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Senate Parliamentarian Says, No Pathway to Citizenship in Budget Proposal; Attorney for Former Trump CFO Says He Has Strong Reason to Believe More Indictments Coming in Tax Evasion Case; Netflix Makes Emmy History with The Crown, Queen's Gambit. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired September 20, 2021 - 10:30   ET

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

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ERICA HILL, CNN NEWSROOM: A busy day on Capitol Hill right now. Millions of immigrants could be facing an unknown future after the Senate parliamentarian ruled against Democrats' efforts to include a pathway to citizenship in their spending bill. Meantime, top Democrats reassuring House members they are committed to the September 27th infrastructure bill just a week from today. This after House Majority Whip Representative Clyburn suggested over the weekend it could actually be delayed.

Joining me now to talk about all of this, California Congressman Pete Aguilar, who is a member of the House Appropriations Committee, also Vice Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. Sir, good to see you this morning.

That deadline, as we know, a week from today, set by the speaker, the suggestion over the weekend by Majority Whip Clyburn that it could, in fact, be delayed, I should point out, moderate Kurt Schrader of Oregon telling Politico, quote, if they delay the vote or it goes down, then I think you can kiss reconciliation goodbye. That comes on the heels of a Congresswoman Jayapal warning progressives have the votes to sink infrastructure if it's not paired with the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package.

As vice chair of the Democratic Caucus, first, is this vote definitely happening on Monday?

REP. PETE AGUILAR (D-CA): Well, we're committed to move both of these pieces of legislation through. And I think that's the most important thing. House Democrats understand that the president campaigned on this agenda. We want to help deliver tax cuts for middle class families with kids, universal pre-K, child care benefits, we want to make sure that we do everything we can for middle-class families and while building infrastructure and creating jobs.

So we're committed to doing both. And we've continued to talk about this two-track process. Obviously, you know, we're making progress, you know, on both. And we're not going to let this opportunity go by to help the American public.

HILL: So, there will definitely be that vote on Monday, yes?

AGUILAR: Well, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer sets the calendar on the official vote schedule. What we've noticed is votes this week. We have not detailed the specific votes and the timelines for next week yet.

HILL: When you're looking at -- so many Americans are seeing this play out publicly, this growing divide between progressives and moderates. As I said, you're the vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus. How are you going to get your party on the same page, because it's feeling more broken from the outside?

AGUILAR: Yes. And I think what's important is that we deliver on results. I think that's what the American public expects us to do, that's what they want us to do. There's a lot of inside the beltway chatter. We understand that. We respect that. And the Democratic Caucus is broad and diverse, not just geographically, but ideologically.

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And so we're all committed to meet this agenda. We're all committed to deliver these benefits. People have different ways to convey their points in different styles to do that and we respect that and understand it. From the caucus perspective, we want to make sure everybody is heard and everybody has an opportunity to shape this legislation.

HILL: But at the end of the day, what you need are the votes, lawmakers on board?

AGUILAR: Absolutely. Absolutely, you can't deliver anything without the votes. And so we're going to continue to work with our colleagues, build a coalition to get this done. We understand that the tight margins in the House and we'll deliver.

HILL: Do you have any concerns that this could realistically not happen?

AGUILAR: I don't doubt the ability of our caucus to pull together, you know, and if we have that ability, then we will.

HILL: I also want to get your take on what we learned overnight, the Senate parliamentarian ruling that immigration cannot be a part of this reconciliation package. So, what then is the best path forward? Can you pull together bipartisan legislation?

AGUILAR: Well, we would have to talk to the senators about that. I don't believe that Senate Republicans have indicated willingness. In fact, they've been so anti-immigrant, I would doubt the ability to get ten Republican votes on any type of immigration reform.

What the parliamentarian ruled was on this specific question for a path to citizenship. There will be other questions that could be asked of the parliamentarian. But on this ruling, we understand that, we respect and we're confident at the end of the day that there can still be an adjustment to legal status for individuals in this country within reconciliation.

