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Four Bodies Recovered Overnight, Tunnels Found in Rubble; Mayor: 16 Confirmed Dead, 147 Unaccounted for; This Afternoon: House Votes on Bill to Establish Jan 6 Committee; Rep. Omar: I Support "Reality-Based" GOP Serving On Jan 6 Committee. Aired 12-12:30p ET

Aired June 30, 2021 - 12:00   ET

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

[12:00:00]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: I mean, it's about to start pouring again and there are hurricane warnings, tropical storm warnings.

How will that impact the search and rescue operation?

DR. BENJAMIN ABO, EMS AND URBRAN SEARCH AND RESCUE PHYSICIAN: This is we have been dealing with the weather in and out for strong wind gusts and the rain and the lightning, that where it actually grows even more if the storm pushes anything coming in further.

If the winds are sustained too high, we're going to have to move that heavy equipment and all of our tents and all this temporary stuff set up. We're going to have to move things around and think a lot differently.

BLITZER: Let's go back to the news conference.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

RYAN LOGAN, AMERICAN RED CROSS: --still here. And I'll tell you, the resilience of those folks is nothing short of amazing and just like the chief was mentioning about the determination of - responders. That's what keeps us going.

When you have these folks that we're serving, who we know, they're having the worst experience of their lives or turning writing, asking you, what can they do to serve their friends, their families, and even just what can they do to better support the Red Cross is nothing short of amazing?

So I would just encourage anyone that's out there that we have not been able to make contact with that was living in the building to please reach out so that we can make sure that we get to the access that you need. Thanks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Mr. Logan. And to provide us a Creole Translator--

JOHN KING, CNN HOST: Welcome to "Inside Politics". I'm John King in Washington. You're watching the daily briefing from the emergency officials, the politicians, the responders and some translators there in Surfside, Florida.

Now the big headline out of this briefing 16, 16 now confirmed dead in the collapse of that tower seven days ago it is day seven now of the search - finding survivors dims with each passing hour. But the Governor Ron DeSantis saying the search will continue.

More than 200 personnel on that mound, 147 still unaccounted for. 147 residents, so people believed to be in the tower at the time of the collapse still unaccounted for. Let's get to CNN's Ryan Young. He is on the scene for us.

Ryan officials going through this keeping out some hope, noting that the weather is complicating the search effort but on this day seven for the families the fact that they found several more bodies overnight is the biggest headline on this day.

RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely John. Look, this is another tough day. Let's talk about the weather so far. It's been really nonstop with the rain. It's been pounding and of course everyone was worried about all the rescuers who are working through the situation over there.

And when you look at the pile when you're actually on the outside of it, you can just see how high it is. Now of course you heard that official say that some of this water helps because I'll send it right back to you John, apparently we have some more information in the news conference.

KING: Let's get back in there for the Q&A.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible)

ALAN COMINSKY, MIAMI-DADE FIRE CHIEF: It's absolutely still a search and rescue mission. The size of the same that that has always been, you know, we sweep with the dogs. We used our equipment, audible sonar equipment; we will use video equipment that we will apostle at times for drill to put through certain areas to look.

Signs we look for is the voice you know, any aspect. Again, with this type of collapse and what we're seeing in the debris, very difficult to move any of the large concrete slabs. We're seeing it you know, just pulverized underneath and crumbling as we're trying to move on.

So that just compounds it but that's what we're looking for. If we see a void space, if we find an area we expand from there. We try to tunnel certain areas through there not tunnel it obviously through per se but in certain aspects to see if we find something.

So you know, definitely come across some aspects like that. And when we do that's where we continue to move forward.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank Chief. Ma'am?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible) MAYOR DANIELLA LEVINE CAVA, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA: So as you know, our process is to contact the next of kin. And so that's what we're working on at this time before we can reveal any details. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible)

COMINSKY: Yes, in conversations with the mayor, we have included additional resources to assist. So towboats Mexico team, we make contact with them. They were supposed to be in the morning so that we can be credentialed go through several things we have to evaluate.

So as they go through, we have our FEMA incident support team who checks credentials in different aspects as well. Capabilities again, this is an extremely dangerous situation. And I know everybody wants to help, but we need to make sure we have the properly trained individuals to do the job that needs to be. But that I'll be assisting in different ways and that particular group as much as possible.

[12:05:00]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible)

COMINSKY: Well, that's what they just checked the credentials. I mean, I don't you know, I don't I don't know that, you know, that's what I've been saying from, you know, where we are with our support. You know, we have our state assets.

