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Biden Campaigns In Georgia Senate Runoff As McConnell Acknowledged Him As President-Elect; W.H. Suggests Possible "Continuation Of Power" For Trump; Health Care Workers Getting Vaccinated At 425 Sites Nationwide; FDA Expected To Authorize Second Coronavirus Vaccine Within Days; Sources: Pence Likely To Get Coronavirus Vaccine By Friday; FDA Authorizes First Fully At-Home Coronavirus Test; Interview With Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA); Russian Operation To Trail Opposition Leader Navalny. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired December 15, 2020 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00]

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: And her positive COVID test came back two days later. The respiratory therapist was herself put on a ventilator. She died on November 18.

Her husband of 24 years said she, "gave her last breath to the very machine that she made sure others could survive on." Tragic story. May her memory be a blessing.

Our coverage on CNN continues right now.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM. We're following breaking news.

President-elect Biden campaigning in Georgia for the stage two Democratic Senate candidates in next month run off which will determine control of the U.S. Senate. This comes shortly after the Majority Leader Mitch McConnell finally acknowledged Biden as President-elect of the United States.

A White House adviser responded to that saying, "You can't always get what you want," indicating President Trump's election challenges have run their course.

We're also following other breaking pandemic news. Health care workers are now getting the Pfizer vaccine at 425 sites across the United States. And the FDA is expected to grant emergency use authorization for the Moderna vaccine within the next few days. And the need has never been greater.

The U.S. coronavirus death toll now stands at more than 302,000 people with more than 16.6 million cases and hospitalizations. Here in the United States right now are at an all-time high.

Let's begin our coverage this hour with President-elect Biden's return to the campaign trail today. Our Political Correspondent M.J. Lee is joining us right now. M.J., this Georgia senate runoff election has huge implications for the Biden presidency.

M.J. LEE, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. And there is no question that Joe Biden is going to be sworn in as president on January 20. What we don't know right now is what the balance of power is going to be in the Senate come next year.

Biden obviously would like to ensure that Democrats take control of the Senate next year, and that is why he is back out on the campaign trail in Georgia right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

LEE (voice-over): Tonight, President-elect Joe Biden back on the campaign trail in Atlanta, Georgia.

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hello, Georgia. It's great to be back.

LEE: We're all live or on a pair of Senate runoff races.

BIDEN: A lot of folks thinking maybe Georgia broke the record for vote of presidential election. But there's no way they do it again in the special election for two seats in the United States Senate.

Are you ready to prove them wrong?

I think you are.

LEE: Biden vouching for Democratic candidates Jon Ossoff, and Reverend Raphael Warnock. The outcome of their races will determine the balance of power in the U.S. Senate next year. And the kinds of legislative victories Biden might be able to score as president.

BIDEN: I need two senators from the state. Want to get something done. Not two senators who are just going to get in the way. Because look, getting nothing done just hurts Georgia.

LEE: This as some Republican leaders in Washington are finally acknowledging Biden's White House victory.

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: I also want to congratulate the vice president-elect, our colleague from California, Senator Harris. The Electoral College has spoken.

LEE: Biden signaling he's eager to collaborate with his former colleague in the Senate.

BIDEN: I had a good conversation with Mitch McConnell today. I called him to thank him for the congratulations. Told him although we disagree on a lot of things, there's things we can work together on.

LEE: The Presidential Inaugural Committee sharing new details about what inauguration day during a global pandemic will look like. Both Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will take their oath of office on Capitol Hill. But the ceremony will be extremely limited and the parade reimagined.

The committee also asking the public to stay home and refrain from traveling to Washington. Inauguration plans well underway as the Electoral College officially declared Biden the winner of the 2020 election.

BIDEN: Now it's time to turn the page, as you've done throughout our history, to unite, to heal.

LEE: Next up on Biden's agenda, receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Anthony Fauci arguing both Biden and Harris should be at the front of the line.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: For security reasons, I really feel strongly that we should get them vaccinated as soon as we possibly can.

LEE: Biden making a commitment to receive the vaccine in a public setting.

BIDEN: When I do it, you'll have notice, and we'll do it publicly.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

LEE: Now, as for when Biden will receive that vaccine, a transition official tell CNN that an announcement on that is coming soon.

