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Pelosi Speaks on President Biden's First Full Day in Office; Biden Takes Office without Key Cabinet Picks Confirmed; Sources: Biden Inheriting Nonexistent Vaccine Plan from Trump. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired January 21, 2021 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00]

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): And we are so pleased that unlike the Trump Administration, the Biden Administration not only allow but encourage the general to come and present his views which is happening right now in the Armed Services Committee.

So again, a very happy time, we are -- I'm very proud of our members. Before I came here, I was in a session that was made available for members and staff about the trauma of what happened on January 6th, talked about physical trauma, psychological trauma, vicarious trauma and the rest.

When the press came saw my office and arrests and asked about things that were stolen, glass that was broken, just violation of the property there. I really said that's important, I respect the speaker's office and the -- of history that is there, but I'm more concerned about the damage that they did to our staff, to our colleagues and the Congress, to the custodial staff in the Capitol of the United States.

That is damage. That is damage that must be addressed. The resilience that we want to convey we tried to do that night by coming right back opening up the session of Congress, proceeding with the business at hand. The counting of the Electoral College votes to ascertain that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were President and Vice President of the United States.

But that was one aspect of resilience. So many members felt their lives threatened. The uncertainty of it all contributed to the trauma. This is something that everyone in the country should take a measure of how they reacted to this. But let us all pray for the resilience that our country is famous for and that our people need to have as we go forward.

And that -- one other part of that is that we will be in another few days, when I'll be talking with the managers as to when the Senate will be ready for the trial of the then President of the United States for his role in instigating an insurrection on the House -- on the Capitol of the United States, on our democracy to undermine the will of the people.

Very clear has been on this path for a while, but just that day. He roused the troops. He urged them on to fight like hell. He sent them on their way to the Capitol. He called upon lawlessness. He showed a path to the Capitol and the lawlessness took place.

A direct connection in one day over and above all of the other statements he had made before. So, in any event, I'm not going to be telling you when it is going, but we had to wait for the Senate to be in session. They've now informed us they're ready to receive.

The question is other questions about how a trial will proceed, but we are ready. With that, I'm pleased to take any questions.

QUESTION: Good morning. You were talking about security here at the Capitol. And are you concerned about this. Do you have any another or were you briefed in any capacity about, do you have any evidence or were you briefed in any capacity about the allegations of reconnaissance tours that some have talked about, and if there's no proof to that, from some of your members have said that some of the Republican members who were alleged to have given these have denied that they did it?

PELOSI: All of those things, as you indicate, you have to have evidence of what has happened. There is no question that there were members in this body who gave aid and comfort to those with the idea that they were embracing a lie.

A lie perpetrated by the President of the United States that the election did not have legitimacy. These people believed it. They believed the president. The President of the United States, his words have weight. They weigh a ton, in fact.

So that's one thing. In terms of what you suggest, everything has to be based on evidence and that remains to be seen.

[11:05:03]

In that regard, I'm very pleased that we will have an after-action review that will review many aspects of what happened.

If people did aid and abet, there will be more than just comments from their colleagues here. There will be prosecution if they aided and abetted an insurrection which people died.

But, again, as Chad as you rightfully ask, that is something that you have to collect the evidence for as you proceed, A. B, I'm very excited because you asked about security here that General Russel Honore has agreed to take a big view of this security here.

We will have an after-action review. There will be a commission. All of that but immediately, actually before the weekend, he agreed to take a look at the security infrastructure. There were interagency relationships, the fact that he is so familiar with the Capitol regional security aspects of it.

We feel -- we believe that we are in very good hands with his taking a look that he has and inviting experts in the field to give their views as well. So that's where we are. Yes, ma'am.

QUESTION: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Two things, if you can put any finer point on the timing for the articles of impeachment --

PELOSI: It'll be soon as I said you'll be the first to know.

QUESTION: Thank you. And also, you mentioned Leader Schumer became the Senate Majority Leader.

PELOSI: Yes.

QUESTION: You have worked a long time with both Leader Schumer and Leader McConnell. What is your advice for Leader Schumer now that he is in the majority as we confront Leader McConnell who let us know yesterday he still sees, you know, even though Democrats have a sweep of government now with the House, Senate and White House, Leader McConnell still sees an important role for Republicans in the--

PELOSI: So, you're asking what advice I would give to Leader Schumer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, ma'am.

