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Agreement Reached On $1.7T Spending Bill; Blizzard Continues, Freezing Rain, Frigid Temps Hit Parts Of U.S.; U.S. Flight Cancelations, Delays Pile Up Amid Winter Storm; Zelenskyy Gives Impassioned Speech To Joint Meeting Of Congress; Afghan Visa Program Included In Government Funding Bill. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired December 22, 2022 - 10:00   ET

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

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[10:00:43]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour now, I'm Jim Sciutto. Lots of news to keep track of this morning. Lots of developments. Right now, temperatures plummeting, as a powerful arctic blast tightens its grip across the country. We're talking blizzard warnings, life threatening cold and travel delays sadly for millions as what is being described as a once in a generation winter storm hits the country. Nearly every U.S. state is being affected.

Here's Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. ANDY BESHEAR (D), KENTUCKY: This is going to be really dangerous. This is really, really cold. You need to stay inside and hunker down. We have time to position assets across the state to be ready to respond.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Also this morning, Russia is reacting after Ukraine's President Zelenskyy made his historic visit to Washington Wednesday addressing the Congress. What the Kremlin is now warning following U.S. and Ukraine's remarkable show of unity.

But first breaking news. And this just in, we've learned that Senate negotiators have reached a deal on the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill to keep the government running well into next year. CNN Chief Congressional Correspondent Manu Raju joins me now. Manu, you know, we thought we were there the last night. There were some more hiccups as always seems to happen with the Senate.

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

SCIUTTO: But it does look like this is getting through?

RAJU: Yes. This is -- there's a deal now for votes, which means that is on track for passage later today. There are going to be 17 amendment votes and they're going to move to final passage of this bill. Now why this is significant is that it requires a real consent of all 100 senators to reach an agreement to have an actual vote in the Senate. That is the rules or the rules of the Senate.

They do have that agreement from all 100 senators after some back and forth and a lot of negotiations over this massive bill, that is already almost three months later. Remember, they have to fund the government by September 30. They could not get a deal by then. They punted it to December 16. They could not get a deal by that.

And then they planted the new deadline that this Friday to avoid a government shutdown. And they didn't unveil the legislative tax until Tuesday morning at 1:20 a.m. And since then, there has been a furious push by the leadership on both sides of the aisle in the Senate to get this done. Now this bill would fund all federal agencies, the Defense Department, Agriculture Department, the EPA, and includes all -- includes $45 billion in aid to Ukraine, something that President Zelenskyy came up here to Capitol Hill and push for last night.

And also has key policy measures, including an overhaul of the 1887 Electoral Count Act. That is the legislation, the law that governs how Congress can count the presidential votes, something that Donald Trump tried to exploit on January 6, 2001, something that now he would not be able to do or any future president may able to do under this legislation by trying to get the Vice President to disregard the electoral results.

That is one aspect of this larger, massive bill. But now that they have this agreement, expect this to move through the process today. Final vote in the Senate today. And then on to the House, potential House passes tonight into tomorrow as Congress wraps up its session for the year and Republicans in the House are prepared to take power next year. Jim?

SCIUTTO: Yes, a lot of pieces in there and the Electoral Count Act Reform by itself significant given the events of January 6, 2021.

Manu Raju on the Hill thanks so much.

RAJU: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: All right, now back to a story impacting, well, majority of the country now -- dangerous arctic blast. Our team is covering severe weather across the nation this morning. We begin with CNN's Lucy Kafanov in Denver. Lucy, if I have to tell you, I was feeling for you and your team when we spoke last hour as the temperatures plunged there. Boy, it looks cold.

LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it hasn't gotten warmer, Jim, it's only going to get worse. And I love these live shots when we basically go against the advice of all experts and do what you're not supposed to do in these kinds of temperatures which is stand outside for a prolonged period of time.

The reason you're not supposed to do that here in Denver, this is the coldest day now in 32 years, it's roughly negative 11 degrees outside that windshield making it feel like minus 24. It's not going to warm up until Friday. Folks are being urged to stay indoors. This has been described as a once in a generation storm, a dangerous cold front which came on so quickly last night, Jim.

[10:05:00]

I mean, you and I were talking in the afternoon, we saw highs of nearly 50 degrees, it was warm. By evening, the temperatures plummeted in by 24 degrees in as little as seven minutes. I mean, that is a massive drop for anyone outside. You're definitely feeling the pain.