And Wolf, we have some cabinet news as well. We expect Joe Biden to nominate Pete Buttigieg as his Transportation Secretary.

[17:05:03]

This is the former South Bend Indiana mayor who ran against Biden in the 2020 primary. He has since been floated for a number of roles in a potential cabinet. But again, we are reporting that he will be chosen to be Biden's Transportation secretary pick. And I should note if he is confirmed, he would be the first LGBTQ member of the cabinet. Wolf.

BLITZER: Very interesting, indeed, M.J.. I want you to stand by, we got questions for you.

But I want to go to the White House right now. Our Chief White House Correspondent Jim Acosta is on the scene for us.

Jim, you're hearing from sources there, they're about -- the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell finally, finally acknowledging the election reality.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Oh, that's right, Wolf. And we should point out President Trump remained in hiding today, but White House officials continued to spread disinformation about the election. Despite the fact that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has now recognized Joe Biden as the President-elect. Asked about McConnell, a White House adviser quoted one of Mr. Trump's favorite songs from the Rolling Stones, "You can't always get what you want," this advisor said referring to the song that was used to signal the end of Trump rallies in the past. This advisor went on to say it's time to cue up Nick Jagger, meaning Trump's election challenges have run their course.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

MCCONNELL: Our country has officially a President-elect.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Even as more top Republicans acknowledge that Joe Biden will be the next president after the Electoral College finalize that result, White House officials are refusing to live in the real world.

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The President is still involved in ongoing litigation related to the election. Yesterday's vote was one step in the constitutional process. So, I will leave that to him in order for you to the campaign for more on that litigation.

ACOSTA: When asked whether the President would approve of GOP senators holding hearings for Biden cabinet nominees, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany made a mind boggling suggestion that there could be a continuation of power for Mr. Trump.

MCENANY: I think that's a hypothetical, you know, he won't get ahead of that activity actually happening. But he has taken all statutory requirements on necessary to either ensure a smooth transition or a continuation of power.

ACOSTA: But hold on, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is referring to Biden as the next president.

MCCONNELL: The Electoral College has spoken. So today, I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden.

MCENANY: That would be a question more for the White House.

ACOSTA: McEnany declined to comment saying that's a question for the campaign. Yes, the same campaign she's represented as a self-described advisor.

MCENANY: I haven't gotten the President's reaction to that yet. But the President, again, is pursuing ongoing litigation would refer you to the campaign for further.

ACOSTA: But other Republicans have had enough, Senator Lamar Alexander who told CNN Manu Raja the election is over.

SEN. LAMAR ALEXANDER, (R) TENNESSEE: It's perfectly fine to challenge the result of an election that's been done. But when it's over, and it's now over, we ought to respect the result.

ACOSTA: To Senator Mitt Romney, who said his fellow Republicans in Congress need to stop echoing Mr. Trump's bogus claims. SE. MITT ROMNEY (R-UT): I think you'll see more and more people indicate that Biden -- Joe Biden is the President-elect. I think it's a different question and important question is how many Republicans will say that what the President is saying is simply wrong and dangerous.

ACOSTA: Even Russian leader Vladimir Putin has congratulated Biden, but not the White House.

MCENANY: No comment on that. I leave it to the President to react to that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Has he spoken to President Trump?

MCENANY: Not that I'm aware of. No.

ACOSTA: Democrats argue these Biden deniers are damaging American democracy.

SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): The fact that it took six weeks for my colleagues to recognize reality and stop undermining our democratic process is sad and disappointing.

ACOSTA: The President is showing no signs of backing down retweeting a conservative activist tweets stating that Georgia's Republican governor and Secretary of State, "will soon be going to jail."

As Mr. Trump steers clear of the cameras Vice President Mike Pence is out touting the new coronavirus vaccine, something most public health experts wish the President would do as well.

MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: These vaccines that have proven out to be not just safe, but in both cases, so 95 percent effective, which is truly extraordinary.

ACOSTA: At the briefing, McEnany accused the media of spreading disinformation even though she and Mr. Trump have both made baseless claims about the election.

(on camera): Isn't it hypocritical for you to accuse others of disinformation when you spread it every day?

(END VIDEO TAPE)

ACOSTA: The press secretary declined to say exactly when President Trump will be administered the coronavirus vaccine claiming he's still enjoying the benefits of the care he received during his bout with COVID-19.

