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House Clashes Over Israel Aid; Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) Is Interviewed About Israeli Funding; Marc Short Is Interviewed About Mike Pence; Hollywood Actors And Studios Make Progress; Blinken Testifies On Capitol Hill. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired October 31, 2023 - 09:30   ET

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

[09:30:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: For Ukraine and also calls for scraping some $14 billion in IRS funding that was part of the big bipartisan infrastructure deal.

CNN's Manu Raju is on Capitol Hill following this.

Manu, we can see the contours of the battle. Do you see a path forward yet?

MANU RAJU, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's really unclear. In fact, there's real concerns that all of this could get stalled, could get bogged down, could potentially collapse amid divisions within the GOP and also uncertainty about whether the votes exist for any of packages that are now being considered.

Now the split really is between the Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and the House Speaker Mike Johns about strategy and about the price tag about how to move ahead. McConnell wants to include Israel aid, include - along with Israel aid as well as the White House has been pushing for $105 billion as part of that emergency package, including with issues like the southern border, issues with - dealing with the South Pacific and the like.

Mike Johnson, the new speaker, wants a separate bill, $14.3 billion, just to deal with Israel. But included in that are spending cuts to the - to IRS enforcement, meant to offset the cost of the price tag. That has prompted a furious Democratic revolt. And the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, they're about to give testimony in a matter of minutes from top cabinet officials. She says that that House Republican plan is dead on arrival.

And in talking to the number two Senate Republican, John Thune, he made clear that it is an open question about how any of this will get resolved.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: Would you be OK of separating the two out?

SEN. JOHN THUNE (R-SD): Well, I mean, yes, it's going to be what they - what the traffic will bear over there. Will they have the votes to pass? We'll see what it looks like when it comes over here. If they send something over separately and it has bipartisan support coming out of the House, then it's probably going to be hard not to take that up here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: And that is the real question is exactly what can get out of the Senate that can pass the House. And if the House plan does pass this week, Democrats are saying it has no path in the Senate. So, what ultimately happens here as Israel awaits aid from the United States, as Ukraine awaits aid from the United States, will all of it collapse amid infighting in -- on Capitol Hill?

That is the huge question. But the administration, in just a matter of moments here, Secretary Blinken, as well as Secretary Austin, planning to make their case to tie all of this together, saying it's central to the American security. Will that change the dynamic on Capitol Hill? That is another question altogether.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. It will be important, though, to hear from both the secretary of state and the defense secretary on this very issue.

Great to see you, Manu. You'll have updates coming from Capitol Hill on that.

John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, with us now is Congressman Jared Moskowitz, a Democrat from Florida, who is on the House Oversight and Foreign Affairs Committee.

Congressman, thank you so much for being with us. So this idea of tying aid to Israel to cuts in funding for the IRS, your Florida congressional colleague, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, said "this is playing political games with Israel emergency funding." You've said it's akin to having a political mailer. Yet you also say you would vote for this. Why?

REP. JARED MOSKOWITZ (D-FL): Well, first of all, they're setting a political trap. It's completely outrageous. It's not serious policy.

And don't listen to me. Go listen to the National Republican Congressional Committee. They put out a tweet saying, Democrats are going to have to choose between Israel and the IRS. So, they're admitting that this is a campaign ploy so they can send mailers out for the Democrats that decide not to defund the IRS.

This is what we're doing with our national security. This is what Republicans are going to do while there are American hostages. They're going to politicize funding for Israel in their greatest time of need in 50 years. And so that's why we're calling it out.

That being said, listen, I am not going to fall for the trap. I am going to support Israel's funding because it's super critical in the world we live in today that we - that Israel - we give Israel the support that they need.

BERMAN: Why isn't that falling for the trap though?

MOSKOWITZ: It's not falling for the trap because they want us to vote no. They want us to vote no. That's the trap. They want us to choose the domestic spending over the foreign spending. The domestic cuts over the foreign spending. That's what they want. They want us to fall right into it. And that's why I'm saying I'm not - I'm not - I'm not going to do that.

By the way, this violates their single subject spending rule. They said they weren't going to mix several subjects in a bill. This also is going to add to the deficit, which is something they're not supposed to be doing. So, they're violating every rule that they've set for themselves all in the nature of politics, not about bringing Americans home, not about helping our ally in the Middle East, not about doing any humanitarian aid by the way for the folks that are in the Gaza Strip. There's none of that. That's what they're doing. But I'm not going to fall into that trap that they're trying to set for Democrats.

BERMAN: Congressman, your synagogue in Parkland, Florida, we might add, over the weekend there was an anti-Semitic incident outside.

[09:35:05]

And if I'm getting this right, it was what appeared to be kids on bikes riding by yelling things about Jews.

