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New Day

Interview with Senator Rob Portman of Ohio; GM's Mary Barra Talks to CNN

Aired October 09, 2014 - 08:30   ET

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

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Perhaps the biggest news is that Orman was even here at a scheduled public event. He hasn't had many lately. Instead, he tweets after the fact photos of his campaign stops, without press there to ask him questions.

Orman's strategy in this final stretch is to keep the focus on the incumbent and do no harm to himself, mostly on the air waves with ads like this.

GREG ORMAN (I), KANSAS SENATE CANDIDATE: I'm a businessman who solves problems every day.

BASH: Orman did talk to reporters post-debate, where we tried to clear up the key question: who will he caucus with if the Senate is split 50-49 and he determines control? No dice.

(on camera): Don't you owe the voters of Kansas an answer on who you're going to be with, because it is possible that you, if you win, could hold the balance of power in your hands?

ORMAN: I sort of reject the premise of that question. I think it's a great thing for Kansas. I think it's an opportunity for Kansas to define the agenda in the United States Senate.

BASH (voice-over): As for Roberts, he is trying to shed his out-of- touch image that got him into political trouble in the first place.

(on camera): Why are you having such a fight? What does this say about you? You are the incumbent?

SEN. PAT ROBERTS (R), KANSAS: I'm going to win this campaign. We will win this race and we will, because we are having every leader from the Republican Party.

BASH (voice-over): The GOP cavalry is coming from all corners. He has already had appearances with Jeb Bush, Sarah Palin and John McCain. Ted Cruz and Rand Paul are coming, too.

ROBERTS: They know me, and they know my record, and they understand me, and they trust me. So, the road to a Republican majority runs right through Kansas.

BASH: Dana Bash, CNN, Kansas City, Kansas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: What those politicians say is one thing but what really matters is the economy and that means we should do CNN Money time right now -- your money.

Chief business correspondent Christine Romans is in our money center.

What do you see, my friend?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'm telling you, firefighters a big dine Wall Street yesterday, Chris. It was the biggest one-day gain this year, up nearly 2 percent across the board, and that was a day after a massive selloff. Do you have whiplash? Yes.

Don't focus own the day-to-day moves. Perspective is important. For the year, the S&P 500 is up 6 1/2 percent. Over the past 5 1/2 years, the S&P 500 is up 191 percent. That's good for your 401(k). In fact, record high balances in 401(k)s.

So, when stocks get crazy, don't get lazy. Know your risk tolerance. It depends on your goals, financial assets and income. Risk tolerance.

Two, balance your portfolio for your age and that risk. You have to keep in mind how much time you have until retirement, invest accordingly.

And finally, rebalance. Rebalance periodically. Maybe every year on your birthday so you stay on track. Don't get lazy, guys.

CUOMO: All right. Thank you very much, Christine. Appreciate the advice, as always.

Airports, they are in the news now. Why? They are planning new screenings procedures to stop infected travelers from bringing the Ebola virus into the country. We're going to speak with Senator Rob Portman -- you see him there situated to the left of Alisyn Camerota. He is calling for more screening for air travelers coming into the U.S.

And it has been a bumpy road for GM, General Motors. Now, the latest problem, a sponsorship with the NFL. GM chief Mary Barra being amazingly candid with CNN. Find out what she has to say about the NFL deal. Big money on the table, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Five of the nation's busiest airports will begin screening passengers coming into the U.S. from Ebola hot zones. The new screenings will begin at New York's JFK airport on Saturday, followed by major hubs in Washington, Newark, Chicago and Atlanta.

Our next guest says the president needs to do more.

Let's bring in Republican Senator Rob Portman from Ohio. He's a member of the Homeland Security Committee.

SEN. ROB PORTMAN (R), OHIO: Hi, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Senator, thanks so much for being here. Great to have you in the studio.

OK. So you fault President Obama for not going further and acting more decisively in Ebola. You wrote a column for CNN.com in which you want him to appoint a single accountable official to coordinate all of the efforts to fight Ebola.

Are you looking for an Ebola czar?

PORTMAN: Well, look, I think we need to do a lot more, to be proactive about this. I think we should have had the screenings in place now coming on Saturday for several weeks. I have been calling on that for several weeks. I think it's important that we insure the American people that we're doing everything we can to help screen.