Other former presidents, we should know, Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have all said publicly that they will take the vaccine as soon as it's available to them and will do it in front of the cameras. Vice President Mike Pence says he'll be doing the same in the coming days. We'll be looking for that, Wolf.

BLITZER: We certainly will. All right, Jim Acosta standby. I got some questions for you.

I also want to bring in our Political Commentator Van Jones, our Political Correspondent M.J. Lee is still with us.

You know, Van, while the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did acknowledge that Biden is the President-elect of the United States. He did acknowledge it today. It took him, what, six weeks to do it. In fact, even Vladimir Putin acknowledged Biden's victory several hours before McConnell did. What does it say, that fact alone about where we are as a country right now?

[17:10:13]

VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It shows that we are -- we're still coming apart.

Look, it is not unusual for the people to be upset about the election results.

I remember back in 2000, with the Al Gore versus George W. Bush contest, and people were saying, well, maybe the Diebold computers were not right. And then you had people saying, well, maybe Obama wasn't born here. And you know, Trump with the Russians.

But it's usually at the fringes, it's -- you never had a situation where a sitting president was further on the fringe of than the fringe. And that means you -- he's pulling, he's now -- you got this gravitational pull you've never seen before in American life, pulling 10s of millions of Americans into a fantasy land delusion, that makes it very, very hard to govern a country.

Delegitimating the president that comes behind you has never been done. Al Gore didn't do it. Nobody has seen this level of anti- democratic behavior from the chief executive of the United States ever, and it's very dangerous.

BLITZER: It certainly is.

You know, M.J., McConnell's influence, as we all know, completely depends on what happens in Georgia during next month's the January 5, two senate runoff seats are there. In fact, the President-elect is keenly aware of given his trip to Georgia today. Give us a little sense of how important this is for the incoming presidential team.

LEE: Well, Wolf, you heard Biden saying on stage just a few minutes ago, saying to the voters in Georgia, you all came out in record numbers and handed me this historic victory in the presidential election. But you have to do it again come January, we have to win the Senate races.

This is a President-elect who knows very much, how much is on the line. I mean, you think about how much he is inheriting. There's the pandemic, there's the economic recession, the daunting task of distributing these vaccines. And he knows that potentially winning both of these races could mean a world of difference in terms of what he is able to do and how easily he might be able to get some of these things done in Congress.

And I think this is why the entire dynamic that we have seen recently with Mitch McConnell and Joe Biden has been so fascinating. Even before McConnell acknowledged today that Biden had won the 2020 election and we now know that there was a phone call, there was a congratulatory phone call.

Biden every time he has been asked about Mitch McConnell has been extremely careful in his tone, always staying pretty cordial, never attacking him. And even today, when he was asked about McConnell, he said, look, we might have areas of disagreement, but I know that there are areas where we can work together because he doesn't know right now what kind of power McConnell is going to have come next year.

BLITZER: You know, Jim, you reported that the White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany indicated in her words, there may be a, what you call the continuation of power, meaning that this President would continue in office? Doesn't she understand what that means? Doesn't she understand that the Electoral College made it official yesterday that Biden won 306 electoral votes, Trump won 232, you need 270 to be elected? It's official right now. It's done. It's over. Why is she saying that?

ACOSTA: Wolf, it's hard to understand why she's saying it. You have to wonder what scenarios are going through their minds to make them think that there's even a remote possibility that the President could remain in office. Are they going to roll tanks through the White House complex? I mean, I just don't understand what Kayleigh McEnany is getting at.

We do know that Republican House members planned to make some noise on the House floor come January 6, but that's doomed to go nowhere. Our great colleagues up on Capitol Hill are saying that Republican leadership is essentially telling senators on the other side, don't sign on to this. Mitch McConnell is essentially sending the signal that this is over. He did that earlier today.

But Wolf, we have to remind our viewers that Kayleigh McEnany, the very first day she came into the White House briefing room pledged to the American people that she would never lie. Well, today she lied to the American people when she suggested that there might be some sort of continuation of power. That's not happening. Donald Trump is leaving office on January 20.

BLITZER: And 36 days from now.

You know, Van, the Trump team is vowing to continue fighting the election results and they've already said that we just checked nearly get this 500 fundraising e-mails since election night, November 3. Trump align (ph) political committees have brought in more than $200 million since November 3, probably have raised a whole lot more.

