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The Lead with Jake Tapper

CDC Director Breaks With Advisory Panel, Expands Booster Eligibility; Dem Leaders: Still Planning For Infrastructure Vote Monday; Moderates Push Back On $3.5T Price Tag For Dem Budget Bill; Biden Urges Democrats To Act As Key Deadlines Approach; January 6 Committee Subpoenas Four Trump Insiders; Federal Arrest Warrant Issued For Petito's Fiance Amid Ongoing Manhunt. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired September 24, 2021 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00]

DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, CDC DIRECTOR: It was a decision about providing rather than withholding access.

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meantime, more than 70 million eligible Americans still haven't had their first COVID-19 vaccine shot.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The refusal to get vaccinated costs all of us. I'm going to move forward the vaccination requirements wherever I can.

WATT (voice-over): Here in California, the Oakland school board just voted in favor of a vaccine mandate for all eligible students 12 and up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The infections have been really disruptive.

WATT (voice-over): California is considering something similar state wide.

GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D), CALIFORNIA: The decision will be made over the course of the next few days. We have a lot of partners with 1050 school districts in the state of California, the largest school system in the United States.

WATT (voice-over): In Rural Randolph County, Georgia volunteers staged a voluntary vax to school event last weekend.

SANDRA WILLIS, ORGANIZER, NEIGHBOR 2 NEIGHBOR: I don't know why people are not caring enough for their child to get them vaccinated.

WATT (voice-over): In New York, there's a Monday deadline for teachers and health care workers to get at least their first shot. Thousands haven't.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is looming for Monday is completely avoidable. And there's no excuses.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WATT: Now the CDC director, Jake, was keen to point out this morning, she didn't overrule that committee. She says she listened and just disagreed with the majority.

Now, what if you are one of the more than 80 million Americans who got Moderna or Johnson and Johnson? Message from the Surgeon General, your health matters just as much. They're going to analyze gather the data. Hold tight. Watch this space. Jake.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: All right, Nick Watt, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

Let's get right to CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Sanjay, who should get a booster shot and when should they get it?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think the science and the recommendations now from the FDA and CDC are aligned and this is what it came down to. As far as it should goes, they say people over the age of 65 and people who live in long term care facilities, they think they're at the greatest risk for having a severe breakthrough infection, an infection that could lead them to the hospital.

Also people slightly younger, that 50 to 64, who have some sort of underlying conditions, I'll talk about that in a minute. They changed the language a little bit going from should to May, they're eligible to get at 18 to 49, with underlying conditions.

And also this was a little bit of a point of contention, the last line there, people whose jobs put them at risk, health care workers, grocery store workers, frontline workers, people who work in prisons. Originally, the committee said, we don't necessarily need to do them as well, there's not great evidence. The CDC director Rochelle Walensky came out and said they should be included.

Really quick, Jake, because you and I've talked about this, what does -- what are these medical conditions that can put people at a higher risk? It's a pretty, pretty big list of things, you know, cancer, kidney disease, lung issues, including moderate to severe asthma, diabetes, heart condition. You can read the list there.

But I'll tell you, Jake, when we add up all these categories, including people who may be at high risk because of their occupation, it's a big list of people, you know, 170 million people, maybe, who would qualify based on those criteria. So, I think that's why you heard some of the concerns from the committee, you know, are we really making a list here? We just basically saying anybody can get this.

TAPPER: And then obviously there is this disagreement about the FDA Advisory Committee, which recommended a more expansive list of people who should get the booster versus the CDC Advisory Committee that was slightly smaller. Take a listen to former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. SCOTT GOTTLIEB, FORMER FDA COMMISSIONER, PFIZER BOARD MEMBER: This split between the two agencies I think creates the perception that the government doesn't really have its act together and there's confusion. And the recommendations ultimately issued by the CDC, I think that would be very hard for the medical practice and patients to interpret and actually implement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: And then, of course, there's President Biden who recommended that everyone and announced everyone would get the shots pending FDA and CDC approval. When the public is told to trust these health agencies, but then they disagree, do you think that sows confusion? Who should people listened to?

GUPTA: Yes, I think it unfortunately does sow some confusion. I mean, I think where they landed ultimately is very scientifically based.

