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Senate Set To Vote On Foreign Aid Bills Tuesdays; Full Jury Panel Selected For Trump's Criminal Trial; House Passes $95B Aid For Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan; Greene Will Not Ask For Motion To Vacate Speaker Today; GOP Candidates Using Trump's Name And Likeness In Fundraising Asked To Give Trump Campaign A Cut; Current Congress Most Unproductive Ever; Taylor Tops Charts With "The Tortured Poets Department;" "Blue Carbon: Nature's Hidden Power" Premiering Tomorrow At 9PM ET. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired April 20, 2024 - 17:00   ET

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

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[17:00:40]

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN ANCHOR: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

I'm Alex Marquardt in Washington. Thank you so much for joining us today.

We begin with a developing story on Capitol Hill. The Senate says it will take up the $95 billion of foreign aid package on Tuesday. That was just passed by house lawmakers just hours ago in a special session on this Saturday. The package includes billions in military aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, as well as billions for humanitarian aid.

We have reporters covering reaction from Washington to Ukraine and Jerusalem.

Let's start with CNN's Lauren Fox live on Capitol Hill. So Lauren, how did this get pushed through? And what does it mean for Speaker Johnson's job?

LAUREN FOX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. There are a lot of questions about what this means for Speaker Johnson's future after this vote today. Despite the overwhelming bipartisan support for this series of supplemental bills, what you saw from conservatives was frustration, a sense that they had been let down by the Speaker.

Now the question remains, if Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has been leading this effort to try to oust the Speaker, if she will take action when they return from their week recess. She would not say what her definitive plans were.

We had been waiting to see whether or not she would try to force a vote to oust the Speaker, or at least begin that process today. That didn't happen in the House of Representatives.

Meanwhile, you have some conservatives who are expressing frustration and concern with the Speaker, but also laying out that they don't think this is the moment to have a fight over the gavel arguing that it could put Republicans in peril as they face reelection in November.

On the side of defense hawks however, you had a lot of celebration for Speaker Johnson today. The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs committee Mike McCaul, walking through the process of how this came to be saying that he really watched the Speaker evolve on this issue over the course of the last several months.

When you become the Speaker of the House you take on new responsibilities. You also get new classified briefings that you did not get as a rank-and-file member. He said that he really watched Johnson come into his own, realized what was at stake, realized what was at stake not dressed for global security, but for security here in the U.S.

And he said that he was really applauding the Speaker's steps knowing that this could have an impact on the Speaker's own future, Alex.

MARQUARDT: And Lauren, what can we expect in the Senate next week?

FOX: Yes, so Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announcing about an hour- and-a-half ago that the plan is that they will begin key procedural votes on Tuesday in the United States Senate. Now, remember this package passed before in a very similar fashion. There had been some changes to what the House did, including a $10 billion forgivable loan for Ukraine. That is not an issue among Democrats who saw that in the House, in part because the administration, the president specifically, can forgive that loan in just a matter of years.

But there are some differences. So the Senate has to pass this through their own chamber. They are coming back next week, despite the fact they were supposed to have a scheduled recess because they do find this to be so imperative, so important in this moment, Alex.

VELSHI: All right. Lauren Fox up on Capitol Hill for us on this very big day. Thank you very much, Lauren.

Let's get reaction from Jerusalem and Ukraine.

CNN senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen is in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, and our senior diplomatic editor Nic Robertson is joining us from Jerusalem.

Fred, first to you. This aid has been long-delayed by the House, was passed by the Senate back in February. Now, you've got these thanks pouring in from Ukrainian officials, including President Zelenskyy.

I know you've been speaking with Ukrainian officials. You've talked about the relief. But is there any concern there about how late this is coming?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think there's certainly a lot of concern about how late this is coming. And certainly one of the things Alex, that the Ukrainians have been saying as this process was going on.

I can tell you, I've been -- I've been reporting on the delays in this aid package since September of last year when the Ukrainians already back then were saying that the amount of artillery shells that they had was starting to run low and things were beginning to get very difficult for them.

