Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

House Will Vote on Federal Gun Safety Legislation; Discussion with Governor of Rhode Island About Gun Legislation Laws Passed in the State; How People Are Curbing Energy Costs; WHO To Possibly Make Monkey Pox International Health Emergency. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired June 24, 2022 - 09:30   ET

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

[09:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: In just hours, House lawmakers will vote on the first major piece of Federal gun safety legislation in decades. It's a bipartisan gun deal passed in the Senate yesterday. It includes funding for mental health, school safety, at least partially would close what's known as the "Boyfriend Loophole" if someone has a history of beating up their partner, would have trouble getting access to a gun.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN HOST: It also expands background checks for people between 18 and 21 years old. It incentivizes states to invest in red flag laws or crisis intervention programs, but this all comes on the same day that the Supreme Court issued a landmark decision, significantly rolling back the ability to regulate guns in America. Lauren Fox joins us now on Capitol Hill. So Lauren, you have great, fascinating reporting this morning of the unique combination of Senators, Republican Senators, Democrats, how they came together to get this done. So I encourage everyone to read your reporting. Talk about that but also how soon this actually end up on the president's desk.

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Things are moving very quickly on the Hill this morning. We expect in the next several hours, the House of Representatives will be on a path to pass this legislation and send it to the president's desk in short order. But like you said, last night's historic vote in the Senate was significant, in part because lawmakers had to convince 15 Republicans to get onboard. And a huge reason that many of the lead negotiators that I talked to, pointed to as the reason for their success was the fact that Mitch McConnell got behind this effort early. That he encouraged his two leading negotiators both John Cornyn and Tom Tillis to stay in the game, and he had a political reason as well for wanting to support this.

On a call last night with reporters, he told us that it's no secret that Republicans have lost ground in the suburbs. He argued that while they are very popular in small town America and rural America, he is hoping that this effort coming at a time that he thought it was important to pass this effort was going to potentially help them take back the Senate in the mid-terms. I thought that was interesting given the fact that there are 15 Republicans who voted for this legislation, which means there are more than 30 Republicans in the Senate who did not, which means a majority of his conference didn't pass this bill. But clearly the fact that leadership got behind this effort early really helped, also the unique personalities involved in hashing out this deal behind closed doors, I'm told, had a lot to do with getting it across the finish line. Jim and Poppy.

SCIUTTO: Lauren Fox, on the Hill. Thanks so much.

Well, the Supreme Court ruling striking down a New York gun law is expected to prompt court challenges to gun safety laws in states across the country. One of those states Rhode Island, where Governor Dan McKee just signed a handful of new laws on Tuesday including measures placing limits on large capacity magazines, raising the legal age to purchase firearms to 21, also bans open carry of loaded rifles and shotguns in public places. Governor Dan McKee of Rhode Island joins me now. Governor, thanks for taking the time this morning.

GOV. DAN MCKEE (D-RI): Well, thank you Jim.

SCIUTTO: You passed these laws, just recently after a lot of effort. You see the Supreme Court ruling yesterday, in effect, expanding their interpretation of the 2nd Amendment. Does that decision potentially invalidate Rhode Island's gun laws?

MCKEE: We're having our attorney general look at it. We believe that we're -- we're OK and -- and it's interesting that the Senate at the same time as the Supreme Court sending different messages. So, in Rhode Island, we know that we responded to the -- the circumstances we're living in right now, and we know that too many people have died by gun violence, and too many families have been torn apart. So, yes, we believe that we're in good standing, but it is troubling to see the Supreme Court, you know, create a -- a --a reach into our state rights that we believe that we have the right to keep our, you know, families safe.

SCIUTTO: Now conservatives on this court in other decisions will often say, differ to the states and that, at least in -- in the leaked draft opinion for instance, relating to abortion rights. There -- there is language in there about letting this go back to the states in effect. But on other issues like this, do you see the court intervening in your state's ability, for instance, to address issues of gun violence?

MCKEE: Well I do and, you know, one of the things we know is that children and adolescents deaths, guns play a role at -- at the largest level. That's -- that's the biggest cause of deaths for our young kids and that's what we responded to with "Moms Demand Action" and others. We had Shannon Watts at our signing. Yes, we want to be able to make those decisions locally to respond in a way where we're taking action to save lives.

[09:35:09]

SCIUTTO: Alito in his decision on guns yesterday wrote, that our holding decides nothing about who may lawfully possess a firearm, or the requirements that must be met to buy a gun nor does it decide anything about the kinds of weapons that people may possess. In effect saying, this -- this does not relate to every gun regulation like those that Rhode Island just passed, but I wonder do you and your attorney general believe those lines? And -- and are you protectively preparing for court challenges?

