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Shutdown Deadline Looms As GOP Splits On Stopgap; Israeli Military Says It Returned Fire At Gaza Hospital Entrance, Killing "Approximately 21" Hamas Terrorists; Netanyahu Refuses To Answer Questions On Whether He Would Take Responsibility For October 7 Attack; FBI Probing Is Adams Cleared Red Tape For Turkish Consulate. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired November 13, 2023 - 12:30   ET

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

[12:30:00]

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: But that approach has been blasted by the White House, which calls it extreme, calls it a recipe for more chaos and not seeing yet, if they will sign this into law, if it lands on Joe Biden's desk.

On the other hand, Senate Democrats are sending a different message, more openness to this approach, because of the fact that it does not cut spending. And then the big question is, what will Hakeem Jeffries do, the Democratic Leader in the House who has remained quiet on this issue so far? Will they supply the votes to carry it across the finish line?

Dana, one big test will be tomorrow when they vote on the first procedural vote to set the parameters for floor debate. Typically, Democrats vote against that procedural vote. And typically Republicans vote for it. If more than three Republicans vote against that rule on the floor of the House, then it will require Democrats to carry it across the finish line.

So those are the questions are still remaining. But at the moment because of the decision not to include spending cuts, the expectation is that they will get this over the finish line. It will be bumpy, but they could get there. The question, though, is what will the White House ultimately do? What will Democrats ultimately do? And how big is that opposition on the right? Dana?

DANA BASH, CNN HOST: We've seen this movement before, Manu. Thank you so much for that reporting.

And Daniel, I just want to put up some of the opposition that we are already seeing from within his own ranks. Johnson's own ranks, Chip Roy, Bob Good, Warren Davidson, George Santos, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania. At six, he can't afford, as Manu was just reporting, to lose even that, and not have Democratic support in order to get this forward.

So there's -- there are two questions. One is the substance, obviously, how do they avoid a government shutdown.

DANIEL STRAUSS, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: Yes.

BASH: But the other is the politics and the maneuvering that he has to do in order to make that happen.

STRAUSS: Yes, and this is the first real tests we're going to see of the new speaker of the House. The fact that shutdowns or the threat of shutdowns are something that we are incredibly used to now and also some of the names you listed are familiar names in causing chaos within the Republican caucus.

Actually, one of the names that I found interesting on that list was George Santos, who has been consistent in his support for Kevin McCarthy when McCarthy was speaker. I am interested to see going forward where Congressman Santos is with this new speaker.

BASH: Consistency in George Santos. OK.

STRAUSS: Might be the only thing.

BASH: Let's see. Jackie, I want you to listen to what Maria Elvira Salazar said to Phil Mattingly this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MARIA ELVIRA SALAZAR (R), FLORIDA: The best thing that could have happened to the Republican Party is Mike Johnson, because the job, a very big elephant fell on his lap. And I know he's a decent guy. He's conservative, but he is reasonable. So no criticism to Mike Johnson. He's doing the best he can with the tools he has been granted.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: I can't wait to see the cartoon of my Johnson with a giant elephant on his lap. I mean, it's true, though. I mean, he came out of nowhere and here he is trying to steer the Republican Party right now, because he's the only leader of the Republican Party that actually has a majority.

JACKIE KUCINICH, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Through a completely self- inflicted problem. It's true, and it doesn't seem like anyone is rising up against him at least wants that job, because they don't want to be plunged into that particular chaos again, but in the process. I mean, he does need -- now need Democrats to get this across the line and thus empowering them.

I mean, this is a Democratic minority that really has been in a driver's seat, unlike most minorities get to --

BASH: Yes.

KUCINICH: -- because of what the Republicans inability to get their act together.

BASH: And Carl, we've seen some signals from Senate --

CARL HULSE, CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES: Yes. BASH: -- Senate Democrats rather, that they will support this plan that Mike Johnson has. So just to kind of recap, we have the new speaker, probably going down exact same road that Kevin McCarthy did, that caused him to lose his job and get overthrown. Just -- am I reading that right?

HULSE: Except he's splitting up the bills. That's the gimmick, right?

BASH: But just in terms of the process --

HULSE: Yes, no, it's --

BASH: -- of getting Democratic support.

HULSE: No, it's the exact same thing.

BASH: Yes.

HULSE: Literally the same thing. This is a pretty good deal for Democrats. You know, I expect them to complain about it, say, it's extreme, it causes chaos. But it's extending the spending that Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden put in. This is what a lot of Republicans said they would never vote for to continue this level of spending.

I think it'll -- as Manu said, I think there'll be a lot of turbulence, but they'll probably get it over the finish line, if not. But I don't think there'll be a move against Mike Johnson.

BASH: No, not yet. Give him a little time.

Thank you guys so much. Great conversation.

Up next here, hospitals across Gaza are running out of electricity and supplies.