You know, Denver, at the moment, and Colorado itself is dealing with two crises. We have this bitter arctic front that's come in. But we're also like many other states in the country dealing with an influx of migrants coming in. And so Denver is actually, since early December, seen about 1,300 migrants arrived from the southern border, many from South and Central America.

Organizations here have been desperate to try to find shelter for these folks, especially in these bitter temperatures. Denver's Mayor speaking out about this twin crises yesterday. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR MICHAEL B. HANCOCK (D), DENVER: So it's not just Denver. As the storm arctic blast goes across the nation, cities like Chicago and New York and Minneapolis, who are also seen migrants, a surge of migrants are saying the same thing. Not are we worried about people being outdoors during this time, but we are at a breaking point in terms of resources and ability to accommodate people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAFANOV: And again, there are shelters opened up. The Denver Coliseum is being used as a 24-hour warming center, but folks are definitely being urged not to stand outside. Stay inside. Be careful with this unprecedented cold. Jim?

SCIUTTO: Listen to that advice. We're hearing a lot of cities this morning. Lucy Kafanov, thanks so much.

All right, CNN's Pete Muntean, he's at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport where, listen, I'd prefer not to be on a day like today as we're seeing these cancelations. But airlines saw this coming. I mean, I wonder how bad do we think the disruptions are going to be?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: We think this is going to be doozy here, Jim. The good news is that airlines knew this was coming and they've been trying to warn passengers and reroute flights, change resources, make everything as smooth as possible because they knew that this was coming right for some major hubs.

Just check FlightAware, we're talking 1,466 flight cancelations in the U.S. We've seen that go up by a few 100 just since the start of the morning. The issue here is that this storm is coming for some really major hubs. Chicago O'Hare here is number one on the cancelations list. About one in four every flights here has been canceled.

But think about this. This is a huge hub for American Airlines. It's the biggest hub for United Airlines. Behind the scenes at United Airlines, at their network operation center, they're scrambling to move passengers to other connecting airports trying to scramble to save some of those trips.

Earlier in the week, the airline wrote passengers warning them they may want to leave early. And we've been talking to passengers, I want you to listen out of them. Some of them actually did take that advice before it starts snowing in earnest here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE, CHICAGO TRAVELER: Leave like extra time, you know, because there's so much -- the lines are huge. So, you know, leave a lot of time.

ANGELA, CHICAGO TRAVELER: Be patient, plan ahead. They're doing the best they can. Honestly, so far so good for us. We came early enough to hopefully make it and hopefully our plane will take off today before and we'll get out and get to Orlando, see our family, so.

MUNTEAN: Did you change your plans at all?

ANGELA: We pushed our flight up a little bit and we left the house at least an hour earlier than usual.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MUNTEAN: United Airlines says things should be back to normal here by Saturday. The issue is not so much the snow that has yet to come here, but the biting cold, the high forecast. Temperature here tomorrow, Jim, 2 degrees Fahrenheit that makes it really hard for those ground crews to load bags, marshal airplanes and do the work that needs to be done. Just to get the airplane off the ground. That is the difficult part here, Jim.

SCIUTTO: I guess it was nice to hear that travelers say they're doing their best, right, because it's hard, it's hard to swallow all this stuff when you're running into those roadblocks. All right, so what can passengers do? Your flights canceled, say, when it comes to flight waivers to make the most out of the situation and hopefully get to wherever they're going before Christmas.

MUNTEAN: There are two really big tips here, Jim. You know, airlines have published these travel waivers including more airports than are not included in this. And so, if you can reschedule your flight, if your flight touches one of these hubs like Chicago O'Hare, and it's -- it is on the travel waiver for most of those airlines, you should just try and rebook for a nonstop flight that makes it so you don't get snagged in these cancelations or delays at a major hub.

Also, oftentimes airlines are overselling these flights. So, if they ask you to volunteer to get up, some of the travel experts say, driver pretty hard bargain to get $500,000 even to get off the plane and get on to a different flight if you're stuck in the airport. And the big tip really, download the airline's app. That's how you get the up-to- date information up to the minute on cancelations and delays and try and find a new flight if it does happen to you.

[10:10:01]

SCIUTTO: Yes, it is no fun to get those cancelation texts. Pete Muntean, thanks so much.

All right, with so many flight delays, cancelations, people are bound to take to the roads even more than they normally do this time of year. Late last night, more than 100 vehicles in South Dakota were stranded on the interstate, after blowing snow and low visibility made it impossible to drive. Thankfully, everyone impacted is safe, they're accounted for.

