CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Senator Tammy Duckworth
Interview
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[14:36:02]
KEILAR: Lawmakers are closing in on a second economic relief package after months of negotiations. We will, though, have to wait a few more days before a deal is finalized.
Here's the latest from the Senate majority leader.
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SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): For the information of all Senators, we're going to stay right here, right here, until we are finished, even if that means working through the weekend, which is highly likely.
If we need to further extend the Friday funding deadline before final legislation is passed in both chambers, I hope we'll extend it for a very, very short, short window of time.
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KEILAR: Senator McConnell is referring to the Friday government shutdown deadline.
I'm joined by Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth, of Illinois, to talk about what we're seeing happening in Congress.
Senator, thank you so much for being with us.
Are you confident and in agreement with the Senate majority leader that Congress will avert a shutdown and there will be a small stopgap measure passed that will keep the government open until the final deal on this stimulus is reached?
SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH (D-IL): I want to be more hopeful than that. I want to pass the stimulus itself. I don't intend on stopping working until we have a stimulus deal.
I also think that some sort of deal to respond to COVID is also vitally important.
I don't intend to stop working or celebrate Christmas until we get this deal done.
KEILAR: It looks like Democrats have dropped state and local aid, which was a point of contention with Republicans. But there's unemployment, there are stimulus checks for Americans, there's assistance for small business. Is it enough for what Americans really need right now?
DUCKWORTH: Well, it's not enough, but it is better than nothing.
So right now, I think the goaled number is around $600. We'll still discussing who gets those checks.
Also talking about some money that Democrats would like to put in there, about $40 million to go to states for distribution. There's some questions about that. I think some of the Republicans don't support that.
I do think we need to provide funding for our state governments, especially when it comes to pandemic response. So we will continue to negotiate and keep working on it.
KEILAR: Do you think there will be another similar rescue bill shortly before President-Elect Biden becomes President Biden?
DUCKWORTH: I will push hard for another rescue bill. We desperately need to send money to state and local governments.
I just got off a call with a half dozen of my mayors in Illinois.
They all said the same thing, we are now laying off first responders or not able to hire new first responders. We're at that point.
If you don't spend money to help us, because we have lost tax revenue, we will not be able to provide something as basic as public health and safety.
That's one thing I will be pushing very hard on with the Biden administration.
KEILAR: You are, of course, a combat veteran, a Purple Heart recipient. President Trump tweeted again today he will veto the National Defense Authorization Act, which is a critical military spending bill.
What plan does the Senate have to override that possible veto?
DUCKWORTH: We have enough votes to override that veto in the House and the Senate. It passed the Senate by 80 votes or something, so we have enough to override the veto.
It's shameful that President Trump would vote against or troops, that he would veto a pay raise for our troops. There's funding in that bill for training, for equipment, for taking care of military families.
[14:40:08]
He is connecting his personal vendetta against social media companies to this budget. So we'll come back and override it.
I'm not going to celebrate Christmas until we get our job done here in Washington. KEILAR: Federal agencies revealed they were hacked and that it is,
they believe, by Russia. But at this point, we haven't heard from the president.
What's your reaction to that?
DUCKWORTH: I'm not surprised. We should. He's never called out Russia or Vladimir Putin for their bad actions, and I'm not surprised.
I can't believe in all the tweeting he's done, he has not tweeted at least, the very least of this condemnation.
It's basically cyberwarfare against multiple agencies, everything from health care to national defense.
It's not surprising. But, you know, it's really sad that our president still, to this day, won't stand up to the Russians.
KEILAR: I wanted to ask you about something that Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said. She said the Democratic Party needs new leadership.
She also said there's been a failure to groom new Democratic leaders. I think specifically she was also talking about the House, but to get rid of some of the Democratic leaders that that would create a vacuum.
So it's set up as a situation where it can't be done, but she says there should be new leadership.
What do you think about what she said?
DUCKWORTH: Well, I think the Democratic Party is a large umbrella, and we welcome all voices and all diversity. I think that's the strength of the Democratic Party.
I know, for example, I've been able to participate in the Democratic Party on everything from policy issues to helping pass legislation, even in a Trump administration.
I'm very comfortable with where we can come together and work together. That's my focus, to come together as a party to work for the American people.
We still have to pass another stimulus bill. We still have to get our kids back in school safely. We have to get more vaccine, more vials of vaccine so that Americans can get vaccinated.
We have a lot of work in front of us. I would rather focus on that before we start sort of soul-searching for the Democratic Party.
Let's talk about the American people and what working families need first.
KEILAR: Do you want to see more young Democratic talent groomed?
DUCKWORTH: Well, there's a lot of Democratic talent out there. A lot of it is being groomed. But I will tell what you we need is a diversity of voices.
We need folks from the middle of the country, the industrial Midwest, to talk about what the people in our country need, the desperation that exists among our farming families, desperation among places that used to have manufacturing that's now left.
We have a lot we can talk about. And I do think we have those voices that are emerging within the party.
But again, the first priority for me is let's get this COVID response package passed. Let's pass a defense budget. Let's get back to work and get the American people the help they need and get people vaccinated.
KEILAR: Senator, thank you so much for being with us. We're looking to see what Congress can achieve here in the coming days.
DUCKWORTH: Thank you.
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