[12:35:03]

Staff are working in dire conditions as the war rages right outside their doors. We're going to go live to Israel next.

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BASH: Israeli forces say they fired back at a group of Hamas terrorists embedded among the civilians at the entrance of a hospital in Gaza City today. They claim more than 20 terrorists were killed. CNN cannot confirm whether civilians were injured in that firefight but it does come as Gaza's healthcare system is crumbling.

[12:40:04]

And the video that you're about to see is from another hospital. It is quite disturbing. Doctors are running out of fuel, of water and supplies. The IDF says that they tried to deliver fuel to struggling patients, but it was Hamas who stopped the delivery. CNN's Oren Liebermann is in Tel Aviv. This is one of the most complicated parts of a very complicated story, Oren, right, which is that Israel says that Hamas has commanded and control underneath these hospitals, and that they are the ones, Hamas, not letting their own civilians, the most sick, the most vulnerable out.

In fact, the Prime Minister Netanyahu claimed in an interview that I did with him yesterday that they are trying to help the patients get out of these hospitals.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Israel said it's opened up evacuation quarters from the hospitals. Shifa Hospital, the largest in Gaza, where there is a tremendous amount of fighting and Israel has carried out strikes and operations very close to the hospital, as well as two other hospitals.

There have been tens of thousands we've seen in recent days, leaving North Gaza and Gaza City and heading south. What's unclear, though, is how many have left the hospitals themselves. These hospitals, which are supposed to be sanctuaries from the fighting and become shelters as people try to find a safe place.

Shifa hospital itself, in addition to struggling to treat 650 or so patients in the hospital has thousands of Gaza is taking shelter there. It's unclear if they've been able to evacuate, many of them who've -- we've spoken to simply feel too terrified to leave the hospital.

In terms of the Al-Quds Hospital, that's the second largest in Gaza, that already shut down its medical services. Over the weekend, as you point out, Israel says there were Hamas militants embedded in the civilian population there. And that led to a firefight, the Palestine Red Crescent Society says there was a Red Cross convoy that tried to leave the hospital, but had to turn back because of Israeli bombardment in the area.

So this just gets it how difficult it is to leave what is very much the middle of a war zone with ongoing active fighting. Israel trying to move closer to Shifa Hospital, which it sees as one of the hubs of Hamas's operation there.

BASH: It's just so heartbreaking. And that really is a key part of the story that Israel does see these hospitals, especially Shifa as a place where Hamas is set up.

Thank you so much for that, Oren. Appreciate that reporting.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is refusing to answer questions about whether he will take any responsibility for failing to prevent the October 7 attack. Here's what happened when I asked him about that on State of the Union yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: This whole question will be addressed after the war, just as people would ask -- BASH: Why not now?

NETANYAHU: Well, that people ask Franklin Roosevelt after Pearl Harbor, that question that people ask George Bush after the surprise attack of November 11. Look, it's a question that needs to be asked.

BASH: I think those questions were asked.

NETANYAHU: And these questions will be asked. And I've said, I've said that what one thing that is important, and I've said we're going to answer all these questions.

BASH: Two Israelis who are disappointed that you still won't take responsibility, you say?

NETANYAHU: Well, I said that I'm going to answer all the questions that are required, including the questions of responsibility. There'll be enough time for that after the war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Joining me now is Yaakov Katz, he's a columnist and former editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post. Yaakov, thank you so much for joining me. How did that play in Israel?

YAAKOV KATZ, COLUMNIST & FORMER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, JERUSALEM POST: Look, Israelis were not surprised. We give you a lot of credit, Dana, for trying to get the Prime Minister to take responsibility, but he won't do it, right? Israeli journalists have asked him, you've asked him, other reporters have asked him, he won't do it.

And I think there's two reasons why. First is, I don't think he believes that he's responsible. As we saw just about two weeks ago, in the middle of the night, as Israeli Special Forces were going into Gaza to rescue an Israeli female soldier who had been taken hostage, it was exactly at that same time on a Saturday night, two weeks ago that he decided to tweet,

The heads of the Shabak, Israel's Internal Security Agency, the head of military intelligence never told me, he said, that Hamas was going to war. They had always told me that Hamas was deterred. How do you do that in the middle of the night when Israeli Special Forces are going to risk their lives in a very complicated operation?

So he won't -- he thinks that, a, he's not responsible, but, b, is he gives us insight and his inability to answer the question. And to take responsibility means that he sees a day after for himself here and he sees that his political career is not over even despite the tragedy of what happened here on October 7.

BASH: Yes, that is such an important point, particularly the last one, because it's been a big question whether or not he can politically survive after the war. And he, as you said, clearly believes that he can find a way to do that.

