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Inside Politics

130 Cases of Coronavirus in U.S., Including 9 Deaths; Lawmakers Reach $7.8B Deal to Fund Coronavirus Fight; Trump Administration Working to Calm Coronavirus Fears; Sessions Touts Loyalty to Trump Amid Repeated Attacks; 2020 Candidates Look Ahead to Next Major Contests. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired March 04, 2020 - 12:30   ET

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

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[12:32:04]

JOHN KING, CNN HOST: A number of important developments today in the growing coronavirus crisis here in the United States including a big agreement which is moments ago on Capitol Hill to fund the virus fight. There are now at least 130 coronavirus cases across the United States, new ones in just this morning in New York and California.

Officials in Los Angeles County are declaring a local emergency. This as the Trump administration works to clear up some confusion about how to get tested for the virus. CNN Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now. Let's start with that.

Mike Pence say, any American can now be tested by their doctor. Is that a fact?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's what he said. Let's talk about where he was coming from. The CDC used to be focus only on testing people John if they have traveled to China or if they were in contact with someone who traveled from China. Mike Pence is saying, don't worry about those restrictions, anyone can get tested.

But there is a huge, but, here and this is the, but. But your doctor has to find a lab that can test you and that might not be easy and it might not be terribly quick. I've been talking to doctors in hospitals who are saying, we're here to send these specimens to specially to call them and there's a million steps to go through. And then we have to send them to a state lab. And in some places the state lab can do the testing, and in some places they have to send it to the CDC in Atlanta.

I think it's clear this is not incredibly efficient. We're just going to the doctor, getting a test, getting the results, wait in there, maybe the next day but not waiting days for a result and that's what I'm hearing from people out there, from doctors, that it's taking days to set it up sometimes and days to get a result. That's not terribly efficient. KING: And it's not doesn't sound efficient at all and it sounds a little nerve-wracking if you're a parent or patient trying to get tested, so what's the solution and can it be done quickly?

COHEN: Right more test, that's the solution and the Trump administration says there are more tests are going out everyday to these public health labs in states and counties, more test or tests will be given out by private companies to hospitals and places like that. More and more tests.

So how quickly can they do it is yet to be seen they sound. The Trump administration sounds very optimistic but we need to see what will actually happen.

KING: And before I let you go is with just as we've speaking I said 130 cases when I was introducing you, and now up to 137 cases. And this is a count we have to do everyday to be responsible to show the spread across the country. And this one didn't have with context, we don't do it to be alarming but there will going to be more case because of the spread and strength of this virus, right?

COHEN: Right, there's two reasons we're going to see more cases. One is because of that challenge, this is a virus that spreads. We're all familiar with the flu and other communicable diseases and, secondly, more tests out there. There was so comparatively little testing going on. In a country as huge as the United States where you can only test at one lab obviously you won't get all that much testing done compared to what you can do when we have tests in every hospital and every state and county public health lab.

That's the goal. Maybe not every single one, but that's the goal is to have more tests out there. The more tests out there that you have, the more people will be tested and the more positive results we're going to see.

[12:35:05]

KING: Elizabeth Cohen, again, appreciate the fact-based advice and suggestions for us as we go forward to going through this.

And now there's a new CNN reporting this hour congressional negotiates have hit on a deal to fund the coronavirus response agreeing to a $7.8 billion dollar spending package.

CNN's Manu Raju live on Capitol Hill with the details. Manu take us through it. What's in it? What are the big elements in it and when do we expect a vote?

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we expect the vote to happen as soon as today in the House. Congress is racing to approve the sweeping spending package that have been negotiated behind closed doors for days between Republicans and Democrats and the Appropriations Committee in the House and Senate side and as well as the White House.

We expect all size to sign off on this deal, it is worth $7.8 billion dollars, there's another $500 billion dollars to replenish accounts that have drained by the initial response by the federal government, and this far higher than the number the White House initially proposed which is , $2.5 billion dollars to deal with the coronavirus response. Them the Democrats came back, the Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said it should be $8.5 billion dollars for the response. Now, we expect that number to be close to that.

Now also behind the scenes for days of two sides that have been stuck about providing price controls for vaccines when I assume when it does come out for coronavirus, there has been a resolution on that, we are waiting to see exactly how the final details, what they look like. But John Congress is moving so rapidly, they will approve this package and nobody has seen the text of this language yet. We have been told by sources that there is a deal but the actual legislative language has not been released but Congress will agreed like billions to deal with it as concerns are growing in the United States about the response and concerns that local governments that don't have enough money to deal with this and need to be reimbursed by the federal government. So expect swift approval in the House and Senate and the president to signing it into law. John.

