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Democrats Divided with Future of Biden's Agenda Unclear; Thursday Deadline to Pass Funding to Keep U.S. Government Running; Social Democrats Claim Narrow Win Over Merkel's Party; Gabby Petito Honored in Sunday Memorial Service; Pfizer to Submit Vaccine Data to FDA for Children Ages 5-11; UK Suspends Competition Laws on Fuel Companies; Hurricane Sam a Category 4 Storm Packing Powerful Winds. Aired 4-4:30a ET
Aired September 27, 2021 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:00]
ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR: A very warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and right around the world. I'm Isa Soares in London. And ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The urgency is important.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Speaker has said she'll get the votes. We're going to have a big week for the country and is going to be bipartisan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: A big week it had for the U.S. president's legislative push. The Democratic divisions and partisan opposition could hurt his top spending priority.
Germany's Social Democratic Party narrowly wins against Angela Merkel's conservative block.
And the U.S. reclaims a major golf title handing Europe a big loss.
Hello, everyone. Happy Monday. It is a crucial week for U.S. President Joe Biden's agenda. And he's facing divisions in his own party on top of opposition from the Republicans. Let's look at his to do list because it is rather daunting. Lawmakers need to agree on funding by Thursday to keep its government running. Republicans oppose the move by Democrats to tie that funding to suspending the debt limit. And the fate of bipartisan infrastructure bill is unclear amid Democratic in fighting over the massive economic measure.
While President Biden has been talking with lawmakers over the weekend and the push will continue throughout the week. Our Arlette Saenz reports for you now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Biden acknowledged negotiations over his sweeping economic agenda may take the better part of the week. He is hoping to get those two packages across the finish line. President Biden spoke to reporters as he returns to the White House from Camp David on Sunday and he expressed optimism that these negotiations will be fruitful. Take a listen.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm optimistic about this week. It's going to take the better part of the week, I think.
SAENZ: Now House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had initially promised to hold a vote on bipartisan infrastructure bill on Monday. But on Sunday Democrats said that that vote likely would not happen. The House Speaker said that she would not bring a bill up for a vote if the votes were not there. And progressives are still saying that they will not vote for that package unless there's agreement on the larger $3.5 trillion spending bill which moderates have said they will not support in that size and scope.
So, the president has a long road ahead as he is trying to bring these negotiations together. Last week the president hosted lawmakers here at the White House so we will see whether he decides to do that in the coming days as his domestic agenda is really entering crunch time in one of the most critical stretches of his presidency this coming week.
Arlette Saenz, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Well, the progressives pushed to remake their country social safety net threatens the bill to fund badly needed improvements to roads and bridges among other things of course. The vote on the infrastructure measure is set for Thursday but for now Speaker Pelosi doesn't have the votes to pass it. Take a listen.
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REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA) U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: Let me just say we're going to pass the bill this week. I promised that we would bring the bill to the floor. That was accords to the language that those who wanted this brought to the floor tomorrow wrote into the rule. We will bring to the floor tomorrow for consideration.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-WA): I don't believe there will be a vote.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: You don't think there will be a vote tomorrow?
JAYAPAL: I mean, the Speaker is an incredibly good vote counter and she knows exactly where her caucus stands. And we've been really clear on that.
TAPPER: The votes aren't there? She's not going to --
JAYAPAL: The votes aren't there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, despite the infighting, some Democrats accusing the infrastructure measure will win out as the political maneuvering tied to the massive economic bill.
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REP. JOSH GOTTHEIMER (D-NJ): I don't believe any Democrat or a small fraction of Democrats is going to come for a vote on infrastructure on 2 million jobs a year for hard-working men and women of labor and to make sure to fight climate change and vote against it. It's a key part of president's agenda. I just don't buy at the end of the day that folks will vote against it.