What's that feel like for you to have that happen outside your synagogue?

MOSKOWITZ: Well, I mean, John, we've - we've seen this now, unfortunately, all over the country, in universities and in the streets, on social media. I mean it's the cool and hip thing. I have no doubt that these kids saw this on TikTok or Instagram or somewhere and thought, oh, this would be cool, let's put on ski masks and go to our local temple and yell, kill the jews.

We have seen in this country, also on college campuses and in the streets, this go from complaints about Israel to Jews. You know, we -- we're - and the Jewish community is constantly told, you can be anti- Israel but not anti-Semitic. And I would surmise that you could. But what we're seeing in the street is not - what we're seeing in the street is calls to gas the Jews, kill the Jews, cleanse the Jews, from the river to the sea, right? Kill everyone in between. It is concerning.

This is what my grandmother, who was a Holocaust survivor, you know, as a child, you know, told me stories. You go to the museums. You think to yourself, there's no way that this could happen again. How could people be so -- blindly hate a religion and people that they don't -- they don't even know. And then you see this and you realize that what happens is, is that when there's so much propaganda out there, and it's fed to people by the algorithms all day long on social media, you can see why this is fomenting all around the world again, John.

BERMAN: Yes.

MOSKOWITZ: So, it's -- it's really scary.

BERMAN: Yes, look, the old saying, it can't happen here clearly does not apply. But you get to what I think is a key area of discussion that needs to be discussed, which is the line between being critical of Israel and anti-Semitism. And I bring that up because Congresswoman Rashida Talib, there's going to be a censure motion on the House floor this week on her. And you said that everyone should consider that strongly. So, why? Where do you draw that line between free speech and being critical of Israel and anti-Semitism?

MOSKOWITZ: Well, again, I think you can be critical of Israel's policies, but when people are -- start using the word Jew, clearly that's no longer about foreign policy. And we've seen the word Israel disappear and the word Jew replace it all over college campuses and universities and in big cities across the country, and online, John. It is pervasive online. So, that's where you draw the line. That's clearly now not about Israel, that's clearly about anti-Semitism.

You know, as far as Congressman Rashida Talib, that's about the fact that she still went out and told a lie after U.S. intelligence said that it had nothing to do about Israel at the hospital. First of all, let's go through that. The hospital wasn't hit. It was the parking lot. There weren't 500 people that were killed because Hamas makes up the numbers. And, by the way, it wasn't Israel. The biggest part, it was not Israel.

Every intelligence agency we have in this country has confirmed that. There were riots all over the place. The president got -- had his meetings canceled with foreign leaders. We see - we see mobs in Russia looking for Jews on the plane from Tel Aviv. All of this goes back to people believing that that hospital was bombed.

And so spreading dangerous misinformation is something people in Congress shouldn't do. When Republicans do that, Democrats call that out, OK, and we censure them for when they do that or say they should be censured. And so, you know, that's why I said it was something that I think it should be - should be considered.

BERMAN: Congressman Jared Moskowitz, we do appreciate your time. Please come back and see us again.

MOSKOWITZ: Thanks, John.

BERMAN: All right, the battle for number two. Things getting very interesting in the Republican race for president. New sharp elbows between Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley.

And could Hollywood actors be back on their way to work soon? There is new reporting on progress in the strike talks.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:43:46]

BOLDUAN: This morning, Ron DeSantis is responding to some of the news out of Iowa. The new polling data showing he remains in second place behind Donald Trump, a distant second place, but he's also now tied with Nikki Haley among likely Republican caucus-goers. DeSantis, today, says he still feels confident about his campaign and what it's seeing in Iowa.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL) AND PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Trump is spending a million dollars attacking me in Iowa. Haley's super PAC is spending big money to attack me in Iowa. You don't do that unless you view me as the threat. So, if you look at how the campaigns behave. And if Donald Trump had it sewn up, he would not be spending that kind of money there. If we weren't doing well, we would not be the focal point of the attack.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Nikki Haley, for her part, all too happy to tout her recent rise in the polls while campaigning in South Carolina.

Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIKKI HALEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If you saw the polls today in Iowa, I am now in second place in Iowa. Second place. We are now second place in New Hampshire. We are now second place in South Carolina. I got one more fella I got to catch up to, and I am - I am determined to do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[09:45:02]

BOLDUAN: That fellow, though, at a distant first, being the frontrunner, Donald Trump.

This new lineup, if you will, in Iowa comes just after the first major Republican candidate dropped out of the race. Former Vice President Mike Pence making the surprise announcement this weekend.

And joining me now is Marc Short, senior adviser to Mike Pence, also the former chief of staff to Vice President Pence.

It's good to see you, Marc.

MARC SHORT, FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF TO VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE: Good morning, Kate.

