Return to Transcripts main page

New Day

Progressive Democrats Struggle with Pelosi; American Scientist's Body Found on Greek Island; Biden to Propose Summit of Democracies; Buttigieg Proposes New Ideas on Race; House Expected to Vote on 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired July 11, 2019 - 06:30   ET

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

[06:30:00] RACHAEL BADE, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: You know, sort of in belittling what they stand for, that Pelosi is effectively belittling the people they represent. And that's what Ayanna Pressley sort of said to me. You know, she didn't want to talk about this at first. She was like, I'm dealing with shootings in my district, I'm defending my vote. I have 40 percent immigrants in my vote -- in my district and she was defending this border vote she took that Pelosi was really mad at and which sort of set off this whole back and forth.

But, you know, her whole point was like, I'm not worried about me. My mother gave me, you know, strong shoulders and a strong back, but you're undercutting the people I represent and for that she was upset.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: So, Rachael, Alisyn liked the quotes. My favorite part of the story was the graph where you said that these members are plotting a response this morning via text message.

How does this end? I mean how does this end well for the Democratic caucus?

BADE: So they're not even sure how this is going to end. And a lot of them -- the four of them, don't know what to do. They don't know whether they should confront her.

When I talked to AOC, you know, I was like, why don't you go talk to Pelosi? And she revealed that she actually hasn't spoken one-on-one to Pelosi since February when the speaker basically invited her to be on this climate panel that AOC had said was too weak and she told the speaker no. And ever since then they've had this sort of chilly relationship.

And so she has no -- there's no communication here. And that's something she said is a big problem for them. If they go after Pelosi, they worry that it's going to undermine their ability to do legislation in the House and to actually try to show some muscle, but if they don't say anything, you know, they feel like they're being disrespected and that she's pushing them around.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Really interesting reporting, Rachael. Thank you so much for sharing it with us this morning.

BADE: Thank you. CAMEROTA: OK, now to this. A missing American scientist has been found dead on a Greek island and police say it was murder. What we know about this case in a live report, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:36:07] CAMEROTA: This morning a homicide investigation is underway on a Greek island after police found the body of a missing American scientist. They say she was asphyxiated.

CNN's Arwa Damon is live on Crete with the latest.

What do they know, Arwa?

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

And this facility, this hospital, is where the autopsy was carried out on Suzanne Eaton's body. What we are also learning from the chief of police here is that her body was also found with small, non-lethal stab wounds, as the mystery around what happened to her continues to grow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAMON (voice over): Those who knew her described 59-year-old Suzanne Eaton as an inspiring scientist, an athlete, a loving spouse, and mother of two. Now they are looking for answers after Eaton's remains were discovered on Greece's largest island on Monday. Police ruled her cause of death homicide by asphyxiation.

Eaton was last seen attending a conference at the Orthodox Academy in Crete on July 2nd. That same day, colleagues believe Eaton went out for her daily jog on the island when she went missing. Six days later, local police say Eaton's remains were discovered in a cave near her running path.

After her disappearance, family members set up a FaceBook account called "Searching for Suzanne," raising more than $40,000 to help with the search. Police are continuing to investigate. According to a statement from the institute in Germany where Eaton worked as a microbiologist, her loss is unbearable, the institute said.

The California native was the wife of British scientist Tony Hyman and mother of two sons, Max and Luke. CNN has reached out to the family but they have not yet responded.

We will remember forever the extraordinary scientist so caring and devoted to her family and friends, her employer said in a statement. We remain in disbelief of this shocking and awful tragedy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DAMON: And islanders that we've been speaking to are shocked. They are not accustomed to this kind of violence. The chief of police said that in the four years that he'd held his post, he has never come across a case like this. BERMAN: I've got to say, Arwa, this is simply horrifying. It's got to

be so difficult for that family. Thank you for being there and pressing the reporting.

So the Democratic frontrunner, Joe Biden, delivers what his campaign is billing as a major foreign policy speech. CNN is just getting new details in about the proposals. We'll tell you what they are, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:42:36] BERMAN: New this morning, former Vice President Joe Biden is set to deliver what his campaign is calling a major foreign policy speech. And we just got new details about some of the proposals. The big one appears to be a huge global summit of the world's leading democracies and corporations in order to restore international norms.

Jeff Zeleny here with us on the set with the details here.

Big summit, Jeff.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Hey, John, good morning.

