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FDA Official Approval of COVID Vaccine on Horizon; Data Shows Unvaccinated to Blame for Surge; House Republicans Revolt Over New Mask Mandate Amid Surge; Republicans Join Dems to Move Forward on Infrastructure Deal; Caeleb Dressel Wins First Individual Gold Medal. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired July 29, 2021 - 06:00   ET

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

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Brianna Keilar alongside John Berman on this NEW DAY. As the pandemic is worsening for the unvaccinated, vaccine mandates in corporate America are growing by the hour.

[05:59:25]

Plus, why are cases in the U.K. suddenly plunging after a big wave? The mystery that is baffling health experts.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: It's called the largest federal investment in public transit and bridges ever. Why President Biden is on the verge of an historic feat.

And Capitol rioter -- a Capitol rioter back behind bars after buying 37 guns online and declaring that violence is better than a peaceful protest.

KEILAR: Good morning to viewers here in the United States and around the world. It is Thursday, July 29.

And get vaccinated or get out. That is the message from corporate America this morning. Many companies are not just recommending that employees get the COVID vaccine. They're flat-out mandating it for people who are coming back to the office, as the unvaxed in America threaten to derail the economic recovery.

Silicon Valley really leading the way here, both Facebook and Google announcing that all employees returning to the office must be vaccinated.

And then Netflix also mandating vaccines for all actors who star in the streaming giant's programming and the employees who come into contact with them, becoming the first major studio to do so.

The financial sector, as well, starting to say get vaxed or find a new job. Major companies like BlackRock and Morgan Stanley announcing that all employees must be vaccinated to return to the office.

And Sachs Fifth Avenue, "The Washington Post," Ascension Health, Lyft also requiring the shot to work. And today President Biden is prepared to announce that all federal

workers must get vaccinated or face strict protocols like regular testing and masking.

BERMAN: So overnight, as cases surge across the country, Disney announced that starting tomorrow, all guests, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear masks indoors.

Apple is returning to its mask mandate for customers and staff at most of its U.S. stores. And overnight, Twitter announced it is closing its San Francisco and New York offices just two weeks after reopening them.

A CNN analysis of CDC data found that 71 percent of Americans now live in counties with high or substantial COVID transmission. The message might be getting through. The pace of vaccinations has increased, 35 percent since last week.

KEILAR: And about one-third of eligible Americans have not been vaccinated. When many of them are asked about it, they say that it's because the vaccine has not been FDA approved. Right? It just has that emergency use authorization.

Kristen Holmes is on this story for us. OK, so assuming that would actually change minds, what is the holdup here with getting full approval?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's the big question that the White House, that the public, that businesses all want the answer to, especially as we see these cases rise. Right?

So the FDA insists to me that they are moving as quickly as they possibly can. They point to the fact that they've made this a priority, meaning that normally the process takes ten months. They've shortened that down to six months.

And now you have some of the nation's top health officials saying it could be even sooner. The acting head of the FDA saying that January timeline -- that's the six months -- it's going to be before that.

We have the former FDA head saying that it could be as early as August, which of course is in two days, or September. But still from the FDA, we have no timeline. They say they are just poring through the data.

Now, we have learned that over at the White House, Biden administration officials are watching this, obsessively so. That's the the word that a senior administration official said to us.

And the reason is really twofold, and it's what you mentioned here in the intro. It's the idea that, one, businesses, they want some kind of backing here. They want that legal backing that helps them actually issue those mandates. And they can they can only get that, or some of them can only get that, if it is fully approved.

And the other is that vaccine hesitancy. The White House wants to get as many shots in arms as they possibly can, and this would be just another tool in their tool kit.

So, this is the question we continually ask them. We are wanting to know when exactly this is going to be approved. And I will say we have heard that there is no pressure from the White House. The FDA officials do not feel pressure from the White House on this. The White House doesn't want to give any indication that this was politicized. They just want to get it right the first time.