REP. STEVEN HORSFORD (D-NV): This is about what's important to the American people. American family, American worker, American small businesses and this is what Democrats do, we deliver for the American people. And I am confident in our leadership and in our members in doing the right thing to deliver for our constituents.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And as if the week on Capitol Hill wasn't busy enough, lawmakers need to approve funding by Thursday to keep the government running. Republicans in the Senate are bound to block a Democratic move to tie the government funding to a suspension of the debt limit. Here's what Senators from both sides of the aisle told CNN's Jake Tapper.
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SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ): This debt ceiling raise is all about money Donald Trump spent to give the biggest tax cuts that I've seen in my lifetime to the wealthiest of wealthy, corporations and billionaires. Under Donald Trump there were certain rules that now they don't want to do the same thing here. It is bad for the economy. It is bad during this time we're struggling with the pandemic. These are the kinds of things that should be pro forma and then let's focus on the bigger issues before us.
REP. PAT TOOMEY (R-PA): Millions of investors across America know that no such climate is going to occur. What's going to happen is after Republicans vote no, Chuck Schumer is going to do what he could have done months ago, what he could've done weeks ago, what he could do tomorrow. And that is he will amend the budget resolution so that Democrats can pass the debt ceiling all by themselves. And that's what should happen.
And here's why, Jake. They are in the midst of an absolutely unprecedented very damaging spending spree on a scale that we have never seen. And they want us to come along and authorize the borrowing to help pay for it when we are totally opposed to what they're doing. They don't need a single Republican vote. Republicans can't stop it. It's not subject to the filibuster.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Well, here's what really could happen if there's a government shutdown. Some national parks will close. There will be fewer airport security screenings. An interruption to public health services, and then of course then an impact on benefit checks to veterans, as well as retirees.
Well, in Europe Germany's left leaning Social Democrats have scored a narrow victory over conservative block of outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel. Preliminary official results show the FPD claims the most seats in Germany's federal parliament. But Mrs. Merkel will remain in office for now and will likely be some time before we know who will succeed her. A new governing coalition will need to be formed. A process that in fact could take weeks even months.
We have team coverage of what the selection means for Germany as well as Europe more broadly. CNN's Anna Stewart is here in London monitoring the market reaction. But I want to go to Frederik Pleitgen in Berlin. And Fred, you said we have two men, Scholz and Laschet both really claiming in their own way they've won. But I suspect the kingmakers here, Fred, will be the Liberals and the Greens. So, what can we expect coalition wise here?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I think you're right, Isa. I think that the Greens and Liberals certainly are going to be the king makers. In which way they go is going to be the way that essentially the coalition is going to be formed.
Look, it looks as though right now after the results that you were just talking about with the Social Democrats in first place, that Olaf Scholz, the social Democrat, seems to be in the best position to try and form a government. In fact, he came out just a couple of minutes ago in the SPD headquarters and he there said that he believed that the voters had clearly spoken. There are three parties in Germany that have managed to increase the amount of votes. That is the SPD, the Liberals and of course the Green party as well.
He believes that is a clear mandate for those three parties to then form a coalition obviously with himself at the helm. But you're also absolutely right to point out that the CDU obviously doesn't see it that way. They face disastrous losses in this election. There's no way to sugar coat it. However, they are still coming out and saying that they believe that they could be able to form a coalition.
Of course, in Germany it really doesn't matter who gets the most votes as long as they can form a coalition that has the majority in parliament. And then whoever is the head of that coalition would then become the chancellor.
It seems as though, Isa, and looking at this early this morning, as though a coalition with Armin Laschet from the Conservatives at the helm is becoming increasingly unlikely. And then you mentioned the fact that it was a very narrow victory that Olaf Scholz has had. He's about 1.6 percentage points ahead of Armin Laschet. That still is a bigger margin than what Angela Merkel had the first time she was made Chancellor in 2005, opposed to Gerhard Schroder.