Is this whole thing fighting, all these results, arguing that was fraud or rigged election, basically a cover for the President of the United States to raise millions and millions of dollars from his supporters? [17:15:06]

JONES: Well, it certainly is starting to look that way. It doesn't look like America First.

For the President of the United States to raise millions and millions of dollars from his supporters?

Well, it certainly is starting to look that way. It doesn't look like America. First. I'll tell you that.

And when you have, you know, something like this where it looks like the president is either deliberately trying to undermine his successor and or make money off of this thing and or set himself up for a media empire later in a later run, none of that's America first. All that is Trump first and it's wrong.

BLITZER: Yes, it's a real problem. And, you know, the Republicans who are supporting the president, they claim they support law and order. Well, this is a real serious problem.

Guys, standby. We have more breaking news coming into THE SITUATION ROOM.

The latest on the unprecedented vaccine rollout across the United States and hope that a second vaccine will be authorized in the next few days.

Plus, what Dr. Anthony Fauci is saying about vaccinations for President-elect Joe Biden, and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:20:13]

BLITZER: The breaking pandemic news tonight, the U.S. Coronavirus death toll now toping 302,000 people as the country faces more than 16.6 million confirmed cases. And hospitalizations right now are setting new records daily.

CNN's Sara Murray is joining us right now.

Sara, it's a very grim picture at the moment, but there are positive developments, very positive developments on the vaccine front.

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. This is -- this is sort of the ray of hope right now that the initial distribution of this Pfizer vaccine has gone pretty smoothly. And there could be a second vaccine just on its heels.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

MURRAY (voice-over): On the largest Coronavirus vaccine distribution day so far, health care workers are eagerly lining up at 425 new sites nationwide. THERA WHITE, FIRST VACCINE RECIPIENT IN MINNESOTA: Feeling really hopeful that this is the beginning of the end, there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I didn't feel it, there's no pain. I feel great. I'm excited.

I'm happy that, you know, that in another two months, month and a half, I won't have to be afraid to go into a room anymore.

MURRAY: As distribution ramps up for the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine.

MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO, (D) NEW YORK: Today, we're expecting almost 41,000 doses to be available at 42 hospitals across New York City. So this is going to move very fast.

MURRAY: The Food and Drug Administration is offering a positive assessment of a second vaccine candidate, Moderna's.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're seeing a very effective vaccine.

MURRAY: According to the FDA scientists, the Moderna vaccine is 94.5 percent effective and has a favorable safety profile. It can be stored at warmer temperatures in Pfizer's ultra-frozen vaccine, which could lend itself to easier distribution.

The FDAs independent advisory committee is considering Moderna's vaccine this week, and it could be authorized for emergency use and shipped out soon after.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That we're ramping up to distribute more vaccines, both from the Pfizer and the Moderna Stabila.

MURRAY: The shots can't come soon enough as the virus rages across the U.S. and the death toll surpasses 300,000.

FAUCI: With a bit of sweet, we know we're going to be able to put this behind us. But in the meantime, we still have a struggle ahead of us.

MURRAY: With health care workers lining up first and nursing home residents shortly behind them, it will still be months before most Americans receive the vaccine. But today, top health officials are calling for President Trump and President-elect Biden to get the vaccine sooner.

FAUCI: I would recommend that he do that as well as Vice President Pence for security reasons. I really feel strongly that we should get them vaccinated as soon as we possibly can. He want him fully protected as he enters into the presidency in January.

MURRAY: Sending the two men to the front of the line, important not just for continuity of government, but also to inspire vaccine confidence across the country.

FAUCI: I think they should be vaccinated. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's also a message there to the population that they trust the vaccine and that's an example for the population to follow.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

MURRAY: Now there's other good news today in the effort to combat the coronavirus, the FDA greenlit a new at-home coronavirus test. This is one where you don't have to go anywhere to get swabs, you don't have to send the test in, it will give you the results right at home. And this will be a test that is available without a prescription. People will be able to buy it over the counter, possibly starting as soon as January, Wolf.

BLITZER: Oh, that'll be very, very important. Sara, thank you for that report.

Let's get some more on all of this. Our chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is with us.

