Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

In A Contentious Visit, Biden Greets India's Prime Minister At The White House; New Urgency In Search For Missing Submersible; For The Second Day, Fed Chair Powell Testifies On Capitol Hill; In A Partisan Vote, Democratic Rep. Schiff Was Censured Republican Party Warned By McCarthy, Now Is Not The Time To Seek Biden's Impeachment; Republicans Clash Over Resolution To Impeach Biden. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired June 22, 2023 - 10:30:00   ET

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

[10:30:00]

NARENDRA MODI, INDIAN PRIME MINISTER: (Speaking in a foreign language).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN NEWS CENTRAL CO-ANCHOR: All right. We continue to listen to Prime Minister Modi. We heard from President Biden there in front of a huge and enthusiastic crowd at the White House. Let's talk about what we're seeing as we're going to watch this and listen to the leaders as they speak.

Ivan Watson back with us, David Chalian, as well as Arlette Saenz. But Ivan, you were saying, just as we went to the president, what a difference a decade makes. No kidding when you see these images that we're seeing on the White House lawn. And also, interesting though, what stuck out to me, you tell -- you give me your take, let's start to me, from what Biden was discussing there from lectern is his emphasize on the freedom of expression, religious pluralism, and the diversity of the people is what makes our country so unique.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. Well, if you look at the 2022 State Department human rights report and religious freedoms reports and what they write about India governed by Narendra Modi and his BJP Party, they point out a lot of criticisms. Saying that freedom of the press is declined there, that a lot of journalists have been facing criminal charges and arrests for the things they're writing and when they write critical things about the ruling party. And real concerns about persecution and discrimination against India's Muslim minority.

And that gets back to Modi's own track record of why he was denied a visa to the U.S. back in 2005, that's when he was the top official in the State of Gujarat and there was widespread religious violence there that killed more than a thousand people, most of them Muslims. Now, he's now elected prime minister, and as you can see, President Biden rolling out the red carpet for him.

A lot have changed in that time. Just this year, India became the world's most populous country, replacing China in that position. When Biden talks about shared values, I think a lot of observers would argue that in fact, these two leaders have shared interests and China is at the heart of that. In 2020, Indian troops got into a deadly battle, skirmish, with the Chinese forces in the Himalayas, along a disputed border. At least four Chinese PLA soldiers killed, at least 20 Indian soldiers killed. And both armies are, kind of, eye-to-eye in a very tense standoff there to this day.

We often hear about the rivalry and the tension between the U.S. and China. India is actually face-to-face with the People's Liberation Army in that standoff. And that is one of the things that many observers say is bringing the U.S. and India together at this moment.

Another is the economy. The U.S. has become India's largest trading partner. Just today, we got an announcement that G.E. signed a memorandum of understanding to build engines for India Air Force fighter jets, that is one of the announcements that we're expecting to hear from these two leaders when they talk about closer defense and economic ties. Kate.

BOLDUAN: Yes, we're expecting to hear a slew of announcements and an array of industries from space to defense as you're talking about technology as well. It is great to have you, Ivan, in that perspective. Shared interests, if not shared values, that's a really, really great perspective and good way to put, maybe what we're looking at play out with China all in the backdrop of all of this.

It's great to see you, Ivan, David, Arlette. Thank you all so much. We're going to continue watching this because coming up, there's a lot of -- there's a lot ahead today with regard the state visit. They have an Oval Office bilateral meeting. They have a press conference that was -- there was a lot of negotiations to get to that moment happening behind the scenes.

SARA SIDNER, CNN NEWS CENTRAL CO-ANCHOR: And probably because Modi doesn't do press conferences.

BOLDUAN: He doesn't.

SIDNER: He does not talk to journalists, generally. And he has jailed journalists and there have been raids on news organizations in places like Jammu and Kashmir. So, there is a lot of pressure here from human rights groups. And also, from some of the people in the Democratic Party who are looking at this and saying, I hope you have these conversations.

BOLDUAN: After the press conference, a big state dinner tonight, we're going to be covering all of these events for you.