I think there's two things. One is that we're seeing a process of science unfolding that I think most people really have never seen before who are not in that world. There is a lot of spirited discussion that often takes place, things aren't always, you know, sort of unanimous slam dunk decisions.

And I think that the second part of it is that what I think ultimately happened was airing even more greatly on the side of safety. I think where there's increasing suspicion or distrust is when you feel like the safety nets been pulled back a bit by allowing more people to get boosters rather than fewer. I think what Dr. Walensky was doing was sort of tipping your hat in that direction.

We're going to err on the side of safety here. It's not slam dunk science, but we're going to air over here a bit. And I think that that does hopefully engender more trust.

[17:05:07]

TAPPER: And you just heard data suggests around 70,000 New York healthcare workers are not fully vaccinated. The New York governor, Kathy Hochul, said on Monday deadline, workers need to at least get their first shot. Do you think that there could be some sort of an exodus, perhaps even a mass exodus of healthcare workers in the middle of a pandemic because they don't want to get the shot?

GUPTA: You know, if you'd asked me that question a month ago, Jake, I would have said no. I've been talking to lots of people, including some of these health care workers who are not getting vaccinated. And frankly, it's always surprised me, but it's really surprised me because there seems to be no level of sort of discourse that can get them to the point where they say, yes, that's a good point, I will get a vaccine. I was talking to a nurse today from Wisconsin about this.

And basically, smart person understands the vaccine says I'm not anti Vax, but I'm not going to get it because when you force me to get it, you're infringing upon my personal autonomy. And trust me, Jake, we had all the conversations about this as a contagious disease, it's not just your welfare, we're talking about you take care of sick patients, all of that. And still sort of really firmly entrenched them this idea that basically, you can't tell me what to do.

And I think when you look across the country, you're talking about, you know, 12 percent to 15 percent, maybe, of the population depending on which study you look at, that sort of falls in that group. And that includes health care workers. It's a large sector of society and that's reflective in our health care workers. So 70,000 workers in New York, that's about, you know, 13 percent of the health worker population and it kind of fits with what we're seeing in society.

TAPPER: I find it just so hard to understand, and I say this says the child of a doctor and a nurse, health care workers, doctors, nurses, others who don't trust in the science. I mean, I know it's a minority, but it's still remarkable.

GUPTA: Yes. I -- and I think it's probably different for different people, but at least for the conversations I've been having, they might even trust the science. They might even say, yes, I realize it's far more dangerous for me to get the disease than to get the vaccine.

This people always say you can't disentangle this from politics. But I think the idea that the mandate, the loss of autonomy, personal freedom, however you want to couch it, that's what really is motivating, for at least some of them, their decisions on this, which is shocking because they might get really sick. They might get others really sick, and they realize that but they're not willing to back down and they're willing to lose their jobs over this.

TAPPER: A school district in Oakland, California just mandated vaccines for its students 12 and older, with exemptions for medical and, quote, "personal belief." Do you see this ever becoming the norm throughout the United States in the same way that measles vaccine did? Or is this going to be subject to the same kind of red state blue state politics we've seen?

GUPTA: Well, this is an interesting question, because it's always been a state sort of run issue, right? So, the feds have always left it up to the states to sort of mandate these vaccines, figure out who could actually qualify for exemptions, all of that. And the federal government, even now, has basically said we're not going to get into the business of creating a national vaccine tracking system or anything like that. So I think it's going to sort of still probably fall on the states.

But I think it's interesting, Jake, is personal exemption rules have changed quite a bit even as a result of the measles outbreak a few years ago. There were states that had pretty liberal personal exemption clauses, and many of them got rid of those clauses saying, we cannot allow personal exempt, if this is a medical reason not to get the vaccine, yes. But is there is there a philosophical, is there a religious exemption clause? States that used to have them, some of them got rid of those clauses. TAPPER: Be sure to check out Sanjay's new book, "World War C: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic and How to Prepare for the Next One." It comes out October 5, and we'll talk all about it with him when it comes out.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, as always, thank you so much. Have a great weekend.

Back to Haiti, some migrants who tried to make their way to the U.S. now finding themselves back where they started, even if they haven't lived there for more than 10 years. We'll show you.