KEILAR: Well, that is refreshing, I will say.

BERMAN: Yes, although the full approval will make a difference.

KEILAR: Yes.

BERMAN: I think for sure.

KEILAR: You think it definitely will?

BERMAN: Absolutely.

KEILAR: All right.

BERMAN: Absolutely. Because it may make it easier for mandates and requirements to be implemented by businesses and localities.

KEILAR: And those work, right?

BERMAN: Absolutely.

KEILAR: We're seeing that.

BERMAN: Unquestionably.

KEILAR: Kristen, thank you so much for that report.

BERMAN: All right. Republican Governor Kay Ivey says it is time to blame the unvaccinated for America's current predicament. Most officials have been too polite to say it that bluntly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, CDC DIRECTOR: This is not about who needs to take responsibility. That is -- that is not really why we put this guidance out.

DR. JEROME ADAMS, FORMER U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: You know me, John. I'm not one who likes to blame and shame, but I think we all have some responsibility for the politicization of this virus.

JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We're not here to place blame or threats. We're here to provide accurate information.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: So they say they're not here to place blame, but frankly, the blame doesn't need their help. It's placing itself. It's just obvious. If the unvaccinated are not to blame, who is? The vaccines prevent

serious illness. The vaccines keep you out of the hospital. The vaccines in the U.S., at least, are everywhere. If you want them, you can get them.

[06:05:06]

This is now a pandemic of the unvaccinated. It is now a pandemic of choice. The choice not to get vaccinated. And it's a choice that's having a profound impact, a bad one, on the rest of us. The facts bear it out.

KEILAR: The facts: only 49 percent of the country is vaccinated, and that is still a far cry from the 70 to 85 percent threshold that health officials say is needed to reach herd immunity.

BERMAN: The World Health Organization now says the U.S. has recorded the highest number of cases in the world over the past seven days in a country where the vaccine is everywhere, if you choose to get it.

KEILAR: Health agencies and states all report that nearly all of the current hospitalizations and deaths as a result of COVID are from the unvaccinated. Again, nearly all. More than 97 percent across the nation. And there's very rarely anything 97 percent, right, but vaccine efficacy is getting pretty close here.

BERMAN: But you have to take it for it to work. Now with the ferociously contagious Delta variant, cases are up in nearly every state, 36 of them seeing increases of more than 50 percent in the past week.

More than 70 percent of the U.S. population lives in counties considered to have high or substantial transmission.

KEILAR: In Louisiana, the state's largest healthcare system reports a 700 percent increase in COVID patients over the past month. Seven hundred percent. And nearly 9 out of 10 of those patients are unvaccinated.

BERMAN: In Georgia, one of the states seeing a more than 50 percent increase since just last week, only 40 percent of the population is fully vaccinated.

The unvaccinated are prolonging this pandemic. The unvaccinated are accelerating this pandemic.

The main reason the CDC says it was compelled to change its mask guidance and essentially punish the vaccinated was because of cases among unvaccinated.

The surge risks a new hit to the economy, risking a smooth reopening of schools, risks the reopening of workplaces. And speaking of schools, it's risking the health of children.

KEILAR: Children's hospitals in Arkansas reporting a record high number of children hospitalized with COVID. That is the reality here. Children, yes, they have been largely spared by severe COVID cases, but that's clearly not the case with this Delta variant.

And one more thing to point out here. While the reasons certainly vary for not getting the vaccine, one obvious one, a big one, is the political and conspiratorial efforts by the right wing and social media.

According to a new survey, 46 percent of Republicans who most trust far-right news refuse to be vaccinated. And that is up 31 percent in March.

BERMAN: So pointing all this out is not about shaming anyone, but not pointing it out ignores reality. It ignores what needs to change and who needs to change. The solution is available with a shot.

Until then, the summer surge of COVID in the U.S., brought to you by the unvaccinated.

