Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Biden Announces Historic Defense Secretary Nomination; Operation Warp Speed: 2.9M Doses of Pfizer's Vaccines Ready To Go. 2 U.K. Health Workers Suffer Allergic Reaction to Pfizer's Vaccines. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired December 09, 2020 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

GEN. LLOYD AUSTIN, (RET.), DEFENSE SECRETARY NOMINEE: Throughout my career, I've also been incredibly fortunate to benefit from the support and mentorship of exceptional leaders, like General Colin Powell, Admiral Mike Mullen, and General Johnnie Wilson.

And my old platoon sergeant, who you heard the President-elect just talked about. You know, I was a brand-new second lieutenant. Sergeant First Class "Fox" Ballard took me in and taught me the way of the world. So I owe him and many others a great deal. And, as Sir Isaac Newton famously said, if I have seen a little further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.

I've been very fortunate to have the love and support of my family as well, my mother and father, who was a postal worker, who, along with a number of my uncles, and other relatives, spent time in the military, and that inspired my own desire to serve.

I also enjoyed the strong support of my brother and four older sisters, four older sisters. And, most importantly, most importantly, my bride Charlene, who I've been truly lucky to have by my side all these years, and I am so grateful for her enduring love and support.

You know, I spent much of my military career tackling tough issues and formidable adversaries in challenging parts of the world. And President-elect Biden, as you mentioned, we've worked closely together on tough issues and have gotten to know each other under some intense and high-pressure situations.

And so you can expect, as Secretary of Defense, that I will give you the same direct, and unvarnished counsel as I did back then. I understand the important role of the Department of Defense and the role that plays in maintaining stability, and deterring aggression, and defending and supporting critical alliances around the world, including in the Asia Pacific, in Europe, and around the world.

And I fervently believe that as you've said before sir that America is strongest when it works with its allies. And over the years, I've worked hand-in-hand with our diplomatic colleagues and our partners around the globe, and witnessed firsthand what we're able to accomplish, together. And, if confirmed, I look forward to resuming this important work. My career has taught me something else equally fundamental to who we are as a nation. When I concluded my military service four years ago, I hung up my uniform for the last time and went from being General Lloyd Austin to Lloyd Austin. It's an important distinction, and one that I make with utmost seriousness and sincerity.

And so I come to this role, this new role as a civilian leader, with military experience to be sure, but also with a deep appreciation and reverence for the prevailing wisdom of civilian control of our military.

I recognize that being a member of the president's cabinet requires a different perspective and unique responsibilities from a career in uniform. And I intend to keep this at the forefront of my mind, and I look forward to surrounding myself with experienced, capable civilian appointees and career civil servants who will enable healthy civil- military relations grounded in meaningful civilian oversight.

As Secretary of Defense, my priority will always, always be the men and women, military and civilian, who make up the department, and their families. And I've seen what they are capable of, great Americans like your son sir, Beau, and also our future First Lady Dr. Biden and her tireless work for military families.

[14:05:08]

As the President-elect said, Beau was one of the military lawyers on my staff in Iraq. And we stayed in touch and saw each other a few times after he returned home. And as you too can attest, Madam Vice President-elect, Beau was a very special person, and a true patriot, and a good friend to all who knew him.

Over the past four-plus decades, I have witnessed our service members' and civilians' selflessness and patriotism, and the extraordinary lengths they will go in support of the mission and in support of one another. And I could not be more proud of them and their families. And, if confirmed, it will be the honor of my lifetime to lead them again with honor and integrity.

Thank you again, Mr. President-elect and Madam Vice President-elect, for this opportunity and for your trust and confidence in me. May God bless and keep safe all those currently serving in harm's way. And, may God continue to bless the United States of America. Thank you.

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT: Good afternoon. President-elect, Biden and I will take office at a consequential moment for our country. Even as we work to contain this pandemic and responsibly open our economy, we also need to lead the Defense Department into the future, rebuild and renew global alliances and partnerships, and make sure the United States is prepared to address new threats and new challenges from cyber to climate.

The fundamental responsibility of administration and any administration is keeping the American people safe and secure. My whole career has been about keeping Americans safe in the United States Senate. I have served on the Homeland Security and Intelligence Committees. I've traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan and the Middle East, where I've seen the extraordinary training, commitment and heroism of our servicemembers.

And proudly represented California, the state with the largest number of active duty military and veterans in our country. And I am absolutely confident that General Lloyd Austin is the right person to lead the Department of Defense at this critical moment.