We also needed to be doing much more in Africa, in my view. In mid- September, the United States made a commitment to begin to build some clinics and supply some more beds appropriate for Ebola patients there hasn't been a single bed constructed yet. Now, I know it takes some time, but meantime, every 15 to 20 days, you see a doubling of the infection rate there. There are probably 8,000 people infected. Probably more, based on what you all reported this morning, that those are underestimates almost 4,000 people died.

So, I think the White House should have taken this more seriously at the outset. It took us 40 dies respond after the world health organization called it a medical emergency. And I think we should be more aggressive now.

CAMEROTA: In terms of a single official, do you think that they would be doing something differently than what the U.S. is now planning to do this weekend in terms of these screenings?

PORTMAN: Yes, I think having one person responsible and accountable makes sense. I think the person ought to be someone who handles what's going on in Africa and what's happening here, so there can better coordination, so you can avoid some of the problems we have seen with folks coming into the country. And I think, you know, frankly, they have just been late to the game. I remember the president in mid-September said, you know, that there is a very -- it's very unlikely that an Ebola patients would end up in the United States. Within two weeks, we had this Texas case.

So, I think there was this mentality that somehow, this wasn't going to affect us in this country. This is a global world. A lot of people traveling. And, you know, I think it's something we haven't taken seriously. Now, we need to step it up, particularly in Africa right now.

CAMEROTA: And speaking of traveling, do you want to see flights from Liberia, Sierra Leone, through obviously some European hubs -- do you want to see those banned into the U.S.? PORTMAN: Well, as you say, we don't have direct flights from those

countries and so they would go through Europe and the Europeans need to make that decision. But I do think we should have much more, aggressive screening.

I think if you come from West Africa, you ought to not just have your temperature taken, but you also ought to be asked some very specific questions and be told that there is a penalty for not answering them accurately. It would be a criminal penalty. And we ought to let people know that.

So, I have been calling for that for some time because I do think it could have avoided some of the problems we have already seen. But, certainly, we need to put it in place now.

CAMEROTA: Let's move on to ISIS. You have been talking about how you would like to see, again, more decisive action against ISIS. And, in fact, in terms of officials here saying they believe that 12 Americans have already left the U.S. and gone to Syria or Iraq to join the fight with ISIS, you would like to seen action taken against them now.

What do you want the president to do?

PORTMAN: Well, I was very concerned when the FBI director last weekend said those people who have American passports fighting with ISIS are entitled to come back in this country and we will track them very closely.

I don't think that's what we ought to be doing. I think we have the legal right to detain those individuals, as enemy combatants. Certainly, we have the right to revoke their passports. I think that should be done immediately.

And I don't understand why, again, we are not being more proactive and, aggressive on this.

In general, I think American leadership, whether it's with regard to fighting the Ebola virus or whether it's regard to fighting is, the terrorist threat that they now present, needs to be more, aggressive because other countries will follow when we lead. But as we are seeing right now on the border of Turkey, as we are seeing with Ebola crisis, when the United States does not take a proactive, aggressive approach. It's very difficult to stop these problems.

CAMEROTA: Congressman -- California Congressman Duncan Hunter said that he believes that ISIS fighters have already infiltrated the southern border of the United States. In fact, he believes that many have been detained and caught. Let me play for you what he said a couple of days ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DUNCAN HUNTER (R), CALIFORNIA: I know that at least ten ISIS fighters have been caught coming across the Mexican border in Texas. There's nobody talking about it. There's --

GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS: How do you know that?

HUNTER: Because I've asked -- because I've asked the Border Patrol, Greta.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Have 10 ISIS fighters already been detained?

PORTMAN: I don't know. I saw this morning that Jeh Johnson, secretary of homeland security, said that was not necessarily accurate.

But, look, it could happen. And I have actually asked the FBI director to tell me whether fighters have already come in, because based on his comments, saying they are entitled to come back, unless their passports are revoked, which they should be in my view, and that we will track them, that, to me, is an inadequate response.

The United States should not be tracking people, we should be detaining those people, we have the right to do that. So, I don't know the facts in terms of the southern border but I do know that it's certainly possible.

CAMEROTA: So, you think it's possible that is fight verse already infiltrated?

PORTMAN: I just don't know, Alisyn. I do think this is a question that we ought to get answers from the administration on.

The broader question here is, again, the United States being proactive, aggressive, let's look ahead and see what the problems are and do all we can do to prepare for it. If we had done that with Ebola, you wouldn't have this problem to the degree it is, 15 to 20 days, doubling you of the number of infections so it continues to grow. You wouldn't have the problem with ISIS if we had left in place in Iraq some residual force, including people who could focus on intelligence, some special operators and trainers.