So now at local warming centers, Paula Twidale joins me now. She is the Senior Vice President of AAA Travel. All right, Paula, so listen, folks, are going to be driving this year, right? I mean, tens of millions of people, they're going to be driving, what kind of conditions should they look out for as they're making that decision? I mean, like a point where it's like, this is not a good idea?

PAULA TWIDALE, SENIOR VP, AAA TRAVEL: They should be looking out for everything, right, plan ahead, and that's what we always say. So you should be looking at the weather forecast, checking radar in the area that you're in, the route that you're taking, where you're going, some of the common sense things that you would think but really have to plan ahead.

And make sure your vehicle if you are going is equipped, check your battery, check your emissions, check your tires. Make sure if the roads are not, you know, dry that you're not using cruise control, that you're abiding by speed limit, even going lower if you have to, and really equip your vehicle with extra things, you know, water, snacks, blankets, coats, flares, emergency kits.

Be prepared for anything, do it in advance. And leave a lot of time, ahead of time before you leave. A lot of its judgment, you need to look about the path you're going in and make good judgment calls.

SCIUTTO: All right, that's the most important thing, right, because you don't want to get into a situation like we saw in South Dakota. But let's say that, unfortunately, you go out, the weather changes, you're caught out there, what's the safety advice for passengers caught in a dangerous situation like that?

TWIDALE: We'll try -- hopefully you're in a safe spot or try to move over to the side or off the road a bit so that you're not in a passageway. Stay in your vehicle. If you're running your car's engine, make sure you're doing that intermittently. And again, having the right supplies. Hopefully, you've brought in an extra battery charger for your phone so you can keep contact.

You don't want to be getting out and stop walking anywhere, unless it's very close to something that you can -- it's tangible. So a lot of it's common sense. And planning ahead can help alleviate some of these things. And, of course, we have Emergency Roadside Service, which are going to be very busy. And we just have to be patient.

With a lot of people on the roads, you know, the 102 million people will be driving over this holiday from the 23rd which is tomorrow all the way to January 2, and all different days, we'll be busy. So we really have to have --

SCIUTTO: Yes.

TWIDALE: -- some common sense here and take those precautions ahead of time.

SCIUTTO: Absolutely.

TWIDALE: Very similar to air travel that you just described.

SCIUTTO: Yes, but much better to make the decision in advance than to find yourself in that situation.

TWIDALE: Yes.

SCIUTTO: Paula Twidale, thanks so much.

TWIDALE: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Still to come, we are awaiting a much-anticipated release of the January 6 Committee's full and final reports can happen sometime today. What that report could reveal about the attack on the Capitol?

And next, standing united in the face of Vladimir Putin. More on President Biden's face to face promise to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. And his historic speech showing Ukraine's strength in the face of tyranny.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Ukraine holds its lines and will never surrender.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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[10:17:59]

SCIUTTO: Overnight, a remarkable show of unity on Capitol Hill. A largely bipartisan response. As you see, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy handing Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris a Ukrainian flag. If you look closely there, you'll notice that there's the signatures of those from soldiers in the battlefield in Ukraine.

Zelenskyy's mission on this visit and to speak to Congress to make the case to the American public directly, also lawmakers about the need for sustained a military and financial to Ukraine.

Joining me now to discuss Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire. She's a senior member on the Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committee. Senator, good to have you on this morning. Thanks for taking the time.

SEN. JEANNE SHAHEEN (D), FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: Nice to be with you.

SCIUTTO: And we do know you have a vote to get to.

SHAHEEN: Right.

SCIUTTO: You're on the Senate Ukraine caucus, your support for Ukraine has been unwavering. I have heard from Republican lawmakers who support the Ukraine mission that they were concerned with Republicans taking over the House that that support would waver. I wonder, did Zelenskyy speech last night make a difference in shoring up bipartisan support for Ukraine?

SHAHEEN: I think it did. I think President Zelenskyy made a compelling case for why supporting Ukraine in this unprovoked war against Russia is good, not just for Ukraine and Europe, but good for America's national security. And I believe there are a few people on the fringes who may not support our help to Ukraine, but I think the majority of the middle of Congress and the middle of America supports this.

SCIUTTO: Should Americans be concerned that particularly with this visit, and U.S. support, both in terms of weapons and money, didn't begin yesterday, it's been going on since the start of this war.

SHAHEEN: Right.

SCIUTTO: Should Americans be concerned, though, as this alliance is so clear, and so very public, that this is now something of an open confrontation between the U.S. and Russia here, a proxy war kind of reminiscent of the Cold War with perhaps increased dangers of escalation?

