
WORKERS DESERVE TO BE PAID FOR
THEIR WORK.
AMERICA DESERVES A WAGE.
YOU KNOW IN A STATE LIKE MINE
AND CITY LIKE ATLANTA THERE’S A
REAL PROBLEM AROUND AFFORDABLE
HOUSING, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT WORKING
CLASS PEOPLE WORK ALL DAY, EVERY
DAY SOMETIMES TWO OR THREE JOBS
AND THEY STILL CAN’T AFFORD THE
RENT IN ANY CITY IN AMERICA.
THAT’S NOT RIGHT, AND AS OFTEN
IS THE CASE WHAT THE MORALLY
RIGHT THING TO DO IS ALSO THE
SMART THING TO DO.