You know, we have our federal assets. And that's the goal in regards to these missions. This is how we deploy our task force units, because we know they're trained. Definitely we'll utilize resources, but if everyone had the opportunity, everybody would be out there.

Everybody would be out there. And that's the key. I mean, I can't overemphasize the risk that everyone's taken right now. OK and we all know why we're doing? But you know, and that's just where it's critical. But yes, we're utilizing them to the best that we can. And we are very grateful for everyone assistance.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Foreign Language)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible) - what's the building or debris? Talk about - put that to perspective as to where that --?

COMINSKY: Well, those sections - the sections I guess you're referring to probably wasn't the broad section. So those are certain devices that we've put up and, and how we shore different components. So when we first arrived, and on our initial assessment, and where we started our search and rescue, those are components where, you know, we made entry.

You know, we went into that very difficult situation, you know, seeing if we had any, any location, any positive outcome. So that would be I'm assuming what you're speaking with what we saw.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Chief last question over here. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, the logistics of the president. If you can talk about the challenges, I mean, the weather, I mean, how that can affect everything as far as people getting in and out of not only this area, but just the SNR people as well.

ALFREDO "FREDDY" RAMIREZ, DIRECTOR, MIAMI-DADE POLICE DEPARTMENT: We're very grateful that the president is coming. He's been showing support for this community since the beginning. And we assure you that we have plans in place with the secret service and our federal partners that this operation will continue.

I mean, we have been resilient. We've had several challenges from weather, sorrow, pain, and I think that the president coming will bring some unity here for our community support like our governor, our mayor, all of us together and it's a great message for the family and we're going to get it done. That's not going to be a problem.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Foreign Language).

KING: I'm John King in Washington. Again, you're listening to the daily briefing down in Surfside, Florida. This is day seven of a still search and rescue operation. 16 now confirmed dead 147 unaccounted for at the end of the briefing there they were talking about the logistics of the President of the United States who plans to visit tomorrow President Biden along with the First Lady, even as the search and rescue operation continues.

Again let's get back to CNN's Ryan young, who is on the scene. And Ryan is striking when you listen to these briefings. They're just trying to deal with a giant logistical and safety challenge. The chief talking - the fire chief talking about the pulverized concrete, the risks to the first responders out there.

It is a methodical logistical and engineering challenge. And yet it is such a highly emotional moment for families holding out perhaps some hope, even though this is day seven.

YOUNG: Yes, it's been tough watching all this sort of piece by piece. First of all, when you think about the logistical challenge when they have to move some of that heavy pieces of concrete out of this area, it's done under police escort because everything that's removed from that site, it's a part of that forensic that they're going to have to do later on in terms of the evidence.

They're going to have to look and see why this building actually collapsed when they find a body has to go to a homicide tent and the detectives have to work it almost like a homicide scene before turning it over to the medical examiner.

Then when it comes to telling families, they're spread out now. So they have to try to talk to them bit by bit. We were here as the governor spent probably an hour at the hotel that's right behind me talking to some families today.

And you can only imagine what some of the pain that these families are going through the ups and downs. And then there's on top of that there are people here who believe that enough is not being done.

[12:10:00]

YOUNG: And you heard those questions like why aren't more teams being brought in? Why isn't heavy equipment being brought in? What do you think about the fact that the rubble is sort of propping up the other building, you understand that the people who are down there doing this at great risk.

We also took a step down to the memorial that's just maybe 100 yards away from where this scene happened. And you can see families who are outwardly crying, posting pictures of their loved ones who are still missing, begging God for help.

And we've even seen first responders join them and cry and shed tears together. So when you put all this together in this community, that's multicultural, you can see the pain and when you think about how many people are still missing, John, there are so many questions about why more people are not being found.

KING: So many, many questions and obviously the scenes of the pictures. Heroic first responders, but you can understand the frustration of the family members who want information as soon as they can get it. Ryan Young grateful for you and the rest of our crews live on the scene there.

Let's bring into the conversation now from Surfside, Surfside Commissioner Nelly Velasquez. Commissioner, thank you for your time on this day. It is day seven. What are you being told when you ask fire and rescue emergency management officials? How long do they plan on keeping this a search and rescue operation before making the very difficult decision to turn it into a recovery mission?

NELLY VELASQUEZ, SURFSIDE COMMISSIONER: Well, that's really a decision from the Miami-Dade County Mayor and for Fire Department Chief and it's been the governor has something to do with that as well. We're not - I don't have that information yet.

KING: From your perspective as a Surfside Counselor, what do you believe the local government needs to do? What are your top two or three questions that you think the local government should move to ASAP? To A, get answers to what happened here, but B, to make sure this doesn't happen somewhere else?

