WE’RE GOING TO CIRCLE BACK TO
THE STORY WITH SOME NEW
REPORTING IN JUST A FEW MINUTES,
BUT FOLLOWING HIS FIRST ADDRESS
TO CONGRESS, PRESIDENT BIDEN
MOVED ON AND PAID A VISIT TO
GEORGIA YESTERDAY TO BEGIN TO
SELL THOSE ECONOMIC PLANS HE
LAID OUT.
>> IF YOU EVER WONDERED IF
ELECTIONS MAKE A DIFFERENCE, JUST REMEMBER WHAT YOU DID HERE
IN GEORGIA WHEN YOU ELECTED
OSSOFF AND WARNOCK, YOU BEGAN TO
CHANGE THE ENVIRONMENT.
AND BECAUSE OF YOU, WE PASSED
ONE OF THE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL
RESCUE BILLS IN AMERICAN
HISTORY.
SO WHAT DID YOU DO?
WHAT DID YOU DO WITH YOUR VOTE
HERE IN GEORGIA?
WELL, YOU CHANGED AMERICA.
YOU BEGAN TO CHANGE AMERICA.
AND YOU’RE HELPING US PROVE THAT
DEMOCRACY, DEMOCRACY CAN STILL
DELIVER FOR THE PEOPLE.
>> THE PRESIDENT IN DULUTH,
GEORGIA, YESTERDAY.
BIDEN ALSO BRIEFLY MENTIONED THE
NEW CONTROVERSIAL VOTING RIGHTS
LAW IN THE STATE, SAYING,
INSTEAD OF CELEBRATING RECORD
VOTER TURNOUT IN 2020, IT IS,
QUOTE, BEING ATTACKED.
THE PRESIDENT VISITS
PHILADELPHIA TODAY TO PROMOTE
THAT AMBITIOUS AGENDA AND TO
CELEBRATE THE 50th ANNIVERSARY
OF HIS BELOVED AMTRAK.
ALSO YESTERDAY, POLICE REFORM
ADVOCATES INCLUDING FAMILY
MEMBERS OF GEORGE FLOYD AND
ANDREW BROWN, TWO PROMINENT
VICTIMS OF POLICE KILLINGS, MET
WITH LAWMAKERS IN WASHINGTON TO
ADVANCE LEGISLATION AGAINST
POLICE BRUTALITY AHEAD OF THE
ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF FLOYD’S
DEATH.
THE GROUP MET WITH SENATE
MAJORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER,
SUSAN RICE, AND OTHER WHITE
HOUSE OFFICIALS.
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM AND
SENATOR TIM SCOTT, WHO IS
LEADING THE REPUBLICAN EFFORT OF
THE LEGISLATION ALSO MET WITH
THE FAMILIES IN WHAT WAS
DESCRIBED AS AN EMOTIONAL
MEETING.
>> SO THIS WAS ABOUT THEM
UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS VERY
REAL TO ALL OF US, BUT IT MEANS
MORE TO THESE FAMILIES THAN
ANYBODY ELSE.
BECAUSE THAT LEGISLATION WILL
LITERALLY HAVE THE BLOODSTAIN OF
THEIR LOVED ONES.
AND THAT WAS THE TONE AND THE
TENOR OF THE MEETING.
>> Reporter: YOU CAN SEE ERIC
GARNER’S MOTHER STANDING TO MR.
KROME’S RIGHT, AS WELL.
SO EUGENE DANIELS, THERE WAS A
LOT OF TALK ABOUT TIM SCOTT’S
REPUBLICAN RESPONSE TO THE
ADDRESS THE OTHER NIGHT.
HE IS LEADING THIS REPUBLICAN
EFFORT, THOUGH, TO GET SOME KIND
OF REFORM ON POLICING,
BIPARTISAN EFFORT, THEY WOULD
LIKE IT TO BE.
IS THAT A REAL -- ARE THEY
REALLY ANTICIPATING GETTING
SOMETHING DONE TOGETHER.
ARE THERE ENOUGH CONCESSIONS IN
THE MIDDLE WITH DEMOCRATS THAT
THEY CAN WORK WITH TIM SCOTT ON
THIS?
>> YEAH, I THINK I MIGHT BE IN
THE MINORITY OF PEOPLE WHO
AREN’T AS CYNICAL ON THIS ISSUE
AS I WAS MAYBE TWO WEEKS AGO.
IT SEEMS WITH TIM SCOTT LEADING
THIS, HE HAS HAD A LOT OF
RELATIONSHIPS ON THE REPUBLICAN
SIDE, SO I THINK THEY TRUST HIM
TO DO THIS NEGOTIATION AND
WHATEVER HE DECIDES, THEY’RE
GOING TO BE WILLING TO GO WITH.
BUT IT’S ALSO KEY TO THINK ABOUT
THE THINGS THAT THEY ARE
FIGHTING ABOUT, THE DEMOCRATS
AND REPUBLICANS, ARE DEBATING
ABOUT.
THERE’S THE QUALIFIED IMMUNITY,
WHETHER YOU CAN SUE A POLICE
OFFICER, OR AS REPUBLICANS ARE
PROBABLY MORE LIKELY TO HAVE A
PALETTE FOR, SUE A POLICE
DEPARTMENT, AFTER ONE OF THESE
THINGS.