PELOSI: You know him. I wouldn't think of giving him any advice on how to deal with the Senate. Not at all nor does he give me advice on how to run the House.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And in dealing with Leader McConnell?

PELOSI: Again, that's a dynamic that is very different from the House. I would say, though, for both of us, we have responsibilities to find bipartisanship where we can, to find our common ground where we can. We have that, not only a goal but a responsibility.

When we can't, we must stand our grand. That's Thomas Jefferson standing the ground like that, but it is, if we're talking about what the country needs, the country needs to crush the virus. It hasn't happened yet. The country needs to end an economic crisis that we are in.

We need to do more to do that. And one way to do both is to help our heroes, our health care workers, our police and fire, our first responders, our sanitation transportation, food workers, our teachers, our teachers, our teachers.

They are on the frontline risking their lives to save lives in some cases and on the verge of losing their jobs. So, it's about a case that we make for what the country needs that hopefully we can have a bipartisan agreement.

QUESTION: You mentioned unity, a message of unity yesterday. Are you at all concerned about moving forward, that an impeachment trial could undercut that message and alienate Republican supporters of the president?

PELOSI: No. I'm not worried about that. The fact is the President of the United States committed an act of incitement of insurrection. I don't think it's very unifying to say, oh, let's just forget it and move on. That's not how you unify. Joe Biden said it beautifully. We're going to unite. And let's remember that we must -- we must bring this -- and look, that's our responsibility to uphold the integrity of the Congress of the United States. That's our responsibility to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. And that is what we will do.

And just because he's now gone, thank God that we -- you don't say to a president, do whatever you want in the last months of your administration. You're going to get a get out of jail card free because people think we should make nice, nice and forget that people died here on January 6th.

[11:10:08]

That the attempt to undermine our election, to undermine our democracy, to dishonor our Constitution, no. I don't see that at all. I think that would be harmful to unity.

QUESTION: Speaker Pelosi --

QUESTION: Madam Speaker, a year ago in the context of the last impeachment trial, you said that you cannot have a trial without documents and witnesses.

PELOSI: That's right.

QUESTION: I'm wondering what kind of trial you'd like to see your impeachment managers put forward, and is that part of what you're waiting for, some kind of guidance from the Senate about how they'll conduct themselves before you send that article over?

PELOSI: Well, let me just say this. We were talking about two different things. We're talking about a phone call which the president had as one part of it that people could say, I need evidence. This year, the whole world bore witness to the president's incitement, to the execution of his call to action and the violence that was used.

So, I -- believe it or not -- don't take part in the deliberations of delivering -- making the -- preparing for the trial. That's up to the managers. But I do see a big difference between something that we all witnessed versus what information you might need to substantiate an article of impeachment based on large part on a call that the president made and described this perfect.

It was perfectly unconstitutional. This is different, but, again, it's up to them to decide how we go forward, when we go forward? It will be soon. I don't think it will be long. But we must do it.

QUESTION: Speaker Pelosi, what's the status of HR1 right now?

PELOSI: HR1 is -- the status of HR1 is that it is an exalted position. It is a priority for us. The Senate has S6 is I think what theirs S6. This is very important, and I thank you for asking about it because this is really central to the integrity of our government to reduce the role of big, dark, special interest money in politics.

To give more leverage to small donors and grassroots activists. To implement what John Lewis put forth in ending voter suppression that is what January 6th was about as well, voter suppression. And the list goes on. We have pulled out HR4 which was part of HR1. The Voting Rights Act but that's very much a part of the spirit of that.

The reason we are doing them separately is HR6 needs to have, and we have provided it, with hearings all over the country. Marsha Fudge, now soon to be Madam Secretary, Terry Sewell, John Lewis, bless his heart when he was here. All were part of establishing that record for HR4, the Voting Rights Act for now.

So, we're optimistic. We're going to pass both of them, and it will give confidence to the American people that their voice is as important as anyone's. That big money, which suffocates the airways that are no longer going to be the order of the day.

And I thank John Sarbanes for his tremendous leadership over long period of time. John Larsen was doing it earlier now John Sarbanes both of them. And what's important about it is that it gives people the hope that yes, we can have clean air and clean water and address climate crisis because big, dark money will not dominate the policy.

Yes, we can have gun violence prevention because big, dark special interest gun lobbyist money will not dominate the process. We in the Democratic Party have advanced these. They haven't stopped as you know on the other side, but we hope now that the more the public knows, the better we will be in terms of policy.

