Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Senate Republicans Discuss Tuberville's Military Holds; Pentagon: 450+ Military Nominations Stalled By Tuberville's Hold; Father Learns Daughter He Thought Was Dead, May Be Held Hostage; Report: Most Unaffordable Housing Market Since 1984. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired November 07, 2023 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Right now on Capitol Hill, Senate Republicans are set to hold a special meeting to discuss a path forward, as Senator Tommy Tuberville continues to hold up military promotions over a Pentagon abortion policy. The Alabama Senators blockade, now impacting more than 450 military nominations. That's according to the Pentagon. CNN anchor and chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju joins us now live. Manu, anger is boiling over at Tuberville among Senate Republicans, but he is not caving.

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. In fact, this is new that Senate Republicans going public with their frustration, with their anger, trying to pressure Tommy Tuberville to back down. Yet last week going to the floor, trying to convince them to agree to move forward on these military promotions. He says no. He said that he will not back down unless the Pentagon scraps its policy that provides reimbursement to military personnel traveling out of state for abortion services. The Pentagon is not backing off of that. So they're trying to figure out if there's any way forward. But in talking to Tuberville yesterday, he's making clear he's not going to cave.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TOMMY TUBERVILLE, (R-AL): And I'm willing to go down there, stand with Democrats or Republicans. Makes me no difference. You know, you got to fight for what you believe in.

RAJU: You heard Dan Sullivan say this is a national security suicide mission, he said. I mean, why are you so -- what gives you the belief that he's wrong?

TUBERVILLE: You're talking about 300 people out of 2 million. I mean, come on. I mean, this is -- it's the Department of Defense. It's CQ Brown, it's all the other generals that have jobs.

[15:35:00]

It's Secretary Austin's job to get people ready. I mean, people are still in the game. They might not be making a call somewhere with those that have jobs. It's Secretary Austin's job to get people ready. I mean, people are still in the game, they might not be making a call somewhere with -- t will hey might after I'm I give them promotion, but all jobs are filled. I mean, it's -- you can't tell me that our military is not functioning the way it should function at a high readiness, especially what's going on now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU (on camera): So you can see from those comments Tuberville is not concerned about the impact on military readiness, even though Republicans and the Defense Department say that there are vacancies, people have to do multiple jobs and that has a real national security concern. But no concerns there from Tuberville. Who indicated to me earlier today that he still is trying to figure out if he could figure out any sort of compromise with Senate Republicans. But unclear if they'll get there, and unclear Republicans will back a rules changed to try to move all these nominations in one fell swoop. That's made the discussion may go in this meeting this afternoon here -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: Manu Raju, thanks so much for keeping an eye on it. Thanks.

Now to CNN national security reporter Natasha Bertrand live at the Pentagon. Natasha, you have reported on growing concerns that Manu just alluded to among Senate Republicans and other leaders over military readiness.

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, look, Boris, a number of really key positions, especially at this moment of multiple global wars are being held up and that includes the commander of Fifth Fleet, the deputy commander of Fifth Fleet. Fifth Fleet being responsible, of course, for U.S. naval operations in the Middle East as well as the defense attache to Israel. All of key positions, of course, that are being filled at this point by people with lesser experience or in some cases experienced people are holding two jobs at once.

And that is not only affecting, of course, military readiness, but it is also affecting mental health. I mean the deputy -- the Deputy Defense Secretary, said just last week that there have been tragic consequences to this hold, including the Commandant of the Marine Corps, who has been performing two jobs and just suffered a cardiac arrest, something that she said speaks for itself. But listen to Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh, who spoke today just to the sheer number of nominations that are still on hold.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SABRINA SINGH, DEPUTY PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: As of yesterday, there are now 452 nominations which concern 448 general and flag officers at the Senate for consideration, and that are currently impacted by Senator Tuberville's holds. Some of the positions that are stalled for confirmation include the Fifth Fleet commander, the Deputy Fifth Fleet commander, the Defense attache to Israel, and the list goes on.

As we've said before, these holds have a direct effect on our military readiness, our national security and our military families.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BERTRAND: So there are also key positions within Central Command. Of course, very key to the situation in the Middle East right now that are still unfilled. And the Pentagon has not said one way or another whether they support a rules change in the Senate to make sure that these nominations go forward. They just really want to see all of their nominees confirmed at this point -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: Natasha Bertrand, from the Pentagon. Thank you so much.

Coming up, we're going to share the heart wrenching story of an 8- year-old girl whose father believes that she was killed by Hamas during the October 8th attacks -- October 7th attacks I should say. He said he was relieved when he thought that she was dead. Turns out she may be alive and a hostage. We'll hear directly from her father in just a few minutes.

[15:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: More than 1,400 people were killed in Israel one month ago when Hamas terrorists attacked the country. For weeks, the father of eight-year-old Emily Hand believed his daughter was one of those victims. It actually brought him relief as he felt that being held hostage would be a fate worse than death. But now Israeli officials have told him that his daughter was most likely kidnapped and is still alive, being held captive in Gaza. CNN's Ed Lavandera joins us now live from Israel. And Ed, you spoke with the girl's father. What did he share with you?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Boris, on this night where Israelis are marking the one-month anniversary of the October 7th attack, hundreds gathered here at the most holy site in the world. The old city of Jerusalem, to pray for the hostages and eight-year-old Emily Hand is now one of the.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THOMAS HAND, HAMAS ATTACK SURVIVOR: From the morning of the 7th, until now, is a nightmare roller coaster, tragedy.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): The anguished Thomas Hand is about to describe has left him trembling for weeks. It's a journey of death and a hope of resurrection he says is impossible to imagine.

