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Congressional Leaders Near Deal On Long-Awaited COVID Relief Plan; FDA Advisory Panel To Review Moderna Vaccine Tomorrow; Restaurant Owners Implore Lawmakers For More Help. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired December 16, 2020 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Kate Bolduan. Thank you so much for joining us this hour.

Two big things that we're watching this hour. Congress appears to be on the verge of reaching a deal over much needed and long-awaited coronavirus relief.

And a second COVID vaccine is taking steps closer to getting the green light. On the vaccine front, an FDA advisory committee is meeting tomorrow to decide whether to recommend Moderna's COVID vaccine for emergency use. All signs are pointing to quick authorization as the FDA panel did find that the vaccine is safe and effective. And that can't come soon enough.

Let's check in with what the numbers look like today. More than 3,000 Americans have reported - have reported dead yesterday from COVID-19. The third highest death toll since the pandemic began. Hospitalizations hit a record high for the 10th straight day with more than 112,000 Americans now hospitalized with the virus.

Despite these really horrific numbers, there are still political leaders downplaying the severity or even the existence of the pandemic. To that, one of the top federal officials overseeing the pandemic response had this to say this morning to CNN's John Berman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADM. BRETT GIROIR, MD, WHITE HOOUSE CORONAVIRUS TESTING CZAR: We have hundreds of thousands of dead Americans. We'll have millions of people around the world. This is not phony. This is not fake. It is serious.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: It is serious. And today, we're going to focus in on not only hospitals getting hammered right now and also the hope these vaccines are bringing. But also, on the wider ripple effects of the pandemic. Restaurants forced to close their doors, schools trying the best to -- the best they can to keep their doors open as we enter this dark winter.

Let's turn first to Capitol Hill. The top leaders in Congress are offering up clear signs that they are confident a COVID relief bill is coming but, yes, you have heard this before. And no, they don't have a lot of time left.

CNN's Manu Raju is tracking this. And he is joining us right now from Capitol Hill. Manu, what are you hearing this morning?

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're learning new details about this emerging deal, it's around $900 billion. It's about twice the amount that Senate Republicans initially wanted to spend but it's a fraction of what House Democrats had pushed for Nancy Pelosi before the election, wanted more than $2 trillion.

But this $900 billion relief package will be very significant. We do expect it to expand jobless benefits that are expiring that's going to help a lot of people who are concerned about losing those benefits by the end of the year.

We were just told by the Senate Majority Whip John Thune that the additional jobless benefits are expected to be about $300 a week, that had been what something two sides have been discussing for some time. Remember that $600 a week in jobless benefits that expired earlier this summer. So that's what we're hearing from the Republican leadership.

In addition to that, there will be a new round of stimulus checks. That was not -- had not been part of the initial discussions going in. But because of a bipartisan push as well as the president's demands, there appears to be some agreement on that.

Now, what Thune just told reporters is that he expects it to be like $600 for those stimulus checks, that's less than the $1,200 for individuals under a certain income in the previous law that -- and, that, of course, occurred back in the spring. So, we will see if that is enough to win over some people, particularly on the left who had been pushing for those $1,200 in stimulus checks.

In addition, we expect money for vaccine distribution to be a part of this deal. We do not expect state and local aid to be anywhere in this proposal. They have Democrats had been pushing for that to help those cash-strapped cities and local governments. That will not get in there because of Republican opposition.

Nancy Pelosi on a private conference call, I'm told, blamed the Republican insistence on seeking lawsuit protection for businesses and others that opened during the pandemic. She was concerned about their language. That did not get in the deal. State and local money did not get in the deal. She contended they will do and try to do it again when Joe Biden becomes president.

But nevertheless, this deal will come in together pretty quickly here, Kate, expected potentially to be voted in the House as soon as tomorrow, potentially the Senate Friday, but all members will have to agree for that quick vote. If not, they're also facing the possibility of a government shutdown by the end of the week without cooperation. So, a lot of moving parts here but potentially a deal within reach here finally here. Kate?

BOLDUAN: An important update, Manu, thank you. Things are moving fast there today.

Let's get back to the latest on Moderna's vaccine right now. And the big FDA meeting tomorrow to consider whether a second coronavirus vaccine will soon be rolling out.

