♪ >> STEPHEN: HEY, EVERYBODY.
MY GUEST TONIGHT IS THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
I PUT ON A TIE.
PLEASE WELCOME SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI!
MADAM SPEAKER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> I WOULD SAY MY PLEASURE,ER BUT NOT UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
>> Stephen: EXACTLY.
AND I ACTUALLY MISSPOKE.
YOU'RE NOT HERE.
YOU'RE THERE.
THANK YOU FOR BEING THERE.
YOU'RE AT THE HOUSE RIGHT NOW, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
>> WELL, I'M IN THE SENATE BUILDING.
THAT'S WHERE YOUR CAMERAS ARE, BUT I AM AT THE CAPITOL OF THE
UNITED STATES, YES.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
I KNOW YOU'RE THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, BUT SHOULDN'T YOU BE
SPEAKER OF THE HOME RIGHT NOW?
WHY ARE YOU STILL IN WASHINGTON?
WHY AREN'T YOU HUNKERED DOWN?
>> WELL, WE ARE WORKING CONSTANTLY TO PREPARE FOR OUR
NEXT BILL BUT TO MAKE SURE THE LEGISLATION PASSED BY THE
PRESIDENT ON FRIDAY IS FULLY IMPLEMENTED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF
AMERICA'S WORKING FAMILIES.
WE JUST HAVE A FULL AGENDA.
>> Stephen: SPEAKER, YOU REPRESENT THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY
AREA.
HOW ARE YOUR DISTRICT DOING RIGHT NOW?
>> WELL, THANKS TO OUR MAYOR, HE'S DEMONSTRATED TREMENDOUS
LEADERSHIP AND OUR GREAT GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM AND
ELECTED OFFICIALS THROUGHOUT OUR STATE, WE ARE, AGAIN, TRYING TO
CONTAIN THE SPREAD OF THIS.
IT'S A TERRIBLE THING.
BUT EVERYBODY HAS A SENSE OF COMMUNITY, WHICH IS REALLY
IMPORTANT.
BUT THEY HAVE TREMENDOUS NEEDS, AND THAT'S WHY WE WANT THE
PRESIDENT TO IMPLEMENT THE DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT SO WE CAN
MEET THE NEEDS TO HAVE THE WORKERS TO PROTECT THEMSELVES
AND THE PATIENTS TO HAVE THE VENTILATORS AND WHATEVER ELSE
THEY NEED.
SO THEY, ARE SHALL WE SAY, CRYING OUT FOR WHAT IS NECESSARY
TO FIGHT THE VIRUS.
BUT I'M PROUD OF THEM.
>> Stephen: WELL, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE $2 TRILLION
FEDERAL AID THAT CONGRESS PASSED LAST WEEK.
ARE THERE GOING TO BE STRINGS ATTACHED?
WE HAD HEARD THAT THERE WAS SOME CONCERN THAT THERE WEREN'T
SUFFICIENT STRINGS ATTACHED TO THE CORPORATE BAILOUT SIDE OF
THIS.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS MONEY IS GOING TO BE
USED PROPERLY?
>> WELL, WE DO HAVE IN THE LEGISLATION PROVISIONS, BECAUSE
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT LARGE SUMS OF
MONEY GOING OUT WITHOUT CONDITIONS PLACED ON THEM, THAT
RANK RIGHT UP THERE.
BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST, THEY WANT PEOPLE TO GET THEIR
EQUIPMENT, THEY WANT THEMSELVES TO GET THEIR CHECKS, BUT THEN
THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MONEY THAT GOES OUT IS NOT
WITHOUT CONDITIONS, AND WE PLACED VERY STRINGENT CONDITIONS
TO INDUSTRIES THAT WERE RECEIVING THE MONEY, THAT THEY
PUT WORKERS FIRST, THAT THEY, FOR EXAMPLE IN THE AIRLINE
INDUSTRY, THAT THE WORKERS WOULD REMAIN ON THE PAYROLL, AND THAT
WAS A CONDITION FOR GETTING CERTAIN GRANTS OF MONEY.
