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Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Is Interviewed About The House Passing Bills To Expand Voting Access, Combat Police Misconduct; Gov. Cuomo Addresses Women's Allegations Against Him; Biden Pushes Schools To Reopen As WH Prioritizes Teachers For Vaccines. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired March 04, 2021 - 12:30   ET

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

[12:30:00]

REP. JAMAAL BOWMAN (D-NY): And the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, this is a long time coming. You know this is something that should have been in place since Rodney King since Sean Bell, since Tamir Rice, but because we all watched George Floyd be murdered this past summer, this is why the uprising occurred.

And it does a lot of really good things you mentioned ending qualified immunity. That is huge, because we need to hold police accountable who aren't doing their jobs correctly.

We need a national database to know which police officers are - you know, have infractions against them so that they cannot move from New York to California to get another job. It's the floor and not the ceiling. There's a lot more we need to do with police reform and criminal justice reform. But this is a good place to start.

KING: I want to come back to the criminal justice reform in a moment, because I agree with you, it's a critical issue for the country right now. But on this Democratic Party issue, it is only a 50-50 Senate. Joe Manchin says he will never vote to get rid of the filibuster.

So what do you, what do you call on the President, not just want - what do you call on the President to do? Should he say change the rules in the Senate, dump the filibuster, at least for a few pieces of legislation? What must he do?

BOWMAN: Well, we absolutely need to end the filibuster. It's a relic of a time in our country where racism ruled the day (ph).

KING: But the President - forgive me for interrupting, Sir, but the President says, a 37-year member of the United States Senate, says that's really up to them. And he has shown no willingness to put his shoulder into that fight. Do you think he must?

BOWMAN: Listen, he absolutely has to. You know, President Biden was in the Senate for many, many years. He has many relationships in the Senate. He needs to leverage those relationships and leverage the political power of the White House to build back better for our entire country. This is a moment in time where we have to reimagine what America is all about from a social, economic, and political perspective.

And for us in a Democratic Party that starts with working people, that starts with the working poor and historically disenfranchised and uplifting them and fighting for them. We cannot play decades old political games while the American people suffer.

And Joe Biden needs to be a leader in this moment. This is his FDR moment to step up and do what's necessary to move the votes in the Senate to get us where we need to be in terms of stimulus, in terms of education, in terms of healthcare, and in terms of uplifting the tens of millions of American people who continue to feel disenfranchised.

KING: There are too often bumper sticker slogans used in political debates which steer people - allow people to get away from the substance. You heard the Republican opposition to the George Floyd Act. They say you're defunding the police, you're defunding the police, you're defunding the police.

I saw the statements last night from Majority Leader McCarthy from new members like Nancy Mace of South Carolina. They cite a Congressional Budget Office letter that says the bill would raise costs on police departments and therefore police departments would have no choice but to hire fewer officers or lay officers off, answer that.

BOWMAN: Well, first of all, we need to reimagine public safety. And we need to move resources from police departments to social workers and community workers to help engage communities in a more intimate way, an effective way so hat police aren't responding to mental health challenges and domestic challenges. That's number one.

Number two, this bill does not defund the police. It simply doesn't. It points to and focuses on accountability and transparency. Taxpayer money funds police officers and police departments across the country. The police department should be accountable to taxpayers. That's all this bill does. It's about accountability.

The same way you and I have accountability in our workplaces, the same way teachers and those in the healthcare profession have accountability. Police officers need to be held accountable when they violate the civil rights of someone or when they murder someone.

So once again, the Republicans are wrong. The Republicans are not being truthful. They're using lies and misdirection to sway the American people. But the American people are smarter than that. They know what the bill is all about. And that's why I hope this bill has bipartisan support both in the House and - excuse me, not in the House, unfortunately, but hopefully on the Senate side.

KING: As you know, these issues and this tension, if you will, the math of Washington is going to be with us over the next two years as you try to move this agenda. We'll bring you back and continue the conversation. Grateful for your time today, Sir, thank you.

BOWMAN: Thank you.

KING: Thank you. [12:34:37]

Up next for us, Governor Andrew Cuomo says he is sorry, but the women who accused him of sexual harassment say he's still clearly doesn't get it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: Andrew Cuomo says he won't resign. But he hopes a Wednesday apology is enough to calm the waters to allow an investigation to play out and to allow him to hold on to his job. Yesterday the embattled New York Governor finally went on camera to address the three women who say Cuomo behaved inappropriately toward them, sexually harassing them or making unwanted advances including one woman says a forced kiss. Cuomo responded with emotion and with passion, but not with specifics.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): I now understand that I acted in a way that made people feel uncomfortable. It was unintentional and I truly and deeply apologize for it. I never touched anyone inappropriately. You can go find hundreds of pictures of me kissing people, men, women. It is my usual and customary way of greeting. By the way, it was my father's way of greeting people. You're the governor of the state. You want people to feel comfortable. I'm not going to resign.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[12:40:24]

KING: Joining our conversation, Maggie Haberman of the New York Times. Maggie, grateful for your time today. There are two challenges for the Governor. One is the facts and the investigation going forward. The other is the politics of the moment in reverse order when it comes to politics. There have been calls for his resignation, calls for his impeachment was yesterday enough or at least a down payment on buying space, buying time?

