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Progressive and Moderate Democrats in Congress Split over $3.5 Trillion Spending Bill and Vote on Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill; Thousands of Haitian Migrants at Makeshift Camp under Del Rio, Texas, Bridge Removed; Rep. Al Green (D-TX) Interviewed on Flaws in U.S. Immigration Policy Regarding Haitian Immigrants; Faculty Members at University of Georgia Willing to Risk Their Jobs over Requiring Masks Inside Classrooms; Search Continues for Brian Laundrie in Connection with Death of His Fiance Gabby Petito; Results of Arizona Audit of 2020 Presidential Election Confirm Joe Biden Victory; House Select Committee Investigating January 6th Insurrection Issues First Round of Subpoenas; Airlines Experiencing High Number of Unruly Passengers Related to Mask Mandate. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired September 25, 2021 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[10:00:12]
CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Happening now in the Newsroom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're at this stalemate at the moment.
PAUL: Democrats are working through the weekend to hammer out sharp disagreements over President Biden's infrastructure bill. Leaders vow to bring the bill to the floor. Some Democrats, though, say they will sink the bill if those disagreements persist.
REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL, (D-WA) CHAIR, PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS: I don't think the speaker is going to bring a bill to the floor that is going to fail.
PAUL: At the same time, lawmakers work to stave off a government shutdown from happening as soon as next week.
ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: There are no longer any migrants in the camp underneath the Del Rio International Bridge.
PAUL: The migrant camp that once housed thousands of migrants is clear this morning. But the diplomatic crisis over their treatment and what happens to them next, that's still alive. We're joined live by one Texas lawmaker pushing Democratic lawmakers to publicly condemn what he called inhumane treatment of the migrants.
And new details related to the death of Gabby Petito. One woman says she gave Brian Laundrie a ride to the campground where Petito's body was found. Where the search for Laundrie stands now. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Criminal contempt is on the table. We've discussed
it.
PAUL: The committee investigating the January 6th insurrection says it will hold several Trump loyalists in contempt if they don't respond to subpoenas related to the investigation. Are they prepared to follow through?
Newsroom starts now.
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PAUL (on camera): Welcome to your Saturday morning. It is September 25th. Glad to have you. I'm Christi Paul.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Christi. I'm Boris Sanchez. You are live in the CNN Newsroom.
PAUL: Yes, so let's talk about the divide among Democrats right now and the Republican pushback on Democrats' plans to avoid a government shutdown.
SANCHEZ: Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House is going to move forward with plans to pass an infrastructure and a reconciliation spending bill. But there are sharp disagreements within the Democratic Party between moderates and progressives, disagreements that threaten to derail the plan, potentially throwing President Biden's economic agenda into limbo.
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JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're at this stalemate at the moment. And we're going to have to get these two pieces of legislation passed. Hopefully at the end of the day, I'll be able to deliver on what I said I would do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: In the meantime, lawmakers are facing a deadline which is Thursday to keep the government open. The Senate is expected to vote next week on a measure to fund the government and raise the federal debt ceiling, but Republicans are pushing back, saying they're willing to pass government funding, but Democrats have to do the debt limit on their own. CNN's Sunlen Serfaty with us now from Capitol Hill. Sunlen, good to see you. So we know lawmakers are working through the weekend. what do you know about any progress thus far?
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: So far there is no progress. Time, of course, is incredibly short, and the stakes, as you laid out, are incredibly high here, which is why we are seeing lawmakers continue to meet this weekend, have intense negotiations to try to figure out a path forward. But so far it is illusive.
At issue, of course, is still this stalemate among House Democrats. You have a standoff between House progressives and House moderates. Moderates want Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to hold firm and keep that date of Monday to vote on the bipartisan infrastructure package. But progressives say that they are willing to vote against the infrastructure bill. They are willing to potentially tank that bill before there is agreement. They say they want to see agreement on that broader economic plan, that social safety net plan, that huge $3.5 trillion plan. So they are at this moment holding firm to that threat.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi says she intends next week to pass both bills, but the path forward at this moment is very unclear. She's trying to show some momentum, and that in part why we will see later today up here on Capitol Hill at 2:00 p.m. eastern time the budget committee start to meet and start to markup that economic plan, trying to appease progressives that they hope some progress is going to be made there. But so much has to come together, Christi and Boris, over the next 48 hours, and at this moment, very unclear how it will.
