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President Joe Biden Holds Press Conference On Climate Change And COP26; Biden: U.S. Will Honor Climate Goals Because We Must Breathe; Biden Says We Must Accelerate Progress On Climate; Biden Says He Can Convince Manchin To Vote for His Agenda. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired November 02, 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: And we want to be able to lead the world. Look, I mean it sincerely I think, presumptuous of me to say, tough for another leader.

But the fact that China is trying to assert, understandably, a new role in the world as a world leader, not showing up, come on.

The single most important thing that's gotten the attention of the world is climate. Everywhere. From Iceland to Australia to -- you know what I mean, it just is a gigantic issue and they walked away.

How do you do that and claim to be able to have any leadership now, the same with Putin and Russia. You know, his tundra is burning, literally the tundra is burning. He has serious, serious climate problems, and he is mum on willingness to do anything.

And so, I genuinely believe, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart, when I said at COP -- excuse me, at the G7 that America was back, you know, people wondered whether, well, is that really true?

Well, we're able to change the dynamic of a lot of things coming out of the G7. I think -- what I'm about to say sounds awfully self- serving. Two world leaders came up to me today and said thank you for your leadership. You're making a big difference here. You're moving people.

I think you and I talked about that, John, with one of the folks talking to us, and so I think the fact that America showed up, America showed up and decided to lead and lay out clearly what it wished to do.

For example, you know, as I said, the mere fact that we were able to, you know, go from seven or eight people or countries talking about or maybe as high as 14 -- I don't remember the original number -- to deal with the whole notion of methane, you know, now 100 nations have signed on, 100 nations. A 100 nations have signed on to reduce methane by 30 percent by 3030. That is -- and methane is 25 times more toxic to the environment than CO2.

So, we're making real progress on the deforesting issue. Look what we're doing. Look what we have been able to put together. And in addition to that, one of the things that I feel the best about -- and I don't claim any unique credit for it -- but I think that we've gotten for the first time a combination of in dealing with international problem and of that circumstance that affects all nations that we have not only gotten countries off the sideline in terms of making significant financial continues.

But literally, literally trillions of dollars' worth of the private sector jumping in knowing they've got to play, and they're going to play an incredibly positive part in dealing with these problems. It's real. It's genuine. And so, I just think that, you know, that old bad expression, proof of the pudding is in the eating. I feel confident we're going to get done what we have to do at home in order to deliver.

And lastly, you know, if you take a look at what economy is growing -- the United States. It's growing. It has problems. Mainly because of COVID and supply chain. But it's growing. We've created over 6 million jobs. We're leading the world in terms of the fastest growing economy, major economies.

So, I think, you know, we're going through a difficult time in the world because of COVID, because of supply chain consequences, because of the environment, and all that's occurred, the way it's, in fact, imploded in the near term.

But as I said to you earlier, and I really mean it, I think it presents a gigantic opportunity, an opportunity to in a sense, press the restart button and move in a direction that I think the vast majority of countries -- and look, I'm sure you interview other world leaders that are here, the vast majority think this is an opportunity.

They're not quite sure exactly what to do, exactly how to do it. Not that I have all the answers, I'm not implying that. But they know that. They know that growth rests in dealing with the economy in a way that affects the whole notion of what we're going to do about climate change. And it's a gigantic opportunity.

[15:35:00]

OK. I called on "The Wall Street Journal." Catherine, I got the wrong one. Sorry, let's try the real "Wall Street Journal."

CATHERINE LUCEY, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Thank you very much, we are the real "Wall Street Journal." Mr. President, you tweeted earlier asking Virginia and New Jersey residents to vote. Democrat Terry McAuliffe is struggling in a state that you won by ten points. Do you see his problems as a rebuke of your presidency, and could this signal your real losses for Democrats in the midterms?

BIDEN: We're going to win. I think we're going to win in Virginia. And you know, you're reporting it being close. The race is very close. It's about who shows up. Who turns out.