And I just conclude by saying something you've heard me say again and again. Public sentiment is everything. With it you can accomplish almost everything without it, practically nothing. Abraham Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln.

[11:15:00]

And now those we have the bully pulpit and the president can explain to public more clearly.

Plus, the president has a bigger audience that the public will know what is at stake, how they can weigh in. And it won't be a question of oppressing or they're bickering. No, we have a very major difference of opinion as to what -- how we honor the Constitution. We hope that we can find common ground on it because it's very important.

And again, I'll further close, wasn't it beautiful when President Biden quoted what Lincoln -- President Lincoln said when he signed the emancipation proclamation on New Year's Day 1865?

It's in his soul. It's in his being. And Biden, of course said, what he is setting out to do is again in his soul and in his very being. Thank you all very much. What a difference a day makes. Thank you.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. I'm Kate Bolduan.

We've been watching Nancy Pelosi speaking with reporters, holding her first press conference on the first full day of the Biden presidency and the Biden administration. Let me bring in right now CNN's John Harwood and Dana Bash. And also, Lauren Fox is with us as well.

Dana, what a difference a day makes is now Nancy Pelosi ends this is press conference. It is a new day, right? The first full day of the Biden administration, it is a new day thus for the Congress. But how different is it going to be?

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Very. I think it is easier to count the ways that it is the same than the ways that it is going to -- count the ways it is different than the same. Sorry, it was a long night last night, Kate.

(LAUGHTER)

But you get what I'm trying to say. I thought the point she was making at the end there about that. For now, it is not going to be so much about the bickering personalities, it is going to be the debate about policy ideas.

That is so important. And there is a very big debate to be had. And there always is about policy ideas. How to go forward. How much money to spend on COVID relief. How to spend that money on COVID relief. How it should be doled out. And so on and so forth. Never mind the more traditional policy differences like taxes and others.

But that is something that we're all used to covering for many, many years in Congress. And in Washington. And it hasn't been, you know, able to be at the forefront because we've had missives coming from the White House on a daily basis, personally attacking people, sometimes in his own party, sometimes not. And you know it was like covering a mine field or covering people walking on a mine field.

And so, in that way, it is, you know, look it is refreshing for all of us to be able to cover policy. That is why we all got into this. How were people that were elected by voters going to fulfill what they believe are the mandates and have discussions and perhaps, God forbid compromise on how to do that.

BOLDUAN: At the very same time, John, I already was noticing this morning, seeing it in tweets, seeing Kevin McCarthy speaking on TV already, throwing out partisan grenades, trying to throw President Biden's words back at him. Angry that Biden is rolling back Trump era executive orders. And saying that that is evidence that he maybe -- that Biden doesn't actually want unity in the country. That is not unity when you roll back the key stone pipeline executive order for example.

Is the Biden White House eyes wide open on how difficult it really still is going to be, especially when it comes to Capitol Hill and getting things done to strive for the unity that he's spoken so much about.

JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I think, Kate, their eyes are wide open. And Dana is right, there is a dramatic change that took place yesterday when Joe Biden replaced Donald Trump. But over time and not that much time, we're going to be back to looking at the things that remain the same.

That is to say, the intractable partisan divide between Democrats and Republicans. That was true when we talked about policy in the George W. Bush White House, it was true when we talked about policy in the Barack Obama White House. Donald Trump is idiosyncratic, is unique, and we're not going to see anything like that from the White House.

But we do have these two party coalitions that are at odds and one of the challenges and the cost benefit analysis that Biden and White House is going to have to make is how much Republican support is it feasible for us to get.

[11:20:07]

And how long do we wait to try to get that support as opposed to acting very quickly through procedures that let us go by minority vote. Remember that when Barack Obama became president, he had an extended period on health care, for example. They moved very fast on economic stimulus. Joe Biden is trying to do the same thing.

On health care it was a slower track because Barack Obama spent time trying to win Republican support for months. He ultimately decided and recognized that that was fruitless. He didn't get Republican support.

So, that is a challenge that the Biden administration is going to have to make for example on this $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill. How much does is it have to shrink if we're going to get some Republican votes and clear the 60 vote threshold or if we have no prospect for getting a bill that we think is anywhere near acceptable and getting 10 Republican votes. Then do we go to the special procedure we call reconciliation where they could do it by a majority vote. That is going to be the key early strategic call for Joe Biden.