BOLDUAN: What was the - what was the final straw? Why do you think he did not gain traction? SHORT: Well, Kate, I think that the campaign afforded him an

opportunity to give an admonition to the direction that our party is headed. I think that in 2016, when he joined the ticket, there was a promise to govern as conservatives. And I think that he and Donald Trump did. Whether or not it's border policy, historic tax relief, we did rebuilding the military or reforming the courts.

But I think today the front-runner of our party has run a campaign based on grievances and there's no real promise to conservatives to how he'd govern. In fact, if you look at his campaign messaging, proposing perhaps the biggest tax increase on American history with a 10 percent tax on all - on all products coming into the United States, abandonment of our international commitments, refusal to address the fiscal crisis that we're in. There's nothing that the campaign is offering to conservatives. Instead, it's basically, you fight -- help me fight my grievances. And I think the campaign afforded the vice president that chance to give caution to our party about the direction that it's headed.

But I think that - that the reality is that Donald Trump remains the frontrunner for our party. And, you know, other candidates will have to make decisions about timing for them. But I think some of the conventional wisdom that is out there would suggest that says, hey, we just need to narrow down to one-on-one. And I - I don't think that that applies here. I think the reality is that as candidates drop out it will build more of an inevitability of Donald Trump as the nominee and so I do think it's a little bit different dynamic.

BOLDUAN: Well, that's interesting.

But when it comes to -- I mean what -- you said that the campaign afforded Mike Pence, people just - people were not buying it. I mean you know, you can see it in the polls, that it didn't cut through. It didn't give - people were not giving him another look. But I wonder then if this, Pence - Pence leaving the race, coupled with Trump's dominance, and also even Mike Johnson's rise to becoming House speaker, is that confirmation that 2020 election denialism is a prerequisite or at least a big factor in people being able to win leadership positions in the Republican Party?

SHORT: I don't know, Kate. I think that there's no doubt there's a sense of allegiance in our party to Donald Trump. And I think some of it -- some of it could be election denial. I think a lot of it is also is believing that there was a lot of accomplishments those four years. And so even if we don't agree with him about January 6th, we want to stand with him moving forward.

So, I don't know if it's as simple as that. And - and, look, I'm - I'm well familiar with the - with Speaker Johnson's Amicus brief, but I - I don't put him in -- perhaps in the same crowd. I think that - that Mike Johnson is a committed conservative who has been a man of conviction throughout his public career. And so I - I'm not necessarily attaching some of the same election denialism there.

BOLDUAN: Who do you think is now the strongest candidate against Trump? SHORT: You know, Kate, I think that right now that - that Donald Trump

is - is on a pathway with each ensuing indictment that continues to rally more people behind him. I think, as you mentioned, there is a fight for second place, but that's a distant fight from where Donald Trump is in the standings. And I think -

BOLDUAN: Are you seeing inevitability then?

SHORT: You know, I don't - I don't want to say inevitability because I think there's still an enormous amount of legal hurdles that face Donald Trump. But I - I'm not so sure that there's a compelling case for anyone else in the field to overtake him where our party is right now. And, you know, I think as you -

BOLDUAN: What are the questions - oh, sorry, Marc. Sorry.

SHORT: No.

BOLDUAN: Can I ask you this real quick?

SHORT: Yes.

BOLDUAN: Pence joined most of the other Republicans running for president in raising his hand on that debate stage to say that he would support whoever the eventual nominee is, whoever it is. Obviously the question and the suggestion there is if it is Donald Trump. Now that he no longer is bound by any RNC rules, which that was part of it to get on the debate stage, do you see Mike Pence really voting for Trump if he gets the nomination?

SHORT: I think that Mike's a man of his word, and I think that he's been a lifelong Republican. I think he's been committed to our party. And as you said, it was a - it was a prerequisite for being a participant in the debates. I think there's a difference between --

BOLDUAN: But how do you make sense of that when he's on the right side of history and he stood up for his ideals, how is that standing up for an ideal?

SHORT: I think there's a difference - yes. And I think he's always -- he's always going to make the case to the American people. But, at the same time, Kate, I think that if you're a conservative like he is, and you look at the direction of our country under Joe Biden, there's no way you can support Joe Biden. And so I think that - that there's certainly a conflict there for sure and it's hard to support somebody who abandons the rule of law.

[09:50:06]

But I'll let Mike answer the question as to who he'll actually vote for. But I -- it's hard for me to see him going out and campaigning against the Republican nominee.

BOLDUAN: It's great to have you, Marc. It will be great to have your perspective throughout the rest of this primary.

SHORT: Kate, thanks for having me.

BOLDUAN: Thanks, buddy.

John.