MAGGIE HABERMAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. Yesterday was about buying time, John. And look, Andrew Cuomo has never been somebody who has been in favor of, you know, due process in the court of public opinion for other people when he has called on say Eric Schneiderman, the former Attorney General, who succeeded him in that job to resign for much more physical acts that he was accused of.

But nonetheless, you know, that he is asking for that for himself and basically just waiting to see if he can calm the waters. Now, is it enough? It's enough for the time being. He did say something that strikes me every time I hear the audio which was I never touched anyone inappropriately. Anna Ruch who my colleague, Matt Flegenheimer, wrote about the other day says that he did touch her inappropriately, he grabbed her and he kissed her, and she didn't like it. She moved his hand off her back.

And so while he is apologizing, he is still saying things that are basically, you know, trying to neutralize his own conduct. You'll find all of these pictures going forward. But that's just what I did. And he is suggesting that there is not evidence of something, you know, darker, more physical to come forward. We will see what happens now. I think knowing him, John, and I've covered him a long time, I have a very hard time seeing him step down based on the existing facts that I also have a very hard time seeing him step down, based on the current calls for him to resign. It would take somebody like President Biden, who he really respects and he has a good relationship with to get him to step down.

KING: As we watch that play out, you raise a very important point when you go through the details. Because again, now, you know, to give the Governor some grace, if you will. He knows there's an investigation coming in any smart staff or any smart lawyer would tell him be careful what you say in public. I get that part. However, you have three women who have raised very serious allegations of inappropriate behavior. And they did not like frankly, what they heard yesterday.

This is Lindsey Boylan and the first woman who came forward said that she kissed him. She said, how can New Yorkers trust you to lead our state if you don't know when you've been inappropriate with your own staff. Lindsey Boylan was a health aide in the state government. Debra Katz is an attorney for Charlotte Bennett, one of the other women in her statement, the Governor's press conference was full of falsehoods and inaccurate information, and New Yorkers deserve better. The Governor repeatedly said he never touched anyone inappropriately Ms. Ruch's story makes clear that's not accurate. The Governor repeatedly said he had made -- not made any -- no idea he made anyone uncomfortable. My client, Charlotte Bennett reported his sexually harassing behavior immediately to his Chief of Staff and Chief Counsel. We are confident they made him aware of her complaint.

That last part there, Maggie, again, that's very damning, if you're an investigator gathering facts if that is true, the Governor says I didn't know, no one told me. Charlotte Bennett says she went immediately to the Chief of Staff and told.

HABERMAN: Look, I think that's exactly right. And I think that that's going to be something that he gets pressed on, as the investigation goes forward. And again, it remains to be seen whether there will be other people who come forward with similar complaints. He was, as I said, trying to inoculate himself against those and by himself some time. And it may work. Look, he is still -- his numbers have sagged obviously since this started since the scandal about nursing home deaths related to COVID started.

But he generally does have some reservoir of goodwill with voters in New York and what he is -- there is lacking, John, and you know this well, there's no obvious replacement for him. There is no obvious person who is going to step up and run and challenge him right now, then that could change at least from the left. There could be from the right Congressman Lee Zeldin from Long Island is likely to challenge him. Very hard for Republicans to win in New York, especially a Republican is aligned with Donald Trump as Lee Zeldin is, so that is what Andrew Cuomo is relying on and we just have to see how it plays out. KING: Right. And as we watch it play out, again, the substance here and the Attorney General's investigation, she will name an outside law firm to look at this, that's the most important point, get the facts and see what goes on. But you know the environment better than anybody I know, in terms of what the Governor is going to go through. This is the "New York Post" today and again, I never touched anyone inappropriately as he's touching someone who did not ask to be touched. That photo is out there.

And then you have the "Daily News" front page, you know, crockodile tears. So in an environment where the investigation matters, this Governor is also in one of the most unique media climates in America.

HABERMAN: Yes. No question this governor is having this all play out in a change landscape that was changed by the Me Too movement. Now, that is the context in which Eric Schneiderman resigned. New York has had any number of scandals related to elected officials over the past decade and plus. But this is a very changed universe and a very, very difficult media climate, even with the New York newspapers sort of not what they were in the past. There's still plenty aggressive. The "New York Post" was a very formidable adversary for any elected official in New York. And I think that Andrew Cuomo is going to find that in ways that he has not before. But again, what I still come back to, John, is what the investigation ultimately shows and whether more women come forward.