HILL: I want to talk to you about what we're seeing at the border right now, a lot of focus on Del Rio. Secretary Mayorkas is heading there today. In 2019, when you visit the border, the situation that you found there, you called it heartbreaking and abhorrent, you called it unacceptable. The pictures that we are seeing right now of some 12,000 migrants at this bridge in Del Rio, Texas, is that acceptable to you?

AGUILAR: No. And it clearly continues to be a humanitarian crisis down at the border. And so we need to adjust for that. We need to make sure that we are doing, you know, everything we can and --

HILL: What does everything mean? When you say, doing everything we can, what do you not see happening on the border that you think could make a difference right now?

AGUILAR: Well, I think that, you know, we need multiple countries, you know, coming together. And so we need to work collaboratively, but this is a crisis that is bigger than just one country. This is a regional crisis. Many of the individuals are Haitian immigrants as well.

So, we need to make sure that we are dialoguing with all of these countries, making sure that individuals know the rules of the road and exercise those and ensure that we have humanitarian abilities to help. Because, you know, clearly what is happening is not ideal but making sure that the conditions that those individuals are staying in as well is something that we're all concerned about.

HILL: Really quickly, the president has had a tough few days between what we see at the border, what we're seeing right now with France, what we've learned about this drone strike and the seven children, the ten civilians who were killed, what we're seeing in Washington. How important is passing this important legislation to the president in terms of his agenda and your agenda as Democrats in controlling Washington?

AGUILAR: Well, the president campaigned on this and so we want to make sure that we deliver on this. Creating jobs and helping middle class families, that's what the Democratic Party is committed to do. That's what his colleagues here in Congress are committed to do. We just need to stay focused on that mission and make sure that we help as many people as possible. That's what our caucus colleagues talk about every day and that's what we're committed to do.

HILL: We look forward to learning about more of those developments in the coming days as we move forward to that September 27th deadline. Congressman Pete Aguilar, I appreciate your time. Thanks.

AGUILAR: Thanks, Erica.

HILL: Jim?

SCIUTTO: This just in to CNN, the attorney for indicted Trump Organization executive, the CFO, Allen Weisselberg, says that he expects more people will be indicted in this ongoing case. That's a statement from his lawyer in New York State court. Who might be included in that group? We're going to have more, next.

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SCIUTTO: Also just in to CNN, this could be significant, news from a pre-trial hearing for the former Trump Organization CFO, Allen Weisselberg. Manhattan prosecutors have charged Weisselberg in a broad alleged tax evasion scheme. Just moments ago, his attorney said in court he has, quote, strong reason to believe that more indictments are coming in the case.

CNN's Kara Scannell has been following this case from the beginning. Do we have any idea who and how many people?

KARA SCANNELL, CNN REPORTER: Well, Jim, I mean, like you said, this is something that Weisselberg's attorney said in the moment in the courtroom saying that he had strong reason to believe that more indictments could be coming. There was no further elaboration on that point. And we don't know exactly who could be charged or how many people. But prosecutors have alleged this case that Allen Weisselberg and co-conspirators had engaged in a 15-year tax fraud scheme.

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Now, CNN has reported that prosecutors have been focusing a lot on Matthew Calamari. He is another senior executive at the Trump Organization, the chief operating officer, someone who is also, like Allen Weisselberg, been with the organization for more than 30 years. Prosecutors recently brought his son, another employee of the company, in before the grand jury for testimony.

They also brought another person who was at the Trump Organization, Jeffrey McConney. He is the chief -- the controller. He reports to Allen Weisselberg. He has been before the grand jury at least two times. We know that he was brought in to clarify and clean up, according to sources, some of his testimony and he's also asked about Matthew Calamari Sr. So, that is someone that prosecutors certainly have in their scopes. They have been having multiple meetings with his attorney over the past several months. So, he is someone that is the focus.

