CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Congressman John Garamendi
Interview
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WHITFIELD: Hard to believe but Americans have just ten more days to choose who they want to lead the country out of a worsening coronavirus crisis. The U.S. is now reporting its highest number of new infections in one day since the pandemic started. More than 83,000 new cases added yesterday and as we near Election day, both presidential candidates are taking polar opposite approaches to how they plan on dealing with the pandemic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We're rounding the turn with or without the vaccine. We have the vaccines, they're going to be great but with or without, we're rounding the turn. Normal life, that's all we want, fully resuming.
BIDEN: We're not learning to live with it. We're learning to die with it. This is a dark winter ahead. Already more than 220,000 people in the United States of America have lost their lives to this virus. 220,000 empty chairs at dinner tables all across this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right, joining me right now Congressman John Garamendi of California. He was one of the first members of Congress to endorse Joe Biden and is now working as a surrogate for the Biden campaign. Congressman, good to see you.
REP. JOHN GARAMENDI (D-CA): Good to be with you Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: So Joe Biden you know is warning of a "dark winter ahead" you know for American voters want to be inspired at election time. Is there a danger with using language that may scare Americans or is that the type of straight talk needed?
GARAMENDI: Every successful president in a crisis talking straight to the public, giving them the facts is going to be successful and that's precisely what Biden during that debate. We are headed into a dark winter. 83,000 today and the hospitalizations are going up. Yesterday and here's where real leadership is shown.
Yesterday Biden gave in the remarkable and critically important speech about how he will crush the virus beginning the day after he wins the election, bringing together the governors, putting in place the full power of the president of the government, all of its administrative pieces and on the Inauguration Day sign the legislation to make it happen.
The virus can't be crushed. If we all work together and when it is, we can restart the economy. The economy isn't going to get going again as long as this virus is raging across the country so Biden's plan was clearly laid out yesterday and every detail that is necessary.
[12:30:04]
Unfortunately, the President is going exactly the opposite direction, bouncing around the country spreading the virus. It's unconscionable, but it is his reality. And his reality, unfortunately, is that we're going to live with the virus. And all of the deaths we got to have -- we've got to have the Biden plan in place right now.
WHITFIELD: The President is dotting the map within person, you know, rallies today, along the east coast, southeast, and even the Midwest. But earlier in South Florida, he cast his in-person, you know, ballot today, early voting. 50 million Americans have cast their ballots early. What's the impact, in your view of the President of the United States, planting seeds of doubt about the safety and security of mail- in ballots? He did that today, he's done it before, but he did it today, just prior to casting his ballot.
GARAMENDI: Well, he didn't do the same thing last -- earlier this year when he cast his vote by mail in the primary in Florida. The reality is he's playing a horribly dangerous game, bringing into doubt the sanctity of the American election. Putin could not be happier. Putin has been trying for four or five years now to cast doubt about the American election. And now, Iran is also piling on. And the President is simply there helping them along the way.
In fact, in fact, mail-in ballots are a secure, safe and appropriate way to vote. You can go to the polls and millions of Americans are doing that also, both are secure. Both are neither are subject to fraud in any significant way. The fact of the matter is mail-in ballots work. Now, President with the Post Office, with his rhetoric over the last several months, is casting that doubt.
And as I said a moment ago, Putin is delighted, Putin doesn't have to do it. The fact of the matter is the President is doing it for Putin. The American democracy is at stake in this election. And we need to power through, we need to do everything we can so that every vote counts. And when we get a new president, a new Senate and House, we must pass voter security laws so that every person has -- that has the right to vote can vote safely and securely and every vote be counted. We just cannot have this democracy disrupted as the President is doing right now.
WHITFIELD: Congressman Garamendi, the President on the campaign trail, you know, continues to, you know, accuse Biden of wanting to get rid of fossil fuels, such as oil and fracking, after Biden said during the debate that he wants to transition away from fossil fuels. And then Biden said just moments ago in Pennsylvania that he's not banning fracking in Pennsylvania or anywhere else. But is the damage already done giving Trump an opening to, you know, slam Biden?
GARAMENDI: Well, certainly Trump's going to try to do that. But the reality is Biden has been very, very clear and the Republicans and the President have distorted his position. Now, Biden's position happens to be the position of the major American auto manufacturers. They are transitioning to electric vehicles. Certainly we talk about Tesla, but we're not. But we need to talk about the fact that G.M., Chrysler, and Ford are all transitioning.
In fact, the entire world is transitioning to electric vehicles. If we stay with the gas guzzlers, we will lose our auto industry. We're going to have to move to a different transportation economy. And that's what Joe Biden recognizes and understands, and that's where his policy is driving us.
WHITFIELD: All right. Before I let you go, any update on any hope for a stimulus plan for so many Americans who are suffering, who are desperate for some assistance? We certainly see an urgency in the Senate for confirmation of the next Supreme Court justice. But is there urgency on this stimulus plan?
GARAMENDI: Well, you just pointed out a very significant dichotomy as to who thinks what's important. The Senate thinks it's important to confirm a Supreme Court justice, the House of Representatives, the Democrats, we want a stimulus plan. We voted out two stimulus plans already. Our Speaker Pelosi is negotiating every day with the White House. The Senate is absent.
Nevertheless, what we have to do is do it right. We don't need more money going to the corporations to the wealthy. We need that money to go to Main Street, to the small businesses, to mom and pop out there. And we need money for local governments so that they can actually do the testing, tracing and provide the health care and the money for the first responders.
[12:35:13]
All of that is necessary. That's what we need. We've got to get this done. Can we do it before the election? Yes, if the Republicans and if the White House would agree to the basic things that I just said. Take care of the people, families first.
WHITFIELD: Congressman John Garamendi, thank you so much. Continue to be well. Appreciate it.
GARAMENDI: And you too.
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