OTHER LOANS THAT THEY GOT HAD OTHER CONDITIONS ABOUT NO
BUYOUTS, NOTIVE DEPENDS, NO C.E.O. PAY, EXORBITANT, THOSE
KINDS OF CONDITIONS.
THAT BURNS PEOPLE OUT, THEY GET VERY ANGRY AND THEY SAW A GOOD
DEAL OF THAT IN PREVIOUS SITUATIONS.
SO WE HAVE PROVISIONS IN THE DEAL TO DO THAT.
IN THE SIGNING CEREMONY, THE PRESIDENT TOOK IT UPON HIMSELF
TO SAY HE WASN'T GOING TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR OBEY ANY OF THAT,
AND THAT WAS MOST DISAPPOINTING.
BUT, AGAIN, TRANSPARENT -- >> Stephen: I'M AFRAID WITH
ALL THE NEWS GOING OUT THERE I DID NOT HEAR THAT PART OF IT,
THAT THE PRESIDENT SAID HE'S ACTUALLY NOT GOING TO ABIDE BY
THE RULES IN THE BAILOUT THAT HOLDS THE COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE?
>> NOT ONLY DID HE SAY IT, HE ISSUED A SIGNING STATEMENT THAT
MADE THOSE DECLARATIONS, THAT HE WOULD BE THE OVERSIGHT OF ALL OF
THIS, AND THAT -- IT WAS A VERY SAD AND FRIGHTENING THOUGHT THAT
THE PRESIDENT WOULD BE THE OVERSIGHT FOR THAT, BUT THAT'S
THE FIGHT WE HAVE.
>> Stephen: PEOPLE HAVE CALLED THIS SOMETHING AKIN TO WORLD
WAR II, THE BASIC -- THE MOBILIZATION THAT IS NEEDED TO
FIGHT THIS VIRUS.
TELL ME ABOUT THE TRUMAN COMMISSION.
THAT WAS USED IN WORLD WAR II BY HARRY TRUMAN TO HOLD CORPORATE
LEADERS TO ACCOUNT SO THEY DIDN'T WAR PROFITEER.
CAN WE DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT?
>> YES, WE CAN, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR KNOWLEDGE ON THAT SUBJECT.
WHEN HE WAS A SENATOR, THEN SENATOR TRUMAN INTRODUCED THE
IDEA OF HAVING THIS COMMITTEE.
IT WAS LATER KNOWN AS THE TRUMAN COMMITTEE, BUT THAT WASN'T ITS
ORIGINAL NAME.
AND THE REASON HE PUT IT FORTH WAS TO SAY, AFTER WORLD WAR I,
THERE WERE 116 INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEES TO SEE HOW THE MONEY
WAS SPENT AND WHAT WENT WRONG, OR WHATEVER.
WHAT HE WAS SAYING IS RATHER THAN 116 AFTER THE FACT, I WANT
ONE DURING THE FACT, AND IT WAS LESS THAN A MILLION DOLLARS
SPENT TO SAVE $15 BILLION AND LIVES, WHICH WAS ITS PURPOSE,
WHICH HE SAID, AND WE GOT THE JOB DONE.
SO USING THAT AS A MODEL, I, TODAY, INTRODUCED A HOUSE --
THIS IS A HOUSE SELECT COMMITTEE TO COMBAT THE CORONAVIRUS, AND
IT IS MODELED AFTER THAT TO SAY, IN THE HERE AND NOW, HOW WE GO
FORWARD HAS TO HAVE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
ANY PROFITEERING AND WASTE, FRAUD, ABUSE AND ALL THE REST,
WE WANT TO ADDRESS IN THE HERE AND NOW.
>> Stephen: WELL, GOOD LUCK WITH THAT COMMISSION BECAUSE I
THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT ANYONE WHO IS RECEIVING THIS
MONEY, ANY CORPORATIONS KNOW THAT IT HAS TO GO TO THE
PURPOSES OF FIGHTING THIS VIRUS AND SUPPORTING THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE BECAUSE WE ARE FACING AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS RIGHT NOW,
AND THEY HAVE TO KNOW THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE CONSEQUENCES
IF THEY MISUSE THE FUNDS THAT ARE GIVEN.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.
I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE NATIONAL STAY-AT-HOME ORDER FROM
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
IT HASN'T HAPPENED YET.