BOLDUAN: Pelosi making clear, Lauren, that they're going to be ready to move on the big COVID relief package very quickly. But one thing speaking of unity, the House speaker asked by Manu said that she did not believe that moving forward with impeachment of former President Donald Trump, she does not think that undermines this goal and this target, the striving for unity but she's still not tipping her hand on really how this is going to play out. What going on behind the scenes here?

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, I think that is very notable. She wouldn't say when they planned to send these articles of impeachment over to the U.S. Senate. Remember, that once she makes that move, and it basically sets forth a domino effect where they will have to start that Senate trial pretty quickly.

So, one thing to keep an eye on is the fact that my colleague Manu and I are both hearing right now that tomorrow could be the day that those impeachment articles go over to the U.S. Senate. Once that happens, we could expect to see the Senate trial start next week.

I think it is important to remember that this trial really looms over Biden's agenda in every way. When you're talking about COVID relief, when you're talking about an immigration reform plan, when you are talking about even getting his nominees, people in the jobs that he wants them in, this is a real obstacle.

And we are hearing that they want to make this fast. They want to make it expedited. How long of a trial it's going to be is still a big question, but Pelosi very strategic today saying she plans to talk to her House managers later to make a call on when to send over the article of impeachment to the Senate but no decision yet. Kate?

BASH: Kate, can I --

BOLDUAN: Go ahead, Dana.

BASH: I just want to add one thing. You and I covered Congress together a few years ago and we've covered Nancy Pelosi for a long time. I thought that her answer to Manu's question was so interesting, not just in you know the content of what she said but how she said it. We're not going to make nice-nice.

The president showed a path to the Capitol. We have to keep in mind that this is so personal for these members. They were traumatized. She said at the beginning --

BOLDUAN: And she spoke to that.

BASH: She came from a meeting where they were basically getting counseling, which is understandable. And I think all of us as humans are glad to hear that, because I mean you know I'm speaking to one person who was in the building right now, Lauren.

And so, that is something that you cannot separate from the political implications and the questions about the politics or the history or the precedence setting that Pelosi was talking about.

BOLDUAN: And it is really a great point. There is also another factor kind of as we look at the new relationship between the new president and the Congress, John. That I think you guys obviously know but if reminding folks at home, that Joe Biden is a product of that building. Joe Biden's relationships, we're talking 30 years plus, John, that he spent in the Senate and I don't think it should be underestimated what that really means even though we haven't seen it in the last four years, what to could mean going forward? Do you think I'm overstating it, John?

HARWOOD: No, I think you're exactly right. Look, that's one of the things that I think will lead Joe Biden to try to spend more time trying to cultivate that support rather than less when he gets to a hinge point and you've got to make a call. One fourth of the Republican Senate caucus served with Joe Biden in the Senate.

Mitch McConnell served a quarter century with Joe Biden in the Senate. Susan Collins served a dozen years with Joe Biden in the Senate. She's one of the key targets. Lisa Murkowski, seven years. She's another key target.

So you've got an opportunity that President Trump has created frankly in this insurrection because of the shock that that generated, because of the way that it has at least for now fractured Republican support, that creates an opening for Joe Biden to go get a sliver of those people.

[11:25:04]

But the weight of gravity, of the partisan dynamic that we have, is going to reassert itself and we just don't know how long that fracture is going to last and how large the opportunity that Joe Biden has to get Republican support, he's not going to get hardly any in the House. There is some prospect in the Senate. And we're just going to have to see him play that out.

In terms of the impeachment trial, that certainly does -- will have a complicating factor. But as Dana said, it is very personal to the members. But it's also as a matter of history gives you responsibilities that you can't simply ignore. And when you have a violent insurrection against the sacred rituals of democracy that lead to the election of a president, you don't -- it is not really an option to say oh, we're going to ignore that and they're not ignoring it and Joe Biden is going to have to accommodate that.

BOLDUAN: Thank you, guys, very, very much. Really appreciate it.

Coming up for us, sources are telling CNN that the Biden administration was left with no plan for vaccine distribution by the Trump administration. Telling CNN that the Biden team is starting from scratch. Where does that leave Biden's promise then of 100 million shots in 100 days.

Plus, Joe Biden starts his first full day in office with only one cabinet pick confirmed. How quickly will he get this team in place and how does it hold up the impact of his agenda?

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