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Rep. McCarthy Resigning From Congress At End Of The Year; TX Woman With High-Risk Pregnancy Files Lawsuit To Get An Abortion; Time Names Taylor Swift Person Of The Year. Aired 11:30a-12p ET

Aired December 06, 2023 - 11:30   ET

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

[11:30:00]

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JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, breaking news. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy will soon be a former member of Congress. Kevin McCarthy. He is resigning.

Our Chief Capitol Hill Correspondent Manu Raju here with the news. Manu, what have you learned?

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CAPITOL HILL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this is a big deal. This is the former Speaker of the House. Kevin McCarthy announcing that he will retire at the end of this year. Resign his seat from Congress and will step aside and no longer serve the district in California that he has for some -- for a number of years now in the aftermath of his ouster as Speaker of the House.

Remember roughly two months ago that historic vote, pushing them out of the speakership when -- led by Matt Gaetz and voted out by seven other Republicans along with Democrats pushing him out as the first speaker ever to lose his position at the hands of his colleagues. Now, announcing that he won't even serve for the rest of his two-year term that would have expired in January of 2025. Saying in this new article that he wrote for The Wall Street Journal that it was time -- was up. He writes. It is undisputed that I have decided to depart the House at the end of the year to serve America in new ways. I know my work is only getting started.

[11:35:07]

He goes on to say, I will continue to recruit our country's best and brightest to run for elected office. The Republican Party is expanding every day. And I am committing to lending my experience to support the next generation of leaders.

Now, he doesn't specify exactly what he intends to do next. But he details what he believes are as -- were his accomplishments were in office, took successful efforts to take back the House Republican majority. But, John, make no mistake about it. This is a member who was at the peak of his power not too long ago -- weeks ago, pushed out because of his decision to move forward and keeping the government open without any spending cuts, relying on Democrats to do that, that cause a revolt on the right. Other members who did not like Kevin McCarthy wanted him out for a variety of reasons. Some believe that they broke some of his promises that he made. But the narrow Republican majority was ultimately McCarthy's undoing. He did everything he could in the last election, the midterm election to trying to expand that majority, have a comfortable governing majority.

This was a job that he had dreamed of getting to become Speaker of the House. He wanted to rule it comfortably. But with that narrow majority came so many problems that he ran into.

The -- first, he had to avoid a debt default. He did that narrowly with Republican support and Democrat support. But it got a number of those hardliners upset at him for that dealmaking. Then the efforts to keep the government open on October 1 is what led -- ultimately led to his ouster after just nine months in power.

McCarthy wanted that to last much longer here. But it was clear, I talked to McCarthy not too long ago after his ouster as Speaker, he was still very angry. Bitter those members who pushed him out. Believe he did not deserve to be in that position. Told me at that time that he would much rather be in the room negotiating than being on the outs.

McCarthy himself not attending many of the Republican conference meetings. Skipping a number of votes. Simply did not want to be a rank-and-file member of Congress. Different than former Speaker Nancy Pelosi who after she stepped aside, decided to continue on as a rank- and-file member. But for McCarthy, that was not in the cards.

So, John, this decision is significant in the -- this moment for the Republican Party, but also significant that it will narrow -- further narrow --

BERMAN: Yes.

RAJU: The Republican majority. Down to 220 to 213 after we saw last week, George Santos expelled from the House narrowing the majority even further. And some other retirements coming next year could make it even more complicated for Mike Johnson, the new speaker, to push it out. But a huge moment for the GOP as the former Speaker of the House now going to become a former member at the end of this year. Kevin McCarthy announcing his resignation by year's end, John.

BERMAN: It's a remarkable turn of events. It is a dramatic fall. It is a Republican seat that Kevin McCarthy sits in. But until there is a special election to fill it, the margin that Republicans have in the House, razor, razor-thin after George Santos leaves in that district in Long Island too. So, truly, this will be an extraordinary few months we are about to witness in the U.S. Congress. Manu Raju, thank you very much for that. Kate?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: We also have more breaking news coming in right now. The Coast Guard has just released a rare and highly critical report acknowledging that it had "failed to keep our people safe." It is a direct result of CNN's investigation, which revealed Coast Guard leaders covered up damning information about sexual assaults and other misconduct for years. CNN's chief investigative correspondent Pamela Brown has much more on this.

Lot of hard work has gotten to uncovering a lot of this, Pamela. What does this report now say?