VELASQUEZ: Well, to answer B first, I think that first of all these inspections that are 40 years should come down to at least 10 years and there after every 10 years. And we also need to add a geotechnical inspection to these inspections as well. These are things that need to be done to prevent something like this to happen again and in terms of your first question, Uh huh.

KING: Go ahead. I'm sorry.

VELASQUEZ: Well, I - we've been - we're being briefed constantly. And so I don't think there's the communication has been very well, with the county and with the governor. And we're working together to get this done as quickly as possible.

KING: You mentioned the Miami-Dade Mayor, Mayor Cava; she has said she wants a grand jury to look into this. From your perspective, is that to have a single place of accountability or do you believe that there is criminal negligence here that might need to be investigated?

VELASQUEZ: Well, at this point, I mean, it's very preliminary to be able to say that. It's something that's still under investigation. As the days unfold, I guess we'll be hearing from them from the Miami- Dade County Mayor in respect to that.

KING: Let me ask you lastly, Commissioner Velazquez in conversations with family members and others in the community. It's an incredibly frustrating situation. It's incredibly painful situation for them. Do they feel that they are getting information as quickly as possible from those on the scene?

We understand from our reporters, a lot of frustrations with the pace of the search some of that understandable, but are they getting the information they want when they need it?

VELASQUEZ: Oh, absolutely. We have a - we've set up a briefing area in one of our hotels in - I believe it's called the "Sea View". And families are getting briefed constantly during the day as things progressed at ground zero.

KING: Nelly Velasquez is the Commissioner in the Town of Surfside now dealing with a tragedy and many questions. Appreciate your time today. And we'll follow up in the future on your questions about the building process and the local rules and regulations as we head forward. Appreciate your time today.

VELASQUEZ: Thank you.

KING: When we come back New York prosecutors are set to issue the first charges in their investigation into the Trump Organization. We'll bring you breaking news next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:15:00]

KING: The House votes today on legislation establishing a select committee to investigate the January 6th insurrection. It will pass. Democrats have the votes. But there are big questions still about how many Republicans will vote yes and then about what this new committee will look like?

Speaker Nancy Pelosi mulling appointing a Republican to one of the seats she gets to fill. Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy still weighing whether the GOP will participate at all? With me to share their reporting and their insights NPR - there's a Boston accent for you Asma Khalid, Eva McKend of Spectrum News, "The Washington Post's" Olivier Knox and Tarini Parti of "The Wall Street Journal".

Sorry about that. It comes out every now and then. Look, this will pass. This is plan B, the speaker and many Republicans but not enough also; they wanted a bipartisan commission like 9/11 to do this. This is plan B, a select committee pushed through by the Democratic Speaker of the House. The question is what next?

EVA MCKEND, CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT, SPECTRUM NEWS: Now she has to make sure that she doesn't overplay her hand here. There is already half of the country that doesn't think that this is going to be a legitimate probe.

I'm hearing House Republicans on the Hill referring to this as President Trump's third impeachment. So that gives you a sense of how seriously they take this investigation. But she has to walk a really a tight rope here.

KING: Right. The Republicans will fight it and try to de legitimize it even though we should give it the benefit of the doubt this was an attack on American democracy.

[12:20:00]

KING: This is an attack on American institution. It would be nice to get to the truth, which is one of the reasons the speaker says she's actually thinking about putting a Republican of the seats she gets to fill. Let's listen to a little bit of the speaker and her thoughts on why this is so important.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know you're considering putting a Republican on the panel, have you made a decision about who that should be? And does that make your decision harder if the majority of Republicans don't support this committee today?

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): Well, I will be making whatever statement I make about the select committee when I do and that is not right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: In other words, this is complicated. And you're not going to know until I get all the pieces in place and to the speaker's credit, whether you're Democrat or Republican, she's very well organized. She knows what she's doing.

But this is a giant risk for her to give up one of the seats that she controls to give it to a Republican. She thinks would give it more legitimacy, give it some bipartisanship, but it's risky.

ASMA KHALID, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, NPR: I mean, exactly to your point. I mean, there is a desire to create you could argue an aura of legitimacy around this, whether or not it actually has buy in from Republicans?

And I think the reason that she feels like this is valid is there is certainly pressure from outside of, you know, outside groups from Democrats who want something like this to occur. And there is a belief among some Democrats that this needs to occur ahead of the midterms in order for them to energize their side of the base.

KING: And again, the Republican opposition is what it is. The resolution creating the committee says this Olivier. Its purpose is to investigate and report upon the facts, circumstances and causes relating to the January 6th, 2021 domestic terrorist attack, as well as the influencing factors that fomented such an attack.

