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Interview with Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA); COVID-19 Case Surge Continues in Los Angeles; Joe Biden's Inauguration Plans Remain Unchanged. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired January 11, 2021 - 10:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:31:10]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: At the top of the hour, House Democrats will try to pass a resolution to pressure Vice President Pence and the cabinet to remove President Trump via the 25th Amendment. They will also then begin to lay out their case by formally introducing the article of impeachment -- a single one -- against President Trump for inciting an insurrection.

Almost the entire Democratic Caucus is backing the measure now, even talk of some Republicans.

Joining us now, Representative Hank Johnson of Georgia, a Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. Congressman, thanks so much for taking the time this morning.

REP. HANK JOHNSON (D-GA): Thank you for having me.

SCIUTTO: First, on this single article of impeachment, which we received earlier in the broadcast today: Do you expect -- when do you expect the House to vote on this and do you expect that it will come together to impeach the president?

JOHNSON: Yes, House Rules will require about 48 hours, so Wednesday at the earliest is when the House will be able to vote on that article of impeachment.

SCIUTTO: So it looks like virtually all of the Democratic Caucus will vote yes. Have you spoken to Republican colleagues in the House who say they will vote yes as well?

JOHNSON: No, I have not spoken to any of my Republican colleagues since what happened last Wednesday. I would hope that the events having settled upon (ph) them, that they would recognize the gravity of the situation that their president -- our president -- has put us in, has put the nation in, and they would start looking at what is best for the nation as opposed to what is best for Donald Trump or what is best for the Republican people.

We're really, Jim, in a battle for control of the soul of the nation insofar as our democracy is concerned. We're -- I mean, this is a battle for our democracy. We've got element that have been generated by Donald Trump that are actually trying to wrestle freedom away from the American people.

SCIUTTO: Yes --

(CROSSTALK)

JOHNSON: We can't allow that to happen.

SCIUTTO: -- of that. Your colleague and the Democratic whip, James Clyburn, mentioned the possibility yesterday of the House voting to impeach the president this week, but waiting -- the Senate waiting -- for a trial until 100 days after President-elect Biden's term begins to allow him to focus on his legislative agenda. Do you support that option of impeaching now, trying later?

JOHNSON: Well, I believe the most solemn obligation that we have now is to remove this president from office as quickly as possible. And if -- and so that means impeachment proceedings in the House. I wish that we could have an expeditious trial in the Senate, but Mitch McConnell has mentioned that he's going to wait until the 19th of January in order to start proceedings.

But in my opinion, this is the most important thing that we must do to preserve and protect our nation. And even if it must bleed over into the next administration, we can't move forward until we get this issue behind us. And so my recommendation, I fall on the side of those who would want to proceed, to transfer the articles of impeachment to the Senate immediately. And insist on them, that they proceed as quickly as possible.

SCIUTTO: Let me ask you this. In -- is the reason you want to do this before the inauguration, with nine days to go, is it to hold the president accountable or is it also because you're concerned that the president might endanger the country again in the next nine days?

[10:35:07]

JOHNSON: Yes, I'm very concerned about what the president is inciting as we move forward to January 20th. There is abundant evidence floating around on social media, on the right-wing social media sites where President Trump is inciting massive crowds to converge on Washington, D.C. on January 20th to finish what they started on January 26th.

So this is not ending. The president is calling for his supporters to continue to the uprising, to continue the insurrection. He wants even more people in Washington, D.C. than (ph0 converged on the 6th.

And what we're seeing is the outlines of -- of an armed rebellion of -- of suicidal maniacs coming to Washington, D.C. to do bodily injury and property damage to the Capitol and those inside of it.

SCIUTTO: Yes. Let me ask you this. I'm --

(CROSSTALK) JOHNSON: But it's a very, very serious situation that we're facing as Americans.

SCIUTTO: No question. And I've heard from national security sources, genuine fear about what happens around the inauguration.

Folks watching might not be aware of how much you were in the middle of this on Wednesday. We have a photo here of you on the floor of the House as this assault was taking place. That's there (ph), so viewers know, in the glasses just on the left there.

I wonder if you could tell us what's happening in this picture, and did you at that moment fear for your life and the lives of your colleagues?

JOHNSON: It was at that moment where it flashed upon my mind that we may not make it out of here, just for a second, the gravity of what was happening dawned upon me.

But that notion quickly went away as, you know, I continued, along with my colleagues, to understand what we were being told by the Capitol Hill police officers who were in the -- on that third floor with us, giving us instructions but at the same time communicating with their colleagues, who were on the lower level on the House floor.

We were all intent on making it out of there safely, so there was no time to really worry, but there was a lot of confusion and there was a lot of panic that was taking place. But I think everyone managed to maintain their cool heads, and we were able to escape out of there.