MCKEE: We will protect the right for our legislation. I mean, our speaker, our senate president came together, similar to what happened in the Senate yesterday on the Federal level but on the state level. And we -- we intend to make sure that we're doing everything we can to keep the people in the state of Rhode Island, and if we need to defend that in court, we're -- we're prepared to do that.

SCIUTTO: The -- the -- the legislation that passed Congress, at times during the negotiations, they were discussing things including raising the age from 18 to 21 for -- for firearms, did not do it. At the end of the day, you have funding to basically encourage mental health care, crisis management, expand some background checks for younger buyers, incentivize the states to establish red flag laws. But basically, has money there to -- that states can use if they decide to, to pass red flag laws, when you look at that bill. How big a difference do you think these measures make on a national scale? Do they help your state or -- or are you disappointed by the final product?

MCKEE: No. I think that everything that can reduce risk is what we should be doing, and we -- I signed a red flag law in Rhode Island last year. Intend to continue to work on assault weapons, you know, to ban those in our state as our bordering states in Massachusetts and Connecticut. But there's not just one thing Jim that's going to address that, and I think that that's one of the hollow arguments that are being made by people who are saying, well what you're doing in Rhode Island's not going to solve the problem. Of course, it's not, but it does reduce the risk. Mental health issues, we know, reduce the risk -- risk, maybe that's the common bound we find between the two sides of this argument. That we can, you know, make sure that we regulate the way that the guns are sold and they're owned. As well as bringing in the mental health aspect into the -- into the mix.

SCIUTTO: But do you -- when we speak to mental health experts, and they will tell us that it's a very small percentage of gun crimes committed by people with diagnosable mental illness, perhaps 5 percent that -- that -- that seems to be the focus of this new legislation. It is often all you hear from Republican lawmakers when it comes to gun issues. Is that issue over emphasized in terms of response to gun violence in this country?

MCKEE: As I said, I think that we ought to reduce our risk everywhere we can. So every time we see -- take a step to do that and I think that the U.S. Senate has done that. We have Senator Reed, Senator Whitehouse working on our behalf in our state of Rhode Island. I think that what you need to do, it's a -- it's an action that's done by one piece at a time and that's what Rhode Island did when it -- when I signed the bills that the general assembly passed. We're reducing risks Jim, and that's -- that's what we need to do in every -- every way that we can, and so mental health is one of those things, 5 percent is 5 percent. Those families are impacted dramatically by gun violence. So everywhere we can identify a way to reduce the risk we should be doing it, and the Supreme Court, you know, we're concerned, every disappointed that they would maybe -- that they're taking a role right now in avoiding the possibilities of reducing risk where we need to reduce risk.

SCIUTTO: Governor Dan McKee of Rhode Island. Thanks so much for joining us today.

MCKEE: Thank you Jim.

HARLOW: Still ahead, Americans you likely are seeing the impact of inflation on your energy bill every month, rising energy costs translating to much more expensive utilities. We're going to tell you about the lengths some people are going to try to curb those costs.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:40:10]

SCIUTTO: Gas prices not the only thing on the rise this summer. Many Americans are already being hit with rapidly rising electric bills due to soaring energy costs around the world.

HARLOW: Right, and this means very difficult choices for most families in America. What do you pay for? The groceries, the rent, or staying cool and safe during extreme heat, our Gabe Cohen reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LISA AYERS, WAITRESS: And then here, it goes up to $200.

GABE COHEN, CNN REPORTER: $200 to power this little house in Manchester, New Hampshire. With each surging bill, Lisa Ayers nest egg dwindles.

AYERS: Now it's a matter will I have enough money for rent.

COHEN: Most Americans have seen rising utility bills, as the war in Ukraine and increase demand drive price hikes on natural gas, and it's about to get worse.

AYERS: It's going to be a long summer.

COHEN: The price of electricity is expected to surge yet again this summer. Nearly 5 percent nationally and more than 16 percent in New England, which relies more heavily on natural gas for power. In New Hampshire, energy companies plan to double the price of electricity, upping the average bill from $135 to $206.

AYERS: That's crazy.

COHEN: Lisa works as waitress and just picked up a second job making deliveries to keep up with these costs.

AYERS: Because I want to make sure that I can get the bills paid and keep my head above water, because I know if the electric and gas bills double, there's no way I can afford to stay in the city.

[09:45:10]

COHEN: I survey in March found half of Americans were already worried about affording utilities. Close to 20 million households are in debt, owing power companies more than $23 billion as of April, roughly double the pre-pandemic debt. What's been going through your mind?

JAAFR MUHAMMAD, UNEMPLOYED RESIDENT: Wow, here we go again.

COHEN: Jaafr Muhammad is unemployed. His wife is a teacher near Boston. They now owe their power company nearly $3,000.