Sanjay, we just watched the very first COVID vaccinations begin yesterday here in the U.S. Now it looks like the Moderna vaccine is on track for emergency use authorization by the end of this week, how big of a step forward would that be?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that would be that would be significant, Wolf. I mean, you know, we're talking about trying to eventually get hundreds of millions of authorized vaccines in the country to be able to vaccinate, you know, 70 percent, 80 percent of the population.

So, I think it's pretty clear, it's going to require a few different vaccines.

We could show you, you know, we've gotten some initial looks now at this Moderna vaccine, it's going to go through the same process that we saw with Pfizer last week, but it looks to be a very efficacious, you know, effective vaccine 95, close to 95 percent effective, just like the Pfizer one. It can be stored as slightly warmer temperatures, which might make it easier for distribution.

The Moderna one also really for people 18 and older. You remember, Wolf, the Pfizer one is authorized for people 16 and older.

So, lots of similarities. We're going to be following this very closely.

And you may remember the government has purchased 200 million doses of the Moderna vaccine. So, it would make a big deal if it gets authorized.

BLITZER: Yes, 200 million doses, that's enough for 100 million people. So, that's a lot of people obviously.

Are there clues in the Moderna data, Sanjay, as to whether this vaccine could actually help prevent asymptomatic infection? [17:25:06]

GUPTA: Yes. So this is a really important point, Wolf.

First of all, you may remember what the Pfizer vaccine, all we could really say was that it helped prevent people getting -- people from getting sick. It wasn't clear whether it actually prevented infection.

Moderna actually released an addendum to their report, where they basically talked about the fact that they had swabbed participants before they got the vaccine. And then after before the first dose, and then again before the second dose. And what they found was that you were far more likely to have become infected, even if he had no symptoms, far more likely to have been infected, if you got the placebo versus the vaccine.

In fact that you could take a look at the numbers, but 14 people in the vaccinated group became infected versus 38 in the placebo group.

Now, that's significant. But it these are small numbers still, and I don't know that it changes anything in terms of how people will behave.

It does seem to protect against infection, at least according to those numbers. But, you know, certainly not completely, which is why people will still be encouraged to wear a mask, Wolf.

BLITZER: Yes, I suspect we're going to be wearing masks for much of next year, at least the half -- first half of next year.

The Vice President Mike Pence could get his vaccination, we're told, this week possibly on camera, how important Sanjay is it for the country's leaders to get vaccinated and to set an example for other Americans by doing it publicly?

GUPTA: You know, I think I think it's important. I mean, this is a subjective thing, Wolf, it's hard to understand or really know the impact of those sorts of campaigns.

We do know that vaccine hesitancy has gone down a little bit. It was, you know, 50 percent -- 50 percent in the summer, in the 60s in September, and now closer to 71 percent of people say they would go ahead and get the vaccine.

So, vaccine hesitancy has gone down. But there's certain groups, Republicans, for example, 42 percent said they would not get the vaccine.

Would it make a difference if President Trump or Vice President Pence got the vaccine? Maybe it would.

What we do know from previous reporting, Wolf, is that people's own health care providers tend to be the people they trust the most. So you see your own -- your own health care team getting the vaccine, people who've looked at the data cast a scientific eye toward this, you have a relationship with them. If you see that or the other ones recommending it for any given

individual. That's probably, you know, at least according to the data, we've looked at, the thing that's likely to have the most impact.

BLITZER: If you and Dr. Fauci say, get it, you guys are my gold standard. I'll be ready. I'll be first in line when my turn shows up.

Also today, and you heard Sara's report, the government did approve a coronavirus test that you could take at home, a testing kit. And you could -- you do it personally, privately, wake up in the morning, take the test, takes about 20 minutes to get the results. How important could that be in the next few months with cases obviously still surging?

GUPTA: Wolf, I think that this is one of the untold or under told sort of issues of this entire thing. I mean, I think it'd be a big deal if they could produce enough of these tests to get them in, you know, most if not all households in America.

The idea that you could test yourself at home, know if your test came back positive, you should be home that day. You know that's something that we should have been doing for a long time.

Even with these new tests, I think it would be a crucial, important thing. But are we going to have enough of those tests? My understanding is maybe a few million of these tests, you know, in the early part of next year or January, whatever it may be.

You know we're talking the need for hundreds of millions of these tests so that people can be using these on a regular basis. The answer to your question is yes, that type of testing is critically important, has been critically important and will remain critically important.