But my -- my hat is off to those Capitol Hill police officers who were defending us in our -- at a time when we needed to be protected, they rose to the occasion. And a couple of them --

SCIUTTO: Congressman --

JOHNSON: -- actually have given their lives. And really, for the families, my heart goes out.

SCIUTTO: Ours as well. And we're glad you and your staff and your colleagues are safe too. Congressman Hank Johnson, thanks very much for joining us this morning.

JOHNSON: Thank you, Jim.

[10:38:27]

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Well, in the middle of all of this, coronavirus continues to surge. And it has surged so dramatically in California, someone is dying there from it every eight minutes. Ambulance teams in California, busier than ever. CNN rides along with the first responders, next.

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HARLOW: Well, the state of California has reported nearly 50,000 new people infected with COVID just yesterday alone. Only about a third of the more than 2 million vaccine doses the state has received have actually made it into the arms of California residents.

SCIUTTO: It's alarming how often we're seeing this around the country. So in an effort to ramp up vaccinations, starting today, health care workers, nursing residents and staff and those living on congregate settings such as assisted living or shelters, they can also get vaccinated.

By the end of the week, L.A.'s Dodger Stadium is going to be converted from a COVID testing site to a mass vaccination site, capable of serving 12,000 people a day -- that's good to hear.

Right now, one person dies every eight minutes from the virus on Los Angeles County alone. The situation there is so critical there's already a shortage of oxygen.

HARLOW: Ambulance crews across California have been told -- we told you this last week -- not to transport patients with little chance of survival to hospitals. So our Josh Campbell spend the day with EMTs in L.A., and he has their stories.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A grueling 10-hour shift in an ambulance in Los Angeles.

SADI POPE, EMT: Sixty-four, 13, we're full crew and available.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): That's what's in store for EMT Sadi Pope in a county where health officials say a person is dying from COVID every eight minutes.

POPE: It's definitely shifted in the last month.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Twenty-two-eighteen, confirm (ph)?

POPE: Just with the call volumes, like, constantly just we're running and running.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): Pope, a mother of three and former stay-at- home mom, has been doing this the last six months, a job she loves, but it's taking a toll.

[10:45:07]

POPE: A few months ago, there would be times where we'd sit for a couple hours, just waiting for a call in our area. But now, we're lucky if we sit for a half an hour.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): Her partner, Kyle Dojillo, has been an EMT for about a year.

KYLE DOJILLO, EMT: Every time I come back to work every week, it just gets worse and worse.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: L.A. (INAUDIBLE), report.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): Daily deaths here at times are exceeding all the homicides in the city of Los Angeles in 2019 combined. ICU beds are extremely hard to find. Some EMTs say they've waited outside hospitals with patients for six to eight hours.

CAMPBELL: How has this impacted you?

MATT HERMAN, EMT: A lot of times, I'm just exhausted, and go straight home, eat dinner and go to bed. So it's doing everything I can to get my rest, eat as much as I can and then just try to stay healthy so I can keep going.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): Ambulance supervisor Carolyn Carraway allowed CNN to ride along with her teams while helping them endure the crushing hospital waits.

CAROLYN CARRAWAY, AMBULANCE SUPERVISOR: I'm constantly talking to them, you know, checking in on them, seeing how they're doing. My truck is full of snacks and Gatorades just to help, you know, get them through the day.

CAMPBELL: Where are they going?

CARRAWAY: Well, let's see.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): There's no letup today. A new 911 call is in.

CAMPBELL: You know what their call is?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE), difficulty breathing --

CARRAWAY: So this one's going to be a COVID-positive patient.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): At the scene, the EMTs quickly put on full personal protective equipment. With the patient placed on a gurney, they are rushed to a nearby hospital, where, according to Carraway, eight care ambulances are already standing by with other patients. Care tells us the patient we watched them transport will eventually wait more than three hours before getting a hospital bed.

Five hours into her shift, we catch up with Sadi Pope after transporting a COVID patient.

CAMPBELL: Did you ever think, going into this field, that you would be in a place where you're taking these kind of precautions for yourself as you're also trying to help other people?

POPE: I wasn't expecting anything like this. But, yes, it's a big deal because I'm with these patients all day, and then I go home to my kids. So I'm just definitely trying to be aware of the people around me and be smart about what I'm doing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAMPBELL: Now, experts continue to warn about this so-called COVID fatigue, and that is so many people in a nation that has been gripped by this virus for a year are simply at a breaking point. These vaccines are giving people hope, but with mass vaccination still months away, the first responders that we spoke with are imploring the public to please just hang on, listen to the guidance of public health officials. They don't want their next 911 call to be for you -- Poppy, Jim.