DO YOU THINK THE PRESIDENT SHOULD ORDER ONE?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, IT WORKS, AND WE SEE IT WORKING AROUND THE
COUNTRY, AND I HATE TO EVEN THINK OF HOW MUCH WORSE THIS
WOULD BE WITHOUT IT.
AND WHY THE PRESIDENT DOESN'T DO THE DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT, WHY
HE DOESN'T CALL FOR EVERYONE, YOU WILL HAVE TO ASK HIM ABOUT
THAT, BUT IT IS CURIOUS TO HEAR SOME OF THE -- I DON'T KNOW IF
YOU WILL CALL IT RATIONALE OF SOME OF THE GOVERNORS WHO HAVE
NOT IMPLEMENTED THIS.
NOT ONLY IS IT HARMFUL TO THEIR OWN PEOPLE, BUT, AGAIN, IT
CONTRIBUTES TO THE SPREAD OF VIRUS, WHICH IS HARMFUL TO
EVERYONE.
WE'RE UP TO 90% OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE SHELTERING IN PLACE OR
OTHER STAY-AT-HOME INITIATIVES.
IT SHOULD BE 100%.
THIS IS A TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE ASSAULT ON THE LIVES AND THE
LIVELIHOOD OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, AND WE HAVE TO ALL --
WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER, LET'S GET IT DONE, BUT NOT HAVE
SOME PEOPLE SAY IT'S A CALIFORNIA PROBLEM, IT'S A
NEW YORK PROBLEM.
NO, IT'S -- WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
IT'S HARD TO UNDERSTAND WHY, BUT, AGAIN, IT'S HARD TO
UNDERSTAND WHY MITCH McCONNELL IS SAYING WE DON'T NEED ANY MORE
MONEY WHEN THE STATES ARE BEGGING FOR IT, THE HOSPITALS
ARE BEGGING FOR IT, THE EQUIPMENT IS NEEDED TO HELP SAVE
LVES, THE EQUIPMENT IS NEEDED TO PROTECT OUR WORKERS.
WE HAVE SO MUCH MORE WE NEED TO DO, AND MAYBE HE DOESN'T
UNDERSTAND THE GRAVITY OF THE PROBLEM OR THE PACE AT WHICH IT
IS BEING SPREAD, BUT WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS
SO THAT, AS I SAID, DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS, GOVERNORS AND
MAYORS ARE ALL CALLING FOR THIS.
WE HOPE THAT MITCH McCONNELL WILL AWAKEN TO THAT.
>> Stephen: NOW, 15 STATES HAVE DELAYED THEIR PRIMARIES SO
FAR.
HOW SHOULD DEMOCRACY WORK WHILE WE'RE ALL STAYING AT HOME, WHILE
WE'RE QUARANTINING?
>> WELL, WE PUT A BIG EFFORT IN ORDER TO PROMOTE DEMOCRACY,
WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT HERE, AND REMOVE OBSTACLES TO
PARTICIPATION IN OUR DEMOCRACY.
DEMOCRATS INSISTED ON RESOURCES IN THIS BILL LAST WEEK, WE HAD
$400 MILLION TO PROMOTE VOTING BY MAIL, DIRECT, ALL OF THAT.
HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT NEARLY ENOUGH.
WE NEED AT LEAST FIVE TIMES THAT MUCH TO MEET THE NEEDS TO
PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF OUR ELECTION CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
AS WELL AS TO PROMOTE VOTING BY MAIL.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL AT THIS TIME.
THE PRESIDENT SAID -- IMAGINE THAT HE SAID, IF WE SUPPORT VOTE
BY MAIL, NO REPUBLICANS WILL EVER BE ELECTED.
WELL, I THINK HE SHOULD HAVE MORE CONFIDENCE IN THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY, AND I THINK THE REPUBLICAN PARTY SHOULD TAKE
BACK ITS PARTY, BUT THAT'S A WHOLE OTHER CONVERSATION.