And granted, I did win by a large margin. But the point of the matter is that I think that this is going to be what we all knew from the beginning, it's going to be a tight race, and it is tight. And it's going to get down to turnout, and -- my guess is I'm going to be landing at 1:00 in the morning east coast time, that's probably about the time we'll be hearing what the final results are.

I think we're going to win New Jersey as well. But look, you know, the off year is always unpredictable, especially when we don't have a general election going on at the same time. That's been the case, up and down, you know, for a long time, especially as Virginia has turned more and more blue.

But having said that, I don't believe, and I've not seen any evidence that whether or not I am doing well or poorly, whether or not I've got my agenda passed or not, is going to have any real impact on winning and losing.

Even if we had passed my agenda, I wouldn't claim we won because Biden's agenda passed, so -- but I think it's a -- I think it's going to be very close. I think it's going to get down to, as you all know, turnout, and I think that based on what I have heard so far, it's awful hard for me to be prognosticating which I don't like doing a President anyway from overseas.

But I think I hope that every eligible voter in Virginia and New Jersey shows up and votes, and the more that do, the better off I think our chances are, and I think we're going to win. OK.

All right. NPR, Scott.

SCOTT DETROW, NPR: You mentioned climate activists before, and I want to ask something about them. You're touting agreements. Other world leaders have touted agreements but the atmosphere around the conference here is skeptical, and it's pretty angry.

Climate activists feel like decades and decades of COPs have led to broken promises and they fell like even if all of these goals are reached, that you're talking about the last few days, it's just not enough right now.

And I'm wondering what you would say to the people outside who are really angry at this conference, especially at this moment where Joe Manchin has expressed, you know, has created more doubt that your climate legislation will pass and you have a conservative Supreme Court about to take a look at whether your E.P.A. can regulate greenhouse gas emissions. What's your message to people outside who just worried this all isn't enough right now given the crisis?

BIDEN: Well, first of all, I think anyone who is focused on the environment should be worried. We've got a lot more to do beyond what we have done, but we've done more than we have ever done, that's the point. And more has to be done. And I didn't have a single member of this conference come up to me and say, are you going to pass what you have, and what do you think, how is that going to affect it, what are you going to do?

What they're looking at is what, in fact, has happened in terms of everything from dealing with deforestation to what we're going to do on Build Back Better, and how we've been able to focus now. I mean, when's the last time you heard world leaders sit down together

and agree that what they're going to do is when they deal with the needs of the infrastructure of other countries that they're going to focus first and foremost on whether or not what the climate impact is on that.

So, I think, look, this is a -- there's a reason for people to be worried. I'm worried. I'm worried if we don't continue to move forward and make the kind of progress, we're now making that it's going to, I mean, we've thrown into jeopardy, the prospect that we're going to be able to keep the temperature from rising above 1.5 degrees Celsius.

[15:40:00]

But 'm optimistic because I think there's a -- how can I say it, I guess maybe the best way to say it to you, Scott, is what I feel is that the populations of each of our countries have a different perspective than they did at COP25. I think there is, I mean, not because of necessarily any of the leaders of any of our countries, including mine, that all of a sudden people are seeing these things happening they never thought would happen.

You're seeing people drown in their basements in Queens, New York, because of flooding and rain. They're seeing that, you know, more territory burned down in the United States just since the first of the year than makes up the entire land mass of the state of New Jersey. They've seen hurricane with winds of 178 miles an hour.

I mean, so they're looking at these things. They're seeing more the waters warming, they're seeing a whole range of things occurring around the world that haven't happened, and it's sort of like, whoa, whoa.

Because I don't get what I used to get when I started -- there's no reason why anyone would remember this, but back when a fine Republican, a guy named Dick Luger was from the state of Indiana, and he and I were either the chairman or ranking members of the Foreign Relations Committee.