SANCHEZ: They are up against the clock. We will see what they do. Sunlen Serfaty, thanks for keeping an eye on this for us, thanks.
PAUL: Sunlen, thank you.
So according to the Homeland Security Department, thousands of Haitian migrants at a makeshift camp under that Texas bridge have been removed. Some of them deported back to Haiti, others have been allowed into the U.S. for processing. Thousands chose to return to Mexico. The crisis at the border highlighted challenges that are facing the Biden administration specifically when it comes to immigration.
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SANCHEZ: CNN correspondent Rosa Flores joins us now from Del Rio, Texas, with details. Rosa, you were there when these migrants started to set up tents about a week ago. What is it like now?
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All those tents are gone. We saw that heavy machinery moved in and leveled the area that was right next to the bridge, which where we saw a sea of huts that were handmade. According to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, about 2,000 migrants were returned back to Haiti, about 5,000 are in Customs and Border Protection custody and are still being processed, another 8,000 voluntarily returned to Mexico. And a small percentage were allowed to stay in the United States.
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FLORES: The migrant camp in Del Rio, Texas where at one point more than 15,000 migrants waited in squalor to get processed by U.S. immigration authorities closed Friday.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As of right now, there were zero persons under the bridge.
FLORES: CNN drones capturing some of the last migrants being loaded onto buses. They appeared to be single adults, their hands zip-tied, their bodies patted down. Today, the president vowing there will be consequences following the controversial images of Border Patrol agents on horseback using aggressive tactics. JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It was horrible what to
see, as you saw, to see people treated like they did, horses running them over, people being strapped, it's outrageous. I promise you those people will pay.
FLORES: According to DHS, more than 1,900 Haitian nationals have been returned to Haiti, around 3,900 are in Customs and Border Protection custody, about 1,600 have been released in Del Rio, according to a local nonprofit.
That's where we met Reginald (ph) Fefe (ph). He spent a week under the bridge with his family.
How is it to be there with an infant?
He says his daughter got sick due to cold morning wind and the dust. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas saying that a small percentage of migrants are being allowed to stay.
ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: If, in fact, they make a valid claim to remain in the United States, then of course we honor that.
FLORES: John (ph) Wilbin (ph) says he waited under the bridge a week. His number in line, 10,825. It was finally called Thursday.
Why did you leave Haiti?
He says he left Haiti because it is very tough there. And he says imagine they assassinated our president. What safety could he have?
Vice President Harris, who was tasked with examining the root causes of migration at the U.S.-Mexico border, was asked if all deportations of Haitians should be halted.
KAMALA HARRIS, (D) VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I feel very strongly, the president feels strongly, we have got to do more.
FLORES: And now a new problem. Immigration processing facilities are overcapacity.
MAYORKAS: Just over 5,000 are being processed by DHS to determine whether they will be expelled or placed in immigration removal proceedings.
FLORES: Our cameras capturing in the past week a free flow of migrants from Mexico into the U.S. and the swelling of a migrant camp in Texas that resembled the third world.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you take responsibility for chaos that's unfolding?
BIDEN: Of course I take responsibility. I am president.
(END VIDEO TAPE) FLORES: The Del Rio International Bridge is still closed. The Del Rio
mayor saying that right now what's going on is an intelligence assessment is being made to determine when the bridge can reopen. According to the mayor, every day that that bridge is closed the city loses $17,000 in tolls, and the loss in trade is at $35 million. Boris, Christi?
PAUL: Wow, Rosa Flores, great point. Thank you so much.
SANCHEZ: Let's bring in Democratic Congressman Al Green of Texas now. He introduced a resolution this week calling for Congress to condemn the, quote, inhumane treatment of Haitian migrants at the southern border. Congressman, thanks for sharing part of your weekend with us. We appreciate having you. You are speaking out against the disturbing images we saw at the southern border. There was an assumption by many who voted for President Trump that immigrants would be treated differently than they were under four years of Donald Trump. And yet many of your fellow colleagues in Congress have essentially said that this White House is not doing enough to distance themselves from policies. Congressman, do you believe this White House is detaching itself from policies of Donald Trump on immigration?
