EVEN HE HAS SAID THAT SOME THINGS SHOULD WAIT FOR THE NEXT
BILL.
BILL. JOINING US NOW, THE TOP-RANKING
DEMOCRAT IN THE SENATE, MINORITY
LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER OF
NEW YORK.
NEW YORK. >> SENATOR SCHUMER, THANKS FOR
BEING WITH US.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> LET’S BEGIN BY ASKING FOR AN
UPDATE.
UPDATE. I KNOW YOU ARE STAYING IN TOUCH
WITH PEOPLE RUNNING THE
HOSPITALS, THE DOCTORS, THE
NURSES, PEOPLE ON THE FRONT
LINES OF THIS EPIDEMIC WHO HAVE
BEEN HIT BY IT WORSE IN NEW YORK
STATE THAN ANY OTHER REGION IN
THE WORLD.
THE WORLD. TELL US -- TELL US HOW THINGS
ARE GOING.
ARE GOING. >> WELL, NEW YORKERS, YOU KNOW,
WE LOVE TO BE TOGETHER.
THE FACT THAT THERE’S SO MUCH
UNCERTAINTY IN SO MUCH, WHAT ARE
THE EXACT SYMPTOMS, HOW LONG DO
YOU GET IT.
I JUST HEARD TODAY IF YOU ARE ON
A RESPIRATOR THE CHANCES OF YOU
SURVIVING ARE SMALL FROM ONE OF
THE LEADING HEADS OF ONE OF OUR
HOSPITALS.
HOSPITALS. I ASKED DOCTORS A QUESTION, FOR
INSTANCE, CAN YOU GET IT AGAIN
OR YOU GET IMMUNE?
THEY DON’T EVEN KNOW.
THE OTHER THING THAT PLAGUES NEW
YORKERS MAYBE MORE THAN ANYBODY
ELSE IS ISOLATION.
WE LIKE TO BE TOGETHER.
WE LIKE TO TOUCH EACH OTHER,
FEEL EACH OTHER, BE CLOSE.
WE LOVE RIDING THE SUBWAYS AND
SEEING THE WHOLE DIVERSITY OF
OUR CITY SPREAD BEFORE US IN ONE
SUBWAY CAR.
SUBWAY CAR. SO THAT HURTS, TOO.
BUT NEW YORKERS ARE TOUGH.
I’VE BEEN ON THE PHONE WITH JUST
ABOUT EVERYBODY AND WE’LL GET
THROUGH THIS.
THROUGH THIS. BEFORE 9/11 THEY SAID NEW YORK
WAS FINISHED AS A CITY.
IT WILL NEVER BE FINISHED AS A
CITY, BUT CAN I MAKE TWO QUICK
POINTS HERE THAT ARE IMPORTANT
FOR NEW YORK AND FOR THE
COUNTRY?
COUNTRY? THAT IS WE NEED TO DO TWO THINGS
IMMEDIATELY.
IMMEDIATELY. TODAY THE UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS
WILL PROBABLY BE STAGGERING,
VERY BAD.
VERY BAD. WE NEED THOSE UNEMPLOYMENT
CHECKS TO START GOING OUT IN THE
NEXT TWO WEEKS.
AS YOU MENTIONED, MIKA, WE
PASSED A VERY GOOD, STRONG BILL
AIMED AT WORKERS FIRST, CREATING
THE MARSHAL PLAN FOR HOSPITALS.
NOW THE ADMINISTRATION HAS TO
GET THE MONEY OUT QUICKLY TO
THOSE UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE OR
THEY’RE GOING TO REALLY BE STUCK
AND THEIR BUSINESSES WILL BE
STUCK AS WELL, THEIR SMALL
BUSINESSES AND OTHERS.
THE SECOND THING WE NEED, THIS
IS TERRIBLE, MY GOVERNOR, WHO IS
DOING A GREAT JOB, MY MAYOR, I
THINK HE IS DOING A VERY FINE
JOB.
JOB. THEY’RE CALLING ALL OVER THE
PLACE FOR EQUIPMENT, FOR
VENTILATORS OR FOR MASKS OR FOR
PPE, AND THAT’S BECAUSE THE
SYSTEM THAT THE ADMINISTRATION
HAS PUT IN PLACE IS HORRIBLE.
