Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

World Leaders Strike Climate Crisis Deal After Compromise On Coal; Bannon To Turn Himself In, To Appear In Court On Monday; Rise In COVID-19 Cases Triggers Worries Of Winter Surge In Some States; Gas Prices Jump 51 Percent Over The Past Year; Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY) Discusses About Supporting President Biden's Infrastructure Bill Now Facing Backlash From Republican Party; Britney Spears Released From 13-Year-Long Conservatorship. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired November 13, 2021 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:43]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Two weeks, 200 countries and a new deal to fight climate change that includes cutting the global addiction to coal. The lack of details leaves its effectiveness and depth.

ALOK SHARMA, PRESIDENT, COP 26: Collectively, this is a package that really moves things forward for everyone.

STEVE BANNON, FORMER ADVISER TO DONALD TRUMP: All I can say is strap in. Tomorrow, it is game day.

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR U.S. JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Now indicted, Steve Bannon is expected to self-surrender on Monday, sending a message to Trump allies who are refusing to cooperate with the January 6th investigation.

REP. PETE AGUILAR (D-CA): He chose to defy a lawful subpoena, and anyone else should take note including Mr. Meadows.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Britney Spears in control of her own destiny for the first time in 13 years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's next for Britney is up to one person -- Britney.

ANNOUNCER: And lift off --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three NASA astronauts with a lot of experience in space now join a very exclusive club.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: I'm Pamela Brown in Washington. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM on this Saturday. Hours of bickering, bartering, and a last minute compromise on coal. World leaders have finally managed to hammer out an agreement at the United Nations Climate Summit. The stakes involved nothing short of the health of our planet. The

reception, less than enthusiastic among some.

Climate change activist Greta Thunberg tweeted, quote, "Here's a brief summary. Blah, blah, blah. But the real world continues outside these halls and we will never give up ever."

CNN's Phil Black has been watching the negotiations play out from the sidelines, Phil, what's in this deal? It really is remarkable that so many countries came together with this agreement. So, why isn't everyone happy?

BLACK: Yes, 200 countries, Pam, and that's perhaps why they're not happy. It has to be a consensus. So, two weeks of difficult, slow, intense negotiations has produced incremental progress, incremental but potentially significant.

The key points, there is science at the heart of this. For the first time, there is a really strong explanation about why the world should aim to limit average global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. And there is also an explanation of why the time is running out in order to achieve that; that we have to cut emissions by 45 percent by the end of this decade to have any chance of that.

And so with that in mind, there is also a clear instruction for countries to go away, rethink about their short-term emissions cuts, and come back next year so that there is still in theory, the chance of doing what the science says is necessary to get a handle on climate change.

This conference also made history. For the first time, there is a mention of the move -- of the necessity to move away from coal, which is pretty extraordinary. These things have been going for almost 30 years, coal has never been mentioned in the text before.

But there was a dramatic last minute twist because India and a couple of other countries teamed up to soften the language, suddenly phasing out coal became phasing down, and it produced a hugely emotional response in the room, great disappointment, particularly among the most vulnerable island countries.

And even the British President of this conference really couldn't hide his emotions in that moment. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHARMA: May I just say to all delegates, I apologize for the way this process has unfolded, and I am deeply sorry.

I also understand the deep disappointment, but I think as you have noted, it is also vital that we protect this package.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACK: So Pam, all parties will leave this conference disappointed, but the crucial point is that it keeps the process open, and that means that there is still hope that countries can act in the way that the science says is necessary to really get a handle on this in just the next few years ahead -- Pam.

BROWN: Phil Black, thank you so much for bringing us the latest.

Well, former President Donald Trump's inner circle is facing the strongest pressure yet to talk to the January 6th Select Committee. The first major stonewaller, Steve Bannon is set to turn himself in Monday after a Federal grand jury indicted him, Friday, and that announcement came just hours after former Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows defied the bipartisan Committee himself with a no show.

We'll talk about the possible legal fallout for Bannon, Meadows, and others with Preet Bharara in just a moment, but we begin with CNN's Evan Perez right here in Washington.

Evan, take us through the charges against Bannon.