So clearly right now we see the Social Democrats in the driver seat. The Social Democrats saying they are going start to try to form a coalition as fast as possible. But certainly, all of it depends on the Greens and on the Liberals, whether they're willing to follow suit. So, that's going to be very, very interesting to see after what was one of the most exciting elections that we've certainly seen in the last two decades -- Isa.
SOARES: Indeed, stay with us, Fred. I want to bring in Anna Stewart. And Anna, of course, as Fred was saying, you know, these coalitions if it were to last are quite a while. What are markets making of this? Of course, as you know, they don't like the uncertainty. But do they like what they see?
ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: Yes, interesting. On day one, Isa, European markets are higher. You can see all the major indices in Europe are higher. But actually, it's Germany that is leading the way. It was up over a percent. It's fallen back just a smidge. No surprise here. And actually, speaking to analysts going into this election, the biggest risk was the left party was having some sort of role in a future coalition. That risk is clearly off the table. But as Fred was saying there, a grand coalition is unlikely.
[04:10:00]
We're looking likely at a three-way coalition with both the SDP and Liberal Party and the Green Party as kingmakers. And that has some really interesting implications for businesses because many of their policies pull in different directions. You've got some very interesting sector specific policies like the Green Party wanting to ban combustion engines by 2030 a decade before Volkswagen says it would be ready to be 100 percent electric. Big implications there.
Or the SDP saying which have said, for instance, they would like to privatize railways. Looking at markets today, everything is higher. There's really no one sector that is standing out. And I think that's because we are looking at compromise. This is day one as you say coalition talks continue for weeks, possibly months. And I'm sure there will be moments of uncertainty that investors will not like.
Indeed. Anna Stewart for us in London, Fred Pleitgen in Berlin, thank you.
Still to come here on CNN NEWSROOM. Family and friends in the U.S. honored the life of 22-year-old Gabby Petito on Sunday. As the search for her fiancee continues.
Plus, we will hear from the former FDA commissioner on when he thinks the Delta variant surge will likely die down.
Both of those stories after a very short break. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM.
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[04:15:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was a beautiful, beautiful soul. You could see it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why do you think all of this is happening?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was a beautiful soul. She was a beautiful person.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
That was Gabby Petito's aunt remembering her niece, as family and friends gathered on Sunday in a memorial service to celebrate her life. Just over a week ago Gabby's remains were found in a national forest in Wyoming. Her heart broken father spoke.
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JOSEPH PETITO, GABBY PETITO'S FATHER: Gabby is the most amazing person I've ever met. So, if you're going to leave here today, I'm asking that you guys be inspired by the way she treated people, all people. Love knows no gender. Love knows no bounds. She didn't care. She genuinely loved people. It didn't matter so when you leave here today, be inspired by what she brought.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, meanwhile, police and the FBI are still searching for Gabby Petito's fiancee Brian Laundrie. We have more from Florida.
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NADIA ROMERO, CNN U.S. CORRESPONDENT: There are still so many unanswered questions here in Florida. On Sunday we saw two FBI agents go to the door step of the Laundrie family home, pick up something, and put it away in a paper bag. Much like what we saw them doing with evidence during their second search warrant. And that has been the most activity on this street.
Not far from here is the Carlton Reserve. And the Laundrie parents told investigators that their son Brian was going there. And that was the last time they heard or saw of him since last Tuesday. And there was supposed to be a resumed effort at that reserve to try to find him. 25,000 acres, swampy with alligators and snakes. That was supposed to happen throughout the weekend here in Florida.
Over in New York on Sunday, a memorial service for Gabby Petito. Her friends, and family, and really people who didn't know her lined up long before the memorial started to pay their final respects. It was live streamed. We heard from Gabby Petito's mother for the first time in almost two weeks.
She posted on Facebook saying: As I scroll through all of the posts my heart is full of love. I wish I could reach out and hug each and every one of you. Your support has been so overwhelming and we are so full of gratitude.
And Gabby Petito's family has said that they believe that Brian Laundrie has the answers to their questions.