The other -- one of the other things that we talked about that was really interesting and newsworthy was what happens after the war inside Gaza. And he had said to some press at a press conference over the weekend there in Israel that he alluded to the Palestinian Authority as not being capable. I pressed him on that and here's what that conversation look like.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[12:45:20]

BASH: If not the PA, then who --

NETANYAHU: Well there has to be a reconstructed civilian authority, there has to be something else. Otherwise, we're just falling into that same rabbit hole. And we're going to have the same result. Remember, the PA was already in Gaza. When Israel left Gaza, it handed the keys over to the PA. And what happened within a very short time Hamas took over?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: I mean, it is a really important question is, if not the Palestinian Authority, and that's a big if, then, who? If and when Israel is successful at rooting out Hamas inside Gaza, who will be in charge?

KATZ: Well, this is one of the big questions, Dana, of what's going to happen the day after what's the end mechanism for this war, because you can only achieve some of your goals through military means. You also need to have some sort of diplomatic resolution or political resolution to what's happening on the ground.

Israelis who I talked to who hold out for some hope of some Saudi, Egyptian, Jordanian American initiative or replacement inside Gaza, you know, the proof that I look at that that's not possible is show me one Arab country that's opened its borders for the Palestinians who have been displaced inside Gaza. No one wants them.

BASH: Yes.

KATZ: So we expect the Saudis to send people into Gaza. That's not going to happen. And when the Prime Minister told you he wants to see some civilian authority, well, there is one, it's called the Palestinian Authority.

Now, when I look at it when I heard the Prime Minister's answer, I actually didn't hear the no I heard the how it is possible. What did he outlined for you? He said, if they were -- he said that we can't allow them because of -- because they pay salaries to terrorists. We can't allow them because they incite in their education system.

What does that mean? If they were stopped all that, then maybe we could allow them to come into Gaza.

BASH: Yes.

KATZ: There is maybe a -- BASH: So interesting.

KATZ: -- myth (ph) for how this is possible.

BASH: Yes, that's really interesting. I didn't look at it that way. He provided a roadmap for the Palestinian Authority to get back into power.

Thank you so much, Yaakov. Always great to talk to you.

KATZ: Thank you.

BASH: And still ahead, the latest on New York Mayor Eric Adams after FBI agents seized his phones and an iPad as part of an investigation into campaign fundraising. What's Adams next move? We'll tell you next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:52:14]

BASH: New York City Mayor Eric Adams says he will answer questions from reporters tomorrow, as he faces growing scrutiny over links between the Turkish government and his campaign. Adams says he is cooperating with investigators after a New York -- the New York Times revealed that he's under federal -- under investigation rather for federal corruption.

I want to bring in CNN's Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller, who was deputy commissioner of the NYPD and served under Mayor Adams. And John left in July of 2022. He's here with us now. John, what are you hearing from your sources?

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, it's an interesting case. It comes in basically three parts. The first part is the campaign finance fraud. Did Turkish businessmen and others in New York get their employees and friends to give contributions to the Adams campaign, which were then paid back to the donors, which has implications not just by creating straw donors and giving money to the campaign, but also the city supplies matching funds?

So it's defrauding the taxpayers and filling the campaign coffers. That's part one of what they're looking into, which is why they searched the apartment, the home rather, of the head of the campaign -- Adams' reelection campaign finance director.

Part two is, if they can prove that case, what did the mayor know? When did he know it? Was he aware of it? Does it touch him? And did he receive any other personal benefit beyond the campaign contributions, which leads to part three, Dana, which is this foreign influence piece.

Part of the federal investigation looks into, was this just local Turkish businessmen trying to help a politician that they liked very much, or was there the hand of the Turkish government, as we saw in the Menendez case where they alleged, you know, officials of the Egyptian government --

BASH: Right.

MILLER: -- were trying to influence the senator? Is there a foreign influence piece going on behind the curtain?

BASH: And, John, what do you make of the fact that law enforcement officials confiscated his devices and did it in such a public way?

MILLER: Well, I think it's significant. It's significant because you don't just go and grab the phones of the mayor of the largest city in the United States because you need it for the case. It means they had to fill out an affidavit under oath and bring that to a federal judge that showed probable cause to believe that there was evidence in those electronic devices of a crime.

And it's not the kind of thing that a federal judge is going to sign lightly. So it had to be, one would argue, a convincing case.

[12:55:03]

BASH: And how serious could it be for him, the mayor, if it is true that he pressured FDNY officials to override red tape, ignore safety concerns?

MILLER: Not that serious. Frankly, as the Brooklyn borough president, even though the place that was under construction was in Manhattan, that's what borough presidents do. You know, according to the city charter, their job is to make sure they maintain an accurate map of their borough.

The rest is constituent work, which is people call and they say they need favors. The question isn't, did he get the thing done? The question is, did he get something in return for it? And so far, he has not been accused of that.

BASH: John Miller, thank you so much for your reporting, for your analysis, for your expertise. Always good to see you. Thank you.

MILLER: Thanks, Dana.

BASH: And thank you for joining Inside Politics. CNN News Central starts after the break.

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