PEREZ: Well, Pamela, he is Bannon -- Steve Bannon is now charged with two counts. One of them is for failing to appear for the deposition that this bipartisan Committee had subpoenaed him to appear for, and then secondly, for failing to turn over documents that the Committee has requested, and they -- this indictment lists about 17 categories, they said, of communications and documents that the Committee was specifically asking for, and that Bannon has refused to even show up for or even to respond. Apparently, since September, he's gone silent.

And so what this Committee is hoping is that by doing this, by having the Justice Department take this very rare step -- it hasn't been done since the Reagan administration -- they are hoping that it at least scares a few other members of the Trump inner circle to take the subpoena seriously, to show up to their depositions and to turn over what the Committee is asking for because so far, a lot of them have formed essentially a wall of silence.

BROWN: All right, Evan Perez, thanks so much for bringing us the latest on that front. Now, let's bring in CNN senior legal analyst, Preet Bharara. He is, of course, the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and the host of the "Stay Tuned with Preet" podcast.

Nice to see you, Preet. I want to start with Mr. Meadows. Should he be nervous?

PREET BHARARA, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: I think so. Look, these things don't happen very often. In fact, as many people have commented on in the last day, the last time someone was indicted by the Justice Department for criminal contempt of Congress was 38 years ago, and there are a lot of witnesses in play here.

There are a lot of people who have a lot of different kinds of information, documentary information, communications that could shed light on what happened on January 6th, and also their testimony. And I think that early in the process, it is pretty early in the process still, to bring a criminal indictment against someone who has been defiant of the subpoena should put a little bit of nervousness into the hearts and minds of some of these other witnesses, particularly the ones who are being completely defiant, not even giving enough respect to the Committee to come in to invoke with some specificity, the privilege that they want to invoke, engage in some kind of negotiation about parameters with the Committee.

Now, Steve Bannon, it looks like, that's also Mark Meadows. So yes, he should be a little bit nervous.

BROWN: Yes, and on that note, let me show our viewers another part of the Select Committee's response to Meadows no show, quote: "Mr. Meadows has failed to answer even the most basic questions, including whether he was using a private cell phone to communicate on January 6th, and where his text messages are from that day." What do you make of that?

BHARARA: Look, some of these folks are just taking the scorched earth position, that they can't be bothered and they have absolute immunity. Now, it may be that some of these folks, Mark Meadows and some others, particularly the lawyers, might be able to say, with respect to some questions and some issues, maybe there's a colorable argument about some kind of privilege.

But to just give the Committee the high hat and not, you know, answer questions about which there can be no, you know, effective privilege claim, like, what kinds of devices were you using? You know, when did you show up? Where were you at particular times? None of that is privileged. None of that is even necessarily a communication itself.

Questions about the mode of communication don't go to privilege. And so, I think he is bruising for a fight with that Committee.

BROWN: So what does this Bannon indictment mean for the power of this Committee and for Congress, essentially? Because that was one of the larger questions here, right? How much power does Congress still hold when it comes to enforcing these subpoenas? And I think that this sends a loud and clear message.

BHARARA: I think it does. I mean, remember one of the other options was for Congress to enforce the subpoena with its own inherent power. That hasn't been done in a very, very, very long time. They don't have procedures by which to do it. So they are in some ways reliant upon the Justice Department that made its own you know, hopefully independent decision to bring the case.

Now once they've done it one time, in connection with investigation, I do not think that every single person who was a little bit obstinate or obstructionist with the committee is going to get indicted by the American Justice Department.

[18:10:17]

BHARARA: But I do think it sends a sign further to your point that, no, they're not messing around and if you're defiant, and you have no proper basis, and you're just radio silent with respect to lawfully issued subpoenas by this very important Committee, investigating something very, very important, that goes to the heart of democracy, the Justice Department will plan to indict you, and then you may spend between one and 12 months in prison to think about changing your mind.

So, I think it's a very good thing for this Committee. It's a very good thing for transparency. It's a very good thing for the investigation.

BROWN: All right, Preet Bharara, always good to see you. I think last time you were on the show, you were on the back of a van or something.

BHARARA: I was.

BROWN: Yes, you were.

BHARARA: No, I am at home.

BROWN: And now you're at home. I was going to say, I can tell by the bookshelf in the back there. Thanks for joining us again, making some time out for us on this Saturday.

And be sure to stay with us, I'm going to speak to Alyssa Farah next hour about the January 6th investigation and the Bannon indictment. She was the former White House Communications Director under President Trump and she was the Press Secretary for former Vice President Mike Pence.