REP. AL GREEN, (D-TX): Thank you for having me. I greatly appreciate it. And I would like to make this comment. I thank the president for the words that he uttered when he indicated that there would be consequences for what happened with those horses. He is a person of good will. I think he means well. But I know that that behavior is unacceptable that we saw at the border.
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You cannot have this occur with anyone, doesn't matter your race, your ethnicity. That's unacceptable. That's why we have the resolution to condemn the behavior and we hope that it will come to the floor.
I believe that the president is following the law. Unfortunately, the law has not favored the Haitians for some time. In 1966 we passed in Congress the Cubans Adjustment Act. It became known as wet foot, dry foot, meaning if a human could get one foot on dry land, that person would have a pathway to citizenship after about a year, literally. Never applied to any other persons from any Latin countries at the time. If you came from south of the border, didn't apply to you. The Cubans never knew something called undocumented status. They were always documented. By the way, I never opposed it. It wasn't something I opposed.
My point is Haitians seem to always get the short end of the deal, and we've got to change that. We've got to make sure they're treated fairly. When they're sent back to Haiti now, they get $50 to $100, depends on who you ask. I've heard $100 on television. I asked the Homeland Security Department, and I got $50. They get a phone call and they get some food in a country where there's devastation from an earthquake.
They also are in conflict with each other because the law is in conflict in this country. We have a TPS, temporary protected status, for Haitians who were here prior to a certain date, and that's because we know that it's dangerous to send them back. Yet the Haitians who have come through Mexico, we're sending some of them back. I find it unacceptable. We should not send them back to Haiti.
SANCHEZ: Congressman, I do want to play a portion of a speech you gave on the House floor this week. Let's play this clip for our viewers.
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GREEN: Black Lives Matter wherever they happen to be. They matter in Haiti, and they matter at the southern border.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: The Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas pushed back yesterday on the notion that Haitian migrants are treated differently by the United States than other immigrants. How would you respond to Secretary Mayorkas?
GREEN: The secretary and I happen to be on very good terms, and I would not want this to be perceived as anything other than a statement of my position. My position is that Haitians were not treated fairly in 1966 when we started the wet foot, dry foot apology. And the Haitians are not being treated fairly now because we have TPS for some Haitians and we don't give it to other Haitians.
I believe we ought to give TPS to those Haitians who are coming through the border because it is unsafe for some to go back, and we know that it is. Just had an assassination, just had an earthquake, we know that it is, then we ought to do what I believe not is just the right thing, it's the righteous thing to do. There are some things that you have moral imperative to do. And I think we need to reexamine that law. I asked the secretary to do so, and I hope that that law will be reexamined, and let's not send them back.
SANCHEZ: Congressman, as far as wet foot, dry foot goes, it was ended in 2017 by former President Trump. And the counterargument that I've heard repeatedly as to why it was put in place is because the government in Cuba, an authoritarian communist government, kills people who speak out in the street against their rule. The same thing doesn't quite happen in Haiti. And I don't mean to downplay the circumstances there. Surely that is a humanitarian crisis. But do you not see a distinction between those that are fleeing oppression and those stuck in a place where food is hard to come by and the economy is crumbling?
GREEN: Several points. The first is death is death. You have gangs killing people in Haiti. Now, if the government kills you or a gang kills you, you're still dead. So there's killing taking place in Haiti.
The next part, when wet foot, dry foot started, it was for that purpose you mentioned. But as years went on, it applied to people who just made it to the United States from Cuba. It expanded as a matter of being de facto. De jure is still the same, but in fact it changed. And as a result of that, many, many persons came. I never opposed it, I just wanted equal treatment for other persons who come to this country from places like Haiti where they have been suffering for a very long time, too.
[10:15:00]
And finally, this. My argument now is predicated upon having temporary protected status for Haitians, some who arrived before a certain date related to the earthquake. I believe that we ought to give it to all Haitians who are in the country.
SANCHEZ: And why doesn't the Biden administration do that?