Why we don't have enough of these tests still, I think is something that's, you know, it's frankly, it's unacceptable.

BLITZER: Yes. I would love to be able to get up every morning, just like I take my temperature. I take one of these tests to see what's going on, get the results in 20 minutes. That would be fabulous.

Sanjay, thank you very, very much.

There's breaking news unfolding up on Capitol Hill right now in the efforts to pass a desperately needed pandemic stimulus relief bill. We'll talk about it next week with Senator Mark Warner. We'll also talk about a suspected Russian cyberattack on multiple U.S. government agencies.

The Senator is standing by. There you see him. We'll discuss when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:30:00]

BLITZER: There is breaking news up on Capitol Hill right now. Leaders of the House and Senate met late this afternoon to try to find a way forward on a coronavirus economic relief deal as well as preventing a government shutdown. The Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin joined the meeting by phone.

We're joined now by Senator Mark Warner of Virginia. He's one of the senators working on a bipartisan compromise for the economic stimulus package. Senator, thank you so much for joining us. What's the latest on these negotiations? When can desperately needed Americans expect Congress finally to reach an agreement and provide some relief?

[17:35:04]

SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA): Well, Wolf, I'm hopeful that we'll have a package together by this weekend. I'm very proud of the bipartisan senators and House members that basically got tired of waiting and came together with a $748 billion package. That'll be the third largest bill in American history. That includes unemployment, rental assistance, small business assistance, assistance for food banks, broadband, a host of categories that are critically important.

We also have riding along that and I'm still hopeful that we can conclude the last two pieces, which is needed assistance to state and local governments, along with appropriate liability protections for those businesses that have, you know, done the right thing in terms of protecting their customers.

So we think this is all in the mix at this point. We've got the leaders off the time, they're talking. I don't have the results of their 4 o'clock meeting. But I think we all know, and this is perhaps the most positive thing for concerned Americans. Everyone now agrees Congress cannot leave for Christmas without getting a COVID package done.

BLITZER: The stakes are so, so enormous. People are suffering big time there. You told CNN yesterday, Senator, that you were optimistic there would be an agreement that one of the major sticking points, we're talking about this liability protection for employers, but the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he wants the two most controversial provisions in any deal liability protection and state and local aid. He says he's ready to have those removed from discussions, at least from now. Will Democrats agree to remove aid to states and local government authorities, in addition to the liability protection, that's the compromise he's putting forward?

WARNER: Well, I think we ought to not throw in the towel on, for example, state and local government protections. We've had a million and a half state workers, cops, firefighters, teachers, local government officials that have been laid off in the last few months. I think it's crazy to lay these folks off in the middle of a pandemic, when we've got so many, so much need of local and state services.

I think there's also some way to reach some agreement, were responsible businesses, schools, hospitals, that have followed appropriate safety guidelines, get some protection. Now, I don't want to give away something where somebody has been irresponsible people on have their day in court. I think that the difference has been narrowed dramatically. Those are the two most outstanding items, the particulars of the state and local government assistance has been decided upon.

So if we can find some compromise, and I think there's a members in the House, both parties trying to work through that. I think we can get it all done. There still remains one other outstanding issue. And that is the President's desire to give direct checks. I know that's very popular. But I don't think any of us were saying we're going to give someone a direct check, who may have suffered no economic consequence, and take that out of support for a food bank or support for somebody that's unemployed.

So if the President wants to add that to the package, and he can get our Republican friends to go along, so be it. But that is another factor that still has to be worked through.

BLITZER: Yes, because a lot of people as we keep saying are suffering. Put your hat on as the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee for a moment that we don't have a lot of time but as you know, U.S. officials suspect Russian link hackers are behind this recent data breach of several federal agencies. Just how serious is this breach? What does it indicate to you, Senator, about the federal government's cybersecurity preparedness?

WARNER: Well, I think in certain areas, we've done very well Chris Krebs that assist organization did a great job at protecting our elections.

BLITZER: He was fired.

WARNER: I do think there's -- and he was fired unfortunately, by Mr. Trump. There are areas where we are still vulnerable. And while I'm not going to go ahead and attribute this to Russia, it's been clear that it appears it's a nation state. We are still vulnerable. And this requires basic data breach standards. It requires some uniformity between both the public sector and the private sector. And Wolf, it's more than a little concerning to me that the current President of the United States has still not called out Russia at all for these actions.