PAMELA BROWN, CNN CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Kate. Yes, and this has really been a team effort covering this story for several months. And this report just coming out from the Coast Guard is unbelievably direct about the problems within the Coast Guard.

For months, CNN has been covering a culture in the Coast Guard that goes back decades of sexual assaults that were ignored, and victims were told to keep quiet. Survivors sometimes punished while their perpetrators were never brought to justice. Now, the head of the Coast Guard launched a 90-day review after CNN's first story over the summer interviewing hundreds of current Coast Guard members, sifting through data, and the resounding message is this.

These failures and lack of accountability are entirely unacceptable. The Coast Guard must do something about it. The report shows the Coast Guard failed to live up to its core values by lacking the programs to prevent military sexual trauma and improperly supporting victims and the aftermath.

And that too many Coast Guard members are not experiencing the safe, empowering workplace they expect and deserve. In fact, less than half of the women in the -- in the Coast Guard felt that they would be treated with dignity or respect by the Coast Guard if they reported being sexually assaulted. And one thing that is repeatedly noted in this report that is just coming out is the loss of trust within the Coast Guard by its members.

[11:40:00]

And while you know the Coast Guard did not -- did take a look back at the history, this is a forward-looking report, what they call a roadmap aimed at improving the Coast Guard's culture. And the commandant called for sweeping reforms, called directed actions. And that includes new training for everyone from recruits to senior executives on sexual assault prevention, response, and recovery, creating a so-called safe-to-report policy so victims aren't worried about being penalized for minor misconduct, like using alcohol at the time of an incident, and improved oversight of the Coast Guard Academy. And its cadets also developing policies to hold people accountable, including Coast Guard members heading for retirement. CNN found multiple cases where people accused of wrongdoing were allowed to retire with full benefits, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Yes. and, Pamela, is -- you've been listening out a lot of this happens stretching back decades.

BROWN: Yes.

BOLDUAN: But these Coast Guard members say the problems still exist? BROWN: Yes, they do. I mean, CNN has been speaking to dozens of victims who say the culture in the Coast Guard hasn't changed. But this report is really candid. And the message throughout it is that the Coast Guard is finally trying to deal with these issues.

Now next week, there'll be a hearing by the Senate Homeland Security Committee, and there's also an inspector general's investigation that has been ordered. We're just hearing from senators reacting to this report, including Senator Cantwell, who talked about that and expressed dismay that well it is good that the Coast Guard is trying to address these issues, there really is a lack of accountability looking backwards for those who were part of this culture of cover up at the Coast Guard with the sexual assault.

And the fact the lack of justice for the victims. But Senator Cantwell for her part says that she is looking forward to the results of this inspector general report investigation that is currently underway. That investigation again, a direct result of CNN investigative teams reporting, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Yes. Pamela, thank you so much for bringing that to us and for your continued work and the team's work on this. Thank you. John.

BROWN: Thank you.

BERMAN: A woman living in Texas has just filed a lawsuit against the state to try and obtain an emergency abortion. This lawsuit is believed to be the first of its kind.

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[11:46:40]

BOLDUAN: A woman living in Texas is now suing the state asking a court to declare that she has the right to terminate her pregnancy. Kate Cox says that she has a very high-risk pregnancy. At best, her doctors say her child is unlikely to live more than a few days outside the womb.

And, she says, continuing the pregnancy is putting her own life at risk. That's why she now says that she is looking -- and why she is now looking to the court for help. She's 20 weeks pregnant and living in a state with a near-total ban on abortions.

CNN's Whitney Wild joins us now. She's got more on this. Whitney, what more are you learning about this lawsuit?

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, basically the crux of the lawsuit is that if she carries this pregnancy to term, she risks her own life or a possible catastrophic injury to her that would cause irreparable physical damage moving forward. And that, she says is actually one of the bars for the Texas abortion ban. So, the Texas abortion ban is banning abortions after six weeks unless there is risk to the life of the mother or a chance that carrying a pregnancy to term would cause irreversible physical damage to that person that would impair them long term. So, she says that she does qualify. However, she points out that that law is really vague. So, at this point, there was major concern among her doctors as well as her husband that if she goes through with an abortion, they face a legal risk because that's what the Texas law allows. It allows people to bring cases against other people who facilitate abortions.

So, here's what's going on. Again, as you point out, she's 20 weeks. She's had these very severe complications. She's been to the emergency room three times with severe cramping with unidentifiable fluid leaks.