I AM SENDING A LETTER TO THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. WE NEED HIM TO PUT IN CHARGE A
CZAR OF THE WHOLE PRODUCTION AND
DISTRIBUTION OF THESE MATERIALS
UNDER THE DPA.
THAT SHOULD BE A MILITARY MAN.
THE MILITARY KNOWS HOW TO GET
LOTS OF MATERIALS IN LOTS OF
DIFFERENT PLACES QUICKLY.
SOMEBODY WHO KNOWS QUARTER
MASTERING, WHO KNOWS
LOGICISTINGS, WHO KNOWS COMMAND
AND CONTROL.
AND CONTROL. I SPOKE TO MR. NAVARRO WHO IS IN
CHARGE.
CHARGE. I WAS DISAPPOINTED.
HE IS A GOOD MAN, HE KNOWS A LOT
ABOUT CHINA, HE KNOWS NOTHING
ABOUT THIS.
ABOUT THIS. I’M CALLING ON THE
ADMINISTRATION TO PUT IN CHARGE
OF BOTH PRODUCTION AND
DISTRIBUTION OF MATERIALS THE --
A MILITARY MAN AS CZAR UNDER THE
DPA.
DPA. AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, I CALLED
THE PRESIDENT TWO WEEKS AGO.
I SAID, ENACT THE DPA.
HE SAID, I WOULD.
AND THEN THREE HOURS LATER HE
CHANGED HIS MIND.
WE NEED SOMEONE UNPOLITICAL TO
PRODUCE THE MATERIALS MORE
QUICKLY INCLUDING SUPPLY CHAINS
AND TO DISTRIBUTE THEM TO THE
PLACES THAT THEY ARE MOST
NEEDED.
NEEDED. TO NOT HAVE MY GOVERNOR HAVE TO
CALL UP CALIFORNIA AND COMPETE
WITH OTHER STATES.
MY MAYOR TOLD ME HE CALLED
SWEDEN TO TRY AND GET SOME
VENTILATORS.
VENTILATORS. THAT IS NOT HOW THIS SHOULD BE
RUN.
RUN. SO WE NEED THE UNEMPLOYMENT
CHECKS TO GO OUT VERY FAST AND
WE NEED A REAL CZAR, A MILITARY
PERSON, TO BE IN CHARGE OF BOTH
PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF
DESPERATELY NEEDED MEDICAL
SUPPLIES IMMEDIATELY.
SUPPLIES IMMEDIATELY. >> SO YOU HAD A CONFERENCE CALL
WITH THE PRESIDENT A WEEK OR SO
AGO WHERE YOU ENCOURAGED HIM TO
IMPLEMENT THE DEFENSE PRODUCTION
ACT, AND HE ACTED --
>> YES.
>> YES. >> -- ON YOUR REQUEST.
I TALKED ABOUT NEW YORK, HOW IT
IS THE WORST -- IF IT IS NOT THE
WORST RIGHT NOW HIT REGION, IT
WILL BE IF YOU LOOK AT
PROJECTIONS VERY SOON.
>> TRUE.
>> TRUE. >> ACROSS THE WORLD.
BUT COULD YOU GIVE THE PRESIDENT
A CALL AGAIN AND TALK TO HIM
ABOUT THE NEED TO HAVE A
MILITARY MAN OR WOMAN IN CHARGE
OF THIS PRODUCTION EFFORT, AND
DO YOU THINK THE PRESIDENT MIGHT
BE OPEN TO THAT?
>> WELL, I HOPE SO BECAUSE WE
DESPERATELY NEED IT.
I WILL CALL HIM AGAIN.
I AM SENDING HIM A LETTER THIS
MORNING AND HE HAS TAKEN MY
CALLS, I’LL GIVE HIM CREDIT.
LOOK, THE PRESIDENT WAS WAY
BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL IN SO MUCH
OF THIS.
OF THIS. HE DIDN’T SEE THE NEED, WE WERE
WAY BEHIND IN TESTING.
THIS IDEA THAT MITCH McCONNELL
SAID THAT IMPEACHMENT WAS
DIVERTING, RIDICULOUS.
DIVERTING, RIDICULOUS. I CALLED FOR A NATIONAL
EMERGENCY ON JANUARY 26th, YOU
KNOW, WHILE IMPEACHMENT WAS
GOING ON.
GOING ON. WE CAN DO TWO THINGS AT ONCE,
AND THIS VIRUS WAS ALREADY
RAGING IN CHINA.