[10:20:08]

SHAHEEN: Well, President Biden and his administration, as well as our European allies, have been very clear that we don't want to escalate war with Russia. The NATO countries do not want to go to war with Russia. But Vladimir Putin, as we saw in Georgia in 2008, when he went in there, and we did nothing, he went into Crimea in 2014, he went into Syria, we drew a red line, and he crossed it and we didn't do anything.

We know that this is a brutal dictator. And the only way to stop a brutal dictator like Vladimir Putin is to stand up to him. That's what the Ukrainians are doing with tremendous courage, and we should do everything we can to support them.

SCIUTTO: I want to talk about another issue that's close to your heart, and that is the situation with Afghan Special Immigrant Visas. This is for Afghans as you know, who served with the U.S. military, the U.S. government there and now often face severe threats from the Taliban. The bill is going to get a vote, that you have to run to, this omnibus spending bill, which has an extension of the SIV program in there. How important is that, to these people who served the U.S. and still remain in Afghanistan today?

SHAHEEN: I think it's critical. We made a promise to those Afghans who stood by our men and women in the military, and often saving their lives, that if they were threatened, we would try and help them get to the United States or someplace safe. We owe them that responsibility.

And I've heard from so many men and women who served with Afghans who want to make sure that their interpreter, the person who helped them --

SCIUTTO: Yes.

SHAHEEN: -- gets to the United States, because they are under threat every day from the Taliban. And we have thousands in the queue waiting to come to the United States.

SCIUTTO: I should note for people watching that it's due in part to a lot of work by you, that that language got in there, because it wasn't certain it was going to be in that omnibus bill

SHAHEEN: It was a cooperative effort. And I'm so grateful that it finally got in.

SCIUTTO: Well, as you know, the sad reality is that even with this program extended, that applicants still have to wait months, even years for approval. And then for a seat on a plane out of the country. I've been doing my best to help a family get out and many other Americans are doing the same. Can Congress and the administration fix that, to speed up that process, because as they're waiting, as you know, they face real threats?

SHAHEEN: Absolutely, we can and we should and we must fix that. Our office issued a report several months ago talking about the SIV program, and what we need to do to make sure that it works better for those people who are under threat. And we need to do things like reauthorize it permanently. So people are not waiting on this last minute agreement to ensure that they can continue to have their application reviewed.

We need to provide resources to ensure that those people who have been waiting -- some people have been waiting years to try and get out of the country and get to the United States and safety that they have the ability to get here and are not killed by the Taliban.

SCIUTTO: Yes. And it's a real threat, many of them hiding in safe houses, right, just to survive.

SHAHEEN: Right.

SCIUTTO: So the reason you got to go soon as you guys are going to vote and get this $1.7 trillion spending bill passed. SHAHEEN: Hurray! Finally.

SCIUTTO: It's got a lot in there. But I wonder, the top line figure is quite big. And it's not far off the most recent COVID relief bill, which is $1.9 trillion, which some have blamed for being inflationary. And I wonder, as folks are watching right now, should they be concerned at all that pumping all this money into the economy right now might prolong inflation?

SHAHEEN: Well, I don't think so. What this bill does is to fund government programs that are already underway, and also initiatives that funds our military, for example. There's a pay raise for our men and women serving in the military in that bill. And all of that I think is good for the United States. It provides certainty to not just those people who are serving but people like the first responders in New Hampshire who are dealing with -- still dealing with a major opioid epidemic. So I think it's very important that we get this done and hopefully get it done today.

SCIUTTO: Yes. And then hopefully you make your flight.

SHAHEEN: Absolutely.

SCIUTTO: There's some problems with those you might have seen. Senator Jeanne Shaheen --

SHAHEEN: Yes.

SCIUTTO: -- thanks so much for joining us this morning.

SHAHEEN: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: We wish you and your family the happiest of holidays.

SHAHEEN: Merry Christmas.

SCIUTTO: Well, with the full January 6 report expected out today, what we could expect to learn from never-before-seen details, testimony, et cetera? Some from former President Trump's inner circle, that's coming up.

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[10:29:44]

SCIUTTO: As we wait the highly anticipated final report from the January 6 committee due out sometime today, we are already getting a look at more than 30 witness transcripts which the panel released already. Many of the witnesses asserted their Fifth Amendment right during all or at least part of their testimony. For some of them, dozens of times over.