SCIUTTO: It's as simple as saying lives are at stake if we don't do what's necessary. People are losing their lives. Josh Campbell, thanks very much.

{10:47:55]

Well, in minutes, House Democrats begin the process of impeaching President Trump for the second time in less than a year. Stay with CNN.

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HARLOW: Well, the mayor of Washington, D.C., Muriel Bowser, is now urging people not to come to the nation's capital on Inauguration Day. Her announcement, just moments ago, comes hours after she asked President Trump for a pre-emergency declaration. This follows last week's deadly attempted coup. She's asking for that in order to ensure more funding for security at the inauguration.

SCIUTTO: Well, Jessica Dean, she's following President-elect Biden is Delaware. Jessica, I wonder how the Biden team is responding to these concerns about violence, and also it's a difficult question to ask, who do they trust to lead the way, given all the questions about preparations for January 6th.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. Well, those are all important questions, Jim and Poppy. I spoke with a senior inauguration official earlier today, and they told me they are confident in their security partner.

So with an inauguration, as is custom, this is a national special security event. That means the U.S. Secret Service is taking the lead on security for this event, and those plans have been well under way for over a year now, so this is something that they have been very focused on.

And of course, we also know that plans for the inauguration had already been significantly scaled back due to the pandemic. They didn't want a crowd of people on the Mall or a parade, things like that, because they didn't want people being put at risk for their health as it pertains to the pandemic.

In this case, though, the senior inauguration official that I talked to, saying that they do feel confident in that, and that they do feel confident in the plans that are being put in place.

We also know that as of right now, the plans they did put in place are scheduled to continue to go forward as planned. That means that President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris will take the oath of office right there in front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20th -- Jim and Poppy.

HARLOW: Jessica, thank you very much for that reporting.

Well, Democrats are about to get their push for impeachment under way. This is all happening very quickly, the House starts its day momentarily. We'll bring you the proceedings, live. Thank you so much for being with us, we'll see you tomorrow morning. I'm Poppy Harlow.

[10:54:38]

SCIUTTO: And I'm Jim Sciutto. NEWSROOM with Kate Bolduan will start after a short break.

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KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello everyone, I'm Kate Bolduan. We want to welcome our viewers here in the United States and around the world.

Today is the start of an unprecedented week in Washington, with critical moves happening in moments. Right now, House Democrats are about to take their first steps toward impeaching President Trump for a second time, making immediate moves to try and remove President Trump from office, either through the 25th Amendment or through a historic second impeachment process.

My colleagues on the Hill just got their hands on the article of impeachment, which right now has -- we believe -- 214 cosponsors pointing to the president's role in inciting the heinous insurrection on the Capitol. That is why, right now, we are all going to be watching and waiting for the House, the floor of the House of Representatives. Because when the cameras turn on in the House of Representatives and they gavel into session, the move is expected to happen quickly.

Let's go over to CNN's Phil Mattingly, who's standing by with the very latest.

So, Phil, what is going to happen today?

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kate, let's first put it kind of in the broader perspective that you just did. The president is almost certainly going to be impeached this week, barring some major shift that currently is unforeseen.

What you're going to see when the House floor gavels into session at 11:00 a.m., it's going to be fast. It's a pro forma session, it's not a normal session of Congress. However, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer is expected to go to the floor and ask for unanimous consent for a bill that would essentially implore Vice President Pence to utilize the 25th Amendment, where Pence and the cabinet, two thirds of the Cabinet, would be able to essentially give Pence the power of the presidency.

Republicans are expected to object to that. That will likely end the day in the U.S. House, but what this sets up is a process that Speaker Pelosi has put into place that will likely lead to a vote on impeaching the president for a second time as soon as Wednesday.

Now, the House will -- if it is rejected today, the House will vote on the 25th Amendment bill tomorrow, a straight up-or-down vote. But you noted the most important thing, the thing everybody has eyes on right now, are those -- is that single article of impeachment, a four-page resolution that is out. We had our hands on it.

In part it reads, "President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government. He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power... and imperiled a coequal branch of Government. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States."

And, Kate, I think one of the other key elements that you already hit on here, already at 214 cosponsors. The magic number is 217. Make no mistake about it, if this article of impeachment gets a vote on the House floor, the president will be impeached. It's not even close right now.

[10:59:49]

And something I've been told this morning even -- also last night -- members, as they have seen the videos, more videos come out, more coverage come out, just the visceral fear and anger that has come in the wake of Wednesday, in the wake of January 6th, is has only grown over the last couple of days. Democrats are unified behind moving forward on impeaching the president.