SO THE PRESIDENT ON TESTING AND
NOW ON DISTRIBUTION AND
PRODUCTION, BEHIND THE EIGHT
BALL.
BALL. BUT LET’S HOPE HE HAS SEEN NOW
FINALLY -- YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES
HE THINKS IF HE SAYS SOMETHING
IT BECOMES TRUE, SO HE SAYS IT
IS A HOAX, HE SAYS IT IS NOT
MUCH, HE THINKS IT IS TRUE.
THIS VIRUS IS STRONGER THAN
ANYBODY AND WE HAVE TO ALL BE
TOGETHER AND TRY TO SOLVE THIS
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM. I WILL DEMAND THAT OF THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. I’M SENDING HIM A LETTER RIGHT
NOW THIS MORNING ON THIS.
>> SENATOR SCHUMER, IT IS WILLIE
GEIST.
GEIST. >> HI, WILLIE.
>> IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT YOU
SPEAK NEW YORK IN A WAY THAT
DONALD TRUMP CAN UNDERSTAND AND
SOMETIMES YOUR MESSAGES GET
THROUGH BETTER THAN ANYBODY, SO
LET’S HOPE HE DOES LISTEN TO
YOU.
YOU. WE JUST HAD JAMES O’NEILL ON THE
SHOW, THE FORMER POLICE
COMMISSIONER OF NEW YORK CITY.
HE HAS BEEN BROUGHT IN BY THE
MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY TO
EFFECTIVELY DO THE JOB YOU ARE
TALKING ABOUT JUST IN NEW YORK,
TO GET THIS CHAIN, THE SUPPLY
CHAIN IN NEW YORK CITY.
YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT A MILITARY
LEADER, IT COULD BE A BUSINESS
LEADER, SOMEBODY LIKE FRED SMITH
WHO, OF COURSE, WAS A MARINE
HIMSELF AND FOUNDED FedEx AND
KNOWS BETTER THAN ANYBODY HOW TO
GET THINGS WHERE THEY NEED TO
BE.
BE. I GUESS THE QUESTION FOR
AMERICANS IS -- AND I GUESS I
SOUND LIKE A BROKEN RECORD --
THEY’RE AWARE OF THE NEEDS IN
THE HOSPITAL FOR ALL OF THIS
EQUIPMENT.
EQUIPMENT. THEY SAY IT IS THE UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA, WE HAVE GREAT
COMPANIES WHO CAN MOVE QUICKLY.
WHY AREN’T THEY GETTING INTO THE
HOSPITALS RIGHT NOW?
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
WHAT’S THE HOLD UP?
>> AND THE TWO PROBLEMS ARE,
ONE, STILL PRODUCTION IS NOT
RAFRM
RAFRM RAMPED UP ENOUGH BECAUSE IT IS
NOT THAT EASY.
YOU CAN’T GO TO ONE PLACE AND
SAY, MAKE THIS, YOU HAVE TO MAKE
SURE THEIR SUPPLIERS ARE THERE
AS WELL.
AS WELL. WORSE IS DISTRIBUTION.
I DON’T KNOW WHO IS IN CHARGE OF
DISTRIBUTION.
DISTRIBUTION. YOU HAVE A SPECTACLE WHERE
GOVERNORS AND MAYORS ARE
REACHING OUT AND HUNTING AND
PECKING FOR THINGS.
A MILITARY MAN, IT COULD BE A
BUSINESS LEADER, BUT SOMEONE WHO
KNOWS LOGISTICS.
KNOWS LOGISTICS. PROFESSOR NAVARRO IN ALL DUE
RESPECT IS A PROFESSOR.
HE HASN’T DONE THIS BEFORE.
I DON’T HAVE ANYTHING AGAINST
HIM BUT THEY OUGHT TO REPLACE
HIM WITH SOMEBODY THAT KNOWS HOW
TO DO THIS AND THEN THE
DISTRIBUTION WOULD WORK.
TODAY IT MIGHT BE NEW YORK THAT
GETS ALL OF THE STUFF THEY NEED,
PPAEST.
PPAEST. TOMORROW IT MIGHT BE SOMEWHERE
ELSE IF NEW YORK, PRAISE GOD, WE
MANAGE BY SOCIAL DISTANCING
REDUCE THE RATE.
BUT WE NEED SOMEONE IN CHARGE
AND IT IS NOT JUST GOING TO BE
PPEs AND MASKS.
