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Biden Speaks at Pfizer Plant Amid Vaccine Delays; Biden Says the Vaccines Are Safe; Biden Defends His COVID Plan and Says He's Open to Suggestions from GOP on Cutting Costs; Biden: We Must Ensure Equal Distribution of Vaccines; Biden: We'll Be Approaching Normalcy by End of This Year. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired February 19, 2021 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Because we work together, we're now on track to have enough vaccine supply for all Americans by the end July. And it doesn't mean it will be in all American's arms, but enough vaccine will be available by that time. These orders allow facilities like this one to plan ahead, accelerate the production schedules.

Here's what else we did. When we discovered that vaccine manufacturers weren't being prioritized when it came to scrutinizing and securing supplies they needed, we fixed that problem and got them what they needed. We also used the Defense Production Act to speed up the supply chain for key equipment, like fill pumps and filters which has already helped to increase vaccine production.

In fact, in our tier -- on our tour today, they showed me a critical piece of machinery they didn't have before. Now they do, and it's allowing them to ramp up production. And as we increase supply, we're carrying out a clear plan to get shots in the arms of 300 million Americans or more, and I know people want confidence that it's safe.

Well, I just toured are where it's being made. It takes more time to do the check for safety than it does actually to make the vaccine. That's how fastidious they are. And listen to Dr. Fauci. Dr. Fauci assured me that the COVID-19 vaccines were safe.

That's why several weeks ago I went through the rigorous scientific review. That's why I took my vaccine shot publicly to demonstrate to the American people that I know and believe it's safe. That's why Vice President Harris also received her shot publicly.

We all know there's some history or some hesitancy about taking this vaccine. We all know there's a history in this country of having subjected certain communities to terrible medical abuses in the past, but if there's one message to cut through to everyone in this country it's this. The vaccines are safe. Please, for yourself, your family, your community, this country, take the vaccine when it's your turn and available. That's how to beat this pandemic. We're making progress. We deployed

more vaccinators, the people who put the vaccine in your arm. We're now making it possible for retired doctors and nurses to come back and under the law administer these shots.

We've put new vaccinators in the field. These include over 800 medical personnel from our Commission Corps at the Department of Health and Human Services and personnel from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, Defense Department, National Guard. We are literally lining up thousands of vaccinators because it's one thing to have the vaccine. It's very different to get it into someone's arms.

We're also creating more places for people to get vaccinated. We've provided $3 billion to states, territories and tribes to create hundreds of new vaccination centers to ramp up -- and ramp up the exist ones now that are there.

Right here in Michigan, with Governor Whitmer, FEMA has appropriate tens of millions of dollars to bolster the states' community vaccination centers from the National Guard at the Expo Center here in Kalamazoo to the TCF Center in Detroit, to parking lots and churches across the state.

We've worked with governors in California, Texas, New York and more to come to stand up massive mass vaccine sites and stadiums that will be open 24/7 and arenas and community centers.

It's an effort on top of the federal government covering the full cost for the state's use of their National Guards for pandemic efforts. And you suggested that I do that a while ago and I promised you I'd do it and we did it.

We also started shipping vaccines directly to thousands of local pharmacies across the country. So eligible folks can get the COVID-19 shot like they would a flu shot.

Here in Michigan that's already more than 220 pharmacies like Rite Aid and Meijers and more than 130 cities in Michigan and that's just the beginning.

It's only been four weeks, and for folks who aren't near a pharmacy or mass vaccination centers we're deploying mobile clinics. These are special vehicles and pop-up clinics that meet folks where they live. Folks who don't have access to transportation to get the shots.

We're also supplying vaccines to community health centers, federal community health centers, to reach those who are hit the hardest, black, Latino, Native Americans and rural communities which have higher rates of COVID infections and deaths than any other group.

[15:35:03]

Here in Michigan we're already partnering with community health centers serving more 370,000 patients in 11 cities across the state. That's because you guys have pointed out where they were and why it was so important and how we will get to, as Gary talks about, get to the people most in need and the people most dying from COVID.

This is important to ensure everyone is treated equally, and those hardest hit, get the care they deserve. We're now at a point where we've seen the average daily number of people vaccinated nearly double from the week before I took office to about 1.7 million average per day getting a shot.

We're on track to surpass my commitment. You may remember when I said in my first 100 days just before I was inaugurated, which seemed like 100 days, but anyway, first 100 days before I was inaugurated that we administered 100 million shots in my first 100 days. But we're on the path to do that. We're averaging 1.7 million a day. Soon we'll be at 50 million, and I'm confident we'll exceed the number.