[17:04:47]

PLEITGEN: So certainly they have been saying for months now that any delays in U.S. aid for the Ukrainians are measured in Ukrainian lives. And certainly if you look at the way some of the things have been going on the battlefield for the Ukrainians, especially in the last couple of weeks, but also in the last couple of months to an extent.

You do see that right now the initiative is very much on the Russian side. The Russians are pressuring the Ukrainians on many of the front lines. They haven't achieved any strategic successes yet the Russians, they haven't really broken through any major front lines. They haven't been able to put pressure on any of the sort of capital cities of some of the regions here in this country.

But certainly right now you do feel that the initiative is on the Russian side. And the Ukrainians have been saying that the fact that they don't have enough ammunition, the fact that they don't have enough weapons has certainly been something that's been holding them back.

And especially over the past, I would say about two, three weeks since the Russians have started a major aerial campaign against a lot of the energy infrastructure here in this country. That's when the Ukrainians were saying they simply don't have enough air defense missiles. And so you had the president of this country, Volodymyr Zelenskyy come

out really seconds after the aid package was approved, thanking Speaker Johnson personally, but the U.S. and the House of Representatives in general. And saying that air defense missiles are important, that this once again shows the U.S.' leadership as far as defending democracy in the world was concerned.

But definitely the Ukrainians also saying that this has already done a lot of damage to them on the battlefield.

We were also speaking to some front-line troops actually, who are currently fighting on the southern and on the eastern front lines and both of them have said that this has had a major psychological effect to how this aid comes through now, or at least passed through the House of Representatives saying that it really is something that lifted morale tonight and morale has certainly been very difficult for the Ukrainians as the Russians have also managed, Alex, to bring a lot more very heavy firepower to bear on the front lines.

They've become a lot more effective at using their air force and using some pretty heavy bombs that they're dropping on the frontline positions, making life very difficult for the Ukrainians, Alex.

MARQUARDT: Yes. Fred, you and I both been in cities across the country with those Russian missiles raining down. It is clear that the Ukrainians desperately need those air defense systems in addition to more artillery for their frontline troops. Nic Robertson, I want to go to you. There's this $26 billion now that

has been passed for Israel and Gaza. We should note that not all of this goes to Israel's military -- $17 billion of that $26 billion. But what is the reaction there in Jerusalem?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, very quick and swift reaction. The president of Israel Isaac Herzog saying that this shows that Israel has no stronger ally than the United States. From the prime minister, an interesting message saying that this shows bipartisan support for Israel.

Of course, that's an important domestic message for him to make as well as thanking the United States because many people would perceive the prime minister here because of the way that he's is fighting the war in Gaza so many Palestinians killed, more than 34,000 now, and that is felt that it's alienating some of the Democrats within the United States.

And therefore his comments, bipartisan support, we heard it from other Israeli officials as well. But when the prime minister characterizes it like that, it has a message and a resonance here.

The defense minister pointing out that Israel is facing seven different enemies. He said this shows this aid bill being voted through shows that there is strong -- United States stands strong with Israel.

The foreign minister talking about strong ties, strategic partnership between the two countries.

But comments made by the speaker of the Knesset, I thought were particularly telling because he said this. He said this shows all of Israel's enemies the strength of support and the relationship between the United States and Israel.

And why is that important at the moment to say? Well, there's a perception here that Iran decided that it could strike at Israel in a way directly, 350 missiles just a week ago. Now, in a way that it's never done before for because the sense here was that Iran perceived that Israel support from the United States, Prime Minister Netanyahu's support from President Biden wasn't a strong as it once was.

That was a point of weakness and Iran thought that they could exploit that. So the Speaker of the Knesset being very clear.

So besides having the weapons to continue to defend and attack enemies as well, and as well as the money coming in for humanitarian aid on top of the defense money, this really is signaling that strength and I think part of that is what's vital to Israel, vital to the prime minister to say that he isn't the one that's broken this unshakeable bond with the United States.