Nadia Romero, CNN, North Port, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Well, U.S. transportation investigators are expected to give an update on the deadly train derailment in Montana in the coming hours. Federal authorities are trying to figure out what caused eight cars of the Amtrak to derail on Saturday killing three people and hospitalizing seven others. Montana's governor calls it a heartbreaking event and said all passengers on board the train had been accounted for. Amtrak also released a statement of condolence on behalf of its CEO.
Now community spread of COVID-19 is still high across much of the United States despite a decrease in new COVID cases and hospital numbers. And the former FDA chief predicts the current surge of the coronavirus is likely to worsen across parts of the country and then die down by Thanksgiving. Take a listen.
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DR. SCOTT GOTTLIEB, FORMER FDA COMMISSIONER: The reality is everyone in the country, or most people are going to end up with immunity from coronavirus. Some people are going to choose to acquire it through vaccination. Some people are unfortunately going to acquire their immunity through no choice by getting infected. This Delta infection isn't going to spare many people because it's so contagious. So, people who choose to go unvaccinated, they're going to be very vulnerable to getting infected through the Delta wave.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well meantime, Pfizer is ready to ask the FDA to authorize use of its COVID vaccine in children 5 to 11. Pfizer CEO says the company will be submitting data within days not weeks. The FDA will then review the data. And if they authorize it, vaccine advisors at the CDC will decide whether it should be recommended for young children.
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ALBERT BOURIA, PFIZER CEO: If they approve it, we will be ready with our manufacturing to provide this new formulation of the vaccine because the vaccine that the kids will receive, which is 5 to 11, it is a different formulation. It is almost -- not always, it's 1/3 of the dose that we are giving to the rest of the population.
(END VIDEO CLIP) Pfizer CEO there. Well, as more Americans get vaccinated, the country will move closer of course to herd immunity. But according to the CDC, only a little more than 55 percent of the total U.S. population is fully vaccinated right now. Even as some Americans refuse to get vaccinated, others are moving on boost the doses. And CDC director Rochelle Walensky broke with her own advisors and recommended boosters for Americans who live and work in high-risk sectors. Take a listen.
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DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, DIRECTOR, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: Where there was some real scientific discussion and the scientific close call was for those people who were at high risk of living -- by virtue of where they live or where they work. And because of that close call and because of all the evidence we reviewed, both at the FDA and that the CDC, I felt it was appropriate for those people to also be eligible for boosters.
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SOARES: I'm going to bring you here to the U.K. A shortage of truck drivers driving a fuel prices in the U.K. because you can't get fuel delivered without someone to drive the fuel truck. To solve the problem the U.K. has suspended its competition laws on fuel companies and it's issuing temporary visas for foreign truck drivers. Nina dos Santos joins me now from here in London to explain. And Nina, this is of course a supply issue. How is the government hoping to solve this in the short term at least?
NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're coming up with a few measures as you pointed out there, suspending the competition rules so different fuel companies can figure out where the latest supply crunch is and divert fuel supplies towards petrol stations like this one in Central London. Which has been bone dry throughout the course of the weekend. The last time they got a delivery was Saturday. Normally one whole tank of fuel will last about three days, the petrol station manager was saying. But it ran out in half a day the moment they got it.
And that's the situation we're seeing up and down the country. Where trade associations groups saying -- who represent independent fuel, like this one. Saying that between 50 and 80 percent of them are either completely out of stock or have a shortage of certain grades of fuel.
Now all of this, despite the fact that the country says that there is no national shortage of fuel, rather as you were saying before, a shortage of experienced drivers who are qualified to bring fuel to (INAUDIBLE) ports this and disport it. So, the government is trying to tackle that labor supply issue as well as the supply issue. When it comes to the labor supply issue, this is a country that is facing a short fall of potentially up to 120,000 heavy goods vehicle delivery drivers, experienced and licensed to get goods up and down the country. That is a situation that is not abating itself. It's exacerbated by
the coronavirus, yes, but also by tougher immigration rules brought in after Brexit. So, the government is trying to repeal temporarily some of those visa restrictions in the hope of enticing 4,000 EU truck drivers over here as soon as possible to get them on the roads.