I mean Joe Biden is, of course, trying to make the case that he is the strongest Democrat to take on President Trump. And he'll be doing that today in a major foreign policy address here in New York City. He's trying to make the case that he wants to return things to normal, if you will, in his view the Obama administration version of normal. And he is going to argue that he wants to hold a summit of democracies.

What he means by that, I'm told, is to hold a summit during his first year in office with global leaders from around the world to reset the U.S. foreign policy. He argues that President Trump's America first policy has been America alone. So he wants to talk about alliances, democracy. But particularly it is that summit that he wants to essentially refocus the U.S. foreign policy on.

But he's also trying to do something else to make the case to reset his own campaign, that he is the strongest Democrat to take on President Trump. Of course he's had a bit of a shaky few weeks. So he's resetting his campaign in July, doing this speech here.

But, John, he's also going to talk specifically about what President Trump has not done in terms of the economy and things, so going after China, going after other world leaders, but will not specifically talk about his own foreign policy, like that Iraq War vote that is still hanging over him in this campaign.

BERMAN: Indeed. Return to normalcy, such an important theme for the Biden campaign going forward.

Very quickly, Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, giving a speech or proposing new things on race today.

ZELENY: He is. It's something that he is trying to focus his campaign on, on racial inequality, trying to say through housing, through education, through other programs. He's also trying to make the case that he is trying to reach out to black voters. It's been a big challenge for him. He calls it the Douglass Plan, of course. So he'll be in New Hampshire over the weekend, as will Joe Biden.

BERMAN: Jeff Zeleny, great to have you here with us in New York. A rare New York appearance. We really appreciate it.

ZELENY: Good to see you, John.

[06:44:50] CAMEROTA: All right, John, after yesterday's ticker tape parade in New York, the U.S. women's soccer team has another win to celebrate this morning. We'll show it to you in the "Bleacher Report, "next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: It was a whirlwind day for the U.S. women's national soccer team. I mean I burned calories just watching it and reporting on it. It was capped off with a big award at the Espys last night, and Andy Scholes has more in this morning's "Bleacher Report."

What a 72 hours they've had.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Alisyn, you're tired, but can you imagine the players of the U.S. women's national team? They must just be exhausted. They've been celebrating their World Cup title win since Sunday. They enjoyed that ticker tape parade through New York City yesterday morning. Fans and players chanting equal pay together throughout the day.

Then after all the festivities were over in New York, the team jumping on a plane to Los Angeles. And at the Espys the squad was named the Team of the Year. And during the acceptance speech, Carli Lloyd, well, she joked about their whirlwind day.

[06:50:07] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARLI LLOYD, TWO-TIME WORLD CUP CHAMPION: We literally just got off a plane a couple of hours ago, got hair and makeup in the -- in the plane and we look pretty fabulous, I think. So -- it's been an incredible journey. Super proud of all of these 22 fabulous ladies. So props to all of you. But, thank you so much and here's to the next World Cup in another four years. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Yes, that wasn't the only hardware the team brought home last night. Alex Morgan also winning best Female Athlete of the Year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEX MORGAN, U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM CO-CAPTAIN: Sorry, but this is probably the second best trophy we won this week. But when the World Cup is behind us, it is the professional league that we need to continually lift up and grow. Investment in women and girls should not only occur on the playing

fields, but in more story telling of bad-ass, amazing women who continue to show that we are more than just athletes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Yes, and Morgan and Rapinoe, guys, are going to be on Kimmel tonight. When they finally get some rest, who knows?

CAMEROTA: They don't need it right now. I mean this is their moment. I think they all recognize it. They have stepped into the spotlight and owned it in a way that has been really inspiring to watch.

BERMAN: And I've got to say, Alex Morgan with the clinical term there, which is bad-ass.

CAMEROTA: Oh, my gosh, badassery was on display yesterday and was the word of the day. I think Brooke Baldwin might have coined it in one of her live shots, and it just kept coming up.

BERMAN: Fantastic.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

BERMAN: All right, House lawmakers finally ready to give some of the heroes of 9/11 the vote they have been demanding and, quite frankly, deserve. We have the inside scoop on how this vote is happening, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:55:15] CAMEROTA: It is a major step that 9/11 first responders having been fighting for. Tomorrow, the House is expected to vote to extend the 9/11 Victims' Compensation Fund. The measure would provide financial support for the thousands who suffer serious medical issues.