And so, we get behind on these things and then we have to play catch up and it's much more difficult.

CAMEROTA: As you say, Secretary Johnson came out and called it categorically false, what Congressman Duncan said. Let me play for you what his response was.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEH JOHNSON, SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: We need to be responsible in what we say, in passing on speculation, rumor, to not unduly cause fear and anxiety in the American public.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Congressman Duncan has walked back his comments as well. He says that he now says that detainees have a "suspected affiliation." What's the difference?

PORTMAN: Well, I don't know. That is something that we need to have intelligence to tell us about. But again, my point is, if we are continuing to react after the fact rather than being proactive, we are going to potentially have these problems.

So, if we have intelligence on these individuals who have left the United States, now with is, yes, we ought to be sure that their passports are revoke and they don't have the ability to come legally back into the United States. I think it's that simple f they try to, they should be detained.

We have the right to do that, because they are enemy combatants. Also other laws that could apply, including them taking up arms against U.S. government and U.S. military. So, there are opportunities for us here to be proactive on this one, we ought to do it.

CAMEROTA: Yes, it makes sense.

Senator Portman, thanks so much for coming into the studio to talk to us about this.

PORTMAN: Thank you, Alisyn. Thanks for having me again.

CAMEROTA: And be sure to read Senator Portman's op-ed on airport screening measures on CNN.com.

Let's go over to Chris.

CUOMO: All right, Alisyn.

There are more than 1 million GM vehicles on the road with defective ignition switches. I'm saying that slowly so you can absorb it. Over 1 million. Can you believe that?

Is the company worried about it? Are you? Find out what GM Mary Barra plans to do about that in a surprisingly candid one on one with CNN. .

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: So, CEO Mary Barra has behind the wheel of GM for nine months now. It's a question and a wonder if she's driving one, though, given the months of recall after recall affecting 30 million vehicles. The latest bump in the road, Barra is keeping her company's ads on NFL games despite the obvious domestic violence scandals. So, Poppy Harlow went out there, asked Barra about it, candid one-on-one interview, and now you're here.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we had an extended conversation with her. The first time we've gotten to sit down with her since the recall crisis. I mean, the number you gave, Chris, is astonishing, 30 million cars. We can't forget the deaths. So far 24 deaths have been reported tied to that ignition switch recall, and we know that that is going to go higher. Also, some very severe injuries. So, we sat down, we talked to her about the recalls and if they're

really doing the right thing, as she has been saying.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

HARLOW: There are still more than 1 million GM vehicles with this defective ignition switch on the road driving today, and that scares some people. Are you worried more people might die?

MARY BARRA, CEO, GENERAL MOTORS: Well, as we look at it, first of all, we have communicated in several times, in several forms, you know, letters, you know, media, many different ways, and we're trying to make sure that people know, if they drive with just the key, that the vehicle is safe to drive. And we've done extensive testing and that's been externally validated.

HARLOW: You have repeatedly said in Congressional testimony, to us, the media, GM is doing the right thing. Is it the right thing to not allow those that accept money from the victim compensation fund to then ever sue GM again down the road?

BARRA: You know, the compensation program is completely optional. They have the same -- so they have the choice of if they want to participate in that, and then they have the rights that are afforded to them with the legal system. But I think we're going above and beyond with what we're doing to do the right thing.

HARLOW: Because one mother who lost her son, Michael Erickson, told me just this week, are they just showing money? Are they just throwing money at us to make this go away? And she's really wrestled with whether or not to take the money.

BARRA: Again, we want to do the right thing. That's why we put Fineberg in place. But I would also -- as I've talked to individuals affected, if I could turn back the clock and change what happened, I would, but I can't.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

HARLOW: I think a lot of people want to turn that clock back. The thing is, because GM went bankrupt in 2009, they have this bankruptcy protection. They are basically not liable for anything that happened pre -2009. That's another separate company.

So, a lot of these crashes where there were deaths happened before 2009. These families can't sue, so then they end up going into the victim compensation fund, which is a good thing. I don't want to misstate that, it's a good thing that there's a victim compensation fund to help these people, but these mothers who lost their son tell me, well, I just feel like I'm accepting money and saying then what GM did is okay.

CUOMO: Right, it gives the company a break, and that's why the term that you're using is the right one. Are you doing the right thing?