BLITZER: Senator Warner, thanks so much for joining us.

WARNER: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Good luck with the relief package as they say it's desperately needed.

[17:39:37]

Coming up, we have chilling details of how elite Russian agents trail poison and nearly killed one of Vladimir Putin's top opponents. This is a CNN exclusive you won't want to miss, standby.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: An investigation by the investigative group Bellingcat and CNN has uncovered evidence that Russia's security service the FSB formed an elite team specializing in nerve agents that trailed Russian opposition leader, Alexey Navalny, for years. Navalny was poisoned with the toxin Novichok in August and very, very nearly died.

Our chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward is joining us from Moscow right now. Clarissa, you and your team have been working on this story for months and you've done amazing work. Tell us more.

[17:45:03]

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Thank you so much, Wolf. Well we have been pouring over cell phone records, flight manifest, trying to build up a picture of this elite unit, it's no surprise that Alexey Navalny, would have been followed by the FSB. He has been a thorn in the side of President Putin for many years. He's the ciphers critic of the President. But what is so shocking is that these operatives had access to poisons and the expertise to use them. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WARD (voice-over): August 20th, on a flight to Moscow, a passenger captures the awful wails of Alexey Navalny, the Russian opposition leader has suddenly fallen ill and he knows exactly why.

ALEXEY NAVALNY, RUSSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER: I get out of this bathroom, shown over to the flight attendant and said, I was poisoned, I'm going to die. And then I laid down under his feet and to die.

WARD (on camera): You knew in that moment that you'd been poisoned.

NAVALNY: Yes. Yes.

WARD (voice over): Quick thinking from the pilots saves his life. Instead of flying on to Moscow, still three hours away, the plane diverts to Omsk. Two days later, Navalny is flow to Berlin, where the German government announces he has been poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok. Now an exclusive investigation can reveal a top secret mission tracking Navalny, involving experts in chemical weapons who work for the FSB, the Russian successor to the Soviet KGB.

This non-descript building on the outskirts of Moscow was the headquarters of the operation.

WARD (on camera): We're staying in the car because we don't want to attract any attention, but this compound is part of the institute of criminalistics of the FSB, Russia's security service. And beyond that fence, an elite team of operatives has been tracking Navalny's every move for more than three years.

WARD (voice over): CNN has examined hundreds of pages of phone records and flight manifests that reveal the backgrounds, communications, and travel of the group. The documents were obtained by online investigative outlet Bellingcat, which two years ago identified the Russian military intelligence agents allegedly sent to England to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal. The FSB toxins team was activated in 2017, just days after Navalny announced he would run for president in the election the next year. The team's leader, Stanislav Makshakov, an expert in chemical weapons. Several of the team are doctors, but they weren't recruited to save lives.

WARD (on camera): I just wanted to show you some photographs here, and ask you if you recognize, if you've ever seen any of the men in those photographs.

NAVALNY: No.

WARD: You don't recognize them?

NAVALNY: I don't recognize any of them.

WARD: Would it surprise you to learn that some of these men went on more than 30 trips with you over the course of three years.

NAVALNY: This is absolutely terrifying. I don't know if terrifying is a good word.

WARD: I think it's a pretty good word.

NAVALNY: Yes, but the -- well, I understand how system work in Russia. I understand that Putin hates me. And I understand that these people who are sitting in the Kremlin, they are ready to kill.

WARD: Is it your contention that Vladimir Putin must have been aware of this?

NAVALNY: Of course, 100 percent. It could have not been happened without direct order of Putin, because it's -- well, it's big scale.

WARD (voice over): In the weeks before he was poisoned, Navalny and his wife, Yulia, took a short vacation to a resort in Kaliningrad. Our investigation has uncovered that the FSB team followed. According to Bellingcat, the security cameras inside the hotel were mysteriously turned off while they were there.

Navalny says Yulia felt uncomfortable. She took videos and photos of men she believed were following them. This man I also don't recognize, she says. Hours after the FSB's toxin team left Kaliningrad, Yulia suddenly felt sick.