And this just in to CNN, the results of powerful thunderstorms thrashing the Northeast this afternoon. You can see the result on Long Island, New York where a tree slammed into a home there. A tornado warning was posted in that region, but no confirmation yet of any touchdowns. So far, no reports of injuries, but we'll stay on top of that story for you tonight.

And coming up, how long we can expect prices to spike and how to insulate yourself from inflation. We've got a financial planner weighing in.

Three states now making all adults eligible for booster shots even though Federal guidelines recommend them only for people most at risk.

And also coming up tonight --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's next for Britney is up to one person -- Britney.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: I'll talk to you "Framing Britney Spears" director Samantha Stark about the pop star's newfound freedom.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:16:26]

BROWN: It's getting cold outside and COVID is still coming in hot, but the state of the pandemic right now may vary depending on where you live. So, let's take a look at that, cases by region.

Remember the summer delta surge hit the south hard compared to other regions here in the U.S., and now, we're seeing an uptick in cases in parts of the country facing colder weather where more people may be heading indoors. That's mainly the Midwest and Northwest.

But here we're looking at case counts. The South still leads the rest of the country in the average number of people dying of COVID every day, by a lot. In fact, while the Northeast and Midwest are leading the way in new cases, those states are holding steady well below the South in terms of new daily deaths.

It's a testament to the impact of high vaccination rates. Forty states have more than half of their residents fully vaccinated. Five of them have more than 70 percent, but those states with less than half fully vaccinated are mainly clustered in yes, you guessed it, the South.

The good news, let's talk about that, is that more people are getting shots. More than a million new vaccinations on average now. The pace boosted by the more than 910,000 kids under the age of 12 now eligible for a Pfizer dose, according to the C.D.C.

And look at this, California, New Mexico, and Colorado are states now going a bit further than the C.D.C. and recommending an additional shot for all adults. All of this, as we wait to see if these stalling stats are a winter warning sign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JARED POLIS (D-CO): We wouldn't even be here talking about this if everybody was vaccinated.

If you're not vaccinated, you're going to get COVID. Maybe this week, maybe next month, maybe next year. And you know, one lucky person out there won't get it, but you're probably going to get it.

We don't want everybody to get it at once. If everybody gets it at once, we're in a lot of trouble because we can't serve everybody with COVID or heart attacks or strokes.

Our wave will not be as bad as the Southeast states because we have a higher vaccination rate, but if we had successfully found a way to get it even higher, we wouldn't be experiencing what we're experiencing today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: So we know you've got a lot of questions about what's happening with COVID right now. We do, too, so let's talk about it.

Andy Slavitt is the former Senior Adviser for COVID response to the Biden White House and author of "Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response." He joins me now. Great to see you, Andy.

ANDY SLAVITT, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER FOR COVID RESPONSE TO THE BIDEN WHITE HOUSE: Great to see you.

BROWN: So you heard there the Governor of Colorado warning that people who are not vaccinated will get COVID. Obviously, if the virus continues to circulate, the day when we can all put it behind us is getting pushed back even more.

Should people just be frustrated by this or is COVID season just part of life and people who are fully vaccinated shouldn't worry so much.

SLAVITT: Well, we have in delta, one of the most infectious respiratory diseases of all time. So, if you're not vaccinated, you do stand a pretty good risk of getting COVID. But there's good news, Pam, and the good news is that relative to last year, we have a large number of tools -- a large number of tools that allow us to live our lives in a relatively normal way, and those include obviously vaccines and masks, but also indoor ventilation. They include the coming antiviral pills. They include monoclonal antibodies.

[18:20:00]

SLAVITT: So, if we make effective use of these tools and if we're safe, we can have a relatively safe Holiday, but if we don't make use of those tools, those are people that are putting themselves at real risk.

BROWN: But if this virus is here to stay, what do you think, when it comes to one of those tools like masks? Are we going to always have to mask up therefore in close quarters with others, who may or may not be vaccinated? What does that mean for day-to-day life?

SLAVITT: Well, I don't think always. I think, you know, to the extent that you see outbreaks in communities, it will be wise to mask because it will slow the spread, but there will strictly be lots of times when we will not see outbreaks when cases will drop. And in those times, it's perfectly safe to use fewer of the tools.