They're also trying to consider putting the army as well in some of these trucks to move fuel about the country. There's a bit of skepticism as to whether or not that will work though. Because as I was pointing out, this is delivering fuel, highly flammable material, to areas like this in the city is skilled work and it's not yet clear whether the army will have enough people to be able to do that.
Either way, industry bodies say that all of these are stop-gap measures. They need to come up with something more concrete and fast with 2,000 people leaving the HTV sector in terms of delivery drivers every week and only 1,000 people actually signing up. So, they need to come up with something longer term to better the conditions for HTV drivers to try and make sure that this situation is abated as soon as possible, not replicated next year -- Isa.
SOARES: Indeed, Nina dos Santos for us. Thanks very much, Nina.
Now a category 4 hurricane is churning in the Atlantic. Hurricane Sam is packing winds of 145 miles per hour. So could it make landfall in the United States. CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri has the latest on the storm's track -- Pedram.
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, good morning, Isa. We've got at least three systems across the Atlantic that have potential over the next five days to become named tropical systems. But you notice, category four hurricane Sam sitting in place 145 mile per hour sustained winds. This is a major hurricane. It's very organized. But it's very compact. So, the hurricane force winds only extend 30 miles from the center. Tropical storm force winds only extend about 90 miles from the center.
The good news with this storm system, and not often can I stand up here and tell you any good news of a category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic. But the good news at this point for the medium term, forecast does keeps it away from any land. Could be possibly as early say Friday into Saturday where all eyes are going to be on Bermuda. But again, quite a ways out. Could see some vast changes with this forecast and its guidance over the next several days. But if you're tuned in or have interest across Bermuda, it's something to keep an eye at least over the next several days.
Across the United States, big time warmth returning over a large area of the Eastern U.S. Temperatures compared to Sunday climbing up some 5 to 10 degrees. Indianapolis into the upper 80s after the middle 70s. While in Pittsburgh, from the 70s we shoot up to the 80s. In St. Louis, from the middle 80s climbing up to the lower 90s. Notice the warm states, like the Northeastern U.S., the Northwestern U.S., these areas are cooling off rather sharply and get kind of a hint of autumn.
Temperatures dropping back down into the middle 60s across the area of say New York City going in towards this weekend.
[04:25:00]
The West, they need the cooler temperatures, they need the rainfall and they get both of them at least around the Northwest. Going into the next few days here, showers possible into the Pacific Northwest. Could see some decent amounts, maybe 2 to 3 inches in and around areas just west of Seattle and then temperatures here, how about 60 to 59 degrees. As cool as you'll expect at this time of year as autumn certainly has arrived around the Pacific Northwest -- Isa.
Thank you very much, Pedram. Now these images coming to you of a volcano erupting in the Canary Island. Officials warn that the volcano in La Palma is getting even more dangerous. And the experts predict lava explosions could last another three months. Hundreds of homes and businesses have been destroyed since the volcano first erupted. Nearly 7,000 people have already been evacuated. So far, no injuries or deaths have been reported.
Still to come, the threat of deportation still exists for Haitian migrants. Ahead, a look at the ongoing controversy sending desperate people back to a nation in turmoil.
Plus, U.S. officials are set to testify on the withdrawal from Afghanistan. As the Taliban returns to familiar ways. We'll have the latest restrictions effecting men and their barbers when we return.
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SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. U.S. President Joe Biden is optimistic his $1 trillion package bill to improve the nation's roads, bridges and transit systems will pass on Capitol Hill. That is despite some major in fighting within his own party. Progressives want the bill to a $3.5 trillion package which would fund really key part of Biden's economic agenda.