Donald Trump's name is not listed not named in this resolution directly. But that is the point A, what was his involvement? B, what about these groups? Did intelligence agencies, law enforcement agencies missed signs that these groups who might be aligned with Trump might be anti establishment? We're taking it from protest to violence.

OLIVIER KNOX, NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, THE WASHINGTON POST: Right. They're sort of the functional failures, which we're just describing now, you know, did they miss obvious signs? Did one part of the government, get the science get the intelligence and just not share it properly?

Those are the functional failures. And then what I would call the political factors, which are the other ones that you alluded to the causes of, you know, the - who organized this January 6th rally? What did the president know about the intent of the organizers?

What role did the White House played during the early hours of the insurrection? All of these obviously, are going to be taken up. But one of the reasons that Democrats want a select committee and wanted a bipartisan independent commission was that the normal order of business.

The committees that are already looking into this stuff aren't really digging into the White House's role, and that's something that the Democrats argue that they need to get into.

KING: Right. One of the key questions here will this select committee try to get the Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy? Not only will they try to get White House officials to come up former White House officials, Trump White House officials? We know the answer that came from the Trump White House every time Congress asked for oversight in the past. It was no and then it escalated from there.

Up Leader McCarthy spoke to the former then president now former president on that afternoon, and told colleagues some quite interesting things about that conversation. Essentially, the Donald Trump was applauding what was happening at the Capitol, not.

The House Republican leadership says it is not whipping, meaning it is not putting direct pressure it says on its members to vote no. But it also distributed this memo which essentially says vote no.

This select committee is likely to pursue a partisan agenda to politicize the January 6th attack instead of conducting a good faith investigative effort into the actions leading up to and the security failures on the 6th. Democrats completely disagree. They say they want to get facts. But

that tells you the Republican leadership number one wants a unified vote no. And number two is not only trying to protect Donald Trump, they're trying to protect Leader McCarthy.

TARINI PARTI, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Yes, McCarthy is in an interesting position here because of that phone call that you mentioned. But he also gets to decide how much Republicans participate in this?

How, you know, obviously they're telling Republicans essentially not to vote, but also if this, you know, as it's expected to go through, he gets to potentially decide how many Republicans will be which Republicans will be on this committee?

So those names when they come out, he gets to have that role. He gets to play a role in this in this process, while also potentially being someone that this committee is interested in talking to, to figure out more details about that phone call.

KING: Which gets to the fascinating part, circling back to the question Speaker Pelosi would not answer. Again, understandably so she's trying to get everything in order before she talks specifically, is do you ask a Liz Cheney, do you ask an Adam Kinzinger?

Do you ask one of the Republicans who voted to impeach Trump or some Republican who you believe would have credibility to join you? Democrats get a little nervous about that in the sense that it's one of their seats. But listen to Congressman Ilhan Omar, she says, I think I could be for this if the speaker gets it right.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ILHAN OMAR (D-MN): If the speaker believes that she can find Republicans that are reality based, that will engage in fact finding that can be trusted by the American people and I support it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: The question is who? Who, you know, if it's Liz Cheney, does she try to overshadow the Democrats? Or does she give them credibility?

[12:25:00]

KING: It's, I don't know.

MCKEND: I wonder who it satisfies ultimately. It's not going to satisfy House Republicans. It's not going to satisfy Republicans across the country. What is the point? I guess? They will be strong questioners, because we know that Congressman Kinzinger, Congresswoman Cheney is equally as concerned about the events that occurred on the 6th. But beyond that, politically, I don't see - I don't see what constituency, it really satisfies.

KHALID: Right. I would say - they're certainly right. KING: But on the right of center, let's call it that. Could it help with this? You know, again, close elections, the United States midterms are different than especially when you look at the House. But close elections come down to the suburbs, Trump lost the suburbs.

Does this help; perhaps help the Democrats to Republican leaning voters in the suburbs who have left the party to try to make it more credible?

KNOX: I mean, sure, maybe. We're going to get a sense of the list of names when they vote, right? We're expecting a really heavy drop off from the 35 have voted in favor of the bipartisan, independent commission. We're thinking like 10, maybe this time around, that'll give us a sense of who might even be in the running.

That's the other question I have, like, Liz Cheney is facing a primary. Does she want to sit on this committee? Adam Kinzinger, does he want to sit on this committee? I don't have the answer.

KING: Are they willing in the political environment they looking at next year to take that risk that's a good question as well, which we will get to again, the next big thing are the vote. And when we come back, the Trump Organization could be facing tax charges by this time tomorrow, the latest on that investigation up next.

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[12:30:00]