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President Trump's Continued Fight with Congress is Having Real Consequences for Americans Across the Country; Today President-elect Biden Announced Kathleen Hicks as His Nominee For Deputy Defense Secretary. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired December 30, 2020 - 12:30   ET

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

[12:30:00]

JENNIFER DEVINCENT, NICU NURSE AT MASS GENERAL BRIGHAM HOSPITAL: Maybe wasn't as organized in the role out as they should have been. I think the organization and planning and execution of it just wasn't prepared.

I think that there was certain criteria that you have to go on and attest to and I don't think that criteria was as strict as it should have been. So instead of saying are you in -- do you work in a in- patient setting; meaning do you care for patients, it was more just kind of a free for all where anyone could go on and sign up for an appointment.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: I got you. I got you loud and clear. I was reading the medical director for emergence preparedness at your hospital says the honor code is necessary for an organization with a staff of more than 80,000 that's their perspective.

Like imagine being on their end and trying to make sure they're giving you all these doses of this vaccine. Let me -- the obvious question is have you finally been able to get the shot?

DEVINCENT: I did. I actually got the shot on Saturday.

BALDWIN: Great. Great. And how are you? Are you good? Side effects, anything?

DEVINCENT: Well, it was a doozy (ph). I definitely had some good side effects for a couple of days. I had the body aches, the low grade fever, the joint pain but it was just a couple of days and it was gone. Definitely better than weeks or months of COVID.

BALDWIN: Good. Good. Good. My last question is just in terms of other hospital officials watching you, whether medical professionals, like what would your advice be having gone through this when the system doesn't really work so well? What would you say to those hospitals in terms of rolling out this vaccine as more and more will be green lit?

DEVINCENT: Yes, really, you know at the federal level, at the state level, and at the level of the hospital; Mass General Brigham; they really just need to prioritize their front line workers first. They need to make sure all of those for the Brigham in wave A, all of those get vaccinated. They just opened up yesterday into wave B. But really they just need to prioritize keeping their health workers safe so we can take care of our patients.

BALDWIN: Thank you for taking care of us. Thank you for speaking up. Jennifer DeVincent.

DEVINCENT: Thank you so much.

BALDWIN: Thank you. Thank you.

Coming up next here on CNN, families all across the country are racing for a possible lapse in unemployment benefits, what this means for getting food on the table and keeping a roof over your head.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:35:00]

BALDWIN: President Trump's continued fight with Congress is having real consequences for Americans across this country. The president is fighting for $2,000 checks, repealing liability protections for Internet companies, and investigating voter fraud. And he delayed signing the government funding bill, which includes coronavirus relief, until Sunday.

Now the Labor Department says individuals should still receive benefits this week despite the president's last minute signing but state agencies will need to reprogram computers so that millions of Americans could still actually miss those payments though they will receive them retroactively.

CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich is live for us this afternoon. I know you've been spending so much time talking to families. I mean what are you hearing from folks about how much they need this money?

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, missing just one week of unemployment is absolutely devastating for families who really rely on this money in order to put food on the table. Unemployment really doesn't cover all the bills and rent and food.

And many Americans have completely depleted their savings accounts and destroyed their credit. So we visited with one family in Brooklyn who talked to us about how they're planning to survive.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

YURKEVICH: Fareeha Haq and her husband Amir Bukhari are raising a family of six on less than $400 a week in unemployment. Next week they could go without that money.

AMIR BUKHARI, UNEMPLOYED: It is going to hit -- hit rock bottom because right now we were able to it. You know forget the rent.

YURKEVICH: That money that was supposed to arrive this week was just to feed your family.

BUKHARI: Feed -- just to feed the family.

YURKEVICH: Pandemic unemployment programs for millions lapsed on December 26th, a day before a new federal aid package was signed. That delay means most Americans will have to wait till next year for states to issue their checks.

FAREEHA HAQ, UNEMPLOYED: Like I'm very grateful that money will be coming in but sometimes it takes so long for the money to actually kick in.

YURKEVICH: Fareeha and Amir are both gig workers. She drove a school car pool, he an Uber. The loss of income in March put the family on to a growing pile of bills.

BUKHARI: I mean if I tell you all the bills is up to date, no, they can't be. It's just impossible.

YURKEVICH: Nearly 12 million renters will owe more than $5,800 in back rent by January. Fareeha and Amir owe nearly that much. And they're $8,000 in credit card debt.

HAQ: You have to take the letters and you have to put it on the flowers.

YURKEVICH: Their small apartment is a virtual classroom and the four kids eat all meals at home. That's 16 a day.

HAQ: You can do it. Come on, mom (ph), you got to go make breakfast too ...

I get so emotional because I'm overwhelmed. And I'm like I don't -- I don't know how live anymore. Sometimes it's so hard.