Plus, a federal arrest warrant has now been issued for Brian Laundrie as officials are still trying to figure out where he went.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:13:44]

TAPPER: In our national lead today, U.S. border officials have now cleared out the estimated 15,000 migrants, mostly Haitian who had created makeshift camp under a Texas bridge. But now there's a new problem. Many of those migrants are now flooding processing facilities along the border with some of those facilities over capacity.

And the question now becomes what to do with so many people as the Biden administration reacts to the stunning images this week that showed how some of these migrants were treated by Border Patrol agents on horseback. CNN's Rosa Flores has more for us from Del Rio, Texas.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The migrant camp in Del Rio, Texas where at one point more than 15,000 migrants waited in squalor to get processed by U.S. immigration authorities closed Friday.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As of right now there were zero persons under the bridge.

FLORES (voice-over): CNN drones capturing some of the last migrants being loaded onto buses. They appear to be single adults, their hands zip tied, their bodies patted down.

Today, the President vowing there will be consequences following the controversial images of border patrol agents on horseback using aggressive tactics.

BIDEN: It was horrible what to see as you saw. To see people treated like they did, horses running over people being strapped. It's outrageous. I promise you, those people will pay.

[17:15:08]

FLORES (voice-over): According to DHS, more than1900 Haitian nationals have been returned to Haiti, around 3900 are in Customs and Border Protection custody, about 1600 have been released in Del Rio according to a local nonprofit. That's where we met Reginald Fei-fei (ph). He spent a week under the bridge with his family.

(on camera): How is it to be there with an infant?

(voice-over): He says his daughter got sick due to the cold morning wind and the dust.

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas saying that a small percentage of migrants are being allowed to stay.

ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, DHS SECRETARY: If in fact that make a valid claim to remain in the United States, then, of course, we honor that.

FLORES (voice-over): Jean Wilvens says he waited under the bridge for a week. His number in line 10,825. It was finally called Thursday.

(on camera): Why did you leave Haiti?

He says he left Haiti because it's very there. And he says, imagine, they assassinated our president, what safety could he have.

(voice-over): Today, Vice President Harris was tasked with examining the root causes of migration at the U.S. Mexico border, was asked if all deportations of Haitians should be halted.

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I feel very strongly, the President feels very strongly we've got to do more.

FLORES (voice-over): And now a new problem. Immigration processing facilities are over capacity.

MAYORKAS: Just over 5,000 are being processed by DHS to determine whether they will be expelled or placed in immigration removal proceedings.

FLORES (voice-over): Our cameras capturing in the past week a free flow of migrants from Mexico into the U.S. and the swelling of a migrant camp in Texas that resembled the third world.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you take responsibility for the chaos that's unfolding?

BIDEN: Of course I take responsibility, I'm president.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

FLORES: Now that the migrant camp has been cleared out, the mayor of Del Rio says that he has a new worry. He's still hearing that 1000s of migrants are headed to the U.S. southern border. But he says he doesn't know exactly how many migrants are coming and exactly where they will be trying to cross.

Us for the silver lining, he says, of this humanitarian crisis that he had in his hands, which at one point had about 15,000 people living under a bridge, Jake, he says that no one died and at least 10 babies were born. Jake. TAPPER: And Rosa, I have to ask you, those images were ugly, but the Biden administration responding to those images of the Border Patrol agents on horseback and how they treated some of the migrants. They're responding by banning horse patrols in the area, which seems like a classic D.C. solution that doesn't actually address the policy or the task at hand. And by the way, these horses are actually the only way to do the job in some of these areas that have no roads.

FLORES: You know, you're absolutely right.

I've done a story with horse patrol before Jake and I can tell you that what I learned is that a lot of the times this horse patrol is used to save the lives of migrants that are in treacherous areas.

Border Patrol sector in Laredo, for example, has emergency beacons in some of the most desolate areas where many migrants die try cross -- in trying to cross into the United States. And it's these force patrols that are deployed to these desolate areas. And the timing of them getting there can be the difference between life and death. A lot of the times there used to save lives. Jake.

TAPPER: Yes, there are no roads and a lot of these areas.

Rosa Flores, thank you so much. Appreciate it as always.

