Return to Transcripts main page

New Day

Unpaid Federal Workers Speak Out As Government Shutdown Drags On; Senator Bernie Sanders Meets With 2016 Staffers Over Harassment Allegations; CNN Reality Check: Will A Border Wall Stop Drugs From Coming Into The United States?; Inside the General Motors Plant Where Nooses And Whites-Only Signs Hung. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired January 17, 2019 - 07:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:32:47] ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: It is the longest government shutdown in American history, 27 days and counting. Eight hundred thousand federal workers are not getting paid.

Joining us now are two of those workers.

We have Kelli Lightfoot. She's a furloughed federal worker at the Agriculture Department. And, Eric Young. He's a corrections officer currently working without pay. He is also the national president of the American Federation of Government Employees Council of Prison Locals.

So, Eric, I would like to start with you because you are in charge of, as I understand it, 33,000 prison guards or corrections officers around the country.

What is the situation right now with the government shutdown? What's going on in prisons? How is it affecting the prison population?

ERIC YOUNG, FURLOUGHED PRISON CORRECTIONS OFFICER, NATIONAL PRESIDENT, AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES COUNCIL OF PRISON LOCALS: Well, I can tell you right now, we've had a shot over the bow in one of our New York facilities where the lack of staff -- that actually resulted in visitation cancellation. And we've heard that some of the units of the inmates have actually went on a hunger strike, and that is warning signs to us that there's a more looming threat to come.

CAMEROTA: And you have been trying to sound the alarm about the looming threat because you believe that prisoners are getting more stressed. They know that you all -- all of the prison guards -- are strapped.

How is that visible? How is that manifesting itself in prisons?

YOUNG: Well, you -- first of all, you have the inmates watching this show, almost similar to the 90s threat where they was watching the news -- the CNN and also all the major networks -- where the government -- the Congress was actually implementing the crack cocaine law. They actually was watching it as it was being passed and they actually caused many disturbances in our prisons -- actually destroyed many of our facilities.

So, that is the kind of situation that I don't believe that people took into account when they actually shut down the government.

CAMEROTA: Yes. So, I mean, people just aren't thinking about your life and what's going on, and you have to show up for work. And is it true that because you're all so strapped that some people are having to fill in for prison guards, like cooks, and secretaries, and people not trained to do that job?

[07:35:00] YOUNG: That's correct. We have teachers, cooks, administrative staff, whoever, to fill behind our missing correctional officers.

And we've actually been struggling with filling those positions ever since this administration came into existence. They have actually constituted hiring freezes and actually have refused to fill positions even though a bipartisan group of legislators have repeatedly implored the attorney general and also the President of the United States to fill correction officers' positions.

CAMEROTA: OK, this is so good, really, for our viewers and for Americans to know the real-life consequences.

So, Kelli, you're at the Agriculture Department. Tell us your current state of mind. How is this affecting you?

KELLI LIGHTFOOT, FURLOUGHED FEDERAL WORKER, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE: Well, I'd say mostly, I'm just taking every day with a little trepidation, but right now, I'm contained.

CAMEROTA: You have a mortgage, you have a car bill, you have a loan, you have a cable bill --

LIGHTFOOT: Yes.

CAMEROTA: -- you have your phone bill, you have electricity. You haven't been paid. How are you paying those?

LIGHTFOOT: Well, I've been able to make arrangements with most of my creditors who understand the situation. Thank God, I was in good current standing so they were willing to work with me.

For the other bills -- you know, like food, and heat, and electricity, I am living off of my savings right now.

CAMEROTA: So, your stress level, one to 10 is where?

LIGHTFOOT: About eight.

CAMEROTA: Eric, you are the sole breadwinner in your house. You -- your wife is out with an injury. You have three children, one of whom is applying to colleges right now. How is this affecting him?

YOUNG: Well, I mean -- you know, I'm -- like my colleague that's on the news as well, digging out of savings to basically try to cover expenses like registration fees for college tuition.

My son actually went into the Reserves -- just graduated basic training before the holidays and it's very concerning to know that hey, I'm not getting paid any other expenses and it's becoming a problem for us.

CAMEROTA: Yes, I understand.

YOUNG: Yes.

CAMEROTA: I mean, you guys are doing such a service to tell everyone who is not furloughed and not going without a paycheck what kind of a problem it is for your lives.

And so, Eric, what do you want lawmakers and the president to know?

YOUNG: Well, I really want them to understand I'm a government worker and many of my colleagues are from both sides of the aisle, and this is in predominantly all of government.