KEILAR: Now this morning the drama over mask wearing on Capitol Hill is in full force. One day of a mask mandate was reinstated in the House, many House Republicans purposefully defied the rules. They appeared maskless on the floor. They ranted about the reimposed requirement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. CHIP ROY (R-TX): We have a crisis at our border, and we're playing footsy with mask mandates in the people's House.

We have people infected with COVID coming through our southern border into Texas, and you all put masks, masks, up front here? Which is it? Vaccines or masks? The vaccines work or they don't work. Do the masks work or they don't work.

This institution is a sham, and we should adjourn and shut this place down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Joining me now, Democratic Congressman Raul Ruiz of California. He is also a former emergency room physician who has been administering COVID-19 vaccines to his constituents in hard-to-reach and underserved areas of his district.

Congressman, thank you so much for being with us this morning. What do you think about what Chip Roy said there?

REP. RAUL RUIZ (D-CA); I think it's shameful and -- because it fosters the confusion, the chaos. It -- it distracts from the importance of following scientifically proven precautions in order for us to prevent and mitigate this fourth surge that we're about to face.

KEILAR: What do you think about Chip Roy? I mean, factually about what he said?

RUIZ: Well, it's wrong. It's wrong, because we understand that we're dealing with a new, more severe, more infectious variant, which is the Delta variant.

And we also know that the vaccine has -- does have protection against this variant. But we also know that individuals who have had the vaccine can have breakthrough infections, still be contagious, and they can be at risk and not only that but infect others.

And so we need to get vaccinated, and we also need to wear masks so we prevent it from spreading to other people.

[06:10:06]

KEILAR: Let's parse this, though, because he is correct in that people are confused about this.

RUIZ: Yes, people are confused.

KEILAR: But what he's saying is, is it the masks or is it the vaccines?

RUIZ: It's both. It's got be both. So you've got to realize that -- that this Delta virus now can infect people who are vaccinated. Now, most of them will be asymptomatic. Some of them will be mildly symptomatic. But if they're infected, then they can spread it to others.

The whole purpose of the mask is to prevent one person from spreading it to others by preventing the air droplets from exiting people's mouths.

So that's why we have to combine both of them to increase the likelihood that you will not get infected and you will not infect others.

But here's the deal, is that it's one of those things that, if we all wear a mask, then we're all protected. If we're not all wearing a mask, then we're minimizing that protection, and we're hurting everybody else.

KEILAR: But if we're all vaccinated, then we don't have to wear a mask --

RUIZ: So --

KEILAR: -- and people who are vaccinated are annoyed. I mean, I talked to people. They're going to do it, because they're going to do what is going to keep them --

RUIZ: Yes.

KEILAR: -- and their children safe, but this is terrible. Why do they have to do this when it's because of people who are not vaccinated?

RUIZ: Look, I understand that. My wife and I were celebrating the fact that we're coming over the -- the maximum of the pandemic. We thought we were in the home stretch. A lot of parents are getting frustrated, because their kids are going to go to school. We're going to send our 6-year-old twins to their first day of class,

and we're excited about that. Now we're thinking, oh my goodness, we're having the conversations. Are we going to have to keep them home again? Are we going to have to start minimizing the commerce and gatherings of people? I don't want that to happen. Many people don't want that to happen. I want to get through this pandemic.

So that's why it's so urgent that we talk to our family members and our friends who are hesitant to get the vaccine and plead with them for their sake, for their family's sake, for our community's sake, for our country's sake.

This is the most patriotic thing that we can do right now, is to get vaccinated and help our fellow Americans get vaccinated so that we can get our economy back, we can get our kids back to school, we can get back to work, and we can build back better as President Biden is leading us into this new era of -- of our country.

KEILAR: All right. Congressman Ruiz, thank you so much for being with us this morning. We appreciate it.

RUIZ: Thank you.

KEILAR: President Biden is on the verge of a historic victory involving the nation's roads and bridges. What's in this massive infrastructure deal?