HARLOW: That's what they say, we're going to do the right thing. CUOMO: Right, and we're going to have to see what that winds up

meaning. Now, and under that category of doing the right thing - - Certainly, we're not talking about lethality here, but when we're dealing with the NFL - -

HARLOW: Right.

CUOMO: -- and domestic violence, there has been pressure put on advertisers. They say they're sticking with the NFL. You asked about that.

HARLOW: They're sticking with the NFL, and all these big companies are. Anheuser-Busch, Pepsi, Campbell's Soup's CEO, another woman, told me this week, they're standing by the NFL. So, we wanted to ask GM's chief, Mary Barra, the same thing, because they spend $40 million a year in NFL sponsorship. Here's what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

HARLOW: Do you think that the NFL and Roger Goodell have taken the right steps responding to this domestic violence crisis?

BARRA: My personal opinion and across the company is it's just completely unacceptable. And so, when I look at the steps that the NFL has taken, I think they have an opportunity to not only, you know, make very important changes that will set the tone for the NFL, but also to do something that has more far-reaching implications that I think would benefit and get to the issues that need to be resolved in this case so there can be, you know, behavior change and real change in this area of domestic violence. I believe that they have that opportunity, and I believe they'll seize it.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

HARLOW: But what specifically should be done? I asked her, alright, what are the specifics you want to see? She didn't have any that she wanted to list, but she did call it a huge opportunity, not only for the NFL, but more broadly for America. I think we all believe that. But I don't know, it would be interesting to actually see these leaders come out and say I want to see x, y and z. We know they've been meeting with Goodell.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: I know, because it seems like it's business is business, and this doesn't fit under that category, which is troubling for a lot of people.

HARLOW: Yes, but Chris, you had a good point. It's not just the NFL.

CUOMO: I mean, you know, what we were talking about before is that if you're going to pull ads from the NFL, then you got to do it from the NBA, the NFL, Major League Baseball because, you know, you just have to understand that the NFL is not the focus of domestic violence in this country. It is the media's focus right now, but every major sport.

PEREIRA: But, by not doing anything then - CAMEROTA: And do you think it's tougher for the female CEOs to have to answer the question?

HARLOW: I think that they have unfairly been put in the spotlight to answer the question. I think -- I think every CEO, man or woman, should have to respond. But with the women, CEOs have been thrown in the spotlight and said, well, you're a woman. You know, we need your response. How about all of you who are sponsoring the NFL tell us why and tell us specifically what you want to change.

CAMEROTA: Great point. Poppy Harlow, thanks so much.

HARLOW: Thanks, guys.

CAMEROTA: Great to see you.

Alright, you're going to meet a man who made the ultimate come back. This wounded warrior almost gave up. Now, he's everybody's hero. The amazing story of Noah Galloway. He is the Good Stuff.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: Boy, is this song appropriate. This man is certainly the man and he is certainly the Good Stuff, alright? Today's edition reminds us that you are not your limitations. "Men's Health Magazine" here, situated on my chest, recently set out to find the ultimate "Men's Health Guy," but not just some celebrity who's getting pumped up for a movie. 1,200 men applied. Winners, every one.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO (voice-over): Extraordinary group of men they found. In the end, they crowned Noah Galloway, Noah Galloway. The soldier lost two of his limbs in Iraq and also, at the time, his will to go on. Listen to where he started.

NOAH GALLOWAY, WINNER "MEN'S HEALTH GUY": I got good at putting on a front, but behind closed doors, I was drinking all the time. It wasn't until one day, I looked in the mirror and I looked at what I was doing to the rest of my body. And I decided to turn it around. The injury changed everything for me, but it was my choice whether I let it make me bitter or better.

PEREIRA (voice-over): Bitter or better.

CUOMO: Many in his situation succumb to the depression. Either it goes along with the physical trouble that they suffer. But he didn't. And the better, that's what he decided to do and he did it. He cleaned up his life, he went to the gym every day at 2 in the morning.

PEREIRA: Wow.

CUOMO: Because he was embarrassed by his injuries. He designed an entirely new workout to accommodate his needs. He is now the father of three, he's in the best shape of his life. Noah says there are still down days, but he does not dwell. Now, this came to our attention in a very good way. There's my brother-in-law, Kenneth Cole, in the picture. These are the three finalists who were there. I was asked by "Men's Health", I write for them occasionally, love the magazine, to help choose their ultimate guy. There were only good choices. It was an honor to meet all of them. Noah is just a phenomenal guy with a great message.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO (on camera): It's so much more about inside than outside for him. This was the easy part for him he would tell you, getting to look like this.