>>> WHAT WE HAD WAS A GREAT,
RESPECTFUL AND EVENINFORMATIVE
CONVERSATION WE HAD AND IT WAS
THE START OF A GOOD
RELATIONSHIP.
IT REALLY WAS.
>> JOE MANCHIN WOULD NOT SAY HIS MIND WAS CHANGED AFTER THE
MIND WAS CHANGED AFTER THE
MEETING WITH CIVIL RIGHTS
LEADERS.
MANCHIN HAS CALLED FOR AN
ELUSIVE BIPARTISAN SOLUTION AND
MADE IT CLEAR HE FAVORS THE
NARROWER HOUSE ELECTRICITITION
KNOWN AS THE JUNEOHN LEWIS ACT.
NANCY PELOSI SAID THE PARTY WILL
PROCEED WITH BOTH BILLS, WRITING
IN A LETTER TO COLLEAGUES THAT
THEY ARE NOT SUBSTITUTES FOR ONE
ANOTHER.
JOINING US NOW ARE THE PRESIDENT
OF NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK AND
THE HOST OF MSNBCS "POLITICS
NATION," REVEREND SHARPTON, AND
WELL START WITH YOU.
WHAT WAS YOUR MESSAGE FOR THE
SENATOR TODAY AND DID YOU
ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU SET OUT TO
DO?
>> WELL, I THINK THAT THIS
MEETING WAS SET UP BEFORE THE
OP-ED PIECE THAT SENATOR MANCHIN
WROTE SAYING HE WAS AGAINST
SENATE BILL 1, BECAUSE WE WANTED
TO TALK ABOUT THE VOTING RIGHTS
BILL, WHICH IS SENATE BILL 1 AND
THE JOHN LEWIS BILL COMING
THROUGH THE HOUSE, AND THE
GEORGE FLOYD JUSTICE AND
POLICING ACT.
WE TALKED ABOUT ALL THREE.
CLEARLY THE SENATOR DID NOT
COMMIT THAT HE WAS GOING TO
CHANGE HIS NOW PUBLIC VIEW ON
SENATE BILL 1.
WE CHALLENGED THAT.
WE GAVE HIM THE HISTORY OF THE
RACIST HISTORY OF THE FILIBUSTER
AND HOW WE SHOULD DEAL WITH
THAT, AND IT LAID OUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF OUR VOTE.
I BROUGHT UP ABOUT THE GEORGE
FLOYD JUSTICE AND POLICING ACT
AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
VOTING, AND THE PEOPLE THAT DIED
WITH FIGHT FOR THE RIGHT TO
VOTE, AND HE DID COMMIT HE WOULD
SUPPORT THE GEORGE FLOYD JUSTICE
AND POLICING ACT.
>> DID YOU GET THE SENSE THERES
ANY MOVEMENT THAT MANCHIN WOULD
BE WILLING TO MAKE IN THE COMING
WEEKS AND MONTHS?
HES WRITTEN AN OP-ED, AND HE
ARTICULATED WORK HE STANDS ON,
AND HE SAID THIS IS THE
BEGINNING OF A RELATIONSHIP.
DO YOU THINK FUTURE ENGAGEMENT
WOULD MOVE THE NEEDLE WITH HIM
AT ALL?
>> WE ARE COMMITTED TO FUTURE
ENGAGEMENT AND TO MOVING THE
NEEDLE, AND IT WAS A PRODUCTIVE
CONVERSATION.
IN THE FIRST CONVERSATION BY US
WITH JOE MANCHIN AS THE LEADING
CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS IN
THIS NATION.
WE WENT IN UNDERSTANDING THERE
WOULD BE DIFFERENCES ON HOW TO
GET WHAT I THINK ARE SOME SHARED
GOALS, AND WE DIDNT WALK IN
WITH ANY EXPECTATION THAT THIS
ONE MEETING WOULD RESOLVE OR, IF
YOU WILL, IDENTIFY A PATHWAY
FORWARD, BUT WE ARE GOING TO
MEET WITH HIM AGAIN.
WE ARE NOT GOING TO GIVE UP.
WERE NOT GOING TO GIVE IN ON
THE IDEA OF THE NOTION OF THE
NECESSITY OF S-1, THE PEOPLES
ACT, AND THE JOHN LEWIS BILL AND
THE GEORGE FLOYD JUSTICE AND
POLICING ACT.
THESE BILLS, ALL THREE OF THEM
HAVE WIDE SUPPORT AMONG THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE, SIGNIFICANT
POLLING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE
AISLE IN ALL REGIONS OF THE
COUNTRY, AMONG ALL AGES AND
RACES SUPPORT THE BILL.