MARQUARDT: All right. Praise for the U.S. from both Israel and from Ukraine. Fred Pleitgen in Kyiv, Nic Robertson in Jerusalem. Thank you both very much.

[17:09:52]

Joining us now is Aaron David Miller. He is a former State Department Middle East negotiator and a critical voice in understanding what is going on in Israel and the Palestinian territories and beyond.

Aaron, thank you so much for joining us. I want to start, what in practical terms does this mean for Ukraine, for Israel, for humanitarian endeavors in Gaza and elsewhere now that these billions have been approved by the House, and are expected to in the Senate next week well.

AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT MIDDLE EAST NEGOTIATOR: I mean, I think it cuts to the core, Alex -- and thanks for having me -- the question of American leadership in the world. With the dysfunctional politics basically argue culture with pernicious polarization, I think this was a reminder however temporary and brief it may be, that in fact the United States can lead and it can support its allies.

For the Ukrainians, I think it's absolutely critical. They -- they're short of men. They're air defense, they're sort of artillery and munitions and this will at least give them the capacity through most of 2024 to hold their own with the anticipation perhaps in 2025 of launching the renewed offensive against -- against the Russians to acquire, to take back some Ukrainian territory.

For the Israelis. I think Nic laid it out pretty well. I mean I think there was a perception clearly and understandably given the Netanyahu government's behavior, both with respect to the judicial overhaul, the pursuit of settlement policies on the West Bank, there were annexation is name only and the difficulties and the divisions between the Biden administration and Netanyahu over Gaza that in effect, the United States (INAUDIBLE) is waning.

I don't know frankly where this is going to heal all the breaches that exist now between the Netanyahu government and the Biden administration. But it demonstrates still a degree of bipartisanship, even with a lot of progressive and even mainstream democrats objecting or wanting to condition U.S. military assistance that there's still a very strong current of bipartisanship across the aisle for for the state of Israel.

MARQUARDT: Aaron, we saw Iran attack Israel last weekend with more than 300 missiles and drones. How do you think that changes the conversation if at all about the question of conditioning aid for Israel? And what's your sense of the Biden administrations thinking on that right now.

MILLER: You know, May 8 Alex is going to be a key tests when the Secretary of State has to certify under National Security Memorandum, I think it's 20 whether or not the assurances the state of Israel's provided on whether or not they're facilitating humanitarian assistance, have to certify whether those assurances are credible and reliable.

Whether they are or aren't, and I think you've seen an increase in humanitarian assistance, I think it's almost unimaginable under these circumstances the Iranians have undercut I think any sense on the part of Capitol Hill in large numbers that the administration is going to end up conditioning or restricting military assistance because the Iranian-Israeli strategic competition is hardly over.

MARQUARDT: Right.

MILLER: And it really poses the question, what impact has these reciprocal strikes had on both Israeli and Iranian strategy.

MARQUARDT: And what is your sense of that? Did you think that Iran will now respond to what was frankly a very small attack by Israel on Thursday night, Friday morning coming after this massive strike by Iran last weekend. Do you think that there will be a back-and-forth? Are they kind of going to slip back into the shadow war that we've been seeing for years.

MILLER: No, I don't see any imminent confrontation, but I am worried about the fact that a sort of new normal has been established.

You know, it's a paradox. The fact is that this did not -- these reciprocal attacks on one another's territory do not escalate and in a perverse way that might tell each side that they can do this again. That's number one.

And number two, I think the Iranians are terrifyingly aware of Israel's technical mastery. They're going to have to figure out when it compensate for the vulnerability, either by moving precision guided missions closer to Israel, relying on Hezbollah if tensions arise because there's no proximity, there's no proximity problem there. Or they can do an enormous amount of damage to Israel.

And finally, I'm concerned, as is everyone I think about the prospects of the Iranian nuclear program being ramped up. I posed the question would the Israelis have struck if in fact Iran had a deliverable nuclear device.

MARQUARDT: Yes.

[17:14:49] MILLER: And I think -- can't answer that question, but I think it's going to become extremely relevant as we move forward.