We need a proven leader to help address this pandemic, someone with the experience to help make sure safe and effective vaccines are distributed equitably to all. A leader who will honor the service and sacrifice of those who wear the uniform of the United States, provide for their well-being and make sure they and their families are treated with the dignity and respect they have earned, and a leader who recognizes that our service members represent America around the world and must uphold our nation's highest values and ideals. General Austin is that leader.

As the President-elect noted, this is a milestone nomination. A seasoned highly decorated and trail blazing commander, General Austin reflects the very best of our nation. And President-elect Biden I will work closely with him and our entire team of national security and foreign policy leaders to make sure the United States of America is safer and more secure than ever before.

You know throughout America's history, the United States military has been a home for generations of young men and women dedicated to serving our country, and General Austin is among them.

With this nomination, he will continue his service, strengthening not only America's national security but our role as a partner to allies around the world, and we couldn't be more proud. Thank you.

[14:10:08]

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: Hearing people starting to shout questions, not taking any today. Let's just jump right in, Barbara Starr first you, our Pentagon Correspondent. What did you think?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, my initial impression, I know General Austin from covering the Pentagon for many years, and that is probably the most I have ever heard him speak about his own background, his life, his journey in the U.S. military. He was much more fulsome than I've ever heard him before.

I think it's a bit of a message that both he and obviously the President-elect, we're sending to Congress, that there are reasons that Joe Biden picked Lloyd Austin for this.

I think there was a subtle shift in language here. That should be pointed out, initially, the President-elect talking about General Austin. And of course, generals do not run the Pentagon. There is civilian control, you saw him try to switch to the word, secretary designate, that's an important signal to Congress and important signal actually, to the American people that this will maintain civilian control. They were trying to very much send that message, civilian control, rebuild alliances, rebuild relationships with allies, perhaps turn away from the Trump administration's America First Policy, if you will.

On diversity, I think that it was so important some of the things that he talked about the heritage of the Tuskegee Airmen, The Montford Point Marines, these are hallowed units of black Americans in U.S. military history. They are something that so many troops look to where their heritage comes from.

You know, the recent statistics are only 8% of officers in the U.S. military are black. And that is really in the year 2020. Perhaps a disgrace but a really big problem that Austin may be able to have some influence on. Why is it such a problem? U.S. military is supposed to look like America. And if you cannot recruit America into the U.S. military, if people are not comfortable serving, if they don't have the opportunities, then you begin to see an erosion of a volunteer force that looks like America. Austin will be an important signal in what he says and does to try and ensure that in 2020, there actually is diversity in the ranks.

BALDWIN: I want to pick up on your last point there, Barbara. And Admiral Kirby, this is for you. Because we also heard Biden when he was you know, teeing up the General or the designee to speak, he said, you know, it's long past time that the Pentagon leadership reflects America and its diversity and just given all of your years. And to use Barbara's word, you know, tragic that there have been so few, you know, black and brown, men and women to really break through that level. How would having the first black Secretary of Defense, you know, really change improve the dynamic at DOJ?

REAR ADMIRAL JOHN KIRBY (RET.), CNN MILITARY & DIPLOMATIC ANALYST: I think it's going to send a powerful signal to other African Americans and people of color in the United States that the military is a viable career path, that it is a place to go where you will be welcome and your talents and your skills, can find use and can be, you know, put in defense of the country.

I mean, having somebody of his stature and his color at the head of the Defense Department also sends a powerful signal to our allies and partners about how inclusive, we want to be as the United States military in defense of our principles around the world, and how representative we take our, that take -- well, how seriously, we take that responsibility to be representative. I think it's a powerful signal.

And, again, I go back to saying I think he's supremely qualified in any regard, but I think particularly as an African American, it is the right time. And I frankly, think that we're going to find ourselves if we aren't already broke asking ourselves, you know, what took us so long. Why did it take this long to get to this point?

BALDWIN: Yes. And to the other point, Nia for you, you know, on this, he's in a coat and tie. He's a civilian. He was talking about how he hung up his uniform for the last time four years ago, and he said that he was making clear that the distinction is important. The quote from him, I come to this new role as a civilian leader with military experience.

Listen to the issue in Congress is, will he be granted this waiver? You know, a lot of Democrats up on the hill gave General Jim Mattis a tough time and they did not want to grant the waiver. Now we have a Democrat in the White House. Will the same being in the reverse what will Democrats equally give, you know, General Austin a tough time? What say you?