This was over 20 years ago. We ended up proposing --and it worked -- but it got no enthusiasm, a thing for debt for nature swaps. People looked at us like what the hell are you doing, why are you forgiving the debt so Brazil won't, you know, burn down more of the forest, why are you doing that, so they will do --

Now everybody goes, whoa, what else can you do, what else can you do? So, I think there's a whole different attitude that's out there. And I think this is being led, and I'm not being solicitous here. I think this is being led by, you know, my granddaughters and their friends, that generation. I think they're out there going, whoa. And they're having a profound impact. Having a profound impact on their parents and grandparents, about what's happening.

And then all of these climatic and climactic things have happened that people are now paying attention like they never did before. So, you know, there's a lot more to do, and it's going to determine

whether or not we are going to be able to fund what we're talking about. But, for example, even if the funding didn't come from some of the governments.

You have the private sector now engaged where they're talking about investing, literally, the need to invest over trillions of dollars off the sidelines. It's bankers that are now deciding they got to -- I talked a long time ago with you all about that you have major corporate America pricing in the price of carbon.

It matters. So, things are changing. We just have to have the right stewardship and enough sense as world leaders to get it right. So, thank you all so very much. Appreciate it.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: OK, we've been listening there to President Biden wrapping up his Glasgow visit there about climate change globally, and what he thinks they accomplished and what more needs to be done.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: Yes.

CAMEROTA: That was the last press conference that he'll be having, and as he said, he's headed back now and he'll be arriving at 1:00 a.m. back here in Washington

BLACKWELL: And of course, he was asked about the elections, and Virginia and New Jersey, and of course his domestic agenda which is still in flux let's say as Senator Joe Manchin says he needs a lot more to get his vote of support.

CAMEROTA: OK, joining us now, we have CNN chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins, CNN chief climate correspondent Bill Weir, CNN chief congressional correspondent with his newest reporting, Manu Raju, and CNN White House correspondent, John Harwood.

Great to have all of you. Bill Weir, I want to start with you on climate. What was accomplished, what happened over these days globally?

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Well, America showed up. Unfortunately, in sort of contrast to the Woody Allen quote that 80 percent of success is showing up, that is not true when it comes to these conferences.

We're on the 26th one. If showing up actually worked, we wouldn't need 26 of these. It sort of as to use Greta Thunberg's metaphor that our global house is on fire, America showed up and plenty of other world leaders joined them in throwing a couple of buckets of water on the fire, and it's better than nothing, but it's a far shot from putting it out.

As we've all been talking about, the absence of China and Russia speaks volumes. Brazil as well. But this deforestation initiative today, huge, if they mean what they say.

[15:45:00]

Nobody expected to see Vladimir Putin's face in the video or President Bolsonaro of Brazil saying that they are going to, you know, stop cutting down both the Amazon and huge forests across Siberia and other parts of Russia. If they mean it, that's so great. That means a lot.

The methane pledge in terms of capturing all of that leaking natural gas that's, you know, there's enough of it flowing out of the Permian Basin in Texas to heat the 7 million homes. It just makes good business to capture that, and also, you know, keep from cooking the planet at the same time. That's great. These are good starts.

But I was just struck by the questions about inflation, about, you know, the cost of your Thanksgiving meal or your toys that were made in China for Christmas, all of the leaders here are dealing with those pressures in the moment at the same time. And unfortunately, those concerns of today are eating, you know, the livable futures of tomorrow.

BLACKWELL: Kaitlan, the question that stood out to me was when the president was asked, you know, what are you going to do to convince the Republicans and even some Democrats back home to spend the money necessary to make good on these promises. And the president's answers essentially were because we want to breathe, and we want to continue to lead. It's going it take more than that, will it not?

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and he was asked specifically about Senator Manchin and given what he said yesterday when he held that press conference making clear, you know, that he wasn't completely throwing his support behind this bill that has these hundreds of billions of dollars for climate change in it yet, not because of that part specifically but still, of course, his support is critical to actually get that passed.

But the president there sounded confident that in the end, Senator Manchin will be on board with this bill, which the White House describes as calling it Build Back Better. Of course, it is this social safety net expansion bill that also fights climate change, has a lot of different provisions in it, and he says he thinks at the end of the day, that Senator Manchin will vote for that bill.