YURKEVICH: A recent survey shows 27 million Americans say they don't have enough to eat. This family relies on food stamps and the food pantry at the Brooklyn community service group COPO. It's familiar for Fareeha.

MOHAMMAD RAZVI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COUNCIL OF PEOPLES ORGANIZATION: You're going to get raspberries and squash and I got these special cucumbers.

YURKEVICH: She used to work here handing out the food.

HAQ: I was there helping people receive benefits. And now I'm on the other end and I'm asking for benefits.

[12:40:00]

YURKEVICH: And the need for many Americans is only getting greater.

RAZVI: They're running out of their checks. That's why they're coming even more in hardship because they're not sure how they're going to make ends meet. The new stimulus bill adds an extra $300 a week in unemployment through mid-March, a much needed boost to families like this one.

HAQ: Before you see the money it's gone already. I already know where I'm going to spend all that money. And it's hard to get back to that place where everything will be OK.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

YURKEVICH: One of the things that Fareeha has said would have made her feel a little more OK during this time is if Congress increased the stimulus checks from $600 to $2,000. A measure did pass in the House but the Senate will likely not vote on anything until way into next year.

Fareeha has said for her family those stimulus checks would have helped paid back all of the rent she owes, including making a dent in all of that credit card debt but she's not hopeful she'll see that money any time soon.

Until then, Brooke, she's trying to get by as she watches these bills pile up. Brooke.

BALDWIN: So glad you shared her story. We need to keep hearing stories like that and I'm especially glad you went to COPO there in Brooklyn. We had Mohammad on the show a couple weeks ago and I have been talking about that guy and all the mouths he is helping feed. He is truly extraordinary, COPO, in Brooklyn.

Vanessa Yurkevich, thank you very much. Speaking of food and security, millions of Americans are facing precisely that in food banks across the country are doing everything they can to help. Today one food bank in Texas is seeing its 67th mass distribution since the pandemic began and CNN's Camilla Bernal is live from Austin.

And Camilla, I mean what -- it's stunning to me how many thousand more people because of this pandemic are needing a little bit of help. The stigma that comes along from that first time asking for that, tell me some stories of the people you're talking to.

CAMILLA BERNAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well look, Brooke, the majority of the people that I spoke to said that they did not come to these types of events before the pandemic. This has been exasperated by the pandemic and you're seeing it with the line in front me.

They're just thousands of people, families who are benefiting from this. And I want to show you right here, this is where they're handing out that food. They get two boxes, as you're seeing there. They're giving them milk, they're giving them rice beans, canned goods and fresh food as well.

Feeding America estimates that one in four children, one in five adults is facing hunger in this area. So it is just a dramatic number. I spoke to a woman, her name is Jill Fowler and she said she came here because she's with her daughter and grandchild and they're in desperate need of food.

She says she's waiting for that $600 stimulus check and even said that she did not need the $2,000 because there is so much need that anything she can get will help, take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JILL FOWLER, AUSTIN RESIDENT: I'm looking for that. I am so looking for that. That's -- I mean there's no saving that check. That's going right back into the economy again.

That -- see since my daughter lives with me we're going to have to sit and make decisions on exactly what we need to put it towards because even though it's 600 bucks, which is -- I mean right now that's wonderful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERNAL: And Brooke, they will close the doors here in about 10 minutes but that line is still very long. They say they will serve everyone that gets here but no one else will be allowed in after noon local time. Brooke.

BALDWIN: Thank goodness for these food banks and all these gracious volunteers helping out folks who need it. Camilla Bernal, thank you in Austin. Coming up next we have more on the Georgia Senate run-offs for President Trump and President-elect Biden and former President Obama are all entering the fray in the final week of campaigning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:45:00]

BALDWIN: Today President-elect Biden announced Kathleen Hicks as his nominee for deputy defense secretary. It's another historic pick for team Biden as she would be the first woman in that position at the Pentagon.

CNN's M.J. Lee is live in Wilmington, Delaware. And M.J., tell me a little bit more about her and also where things stand with regard to defense secretary nominee.

M.J. LEE, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Brooke. Kathleen Hicks, this is a former Pentagon official who is currently a senior member of Biden transition. Biden just announcing that she is his pick to be the deputy defense secretary.

You know this is a transition team that has talked a lot about their barrier breaking nominations and appointments and she would be, as you said, the first woman to serve in this role if she is confirmed.

And you asked about the status of Biden's defense secretary nominee, this is Lloyd Austin. My colleague on the hill, Lauren Fox and I have been doing some reporting on all of this.

Essentially the biggest issue and the hang up right now is this waiver and for those who have not been following this closely, this is a waiver that he would need to get from Congress to bypass a law that essentially says there needs to be at least a seven year time span between the time that he served in the military and we -- when he can leave the Pentagon.

