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Business as Usual for Biden; Rep. Annie Kuster (D-NH) is Interviewed about the Speaker Search; Five Shot at Morgan State University; Kaiser Permanente Strikes. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired October 04, 2023 - 09:30   ET

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

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[09:31:30]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: The House may be paralyzed, but in the Oval Office it's business as usual today. Sources close to the president are telling CNN, President Biden is hoping to project a sense of calmness as the chaos plays out on Capitol Hill. Biden urging House Republicans to quickly elect a new speaker following the ousting of Kevin McCarthy so they can get back to work and address a number of issues important to the American people, like a long-term spending bill to keep the government from shutting down and funding to help Ukraine in its war with Russia.

CNN's Arlette Saenz is joining us now from the White House.

Arlette, what's the Biden administration's sort of biggest concern as they're watching what is playing out, this unprecedented moment on Capitol Hill?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Sara, President Biden is facing the reality of soon working with a new speaker. And that could have serious impacts on some of the immediate priorities facing this White House, especially when it comes to trying to secure more aid for Ukraine.

Now, the White House has been quite careful with how they've reacted to the drama surrounding former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and this upcoming speaker's race, simply saying that the president wants them to act in a speedy manner. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean- Pierre, last night, saying in a statement, quote, "because the urgent challenges facing our nation will not wait, he hopes the House will quickly elect a speaker. Once the House has met their responsibility to elect a speaker, he looks forward to working together with them and with the Senate to address the American people's priorities."

For the president's part, he is trying to stick to business as usual today. His focus being -- announcing this additional $9 billion in student debt relief that the administration has approved.

But you have seen the White House, over the course of the past few weeks, really trying to highlight some -- what they are calling this split screen, with what the president's been trying to do and some of the dysfunction occurring up on Capitol Hill, including, as that government funding fight played out.

Yesterday, you saw Biden's campaign tweeting out a split screen, saying while the president was focused on Medicare negotiations for certain drugs, the House GOP was focused on toppling their existing House speaker that they had elected.

But there are some serious challenges facing the White House when you think of what needs to get done over the course of the next two months. They need to fund the government. That next deadline is looming about six weeks away. And then the White House is still trying to push for additional aid to Ukraine.

Now, the White House has stressed that they believe that the support is there among Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate, but this could all hinge on who exactly the next speaker is and how they decide to proceed with an additional vote on Ukraine aid. So, these are things that the White House will certainly be watching in the coming days as they also try to adapt their own strategies to the future House speaker.

SIDNER: There are so many things and the American people are the ones that get hurt if it doesn't get done.

Thank you so much, Arlette Saenz, there from the White House.

John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, with us now is Representative Annie Kuster. She is a New Hampshire Democrat, chair of the New Democrat Coalition.

Thank you so much for being with us this morning.

Who are you going to vote for, for speaker?

REP. ANNIE KUSTER (D-NH): I'm voting for Hakeem Jeffries for speaker. And he's got 212 votes. We are here to work with our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get the job done for the American people. And certainly your lead-in there, the aid to Ukraine, is very important. We've got a farm bill that needs to get done. And we've got 42 days to get our appropriations done.

So, a lot of work to be done.

[09:35:00]

We need to move quickly and get this resolved from the chaos in the Republican caucus.

BERMAN: It's the early days, or the early moments, since Speaker McCarthy -- former Speaker McCarthy was ousted. But right now two of the leading candidates to replace him would be current Majority Leader Steve Scalise and chair of the House Judiciary Committee Jim Jordan, who are both seen as perhaps more hardline than Kevin McCarthy. So, how are you better off with either of them as speaker than Kevin McCarthy? KUSTER: Well, I think what you could see develop here would be a three-way race for a moderate Republican to emerge right now. They could win that race. And we could work with them to get the job done.

Look, this disarray, the dysfunction that Kevin McCarthy frankly created when he agreed to the rules change back in January, you remember the 15 votes to try to get his speakership, he agreed to so many changes by caving in to the far-right extremists. And look at the chaos that has been, you know, brought down on the American people right now.

So, I think there's an option here. We can work together. We can work in a bipartisan way. And that's what our constituency has sent us here to do. Let's get the job done.

BERMAN: But this is not an episode of "The West Wing," with all due respect. And while I know you would like a more moderate candidate, the likelihood is it could be someone who is seen as more conservative, more hard line than Kevin McCarthy, correct?