MARQUARDT: Yes, one of the big questions we were asking was whether Israel was going after Iran's nuclear program and some of its facilities on Friday morning and they did not in the end.

Aaron David Miller, thank you very much. Always a pleasure to speak with you.

MILLER: Likewise, Alex, thanks for having me.

MARQUARDT: And still ahead from court to the campaign trail, former President Donald Trump set to have a rally tonight ahead of opening statements in his hush money trial in New York on Monday.

We're breaking down the jury selection last week and looking ahead to next week and what's coming up.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. Stay with us.

[17:15:27]

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MARQUARDT: Opening statements in the historic first ever criminal trial of a former president are set to begin on Monday in New York. Donald Trump will return to a Manhattan courtroom as prosecutors present their arguments in the New York hush money case. But before they begin, Trump is hitting the campaign trail, holding events in North Carolina later today after a dramatic final day of jury selection.

Here's CNN's Kara Scannell with this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: "We have our full panel." That announcement from Judge Juan Merchan after jury selection concluded. 18 Manhattanites, 12 jurors and 6 alternates now seated.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm sitting in a corner so this is going on for the week. And this will go on for another four or five weeks and it's very unfair.

SCANNELL: Trump appeared bored, much of the trial day 4 as attorneys on both sides, probe potential jurors until they fill the remaining five alternate seats.

Moments after the full jury was picked, a bizarre and tragic moment outside court as a man set himself on fire. Authorities say he was previously known to the police. And while they are searching for any domestic terror connections, that is not believed to have been the motivation in court.

In court, a handful of prospective jurors became emotional. One was excused after she told the judge she had anxiety and was worried as the trial goes on, more people could know she's part of the jury saying, "{I might not be able to be completely fair and not emotional so that concerns me."

Another was dismissed after she began crying, saying, "I'm sorry, I thought I could do this. I wouldn't want someone who feels this way to judge my case either. I don't want you to feel I've wasted anyone's time. This is so much more stressful than I thought."

A third was sent home after noting she was feeling anxiety and self- doubt as she listened to a line of questioning about the credibility of witnesses.

At the defense table, Trump sat flipping through papers with charts, photos, and graphics. He whispered and passed notes with his lawyers and at some points was hunched over with his elbows on the desk. Prosecutors Susan Hoffinger (ph) started off questioning potential jurors, telling them this is not about Mr. Trump being a former president. It's not about his being a candidate for the presidency. It's only about whether the evidence proves he's guilty.

During her presentation, Trump leaned back in his chair, at one point his eyes closed. Trump attorney, Susan Necheles focused on bias against the former president she told those in the jury box, you all bring biases and you particularly bring biases about someone who is as publicly and outspoken as President Trump. There's nobody that doesn't know him in this room.

In the afternoon. The court moved to a routine hearing to determine how much of Trump's legal history the prosecution will be allowed to ask him about if he testifies, which he said he plans to.

Prosecutors argued they should be allowed to question Trump about the findings in the E. Jean Carroll defamation case among others despite Trumps attorneys' strong objections.

The former president shook his head as the prosecution spoke about how he defamed Carroll.

Kara Scannell, CNN -- New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUARDT: And very soon former President Trump will be taking the stage at a campaign rally in North Carolina. Our Steve Contorno is there on the scene.

Steve, Trump had a lot to say on Truth Social earlier today, even though the judge, in his hush money trial has told him not to.

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: That's right, Alex. And he has certainly tested the boundaries of the gag order put in place by that judge. He's been very vocal all weekend long about the timing of this case. That is one of his latest grievances. He posted on Truth Social earlier today that he feels this case has been rushed to trial. And listen to what said earlier this week about the fact that the judge is requiring him to be in New York as this case goes on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I wanted to just say that I'm supposed to be in New Hampshire. I'm supposed to be in Georgia. I'm supposed to be in North Carolina, in South Carolina. I'm supposed to be in a lot of different places campaigning. But I've been here all day on a trial that really is a very unfair trial.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CONTORNO: I should point out that Trump had voluntarily appeared at several of his civil cases where he was not required to be in the courtroom in lieu of campaign events. But now this puts -- this is why there's so much focus on the Saturday

today rallies and his weekend events, because as his campaign goes from trial to the trail, this is when he's finding time to speak to his voters and he's doing so tonight in North Carolina.