Joining me right now is Dr. Paul Spearman. He's director of Infectious Diseases at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. He's also a member of the FDA advisory committee that we're talking about here. He will not be joining tomorrow's meeting as he's currently running more than one COVID vaccine trial.

Doctor, thank you for coming on. You're busy. What do you expect - what do you expect to happen tomorrow? What questions do you have on the Moderna vaccine?

[11:05:03]

DR. PAUL SPEARMAN, DIRECTOR OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES, CINCINNATI CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER: Well, Kate, if we look at the efficacy of the Moderna vaccine, it looks very, very comparable to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The numbers are very impressive. So, for someone who loves working in the vaccine field, this almost makes us giddy with this kind of efficacy.

Efficacy came down to 94.1 percent. So, what that means for people listening, and they had 11 COVID cases in the vaccinated group and 185 in the placebo group. And if you look at severe disease in this group, there were none in the vaccinated group and there were 30 cases of severe COVID in the placebo group. So, you don't need to be a statistician to see how wonderfully effective this vaccine is.

And equally important, the safety record looks very, very good. It was comparable to sort of standard vaccines. No increase in very serious adverse events in those who received the vaccine versus placebo. So, we are all very impressed with the numbers for Moderna.

BOLDUAN: You are impressed. Did you think that also then means that the vaccine will win the recommendation of the board and also then get authorization by the FDA?

SPEARMAN: So, I can't speak for all of my colleagues, but, yes, I do. I think it's - you know, it really looks like a terrifically effective vaccine with a good safety record and it will very, very likely get the thumbs up from the VERPAC committee tomorrow.

BOLDUAN: I spoke with the Operation Warp Speed Chief Adviser Moncef Slaoui yesterday and he said something very similar to what you just said that the safety profile, the efficacy profile of the Moderna vaccine is similar to that and what you saw in Pfizer. I wonder then what it means more broadly, Doctor, to have two vaccines rolling out, becoming available for the public in the fight against this pandemic?

SPEARMAN: That's a very good question actually, Kate. I don't think this has ever happened before. We know that the rapid development of vaccines that has taken place during this pandemic, that has never happened before. I have been impressed with the companies that have pursued these

vaccines and the FDA processes and the trials themselves, that safety does not look like it's at all been compromised. I think that should be comforting to those who are in dire need of getting this vaccine and our country certainly is with the rising cases and the high numbers of deaths each day now as you just reported.

BOLDUAN: An interesting element of both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines is they are approved for use in 16 and up or 18 and up, as they would be for the Moderna vaccine. I guess I should say. You're running a Pfizer trial right now on how that vaccine works among adolescents, which is a very important element for this going forward. What are you seeing? What can you tell us?

SPEARMAN: Well, so Pfizer made the decision a while back to go down to age 60 and, of course, the authorization that came out for the Pfizer vaccine, authorized the vaccine in those as young as 60. But even before that, they had made the decision to go down to age 12 and to study this vaccine in younger ages.

So, right now, we're studying vaccine in age 12 to 15 to find out if there's any difference in both the immune responses and in the safety profile. So far, I don't think there's any signal that we have heard about but there's a lot of blinded data out there.

I expect it's still be very effective in this age group, but we all want to get all the complete data. And on that note, we're also interested, of course, going down to younger and younger ages in terms of testing these vaccines.

It was very natural to start in adults because adults are by far the hardest hit, especially the elderly and others with serious conditions that make their mortality rate higher. But now I think it's time to go into other special groups to try to really evaluate the safety and efficacy of these vaccines, in pediatrics, in pregnant women and other special groups.

BOLDUAN: Real quick, Doctor, do you know the timetable for your trial, when it would wrap?

SPEARMAN: I'm sorry, I don't know the actual end point. I think we have about 200 more to enroll nationally to get down to age 12, and then I think you can kind of listen for future vaccine trials where we will be going down in the ages that are evaluated for this vaccine and for other vaccines.

BOLDUAN: Fascinating and so important. Thank you, Doctor.

SPEARMAN: You're very welcome. Good to be with you.

BOLDUAN: Coming up for us -- more than 100,000 restaurants have closed this year because of the pandemic. Restaurant owners and workers are pleading with Congress for help. What is going to happen if they don't get it?