We come together on behalf of the American people to basically do our bidding for the American people. And we do it every day and we do it proudly for the American people. We're very proud blue-collar workers.

And to know that our -- that the Congress and the president were sent here to compromise -- I have a saying that you can't make compromise with a clenched fist. So, I'm asking them to basically go in a room, do what we do every day for the American people, and put it down for the American people or reach some form of compromise.

And I want them to understand there's a domino effect to everything that they're doing right now and they just really don't know. It's a lot of mom and pop businesses that are being hurt.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

YOUNG: It's a very serious situation.

CAMEROTA: Absolutely, particularly, we're so glad that you're sort of helping us get a window into what's going on with prisons where you think the situation is really tenuous.

And, Kelli, I know that you also think that you're all supposed to be on the same team and this is just really unnecessary.

LIGHTFOOT: Yes.

CAMEROTA: So, we appreciate both of you sharing your personal stories with us today. And, of course, we are following minute-by-minute what's happening.

Eric Young, Kelli Lightfoot, thank you.

YOUNG: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: John --

LIGHTFOOT: Thank you.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: So, is he running? Bernie Sanders has a big choice to make, but will some scandal in his 2016 campaign sway that decision? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:42:53] BERMAN: Senator Bernie Sanders met with a group of former campaign staffers who say they faced sexism and sexual harassment while they worked on his 2016 campaign. That's not the only potential issue that could get in the way of a possible 2020 run.

CNN's Ryan Nobles explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN NOBLES, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Four years ago, Bernie Sanders caught a wave few saw coming.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Welcome to the political revolution.

NOBLES: It was a wave that he rode to millions of Democratic primary votes and more than $230 million in fundraising support which firmly established the now-77-year-old veteran lawmaker as an undeniable political force.

But for Sanders, the environment in 2020 will be much different than it was in 2016. In an already crowded field of potential 2020 candidates, Sanders is no longer the lone clear-eyed progressive candidate.

People such as Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who has formed an exploratory committee, and Sherrod Brown of Ohio, and Jeff Merkley of Oregon, who are considering runs, occupy a similar space and create obstacles in Sanders' once clear path.

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D), MASSACHUSETTS: That's what Bernie and I are fighting for. We're in this fight all the way.

NOBLES: And that's not the only challenge for Bernie 2020. A group of women and men who worked for him in 2016 voiced concerns that the campaign had a serious sexual harassment problem. Sanders met with those accusers but refused to talk about their discussion, describing it as private.

He has promised in the past, though, that if he runs in 2020 things will be different.

SANDERS: I certainly apologize to any woman who felt that she was not treated appropriately. And, of course, if I run, we will do better next time.

NOBLES: Amid the ongoing impact of the #MeToo movement, New Hampshire primary voters like Julie Applestein, wonder if there is room for a second Sanders run.

JULIE APPLESTEIN, VOTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE: I think with the #MeToo movement, especially, it will be something that's going to come up in campaigns and it's going to come up in the 2020 election. So, I don't think that we should run a candidate like that with that much risk.

NOBLES: Sanders has already made changes, implementing new human resources standards for his 2018 reelection bid in Vermont. And, former campaign manager Jeff Weaver will not return to that role if Sanders runs again.

[07:45:03] Despite the stumbles, he still enjoys a loyal following begging him to get back in the race. Last weekend, various groups launched house parties across the country -- more than 400 in all 50 states, as well as Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. An estimated 3,500 people took part according to organizers.

Whether he runs or not remains an open question, but Sanders has made it clear he will only do so if he thinks he can win.

SANDERS: One has got to try to be objective, not subjective, and say OK, do I think I can be the best candidate in helping to turn the country around -- helping to defeat Trump? That's kind of where we are right now.

NOBLES: Ryan Nobles, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAMEROTA: OK.

Meanwhile, racist comments, threats -- even a noose hanging in an area where a black employee worked. We have all of the shocking allegations against General Motors, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:50:10] CAMEROTA: Of all of the fact-free fearmongering regarding President Trump's border wall, perhaps nothing fudges the truth more than the claim that the southern border wall would stop the flow of drugs.

CNN senior political analyst John Avlon has our reality check. John, we keep hearing this from some of President Trump's supporters.

JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: So, let's talk about. Let's talk about drugs.

Republicans seem in lockstep when it comes to the idea that drugs are pouring over the southern border and only a wall can stop it.

Alabama Congressman Mo Brooks got into a fiery debate with our own John Berman about it. And I got a bit fired up myself listening to Brooks compare the attacks of 9/11 to the need to build a wall. There's just no comparison, Congressman.