So you know, in some ways, some of these things are minor inconveniences, and they're going to become a way of life in combination, and I think we need to learn to use them thoughtfully and in moments when we're at highest risk.

BROWN: So mask requirements are being lifted across the country. Is it the right time to lose the masks, then?

SLAVITT: Well, look, I think we have a country that has very regional politics, as you all know. And so in some level, no matter where you live, you just have to ask yourself the question, am I wearing a mask just to stay safe to prevent myself and others from getting COVID? Or am I doing it because the Governor wants me to or doesn't want me to? Do I want schools to be in session and kids to be reasonably safe? Do I want to be able to go to ball games and concerts?

And if you do, you'll take an array of precautions that you may not love, including wearing a mask, including better ventilated spaces. But you know, this allows us to be with family, it allows us to be with friends, go to sporting events, have kids attend school, and I think it is a pretty minor price to pay.

BROWN: I'm wondering because we just talked about how three states are now encouraging people to get that extra booster shot. They're sort of throwing out those other requirements that are out there right now from the C.D.C. and F.D.A. out the window.

Is it surprising to you or perhaps frustrating that the F.D.A. and C.D.C. aren't acting faster on that to get more people qualified to get their booster shots?

SLAVITT: Well, look, I think that the position that the C.D.C. is taking is the right public policy decision. But the decision that an individual makes has got to be a more personal one. So what the C.D.C. is effectively saying is, if you're 35, and you're relatively healthy, you may get -- you may have some waning immunity if you don't get a booster, but it's probably not going to be dangerous, and therefore, we're not going to go so far as to say every 35-year-old needs to get boosted.

But if you're a 35-year-old, and you want to feel safer and you want that extra protection, and you don't feel like even getting the sniffles or any of the smaller symptoms, then that would be the reason why you would take a booster if you're eligible for one.

So public policy has to kind of think for all of us in the big picture, but each of us individually still needs to make our own decisions about what will keep us safest.

BROWN: All right, Andy Slavitt, thank you so much. And I will ask Andy more questions and post them online right after this show, so be sure to check it out.

One state just tying the record for the highest gas prices ever, everything is more expensive. So how much will it hurt us in the pocketbook? I'll ask personal finance expert, Ted Jenkin, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:27:59]

BROWN: Gas prices have tied the old-time record in California. Today, the average price for a gallon on regular hit $4.67. That is $1.26 more than the national average, which means California drivers would pay almost $19.00 more to fill up a 15-gallon tank.

And it's not just rising gas prices. From coffee to bacon, new cars to firewood. If you or your family need it, chances are, it costs a lot more right now.

Over the past 12 months, consumer prices have risen over six percent. That is the biggest jump in nearly 30 years.

So let's talk about why everything costs more right now and how long prices are going to be sky high. Ted Jenkin joins us now. He is a personal finance expert and the CEO of Oxygen Financial. Great to see you, Ted.

So what is behind the spike in prices? And how much longer will it last? That's what we're all wondering right now.

TED JENKIN, CEO, OXYGEN FINANCIAL: Well, good evening, Pamela. And to me, this is about the classic case of the law of supply and demand. I mean, we've printed a lot of money. There is a lot of money that's in the system like we have never seen before.

And on the other side of this, a lot of products and goods. They're in short supply right now, and we've seen these supply chain issues, and that has really exacerbated the situation. So simply put, a lot of cash in the system, not enough products and goods to buy.

Now the question about whether or not this will stay here, yes, I think it will stay here in the short term. Why? Well, think about this, wages are rising right now and that cuts into corporate profits and corporations have an insatiable appetite for earnings.

And in turn, what they will do is continue to raise prices on Americans here in the short term. They are not going to lose money.

BROWN: We are seeing prices spike across the board, double digit increases from everything from food on the table to gas in your car.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN THOMPSON, DES MOINES RESIDENT: I price shop some, that's how I'm out here. You know, the Kaycee's that I was at was about 44 cents more per gallon than this one.

[18:30:14]

YURKEVICH: So what did you tap out at today?

THOMPSON: $46.87 and I wasn't out of gas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: So put it in the context for us, how bad is it right now? Can you hear me Ted?

JENKIN: Yes. Yes, I can. Yes, it's really bad right now. When you think about what's happening with prices at the grocery store, and you mentioned this, think about milk, and eggs, and cereal and what's happening with pet food, and what's happening with canned goods, they are skyrocketing right now.