[11:10:00] Plus, it's being called a national emergency. Kids shut out of the classroom because of the pandemic. Now superintendents from three of the largest school districts in the nation say they need a plan, and they need it now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: We are watching Capitol Hill. Congressional leaders are signaling their close to a deal on much-needed coronavirus relief packages. But many small business owners are anticipating, even in the face of that, that the worse of the pandemic is still ahead.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce surveyed a thousand entrepreneurs and half of them responded by saying they expect to close permanently in a year or less if things don't change.

Here in New York, restaurant workers and owners took to the streets to protest the recent closure of indoor dining.

[11:15:04]

The National Restaurant Association in a new survey also finds that 110,000 restaurants have permanently closed in 2020 alone. That includes a jump of 10,000 closing since September. So, with Congress working on a relief deal, what does it mean for the restaurant industry.

Joining me right now is Bobby Stuckey, he's co-founder of Frasca Food and Wine, Pizzeria Locale, and Scarpetta Wine Co. He's also co-founder of the Independent Restaurant Coalition. And Sean Feeney is also joining us. He's co-founder of Grovehouse and owner of some big restaurants here in New York like Lilia & Misi. It's good to see you both. Thank you for being here.

You know, Bobby, it does look like Congress is going to get something done. We heard that at the top of the show. But this reminds me of a familiar dance that we've seen from Congress. They're hard up against the deadline and members of Congress are being frank, they don't want to work over Christmas, so they get it done. I'm wondering how that feels after 10 months of what you and your workers have been going through?

BOBBY STUCKEY, CO-FOUNDER, FRASCA FOOD & WINE, PIZZERIA LOCALE, SCARPETTA WINE CO.: Yes, Kate. Thanks for having me on.

Yes, they're having - they're saying they're going to get something done but they pushed it so long and so many families are hurting so badly and quite frankly, we don't have anything in there for restaurants. This is the largest private sector job creator in the U.S. We're in the middle of winter. People across the country from Iowa to Georgia to New York to San Francisco to Colorado are suffering and they're doing nothing for the restaurants. And this is tragic - this is - this is tragic and it's criminal.

BOLDUAN: Sean, New York City just shutdown indoor dining again. Outdoor dining is quickly becoming much harder with the weather. Can you describe what it is like in the restaurant industry right now, and what happens if no aid comes?

SEAN FEENEY, CO-FOUNDER, GROVEHOUSE: The government's sad response to the challenges we face has lacked creativity and compassion. These are the two words that define our industry. This failure of leadership, which has been in New York City, it's been in every level of government so far, has put a million lives at risk again heading into the holiday season. The government has picked industries like airlines and the music venues to bail out, with CEOs who get paid no matter what, union contracts protecting their employees.

Our elected officials have left independent restaurants to die. This sadly leaves our communities without hearts, owners with nothing and most importantly their teams, the ones who make our industry beat, our communities beat, fighting for survival while trying to feed their families.

BOLDUAN: You know, Bobby, there are independent restaurants in every congressional district if I have to put it that way in the country. And this is not something new, the alarm that you have been sounding. I have been following your outspoken advocacy on this since the shutdowns really began. And I'm curious, you have been reaching out to members of Congress. What don't they get, or what are they telling you?

STUCKEY: Well, you know, that's a great question, Kate. I have been working on this with my fellow members of the Independent Restaurant Coalition. I have talked to hundreds of staff members, congressmen and senators. And they're playing hot potato with the issue. It doesn't matter if you're Republican, they're going to blame it on Pelosi and then the Dems will blame it on McConnell.

What they do to is realize that this industry is too big. They never heard from us until this year because we're such bootstrap industry. But we've been given a set of challenges that no other industry has. The pain we're feeling is too much and they've got to get in the room, they've got to get to work and they've got to get the restaurant act passed in this package. There's no more excuses.

I would love, Kate, for this Congress to work as hard as the restaurant industry has and be as creative and learn to pivot like we are and I would like them to pivot from being politicians and be leaders and save 15 million jobs and pass the Senate.

FEENEY: Kate, the failure in leadership has essentially should have been met with investment, hiring, consumptions, policies that gave us that. But also, that fostered collaboration, togetherness and partnership in our communities, and it has not happened. And that's something we rely on in our industry to succeed in the future and that's what we need now.