SIDNER: All right. New urgency this morning in the search for that missing submersible as experts say it will, likely, to run out of air today and soon. New details on how remotely operated vehicles are being used right now in this rescue mission.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:35:00]

BOLDUAN: The search for the missing OceanGate vessel has reached a critical stage this morning. New high-tech equipment is headed to the search site as a remote operated vehicle has now begun searching the ocean floor that are -- has already reached the search site. And experts also say that the estimated remaining oxygen on board the vessel that's missing will run out today.

CNN's Paula Newton is in Nova Scotia this morning with the very latest. You're at the site, kind of this coordination center point where the United States and Canadians officials have been coordinating and leading this effort. Paula, what's the latest that you're hearing from Canadian officials?

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kate. What's so crucial about this effort is, of course, those Auroras, right, the P3- Auroras, those are the ones that put those sonar buoys in the water that initially heard those noises both Tuesday and Wednesday.

[10:40:00]

I've just received an update from them. They also, add that three Canadian Coast Guard ships are there with capacity as well. As well as expertise on board. And then on top of that, this is also so interesting, Kate, they have the HMCS Glace Bay that has medical personnel on board. They are ready, Kate. They are ready for a full- blown rescue here. And they assume that now that they've got those remote vehicles on the seafloor bed, they are hoping for the best to see that they are going to bring up those five passengers alive.

I want you to listen now, though, to Dr. Michael Guillen who spoke to CNN earlier, talking about what those five passengers are going through right now. He should know, he got stuck there a couple of decades ago when he was also exploring the wreck of the Titanic. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. MICHAEL GUILLEN, SCIENTIST, JOURNALIST, AND AUTHOR: My scientific brain started ticking off all the ways maybe we could get out, but you know, very soon, you realize, man, there is no way out. You're in the middle of the North Atlantic, at the bottom. And you can't call AAA to tow you out.

And so, I experienced enormous sadness. The only way I can describe it is it's as if the weight of the ocean just came down on me. Inexplicably, ultimately experienced a sense of peace. But all through this last 72 hours, I'm thinking of those five souls down there, and I know exactly what they are experiencing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: And so many here in Canada and the United States, Kate, are keeping that front of mind, right. The other good update here is that those Auroras launched just a couple of hours from here, from a Canadian military base. What they just told me now is that they are on scene on a continuous basis. They have put in extra assets, extra air crews. They will continue to hear for anything that might pinpoint the location of the Titan.

BOLDUAN: That's a great update. Thank you so much, Paula. Thank you for being there.

Sara.

SIDNER: All right. Still ahead, back in the hot seat. Fed Chairman, Jerome Powell, is testifying on Capitol Hill for the second straight day. Why he says there's a long way to go in the fight against inflation. We'll have that when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:45:00]

SIDNER: Well right now, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is back on Capitol Hill today. Powell is taking questions from the Senate Banking Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. This, one day after he warned house lawmakers that there is a long way to go in the fight to curb inflation. Today's hearing comes as we are getting the latest glimpse into the current state of the economy.

Let's talk about all of this with CNN Chief Business Correspondent Christine Romans. Christine, what is this new data telling us about what we should expect to hear from Powell today. He -- these are live pictures from Capitol Hill. He's getting questions.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CHIEF CORRESPONDENT AND CNN ANCHOR, EARLY START: That's right. And every little piece of data is critical for the Fed. The Fed said it's making meeting by meeting, making it's choices depending on the data as it comes in. We know that jobless claims, 264,000 first-time fillings for unemployment benefits three weeks in a row now at about 260 or higher. That shows a strong but slowing labor market, that's what the Fed wants to see. These are still historically low in number of layoffs, but rising a little bit.

And we also know that the housing market is showing some signs of softening. May home prices fell 3.1 percent from last year, that's the largest drop in home prices in more than a decade. Since December of 2011, the median existing home price right now, $396,100, it's been in the housing market. You've seen those higher rates and higher mortgage rates starting to cool activity.

SIDNER: That makes people take a second thought as to whether or not they want to go forward. You've been listening to Jerome Powell, and he's talking of, I'm sure, inflation is going to be one of the things. What is he saying?