If you went to Wal-Mart a month ago, a bag of Doritos was $2.50, now one month later, Pamela, it's $3.48. Now that may only seem like a dollar, but when you add 20 or 30 items into your grocery cart, this is why a lot of Americans are feeling sticker shock right now when they're checking out of the grocery store.

BROWN: And speaking of the grocery store, how much more is Thanksgiving going to cost us this year?

JENKIN: I think this could be the most expensive Thanksgiving that we've had in history. It's going to start front and center with your turkey, which is going to cost 20 or 30 or 40 percent more, this is due to corn prices and labor shortages. But pie, coffee, dinner rolls, even baking goods like vanilla extract are going to cost a lot of money.

And just a year ago, to feed a family of 10, it was only $47 for a Thanksgiving dinner in 2020. I think the price is going to be up in the range of 30 percent this year. And right around the corner, Christmas trees, they are going to be up 20 to 30 percent as well.

BROWN: Christmas trees, people are thinking about buying their Christmas gifts, holiday gifts, how is the rising inflation comparing to the paychecks workers are getting?

JENKIN: Well, I think on one hand, the good news here Pamela is that the average hourly wages or earnings is up 4.9 percent versus a year ago. That's a good thing. But on the other side, as you mentioned, inflation is up 6.2 percent. That just means a lot of families are sort of safely going backwards against inflation and I recommend if you're going to go for a wage increase, you're going to negotiate a raise this year, you better tell your boss at least 6.2 percent or you're basically safely going backwards against inflation.

BROWN: That's really important advice. So how do families protect themselves and their investments right now?

JENKIN: Well, look, a lot of people haven't invested when it's been double digit inflation or high inflation, but one thing you can do is go to a website called treasurydirect.gov and there's something actually called I bonds or inflation-protected bonds. And right now, believe it or not, the interest rate is 7.12 percent. That's not what you're getting in your bank account today.

And also during high inflation, you may look at things like real estate or looking at dividend paying stocks that have value, something like the grocery stores. These are all a good idea when you build a balanced and diversified portfolio.

BROWN: All right. Ted Jenkin, thanks for joining the show. We appreciate it.

JENKIN: All right. Thanks, Pamela.

BROWN: Well, the 13 Republicans who crossed party lines to vote for Biden's infrastructure bill are facing intense backlash among colleagues and strangers after their phone numbers leak out. I'll speak to one of the 13 Republican Congressman Tom Reed. He joins me up next.

And then later this hour, after 13 years, Britney Spears is free from her conservatorship that controlled everything, from finances to birth control. We're going to have that story just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:38:00]

BROWN: President Biden is expected to sign his infrastructure bill on Monday. A bill that got over the goal because, goal line we should say, because 13 House Republicans broke ranks to vote in favor of it. While Democrats applaud their bipartisanship, some in the GOP are calling their fellow Republicans traitors and some other words were required to bleep.

Joining me to talk about why he voted to support this bill, Congressman Tom Reed, a Republican from New York and a member of the Problem Solvers Caucus. Welcome, Congressman. Thanks for joining the show.

So fellow House Republican Fred Upton voted like you did for this bill and he shared a concerning voicemail that he got in response to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible) traitor. That's what you are. You're a (inaudible) piece of (inaudible) traitor. I hope you die. I hope everybody in your (inaudible) family dies. You (inaudible) piece of (inaudible) trash (inaudible). Voted for dumb (inaudible) Biden? You're stupider than he is. He can't even complete a (inaudible) sentence, you dumb mother (inaudible) traitor, piece of (inaudible), mother (inaudible), piece of trash. I hope you (inaudible) die. I hope your (inaudible) family dies. I hope everybody in your (inaudible) staff dies, you (inaudible) piece of (inaudible). Traitor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: That is just beyond vile. Have you been getting death threats like that?

REP. TOM REED (R-NY): We've obviously received similar calls of that nature and I will just tell you, I mean, the aggressiveness, the threats, the crossing the line is completely unacceptable. I understand people being angry, I understand people disagreeing with our vote. But when you start crossing the line into that type of rhetoric, it's not good for the country. It's not good for us as a nation.

And I will tell you, our foreign adversaries are watching us and they see this and they're cheering for our demise.