KUSTER: I think that would be a tremendous mistake for the Republican caucus. And I think it's very clear to everyone how this went down. I remember back January 6th, you know, Kevin McCarthy went to the well after the attack on the Capitol and he agreed that this was a terrible moment, this was historic, and that we needed to come together. Only a few days later, he went to Mar-a-Lago, stood with the former president, and from that point on he caved time after time after time again to this extreme faction. And I think what we need is a speaker, of whatever stripes, that's going to stand up for the institution, for Congress, working for the American people, and not lurching from one crisis to the next to the next.

BERMAN: If you're looking for signs of what's to come, already since McCarthy was ousted, the Republicans running the show have kicked former Speaker Nancy Pelosi out of her Capitol Building office. And we just learned this morning, minority leader - or Steny Hoyer, sorry, former minority leader, kicked out of his office as well.

So, what does that tell you about where they're headed?

KUSTER: I did hear about that pettiness. And, frankly, my understanding is, that started with Kevin McCarthy on the way out the door. I certainly hope the mood improves and that, you know, they have reverence for the institution.

Look, Congress has been under attack. And it started on January 6th. And it continues with the wing of their party that wants to take this institution down, that doesn't care about governing, and we need to get back on track.

We have bills - let me give you a good example. The National Defense Authorization passed out of committee, I think the vote was 45-1, and it was a Democrat actually that voted against it. Everyone agreed. And by the time that bill came to the floor, it was a Christmas tree of poison-pill amendments and it couldn't get passed.

BERMAN: So -

KUSTER: So, that's what I'm talking about. The majority -- look at the Ukraine aid. Speaker McCarthy refused to bring it to the floor.

BERMAN: But - but can I just step in?

KUSTER: Sure.

BERMAN: It's just some moderate Republicans, with whom you have been working with, for lack of a better word, are pretty pissed at Democrats right now. Republicans in the Problem Solvers Caucus, which you're not part of, but I think -

KUSTER: It wasn't on us -

BERMAN: I understand, but they're saying - but they're - OK.

KUSTER: It wasn't on us to solve it. And Kevin McCarthy didn't come to the table with anything. We were prepared for that. I've been having folks (ph) for weeks that there would be some kind of an agreement, we would change this rule, first of all, that is threatening the well- being of Congress functioning in a rational way, and we would come to the table. And you know what he brought? Nothing.

When the conversation finally happened, it wasn't until Monday night, he offered nothing. He did not think that he needed that. And this is the result.

I am very close to Republicans who are willing to work together. Now is the time to get this back on track and let's get the job done. My caucus, the New Democratic Coalition, is close to 100 Democrats. We work in a bipartisan way every single day. And we have lots of legislation, even on thorny issues like immigration. You know, this aid to Ukraine has a majority vote tomorrow. If we took this up on the floor and Speaker McCarthy refused, there is a majority in the House and the Senate, send it to the president, let's stand for democracy here in America and around the world.

[09:40:12]

BERMAN: Representative Annie Kuster, from the granite state of New Hampshire, thank you very much for being with us this morning. Really appreciate it.

KUSTER: Thank you, John. Good to be with you. Thanks so much.

BERMAN: Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: That's a great conversation and also reinforces a real lingering question, John, which is, does what happened reinforce behavior that we're seeing in - that everyone's seeing in the House or change behavior? You know what - you know what - we know what Kuster's pushing for, but it's unclear.

Coming up still for us, Baltimore police are searching for the gunman this morning - for a gunman this morning, the person who opened fire on the campus of Morgan State University. Four students were wounded. The latest on what police know about the suspect behind all of this.

We'll be back.

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[09:45:14]

BERMAN: Millions of cell phones set to blast an emergency tone this afternoon. This is part of the nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System. The drill will begin around 2:20 p.m. Eastern. Radio and television stations will also blare this alert around the same time. You don't have to do anything. No action is required. Just, listen and enjoy.

Very shortly, the suspect charged in the death of Tupac Shakur is set to appear in a Nevada court. Sixty-year-old Duane Keith Davis, known as Keith D, will be arraigned on a charge of murder with a deadly weapon. Davis e was arrested Friday, accused of orchestrating the shooting that killed Shakur in 1996. Police say he is the only suspect who is still alive in this case.

California Senator Dianne Feinstein will lie in state at San Francisco City Hall today ahead of a funeral service tomorrow. People are already lining up to pay their final respects for the longtime senator and former mayor of San Francisco. Feinstein died at the age of 90 after months of declining health. She was the longest serving female senator in U.S. history.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Police in Baltimore are searching for a gunman today after five people were shot last night at Morgan State University, the latest mass shooting of at least 531 happening in the United States so far this year. Now, all five victims, four of them students, they were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, thankfully.

This all happened during homecoming week for the school. One witness called it chaos as people started running away as the shooting began.

CNN's Gabe Cohen is in Baltimore with the very latest on this.