THERE’S THE MILITARIZATION OF
THE POLICE, WHICH IS A HUGE
STICKING POINT FOR DEMOCRATS.
THERE’S ALSO OTHER ISSUES, THE
BANS ON CHOKE HOLDS, ALL OF
THESE TYPES OF THINGS.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE WHEN YOU HAVE
THE PRESIDENT SAYING IN THIS
JOINT SESSION, I WANT THIS DONE
WITHIN A MONTH, HE HAS TOLD
DEMOCRATS THAT HE IS WILLING TO
MAKE SOME DECISIONS HERE.
HE IS WILLING TO DO SOME
COMPROMISE ON THIS ISSUE.
AND I THINK THERE’S A LOT OF
PRESSURE.
YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, THE FAMILIES
GOING THERE.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT DOESN’T
HAPPEN THAT OFTEN, RIGHT?
THESE FAMILIES DON’T GO TO
CAPITOL HILL AND LOBBY LIKE THIS
SO PUBLICLY.
AND AFTER THE LAST YEAR WE’VE
HAD AND TALKING ABOUT RACIAL
JUSTICE IN THIS COUNTRY, IT
FEELS LIKE THERE’S EVEN MORE
PRESSURE ON CONGRESS THAN THERE
HAS BEEN BEFORE.
IF THERE’S A TIME IT’S GOING TO
HAPPEN, HE TALKED TO ADVOCATES
AND ACTIVISTS WHO WORK IN THIS
SPACE AND THEY SAY NOW AND
ESPECIALLY AFTER PRESIDENT BIDEN
PUTTING A MONTH DEADLINE ON IT
FOR EVERYONE, IS THE TIME FOR
THAT TO HAPPEN.
SO I THINK PEOPLE ARE FEELING
HOPEFUL, BUT THERE ARE FITS AND
STARTS OF THIS HAPPENING ON
CAPITOL HILL QUITE A BIT, BUT IT
FEELS LIKE THE GROUP THAT MET ON
THURSDAY, THEY’RE VERY SERIOUS
ABOUT TEASEHESE NEGOTIATIONS.
THIS WAS SOME HOUSE AND SENATE
MEMBERS.
AND ALSO, REPUBLICANS AND
DEMOCRATS ARE TAKING IT PRETTY
SERIOUSLY TO GET SOMETHING DONE
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
>> I THINK YOU’RE RIGHT, EUGENE.
YOU’RE NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO’S
NECESSARILY CYNICAL ABOUT THIS
ONE PLACE ANYWAY THAT THERE
MIGHT BE SOME BIPARTISANSHIP
BREAKING OUT.
YOU’LL
WE’LL SEE.
VICTORIA, YOU LOOK AT JOE BIDEN
HITTING THE ROAD AFTER THAT
JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS THE
OTHER NIGHT, IN PENNSYLVANIA,
GOING TO GEORGIA TODAY, REALLY
SELLING THE PLAN, REALLY POPULAR
IF YOU LOOK AT POLLING.
I THINK HE UNDERSTANDS SORT OF
IMPLICITLY, THAT WHILE HE’S
GOING TO ROACH OUT TO
REPUBLICANS AND TRY TO MAYBE
WORK SOME BACK CHANNELS ON
INFRASTRUCTURE AND GET PIECE OF
IT TO HAVE REPUBLICAN SUPPORT,
THAT HE KNOWS HE’S GOING TO HAVE
TO SELL THIS TO THE PEOPLE FIRST
AND MAYBE JUST GET IT AGAIN LIKE
HE DID WITH COVID RELIEF ON
DEMOCRATIC PARTY LINES.
>> THIS IS SO IMPORTANT, WILLIE.
WE HAVE SEEN THE MISTAKES MADE
WHEN ADMINISTRATIONS THINK THAT
PEOPLE WILL AUTOMATICALLY
EMBRACE THINGS THAT ENHANCE
THEIR LIVES, MAINLY THE ACA AND
BIDEN WAS FRONT AND CENTER WITH
THAT.
AND BIDEN HAS LEARNED THAT.
HE IS HITTING THE ROAD AND GOING
TO CONNECT THE DOTS FOR THE
PEOPLE.
I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT HIS
APPROVAL RATINGS, EARLIER THIS
WEEK, WE SAW THE SLATE OF
APPROVAL RATINGS.
IT’S ABOVE 50% FOR PRESIDENT
BIDEN.
BUT WHEN YOU START BREAKING IT
DOWN FOR INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS,
YOU SEE A LOT OF POPULARITY
HERE.
AND THE ARGUMENT ON THE
REPUBLICAN SIDE THAT THESE ARE
PROGRESSIVE, SOCIALIST POLICIES
REALLY DOESN’T STICK WHEN YOU
SEE 60 PLUS PERCENT APPROVAL.
THESE ARE REALLY MAINSTREAM
POLICIES.
SO WITH THIS MOMENTUM, THE
PRESIDENT NEEDS TO GO AND CLENCH
THE DEAL.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT’S
CITIZENS, IT’S VOTERS WHO HAVE
THE FINAL SAY.
AND IF HE CAN GET THE VOTERS
MOBILIZED TO PUT THE PRESSURE ON
THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS IN