GREEN: I don't know why. I think I can speculate and say that it's because of Section 42 which allows the removal of persons for health reasons when juxtaposed to TPS, temporary protected status. But I believe that temporary protected status ought to trump this because the health care needs can be met and satisfied in this country. We just have to be a better country, and I think we are a better country.
And I'm not saying this as a person who doesn't support the president. I say it because I do support him. And one final thing. I believe if we check carefully, we'll find that it wasn't Mr. Trump that ended it. I think it may have been ended under Mr. Obama, the wet foot, dry foot policy. I think it was President Obama that brought it to termination.
SANCHEZ: We'll do the fact check after. You may be right on that.
I did want to ask you, Congressman, while we have you, about the spending bill you played a role in crafting that is the subject of much debate within your own party right now. Moderate Democrats have made very clear they're not going to accept that $3.5 trillion price tag. They argue to get that and the bipartisan infrastructure bill through, there's going to have to be compromises. And I'm wondering what you would be willing to compromise on?
GREEN: I am absolutely willing to compromise. Not sure that it would be wise to negotiate the compromise, while I appreciate you having me on, to negotiate it now.
But I see us in a position where failure is not an option. It is not an option. There are other things that we can negotiate, and this is a part of the process, by the way. So I am not moved that we're at a point where it appears to be a stalemate. It's a part of the process. We have the classic circumstance of needs versus numbers. The needs are there, but there are people who differ on what the number ought to be.
So I am willing to make concessions. I've lived long enough, 74 years old. I've lived long enough to know that I can't always have my way. So I am willing to make some concessions. But I do believe we have these needs that have to be met. And this is a seminal moment in time that requires seminal legislation. What we are proposing in reconciliation is going to impact generations to come. Childcare is absolutely needed. Women work, they're in the work force in places now that they've never been before. But we need childcare. We also need infrastructure called housing. Out of my window as I look
out now, there's a bridge, an overpass. People live under the overpass outside a congressional office. If bridges can become housing, then housing can be infrastructure. We have got to do something about affordable housing in this country. We've waited too long, and this is a seminal moment to make it happen.
SANCHEZ: Congressman, we appreciate you spending some time with us this morning. Also appreciate the fact check. You were correct, it was President Obama, I got mixed up, that ended wet foot, dry foot. As always, appreciate the time. Congressman Al Green of Texas, thank you.
GREEN: Love you no less. I love you no less. Thank you so much.
SANCHEZ: Of course.
GREEN: So more than 50 professors at the University of Georgia sent a letter to the chancellor saying that they're ready to mandate masks in their classrooms if the school system will not. One of them joins us next.
PAUL: And some of the migrants who had been camping out under the bridge have been sent back to Haiti, as we said. Many others are waiting to find out if they're going to have to go back, returning to the issues that caused them to make that long journey to the U.S. to begin with.
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[10:23:14]
PAUL: Dozens of faculty members at University of Georgia say they are willing to risk their jobs over requiring masks inside their classrooms until local community transmission of COVID-19 is under control. The move goes against guidelines that were put in place by the University System of Georgia which encourages masks, but it certainly does not require them for class attendance. Georgia's governor has vowed to fight local mask mandates, but faculty at the University of Georgia say more has to be done.
One professor who is taking part is this mask requirement is Jeff Bennetzen. He's a professor in the Department of Genetics. Professor, we are so grateful to have you here. Thank you. I want to ask you, first and foremost, what have you experienced on campus that prompted you to take it to this step?
JEFF BENNETZEN, PROFESSOR OF GENETICS, UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA: Well, thanks, Christi, for the invitation to talk to you today. What we've see on campus, personally I have seen a significant number of students who voluntarily wear masks, certainly indoors and in laboratories and the classes in which I teach, and that's just wonderful. There are exceptions. And it really varies across campus. Some schools, some departments have only a tiny percentage of students wearing masks, others, especially down in the science departments where I spend most of my time, tend to have 70, 80, 90 percent people wearing masks in the classes. But as you know, it doesn't take very many people to transmit COVID-19, and masks are a mitigating effect, but they aren't a complete solution.
[10:25:01]
And the University System of Georgia not only doesn't allow us to mandate mask wearing, it doesn't allow to mandate vaccines. It doesn't allow to even ask if a student has been immunized. And so we have no idea what percentage or what number the students might have an infectious form of COVID-19 at the moment they're in our classes.