ROMANS: Well, look, they've already had so many rate hikes. They paused last week. We've seen just the stair step of higher interest rates. And what he is saying is the Fed's inflation fight is not over yet. All of those rate hikes have not worked their way through the economy just yet. Inflation is still too high, he says. He's telling lawmakers, he said yesterday and today, the job market is still overall quite strong. They're watching that there. And you can expect more rate hikes.

You're going to hear, you've already heard from one Democratic senator who said, wait, we hope the cure for high inflation isn't painful, too. That you're not trying to, like, run down the job market. And that's this contradiction that, I think, so many Americans are really interested in the Fed to kill inflation might have to hurt the job market a little bit more. So, there is no really easy way out of this high inflation story, and that's what the Fed is talking about -- the Fed chief is talking about right now.

SIDNER: There's often some contention between Wall Street and Main Street.

ROMANS: That's right.

SIDNER: I mean, that sort of thing happens a lot. Nobody wants to see jobs go away, though.

ROMANS: That's right.

SIDNER: Nobody like me, anyway.

ROMANS: Yes.

SIDNER: Christine Romans, always a pleasure. Thank you so much.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Coming up for us, high drama on Capitol Hill. Two of the most outspoken Republicans in the House of Representatives, they get into it right on the house floor. That is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:50:00]

BOLDUAN: Republicans in the House of Representatives voted to censure Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff leading to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA), U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: The house will be in order.

CROWD: Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Democrats there chanting, shame, after the vote concluded. The resolution targets Schiff over Republican allegations that Schiff misled the American public saying that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia. It is only the third time this century a member of Congress has been censured.

CNN's Manu Raju is on Capitol Hill with more on this. Manu, this is largely symbolic but it still happened. What is the reaction that you're hearing about this?

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's been a lot of tension on both sides over the last day or so on this -- on the Schiff manner, a partisan tension coming down on straight party lines. A vote of 213 to 209. Six Republicans voting present (ph). It was all Democrats who voted against it. All Republicans who voted for it.

Typically, a censure is reserve for the most egregious of violations, in this case, it was about Adam Schiff's comments during the Trump and Russia investigation. Making him just the third member of the house to be censured. Essentially, it was just a slap on the wrist but a public reprimand for a third member in this century to be censured by the full house.

Now, there's also internal GOP tension. One, over the issue of impeaching Joe Biden. The number -- Conservative Republican, Lauren Boebert, yesterday tried to force a vote on the house floor. This actually put all of her members on record about whether or not they would support impeaching Joe Biden over its handling of the situation at the border. There was some push back internally. Kevin McCarthy opposed as did some other members. Now, that's being shelved and pushed into the committee process.

There's also tension on the far-right between Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who's a conservative congresswoman from Georgia, accused Boebert of essentially copying, replicating the exact same resolution that she had to impeach Joe Biden.

[10:55:00]

And then she apparently -- reportedly got into a tense altercation on the house floor, including report of a calling Congresswoman Boebert, "A little bitch." That was a comment that was confirmed by her office. Now, in talking to both of these members yesterday, it was clear there was still palpable tension between the two of them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): She basically copied my articles and then introduced them, and then changed them to a privileged resolution. So, of course, I support them because they're identical to mine. They're basically a copycat.

RAJU: Congresswoman Greene claims you copied her resolution.

REP. LAUREN BOEBERT (R-CO): Yes, I'm not in middle school.

RAJU: Can you comment on the report that she cursed at you on the floor?

BOEBERT: Like I said, I'm not in middle school.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: So, Boebert went on to tell me later that she believes that Speaker McCarthy will eventually get behind the idea of impeaching Joe Biden over his handling of the situation in the border. The speaker himself though has said, that is not the way to go at the moment. Will he change his mind, that is one of the big questions in the congress.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: All right. Manu, thank you so much.

Sara.

SIDNER: All right. We have some brand-new details for you into CNN on the race to find that missing submersible. A hyperbaric chamber is now on the scene as time is running out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:00:00]