>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WE'RE HERE WITH BERNIE SANDERS
IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW FOLLOWING HIS SUSPECS OF HIS
CAMPAIGN THIS AFTERNOON.
SENATOR, THANKS AGAIN FOR BEING HERE.
I-- HERE'S MY NEXT QUESTION: GIVEN THE UNPRECEDENTED CRISIS
THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW, WHAT DO YOU THINK, AS A SENATOR-- AS YOU
SAID, YOU'RE NOT GOING AWAY-- WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU AND YOUR
COLLEAGUES IN CONGRESS SHOULD DO NEXT?
WHAT IS THE NEXT BIT OF LEGISLATION?
>> ALL RIGHT, THIS IS WHAT I THINK.
I THINK FROM THE HEALTH CARE PERSPECTIVE, WE NEED TO FORCE
THE PRESIDENT TO USE THE DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT TO PRODUCE
EVERYTHING THAT OUR DOCTORS, OUR NURSES, OUR MEDICAL PERSONAL
NEED.
>> Stephen: CAN HE USE THAT TO ACTUALLY STOP PRICE GOUGING?
>> YES.
>> Stephen: BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE STATES ARE COMPETING AGAINST
EACH OTHER FOR VENTILATORS, AND THEN FEMA SWEEPSES IN AND THEY
TRY TO-- THEY RAISE THE PRICE BY BIDDING AND OTHER COUNTRIES BID.
CAN THERE BE A SET, FAIR PRICE?
>> ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY THEY CAN.
AND THIS IS AN EMERGENCY.
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED DURING WORLD WAR II, YOU KNOW, FORD AND
GENERAL MOTORS STOPPED MAKING CARS AND THEY STARTED MAKING
TANKS.
RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE NEED IS TO MAKE THE MASKS, TO MAKE THE
VENTILATORS, TO MAKE THE GOWNS, TO MAKE ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT AND
PRODUCTS THAT OUR MEDICAL PEOPLE NEED.
THAT IS NUMBER ONE.
NUMBER TWO, I HAPPEN TO BELIEVE THAT IN THE ECONOMIC CRISE,
WHERE WE'RE SEEING JUST IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, OFFICIALLY, 10
MILLION PEOPLE APPLIED FOR UNEMPLOYMENT, BUT THE NUMBER OF
PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR JOBS I BELIEVE IS A LOT HIGHER THAN
THAT, THAT THE EASIEST APPROACH, THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE
APPROACH, IF YOU LIKE, IS SIMPLY TO DO WHAT MANY EUROPEAN
COUNTRIES ARE DOING AND SAYING, "YOU KNOW WHAT?
WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE THE PAYCHECK THAT YOU GOT BEFORE YOU
WERE LAID OFF."
NOW, WE DID THAT WITHIN THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY.
IN THAT LAST BILL, WE TOLD TWO MILLION WORKERS IN THE AIRLINE
INDUSTRY-- AND THAT INDUSTRY, OBVIOUSLY, HAS BEEN DECIMATED BY
THIS CRISE-- WE TOLD TWO MILLION WORKERS, "YOU WILL CONTINUE TO
GET YOUR PAYCHECK FOR SIX MONTHS IF THE CRISIS LASTS THAT LONG."
I THINK WE SHOULD DO THAT FOR EVERY WORKER IN AMERICA.
AND I THINK THAT IS, FRANKLY, THE EASIEST, LESS-BUREAUCRATIC
WAY TO GET MONEY OUT TO PEOPLE TO EASE THE STRESS THAT SO MANY
PEOPLE ARE FEELING RIGHT NOW.
THERE ARE PEOPLE-- MILLIONS OF FAMILIES IN AMERICA TODAY,
STEPHEN, THAT ARE WORRIED ABOUT HOW THEY'RE GOING TO FEED THEIR
KIDS TOMORROW, HOW THEY'RE GOING TO PAY THEIR RENT, HOW THEY'RE
GOING TO PAY THEIR MORTGAGE, HOW THEY'RE GOING TO KEEP THEIR CAR.