BERMAN: All right, very shortly, actors and major studio executives set to meet at the negotiating table. Is a deal to end the strike increasingly imminent?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: All right, very shortly, SAG-AFTRA, the union representing 150,000 Hollywood actors, will be back to the negotiating table with studio executives. The union's top negotiator told "Variety" that he is, quote, cautiously optimistic about the talks, though they remain far apart on key issues. Actors have been on strike since July. That is more than 100 days now.

CNN business and politics correspondent Vanessa Yurkevich is with us now.

And, Vanessa, there is a sense that they might be getting closer to progress here. What are you hearing?

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: The good news is, they're back at the negotiating table today. And sources telling our Oliver Darcy that there has been significant movement in negotiations and that we could see a deal this week or next.

[09:55:08]

But I just want to caution that we've heard about movement before only to have the two sides walk away abruptly from the negotiating table. But we know from sources that all key items are being discussed, including artificial intelligence, which could be used to create background actors in shows or movies or even just pay an actor for one day of work but use their likeness in perpetuity. That is something that actors have said is an existential crisis to their livelihoods.

We know that the Writers Guild, however, was able to come to a deal with the studios earlier this month and was able to put guardrails up around artificial intelligence. And involved in those final days of negotiations between the writers and the studios where all of the studio heads, including the CEO of our parent company, Warner Brothers Discovery. And we know from sources that those same studio heads are back at the negotiating table trying to push this deal through.

And, John, the clock has always been ticking on this, but the clock is really ticking now because if they do not come to a deal soon, the studios are going to have the cancel the production of their winter shows. That will only prolong actors being out of work more. And additionally, all the other employees in other industries that are supported by Hollywood who have been impacted, they're going to be out of work even longer.

So, a little bit of hope this week that maybe there's a deal in our near future. That would be the best gift ahead of the holiday season, John.

BERMAN: All right, back at the table very shortly. Keep us posted throughout the day. Vanessa Yurkevich, thank you very much.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Any minute now, John, we're going to be hearing from the secretary of state, Tony Blinken, and also the defense secretary, Lloyd Austin. They are set to speak - you see them there - speak at a Senate hearing to make the case on Capitol Hill for more aid to Ukraine, more aid to Israel, and getting it to them as soon as possible. 're going to bring you some of their remarks when they begin.

Also come up, Israeli forces are reaching deeper into Gaza with its ground operation now. What that look like today - actually, we're going to go back to Capitol Hill right now. Secretary of State Tony Blinken is beginning his remarks.

Let's listen.

TONY BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE: To testify before you today.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) punishment. (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sir, no demonstrating. Please, stop.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of (INAUDIBLE) areas.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop supporting the genocide of (INAUDIBLE) of the people of Gaza.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sir, you're coming with me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ceasefire now! Save the children of Gaza! Save the children of Gaza! Ceasefire now! Where is your pride, America!

SEN. PATTY MURRAY (D-WA): I do - I do recognize that people feel very passionately, but I ask that we have order in this hearing room and respect our speakers. We will move forward with the hearing and allow the people here and the American people to hear from their witnesses.

Senator Blinken.

BLINKEN: Thank you, Chair.

Two and a half years ago our adversaries assessed that the United States was becoming permanently divided at home, alienated from our allies and partners round the world. Working together we've demonstrated that America's resilience, its strength and leadership in the world remain unmatched. We've made historic investments in the source of America's strength at home, our democracy, our infrastructure, our economic and technological competitiveness. We've invested in the modernization of our military and we've invested

in our greatest strategic asset abroad, our network of allies and partners, which is growing larger, stronger, more united and more capable than ever. We're standing up for our investment in values, not shrinking back, not in the face of Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Not in the face of intensifying strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific and around the world.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stop the brutal, (ph) brutal massacre in Gaza. The U.S. is supporting a brutal massacre. Sixty-six percent of the world is say that they want a ceasefire and yet not a - not one senator is calling for a ceasefire.

MURRAY: If the witness will suspend. And I ask that everyone, again, respect this hearing. We will suspend until the room is cleared.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shame on you all! The world is calling for a ceasefire. The American people don't want to support this brutal war. Stop the war. Stop the - ceasefire now. Stop funding this brutal massacre that Israel is doing on the people of Gaza. Ceasefire now! Ceasefire now! Ceasefire now! Ceasefire not!

MURRAY: Thank you, Senator Blinken. If you can continue, please.

BLINKEN: As I said, we're standing up for our interest (ph) in values, not shrinking back, not in the face of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, not in the face of intensifying, strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific and around the world, not in the face of terrorism and its state's sponsors.

[09:59:59]

And America does not stand alone. We've built extraordinary coalitions with friends who carry their share of the burden, which I'm happy to come back to.

Our adversaries and competitors alike recognize.