PAUL: And because of what you just said, the scenario that you just pointed out, it can't be mandated per the state. So with that said, what is your level of concern for any consequence for yourself and your fellow professors?
BENNETZEN: Well, we discussed going a little farther than we had gone before, which is a lot of internal faculty documents, some with hundreds, over 1,000 signatures of faculty members across not only the University of Georgia but other universities within the USG, University System of Georgia collection of 26 public institutions, we sent out many petitions internally and have gotten no response at all that we could detect.
So we decided we needed to go to another level because this isn't something we could just delay. The fall semester had started, students were coming together. So we waited for internal solutions to work, and they didn't seem to go forward. So we decided we'd go another step, and that was to make this mandated. Of course, that meant if we have a mask mandate that violates USG policy, that gives grounds for dismissal. And USG has told us that they have that ability and they have that authority to do so. And so we think it's reasonably possible that our requiring masks in classes will give rise to proceedings to remove us from the faculty and for us to lose our jobs.
PAUL: What would you do at that point?
BENNETZEN: Me? I would find another job.
(LAUGHTER)
BENNETZEN: I'm not going to abandon the University of Georgia. I love the institution. I love what I do for a living. So I would do everything I could to work within the system to try to make my students that I teach safe, to make the people I work with safe as we can be. And so I'll fight it down the line, as I know my other colleagues will. But it doesn't mean we win that fight. But certainly, we hope the USG will recognize this is not good for the students. We aren't asking anything outlandish here. We are asking for the University System of Georgia to just follow CDC recommendations, CDC guidelines. And that isn't some outlandish sort of request. So we hope they'll come around and see that this is the best policy, and that we will have success without having to lose our jobs.
PAUL: And notable to point out that this is a letter to the university that was signed by 50 people, many of which are experts in infectious diseases. So we hope that we get to talk to you again about all of this. Professor Bennetzen, thank you for your time. We appreciate it. BENNETZEN: Thank you.
SANCHEZ: Coming up next, the Republican Arizona audit results are in, and they confirm what is shockingly obvious -- Joe Biden won the 2020 election. But that's not stopping another state from attempting its own audit. Stay with us.
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SANCHEZ: Today, authorities will return to the 25,000 acre Florida reserve near the home of Brian Laundrie. A source tells CNN he left his parents' home last Tuesday, leaving behind his cell phone and wallet. And his parents apparently expressed some concern that he might hurt himself. The FBI has now issued an arrest warrant for Laundrie connected to devices that he used after Petito's death.
PAUL: And we're learning, too, new details of a second woman in Wyoming who says she gave him a ride to the area where Petito's body was later found. CNN's Nadia Romero is live in Venice, Florida. Nadia, there seems to be something new on this every day. What is the latest this morning?
NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Christi, that information that you just mentioned is so important because that's now a second person who can put Brian Laundrie at the same spot near where they found the body of Gabby Petito. And a timeline here is so crucial in this case because it has been all over the place, really, as you mention. So many developments, twists and turns, and multiple states that are involved.
Earlier this week we saw a candlelight vigil being held in honor of Gabby Petito and her memory, celebrating her life, because a few hours south of Salt Lake City in Moab, Utah, that's where we saw this police interaction between Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie because of a domestic dispute call. That is now under an independent investigation, seeing if those Moab police officers handled that case correctly. That's in Utah.
Back here in Florida, this is where police believe, or we're told, at least, by Brian Laundrie's parents that he came last week, last Tuesday to this nature preserve behind me. And it is so important to remember that we're in Florida. It's hot, it's muggy, it's humid, and it's also swampy. And within those swampy waters are alligators and snakes.
[10:35:01]
That's what our research crews here are having to deal with for now another day going into the weekend as those search efforts are supposed to resume this weekend. And in parts of this nature preserve, some 25,000 acres, the flood waters are up to the waist of people going and looking for him, concerned that he may have hurt himself, concerned from some that he might not be here. This may be a wild goose chase. So there are all these different elements when it involves this case. We do know that so many people are interested in what will happen from here. We'll keep you updated. Christi, Boris? PAUL: Nadia Romero, we appreciate it. Thank you so much.