REPUBLICANS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN VERY GOOD ABOUT VOTING BY MAIL.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT AS A FORMER STATE CHAIR OF THE CALIFORNIA
DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
SO FOR HIM TO SAY WE'LL NEVER WIN ANOTHER ELECTION, THEREFORE,
WE ARE NOT GOING TO SUPPORT VOTE BY MAIL, IS SO UNDERMINING OF
WHAT OUR FOUNDERS HAD IN MIND ABOUT FULL PARTICIPATION.
SO IN THIS NEXT BILL, WE HOPE TO GET MORE RESOURCES TO VOTE BY
MAIL.
IF YOU'RE DOING THAT, YOU HAVE TO HAVE FUNDS FOR THE POSTAL
SERVICE AS WELL, WHICH HE HAS OBJECTED TO.
>> Stephen: MADAM SPEAKER, A LOT OF AMERICANS, THEY'RE
ANXIOUS, THEY'RE CONFUSED, THEY'RE SCARED.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ARE WORRIED ABOUT
WHEN THIS IS ALL GOING TO END?
>> WELL, GOD BLESS THEM.
GOD BLESS THEM FOR -- I THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE -- OUR
COUNTRY HAS A HEART FULL OF LOVE.
PEOPLE HAVE A SENSE OF COMMUNITY THAT IS THE SPIRIT OF AMERICA,
DESPITE OUR DIFFERENCES.
WE LOVE OUR COUNTRY, ALL OF US.
AND, SO, FOR THOSE, ALL OF US, WHO ARE -- INCLUDING YOU -- WHO
ARE CONFINED AT HOME, I'M ALWAYS A BELIEVER IN PRAYER, AS I KNOW
YOU ARE AS WELL.
SO WE PRAY THAT THERE WILL BE A CURE.
SO WHAT I WOULD SAY TO THOSE FOLKS, UNDERSTAND THAT, DESPITE
THE CHALLENGE, THE BEST MINDS IN THE COUNTRY ARE 24-7 ALL HANDS
ON DECK TRYING TO FIND A CURE, AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL BE SOON.
AGAIN, I SAID TO PEOPLE, WASH YOUR HANDS, HYDRATE, PRAY AND
YOU CAN NEVER DANCE TOO MUCH.
JUST TRY -- JUST KEEP MOVING AND ENJOYING FAMILY IN THE WAY THAT
WE CAN NOW.
BUT UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS CAN NOT BE THE NEW NORMAL.
BETTER THINGS ARE AHEAD FOR US.
>> Stephen: MADAM SPEAKER, I WANT TO LET YOU GO, I KNOW YOU
HAVE A LOT TO DO.
BEFORE YOU GO, HOW ARE YOU DEALING WITH THE ANXIETY
YOURSELF.
YOU'RE KNOWN TO BE A CHOCOLATE CONNOISSEUR.
HOW HARD ARE YOU HITTING THE CHOCOLATE BAR.
>> THE CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM, WHATEVER IT IS, IT'S AN
IMPORTANT PART OF -- >> Stephen: DO YOU RECOMMEND
CHOCOLATE AS TREATMENT FOR ANXIETY?
>> VERY DAK, IN MY CASE.
VERY DARK, CHOCOLATE.
AAIN, IT'S GOOD FOR YOU.
SOMEBODY TOLD ME IT'S GOOD FOR YOUR TEETH.
I BELIEVE THAT.
I DON'T KNOW.
IN ANY EVENT, WHATEVER IT IS, EVERYONE HAS HIS OR HER OWN
COMFORT.
AND DON'T HESITATE TO ENJOY OR REST AND FEEL THAT YOU SHOULD
WORKING ALL THE TIME.
I ALWAYS SAY TO MY MEMBERS THAT RECREATE AND RE-CREATE ARE THE
SAME WORD.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECREATE TO RELAX SO YOU'RE STRONG, AND
RE-CREATE FOR THE FIGHT AHEAD.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
YOU HEARD HER, AMERICA -- PLEASURE IS GOOD RIGHT NOW.
THE SPEAKER SAYS DON'T FORGET TO PLEASURE YOURSELF.
OKAY.
>> NOT QUITE.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU SO MUCH, MADAM SPEAKER.
>> THANK YOU.
NICE TO BE WITH YOU.
>> Stephen: NANCY PELOSI, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH ALICIA KEYS.
♪