KING: Progress on Capitol Hill, it's good news but a lot of partisan finger-pointing. Good to hear the progress there. Manu Raju, appreciate the live report from the Hill.

Let's go to the White House now where the Vice President Mike Pence, meeting this hour with diagnostic lab officials. He and the President Trump also met last hour with airline CEOs as the impact spreads of course across the travel industry and across the global economy.

CNN Kaitlan Collins joins us now live from the White House. Kaitlan, what specific move is the White House taking today as part of the combat the virus effort?

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, they got several briefings on their schedule today. The president actually wasn't even scheduled to go to that airline CEO's briefing where essentially they're arguing lot or discussing what are the best practices for this airlines to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. But there was an interesting moment in there, John that I want to flag for you, where the president seemed to blame the Obama administration for that criticism that Elizabeth was talking about over the criteria for testing and some people saying it should be lowered to more people could be tested for that even if they weren't showing symptoms. And the president said it was the Obama administration who essentially made this regulation to where it has slowed them down, he said, proved to be detrimental.

Reporters have seemed to be a little confused and they asked the president to clarify what regulation he was talking about. He threw the question to the vice president who said during the Obama administration they essentially had -- the FDA have jurisdiction over this kind of testing. Now that wasn't totally clear either so then, the doctor, Robert Redfield of course who is running the CDC spoken. He said that during the Obama administration they had regulated state and university labs in way they to formally file with the FDA to move forward with testing like this. He says the president has reversed that regulation essentially freeing them up to do more testing.

We're still seeking more clarity on exactly what regulation this is that they're referencing because we have not heard this from the White House in the last several days as we've been talking about the criteria for that testing. So we're figuring out more on that, John, is they've got a slew of meetings over here and of course they are going up to Capitol Hill to speak with those Democrats and Republican lawmakers about their response to this.

KING: Kaitlan Collins live at the White House, appreciate it. Let us know when you clear up the confusion about the sourcing of that one.

And back to politics in a moment including President Trump act out again, urged to stay out of the Alabama Senate race, no, instead, attacking his former attorney general, the candidate now Jeff Sessions.

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[12:43:39]

KING: Topping our political radar today, protesters outside the Supreme Court as the justices appear divided, that after hearing arguments in the first major abortion case since Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch join the bench. The case considers Louisiana a lot of requires doctors performing abortions to obtain admitting privileges from a nearby hospital. Critic say this lawsuits no medical purpose and will lead just one doctor in the state to perform abortion procedures.

The vote of the Chief Justice John Roberts could be key here. Last year he sided with liberals to temporary block that law from taking effect. Plus, the president tipping his hand about who he wants to win in the coming runoff election in Alabama. The former Trump administration Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the former Auburn Football Coach, Tommy Tuberville are headed now into Republican Senate primary runoff.

The president had stayed out of the race until this morning and this tweet Sessions, the president says, did not have the wisdom or the courage to stare down and end the phony Russia Witch-Hunt. Recuses himself on first day in office, and the Mueller scam begins. No loyalty there from the president even after Sessions trying and trying and trying to show his.

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JEFF SESSIONS, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: When no one else dared to do it, I endorsed Donald Trump. People thought I was nuts. As for Tommy Tuberville, where was he when President Trump needed him?

[12:45:00]

What did he do for Trump? Never said a kind word about him that I can find, never gave a single penny of his millions to the trump campaign.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Jeff Sessions fired up there, but life, death, taxes and the president attacking Jeff Sessions when he's begged not to and these things are inevitable, right.

SEUNG MIN KIM, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I think we were floored that the president had held off as long as he did because we have heard privately another thing he'll go to that he and wanted to -- he'd wanted to go after Sessions, clearly, his ire towards him for his recusal on the Russia probe is no secret to any of us here in Washington. But I think right now, as long as Republicans are at large, as long as that nominee in the Alabama Senate is not named Roy Moore, they're fine with it and certainly at this point.

There are some Republican senators who do miss their colleague, they do want to see Jeff Sessions back in the Senate, Richard Shelby leaving. About a dozen of senators in Colorado support for him but again as long as not runoff doesn't matter and clearly Trump not on the side of Sessions on this one.

KING: Strap in. That's today is just the beginning. This one will not end until it ends.