But, here was his argument.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MO BROOKS (R), ALABAMA: Two thousand that are homicides --

BERMAN: Yes.

BROOKS: -- by illegal aliens, according to federal government data. You've got another 15,000-16,000 that die each year from heroin overdoses, 90 percent of which comes across our poorest southern border.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AVLON: Next, Ohio Congressman Brad Wenstrup tried to make the same point to Ali Camerota.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. BRAD WENSTRUP (R), OHIO: And we can stop the flow of any diseases coming into our country. We can stop the flow of drugs coming into our country.

CAMEROTA: Congressman, hold on -- hold on one second -- hold on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AVLON: So, we've got Trump Republican congressmen comparing undocumented immigrants to terrorists, murderers, and disease-ridden drug mules.

Now, PolitiFact and others have taken down Mo Brooks' argument that undocumented immigrants commit 2,000 homicides a year. And we can devote an entire reality check to Wenstrup's dog whistle that people from other countries spread scary diseases. But their main point seems to be that drugs are flowing across the lawless and wall-less southern border.

These congressmen aren't drug experts but let's ask some people who are.

Quote, "Most drugs are smuggled into the United States onboard fishing boats, trains, tractor-trailers, and ordinary cars that come into the country at legal points of entry." That sounds like a DEA report, but it's not. It's court testimony from cartel members at the trial of drug kingpin El Chapo. They say when it comes to getting drugs into the United States, just about anything -- literally, including homemade submarines -- is better for smuggling drugs than an open border.

No wonder the DEA and the people that catch these folks came to the same conclusion, writing, quote, "The majority of the flow is through privately-owned vehicles entering the United States at legal points of entry."

Look, drugs are a terrible problem in the United States and it's one area where Donald Trump has been sincere and consistent. He correctly stated that more Americans died of drug overdoses in 2017 than were killed during the entire Vietnam War.

And it's true that a lot of terrible drugs are coming from the southern border, but it's the southern border of Connecticut.

That's where Purdue Pharma and it's now being sued by Massachusetts and at least 35 other states for helping create a nationwide opioid epidemic that's killing more than 100 Americans a day. E-mails revealed in the case show executives complaining about sales targets and pushing for bigger profits.

And pro-wall Republicans often say that even one life lost to an illegal immigrant is too many and they're right. Every death is a tragedy, which is why it's worth noting that at the dawn of the opioid epidemic when 59 deaths were reported in a single state, Purdue's president wrote, quote, "This is not too bad. It could have been far worse."

So, don't get fooled by fact-free fearmongering. It's clear that when you look at the actual facts about dangerous drugs, the walls that matter most are the ones around the minds of people who think that only a complete physical barrier between the U.S. and Mexico will solve the problem.

And that's your reality check.

CAMEROTA: John, we're going to need to do that reality check for as long as the people who keep using that falsehood keep making it.

BERMAN: Well, it's every day.

CAMEROTA: I know that.

BERMAN: I mean, it's every day.

CAMEROTA: Once every day --

BERMAN: Every day.

CAMEROTA: -- this week, so far.

AVLON: Keep hitting repeat on that one.

CAMEROTA: OK. Thank you very much.

BERMAN: All right.

More than a dozen black employees -- half a dozen black employees at General Motors say they are facing racist threats and intimidation at work. Their evidence is laid out in a lawsuit with pictures of nooses, whites-only signs. And, the "n" word, they say, showed up inside the plant.

Well, GM says it takes discrimination and intimidation seriously and is doing all it can to get rid of the problem. A state law enforcement agency had ruled that it's not doing enough.

CNN's Sara Sidner has more in our series, "State of Hate" -- Sara.

SARA SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, John. Look, several black employees at the GM plant say that racist intimidation and discrimination actually made them fear to go to work and that intimidation has not stopped even to this day.

I should also mention that in this story you are going to hear some disturbing language. There are some racial epitaphs. We're trying to explain to you what exactly is happening with these employees.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER (voice-over): Every day he walked into work, Marcus Boyd prayed he'd survive his shift unscathed.

MARCUS BOYD, FORMER SUPERVISOR, GENERAL MOTORS TRANSMISSION OPERATIONS, TOLEDO, OHIO: I felt like I was at war, risking my life every day.

SIDNER: Derrick Brooks, a former Marine, worked in the same place. Both were supervisors on different shifts at the General Motors transmission plant in Toledo, Ohio.

[07:55:05] Brooks considers himself tough from his military training, but he struggled to handle what was happening at work.