HAND: On the day it was Russian roulette whether you made it or not.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): On October 7th Hamas fighters stormed the kibbutz Be'eri, killing roughly 130 people and ravaging the community of 1,100 residents.

That morning, Thomas's eight-year-old daughter Emily was sleeping at a friend's house. Thomas could not reach her as Hamas fighters took over the kibbutz.

Days after the attack, the Irish-born father spoke with CNN's Clarissa Ward about the moment he was told his daughter had been killed.

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thomas waited two agonizing days before getting the news.

HAND: They just said, we found Emily. She's dead. And I went, yes.

[15:45:00]

I went, yes and smiled. Because that is the best news of the possibilities that I knew. She'd be in a dark room filled with Christ knows how many people, and terrified every minute, hour, day, and possible years to come. So, death was a blessing. An absolute blessing.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Thomas says leaders of the Be'eri's kibbutz community told him Emily's body was seen in the aftermath. But almost a month after the massacre, Thomas was given news that almost made him collapse. He says the Israeli army told him it's highly probable Emily is alive and a Hamas hostage.

LAVANDERA: How were you told the news that Emily might be alive?

HAND: That was official from the army with all the information that they have, the intelligence that they have, it's very likely that she's been taken to Gaza.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Thomas says he's been told Emily's body is not with the remains of victims, and that there was no blood found inside the home where she slept the night before. Thomas also says that cell phones belonging to the family Emily was staying with have been tracked inside Gaza.

LAVANDERA: When you spoke with Clarissa Ward a few weeks ago, you said death would be a blessing in this situation.

HAND: That's how I felt at the time, yes.

LAVANDERA: How do you describe where you are now?

HAND: Extremely worried about her, obviously. What conditions she's been held in. She's, you know, more than likely in a tunnel somewhere under Gaza. Your imagination is horrible. And it's her birthday on the 17th of this month. She'll be nine. She won't even know what day it is. She won't know what day it is. She won't know it's her birthday. There will be no birthday cake. No party. No friends. Just be petrified in a tunnel under Gaza. That's her birthday.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Thomas is now flooded with the hope and the despair of what his daughter might be enduring. He prays she can somehow hear these words to her.

HAND: If Emily is watching, just to let her know that we love her, all of us. We're all waiting for her to come back safely.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): The survivors of the Be'eri kibbutz are temporarily living in a hotel. In the lobby, there's a vigil to all the kidnapped hostages. Now Emily's family says the young girl's photo will be placed next to the others.

LAVANDERA: You described as being a hostage as worse than death.

HAND: I believe so. It's -- the unknown is awful. The waiting is awful. But that's what we got to do now. Just pray and hope that she comes back in some broken state, but we can fix her. We'll fix her somehow.

LAVANDERA: Do you allow yourself now to think about holding Emily again?

HAND: In my head, I can see, you know, like a beach scene, her running to me, and me running to her, just picking her up, never letting her go.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA (on camera): And Boris, Thomas Hand says that remarkably, that despite the roller coaster of emotion he's been on in the last month, he doesn't hold any ill will or anger toward anyone. He believes that the leaders of the kibbutz that told him that Emily had been killed were doing the best they could in those chaotic and terrifying moments on October 7th.

SANCHEZ: Ed Lavandera, thank you so much for that report. Stay with CNN. We'll be right back.

[15:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Here's some unwelcome news for home buyers. We're now living in the most unaffordable housing market since 1984. That's according to a new report by Intercontinental Exchange. It shows that rising rates and home prices have pushed the monthly principal and interest payment needed to buy a home so high that it now takes more than 40 percent of the medium household income to cover it. CNN's Matt Egan has been following this story. So Matt, break down the numbers. What does the new report tell?

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Well, Boris, the last time homes were this unaffordable Ronald Reagan was in the White House. This is really frustrating, particularly for younger Americans who are just desperate to buy their first home and start building some wealth. Problem is, they've been hammered by not just high prices but high borrowing cost. Because of this 1-2 punch, when you look at monthly principal and interest payments, they're swallowing up almost half of median household income -- 40.6 percent to be exact. That is the highest level since 1984.

And keep in mind that does not even include taxes or homeowner's insurance or non housing costs like daycare. So why is this happening? Well, look at mortgage rates, right? They're now at almost 8 percent. Some context, that's basically double where mortgage rates were back in 2019 before COVID.

[15:55:00]

Layer on top of that, the fact -- well, you look at that chart -- you know, at one point we actually had mortgage rates well under 3 percent in 2020 and 2021. Feels like a lifetime ago. The other problem is that despite high borrowing costs, home prices are at record highs. Now, if you own a home, the fact that prices have gone up is, of course, a good thing, because it's adding to your net wealth. The problem is that a lot of younger Americans are on the outside looking in and, Boris, a lot of them feel like the dream of home ownership is just getting further and further away.

SANCHEZ: Yes, it is a serious concern for millennials. Matt Egan, thanks so much for the update. We appreciate you joining us.

And we appreciate you spending part of your afternoon with us. Obviously, it is a big day. It's Election Day in the United States and CNN has special coverage with America -- of Election Day in America with Kaitlan Collins and Wolf Blitzer. Stay with us for that.