And joining us now is someone on the front lines of this effort, our favorite guest, 9/11 responder John Feal.

John, great to have you back in studio.

So what exactly is happening tomorrow?

JOHN FEAL, 9/11 RESPONDER: Tomorrow we're going to vote on HR-1327 to extend the VCF, the Victim's Compensation Fund. And our work over the last nine months is going to come to fruition.

But we're not done. We have to get it through the House and then into the Senate. And as soon as that vote's over, we'll be in the Senate. I'll have 40 people with me. These men and women in uniform and non- uniform have worked so hard.

You know, I'm not an advocate. I'm not only a pain in the butt and badassery, but I'm also an historian, to make sure that history is not distorted. So the American people know what it took over the last 15 years to get this bill finally done. And the James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, Luis Alvarez Health and Compensation Act is going to get done because of you guys who have been so generous with your time and the American people who have called, tweeted. I don't -- I'm not even on Twitter. I don't even know how to use that. But I know how to put boots on the ground in D.C. And these men and women have been nothing but great. And my team leaders, phenomenal.

BERMAN: Let me --

FEAL: Jon Stewart, phenomenal

BERMAN: Let me show people the shirt you brought us today. It says "relentless."

FEAL: Yes.

BERMAN: First of all, thank you for clothing us regularly.

FEAL: Yes.

BERMAN: But, second of all, this word really comes into play because even this week, even after all you've done the last few weeks in Washington, you really had to get across the finish line to make this vote happen. Explain to me what's gone on the last few days.

FEAL: Yes, so we were promised back in June that the bill would go before July 4th. That didn't happen. And we also had Luis' funeral, which took up some of our time. On Friday, I had a minor procedure on my hip. And then yesterday, and the day before, Jon Stewart and I decided to up the rhetoric and put some more pressure on leadership on the House side. And Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer felt our wrath. And --

CAMEROTA: But, I mean, can you just explain to us what your tactics are because when -- I think it's interesting to hear the brass knuckles or whatever that you do use. So what do you apply when you apply pressure?

FEAL: I let them know that I'm threatening them. I let them know that we're coming. We're wearing bells. We're not hiding anything. These aren't idle threats. We'll go to the media, we'll take to social media, we'll get the American people behind us We don't threaten people physically, we threaten them to do their jobs.

Listen, Mitch McConnell and Nancy Pelosi are small business owners. One's in charge of 99 people, the other one's in charge of 434 people. They work for us. The American people need to realize that Congress and the Senate work for us. And until we start grabbing and grasping that knowledge that they work for us, we're never going to get anything done in D.C. Make them do their job and you put pressure on them to do their job.

You know, while my team is in that chamber watching that vote, and I hope they all enjoy it, I'm not going. I'm going over to the Senate side to get people like Tillis and Burr -- where's the camera -- Tillis and Burr, I'm coming tomorrow. And if you guys aren't on the bill in North Carolina, there's going to be a problem. Let me tell you something, they have over 1,200 people in their state

in the World Trade Center health program. So if you're from North Carolina, contact Senator Burr and Tillis and tell them to get on the bill. It's that simple.

This is -- this is an insult to the men and women from North Carolina. And, frankly, we have 70 co-sponsors in the Senate. There should be 30 more on the bill. We have 333 in the House. The other, what, 112, 102 should be on the bill. How dare they not get on this bill because of political affiliation? Shame on them. They work for us. And until the American people learn that, that is sad.

You know, everybody says, oh, we're going to get a CBO score today, we're going to get legislation passed. This is no longer about legislation. This is no longer about a CBO score. This is about cementing the legacy of the men and women, our greatest resources that this country witnessed 18 years ago. How -- how -- how romantic and novel would it be that we could go back to 9/12, where we could put aside our political differences and our religions and our gender and not worry who's about stomping on the flag and let's all love each other again. This is about cementing the legacy of Ray Pfeifer and Louis Alvarez and the 182 funerals that I've been to.

CAMEROTA: Gosh.

Well, John, we appreciate your bringing your message here. And you guys have achieved already a herculean effort and we look forward to seeing what happens on Friday.

[07:00:04] FEAL: And you guys are badassery.

CAMEROTA: So are you.

BERMAN: The work -- the work continues tomorrow, John.

CAMEROTA: You taught is to us.

BERMAN: All right, thanks so much.

FEAL: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: Thank you, John.

END