And, Gabe, where do things stand with the search for the shooter now?

GABE COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, the search for suspects continues this morning. I just got off the phone with the Baltimore Police Department. They told me that they still can't confirm if they have any suspects in this case, if they believe this was one shooter or potentially several, or if this was even random or potentially a targeted shooting. Still, a lot of questions remain.

We can tell you that five young people, 18 to 22 years old, were wounded in this shooting, four of them Morgan State students. All expected to survive. No life-threatening injuries as of late last night.

It is quiet on the campus this morning. Classes are canceled. And, look, this is supposed to be a joyous time here at Morgan State.

It's homecoming week. In fact, when this all unfolded last night, students were coming out of a big event where they were crowning Mr. And Ms. Morgan State University, an event that draws in families, alumni, and students were headed to a students center, another building, when shots rang out on the campus outside. Police on patrol hearing those shots, running in and finding those wounded students.

And that is when this frantic search for a gunman unfolded, it began. SWAT teams combing through buildings, going room to room as students were told to shelter in place for hours. It is a tense time here as a shooter remains potentially on the loose. We heard from Baltimore's mayor late last night about the shooting.

Here's what they told us.

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MAYOR BRENDON SCOTT (D), BALTIMORE: We are dealing with, not just here in Baltimore, not just at Morgan State University, but across this country of the United States, an epidemic when it comes to guns and gun violence.

We have to stop saying, not one more. We need action now.

When is enough going to be enough?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: And this is also a difficult time because this is the third straight homecoming week here at Morgan State that has been marred by a shooting. The past two years, shootings injuring one person each. Of course this one injuring five.

And, Kate, look, we have seen recently this year high-profile shootings on college campuses, other campuses, Michigan State, UNC Chapel Hill, 530 shootings, as you mentioned, mass shootings across the country this year. A tense time at a place where so many students go expecting to be safe, and parents send their kids hoping that they're going to be OK.

BOLDUAN: Gabe Cohen, thank you very much.

Sara.

SIDNER: All right, right now, Kaiser Permanente employees walking off the job. What this means for patients in an unprecedented strike like we have never seen before across the country. That's next.

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[09:53:33]

SIDNER: Right now, Kaiser Permanente workers are walking off the job in what will be the largest health care strike in American history. You're looking just behind me there at pictures of protesters who are already on the picket lines from Lone Tree, Colorado. In all, 75,000 workers, about 40 percent of Kaiser's workforce, are expected to strike through early Saturday. While the majority of their doctors are not striking, some patients will still feel the pinch.

CNN's Natasha Chen is here.

Natasha, you are on the ground there. I know that there's a lot of noise. People are out on the picket lines. Tell us what you're hearing.

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Sara, at 6:00 a.m. exactly here in Los Angeles there was an announcement. We are on strike, they said. And they've been walking the sidewalk since chanting and talking to us about their frustrations with the under staffing in these hospitals and clinics. The pay that they feel they deserve. And so it's very frustrating for them when there aren't enough staff, they say, that causes a lot of chaos in the hospitals, in the clinics with patients getting frustrated, things moving more slowly, sometimes, you know, forging breaks because they're the only ones on duty.

The vast majority of the people on strike today are here in California. The other places, like you mentioned, include Colorado and Oregon.

[09:55:01]

And that includes an area in southwest Washington state as well.

I want to show you what one radiology technologist said to me yesterday about his experience working through the pandemic and how he feels the hospital system is valuing him today.

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JAMES BELL, KAISER RADIOLOGY TECHNOLOGIST: We were there during Covid. Front line health care workers were there for our patients, for our communities. We were touted as health care heroes. And now when we're at bargaining, all we are are told is, we're too expensive. Meanwhile, Kaiser executives, a lot of them are multimillionaires.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHEN: And the two sides have been bargaining all night. In fact, we got a statement from Kaiser this morning to update us on where they are. They say in part, there has been a lot of progress with agreements reached on several specific proposals late Tuesday. We remain committed to reaching a new agreement that continues to provide our employees with market-leading wages, excellent benefits, generous retirement income plans, and valuable professional development opportunities."

And they did say throughout this process that the impact to patients would be hopefully minimal because all the doctors are staying at work. All of the hospitals and clinics are staying open. And so patients should still come in for necessary care. But, of course, this is a large number of people on strike, and we'll

keep track of how those negotiations go, Sara.

SIDNER: Yes, one of the big things that is causing a lot of concern among patients is the staffing because they're saying patients are not safe with so few members of staff.

Natasha Chen, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

John.

BERMAN: All right, Sara, we're getting some new reporting this morning on which candidate to be speaker of the House is making the most progress this morning.

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