This is she believes largely a result of her infant being diagnosed with an extra chromosome -- an extra 18th chromosome This is called Edwards syndrome. We have a graphic here that takes us through some of the facts of that.

This is a very severe genetic condition. It caused -- it's caused, again by an extra chromosome 18. And at least 95 percent of cases, fetuses don't survive the full term.

So, this is -- again, she believes that if she carries his baby to term, either the -- she's going to have to go through the absolute agony of her own very severe medical injury, the death of the baby in utero, or have to watch the baby die after it's born. Again, Kate, this is certainly a case to watch because it is the first that we know of where someone is trying to get a basically a court order to allow for an abortion. So, certainly, again a case to watch, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Yes, sure is. Whitney, thank you very much for the reporting. John?

BERMAN: So, it is something really only Taylor Swift could say. She is Time's Person of the Year again.

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[11:53:54]

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BERMAN: In case you don't know who that is.

BOLDUAN: I don't, John. Who was that?

BERMAN: OK. That is Taylor Swift.

BOLDUAN: Oh, I have heard of her. I've heard of her.

BERMAN: She has been named Time's Person of the Year. And it's been -- you know, I don't know if you're aware of this, it's been a big year for Taylor Swift from her record-breaking Eras Tour to her relationship with Super Bowl champ Travis Kelce. She's been in the headlines a lot.

CNN's senior data reporter Harry Enten is with us. The way I look at it, she's finally getting the recognition she deserves, Harry. HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Thank, God -- thank, God. You know, this is a year in which she had multiple number-one songs. It's a year in which he produced the top concert film of all time, right that Eras Tour went on. People actually saw it in the films. And she also produced the Swift economy. I mean, billions of dollars for cities where -- countrywide.

So, Taylor Swift just had a fantastic year. And, of course, I should also note she had the word Swifty, was one of the finalists for Oxford word of the year. So, she's doing quite well and I'm glad that Time Magazine is recognizing her.

[11:55:01]

BOLDUAN: Well, and I know I'm -- I am going to say out loud everyone is thinking who -- we knew that Harry Enten was the Taylor Swift expert.

ENTEN: Of course.

BOLDUAN: I'm so glad.

BERMAN: Senior Taylor Swift expert.

BOLDUAN: The see -- that's exactly right. But is Time's Person of the Year. John's telling him up and things that she's been on there now four times if you count --

BERMAN: (INAUDIBLE) You look at it.

BOLDUAN: If you count -- if you counted Time Magazine.

BERMAN: Well, the silence breakers in 2017. She was on the cover for that.

BOLDUAN: And one of them, she wasn't born. I saw the one --

BERMAN: She was you -- she was part of You in 2006, which we all won.

BOLDUAN: Well, we all won.

ENTEN: Yes, we won that.

BERMAN: And then -- and then in 1975, the American Room. She wasn't born yet.

BOLDUAN: She and I were not born then.

ENTEN: Yes.

BOLDUAN: So, I don't think we can claim it. Though, I would like to. But by the numbers -- Time Magazine by the number.

ENTEN: I mean, normally, you know, presidents get a name or whatever, named about 23 times I think it was time person of the century, of course, was Albert Einstein. So -- Einstein, excuse me. So, the fact that she's now up with Albert Einstein as somebody who has graced the cover of Time, and she's actually done it more for personally, you're a person of the century, than he has.

BERMAN: In this, like, football fans, it's become a thing.

ENTEN: It's become a thing. I mean, record ratings for the Kansas City Chiefs on television. Kelce's podcast has gone through the roof. JERSEY sales.

So, it's not just about her. She's a giver, too. She has given Travis Kelce their wonderful gift of fame.

BERMAN: And again, for people who don't like seeing her at the football game, she goes "I have no awareness of if I'm being shown too much, and pissing off a few dads, Brad's and Chaz."

ENTEN: She's made Harry very happy.

BOLDUAN: Best story real, quick. I never have enough time. My daughters were debating how mad they were that Taylor Swift was cheating on Travis Kelce. And I said, what are you talking about? They're like she says Karma is a boy -- is her boyfriend. Thinking the karma was a person.

BERMAN: What?

BOLDUAN: And then we got into a long discussion about karma.

BERMAN: That was worth it.

BOLDUAN: It was -- it was so funny.

BERMAN: Dan will be OK with that. Sorry for the few minutes late. Thank you all for joining us. "INSIDE POLITICS" is up next.

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