MUHAMMAD: I don't see it going down unless something miraculously happens. It's not paid, they'll possibly terminate it.

COHEN: Shut you off.

MUHAMMAD: Yes.

COHEN: Shutoffs have surged since 2020, well before the war in Ukraine. A more urgent threat to lower income families, particularly in black and brown communities where they often pay more for power with homes that are older and poorly insulated. Now scorching heat waves are pounding parts of the country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to jack up their energy bills.

JAQUI PATTERSON, CHISHOLM LEGACY PROJECT: I think of the people who are going to have to make choice between paying their electricity bill, paying for food, paying for medicine or healthcare.

CHARLIE, NCLC: And so we're going to see a surge in terminations (inaudible) when people need more electricity for their air conditioners. They're going to be losing power.

COHEN: On these 100-degree days in Atlanta, Harriet Feggins shuts her blackout curtains --

HARRIET FEGGINS, RESIDENT OF ATLANTA: Keeps the sun out, the heat out.

COHEN: Uses Christmas lights in the bathroom.

FEGGINS: They don't use a lot of energy.

COHEN: And cuts power to most of her apartment.

FEGGINS: Washing machine and dryer off. The rooms upstairs are off but the living room on.

COHEN: All to keep her home cool and her power bill low.

FEGGINS: It's messed up, you got to do it like that but it's cost efficient.

COHEN: She's on disability and struggling to pay these rising bills. She just got a shutoff notice over $65 she owes the power company.

FEGGINS: I started crying. It really hurt my feelings because -- it's not even $100.

COHEN: She says she has until July 1st to pay or she and her daughters could lose power for the third time this year.

FEGGINS: It was like, well, you know, well momma we got our health and our strength and we're here. So we -- we make do, you know. The cold showers really help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: Now there are resources for families. Congress has more than doubled funding for the low-income home energy assistance program or LIHEAP and the agency that oversees it tells me this year, they're expected to help more families than ever before. But as of last year, LIHEAP only reached around 17 percent of eligible households, and Jim, Poppy, with this brutal inflation more and more families are now seeking out that help.

SCIUTTO: To hear her say the cold showers help. Right? What people need -- are forced to do in the face of this, Gabe Cohen thanks so much. Still ahead, a New York vaccination clinic closes within two hours because of overwhelming demand, not though for corona virus vaccines. The latest reality on monkey pox as it could soon be labeled a global emergency.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:50:09]

HARLOW: So we are waiting to hear if the World Health Organization will recommend elevating monkey pox to make it technically a public health emergency of international concern. No non incidents of the virus spreading to people without symptoms at the time, but CDC officials are still, of course, investigating it.

SCIUTTO: Now let's be clear, the numbers are still low. They're currently 173 confirmed or suspected cases of monkey pox in the entire U.S. at this point. CNN Health Reporter Jacqueline Howard has been covering this. Jacqueline, I'm curious, because we first started reporting this weeks ago. It's 173 cases at this point. Are -- are public health officials saying, you know, we're less concerned about this than we were at the beginning? Or is it moving in a -- in a more worrisome direction?

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: Well, the risk to the general public Jim is still very low. CDC officials said that just yesterday in a meeting, but as you mentioned we are seeing a rise in cases. But here in the United States, we have the tools to control this. We have been testing for the virus. Testing was recently expanded to five commercial labs. We also have a vaccine for monkey pox and in New York City at the Chelsea Sexual Health Clinic, they had a vaccination clinic for gay and bisexual men just yesterday. And as we see here, people lined up for the vaccine and there was so much demand, they had to close walk-in appointments and they have scheduled appointments through Monday.

So we do have the tools to control this, and cases right now if we can bring back that map. There are about 173 cases across the country, 23 in New York specifically and we have been tracking this. So again, the risk to the public is still low, but on a global scale, there is that discussion of whether this does constitute a public health emergency of international concern. And the WHO's Emergency Committee met to discuss this yesterday, here's what the WHO said about that meeting, quote, "The Emergency Committee will advise the WHO director general on whether the event constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. If so, it will propose temporary recommendations on how to better prevent and reduce the spread of the disease and manage the global public health response."

And Jim and Poppy, we should hear from the committee, we should hear about their decision as early as today. So, of course, all eyes are on this to see what they decide.

[09:55:10] SCIUTTO: Yes.

HARLOW: Jacqueline Howard, thanks so much for that reporting. Still ahead another big decision day for the Supreme Court. Right now there are some crowds gathering outside of the court. We'll know which decisions these are in just a few moments. Just stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Top of the hour. Good morning, everyone. I'm Poppy Harlow.

SCIUTTO: And I'm Jim Sciutto, we are closely monitoring the Supreme Court where the justices are set to release new opinions any moment now. One of them could impact abortion access across this country.

[10:00:10]