But that's just the floor. We have to keep going. But despite the progress we're still in the teeth of a pandemic. New strains are emerging. In a few days we'll cross 500,000 Americans who will have died from COVID-19 -- 500,000. That is almost 70,000 more than all the Americans who died in World War II over a four-year period.

All the sorrow, all the heartache, all the pain. While we wait for everyone to get vaccinated, we still need you to wash your hands, stay socially distanced and mask up to help save lives.

That's why with the authority I have as president I signed an executive order, the only authority I have to require this, to require masking on all federal property, all modes of travel like planes, trains and buses.

We've been calling on governors and mayors and local officials, Republicans and Democrats to institute mask mandates within their jurisdictions just like Governor Whitmer has done here in Michigan.

Look, I know it's inconvenient but you're making a difference when you do it. Everything we do matters. We need everyone to do their part for themselves, for their loved ones and, yes, for your country. It's a patriotic duty.

We need Congress to pass my American Rescue Plan that deals with the immediate crisis, the urgency. Now critics say my plan is too big. That it cost $1.9 trillion, that's too much.

Let me ask them, what would they have me cut, what would they have me leave out? Should we not invest $20 billion to vaccinate the nation? Should we not invest $290 million to extend unemployment insurance for the 11 million Americans who are unemployed so they can get by? While they get back to work. Should we not invest $50 billion to help small businesses stay open when tens of thousands have had to close permanently? Should we not invest -- and by the way they make up half the employment in America. Should we not invest $130 million to help schools across the nation open safely?

Right now 24 million adults, 11 million children don't have enough food to eat, and unless you think I'm exaggerating, think of those scenes that you've seen on television with cars lined up for what seem like miles to wait to have someone put a box of food in their trunk. People who never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever thought they would need help, and through no fault of their own they are in that circumstance.

If we don't pass the American Rescue Plan, 40 million Americans will lose nutritional assistance through a program we call S.N.A.P., the old food stamp program. Do we not invest $3 billion to keep families from going hungry?

One in five Americans are behind in their rent. One in ten are behind on their mortgage. How many people do you know that will go to bed at night staring at the ceiling saying, God, what's going to happen if I don't get my job, if I don't have my unemployment check?

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What's happening to me? I'm losing my health insurance. What do I do? This is the United States of America for God sake. We invest in people who are in need. Do we not invest $35 billion to help keep a people keep a roof over their heads?

I could go on. But you get the point. I'm grateful that the Senate and House are moving quickly, and I'm prepared to hear their ideas on how to make the package better and make it cheaper. I'm open to that.

But we have to make clear who is helped and who is hurt, and my hope is that the Republicans in Congress listen to their constituents.

According to the polls there is overwhelming bipartisan support. The vast majority of the American people, more than 70 percent of the American people with all the polls you all conduct including a majority of Republicans want us to act and act big and quickly and support the plan.

Major economists left, right and center say we should focus on smart investments that we can make now in jobs and our people to prevent long-term economic damage to our nation and to strengthen the economic competitiveness going forward.

In fact, an analysis by the Wall Street firm Moody's estimates that if we pass my American Rescue Plan the economy will create 7 million jobs this year, this year.

We've also been in constant contact with mayors and governors, county officials, members of Congress, both parties, both parties. I've met with them in my office. I've met with them on the -- on zooming on with them. Both parties in every state, and guess, what they agree we have to act now.

I got a letter from more than 400 mayors from big cities and small towns. They understand we're not going to get our economy back in shape and the millions of people back to work until we beat this virus.

That's why the American Rescue Plan puts $160 billion into more testing and tracing, manufacturing and distribution and setting up vaccination sites. Everything that's needed to get vaccines into people's arms which is the most difficult, logistical effort that the United States has undertaken in peace time. It includes 4 billion for new manufacturing plants. So we're ready to

manufacture vaccines in the future. We don't have to wait. I'm going to close with what I said before, I'll always be straight with you. I said in my inaugural I'll give it to you straight from the shoulder as Roosevelt said. Because the American people can take the truth. They can handle anything.

I can't give you a date when this crisis will end, but I can tell you we're doing everything possible to have that day come sooner rather than later and all of you here are doing some of the most important work in this facility right here that can be done, and I know this is personal.

I walked in today and I won't say who came up to me but one of the people in this building came up to me and said my father-in-law is dying from COVID. I said can I call him. He said no, he couldn't take a call, he says keep him in his prayers, please.