WHILE THERES A DISCUSSION OF
BIPARTISANSHIP IN THE SENATE OF
THE UNITED STATES, AND WHAT IS
CLEAR THERES A BIPARTISAN
COALITION OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
THAT WANTS TO SEE THESE THINGS
HAPPEN.
>> IM TOLD THAT SENATOR MITCH
McCONNELL AT HIS WEEKLY PRESS
CONFERENCE JUST NOW AS WE HAVE
BEEN SPEAKING, HE SAID HE DOES
NOT SUPPORT THE JOHN LEWIS
VOTING RIGHTS ACT BILL.
THAT SUGGESTS TO ME, REVEREND
AL, IF YOU HAVE DEMOCRATS THAT
DONT SUPPORT BLOWING UP THE
FILIBUSTER, AND ONLY REPUBLICAN
I KNOW THAT WILL SUPPORT THAT
ACT, THERES NO WAY TO GET TO 60
VOTES ON THE PIECE OF
LEGISLATION SHOULD IT COME TO
THE LEGISLATURE.
SO WHAT, THEN, IS THE BACKUP
PLAN?
>> THATS WHY I THINK ITS
IMPORTANT THAT SENATOR MANCHIN
SAID HE WANTS TO KEEP TALKING
AND HELL BE BACK IN TOUCH
BEFORE THE WEEK IS OUT, BECAUSE
THE BACKUP HAS TO BE LAID BEFORE
THE DEMOCRATS, INCLUDING SENATOR
MANCHIN AND YOU WILL HAVE TO GO
AND GET SOME REPUBLICANS SINCE
YOU INSIST ON BIPARTISANSHIP,
AND IT CLEARLY SEEMS LIKE THEY
DO NOT ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE
WANT TO BE BIPARTISAN, OR YOU
ARE GOING TO HAVE TO AGREE, AT
LEAST IN THESE TWO OR THREE
BILLS TO DO WHAT YOU HAVE DONE
IN OTHER SINGULAR BILLS, AND
THEN YOU SAY FOR THIS WE ARE
GOING FOR THE MAJORITY VOTE,
WHICH IF ALL 50 DEMOCRATS ARE
THERE AND YOU BREAK THE TIE WITH
VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS, YOU CAN
GET IT THROUGH.
WE HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE, AND IF
YOU CANT GET RID OF THE
FILIBUSTER, CAN YOU AGREE THAT
THESE BILLS WILL BE PUT ASIDE
AND VOTE ON THE LINES OF A
MAJORITY VOTE, WHICH HAS
HAPPENED.
>> I WANT TO SAY THIS, JEFF, AND
THIS IS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE YOU
JUST SHARED WITH US WHAT MITCH
McCONNELL SAID THIS MORNING.
THIS IS A BETRAYAL AND REVERSAL
BY MITCH McCONNELL WHO HAS
SUPPORTED THE EXTENSION OF THE
VOTING RIGHTS ACT IN THE PAST.
HE HAS PRIDED HIMSELF IN
CONVERSATIONS WITH ME THAT HES
NEVER CAST A VOTE AGAINST A
MAJOR CIVIL RIGHTS BILL.
NOW, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT
DEVELOPMENT AND I BELIEVE YOUR
REPORTER SHOULD ASK SENATOR
McCONNELL WHY IS IT NOW IN THIS
STAGE OF HIS CAREER WITH THE
CHALLENGES IN THE COUNTRY THAT
HE WOULD REVERSE COURSE HAVING
SUPPORTED THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT
EXTENSION THE LAST TIME IT CAME
UP, WHY HE WOULD CHANGE COURSE
AND NOT SUPPORT IT NOW?
YOU SEE, THIS IS WHAT IS
IMPORTANT.
HE IS SENDING A SIGNAL THAT HES
NOT INTERESTED IN
BIPARTISANSHIP.
HES NOT INTERESTED IN WORKING,
IF YOU WILL, TO FIND SOLUTIONS
TO DIFFICULT PROBLEMS.
SO WERE GOING TO -- THIS IS NOT
EASY, JEFF.
THIS IS A TOUGH SLEDDING IN THE
UNITED STATES SENATE.
BUT THE CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERSHIP
OF THE NATION, WERE NOT GOING
TO TAKE A BACKSEAT IN THIS WORK
AND IN THIS FIGHT.
WERE GOING TO MEET AND WERE
GOING TO DISCUSS AND WERE GOING
TO PRESS OUR CASE WITH ANYONE,
ANYWHERE AT ANYTIME BECAUSE ITS
THAT CRUCIAL FOR THE FUTURE OF
THIS COUNTRY.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
CEO OF THE NATIONAL URBAN