Now he did not say why he thinks that. Of course, they are two people who have talked at length throughout these negotiations. We did learn today that White House senior staff, the president's top aides have been in touch with Senator Manchin since he gave that press conference. The president himself though has not specifically spoken to him.

Of course, that is likely something that's likely going to happen when the president leaves this press conference, gets on Air Force One and goes back to Washington. Because Democrats are counting on President Biden getting Senator Manchin on board with this. And that's what you heard from progressives, when they said they were sticking with the plan and moving ahead with it. So that from the president was also notable, saying that he does believe Senator Manchin is there. Another thing the president said about the race coming up of course in

just a few hours with voters, they have been going to the polls all day long, casting early votes, the Virginia governor's race. The president says he is confident that Terry McAuliffe is going to pull it off. And he is going to win. And of course, we've seen the polls how close it's been. We've heard from Democrats, a lot of moderates saying they believe if they had gotten that infrastructure bill passed, it would have helped boost McAuliffe in the race and maybe encourage Democrats to come out.

The president said he did not think that was the case. He said he did not think it would make a difference if they had gotten his agenda passed whether or not Democrats would be successful and not only this race in Virginia, and also of course the governor's race in New Jersey as well. Though he predicted they'll likely be getting results in the Virginia race when Air Force One lands in Washington at 1:00 a.m. We'll see if that's the case.

But it is notable how confident the president was. Because he did not essentially argue as much a few weeks ago saying that he didn't think this would be a referendum on him. Today he does say he is confident Terry McAuliffe will win.

CAMEROTA: Manu, let's go to you with the president's confidence in terms of Senator Manchin getting on board. President Biden sounded more confident than Senator Manchin did about that yesterday, as a matter of fact. So, tell us, if you know, where Manchin is right now, and then also your new reporting on what the process is happening on Capitol Hill.

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, Biden is saying what he has told Democrats on Capitol Hill, that Joe Manchin ultimately will be there. He has confidence that he'll be there. But in talking to Joe Manchin, and talking to people who have spoken to Joe Manchin, he is not there yet. He still has serious concerns.

In fact, with the process, he told me earlier today that it's going to quote, take a while for him to get there. He has concerns about a whole wide range of issues, one of which is to expand Medicare to include hearing coverage. He told me that's not the way to go given the solvency concerns of that entitlement program.

But that of course is a red line for Bernie Sanders who wants to expand Medicare as do a lot of liberals. Now regardless of Manchin's concerns, Democratic leaders are pushing ahead. Chuck Schumer, the Majority Leader just announced that he plans to put that larger $1.75 trillion bill Joe Biden's Build Back Better Bill on the Senate floor the week of November 15th.

Now, that is much quicker than Joe Manchin wants to go, so what will Manchin ultimately do? That's going to be a big question.

But first needs to get out of the House. Nancy Pelosi is working behind the scenes to try to resolve the lingering disputes within the Democratic caucus and trying to actually build text finalized by the end of today where they could begin the formal process. [15:50:00]

The House Rules Committee could consider it as soon as tomorrow and then it could be on the House floor maybe Thursday, maybe Friday. And try to push it out there.

Now it's not that easy. Because as she can only afford to lose three votes and the moderates in the House who are squeamish about the expanse of this proposal. And they're not quite there yet.

So, it's uncertain how that will play. But there are some issues that they have resolved, one of which is on the issue of drug pricing allowing Medicare to negotiate prices.

Democrats have been behind the scenes squabbling about this issue for months. Kyrsten Sinema has resisted what a lot of liberals wanted. But the liberals and Kyrsten Sinema and the House have signed off on a deal to allow Medicare to negotiate a handful of drugs including cancer drugs, arthritis drugs, insulin, capping that at $35.

And that appears to be now likely to get into the Democratic proposal. But still the question is, can they get the votes, can they get that out of the House and then will Joe Manchin be there at the end of the day?

And this comes, too, guys, as the separate infrastructure bill, $1.2 trillion, they plan to put that on the House floor at the same time as the larger bill.