How many of you know somebody who is in real trouble or has passed? How many people do you know who sat down to breakfast this morning and looked at an empty chair across the table?

You've seen the devastation of this virus in your family, your community but you're stepping up. You're saving lives here, lives of your loved ones, your neighbors, your fellow Americans.

You're showing how this town, this state, this country takes care of our own. Leave nobody behind. We can do anything when we do it together. I believe we're on the road, I promise you. I know we'll run into bumps. It's not going to be easy here to the end, but we're going to beat this. We're going to beat this. May God bless you all and may God protect our troops. And I want to thank you and your people for all that you do.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: The president there frustrated, showing empathy for the millions of Americans who are dealing with this COVID pandemic. Is he going to say something else?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)

[15:45:00]

BIDEN: We're going do a little bit of the math. Getting the vaccine and having it available is not the same as putting it in someone's arms. This is going to be a continuous rolling effort. So we'll have -- we will have ordered much of what you have distributed over 600 million doses by the end of July -- July 29th is the expected date but that could change.

Look what's happening with the weather now, for example, it's slowing up the distribution right now. But I believe we'll be approaching normalcy by the end of this year and God willing this Christmas will be different than last, but I can't make that commitment to you.

There are other strains of the virus. We don't know what could happen in terms of production rates, things can change, but we're doing everything the science has indicated we should do, and people are stepping up to get everything done that has to be done.

We're going have debates about whether or not, for example, I can't set nationally who gets in line when and first. That's a decision the states make. I can recommend. I can say what I've said like I'm the guy that said we should lower to 65 years of age. I think 35 states have done that or more.

I think that, for example, I think it's critically important to get our kids back to school. I think it's really important because of the psychological damage being done, and the loss of time. A kid loses a semester when they are in fifth grade it means they are not just a semester behind, they may a year and a half behind.

All the difficulty. You were at that town meeting I had with that little girl was worried that, you know, her mommy -- she told her mommy that she was worried maybe she was going to die. So there's a lot -- I think it's important that we get people back in school.

There's a difference, for example, according to the science now between kids between the ages of 3 and probably 12 years old in terms of whether they can absorb and or communicate the disease than it is for kids who are 15, 16, 17, 18 years old who congregate more together. It's harder in a high school than it is a grammar school.

We know certain things are necessary. Social distancing, smaller class sizes, ventilation, testing and the possibility that staff whether it's the staff taking care of the sanitary conditions in the school or simply you've heard me say this before, bus drivers. To open the schools we need more buses and bus drivers. We can't put kids packed in a bus sitting next to one another.

So we know the things that have to be done. The question is the order in which we do them is going to determine on what moves the quickest and where the need is the greatest. Obviously, we still have to focus on first responders, our doctors, our nurses, those who delivering the services. But the reason I bother to bore you with that detail is to try to explain to the American people that this is a process.

But we know now the fundamental basic elements. The fundamental basic elements are that before you get the shot and after if you get the shots and after, social distancing saves lives. Wearing masks saves lives. Making sure that you wash your hands with hot water saves lives. This is not hyperbole. This is not a political statement. It's a reality. The science has demonstrated that.

We also know that it's one thing to have a vaccine available. The problem was how you get it into people's arms and not enough people to vaccinate. All the great hospitals in this state and in my state, they can line up and give people, but they can't possibly handle the volume that is needed.

So what do you do? You get more people qualified to give vaccinations. The quicker you can open up places and the people can come up and demonstrate they are on the pecking order and they are ready for their shot and they are qualified, keeping places open 24/7 makes a lot of sense, but you need people to do it. So we all know the basic things that have to happen.

Now, we also know that there are things that intervene. Things happen. Weather, people get ill. People get confused. There's a lot of people who don't -- who aren't able. You know, you've heard me say before, you know, my little granddaughter can use that cell phone of hers to do more in about 12 seconds than I can do in an hour, but a lot of people aren't able to.

[15:50:00]

A lot of people who need the help. They say, well, get online. They don't have the means to get online. They might not have, you know, the ability to get online. And they may not know how to do it.

Talk about everybody is -- most people are within five miles of a pharmacy. Well, if you're living alone and you're a 68-year-old woman and you're in a minority neighborhood, and there is no bus service, you might as well be 500 miles away.

That is why we're leaning out and Gary you talked to me about it, getting mobile vans to go out. So we know the kind of things that have to be done. But there has never ever, ever been a logistical challenge as consequential as we're trying to do. But we are getting it done and as my mom would say, with the grace of God and the good will of neighbors, we're going to save a lot of lives. Thank you very much.