BERMAN: Plus, we're going to speak live with the councilwoman who was targeted with a racial -- racial slur from one of her colleagues.

And Matt Damon says it was eye-opening to shadow an Oklahoma oil rig worker who happens to be a Trump supporter. He joins us live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:17:00]

KEILAR: Developing overnight, a major step forward for President Biden's agenda, the Senate voting to take up a historic $1 trillion infrastructure deal that would make far-reaching investments in the nation's public works system.

Ultimately, 17 Republicans joined with Democrats. That is quite a number. Jeremy Diamond live for us at the White House.

All right, Jeremy, we have spent months watching the sausage be made. It has been something to behold. What is in this sausage? What's in this bill?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, with that key Senate vote last night, President Biden is closer than ever to finally getting this $1 trillion infrastructure bill.

It has about $550 billion in new spending, and here are some of the top-line items here. You have $110 billion for roads, bridges and major projects; $66 billion or passenger and freight rail. The largest ever investment in public transit at $39 billion.

And that is how the White House is framing this. You can see in this next slide here that they are calling this the largest federal investment in public transit. Talking about the fact that this is the largest bridge investment since the interstate highway system.

The president in the statement last night, he said that this is the largest, most significant investment in infrastructure in nearly a century.

But let's be clear, Brianna, a lot still remains to be done. This bill hasn't yet been written fully into legislative text, and there are still a lot of delicate political dynamics within the Democratic Party that could still threaten to upend this bill.

We saw just yesterday after this deal was announced, Senator Kyrsten Sinema, one of the key negotiators on this bill, saying that as of now, she opposes that separate $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill, which Democrats are trying to pass along party lines.

And some progressives in the House on the other side of this, they aren't happy yet with this infrastructure bill. And in response to that comment from Senator Sinema, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez making clear that she is willing to hold up this infrastructure bill if that separate reconciliation package doesn't go through.

So this parallel track still very, very delicate in the days ahead -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Yes. Deep divide there in the Democratic Party. We'll see how that plays out. Jeremy, thank you so much.

BERMAN: Meanwhile, a lot of sausage.

KEILAR: A lot.

BERMAN: Right? They agreed on a lot of sausage there, as you said.

KEILAR: They did, yes. Finally, we can actually say what's in it instead of what might be in it.

BERMAN: You're just making me hungry.

All right. I want to bring in Mark Jaffe. He's the executive director of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. President, thank you for being with us this morning. How happy are you about this apparent deal?

MARK JAFFE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GREATER NEW YORK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: This is a good deal for the American people. It's a good deal for the people of the state of New York. We need this infrastructure. We need the jobs.

And politics aside, it looks like we're going to move forward on a trillion-dollar worth of spending for infrastructure, roads, the Amtrak tunnels, and broadband, which will help fuel the economy and create better paying jobs.

BERMAN: What do you like most in this deal? And what will help the businesses that are part of your organization the most?

[06:20:04]

JAFFE: Well, you know, our businesses in the New York area like it. Lyft likes it. Macy's like it. JetBlue likes it. We're going to improve airports. We're going to improve roads.

We've had success as Americans throughout the century when we invest in good public works that keep giving dividends to the American people and create a strong economy.

This is a good deal. And we hope that politics doesn't get in the way, where we have an either/or situation. A trillion dollars in spending and some good plans to use some of the American CARES Act, the American Rescue Act, almost $4 trillion that was pumped into the economy that hasn't been spent yet.

We're excited that this bill will -- will create jobs, give us much- needed infrastructure, power grid components that we've been talking about for decades.

Let's get it done. And let's not play politics. Let's get it done for our businesses and the people that those businesses can employ.

BERMAN: Is the Biden White House delivering for you?

JAFFE: Is the Biden White House delivering for us? They're doing the best that they can. It's not just the White House. I mean, we have a whole Congress, and we have 50 state capitals that have input in this system. And there's always in-roads and fighting.

We're looking at the money coming for mass transit, and three states are -- are trying to agree on which state gets more and -- and so forth.

