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WH Task Force Will Hold Briefing This Afternoon; Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) Is Interviewed About COVID-19 Cases Climbing On Capitol Hill Lawmakers; Biden Acknowledges "Real Brick Walls" He'll Face If Republicans Maintain Senate Majority. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired November 19, 2020 - 12:30   ET

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

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[12:31:37]

DANA BASH, CNN HOST: Again, the breaking news this hour, the White House Task Force will brief from the White House this afternoon and this will be the first time they do that in more than six months. And now we have a new advisory from the CDC and that is don't travel, stay home for Thanksgiving. This advisory comes as deaths from COVID-19 and the surge we are seeing are passed 250,000 people. I want to bring in CNN health reporter Jacqueline Howard. And Jacqueline, tell us more about what the CDC is saying now.

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: Yes, Dana, this announcement just came out just a few minutes ago during a briefing call that the agency had with reporters. And it was said, I'll quote, amid this critical phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, CDC is recommending against travel during the Thanksgiving period.

And honestly, it comes as not much of a surprise because if you look at past holidays, following Fourth of July, following Memorial Day, the country did see a rise in cases following those holidays. And so there has been serious concern that that could happen again following this Thanksgiving. And so this recommendation was just mentioned during this briefing call. And the agency updated its website with additional guidance for families who are still trying to figure out their Thanksgiving plans.

BASH: Yes. And the fact is that they talk about the fact that people are going to be if they do travel, bringing infection with them to small gatherings and not even knowing it. And I think you mentioned this, but I think it's worth underscoring that even the person, the COVID-19 incident manor -- manager who was manager who was briefing said that he hasn't seen his parents who are older since January. I think that tells us a lot. And this is important.

HOWARD: That's right, yes.

BASH: Were you going to say something, I'm sorry?

HOWARD: That does tell a lot. And they made clear on that call that when you think about your plans, and it's important to stay within your bubble, within your household. That means people that you've been living with for the past two weeks and if someone has not been in your household in the past two weeks, they do not fit in your bubble.

BASH: OK, Jacqueline Howard, thank you so much. That is really, really important breaking news from the CDC, once again, advising people not to travel for Thanksgiving, one of the biggest travel days historically in non-pandemic times of the year. Thanks, Jacqueline.

[12:34:09]

And up next, COVID on Capitol Hill, more lawmakers are now in quarantine and we're going to talk to Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, about that and much more looking ahead to 2021.

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BASH: Coronavirus cases are climbing among lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Just yesterday, two more members of the House announced that they have tested positive. That brings CNN's tally to 26 house members and eight senators who have so far tested positive or have been presumed positive. That includes two of the oldest members of Congress, GOP Senator Chuck Grassley, who's third in line for the presidency and Republican Representative from Alaska, Don Young, both are 87 years old.

Joining me now is Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal from Washington state. And Congressman, thank you so much for joining me. I want to start with the outbreak on Capitol Hill, underscoring the real risks that you as lawmakers face in Congress as you continue to meet fly around the country. What should you all do to better protect yourselves and your ability to do the work you're elected to do?

REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-WA): Honestly, Dana, I think we have to improve all of our proxy voting systems and make it so that people do not have to travel. We've taken good strides in that direction. We do have proxy votes. But as long as it is optional, I think there are a lot of members who feel like they are under pressure to travel to D.C. and I think that's a challenge.

[12:40:08]

You know, I have been very careful not traveling unless I really feel that there's something I have to do on the House floor, because I think I have to model for my constituents that we need to stay home right now. But at the same time, I feel a lot of empathy for my colleagues who, you know, are in tough districts and don't want to be put in that position of having to make a choice.

BASH: So do you think that it should be made for them that it should be mandatory stay at home and vote by proxy?

JAYAPAL: I think if we could figure out the logistics of doing that the problem is the house rules don't allow for that in every situation. And I think that's the thing that we have to move towards is figuring out how to fix that. Because, yes, I think it should be ideally mandated that we get to stay home and follow the health guidance of our public health officials, and really try to model that behavior. But we do have problems with doing that in terms of how the votes occur.