This is a critical state. It's one we will be closely watching over the next six months because Trump only won it four years ago by 1.3 percentage points.

[17:24:51]

CONTORNO: And let me talk about one interesting nugget of information we got last month from primary voters in this state. When they nominated dominant Trump they also said that there was this large contingency, that said that they didn't think that he should -- he was fit for office if he was convicted.

30 percent of Republican primary voters said as much in our CNN exit polls. So that is a troubling sign for Donald Trump's campaign. Something they are going to be closely monitoring as these cases move along, Alex.

MARQUARDT: Yes, that is going to be a state that both sides are fighting very hard for.

Steve Contorno in lovely Wilmington, North Carolina. Thanks very much.

We have special coverage of opening statements in former president Trump's criminal hush money trial. That starts at 9:00 a.m. On Monday.

You can watch right here on CNN or stream on Max.

Trump on trial, the house passing foreign aid and more. Lots to talk about. We'll be breaking it down with our political panel, Doug Hye and Ana Navarro. That's next in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Stay with us.

[17:25:50]

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[17:30:14]

MARQUARDT: Today, on Capitol Hill, billions of dollars in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan were approved -- was approved by House lawmakers, that if those bills -- that bill now combined and set to go to the Senate to be voted on, on Tuesday we've just learned.

Speaker Mike Johnson is hailing this as the right move, but it is one that could cost him his job as a group of hardline Republicans threatened to remove him as speaker of the House.

Let's discuss all this with Ana Navarro and Doug Heye, both Republican strategists. Ana is also a senior political commentator here at CNN.

Thank you both for joining me.

Doug, I want to start with you.

House Republicans could have voted on the Senate bill back in February when it was passed by the Senate. That one included not just aid for these countries but Senate -- border measures as well, border security.

To what extent do you think that this is a win for Democrats politically because there's nothing on the border today from the House?

DOUG HEYE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It is a win for Democrats. We're focusing a lot on what Republicans were able to do. This is a victory for Democrats because a lot of them did not like the deal that they supported that came from the Senate.

And I worked in the House of Representatives for a long time. And lived and died on immigration reform and the border. This is as good a deal as Republicans could have gotten.

But the reality is so often we see in Republican politics that it's not that something isn't good enough. it's almost, as an issue, it can't ever be good enough.

And its why Republicans accepted that deal and why what's happened today. Big win for Mike Johnson. Also a political victory for Democrats.

MARQUARDT: And remember, Senator Frank Lankford from Oklahoma saying this is, this is a great deal. We -- he's no he's no shrinking violet.

I want to talk about what this means for Speaker Johnson, as Doug was just touching on. After the vote, CNN's Manu Raju spoke with Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. She has been threatening to oust Johnson as speaker.

Let's take a listen to a little bit to what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We saw what happened with this vote. We saw your amendment code down. We saw your all your frustration with Mike Johnson.

So is today the day you're going to call for the vote seeking his ouster?

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): I'm actually going to let my colleagues go home and hear from their constituents.

If you have the strongest, loudest voices in Republican -- in the Republican movement and grassroots, furious calling for Mike Johnson to be vacated. The people here, my -- my colleagues have not heard the message.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUARDT: Doug, what do you make of that? She's not calling for the motion to vacate. She's saying I want everyone to go home and hear from their constituents.

HEYE: One of the maxims in, especially House politics, is when you have the votes, you make the vote. And obviously, she's not making the move today because she doesn't have the votes.

Well see if she can get there in a couple of weeks. Thomas Massie is saying the same thing at this point, it's pretty doubtful.

But if they had the ammunition to do it today, they would have done it. The fact that they don't say that Speaker Johnson's in a strong position.