[14:15:08]

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Listen, I think they're going to have a hard time denying this history making candidate who came off so well today who talked about the history of African Americans in the American military, how that's been difficult at times. And the representation at the upper ranks hasn't always been what it needed to be, as Barbara Starr talked about.

But I'm sitting here seeing not only Austin, but then Vice President- elect, talk about him and talk about him as someone who could rebuild and renew global alliances of these two barrier breaking candidates nominee and then the Vice President-elect, it was a really remarkable moment in American history. I had to kind of, you know, kind of sit up and say, oh, my goodness, look at what we're seeing there, with these two Americans at this point in history. It's delayed, it's much later than it should have been given the long history of African Americans being in this country and participating in this country, all contributing to this country.

But my goodness, what a day, we've seen here with these two folks who are going to the highest echelons of American power and changing Americans ideas about who can serve in those roles, a black woman and Asian American woman as vice president, and then Austin here at the Pentagon.

We don't often think about African Americans contributions to the military. I think the wider public certainly doesn't. They might not know about the Tuskegee Airmen. They might not know about Buffalo Soldiers. They might not know that oftentimes, in those units. There were white men who were put in charge of those all black units because of racism. They probably didn't know the name of Henry Flipper, either someone who was born a slave and then got that appointment to West Point in 1877. So a really remarkable day today and it's something that I think if you're a Democrat, you're going to have a hard time saying no, to this person who served his country so well in symbolically is also so important as well.

BALDWIN: Yeah, that story all the way from Thomasville, Georgia 1877 to present day, full circle with retired general. I just want to thank you all Barbara and Nia and Admiral Kirby for all of that, I appreciate you.

Breaking news coverage continues here on CNN this afternoon as the U.S. prepares to roll out the first ever vaccinations for coronavirus. We'll take a look at which states are ready to roll.

And the President is still promising to intervene in the election results even after this latest devastating review from the U.S. Supreme Court. And as her husband rails against democracy, listen to this, First Lady Melania Trump is now saying she just wants to go home.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:22:23]

BALDWIN: Welcome back, you're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin. We now know how many doses will be in the very first shipment of COVID vaccines to the U.S. that all important FDA meeting to consider granting emergency use authorization is happening tomorrow. And if approved, the chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed says that 2.9 million doses will be in that shipment. That is just the first round of shots. But in a sign of confidence, he has already begun shipping out the necessary syringes and other supplies.

And after we all watched right the extraordinary pictures coming out of the U.K. yesterday, the first people in the world getting the COVID vaccine. Here's how the health team responded when they were asked who actually should get the first shot here in the U.S.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who received that first vaccine that's going to be done publicly if you have any sense of where that dose will be administered or you know what type person will receive it a healthcare workers, frontline workers something like that, just curious if you have any planning on that.

ALEX AZAR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: Whenever you make me feel as if we should. General, so we've been so focused on speed getting it out and deferring to the governors.

ARMY GENERAL, GUS PERNA, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, OPERATION WARP SPEED: Yeah, we have been deferring to the governors and we've been deferring to the jurisdictions in the cities. And so we probably do need to make a plan for, you know, who's going to get it first.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: If the FCA grants emergency use of the Pfizer vaccine tomorrow within 24 hours, trucks with the vaccine will be rolling out to airports. That is what we're hearing from the Deputy Chief of Logistics for Operation Warp Speed, the Chief Operating Officer at this moment ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PERNA: I gave permission to already distribute syringes and needles, alcohol wipes and diluent which is required in support of the Pfizer vaccine. We'll begin that today. It'll be distribution be completed by Friday.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BALDWIN: CNN Health Reporter Jacqueline Howard is here. And so Jackie, we just heard the vaccine will be ready for the states, but are the states ready to administer it?

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: That's the question. And you know, Brooke, states are going to have to face some tough challenges. They're going to have to make some tough decisions to distribute the vaccine. Here's why. So if you look at the way the vaccine will be distributed, those shipments that are being sent to different states, they'll be sent to different locations to then be administered. Those locations include hospitals, your local CVS, your local Walgreens.

But then Brooke, Here's where the challenge comes in, and you and I talked about this yesterday. We know that some states are not going to have enough vaccines doses in those shipments to vaccinate all healthcare workers and all long-term care facility residents and their states and those are the two priority groups that are expected to receive the vaccine first.