And there are just concerns on the hill right now among both Democrats and Republicans who feel like are we really ready to issue another waiver because remember, it was just a few years ago that James Mattis, who was Donald Trump's pick to be defense secretary he needed to receive this waiver as well. So there are concerns about setting another precedent.

[12:50:00]

So we'll have to see where this goes. But I will quickly note the Biden transition is insisting that they're not concerned about this. He will be confirmed, he will get that waiver, Brooke.

BALDWIN: And what about the friction you've been reporting on between DOD and the Biden transition, what's that about?

LEE: There really is a disconnect that we're seeing between what the DOD says is happening and what the Biden transition team is saying is going on. We heard Biden himself saying earlier this week that there has been obstruction, particularly from the DOD during this transition process.

For example, the DOD is essentially saying we've had lots of transitions meetings, we have been extremely transparent and giving all -- giving the team all the information that they need but when we have talked to sources familiar and people close to the transition, myself and my colleagues, what they are saying is that there actually hasn't been formal transition meeting between the DOD and the agency review teams as of Monday.

Since December 18th we are not getting all the information that they need and obviously the concern here is that there could be real national security implications if they are just not getting the cooperation and the information that they should be right now, Brooke.

BALDWIN: M.J., thank you so much for all the reporting you update there on the Biden transition. In meantime President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris will campaign in Georgia, ahead of Tuesday's critical Senate run-off races.

But the pressure is also amounting for the Republican incumbents in these races who are now, thanks to the president, in really a precarious position over whether to support the defense spending bill.

The House voted Monday to override President Trump's veto of this bill and now Georgia's Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue really risk alienating the president and themselves if they vote in favor of it.

CNN's Ryan Nobles is in Atlanta, and what are these Republican incumbents saying about this publicly?

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Nothing, frankly Brooke. They have not weighed at all in on whether or not they're going to vote to override the National Defense Authorization Act. It was just yesterday that David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler said that

they do support the idea of increasing those stimulus checks to $2,000 after they voted for and advocated for the bill that had those payments only at $600. But both of these issues show kind of the difficult position that President Trump's unpredictable behavior has put these Republican candidates in.

You know they want to run as closely as they can to President Trump because he remains very popular among Republican voters here but it's very difficult when the president often contradicts him.

So that makes -- this puts him in a very difficult position time after time. And then when you add into that the president has also worked on a rapid cliff to try and undermine the reliability of the electoral system here in Georgia. That also makes it very difficult.

Keep in mind Brooke that this morning President Trump suggested that the Republican governor of Georgia should resign his office because of the way he administered this election. Neither David Perdue or Kelly Loeffler has weighed in on that was well.

So this has just made this process very difficult for Republicans. They need every single Trump supporter to come out and vote and it's really hard to do it when the president continues to undermine that process, Brooke.

BALDWIN: It's incredible how it's impacting the president and this debate with McConnell and the Republicans overall. So the $2,000 checks. All eyes right where you are on Georgia. Ryan Nobles, thank you so much.

Still ahead here in CNN, we are learning more about the man behind the bombing Christmas day in Nashville. Were there missed warning signs? We will hear from his girlfriend's attorney.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:55:00]

Down at the Nashville Christmas day explosion CNN has learned police were warned about this Nashville bomber back in August of 2019. Authorities say that is when this woman claiming to be Anthony Warner's girlfriend told police that he was making bombs in his RV.

So let's go to Nashville to our correspondent there, Martin Savidge. And how exactly were police tipped off last year, Martin?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they were called to the home because there were fears that this woman who claims to be the girlfriend was suicidal. When they got on the scene and began talking to this woman she said that she was also the girlfriend of Anthony Warner and then relayed that he was making bombs, she claimed, in the RV behind her home.

Also present at that conversation with law enforcement, now this all comes from police report, was the attorney who represents both the woman and Anthony Warner. And that attorney says you know what, he has said a lot about bombs and about the military.

He needs to be investigated. This is that same attorney recalling the conversation after the events of Christmas day. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAYMOND THROCKMORTON, ATTORNEY OF PAMELA PERRY: And she was so convincing that morning and so distraught that I decided in her front yard in the middle of all those police officers on the spot that even though it was a former client of mine that somebody needed to go check him out right then.

If somebody had checked Tony out and gotten him the help that he needed, then this would've never have happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: Now police did go to Warner's home but he didn't respond and they did see the RV but they didn't have a search warrant. Essentially there was no further investigation, there were inquiries made on a federal level but the Feds said they knew nothing about Anthony Warner. Now everybody wants to know about Anthony Warner in the aftermath of what happened. And many believe the ball was dropped. Brooke.

BALDWIN: Awful. Awful all the way around.

[13:00:00]

Thinking about Nashville here. Martin Savidge, thank you for the update.