And he key navigating this, I think, very well. He had low expectations. A lot of criticism from some of his colleagues coming into this, still new to the role, so to speak.

That he was able to negotiate this with his own party and with Democrats, shows these a much savvier operator than he's been given credit for.

MARQUARDT: Ana Navarro, let's bring you in.

What do you think the fate of what --what do you think the fate for Speaker Johnson will be?

ANA NAVARRO, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: OK, the short term, I think he's OK. Marjorie Taylor Greene is beginning to sound like the little girl who cried wolf.

But now, for about a month that she's been threatening to oust him and to come -- go ahead with this motion to vacate that never materializes.

At the end of the day, what's the point of being a speaker? What's the point of having the position if you're being held hostage? If you can't get things done?

So I think this is a win for him in the short term. I don't know what's it's going to mean for him in the future.

MARQUARDT: Ana, do you think Democrats will step in to help save Johnson?

NAVARRO: You know, I think they will. We've already heard some of them say that they will. And it's just about avoiding disfunction.

I'm not sure that's good for Mike Johnson to be able to survive just with the help of Democrats. It's certainly not good with it -- when it comes to his standing with hardline Republicans here.

What I think that for the sake of the institution and having some semblance of order and organization, yes, Democrats will step up and help Mike Johnson.

MARQUARDT: And, Doug, how do you think this is going to land with voters? We see President Trump on the - former President Trump on the campaign trail today.

Voters in both camps feel very strongly about aid for Ukraine and for Israel. Foreign policy generally not a determining factor in the presidential race.

But how do you think this huge series of aid packages is going to impact presidential politics?

HEYE: Well, what we've seen is that this is not just about what's happening in the House Republican conference. David Cameron came to Washington. Boris Johnson came to Washington, both urging support for Ukraine.

[17:35:08]

Having been to Poland, at the Polish Economic Forum twice in the past two years, it's a very palpable real thing in Poland. And I think that's one of the things that Republicans learned.

That doesn't mean that it's a voting issue. Maybe Donald Trump will talk about it a little bit perhaps tonight, but his overriding message is going to be the border, obviously, which we didn't address. Certainly job and, the economy, what things cost, and inflation.

And those issues aren't going away, regardless of what Congress has done so far this week.

MARQUARDT: Before we go, Ana, I want to get your take on one more thing that we saw. It's kind of bizarre. This request from the Trump campaign he made this -- this week.

They're asking GOP candidates who use Trump's name, image, and likeness to give at least 5 percent of what they get to Donald Trump.

What's your reaction to that?

NAVARRO: It sounds like, brother, can you spare a dime? I mean, this Trump campaign and Donald Trump just can't stop selling.

At this point. I don't know if he's running for president of the United States or president of the Home Shopping Network. If it's not sneakers, it's Bibles and now it's a percentage if you appear with me, if you use my appearance.

All right? Republicans that's what you've got.

MARQUARDT: Well, he does have significant legal bills.

Ana Navarro, Doug Heye, always a pleasure. Thank you very much.

HEYE: Thank you.

NAVARRO: Thank you.

MARQUARDT: And still ahead, does it seem like Congress isn't getting much done? Well, you may be onto something.

Plus, Taylor and the "Tortured Poets Department," who could a guessed, topping the charts. We run the numbers with senior data reporter, Harry Enten. That's next.

The sinking of the titanic, how would really happen, especially to our premiere Sunday, April 28, did nine on CNN when you're the leader is disaster clean up and restoration.

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[17:41:23]

MARQUARDT: Right now, this current U.S. Congress is one of the most unproductive in history, only passing a fraction of the bills that most Congresses do.

And at the opposite end of the productivity spectrum, Taylor Swift and her new 31-track double album.

I want to bring in CNN senior data reporter, Harry Enten.

Harry, I want to talk about both things. Quite a -- quite a range of things to get to. But let's start with Congress.

So how much has this Congress actually gotten done?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: You know, the fact that they got these bills passed today, in my mind, sort of is a festive miracle. That is the only way I can put it.