Now, also in this hearing, I mean, Allen Weisselberg's attorney brought this up because he wanted more time, more time. He said that he just received today a manila envelope that he held up in court with a bulge in it. And he said within that, he was told there were 3 million documents. He said that these documents were found in a co- conspirator's basement and they were tax documents. So, certainly, more information getting transferred from prosecutors to the defense as they're setting up the motion schedule in this case, the judge signaling that they could go to trial as soon as next August or early September. Erica, Jim?

HILL: Wow. Kara Scannell with the latest for us there, Kara, thank you.

Well, up next, it was Ted Lasso's big night at the Emmys, but his co- star who had one of the most memorable speeches. We'll have that and the other big wins of the evening, next.

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SCIUTTO: Well, Netflix, one of the big winners of last night's 73rd annual Emmy awards, taking home two of the three top categories for The Crown and the Queen's Gambit.

HILL: The streaming giant making history winning a total of 44 awards this season.

CNN's Stephanie Elam is in Los Angeles this morning. Apple T.V. Plus also winning big last night. Good morning, Steph, nice to see you.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. And I know you are both very happy that Ted Lasso walked away with a big win for comedy. I know -- I knew it. I was waiting for Erica to have her mug at the ready there. Exactly.

So, the show won for comedy and then also took three of the acting awards. Of course, Jason Sudeikis won, Brett Goldstein won, Roy Kent, who plays Roy Kent and then acted like Roy Kent with lots of cussing in his acceptance speech.

And then you also have Hannah Waddingham, who won and, honestly, she was probably the most thrilling winner of the night. Take a listen to what she said.

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HANNAH WADDINGHAM, BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS FOR TED LASSO: Jason, you've changed my life with this and more importantly my baby girl's. And I will -- because I'm honestly, I'm so privileged to work with you. I really am. Oh, my God, I'm going to get spanked (ph) at the Emmys.

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ELAM: She kept having decorum and then screaming. It was really obviously a real moment for her. She was thrilled about it.

Also worth noting, she was also the one who was torturing Cersei in Game of Thrones, in case you watched Game of Thrones. Good for you to know that little bit of trivia.

On the drama side, the British actors winning here again for The Crown, that had an amazing run last run, as people really did enjoy this past season with all of the drama of Princess Diana and Prince Charles involved in that. And, of course, you've got Olivia Colman, Gillian Anderson winning, Josh O'Connor, Tobias Menzies. And then, of course, you've had Mare of Easttown, you've got Kate Winslet winning there, and then Queen's Gambit.

One little snub though that we wish we saw was Michael K. Williams winning but he did not, of course, voting closed before he passed away. But, all in all, T.V.'s big night.

SCIUTTO: A special shout-out to Brendan Hunt from Ted Lasso, Coach Beard. I mean, that light blue top hat also stole the show.

ELAM: And his singing at the beginning of the show as well.

SCIUTTO: Yes, there's that.

HILL: Fantastic.

SCIUTTO: Stephanie, thank you so much.

And we'll be right back.

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HILL: That, of course, is one of the hits from 90s R&B group Tony! Toni! Tone!, who held a concert in San Francisco over the weekend. The woman you see dancing there highlighted is the mayor of San Francisco, London Breed.

SCIUTTO: Notably no mask, despite the policy that her Health Department put in place to require masks indoors, even for the fully vaccinated, unless you are actively eating or drinking. When confronted about this, Mayor Breed was defiant.

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MAYOR LONDON BREED (D-SAN FRANCISCO, CA): There was something that was really monumental that occurred and that is Tony! Toni! Tone!, the original members who have not performed in public for, I believe, at least over 20 years. And the fact that that is getting lost here is very unfortunate.

I was there. I was eating and I was drinking and I was sitting with my friends and everyone who came in there was vaccinated. No, I'm not going to sip and put my mask on, sip and put my mask on, sip and put my mask on, eat and put my mask on. While I'm eating and I'm drinking, I'm going to keep my mask off.

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HILL: Breed was also criticized for having a small dinner party at the famous French Laundry Restaurant back in November of 2020.

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That was within protocol at that time. But she had said she would do better, Jim, moving forward.