DERRICK BROOKS, FORMER SUPERVISOR, GENERAL MOTORS TRANSMISSION OPERATIONS, TOLEDO, OHIO: How rough and tough can you be when you've got 11 or 12 people who want to put a noose around your neck and hang you until you're dead?

SIDNER: There's a reason he brings up nooses. It's not just a figure of speech.

BROOKS: This is the other picture of the noose that I found the night that I was at work on my shift.

SIDNER: According to a lawsuit now pending against GM, this is one of at least five nooses discovered at their workplace in separate incidents.

The suit also claims there were signs that blacks were not welcome there. "Whites-Only" scrawled on a bathroom wall, along with swastikas on bathroom stalls and "Niggers Not Allowed" scratched or written on bathroom walls.

BROOKS: This was saying you don't belong here. This was saying if you stay here this is what could possibly happen to you.

SIDNER: In this struggling town, Brooks and Boyd didn't want to leave their six-figure jobs. Brooks has eight children; Boyd takes care of his mother, who was an amputee.

Now, they and seven others have sued GM for allowing an underlying atmosphere of violent racial hate and bullying.

SIDNER (on camera): When did you notice overt racism?

BOYD: Well, when I -- an employee that was under me, he told me that back in the day, a person like me would have been buried with a shovel.

SIDNER: He said what to you?

BOYD: That was a death threat and I was told to push that to the side.

SIDNER (voice-over): Boyd says he reported the incident.

BOYD: He admitted to it and I was pulled to the side and said you know, if you want to build relationships here, you just let things go. He'll be all right.

SIDNER: But he says the threats got worse.

SIDNER (on camera): Were you afraid for your life?

BOYD: Definitely. That's why I left.

SIDNER (voice-over): When the noose appeared in March of 2017, Derrick Brooks says he reported it to upper management. He was sure he was the intended target but says he was told to investigate by questioning his employees.

BROOKS: It felt like a slap in the face -- it did -- but I had to be professional.

SIDNER: Brooks and other black employees also noticed being called "Dan."

BROOKS: I thought they just were mispronouncing my name for Derrick. Then later, I find out that Dan was an acronym for "dumbass nigger."

SIDNER: General Motors sent us a statement insisting discrimination and harassment are not acceptable and in stark contrast to how they expect people to show up at work. "We treat any reported incident with sensitivity and urgency, and are committed to providing an environment that is safe, open, and inclusive."

SIDNER (on camera): And, that every day, everyone at General Motors is expected to uphold the values that are an integral part of its culture. But according to more than a half-dozen current and former black employees, the problem is the culture. They say inside this plant, racism and harassment are the norm, not the exception.

BROOKS: It is a culture -- it is.

BOYD: It's a culture.

BROOKS: Yes.

BOYD: You have to -- it's from the top down and the bottom up.

SIDNER (voice-over): One employee filed a police report; others filed complaints with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission prior to filing suit.

DARLENE SWEENEY-NEWBERN, DIRECTOR OF REGIONAL OPERATIONS, OHIO CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION: The ultimate decision that was made is that GM did allow a racially hostile environment.

SIDNER (on camera): They allege they investigated quickly and have done a remedial thing to take care of the problem.

SWEENEY-NEWBERN: The Commission disagrees with that position. GM did not do very much at all -- or what they did do was not effective.

SIDNER (voice-over): GM says that they held mandatory meetings and even closed the plant for a day for training and to address the issue with every shift.

The Civil Rights Commission report noted a former union president's testimony that during one of those meetings, a white supervisor said too big of a deal was being made of the nooses. "After all, there was never a black person who was lynched that didn't deserve it." The lawsuit alleges that supervisor was never disciplined.

BOYD: General Motors is supposed to stand for something, right? That's the great American company. Well, what are you doing about this?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: Now, so far, GM says that during their investigation they haven't figure out who exactly was responsible for hanging the nooses, so no one has been fired for that.

But they said they have dismissed some people during their extensive work in anti-discrimination and anti-intimidation. And that process still continues, they say, to this day in all of its plants.

But I should tell you that just yesterday we received information from inside the plant from one of the employees who says he is still being intimidated and sent a picture of a message that was given to him saying something about hanging.

So, indeed, these employees feel that they are still under the gun there and they are, in some cases, afraid, literally, for their lives.

BERMAN: Wow.

CAMEROTA: God, what a shocking report, Sara. I mean, this is -- I'm so glad that you're bringing this to light. And, John and I just were talking while you were airing it. We just can't believe this is current day in the United States.

SIDNER: Twenty nineteen, yes.

CAMEROTA: It's just shocking. BERMAN: No place for it.

Sara Sidner, thank you for that report.