[14:25:11]

So what our state's going to do? We do know that, for instance, Alaska and Alabama, they plan to vaccinate both health care workers and long- term care facility residents. But then Pennsylvania, for instance, is one state that's planning to just vaccinate health care workers first. And these decisions, Brooke, have to be made quickly, because like you said, we could see the vaccine authorized within days.

Here's the timeline that we expect in the next few days. Tomorrow is the big FDA Advisory Committee Meeting to look at COVID, the COVID-19 vaccine data from Pfizer, and authorization could happen days after that. These shipments could be delivered as early as December 15, on Tuesday. So Brooke, the clock is ticking.

BALDWIN: It is. I was talking to an MD just last hour and I was saying, all right, if he gets a green light tomorrow, like when could people actually get the shots? And she was saying potentially early next week. So yes, Jacqueline Howard, thank you very much for that.

Dr. Rob Davidson is an E.R. physician. He is also the executive director of the Committee to Protect Medicare. Dr. Davidson, welcome to you. Let me ask you this same question. You know, if the vaccine does get the green light tomorrow, you know, FDA approves it, how quickly do you think it can reach the first person's arm?

DR. ROB DAVIDSON, EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIAN: Yeah, we're being told by our hospital in our hospital system as early as next week as well, early next week, mid next week. And so you know, I'll be ready whenever they're ready to give it to us. I'll have my sleeve up, and I'll be the first one to put my arm out if that's if that's available.

BALDWIN: That's what I wanted to ask you. Because I've talked to even some doctors are saying, I may want to wait a couple of months. So you're ready to roll, you'll take the shot, the second that it's available? DAVIDSON: I am I'm committing to either getting a photo or recording myself doing this sharing it on social, I'm asking any other health care provider who's part of that first wave to do so as well. Because we need to show people that we trust the process. We trust the science. We trust our FDA to not put something out there they don't believe it's safe. And it's really our way out of this thing by sometime mid to late next year.

BALDWIN: Do your colleagues, nurses, hospital staff, docs, did do they all share your same eagerness?

DAVIDSON: I'd say the vast majority of other physicians and nurses that I've spoken with absolutely do. Certainly some people always have some trepidation when it comes to anything new like this. And, you know, that's OK. I think we have room for a variety of opinions. But I think that most of us are ready to go. And we need to share that enthusiasm that trust with the people who trust us.

BALDWIN: There is the issue and just as, you know, educating people that, yes, there are side effects. And yes, that is normal number one. But we have learned, Dr. Davidson, that in the clinical trials with this Pfizer vaccine, Pfizer actually excluded people with a history of severe allergic reaction to vaccines. And in watching how the rollout yesterday in the U.K., we now know there are these two frontline workers who, you know, got the vaccine did have allergic reactions. How should Pfizer go about this? And does this mean, you know, that anyone watching who does have, you know, allergic reaction to vaccines just we'll never get the shot?

DAVIDSON: Well, it's hard to know. I mean, again, this is new. So I think we have to certainly protect people who should be protected. We don't know what's coming down the line with other vaccine candidates for, you know, SARS-CoV-2. And so hopefully some others will come on board that maybe don't have this particularly side effect profile, but certainly, you know, safety should come first and we have plenty of people who need to be vaccinated and not enough doses yet. So I think we can be concerned more about that next year

BALDWIN: Lastly, and I know we still haven't gotten the Thanksgiving numbers in terms of, you know, folks the spread and infecting but the White House taskforce is warning states against having any kind of holiday gatherings this month after just seeing how many people did get together and didn't heed the warnings for Thanksgiving and yet you had Alex Azar, the Health and Human Services Secretary, you know, come on and say that he has already gone to a Christmas Party at the White House. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AZAR: Wash your hands, watch your distance, wear your face coverings and please as we enter the holiday season, please look out for those overcrowded indoor gatherings whether it's restaurants or bars or multi-household gatherings.

I actually have already attended one of them and individuals, most of the individuals around me were wearing masks, we work to keep distance. There was dramatically lower number of people than in past years. So I felt comfortable there. I felt safe. I wear my mask of course at all times.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Reason 538 why we all love Alisyn Camerota, but I mean seriously sitting there on TV saying you got to do this, and this and this and she's like, didn't you go to a White House Christmas Party. He did exactly what they're saying not to.

DAVIDSON: Right. I mean for our leaders, I would expect them to model the perfect behavior that we are asking.

[14:30:00]