CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) Interviewed on Possibility of Second Economic Stimulus Package as Coronavirus Pandemic Continues

Interview

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BLACKWELL: With us to talk about the stimulus is Democratic Congressman Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico, serves as assistant speaker under House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. I want to talk about the stimulus, talk about New Mexico, a few other things. Congressman, thank you so much for being with us.

REP. BEN RAY LUJAN (D-NM): Good to be with you, Victor. Good morning to you.

BLACKWELL: Good morning to you. Let's start here, the $2.2 trillion stimulus law is less than a day old and already some are talking about the next $1 trillion. Governors, I heard mayor Bowser in D.C. say there's not enough money to compensate for their shortfalls. Is it time to talk about the next stimulus, the next relief bill?

LUJAN: It absolutely is time for those conversations to begin, understanding that this package, which I would describe more as a relief package to all of the impacted small businesses, individuals across America, local governments as well, states that are picking up the bear of this responsibility, we have a great governor in New Mexico, Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is at the helm and making those tough decisions, but leading us in a great way. But this package as well as the previous clip just showed is important to help people that have been negatively impacted with those direct payments, with the increase in the unemployment insurance.

[10:25:04]

And Victor, one thing important to note is when Mitch McConnell first authored his package, that was not in there, there was not enough effort to focus on hardworking families across the country. And that's why I was so proud to work with Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer, and my Democratic colleagues in the House, ultimately earning bipartisan support to make a positive difference.

BLACKWELL: Let me ask you about that amount of money, $1,200 for each individuals, $2,400 for couples, of course with some income caps. Is that enough now considering there will be weeks until potentially people get it. And $1,200 really doesn't go as far in California where the median monthly cost for people with a mortgage is about $2,300, and in, let's say, West Virginia, it's less than $1,000. Was it enough?

LUJAN: Victor, when Republicans were suggesting $1,000, many of us on our side of the aisle said that that would not be enough and that we needed not just one payment but we needed to figure out how to make sure that we were providing support to families. People lost their jobs through no fault of their own. The coronavirus has spread across the country. We're seeing governors make those tough decisions about sheltering in place and small business closures and schools that have been closed and children at home with their families. That was not through their fault, and that's why we need to provide the support directly to these hardworking families.

BLACKWELL: Should there be another payment? Should there be another $1,200, or $1,500?

LUJAN: What's that, Victor?

BLACKWELL: Should there be another $1,200, or $1,500 or $2,000 considering the difference in cost of living across this country?

LUJAN: Look, Victor, I'm on the side that we need to make sure that we look to maximize how much we can get direct payments to people, whatever that amount is. I'm open to that. But we need to not just do it once. It needs to be done a few times, especially with all the forecasts surrounding the coronavirus.

Here in New Mexico we saw the numbers uptick from yesterday to today. In New York we're see seeing the numbers grow dramatically as well in different parts of the country. And so, absolutely, the Congress needs to begin those conversations, and I can tell you that Speaker Pelosi has already been bringing committee chairs together to have conversations.

BLACKWELL: Congressman, let me jump in here, because we're running low on time, and you mentioned the uptick in New Mexico. And let me ask you, what is happening there, because there's been a 40 percent increase in cases in a single day? The numbers, raw numbers still pretty low, up to 191 now with one death, just ran numbers on a list, New Mexico is near the bottom. But is this a new hot spot in the country?

LUJAN: We're not seeing the thousands in other states in New Mexico. Our governor has done an excellent job in maximizing how we can get people tested. And we're seeing in a large state like New Mexico geographically the governor has spread those areas to get tested regionally with the focus of trying to get set up in every one of our 33 counties. And so there are areas where we're seeing more cases. But nonetheless, New Mexico is in the same position as all other parts of America. This is spreading, and that's why New Mexico and small states as well, we need to make sure that we have the tools that are necessary to test, to provide safety to our health care workers and everyone on the front lines as well.

BLACKWELL: Let me ask you, finally, about the election. You are running for Senate there. Experts, there's a new piece up on CNN.com of experts warning about how coronavirus could jeopardize the integrity of the 2020 election. If this does not calm down, stretches into, November there could be an effort to delay the election. There would be a flood of lawsuits, a constitutional crisis. What are you doing in the House to protect the 2020 election as we've seen delays in the primary season already?

LUJAN: Well, I can tell you from the very beginning, from the Russian hacks to defending our democracy, Democrats have been leading the initiative to make sure that we're securing our elections. And most recently it was Democrats in the House and the Senate that have been advocating for all the security vote by mail initiatives to get ready there. And so our secretary of state, she has been sending notices out. She's been planning. She's a leader among secretaries of state across the country, Maggie Toulouse Oliver. And so we're getting ready. And it's going to be incumbent for all of us to work together across the country to make sure that we have this election in November. And President Trump doesn't try to find a way or an excuse to cancel this election. We have to defend our democracy --

BLACKWELL: More than saying, Congressman, that you're getting ready, and I don't know, we're figuring out this new Cisco effort, I don't know if you can hear me when I jump in. I apologize for that.

LUJAN: Yes.

BLACKWELL: More than simply saying you're getting ready, what are you doing to make sure that this election will happen in November and on time?

LUJAN: So our Secretary of State in New Mexico, Maggie Toulouse Oliver, has been reaching out to officials. She's a leader among secretaries of state across the country. And we are preparing to see what needs to be done to have strong vote by mail. We have that in New Mexico. And we need to spreading that across the country.

[10:30:00]

But it's incumbent upon Congress to make sure the secretaries of states continue to get the investments. And there was a provision in the package that was being proposed, but it still required a match by secretaries of states. We need to shore that up to make sure that we're able to defend and protect our elections, and that it happens in November.

BLACKWELL: Representative Ben Ray Luhan of New Mexico, thank you so much for being with us.

LUJAN: Thank you, Victor.

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