BROWN: You've been a part of other controversial votes though before, have you seen anything like this, the kinds of response and death threats that you've been getting after infrastructure vote?

[18:40:01]

REED: I have. Yes, I have. It's a sad state of the times. I mean, I actually had a dead rat left on the stoop found by my wife with a death of my son and daughter who are minors. And I'll just tell you, it was troublesome, and that's why our country need to do better than this.

We can have a conversation. We can have a disagreement, that's what the Problem Solvers Caucus is all about. Proud Republicans and Democrats convening in a form to respect each other and respectfully disagree, but find agreement because we need to unite as a country in order to overcome the obstacles that are coming.

BROWN: I'm sorry to hear your family went through that. That is just awful and unacceptable. What do you think is behind it? What would you pinpoint if you could, what is behind this kind of rhetoric and these kinds of threats?

REED: Obviously, we are polarized as a nation right now and there's two competing visions for how the country wants to go forward. You have the hard left and you have the hard right that is fanning the flames of this extremism on both sides of the aisle. You got, essentially, the more socialist agenda on the left and you got the libertarian type of wing of the Republican Party.

It's a vocal minority and I will tell you what gives me hope is the silent majority is awakening. That's what the Problem Solvers Caucus is all about.

BROWN: But to be clear ...

REED: Go ahead.

BROWN: ... I just want to be clear, because when it comes to threats and extremism, that is a false equivalent to say the far right and the far left, because you have people in your own party, you have Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeting out your number and the other Republicans who voted for this infrastructure bill. You have former President Trump, Congressman Matt Gaetz calling you and others a traitor. These are people in your own party, what is your response to that?

REED: I don't defend them and they should think about what they're doing and saying. But you have to remember also like the death threats to my family were driven by hard socialists. And we had the President of the United States on the left encouraging this type of behavior before also. You have Maxine Waters engaging in rhetoric.

It all has to stop. There's sin all the way around in regards to this and my humble opinion is, you see it through by standing up and calling it out for what it is, extremism.

BROWN: So you have your reasons for voting in favor of the infrastructure bill, but several of your Republican colleagues voted against this bill despite the fact that money from it would directly help positively impact their districts. Do you think the pressure for party over country right now is influencing votes in your party?

REED: I would agree with that in a sense of it is easy to vote no. You can always find a reason to vote no. It's hard to govern and vote yes, especially when you're going against your own party but you need that independent voice in Congress now more than ever. So I just encouraged my colleagues, especially many of them that wanted to vote for this legislation and we're very happy it is passed. There kind of the vote no, hope yes group. And I will just tell you, we need to have leadership stepping forward in Washington, D.C.

BROWN: Quickly, we were talking about the extremism and you have someone in the house, Paul Gosar tweeting out a video against AOC and Joe Biden. I mean, when you see something like that, what is your visceral reaction?

REED: I love the Institution of Congress and the House of Representatives and I just asked my colleagues, now on my side of the aisle is think about this. Think about the images you're portraying and think about what you're doing. I disagree with it and it is not acceptable in my humble opinion.

BROWN: Very quickly, I do want to ask you about this fiery tweet tonight from Liz Cheney toward Ted Cruz. Cruz said, "There is a lane for Cheney as a Democrat in 2024." Cheney responded, "I know you're posturing for the secessionist vote, Ted. But my party, the Republican Party, saved the Union. You swore an oath to the Constitution. Act like it." Your reaction to this?

REED: Obviously, we're going to have internal family debate and argument is apparently what is occurring there. But the bottom line is the Republican Party will be fine. We will unite in my humble opinion, but we have to go through our divisions just like the Democratic Party is going through theirs.

BROWN: All right. Congressman Tom Reed, thank you very much.

REED: Thank you so much, Pamela.

BROWN: Well, for the first time in 13 years, Britney Spears woke up a free woman after a judge ended her conservatorship. When we come back, I'll speak to Samantha Stark, the Director of Framing Britney Spears. The documentary released earlier this year that ramped up the free Britney movement. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:49:17]

BROWN: After years of fighting to free Britney, fans and the singer herself are rejoicing that the court order conservatorship over Britney Spears is over.

Fans of the singer celebrated outside the L.A. courthouse where a superior court judge ended the 13-year legal agreement that gave Spears father near complete control over her life.

On Twitter Britney said, "Good God I love my fans so much it's crazy. I think I'm going to cry the rest of the day. Best day ever."