BOLDUAN: I got to say, I hear you both. But Bobby, what I'm hearing -- what we are hearing from Capitol Hill is right now we don't know the details of the relief bill that they're putting together or necessarily all of it, but it sure doesn't sound like there's anything targeted to the restaurant industry in it.

[11:20:02]

And it doesn't seem like when you look at the deadline that they're up against, it doesn't look like there's any appetite to get a separate bill of anything else done like the restaurant act that you guys are looking for.

I'm just curious if I have to be harsh, it doesn't look like you're going to get this. What's going to happen?

STUCKEY: Kate, you're right, I don't think we're going to get this. You know Marco Rubio is too fixated that the PPE works for everybody. It does not work for restaurants. I think (AUDIO GAP) you're going to see tens of thousands of restaurants and their families supported by them closing each week until they finally get their act together.

If they don't do it this week, they're going to push this and make this industry that is so suffering try to hang on until February. That's not going to work. You're going to ruin hundreds of thousands of lives, millions of lives.

BOLDUAN: Sean, real quick, because we've got to wrap. But at some points like, are you getting to the place where you don't think it's worth it to try to fight this out?

FEENEY: Oh, no, no. Every day is a good day and I'm so grateful for the gift to wake up every morning to fight for something that means so much to me, that means so much to my family and to New Yorkers. I think my restaurants are made up of really amazing people. Culinary students working on their crafts, striving for greatness. Ivy league graduates, musicians, artists, teachers, single mothers raising children with special needs.

I have formally incarcerated individuals who are optimistically starting a new chapter in life, heroic veterans who have defended our freedom looking for a new way to serve, 16-year-old high school students with the miraculous passion for hospitality but also responsibility to earn a wage for their family who lives in poverty.

I can't stop fighting for that. That's what makes our city great. That's what makes our country great and that's why we have to save this industry. And unfortunately, leadership has failed us, but they can change it now, and they need to, because we have to save the second largest private employer in our country. They are what is at stake.

BOLDUAN: It is remarkable what is at stake actually. Sean Feeney, Bobby Stuckey, thank you.

FEENEY: Thank you, Kate. Thank you, Bobby.

STUCKEY: Thanks, Kate. Thanks, Sean.

BOLDUAN: President Trump turns on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after McConnell finally acknowledges Joe Biden's win. What does this now mean for the rebalancing of power as Trump gets ready to make his exit? (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:27:33]

BOLDUAN: Any minute now President Trump will be meeting with his cabinet in the waning days of his presidency. One member of his cabinet will not be attending in person, as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is now in quarantine after coming in contact with someone with the coronavirus.

It also sets the stage for a potentially awkward face to face, as Attorney General Bill Barr submitted his resignation days ago, and will be leaving next week amid the tension with the president over Barr's refusal to go along with Trump's baseless voter fraud claims.

Also, now, receiving Trump hate tweets, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after he acknowledged the reality yesterday that Joe Biden won the election.

Let's go over to CNN's John Harwood. He's at the White House joining us now. John, after McConnell's declaration and from the president yesterday, what do you think it means for the rebalancing or reshuffling of power in Washington as Trump is leaving office?

JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I think, Kate, we're getting a little bit closer back to the kind of transition that we've been accustomed. Very belatedly, should have happened a long time ago. But nevertheless, Mitch McConnell has recognized reality. And the way he did it, surrounding it with praise for the president, giving him advanced heads up, generated a fairly muted response by Trump's standards on Twitter to Mitch McConnell.

And the fact that now the four leaders in Congress, Democrat and Republican, House and Senate, appear to be getting close to a deal with the White House on some COVID relief, desperately needed by families who are in for a lot of suffering without it. That is a sign that things are getting to what passes for normal in the end of the Trump era.

But obviously, with this cabinet meeting going on, we got a president who is in psychological distress over having lost the election, having trouble accepting it. He fired his Defense secretary. His attorney general is leaving. We don't know what else he is going to do in terms of pardons or ordering the new acting attorney general to install a special counsel on Hunter Biden or voter fraud.

The president is unpredictable at this point. And you know with five weeks to go, there are a lot of things that he can still do. Nevertheless, we are moving toward the Joe Biden administration and Mitch McConnell advanced that a modest amount with the step he took this week.

BOLDUAN: Keeping an eye to see if anything comes out of the cabinet meeting today, John, thank you.