BASH: Yes, right, which is completely understandable. Let's look ahead to next year and the new slimmer majority that you and your fellow Democrats are going to have, it's going to be the tightest in nearly two decades. I want you to listen to what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who was elected again by the caucus, she's got to have that same vote on the House floor once that happens in January. But listen to what she said about all this yesterday.

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REP. NANCY PELOSI (D), HOUSE SPEAKER: The fact is, have fewer members, but the White House, but the White House is a source of we're sad to have lost the members we have. We're ready to go again. Sometimes, when there's a small number of people see the urgency of listening to each other, respecting each other's voice, because we all have to go down this path mostly together.

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BASH: What's your reaction to that?

JAYAPAL: Well, I agree that, you know, I went to bed that night before the election thinking that job number one was to get Donald Trump out of the White House and to elect Joe Biden with a mandate. That was my hope. We did that, Dana. We got not only the Electoral College in what Donald Trump called a landslide victory four years ago, over 300 Electoral College votes. But we also got Joe Biden the popular vote, swinging back states like Georgia and Arizona and taking back states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

So I think that is a huge victory for the country. Second job was to maintain control of the House. Of course, we wanted to expand our majority in the House, that didn't happen. But to be able to maintain control is huge. And so those two things, I think are very, very, very important. And then finally, we're still in contention for the Senate, a very tough Senate map. But we still have a possibility, though, I understand it is challenging to win back the Senate. So I miss my colleagues that we're going to lose already. I wish that we hadn't lost them. But I think that we have to focus on the victory that we had on election night.

BASH: You are the co-chair of the Progressive Caucus in the House. Do you expect to have more negotiating power inside the Democratic caucus on big issues? How will you flex your muscles there?

JAYAPAL: Well, we're very proud that we'll be adding eight new members to the Progressive Caucus. And so we also passed a package of reforms that I hope will make us more member driven, more nimble, and more cohesive and powerful as a voting bloc. But understand that whenever you have a slim majority, a lot of people have power across the caucus. It isn't just those of us in the progressive side. Obviously, our more moderate and conservative members do frankly, any group of small members that bands together on anything can have a major impact on legislation.

So, you know, my goal is to really try to find the things that are bold, progressive ideas that we can get the whole caucus to agree on, things like infrastructure package that is really expansive and focuses on roads and bridges, but also schools, water, you know, critical issue for our caucus is the right to water in the midst of a pandemic.

Also, I hope we can take bold action on climate change and infrastructure package. $15 minimum wage, that's something that was called a radical far left idea. But today, Florida, which went for Donald Trump in the presidential election, also voted with a super majority of voters to pass a $15 minimum wage. Those are things that affect the lives and livelihoods of every American whichever party you might be voting for.

BASH: Speaking from about minimum wage really quickly. You initially supported Bernie Sanders for President in the primaries. He's making clear he wants to be a labor secretary in a Biden administration. Good idea?

[12:45:01]

JAYAPAL: I'm very supportive of Senator Sanders being labor secretary. And, you know, I think that there are other candidates as well, Andy Levin from our House. But obviously I'm a big Bernie Sanders supporter. I think he'd be an amazing labor secretary.

BASH: Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, thank you so much for joining me. Appreciate it.

JAYAPAL: Thank you, Dana.

BASH: Thanks. And up next, Joe Biden weighs in on the Georgia Senate runoffs what he calls brick walls.

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[12:50:12]

BASH: The stakes couldn't be higher in Georgia where two Senate runoff races will determine the balance of power in the Senate. And in turn, how much Joe Biden may be able to accomplish while in office? The President-elect is clearly trying to energize Democratic voters in Georgia with blunt talk about struggles he would face if Republicans maintain their Senate Majority.

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JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're going to run into some real brick walls initially in the Senate, unless we're able to turn around Georgia and pick up those two seats. But even then, it's going to be hard. What I believe, I believe I know the place, I believe we can ultimately bring it together.