At the moment that seems likely to get passed because progressives say they'll vote for both bills. And essentially assuring that Joe Biden will likely get one legislative victory. The question is, can he get a second much bigger bill?

BLACKWELL: Yes, John, let's go to the president's confidence that, as he said quote, Joe will be there, speaking of Senator Manchin. If the fine details that he's expecting will be in that bill. He did not expect, based on the framework that was released last week, progress on a potential deal for negotiating prescription drug prices.

So just reconcile if you would what we heard from the president on his degree of confidence in Joe Manchin being there and what Joe Manchin has said himself about what he's expecting from this bill.

JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Victor, I think the White House and Democratic leaders have both regarded Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona as the bigger problem on prescription drug pricing, and she put out a statement this afternoon saying she's for it. Not worried about Manchin on that score.

I think a more challenging issue for Democrats with Joe Manchin is the Medicare provision for hearing coverage that has been placed in the bill. Bernie Sanders wants more than that. That's likely not going to happen. But Manchin has been resisting the hearing coverage itself.

I think one of the things he's going to wait and see is the score from the Congressional Budget Office. Other Senators are going to wait and see that, too.

But Democrats have spent so much time talking to Joe Manchin, they were confident behind the scenes that the framework they released was -- they were not going to put that out there unless they were highly confident Joe Manchin was going to be there.

Manchin has been in the last 24 hours to say, I'm not going to be pressured into doing this. Nobody is going to blackmail me by withholding the infrastructure bill for my support on the reconciliation bill. But I think they do believe he's going to be there and you saw that confidence reflected from President Biden today.

CAMEROTA: Bill Weir, I think in the few minutes that we have left here in our program we should circle back and just tell us in terms of the climate crisis, what happens now? Who polices these promises that have been made to make sure that they actually take root?

WEIR: Well, each country ultimately is responsible for just keeping up to their commitments. As my dad used to say, the test of a man is what he does when he thinks nobody is watching.

And, of course, we have satellite technology now. So, you can see what's happening in the Amazon. You can see what's happening in parts of Russia and so -- but ultimately there is no, you know, sort of criminal courts, international criminal courts of the climate.

And if there were, you know, the United States would probably be dragged there kicking and screaming just given the historic nature of this. So that's the rub.

You now, we have to take these leaders at their word. You can understand then if you put yourself in the shoes of, say, the president of Palau, the Pacific Island nation who said today, you might as well bomb us at this point because the indignity of dying slowly due to your excesses, we can't take it anymore.

And so, no, there is no ultimate, you know, overseer. There's no umpire on this. It's the hope that enough of humanity wakes up to the fact that we're running out of planet and that we can no longer think of our little blue marble as an endless bounty of resources but more like a life raft with a certain amount of rations and how we use those rations going forward will literally depend -- determine, you know, life as we know it.

The planet will be fine. Everyone says save the planet. The planet has been spinning for 4 billion years through fire and ice. It's us, it's the people who have built on coastlines and near deserts or in wildfire areas. So that is the hope. And you can't be too cynical in situations like this.

[15:55:00]

There's a lot of anger in the streets because, again, this is the 26th one of these and the temperature just keeps going up. So, you have to hold just enough hope at the same time. You can't be too hopeful that you're gullible and just go on blindly as life as usual, but you can't spin into cynicism too much either.

And so, the Queen who welcomed everybody here to the U.K. said humanity has shown through history they can do great things and it starts with people coming together.

So that's what you hope for. If you look back at Paris in 2015, it wasn't until the last day ultimately that they came together on an historic agreement. There's still almost two weeks to go here.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

CAMEROTA: It's always sobering to talk to Bill Weir but somehow hopeful, he maintains hope which I always really appreciate.

BLACKWELL: Brings it home.

Bill Weir, Manu Raju, Kaitlan Collins. John Harwood, thank you.

CAMEROTA: And CNN's Wolf Blitzer picks up our special coverage live from Scotland after this quick break.

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