Up next, the delegate chase continues with more very big Democratic contest coming in the coming days. And the president, Democratic primary, couldn't resist weighing in on Super Tuesday.

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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Joe has an easier path right now, believe it or not. I see Mini Mike just got out. He's going to try and save face by putting some money into Biden's campaign and we'll see what happens. I don't think that's going to have an impact.

You know, you got to look, that money has to be spent wisely. One thing this whole thing has shown is that you can't buy an election. It's a beautiful thing.

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[12:51:28]

KING: Super Tuesday is behind us. But two very big Tuesdays coming up as the Democratic race goes on. Let's take a look here and get you here coming here and bring out some states. These are the next states up.

Washington State, Idaho, North Dakota, Michigan -- think about Michigan, Bernie Sanders won it in 2016, key to Donald Trump's vote in the west, a big state there. We're also going to come down and get another vote the south of Mississippi, Joe Biden hopes his track across the south continues there. But this is next Tuesday, very important is the delegate fight continues. And then we continue on. If you watch again we have another Tuesday after that, we'll comeback up and keep coming through here, we get to March 17th,St. Patrick's Day, add Ohio, Illinois and Arizona to the mix, big states including some potential big November battle grounds as Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders carry their fight for delegates up.

Look at these states right here. Just let me circle a few before we got here, Florida, Michigan, Ohio. If you come up west, some of these three states out there, leave those and leave here, I just want to go back to the 2016 primaries and take a quick look at the democratic primaries. Some Clinton states and some Sanders states.

Now, it's Biden-Sanders battle, the question is especially Michigan next week, the prize there, watch for the big fight there. Both campaigns know this is coming. Both campaigns now have the resources to fight it out. The Sanders campaign just today launching three new television ads in the states that vote on these next two Tuesdays, one of them here directly at Joe Biden.

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JOE BIDEN (D-DE), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When I argued if we should freeze federal spending, I meant social security as well. I meant Medicare and Medicaid, I meant veterans benefits. I meant every single solitary thing in the government.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, we've got some bad news for them. We are not going to cut social security. We're going to expand benefits.

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KING: And that is Joe Biden's voice. Joe Biden was in the Senate a long time and he is a lot in the record that Bernie Sanders is trying to bring up. That was back in 1996, defending a Republican sponsored -- it was in 1995, defending a Republican sponsored balanced budget amendment.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: And we will hear a lot more of that as we see exit polls showing not only Joe Biden doing well but who he's doing well with, older voters. Reminding voters the things that Joe Biden said about their benefits, their government benefits is just going to continue, I think, from here to the stump to the debate stage.

KING: And there is plenty of Sanders record as well. The question is does Biden reciprocate with the gun stuff and with other things from Bernie Sanders' record or does he say, you know, what I think I have momentum and I will try to stay here.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPPONDENT: I don't give sense of that pretty early. My guess is he reciprocates because there's no time to take your foot off the throat or your foot off the gas you're making interestingly. What we heard from Bernie Sanders last night reminding people even Joe Biden supported the Iraq war. That's an issue for younger voters as well, so. Well, they may have anything new that's litigated over the next week or so, it's a new context, it's a new moment and it's a one-on-one race so there's not as much distraction. But I think interestingly also we mentioned -- touched earlier the Obama embrace. Sanders is trying to embrace Obama with this ad that he has to look it up with American voters trying to improve his share because a Detroit so key next week as well as St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri and Missouri sales. A lot of interesting financial, we're going to sense that when we see both of them this afternoon with their opponents.

MOLLY BALL, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: It's awfully late in the game for Bernie Sanders and his campaign to figure out who votes in Democratic primaries.

ZELENY: Yes.

BALL: I mean, we got third of the delegates have been allocated and he suddenly figured out that old people and black people are who you need to reach if you're going to win Democratic primary.

[12:55:01]

Again, awfully late in the game and if you heard Bernie Sanders speaking in Burlington last night, he seemed a little shaken because he is just now realizing that his whole political theory of the case, the idea that he could get, all of these young people and new voters to flock to his campaign and change the shape of the democratic electorate it just hasn't come true and that is a pretty -- pretty striking realization I think for Senator Sanders to have.

KING: Testing time -- testing time for the guy who's winning biggest rates, testing time for the guy who may have to regroup a bit, that's why this is fun. Stay with us throughout the campaign.

Thanks for joining us today. We'll see you back here this time tomorrow for INSIDE POLITICS. Brianna Keilar starts after a very quick break. Enjoy your day.

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