I can't believe they actually passed anything in the House. And it's going to be probably passed and signed into the end -- signed into law by the president soon enough.

Look at this. Up until this point, there have only been 47 bills and resolutions signed into law. That is by far the lowest& the last 50 years. The prior low was 100. So were at half the level of the prior low.

Most Congresses -- you know, you go back 30, 40 years, we're talking 200, 300, 5000 bills and resolutions signed into law at this point. We are at a dramatic low.

It's no real surprise, Alex, that the congressional approval rating is down in the gutter. The disapproval rating is up near a decade high. It's because Congress doesn't do anything.

Let's see if the Congress can actually pass something today, or at least the House and then the Senate will later this week if that approval rating could go up.

Because the truth of the matter is, Alex, it just can't go any lower. MARQUARDT: Less than half, that's incredible.

And, Harry, Republicans, come Monday, they're not going to have much wiggle room, will they?

ENTEN: No, they won't have much wriggle room. I mean, obviously today, a lot of Republicans disagreed on some of those bills being passed, specifically, Ukraine aid.

Look at the majority, the size of the majority that Mike Johnson's working with right now. Once Mike Gallagher resigns, which we expect to be later this weekend, we're going to have a majority that is as small of a majority in the House of Representatives when the Congress was in session, the lowest and over a century.

You have to go back to 1917 to get a majority as small as we're looking at coming this upcoming Monday.

You know, I'm not necessarily the best at math, Alex, but if you have to go back more than a century to find a majority as small as this one, well, I think that tells you that we're in a very interesting time.

And it wouldn't be surprising to me if Mike Johnson has to continue to rely on Democrats to pass things going forward, especially considering that ultra -conservative flank that he's dealing with.

MARQUARDT: You're certainly better at math than most of us. But what does that mean for the chances of Mike Johnson to hold onto his speakership and make it to the end of the month as speaker?

ENTEN: Yes, you know, I think a lot of us perhaps were expecting if he was going to pass the bills that he passed today, that perhaps has a chance of staying speaker would be relatively low.

But in fact, we've heard a number of Democrats say that they would, in fact, come to his aid.

So you know, I like looking at the betting markets on this sort of group conventional thinking, right, to give us an idea of what's cooking.

So the betting markets, the chance that Speaker Mike Johnson is forced out before May, 90 percent no. This is significantly up from where we were in the beginning of the week when a significantly higher chunk said yes. Now the vast majority say no.

I don't think there's really much of a chance. You just heard Ana Navarro in the last segment essentially saying, at this particular point, Mike Johnson's job looks pretty safe. The conventional wisdom agrees with it.

And I, at this particular point, agree with the conventional wisdom.

MARQUARDT: And now to the aforementioned range --

ENTEN: Yes.

MARQUARDT: -- no one's ever, ever accused you, Harry Enten, of not having range, whether it's covering politics or sports, or even an eclipse recently.

Let's talk music and the Tortured Poets Department and its dean, Taylor Swift. Her album just released yesterday, and it's dominating the charts.

[17:45:07]

ENTEN: Absolutely. As you know, these segments have turned me into a bit of a Swiftie. So I've been looking at all the different charts. One of the charts I like looking at is Apple Music. And were not just talking in United States. We're talking globally, baby.

Look at this. She has the two top albums. She now has 19 of the 20 top songs.

And you know, I have a theory on this, Alex. And it is this. You know, I have a friend, Brooke, who is currently in New Jersey. She's celebrating her 25th birthday. I've been told she's a huge Taylor Swift fan.

So my conspiracy theory, if I'm allowed to believe in one, is my conspiracy theory that Taylor Swift put out these two new albums, including the surprise album, in order to give Brooke a happy birthday.

So it is me here on national television, Brooke, wishing you a happy birthday. And we're going to listen to some Taylor Swift together when you come back to New York.

That's what I've got for you, Alexander.

MARQUARDT: On that note, happy birthday, Brooke. Hope you have a wonderful one.