So in the battle against the big lie, the results from the partisan Arizona audit confirms once again President Biden defeated Donald Trump in the 2020 election. The final report of their findings even adds votes to the final Biden tally, specifically in Maricopa County.
SANCHEZ: Yes, but as the Arizona audit ends, this is inspiring copycat tactics in other areas. Republicans in states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, along with states that Trump won, like Florida and Texas, they're now attempting to conduct bogus audits of their own. CNN's Natasha Chen joins us now live. Natasha, what can you tell us about results of the audit? It didn't really turn out the way that I think the former president expected.
NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Boris, the key thing you need to know from this final report is that Joe Biden did win Maricopa County, as we've known for almost a whole year. His supporters didn't really fixate on that part, though. This presentation yesterday of the final report lasted three hours, and the CEO of Cyber Ninjas, the group hired to do this audit that lasted five months, a group that had no experience auditing elections, here's the couple of minutes he spent talking about results of the actual hand count they did.
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DOUG LOGAN, CEO, CYBER NINJAS: We take a look at the presidential race, Trump actually loses 261 votes from official votes, Biden gains 99, and Jorgenson loses 204 votes. And again, these are all very small numbers when we're talking about 2.1 million ballots. These are very small discrepancies. So we can say that the ballots that were provided to us to count in the colosseum very accurately correlate with official campus numbers that came through.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHEN: The rest of the three hours were spent talking about potential issues that could affect up to tens of thousands of ballots without providing concrete evidence of that. And at the same time, election officials have been debunking a lot of the issues, including Maricopa County. Through their official Twitter account they were live tweeting fact checks, rebuttals, point by point, explaining to the public how election processes actually work.
The presentation also included recommendations for legislative improvements here to what they describe as tightening the election process, so in essence, really restricting voter access. Those are some of the recommendations they made in that final report of findings, that is from the Cyber Ninjas, Boris and Christi.
PAUL: OK, so this is what's interesting. Four counties in Texas have already started the process of conducting audits. President Trump won Texas. It's also happening in Florida, as Boris mentioned at the top of this. So people might be thinking is the assumption just they want to find fraud anywhere to think that they can prove that it happened despite whether he won or lost? Because it seems counterproductive. CHEN: Christi, I don't think anyone would dispute the fact that these
efforts are not going to change the results of the 2020 election. We know that Joe Biden won. What these efforts are doing is creating an unprecedented campaign here to politicize election administration and undermine confidence in the results, and that's what we're seeing even in places, like you said, where President Trump won.
So Texas that you mentioned, President Trump on Thursday sent a letter to Governor Abbott asking for an audit. Later on, we learned from Texas secretary of state's office announcing a full forensic audit of the 2020 general election in four of the state's largest counties. And by the way, two out of the four largest counties actually did go for Trump. And there is a bill being introduced in the Texas legislature right now calling for third party forensic audits. So this is happening, like you said, in other places, an attempt to just further the conspiracies and further the big lie. Christi, Boris?
SANCHEZ: Yes, Natasha, I think history will look back on this charade as a shameful chapter of American history.
[10:40:02]
Natasha Chen reporting from Arizona, thank you so much.
PAUL: Thank you, Natasha.
SANCHEZ: Coming up, four men with close ties to former President Trump have been called to testify before the January 6th committee next month. What information could they share with lawmakers, and what if they refuse to comply?
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PAUL: The House select committee investigating the January 6th insurrection has issued its first round of subpoenas.
[10:45:01]
Their targets, documents and testimony from at least four of former of President Trump's closest aides and advisers.
SANCHEZ: CNN's Marshall Cohen joins us now live. And Marshall, committee members say that criminal contempt is on the table for those who don't cooperate.
MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: That would be one of the most extreme options, but we're not there yet. Good morning, guys. This is a big deal. It is the first four subpoenas from the committee that is, of course, investigating the January 6th insurrection. And they went to some real big heavy hitters in the Trump world.