So after all this time what's next for Britney Spears as a free woman? Samantha Stark is the Director of Framing Britney Spears. The Emmy nominated New York Times documentary that first brought Britney situation to light for so many people. Here's a clip. [18:50:07]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Spears, can you tell us what's going on? How's Britney doing?

LIZ DAY, THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTER: So around this time, Jamie, Britney's father files for a temporary conservatorship over Britney.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have the best for your daughter, sir.

DAY: Conservatorships are unique legal arrangement, usually designed for elderly people who are unable to take care of themselves or their money. The court gives someone else special powers to make decision for them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Samantha joins me now. Thanks for being here with us. What is your reaction to this ruling and what do you see next for Britney Spears?

SAMANTHA STARK, DIRECTOR, "FRAMING BRITNEY SPEARS": Well, I was outside the courthouse yesterday and as soon as the crowd got word that her conservatorship was over. There were glitter confetti cannons that were shot off, everyone was screaming and so excited. And I think we were expecting this to happen, but it has been a long time coming and so it was a big deal.

BROWN: So early on, many people dismiss the whole idea of free Britney, what do you think your documentary played and what role did it play in bringing Britney struggled to light and ultimately in a way bringing an end to this conservatorship after 13 years?

STARK: Yes. I mean, for so many years, this narrative had been presented to the public through the media that Britney wanted to be in this conservatorship and that it was helping her and that it was voluntary, it was something she wanted. And the fans who are trying to point out, how can this woman make millions of dollars for so many people and still be in the situation where she's not allowed to make very basic decisions for herself, they were considered conspiracy theorists.

And I think, through our reporting, we realized, these people have a good point and I think just not dismissing them and taking them seriously allowed us to really open up the doors to more reporting. We found confidential court documents that we reported on over the summer that showed Brittany had been advocating for herself for years, saying over and over again to the judge that she wanted the conservatorship to end, so it's definitely a very different story going on behind the scenes.

BROWN: Why do you think it took this long then?

STARK: It's a really good question. I think the Judge even yesterday, she called the conservatorship voluntary and it's really the rules of conservatorships are so opaque, it's hard to understand how can Brittany keep saying I want out of this and it's also considered voluntary.

And I think there's a possibility she signed something a long time ago saying that it was voluntary, but we're learning more and more about power dynamics, and coercion, and emotional manipulation. Was Britney actually consenting if she did sign something so long ago when she had already lost so much of her power?

BROWN: Britney's attorney says that a safety net will be put in place for the singer to help with her finances and personal care, so what kind of world is she going to be living in now?

STARK: I think it's a whole new world for Britney Spears. There was filed under seal there was a care plan that we're not sure what it is, but to try to transition her out of it. And there actually is John Zabel who has been in charge of her finances, put there by lawyer in this interim since her father was removed, still has power to try - I think, it's to try to figure out where her assets are to put them into a trust for her.

So it will still be ongoing looking into the financials who has benefited off of the conservatorship and so I think Britney's lawyers has indicated that investigating will still keep going on.

BROWN: All right. Samantha Stark, thank you so much for making time for us tonight.

STARK: Thank you.

BROWN: A federal grand jury added muscle to the House Select Committee subpoenas with Bannon's indictment. When we come back, I'll speak to former President Donald Trump's Communications Director Alyssa Farah about the investigation and what she thinks the indictment means for Mark Meadows who was a no show for his deposition.

Also, on this week's episode of This Is Life, Lisa Ling looks at a Cold War campaign to purge gay Americans from the government. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LISA LING, THIS IS LIFE WITH LISA LING HOST: Do you know how these investigations would be conducted?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of it was just based on pure allegation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Say, Charlie, got a minute?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your coworker would go to your boss and say, I heard my coworker went to a gay bar and so that other employee would be called in and told we have information indicating that you're a sexual deviant. So you have two options, you can either resign quietly and no one will ever know or you'll have to be terminated and this will be on your record forever. (END VIDEO CLIP)

[18:55:05]

BROWN: The all new episode of This Is life with Lisa Ling airs Sunday night at attend Eastern and Pacific right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:59:54]

BROWN: So many of us at CNN are raising money for homes for our troops with a celebrity auction on eBay.

[19:00:00]

So I'm in this awkward position of promoting a 30-minute Zoom call with yours truly.