[12:45:35]

KING: Right, the facts and the substance more important than anything here as we go forward. Maggie Haberman, grateful for your reporting and your insights, I appreciate it very much.

Up next for us, the back to school challenge from keeping distance to teacher vaccinations, an Illinois principal whose school is open, shares her advice and her lessons learned.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:50:35]

KING: The Biden White House is pushing schools to reopen. The First Lady Jill Biden Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, Wednesday, stopping by two schools, you see them there, that had recently reopened their doors. The White House effort includes prioritizing teachers now for vaccines. Every parent has debated this issue weighing the pluses and minuses of remote learning, the safety questions about back to the classroom. We are lucky here on Inside Politics to have a returning guest with firsthand COVID crisis experience.

Chrissy Cox is the principal at Denman Elementary School in Illinois. Denman has been open since the start of the school year. Chrissy, thank you so much for coming back, I'm grateful for what you do every day and for your time explaining this. So just help me out here and I tell the controller and we have some pictures of your school that we can show through, some empty classrooms just to see what they look like, some students spread out a little bit, some students learning outside, as you see, right there. Walk us through your experience in the context of this question. Many parents right now are being given the option to send their kids back to school, they're asking, is it safe? Is it?

CHRISSY COX, PRINCIPAL, DENMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Yes. And I will say that, I think you really you have to assess and think back to your own child and each individual situation is really unique. We can't promise, you know, anything when you're sending your child to school. But what we can promise is that we're doing absolutely everything that we can to keep your child safe at school.

So I do think you have to, you know, every situation is unique. And just knowing what your concerns are and we've had a lot of calls. And, you know, with parents that have really helped to ease nerves as well. So if you have questions reach out to your school principal and find out what they're doing to keep children safe in the school.

KING: You've had 68 total cases of COVID since the beginning of the school year. You have 544 students, approximately 90 staff. So that's under 10 percent. That's below 10 percent, 15 percent of the student population is decided we're going to use the remote learning option. And for the school district, not just your school, but for the total school district, 65 percent of staff opted to get a vaccine.

In terms of the cases and so then you have quarantine issues, you know, one of the big questions was can you handle this, right? You're going to get cases, that's inevitable. Can it be done in a way that A, protects safety and B, doesn't overly disrupt learning, yes?

COX: Yes. And I will tell you our, you know, teachers are our heroes. They really are. And what they've learned is that we, you know, we are able to teach children remotely. The best option for us has been the in person option. But if a child is in quarantine for an extended amount of time, our in person teachers are also teaching their students that are in quarantine remotely or their students that have tested positive for COVID, they're teaching them remotely.

I think the greatest attribute has been our team really coming together. So our administration staff and our teaching staff really wanting or want to be in person so they're doing absolutely everything they can to maintain that and then when the student can't be, they're doing everything they can to maintain the learning while the child is a way. The quarantine has been quite, quite challenging. But like I said, teachers are heroes, so.

KING: Teachers are heroes and principals are heroes as well. Chrissy Cox, grateful for your time --

COX: Thank you.

KING: You're one of -- you are. As a parent and as someone who's tried to sort through this for the past year, and help people understand the challenges out there, that's the right questions, you are. You are hero on what everybody, your staff, everybody at the school.

COX: Thank you.

KING: Thank you so much. We'll check it again, I promise.

[12:54:03]

Up next for us, a government watchdog alleges major ethics lapses by a Trump Cabinet member who is also married to the Senate's top Republican.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: Topping our Political Radar today, the U.S. Capitol Police now requesting a two month extension of National Guard troops support at the United States Capitol. Two defense officials say the request is under review at the Pentagon. This was first reported by the Associated Press. The National Guard support was scheduled to end a week from tomorrow.

Senate Democrats about ready to bring their revised COVID relief bill to the floor. Moderate Democrats prevailed on limiting eligibility for stimulus checks. But some Republicans still want to slow down the process including taking hours to read the entire bill aloud and the recruiting reinforcements in that effort. The Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says he welcomes reading the bill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): We are delighted that the Senator from Wisconsin wants to give the American people another opportunity to hear what's in the American rescue plan. We Democrats want America to hear what's in the plan. And if the Senator from Wisconsin wants to read it, let everybody listen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: We're learning now the transportation department's watchdog asked for a criminal probe into then Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao last year over concerns that she was misusing her office for personal benefit. But the Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney's Office declined to pursue that case in the final days of the Trump administration saying, Secretary Chao's actions may have been unethical but not in their view, illegal.

[13:00:05]

Thanks for joining us today on Inside Politics. I hope to see you back here this time tomorrow. Busy News Day, stay with us.