I will break it down for you here. First, there's Mark Meadows who was with President Trump on January 6th. That was chief of staff. There's Dan Scavino, who is sort of the brains behind Trump social media presence. We all know how big of a role social media played in fueling this insurrection. There is Steve Bannon, who was in touch with a lot of the other people
that were organizing this, quote, unquote, stop the steal movement. And then there's Kash Patel, probably the least well known of the four, but equally important. He was installed in the Pentagon in the final months of the Trump administration. People were afraid that he may have been part of an effort to use the military to keep Trump in power. So those are the four that got subpoenas this week. They have been asked to come in and give a deposition and provide documents to the committee.
Why, why these four men? Take a listen to what Congressman Adam Schiff, top Democrat on the committee, here's what he had to say about why these guys got the first subpoenas.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ADAM SCHIFF, (D-CA) HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: We're moving with great alacrity, and essentially no one is off the table. We're going to determine what went wrong in the lead up to January 6th. We're going to find out who was involved, who was knowledgeable, what roles they played in the planning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COHEN: Right, that's what they want. Whether they get it, that's a different question. These people, they may or may not cooperate. It could go to the courts. It could take a very long time. We'll have to just wait and watch, Boris and Christi.
SANCHEZ: Marshall Cohen, thank you so much. Stay with CNN. We'll be right back.
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SANCHEZ: So Delta Airlines says it's banned 1,600 people for bad behavior on its flights. The carrier also wants other airlines to share their no-fly lists.
PAUL: As complaints among flight attendants rise, the FAA is asking the airlines to come up with new plans to protect passengers and flight crews. Here is CNN's Pete Muntean.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ugly air rage out of control according to flight crews who say they are the target. This video is from a September 8th JetBlue flight. The airline says two people on board refused to wear masks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One warning. That's it. You gave me one -- warning.
MUNTEAN: It is an issue now too common for American Airlines flight attendant Teddy Andrews. He now expects problem passengers since he has already dealt with them.
TEDDY ANDREWS, AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT ATTENDANT: He said the "n" word, you can't tell me what to do. You and the government can't control me. It is a free country.
MUNTEAN: The story is just one told to lawmakers during Thursday's first ever hearing on unruly incidents that have been spiking during the pandemic. The Federal Aviation Administration says cases are still high, but it insists the rate has slowed since it put a zero tolerance policy in place earlier this year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is still too high. Unruly and illegal behavior should not be tolerated.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sit down now.
MUNTEAN: Flight crews have reported another 101 incidents in just the last week, bringing this year's total to 4,385 cases. More than 70 percent are over the federal transportation mask mandate.
SARA NELSON, ASSOCIATION OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS: Everyone is at a stress level 10.
MUNTEAN: Sara Nelson of the Association of Flight Attendants says the FAA's no tolerance policy must be made permanent since too many passengers are walking free, never facing prosecution or even fines.
NELSON: There needs to be criminal action right away because otherwise we're sending a message to these workers that they are on their own.
MUNTEAN: Flight attendants are also demanding that airports stop selling to go alcohol. They say too many passengers are illegally drinking booze they brought on board, further fueling the soaring number of problems in the air.
ANDREWS: You can't just get away with it. There has got to be some accountability for the behaviors that we're seeing.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
PAUL: Thanks to Pete Muntean there. I feel for them. I want to get back to traveling, but I see that, and I go I don't know.
SANCHEZ: Yes. It's nutty out there.
Thank you so much for watching today. There's still much more news ahead.
PAUL: Quick programming note for you. Join some of your favorite CNN anchors tonight as they highlight everyday people who are making the world a better place. Go make good memories.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Join your favorite CNN anchors for a special week.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Immigrants enrich our country, and they're proving it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sharing stories of change makers.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: This is one of the most devastating and yet preventable issues of our day.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: He helps the defenseless learn to defend themselves.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Theater teaches courage, confidence, trust.
[10:55:01]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She saw a need, and every day she sets out to fulfill that need.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He is using scuba diving for a better environment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is a trailblazing black woman.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Preserving the ocean for our children.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Empowering women for financial independence.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No one should drown because they don't know how to swim.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Small steps can lead to a big impact.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are hope can help kids in school and beyond.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He is a champion.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is a champion.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For change.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Change.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Change.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Change.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Champions for Change, tonight at 8:00 on CNN.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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