The U.S. is deporting many of those Haitian migrants who made the dangerous trek through Central America and into Texas, some end up back in Mexico, others have been flown back to Haiti where their journey started maybe a decade ago. Some of them not knowing that was the destination when they slept on -- stepped on the plane.

CNN's Melissa Bell picks up that part of the story from Port-au Prince, Haiti where some of those flights are still coming in.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Junior, his wife Elianne and their two year old were deported to Port-au Prince on Tuesday. Seven years after the couple says they left in search of a better life. They're now staying with friends. The three sharing a single bed, not much, but more comfort than they've known for several months.

When work dried up in Brazil in June where they'd been given asylum, the family headed north through 10 countries, some of it by bus, but much of it on foot.

Elianne, though, says that the worst was arriving in the United States. As they arrived she said everything they had, including toothpaste and soap was taken away from them.

She says the worst was when they were cooled up inside the prison. We thought they would free us, she says, but they shackled us instead. Seeing my husband shackled was the worst. Then they handcuff the women and they put us on the plane. My baby was crying and I couldn't even hold him. And that was what made me cry.

[17:20:05]

The family gives us a tour of the neighborhood they find themselves back in. Junior says that Port-au Prince is worse now than when they left. I asked him if it is the insecurity that has worsened. He laughs and tells me there is no security in Haiti.

The Assassination of the country's president and the aftermath of a 7.2 earthquake in August, just some of the dismal conditions forcing families to embark on the grueling trek to the U.S. border with Mexico.

(on camera): And yet, the flights keep on coming. Seven in all arriving here and heating just this Friday. Some here at (INAUDIBLE), others at the airport in Cap-Haitien in the very north of the countries. The logistics, almost impossible to deal with, says the international office for migration given the sheer number of people being deported.

(voice-over): Back into place they desperately wanted to leave. The dream of finding a better life in America ends here, back on Haitian soil with a handout of $100 a hot meal and a ride to the bus station provided by the IOM.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People are going to suffer now. You see all those people being deported to Haiti, including women and children's. There are no jobs in there is nothing here. What are those people going to do?

FLORES (voice-over): That's the dilemma facing 1000s of migrants forced to return to a country, the U.S. Special Envoy to Haiti called, a collapsed state before he resigned on Thursday

A small group of people turned out in Port-au Prince to protest the deportations, a show of dissent, but little help to the migrants still being flown back to Haiti returning to the many problems they thought they'd left behind.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

FLORES: So, Jake, as we were just hearing from Flores (ph) a short while ago, that camp under the Del Rio bridge may have been cleared. But it comes at the cost of these 1000s of migrants being returned without the possibility even of seeking the asylum they so desperately sought in the United States. And that has caused a great deal of anger here in Haiti, not just against the American administration for carrying out the deportations, but against the Haitian government for accepting them, Jake.

TAPPER: All right, Melissa Bell in Port-au Prince, Haiti. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

President Biden says two spending plans are extremely popular with the public. But do you know what is in that big budget bill? This Congress? Does anyone? We'll tell you next

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [17:27:00]

TAPPER: In our politics lead today, President Biden admits that his massive economic agenda is at a, quote, "stalemate." We haven't heard a lot in the past few weeks about the price tag, but not a great deal about what's in that $3.5 trillion proposal. So we have CNN's Tom Foreman to break it down, to explain exactly what is in the legislation and how it might affect you.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What can you buy for $3.5 trillion high on the deliverables list is education? The American Families Plan would put $200 billion into universal Pre-K educating three and four-year olds affecting roughly 5 million kids. It would provide two years of tuition free community college for older students, with the Feds picking up 75 percent of the tab, states covering the rest.

There would be 82 billion for public school improvements. Also, more money for universities that serve minority groups, including historically black colleges.

REP. DEBBIE DINGELL (D), MICHIGAN: The deep (ph) Democrat is deliver. We need to deliver for the American people.

FOREMAN (voice-over): There would be help with child care, so middle to low income families with kids under five would spend no more than 7 percent of their income on such services. He proposes to help low income families save money by making the Earned Income Tax Credit permanent, and it would pump 35 billion into child nutrition, getting 9 million more children free school lunches.

REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D), WASHINGTON: We're not leaving anything behind. So, we're not passing an infrastructure bill and then saying, oh, there's no urgency to taking on climate change or immigration or any of these other things.

FOREMAN (voice-over): One hundred and fifty billion in grants is aimed at helping electric companies provide clean energy, 9 billion to modernize the power grid. There are rebates for consumers going more green, money for electrifying the fleet of federal vehicles, and for conservation in agriculture and forestry, aimed at among other things, reducing the threat of wildfires.

Critics, of course, are calling it an inferno of spending.

REP. TOM REED (R), NEW YORK: That contains significant tax increases on our small businesses, on individuals. It is a policy expansion using just partisan exercise of democratic votes only.

FOREMAN: Still, there is more, the bill would expand Medicare and reduce how much Obamacare users must pay. It would bolster affordable housing and put 190 billion into home and community services for the nation's growing senior population, the disabled and those who work with them. (END VIDEO TAPE)

FOREMAN: Indeed this is so much spending over the next 10 years. It's possible that no one can actually tell you everything this bill contains. And of course critics thinks that's another good reason to question that whopping price tag. Jake.

TAPPER: All right, Tom Foreman, thanks so much.

Here to discuss, Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna of California. He's a Deputy Whip for the House Progressive Caucus. Thanks so much for joining us, Congressman. I appreciate this.

Speaker Pelosi told CNN this afternoon that the infrastructure bill, the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which is smaller than what we just talked about, will come up for a vote on Monday. Are you going to vote no, if that House Budget Reconciliation Act, the bill Build Back Better Act isn't introduced and doesn't pass first?

REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA), DEPUTY WHIP, CONGRESSIONAL PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS: I will vote no if we don't have an agreement. What we have said is, let's have an agreement where Senator Sinema, Senator Manchin, the White House, Progressives are on the same page, both on the Build Back Better Act and on the Infrastructure Act. I think we can get to an agreement. No one is saying it has to be passed, all every single detail has to be worked out. Let's just have a framework. The House Progressives, we have a proposal. We're waiting on a counteroffer.

TAPPER: An agreement that Sinema, Manchin and the House Democrats unanimously will support the Build Back Better Act, the $3.5 trillion bill.

KHANNA: Right, but we're willing to negotiate. Look, I'm glad you've -- the CNN actually had all of the things that are in the bill, Medicare expansion, dental, vision, health care. We're spending so much time talking about the number of people forget all the good things that are in there. But we're willing to negotiate. We've had people who actually have spoken with the senators, we've had people speaking at the White House, we need a counter number. I mean, that's what we've said, give us a number.

TAPPER: Right. And President Biden said that when you add up all the things that they want in the bill, the Moderates, it actually is more than what they have said it would be, $1.5 trillion or whatever. I want to ask you about some of the issues that some of the Moderates have in this bill, including universal pre-K. The pushback from Senator Joe Manchin, the Democrat from West Virginia, is that Congress needs to make sure that the people who get these benefits actually need these benefits. That it should be means tested, that people who can't afford it shouldn't be included. What's your response to that?

KHANNA: I went to public school, I don't remember means testing kindergarten, first grade, second grade, why should we means test, preschool. I think it's good if everyone goes to public school.

TAPPER: I mean, I hear you, but like if -- I mean nobody who makes, let's say, more than $300,000 a year, I'm just making up a number, necessarily needs a government benefit of this, they can afford pre- K,.

KHANNA: I think that's the wrong way of looking at it. I think in a digital economy, we need people having early childhood education and beyond K through 12 education. We should think of it like we do public school, you know, the high school moment. Before that, we didn't have universal high school. Now we have universal high school. And the savings is so small for the amount that if you means tested, and the actual bureaucratic issue is actually more.

TAPPER: Another issue, Senator Manchin and other Moderates say some of the things that are not even at this moment, for example, like the child tax credit, because it's already funded through the end of the year, so why spend more on it right now?

KHANNA: Because we've helped reduce child poverty. Some people say 50 percent, let's see, but everyone agrees it's gone down. So what should we do now? Next year, have it go up? I mean, that would be terrible. And we're actually giving it a benefit. And now we're going to take it away from people when it's work.

