THE CORONAVIRUS RELIEF BILL.
MILLIONS OF AMERICANS ARE
STRUGGLING WITH THE ECONOMIC
CRUNCH OF THE COVID CRISIS.
ELENA LATIN WAS HELD OFF FROM
HER JOB AT A CAR DEALERSHIP IN
MAY.
SHE WAS JUST SERVED AN EVICTION
NOTICE AT HER TEXAS HOME.
SHE SAYS SHE’S APPLIED FOR JOBS
BUT NOTHING HAS PANNED OUT.
>> STRESSED.
WORRIED.
I CAN’T PUT IT INTO WORDS, I’VE
NEVER BEEN IN THIS POSITION AT
ALL, EVER.
>> JOINING ME NOW IS SHAUN
DONOVAN, FORMER SECRETARY OF
HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
AND THE FORMER DIRECTOR OF
MANAGEMENT AND MUJTBUDGET IN THE
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AND BOB
ZOELLICK, HIS NEW BOOK IS
"AMERICA IN THE WORLD: A HISTORY
OF U.S. DIPLOMACY AND FOREIGN
POLICY."
SEAN, FIRST, WE JUST HEARD FROM
A SINGLE MOTHER IN TEXAS, SHE
GOT AN EVICTION NOTICE.
THERE’S GOING TO BE A 3:30
MEETING AMONG THE NEGOTIATORS
BUT THERE ARE DIVISIONS ON ALL
SIDES.
WHAT ABOUT THE HOUSING
INSTABILITY THAT ALL OF THIS IS
CAUSING, AND PUTTING PEOPLE OUT
IN THE STREETS, POTENTIALLY,
HAVING THEM MOVE IN WITH
RELATIVES, OLDER RELATIVES?
WE’RE SPREADING THE VIRUS,
POTENTIALLY, AS THESE PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO BE EVICTED.
>> ABSOLUTELY, ANDREA.
AND IT’S GREAT TO BE WITH YOU,
GREAT TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
LOOK, WE KNOW SHAH NEARLY ONE IN
THREE AMERICANS THESE LAST FEW
MONTHS IS UNABLE TO PAY THEIR
FULL RENT OR THEIR FULL
MORTGAGE.
THIS IS NOT JUST ONE PERSON IN
TEXAS.
THIS IS WIDESPREAD ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
AND IT IS ABSOLUTELY URGENT.
WE JUST HAD AN EXPIRATION OF THE
FEDERAL MORATORIUM ON EVIX S VIX
THERE ARE MANY STATES THAT
FOLLOWED SUIT LIKE TEXAS AND THE
BENEFITS ARE EXPIRING.
WE KNOW, AS YOU SAID, IF SOMEONE
IS EVICTED, ENDS UP IN A
HOMELESS SHELTER, ENDS UP
OVERCROWDED WITH RELATIVES,
THEY’RE PUTTING THEMSELVES AND
THEIR NEIGHBORS AT RISK OF
SPREADING THE VIRUS.
SO THIS IS ABSOLUTELY THE WRONG
TIME TO BE PULLING BACK ON
ASSISTANCE.
WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE AND WE
NEED TO DO MORE ON HOUSING AS
WELL.
>> BOB, AS SOMEONE WHO HAS LED
GLOBALLY AND ALSO IN PREVIOUS
ADMINISTRATIONS, WHAT CAN
CONGRESS DO AS THEY ARE SO
DIVIDED RIGHT NOW, PARALYZED,
ALMOST, EVEN AS BOTH
CONSERVATIVES AND MORE LIBERAL,
MORE PROGRESSIVE ECONOMISTS SAY
THIS IS THE TIME TO DO SOMETHING
AND GET THE ECONOMY GOING RATHER
THAN CUTTING BACK ON AID FOR
THESE PEOPLE BECAUSE THERE ARE
NO JOBS AVAILABLE?
>> FIRST, IT’S GOOD TO BE WITH
YOU, ANDREA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH
FOR HAVING ME.
I THINK FOR THE REASON THAT YOUR
REPORT AND SHAUN MENTIONED, THE
PRESSURE WILL BUILD HERE AND IT
WILL BUILD VERY FAST.
WHAT’S HELD IT UP IN PART IS
TRUMP’S STYLE MAKES IT UNCLEAR
REALLY WHO HAS GOT AUTHORITY TO
NEGOTIATE AT THE WHITE HOUSE
LEVEL.
AND THEN HIS SINKING POLLS HAVE
PROBABLY LED TO FRAGMENTATION ON
THE REPUBLICAN SIDE.
SO McCONNELL IN THE SENATE HAS
PROBABLY GET LESS OF AN ABILITY
TO GET TOGETHER HIS TROOPS.
HOWEVER I THINK THE ELECTION
WILL FORCE PEOPLE TO RECOGNIZE
THEY NEED TO DO SOMETHING.
BUT I THINK ONE OTHER POINT I
DRAW TO YOUR ATTENTION IS THAT I
THINK THE HUGE FISCAL AND
MONITOR RESPONSE THAT WE HAD AT
THE START MISLED SOME PEOPLE.
THEY KIND OF THOUGHT WE WERE ON
THE ROAD TO RECOVERY.
AND WHAT THIS INCIDENT SHOULD
SHOW IS THAT WAS A BRIDGE.
IT WAS A BRIDGE TO SOME
REBUILDING OF CONFIDENCE THAT’S
PROBABLY GOING TO REQUIRE