Harry Enten, thank you. Appreciate it as always. Thank you, my friend.

And still ahead, coastal communities around the globe are searching for nature's secret weapon in the fight against climate change. We'll explain blue carbon next.

Stay here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:50:56]

MARQUARDT: Monday is Earth Day, and with it, more questions about how to fight climate change and how it is currently affecting our planet and will do so in the future.

In a new CNN documentary, D.J. and environmental toxicologist, Jayda G., takes us on a journey to discover an unexpected ally in the battle to save the planet.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAYDA G., D.J. & ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGIST: (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A little more, a little more.

Yes, but Sunday yet begun .

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a nice score. Spongy, right?

(CROSSTALK)

JAYDA G.: That's wild.

This is basically - you're saying this is blue carbon?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: this is blue carbon. So, yes, it's not blue, it's brown, but it is blue carbon.

JAYDA G.: Right.

(voice-over): So the blue in blue carbon is because this process is taking place under water. And that is the key.

Because in wet swampy mud, with this little oxygen, the carbon can be safely stored away for millennia.

(on camera): It's wild to me that for so long we have not given enough importance to these kinds of areas. And here we are in a climate crisis and we're now holding on to these ecosystems for dear life, essentially.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUARDT: Joining us now is Dr. Emily Pidgeon, a climate scientist, whose work has made her a leader in discovering new solutions to climate change.

Dr. Pidgeon, thank you so much for being with us today.

Help us understand these carbons systems more and their impact on climate change.

DR. EMILY PIDGEON, CLIMATE SCIENTIST: So as we know, are we searching for the solution to climate change and there's multiple pieces to this. You know, we've all talked about the need to reduce emissions, there's various technological solutions.

But the solution that is right in front of us that we can act on right now is nature. Nature provides some of the most immediate solutions for addressing climate change.

And about 10 to 15 years ago now, we discovered that coastal wetlands systems, these mangroves, seagrasses and the salt marshes that are highlighted so beautifully in this film, are amazing at taking carbon out of the atmosphere and the ocean and then burying it in the soil below them as we saw in that clip there, that black mud -- muddy soil. The mud that we think of when we think of coastal swamps.

It's this amazing long-term storage of carbon. And it's kept there for millennia.

And so we are beginning to appreciate now, we're beginning to see countries really understand how important their coastal wetlands systems, these salt marshes, seagrasses, mangroves, are, as part of their full climate solution.

MARQUARDT: Dr. Pidgeon, there's no shortage of incredibly alarming studies, reports, documentaries. On this Earth Day, on Monday, what's your message?

PIDGEON: My message is that the solution to climate change needs all of us. It needs everybody from government to corporations to communities, to every single individual.

And that, I guess what the purpose of Earth Day is, is to bring us all together to recommit the other 364 days of the year as to what we all need to do.

And in the context of blue carbon, that means actually going out and getting to know our blue carbon ecosystems.

I live here in the bay area in California. We have amazing salt marshes lining San Francisco Bay. And all around the coasts of the U.S. and around the world, communities like those that we see in this documentary, depend on and are connected to their coastal ecosystems.

[17:55:01]

And so I think, if I have a message for -- to the people, to individuals, it's go and connect with the nature that is part of the key solution to climate change.

MARQUARDT: We only have a couple of moments left. But are there any emerging technologies that you're excited about that will help in this fight?

PIDGEON: So the solutions that I'm most excited about have already emerged. And we just add paying enough attention to them or investing in them enough.

And that's really thinking about nature. These coastal cabin systems, thinking about forests, thinking about all the in-water rivers and lakes that are already providing solutions to carbon as I climate issue but then also protecting us every day.

MARQUARDT: All right, Dr. Emily Pidgeon, wishing you an early happy Earth Day. Thank you so much for joining us.

PIDGEON: And to you, too.

MARQUARDT: "BLUE CARBON, NATURES HIDDEN POWERS," airs tomorrow night, right here at 9:00 on CNN.

We'll be right back.

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