BALDWIN: OK. So the president there, you know, honesty. Saying he believes we'll approach normalcy by the end of the year but says, you know, he can't make that commitment to the rest of us.

Says, yes, as he told Anderson the other night at our Town Hall, yes, thanks to all of these vaccine manufacturers, we will have enough vaccines for all Americans by the end of July. But does that mean vaccines in arms? No. And how do we do that? So many issues hanging on his every word.

Let's dive in. Dr. Michelle McMurry Heath. She is the president and CEO of Biotechnology Innovation Organization. She is also a former executive for Johnson & Johnson, and Laura Barron-Lopez, she is a White House correspondent for Politico and a CNN political analyst.

So Dr. McMurry-Heath, I just want to start with you, just listening to all of that, are you satisfied with what you heard?

DR. MICHELLE MCMURRY-HEATH, THE PRESIDENT AND CEO, BIOTECHNOLOGY INNOVATION ORGANIZATION: Oh, my God, Brooke, it was like music to my ears.

BALDWIN: Tell me.

MCMURRY-HEATH: The scientific community has been working nonstop to end this pandemic. We have not let politics stop us or stand in the way. But what a difference it makes to actually have partners, political partners helping us deliver our science to the patients who need them. It was breathtaking. BALDWIN: How about his point, though, about listen we're covering all

of this happening in Texas and that is wonderful if you have a bunch of vaccines for Texans but if you have a winter storm and people don't have electricity and don't have water, like forget about trying to get vaccines in arms. I mean, I'm going to ask you a question you don't have the answer to. How much longer will this take.

MCMURRY-HEATH: Well, there's still lots of hurdles and he was so wise to just point them out so that people have realistic expectations. But as he said, if we work together on this, we can make progress. We're already making incredible progress and it's important for us to go as quickly as possible.

And you heard the commitment of Albert Bourla, I mean what an amazing leader he is, to really say that he's digging in and trying to find new ways to even ramp up production of the vaccines even more than they already have. They've already doubled, they've cut their time frame in half, just in the last few weeks, it's amazing scientific progress and so refreshing to see that partnership.

BALDWIN: And hoping to have, you know, the FDA green light, that notion of having some of these Pfizer vaccines not being stored at these arctic temperatures and how significant that could be, if they actually could be in pharmacy freezers. We'll get to that in a second.

But Laura to you, the Biden administration has already shifted the timeline a bit for when most Americans will have access to a vaccine. You know, the success of this administration hinges upon the success in getting the rest of us through this pandemic. What happens if that timeline keeps getting pushed back?

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, what happens is that, as the president has made clear, that life doesn't return to normal if there is not an ability to get the vaccines to everyone. And so if the deadline is pushed back or if that goalpost is pushed back from the end of July to later in the year, then that means that the country is not going to return to normal maybe by the end of the year.

And so, that is certainly why the administration is moving very quickly to try to reach that goal of end of July for all vaccines being available to all Americans, but again as you mentioned, Brooke, at the top, that doesn't necessarily mean every American is going to have a shot in their arm by the end of July.

And so you also heard the president in his remarks stress why it is so urgent that in order to make sure that they meet those goals, is that this bill passes Congress. And he really pushed this challenge toward Republicans and also even some potentially Democratic critics of bill saying what would you have me cut? And listing off, and you really heard him be I think the most forceful that we've seen him publicly in defending his bill as it moves through Congress.

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BALDWIN: We watch to see what happens with it in the House next week. Doctor McMurry-Heath, back over to you. On my point about just the science of the Pfizer vaccine and the fact that the Pfizer CEO said that they may be able to be approved for storage in less cold temperatures. How much would that really help in just getting more shots in arms?

MCMURRY-HEATH: It would be tremendously helpful. Right now the limitation of having to store the vaccines at minus 70, super, super cold temperatures, means that you can't put it in a normal freezer.

And so large hospital systems have these types of freezers, they can store and provide the vaccine. But if you want to get it into your local corner pharmacy, you need it to be able to be stable in a normal refrigerator or freezer and that's why this is such a great breakthrough.

And with the variants on the rise and coming from different corners of the world, it is critical that we are going as quickly as possible to get vaccines in arms.

BALDWIN: Here is hoping as he said that this next holiday season will be so much different from the one, we all experienced this last year. Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath and Laura Barron-Lopez, ladies, thank you so, so much. You're watching CNN. We'll be right back.

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