WE ARE GOING TO FIND WE NEED
OTHER THINGS AS WELL.
SECONDLY, THOSE UNEMPLOYMENT
CHECKS, GOT TO GET OUT QUICKLY.
THE ADMINISTRATION HAS GOT TO
MOVE HEAVEN AND EARTH TO GET
THOSE CHECKS OUT.
I WAS GLAD TO HEAR LAST NIGHT IN
RESPONSE TO OUR LETTER WE HAD 41
DEMS THAT WILL SEND THEIR $1,000
CHECKS TO SOCIAL SECURITY PEOPLE
AND OTHERS WHO HAVEN’T FILED TAX
RETURNS.
RETURNS. BUT THE UNEMPLOYMENT CHECKS ARE
THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS.
THEY AUGMENT AND ARE LARGER OVER
THE PERIOD OF TIME THAN THE ONE
$1,200 CHECK.
$1,200 CHECK. >> OKAY, SO --
>> MIKA, JUST --
>> YEAH, GO AHEAD, WILLIE.
>> TO BOTH OF YOU, THE NUMBER
WE’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR CROSSED
AND YOU WILL FORGIVE ME IF MY
JAW ON THE GROUND.
U.S. WEEKLY JOBLESS CLAIMS 6.6
MILLION IN UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS
MADE IN THIS COUNTRY LAST WEEK.
>> THINK OF THAT IN HUMAN TERMS,
OF EACH INDIVIDUAL.
MOST OF THEM HAVE WORKED HARD
AND LONG AT THEIR COMPANIES.
THEY HAVE PRIDE IF THEIR WORK
AND THEY’RE GONE, THROUGH NO
FAULT OF THEIR OWN.
AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, OUR
UNEMPLOYMENT ON STEROIDS WHICH
WE PASSED, WE HAD TO FORCE THE
REPUBLICANS TO DO IT, SAYS YOU
WILL GET YOUR FULL PAY OR CLOSE
TO IT FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT FOR FOUR MONTHS AND
YOU CAN BE FURLOUGHED BY YOUR
COMPANY, NOT, YOU KNOW, KICKED
OFF.
OFF. THAT MEANS THAT WHEN, GOD
WILLING, WE BEAT THIS VIRUS, THE
COMPANY CAN RECONSTITUTE.
COMPANIES, YOU KNOW, BIG AND
LITTLE ARE ORGANIC.
A RESTAURANT, IT HAS A CHEF, IT
HAS SOME WAITERS, THEY’RE A
TEAM.
TEAM. IF WE CAN BRING THEM BACK
TOGETHER BECAUSE THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT IS PAYING FOR THEIR
SALARIES, BUT AT THE SAME TIME
THEY’RE ONLY FURLOUGHED BY THEIR
EMPLOYEES AND STAY ON THE BOOKS,
WE CAN RECOVER MUCH MORE
QUICKLY.
QUICKLY. SO WE GOT TO GET THIS PLAN UP
AND RUNNING.
AND RUNNING. >> ALL RIGHT.
AGAIN, U.S. WEEKLY JOBLESS
CLAIMS HIT 6.65 MILLION.
SENATOR, I WANT TO GO BACK TO
THE PRESIDENT USING THE FULL
FORCE OF THE DPA.
I KNOW THAT YOU --
>> YES.
>> YES. >> -- WANT HIM TO APPOINT A CZAR
WHO PERHAPS COULD DO THAT, BUT
THE BOTTOM LINE IS IT STANDS
WITH HIM.
WITH HIM. IS THERE ANY LOGICAL REASON WHY
HE WOULD NOT BE USING THAT?
MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT
STREAMLINES, YOU KNOW, TESTING
AND SUPPLIES GETTING DIRECTLY TO
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, WOULD MAKE
IT GO FASTER WHICH LITERALLY
AMOUNTS TO PEOPLE’S LIVES BEING
SAVED.
SAVED. WHAT’S THE LOGICAL REASON TO NOT
USE IT?
USE IT? >> I HAVE NO IDEA BECAUSE, YOU
KNOW, I CALLED HIM ABOUT TWO
WEEKS AGO AND I SAID, USE IT.
HE SAID, THAT’S A GREAT IDEA AND
HE HOLLERED.
HE HOLLERED. HE MUST HAVE BEEN IN THE OVAL
OFFICE AND HE WAS ON THE PHONE,
I WAS STILL IN WASHINGTON.