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BASH: I want to go straight to our senior congressional correspondent, Manu Raju. And Manu, this is what it's all about, right? This is the whole ballgame. This is why Republicans are so scared, frankly, of making the President angry because they don't want to do anything that will jeopardize those two Senate seats. What are you hearing? You walk those halls. You talk to Republican lawmakers all day, every day. What are they telling you?

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's the big fear. But there's also this realization that no matter who controls the chamber, in the next Congress, that getting legislation through is going to be incredibly difficult, particularly significant legislation, because as, you know, Dana, from covering this body for so many years, they're going to need to get 60 votes in order to overcome any filibuster to get legislation through, there are going to be, if the Democrats best bet is to have a 50-50 Senate that means any 10 Republicans to break ranks on major items, that is going to be hard.

They're not going to be able to change filibuster rules as what a lot of the progressives and people want because there are -- there's opposition among several Democratic senators to doing just that. So regardless of how the elections come out, Joe Biden's path to get big things done is going to be difficult. And they're going to be major issues they'll have to deal with. Already COVID relief is being stalled right now in this Congress is a likelihood that it's going to get punted into the next Congress.

There's a possibility they may have to deal with big government funding bill early next year, if there's no deal by the end of by mid- December. So there are all these major items. The one thing that is of concern, though, for both sides is whoever's in charge, of course, gets to set the agenda, the priorities, the nominees in particular, that will be harder for Biden to get his cabinet nominees confirmed if Republicans are control and certainly a Supreme Court nominee, lower Court nominees. That is a big concern. But big legislation, Dana, as you know, full well, very difficult no matter what happens in this narrowly divided Congress in the New Year.

BASH: And real quick minute, are you seeing and sensing more cracks in the Republican wall on Capitol Hill as we get closer to certification in a lot of states?

RAJU: There's just a divide right now. Some say let's begin the transition. Even Pat Toomey, the Pennsylvania Republican senator told me to move forward on that, some of Trump allies like Kevin Cramer also believe there should be transition should go ahead. But others like Ted Cruz and people who are aligned with him say, instead, let's have the core process play out then we can worry about the transition.

So Republicans are divided. They see the writing on the wall where this is headed, and very few of them are willing to say that Joe Biden is the President-elect, Dana?

BASH: Unbelievable and yet totally believable. Manu, the best, thank you so much for giving us all that reporting.

[12:53:34]

And up next, bars and restaurants are open, but schools are closed. Questions about New York City's latest shutdowns stay with us.

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BASH: New York City public schools are the latest casualty of increasing COVID-19 cases. Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted, the city reached the 3 percent positivity rate threshold, meaning there are enough new cases, positive cases, to trigger what the mayor describes as an abundance of caution in closing the city's public schools.

So today, students in the nation's largest school district are back home. And once again, we'll be learning remotely. I want to go straight to CNN's Polo Sandoval who's following this. Now, just to be clear, New York City schools are closed, bars and restaurants are open. That's the same deal here in D.C., I should say. But how did the mayor there explain that decision?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Dana, that's what has parents here in New York clearly and understandably upset here. They're asking themselves how is it possible that their children cannot no longer attend in person school, but they can dine indoors right now. We'll get to that in just a second. But as for the mayor, Mayor Bill de Blasio, warning parents that this was going to be happening especially since they committed to that 3 percent threshold once a daily infection rate would reach to 3 percent that would automatically trigger the closure of schools.

It's not sincerely that the schools are dangerous, he says, when it comes to potential infection, it's mainly that they want to keep them safe that when asked for any future closures like gyms and indoor dining, the mayor said this morning that may be coming soon.

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MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO (D), NEW YORK CITY: A lot of people's frustration emanated from the fact that they thought there was another kind of disparity. They looked at schools closing and a lot of people say, what about restaurants? Well, the governor made clear yesterday that it's just a matter of time before indoor dining will close.

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[13:00:02]

SANDOVAL: As for when schools will reopen again here, Dana, it could be possibly the week after Thanksgiving but that is still up in the air.