TAPPER: Well, that's the issue with giving benefits, right? Once you give them a stuff to take them away.

KHANNA: Well, I have no problem. If we're giving benefits, we're reducing child poverty, and people say it's tough to take it away. Yes, good. We're finally (INAUDIBLE) with child poverty.

TAPPER: Our -- Is the House Progressive Caucus willing in any way to go below $3.5 trillion? I know you don't like to focus on the total amount, but that's what a lot of the Moderates are talking about. They're talking about the total amount. Wow, that's so much money. Are you willing at all to go --

KHANNA: We're willing to negotiate and we're not -- there's no red line on the $3.5 trillion. But just to put that number in context, 10 years, $300 trillion is what's the U.S. economy. It's 1 percent of the U.S. economy, and it's half of defense $7.5 trillion. But yes, we're willing to negotiate.

But here's what we want to know. What do you want to cut? Do you want to cut the preschool education? Do you want to cut the community college? Do you want to make sure seniors don't get --

TAPPER: Well Manchin wants to cut some of the climate change -- combating climate change provisions.

KHANNA: But why -- here's what I would say to Senator Manchin, I have a good relationship with him. I have no problem if we get more money to West Virginia. Let's put the clean tech jobs there. Don't even have them all in California. I'm sure we can work this out.

And I have -- and to Senator Manchin's credited, he has said overtures to Progressive, people are talking, I think we're going to get this done. And everyone wants the President to have a win. TAPPER: Can you understand why some voters who voted democratic in 2020 look at this and think, boy, can Democrats govern, like this is seems really messy?

KHANNA: I could understand that if we aren't able to come to consensus. I think people understand it's a difficult process. And if over the next couple of weeks, we come to consensus, people will be fine --

TAPPER: So you don't think necessarily by Monday, this will be solved. Do you think it's going to take a few more weeks?

KHANNA: I think it's going to take a couple more weeks. My sense of what will move it forward is for Senator Sinema, Manchin and others to come give us a number and to have a negotiation.

TAPPER: How many Progressives do you think will vote against the infrastructure bill if it comes up on Monday without an agreement to pass the $3.5 trillion Build Back Better Act? That's kind of tough to say, by the way. That's bad branding. But --

[17:35:01]

KHANNA: You say -- don't say reconciliations.

TAPPER: People -- that's -- I hate that more. But how many do you think will vote against it? You said you will.

KHANNA: I will. I think there'll be around 40 to 50, but I don't think the speaker will put it on the floor. Maybe she does 40 to 50 vote against it. But you know, Jake, things fail. They come up a week later, they pass. This is part of the process. The important thing is that both of these bills will pass at the end of the day.

TAPPER: All right, Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna of California, thanks so much for being with us. Good to see you as always.

Could the Select Committee investigating January 6 soon get more details about what Trump and his minions are doing during the interaction? What President Biden has just decided? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: Topping our politics lead now, the White House says the Biden administration will not assert executive privilege, thus, they will not shield Trump era records from the January 6 Select Committee investigating the attack on the Capitol. This potentially means the committee could access information about what President Trump and his allies were doing before and as violence erupted that day.

[17:40:06]

This comes as the Select Committee issued its first subpoenas for four members of Trump's inner circle, former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, former Adviser Steve Bannon, and former Pentagon Aide Kash Patel. CNN's Manu Raju joins us now live from the Hill. Manu, why is the committee targeting these four? What's it hoping to find?

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, one of the key aspects here is to want to know what was discussed in the White House in the run up to January 6 and after January 6, and what Donald Trump was doing, his own mindset. That's what according to the Chairman of the committee, Bennie Thompson told me earlier today, they are trying to understand all these pieces of information. And what they have learned from both public reporting and elsewhere that these individuals have key information that will be central to their investigation going forward.

But there is an open question about whether these four men will actually cooperate with the subpoenas. But the Chairman of the committee, Bennie Thompson says that they do not appear by mid-October for those close depositions or provide records as the committee has requested. They'll move forward with contempt proceedings in the House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. BENNIE THOMPSON (D-MS), CHAIRMAN, JANUARY 6TH SELECT COMMITTEE: Well, criminal contempt is on a table, we've discussed it. And if it comes to that, there will be no reluctance at all on the committee to do it.