NAVALNY: She said, well, I feel really, really bad. Do you need ambulance? No. Do we have time (ph)? Is it heart? No. Is it stomach? No. Is it head? No. Could you describe it? No. And then we approach restaurant and she said, well, I feel like worse in my life. I never felt it before, but, unfortunately and, of course, I couldn't connect these dots. Now I realize how bad she was.

[17:50:09]

WARD: Yulia recovered, but the FSB unit was apparently not done with the Navalny's. WARD (on camera): In the days after Kaliningrad, cell phone data shows that several senior FSB officials were in regular contact with a lab in this compound. It's called The Signal Institute and CNN and Bellingcat have established that it has been involved with researching and developing Novichok.

WARD (voice over): In mid-August, Navalny and his team travelled to Siberia. At least five members of the FSB unit make the same journey on different flights. In Tomsk, Navalny and his colleagues stay at the Xander Hotel.

We traveled to the Siberian city to retrace his steps on the night he was poisoned.

WARD (on camera): So this is the room that Alexey Navalny was staying in, and it looks like my room here is right next door.

WARD (voice over): According to Navalny, he went to bed at around midnight after drinking a cocktail with his team. The FSB's toxins unit was not far away.

WARD (on camera): Using a ping from a cell phone, we've been able to place one of the FSB operatives in this area, just blocks from the Xander Hotel on the night of August 19th, the night that the nerve agent Novichok made its way into room 239.

WARD (voice over): Navalny left the hotel early the next morning. He boarded the Moscow flight feeling fine. Three hours later, he was close to death.

Back in Tomsk, Navalny's team frantically collect any evidence they can from his hotel room, including water and shampoo bottles, a toothbrush and a towel. As they did, there was a surge in communications among the FSB unit and their bosses. If it was expected that Navalny would die on the flight, they were now scrambling to deal with a very different situation.

After much back and forth, Russian authorities allow Navalny to be transported to Berlin. What they don't know is that the items recovered from his Tomsk hotel room were also on board. Some later tested positive for Novichok.

Back in Moscow, we went in search of the FSB's toxin team.

WARD (on camera): So we're here now at the home of one of the FSB team and we're going to go see if he has anything to say to us.

WARD (voice over): We enter a rundown apartment building on the outskirts of Moscow, where operatives Oleg Tayakin lives.

WARD (on camera): (Speaking in foreign language). My name's Clarissa Ward. I work for CNN. Can I ask you a couple of questions? (Speaking in foreign language). Was it your team that poisoned Navalny, please? Do you have any comment? He doesn't seem to want to talk to us.

WARD (voice over): Toxicologists tell CNN that Navalny is incredibly lucky to be alive and that the intention was undoubtedly to kill him.

WARD (on camera): So you've said that you want to go back to Russia.

NAVALNY: And I will do.

WARD: You're aware of the risks of going back?

NAVALNY: Yes, but I'm Russian politician. And even when I was not just in hospital, I was in intense therapy. And I said publicly I will go back and I will go back because I'm Russian politician and I belong to this country. And definitely which I -- especially now when these actual crime is cracked open, revealed. I understand the whole operation. I would never give Putin such a gift.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WARD: Now, Wolf, what is so staggering is that we have heard absolutely nothing from the Kremlin in terms of responding to our reporting. We have reached out to them multiple times. They usually give a briefing every day to journalists, Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for Vladimir Putin. He did not give it today, it was canceled.

It's been announced that it will also be canceled tomorrow, allegedly because of Putin's big press conference that takes place on Thursday, but hard to imagine it's a coincidence.

We also reached out to the FSB. They said it could take nine days before we will get any response. And even in Russian media, Wolf, absolutely nothing. Honestly, the silence is just deafening.

BLITZER: And we'll see if Putin says something. I'm sure he'll be asked about it. I suspect correct, Clarissa, on Thursday, is that right?

WARD: Well, we would hope very much we won't be able to ask a question but hoping and relying on other journalists to ask the question. This is very important.

[17:55:00]

BLITZER: Well, you've done amazing work and you're very, very excellent courageous journalist. You make us all proud. Thank you so much, Clarissa Ward for that really, really outstanding report. And we will follow up and stay in close touch with you. Thank you so much. Stay safe over there in Moscow.

Coming up, with the Electoral College votes cast, the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has now joined a growing number of top Republicans acknowledging that Joe Biden is the President-elect of the United States.

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