HE SAID, GET THE DPA ENACTED,
GET IT GOING, AND THEY SAID YES.
THEN THREE, FOUR HOURS LATER HE
SAID NO.
SAID NO. I DON’T NO WHO WHISPERED IN HIS
EAR OR WHAT GOT INTO HIS HEAD.
I DO NOT KNOW A SINGLE REASON
DURING THIS EMERGENCY CRISIS WHY
WE SHOULDN’T INVOKE THE DPA.
IT WILL WORK.
WE PUT A BILLION DOLLARS IN
COVID-3 JUST TO HELP IMPLEMENT
THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR THIS
MILITARY MAN OR IT COULD BE A
FRED SMITH, MILITARY AND
BUSINESS, BUT SOMEONE WHO KNOWS
LOGISTICS, SOMEONE WHO KNOWS
NONPOLITICAL HOW TO GET FROM
PLACE TO PLACE AND THING TO
THING.
THING. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> WHY HE HASN’T DONE IT, I
DON’T HAVE ANY GOOD REASON.
>> SO, SENATOR SCHUMER, WILL YOU
BE SPEAKING TO MITCH McCONNELL
TODAY, WHO OBVIOUSLY IS DRAGGING
HIS FEET ON MOVING TOWARDS
ANOTHER RELIEF BILL AND IS
ATTACKING NANCY PELOSI FOR
WHATEVER REASON?
WHATEVER REASON? IN LIGHT OF THE NEW NUMBER, THE
6.6 MILLION --
>> GOD.
>> GOD. >> -- NUMBER, THE SHOCKING
NUMBER, WILL YOU BE TALKING TO
MITCH McCONNELL TODAY?
>> WELL, I COULD TALK TO HIM.
LOOK, I THINK WE NEED A COVID-4
FOR A LOT OF REASONS.
ONE REASON IS WE HAVE TO DEAL
WITH THE IMMEDIATE.
WE’RE NOT GOING TO SOLVE THE
ECONOMIC CRISIS UNTIL WE SOLVE
THE HEALTH CRISIS BUT WE HAVEN’T
SOFRLD THAT
SOFRLD THAT SOLVED THAT AND THERE ARE LOTS
OF HOLES WE WILL HAVE TO FILL WE
MAY NOT KNOW TODAY, SO WE NEED
IT.
IT. BUT WE HAVE TO GET OUR ECONOMY
GOING LONG-RANGE.
GOING LONG-RANGE. I HAVE SPOKEN TO A LOT OF THE
ECONOMIC EXPERTS AND THEY THINK
EVEN AFTER, GOD WILLING, WE HAVE
ERASED COVID FOR THE TIME BEING,
THE ECONOMY IS GOING TO TAKE A
LONG TIME TO RECOVER.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOMETHING
LIKE AN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL,
THAT’S FOR THE LONG TERM.
BUT IN COVID FOUR, WE STILL WILL
HAVE TO FOCUS ON THE HEALTH
CRISIS.
CRISIS. YOU KNOW, I HOPE WE CAN GET, FOR
INSTANCE, HAZARD PAY ENACTED
RETROACTIVELY FOR ALL OF THE
BRAVE NURSES AND DOCTORS AND
HEALTH WORKERS WHO ARE GOING AND
RISKING THEIR LIVES AND MAKE
THAT MANDATORY IN THE -- IN THE
COVID FOUR.
COVID FOUR. BUT THERE ARE ALSO GOING TO BE
LONG-TERM THINGS.
LONG-TERM THINGS. I THINK WE HAVE TO DO IT, AND I
HOPE THAT LEADER McCONNELL WILL
SEED THE LIGHT.
HE’S BEEN RELUCTANT TO CROSS THE
BOARD.
BOARD. WHEN WE WANTED UNEMPLOYMENT ON
STEROIDS HE SAID NO INITIALLY.
WHEN WE WANTED TO HAVE STATE AND
LOCAL RELIEF TO THE GOVERNMENTS,
HE SAID NO.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE PUSHED.
WE DIDN’T LET HIM HAVE HIS WAY
WHEN WE VOTED NO, AND THEN IT
PASSED 96-0, WHICH SHOWED THE
CONGRESS, DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
COMING TOGETHER.
COMING TOGETHER. I HOPE THAT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN
AND HE WILL SEE THE LIGHT.
>> ALL RIGHT.