RAJU: Which is based on the subpoena, sir, it feels like you're really trying to dig into what Donald Trump's mindset was on that day in the run up. Is that right?

THOMPSON: We think those four individuals have clear information as to what Donald Trump was doing on that day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: So Thompson also acknowledged, though, that if these individuals defy these subpoenas, and even if they do go the contempt route, it could get tied up in court for some time. He said, they are plainly aware that this could, in fact, get wrapped up in court. But he said that he is hopeful that they will come forward and he said he's getting information from other ways of getting a number of documents, thousands of pages of documents that they have requested and also voluntary witnesses coming forward. And I asked him, will there be subpoenas for other Trump officials, Jake, and he said, absolutely.

TAPPER: And Manu, who else might the committee decided to subpoena?

RAJU: Well, one of the thing they're talking about is potential Republican Members of Congress. I asked Thompson himself whether the Republicans who were in conversations with Donald Trump, with the White House aides, and who attended that Stop the Steal rally on January 6, whether any of them would be hit with subpoenas. He said, they're not there at that point yet. But he said when we have made that decision to go forward, we will not hesitate and we will. So you can see, Jake, more of flashpoints ahead for this committee as it digs into a number of issues. But number one, what was Donald Trump doing in the run up and on the day of January 6.

TAPPER: Yes. Manu Raju, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

The hunt is still on and a federal arrest warrant has now been issued for Brian Laundrie. That's next.

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[17:47:24]

TAPPER: In our national lead, the urgent manhunt for Gabby Petito's fiance Brian Laundrie is intensifying today as a federal arrest warrant has been issued for the missing 23-year-old male. Investigators are combing a swampy nature reserve in Southwestern Florida near Laundrie's parents' home for any clue that might lead them to his location. Authorities say the warrant is not connected to the Petito's death but relates to his activities after she was killed.

CNN's Leyla Santiago joins us now from the search location in Venice, Florida. And Leyla you're getting some new information about the search for Brian Laundrie.

LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Jake. The teams here have wrapped up for the day but I'm told they are expected to be right back out here over the weekend. That is the plan. And they are going to areas of more likelihood is what the police are telling me. So that kind of means that they are ruling out some areas of this reserve where they have been searching for days now.

Now remember, yes, there has been a warrant for his arrest. That warrant is for the use of unauthorized access devices. But one of the things that we have learned is the reason that search teams are here is because according to a source close to the family, Brian Laundrie left heading here without his wallet or his phone and that's what had the family so concerned and had them putting a missing person's report.

That is why search teams are still here. In the meantime, this is a community that as we spent time at a growing memorial here for Gabby Petito, you can definitely sense sadness and mourning but also frustration as they want and are demanding answers to try to make sense of all of this, Jake?

TAPPER: What more do we know about the federal arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie?

SANTIAGO: Right. You heard me mention that this is for the use of unauthorized access devices. No mention of homicide in these warrants. And that's important because, remember, the coroner found that the preliminary finding for her death in the autopsy was homicide. So what these warrants indicate is that there's a warrant out for his arrest because he apparently used without permission a debit card making charges of more than $1,000 and also had access to some bank accounts. So what happened after her death.

TAPPER: Leyla Santiago, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

President Trump still pushing his big lie about the election. So many Republicans still enabling him. Bob Woodward, Robert Costa authors of the new book "Peril" packed with Trump revelations will join CNN coming up. Stay with us.

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[17:54:34]

TAPPER: In our national lead now when Paul Fronczak was a young boy, he had discovered he'd been kidnapped as a newborn and then reunited with his family nearly two years older -- two years later, rather. That's what he'd been told. That's what he thought was true. But as an adult, Paul started doing more research and he discovered that everything he thought he knew about himself was in fact a lie.

And now the new CNN film, "The Lost Sons" takes an intimate look at Paul's story, and the unimaginable journey he's taken searching for himself. Our Kate Baldwin has a preview.

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KATE BALDWIN, CNN HOST (voice-over): As a child, Paul Fronczak thought he knew who he was, but he did not. At the age of 10, he discovered a box full of old newspaper clippings in his house.