So a trillion dollars for infrastructure, that's good deal for the American people.

BERMAN: What do you think of bipartisanship? You know, this runs counter to the whitewashing that seems to work right now. They actually got some agreement on both sides of the aisle.

JAFFE: Well, yes. You have 17 Republicans. But within the Democratic caucus alone, we're -- we're seeing perhaps threats. The progressive caucus says, We need more. We want more.

Well, let's be thankful for what we have. Let's really be thankful that the pharmaceutical companies and -- came up with a vaccine. This is important.

And we're still fighting over mask -- mask mandates and how best to make sure the Delta variants and other variants don't cripple our economy again. So, politics is always involved. And we're very much concerned that

we're going to have, you know, a stall of this. It still has to go. This bill still has to go through the whole Congress.

You know, the White House likes it. Business likes it. The Greater New York Chamber of Commerce likes it. But it's not a done deal yet. So we're keeping our fingers crossed that we can reach a complete agreement and make sure that this deal gets through to help the American people with much-needed infrastructure improvements at a time where interest rates are so low this is a good deal for the American people.

BERMAN: Mark Jaffe, we appreciate you being with us this morning. Thank you.

All right. Coming up, a record-setting win for an American swimming star. The emotional moment that brought him to tears.

KEILAR: Plus, Simone Biles speaking out after pulling out of the individual and team all-around competitions. Her message for her fans.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:27:22]

KEILAR: The swimmer who is being called the next Michael Phelps wins his first individual gold medal at the Olympics, and Coy Wire is there in Tokyo.

Wow, Coy.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Brianna, Caeleb Dressel in his second Olympics and being touted as the next Michael Phelps. That would be a lot of pressure. Right?

He'd already won three relay golds. Now he's won his first gold medal on his own with an Olympic record. He won the 100-meter free from the jump. Look at this start. He got an arm-length lead out of the blocks, and he ended up winning by that same length.

Caeleb trains like a football player. His trainer told me after the race that all that explosive training he did in his garage through the pandemic were on full display, but he also said that Caeleb's parents are the biggest factor.

Cheering from Florida with his high school sweetheart-turned-wife, Meghan, they and Caeleb were overcome with emotion after this win, even broke down in tears afterwards, talking about how long and difficult this past year has been.

And two-time defending world champion pole vaulter Sam Kendricks, Olympics are over after testing positive for COVID just two days before his event was set to start.

The U.S. Army Reserve first lieutenant won a bronze at the Rio games. He's been transferred to a hotel and placed in isolation, according to the U.S. OPC.

Now, the women's gymnastics all-around competition will go on tonight without the greatest ever. Simone Biles withdrew herself from the competition for mental health reasons. She tweeted today, quote, "The outpouring of love and support I've received has made me realize I'm more than my accomplishments in gymnastics, which I never truly believed before," unquote.

Earlier today I interviewed five-time Olympic swimmer, seven-time medalist Kirsty Coventry, now an IOC member and chair of the IOC Athletes Commission, which serves between -- as the link between the athletes and the IOC. She says that Biles is brave.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIRSTY COVENTRY, 7-TIME OLYMPIC MEDALIST: It will be incredible, positive thing for so many more athletes that may or may not be in the same situation, that are going to look to her, and she's inspiring athletes. She's allowed for it to just be something that can be accepted by people. And I think that took a lot of bravery.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: Now, Kirsty says the IOC does have resources in place for the athletes, a mental health toolkit, other things. But they realize they need to do more for these athletes who want help.

And perhaps most importantly, Brianna, John, ensure athletes that they have a safe space to speak out. She thinks Simone Biles speaking up is a powerful step towards letting other athletes know it's OK to do what she's doing.

BERMAN: Yes. Absolutely. I think she's really paved the way for athletes to talk about this more openly. No question about that, Coy. And her statement that this has all made her realize she's more than just her accomplishments, lovely and sad all at the same time.