AND I THINK IF WE CAN SAY TO THOSE PEOPLE, "YOU'RE GOING TO
CONTINUE TO GET YOUR PAYCHECK," THAT WILL BE THE RIGHT THING TO
DO ECONOMICALLY, AND CERTAINLY MAKE MILLIONS OF AMERICANS
BREATHE A CIPH RELIEF.
>> Stephen: NOW, YESTERDAY WAS THE PRIMARY IN WISCONSIN, WHICH
WAS A COMPLETE MESS.
GIVEN WHAT WE SAW YESTERDAY, HOW IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP THE
POLLING STATIONS OPEN WITHOUT ENDANGERING THE POLL WORKERS,
HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A SMOOTH ELECTION IN NOVEMBER?
>> WELL, WHAT I SAW YESTERDAY IN WISCONSIN WAS UNBELIEVABLE.
IT WAS PROBABLY THE UGLIEST THING THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN FROM
A POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE IN MY LIFE.
BECAUSE WHAT THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN WERE FORCED
TO DO IS TO LITERALLY PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE, TO WAIT ON
LINE IN ORDER TO CAST A BALLOT.
AND I AM-- YOU KNOW, WHAT THE REPUBLICANS DID, THE GOVERNOR
THERE TRIED TO DO THE RIGHT THING, TRIED TO DLAIT ELECTION,
REPUBLICANS, FOR THEIR OWN-- I GUESS THEIR OWN PERCEIVED
POLITICAL GAINS-- FORCED THAT ELECTION TO GO FORWARD.
AND THEY GOT A RIGHT-WING SUPREME COURT THERE THAT OKAYED
WHAT THEY DID.
SO I THINKUE KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE WORLD IS GOING TO LOOK
LIKE IN NOVEMBER.
NOBODY DOES.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT I AND MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES ARE
WORKING AS HARD AS WE CAN TO COME UP WITH THE MONEY AND THE
LAW TO MAKE SURE THAT IN NOVEMBER, IF IT IS NECESSARY,
THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE CAN VOTE BY PAPER BALLOT.
AND I WILL TELL YOU-- AND IT DOESN'T GIVE ME ANY PLEASURE TO
TELL YOU THIS.
YOU WOULD THINK THAT'S KIND OF A NO-BRAINER.
YEAH, OF COURSE YOU DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE
LINE TO HAVE TO GO OUT AND VOTE IN PERSON.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT THERE IS STRONG RESISTANCE COMING FROM
REPUBLICANS.
AND YOU KNOW WHY THAT RESISTANCE IS COMING?
THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THROUGH PAPER BALLOTS, THERE WILL BE A
LARGE VOTER TURNOUT, AND THEY DON'T LIKE LARGE VOTER TURNOUT.
THEY WANT A SMALLER VOTER TURNOUT, BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE
THEIR PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO VOTE THAN LOWER INCOME PEOPLE OR
YOUNG PEOPLE WHO MIGHT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PAPER BALLOT.
AND I THINK THAT'S PRETTY PATHETIC, TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH.
I WOULD HOPE NO MATTER WHAT YOUR POLITICAL VIEW IS YOU DO
EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE
PARTICIPATE IN OUR DEMOCRACY.
>> Stephen: WELL, SENATOR, LAST QUESTION BEFORE I LET YOU
GO, BEFORE YOU MADE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, DID ANYONE NOTIFY
LARRY DAVID?
( LAUGHTER )
THAT HE'S GOING TO LOSE HIS FOUR-YEAR GIG THERE?
I DON'T KNOW.
>> Stephen: I DON'T KNOW.
>> NO.
ACTUALLY, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I JUST TOLD-- JANE AND I JUST
TOLD OUR KIDS THIS MORNING.
SO...
>> Stephen: OKAY.
WELL, LARRY, THIS IS YOUR NOTICE.
SENATOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR WORK IN THE SENATE, IN KEEPING THE TORCH
ALIVE AND HOLDING IT HIGH.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING US THE HONOR OF THE FIRST
INTERVIEW AFTER YOUR ANNOUNCEMENT.
STAY SAFE.
>> THANK YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
YOU KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK AS WELL.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU, SIR.
SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.