PAUL FRONCZAK, SUBJECT AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "THE LOST SONS": So I started reading it and it said, Paul Joseph Fronczak kidnap and that's not the picture of my mom and dad. And they look really, really sad and heartbroken and distraught. I said, mom, what is this? This is about me, right? What is this? She said, you're kidnapped. We found you. We love you. We'll never talk about that again.

BALDWIN (voice-over): And they didn't. But Paul couldn't let it go. And years later, he embarked on a mission.

P. FRONCZAK: What really happened to me? That's what I needed to find out.

BALDWIN (voice-over): It all starts in Chicago, 1964. That's when Paul's mother gave birth to a beautiful baby boy.

MARY TRENCHARD PETRIE, FORMER STUDENT NURSE: As I was leaving, this woman walked in. She was dressed in white. I just thought, oh, she's a nurse.

BALDWIN (voice-over): But she wasn't. And before anyone knew it, that baby was gone.

PETRIE: Her doctor came in. And he said, Mrs. Fronczak, your baby has been taken. BALDWIN (voice-over): Setting off a frantic search for the baby and that mysterious woman.

DORA FRONCZAK, PAUL'S MOTHER: She must have been desperate for a baby that she would come and take someone else's baby away from them.

BALDWIN (voice-over): But nothing. Then 15 months later, a toddler is found abandoned in a stroller on a sidewalk in Newark, New Jersey. When no one steps forward to claim the child, investigators start thinking maybe this could be the missing child from Chicago. So they set up a meeting with the Fronczaks.

JANET ECKERT, FOSTER CAREGIVER: They open the door and the mom said, oh my God, that's my baby.

BALDWIN (voice-over): And that should be the happy ending to the story, a family reunited, or so they thought.

P. FRONCZAK: I love my family, and I loved my family upbringing.

BALDWIN (voice-over): But Paul could never shake the feeling that he didn't belong. And when he became a father himself questions about his family's medical history, spurred him into action, asking his parents to take a DNA test.

MICHELLE FRONCZAK, PAUL'S WIFE: He's like, I can't believe that he's like, I'm not the real Paul Fronczak. He's like, I don't know my birthday. It's like I don't even know where I was born or who my parents are.

BALDWIN (voice-over): And if you can believe it, that's really just the beginning. CNN film, "The Lost Sons" is narrated by Paul Fronczak himself, opening incredible doors into his past and raising deep questions for all of us about what identity truly means.

P. FRONCZAK: But there's more.

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TAPPER: For the rest of Paul Fronczak's extraordinary story, be sure to tune in the all new CNN film, "Lost Sons" premieres Sunday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern only on CNN.

Also this weekend, a CNN Special you do not want to miss. A court ordered conservatorship controlled Britney Spears' life for years and now see how she and her fans are fighting back. Watch the CNN Special Report, "Toxic: Britney Spears Battle for Freedom" this Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

And our money lead today, a double whammy could make your next shopping trip a little more painful. Costco is once again limiting how much toilet paper, how many paper towels and how many cleaning supplies you can purchase. The store says demand has increased because of the Delta variant and they simply cannot find enough trucks, truck drivers and shipping containers to keep up with demand. And to make things worse, those shipping issues are driving up the costs of dozens of items from trash bags, to paper plates, aluminum foil to soda cans.

Psychologists are blaming what they call the innuendo effect. They say when stores start talking about limiting items, that stokes fear and that leads to shoppers' panic buying and creating even more shortages, something of a vicious cycle there.

On Sunday morning, you can join us for State of the Union among my guests, the Chair of the House Progressive Caucus, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, a leader of the Moderate Democrats, Congressman Josh Gottheimer, plus Republican Senator Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania and Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey who will talk about the policing reform, end of negotiations, how that bill died. That's at 9:00 and noon Eastern only on CNN.

Until then, you can follow me on Facebook, on Instagram, on Twitter, on the TikTok at JakeTapper. You can tweet the show at TheLeadCNN. If you ever miss an episode of The Lead, you know what, you can listen to The Lead wherever you get your podcasts. We have a lead podcast now.

Our coverage continues with one Mr. Wolf Blitzer right next door in "THE SITUATION ROOM." I will see you Sunday morning. Have a great weekend.