CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Chris Coons
Interview
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SCIUTTO: Bipartisanship, well Republicans are expected to block a vote today that would start debate on a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill. The White House reached a deal with the bipartisan team back in June, you may remember, that moment outside the West Wing. It includes $570 billion in new spending. Joining me now to discuss where this all stands, where it goes, Senator Chris Coons. He's a Democrat from Delaware who's a member of that group of 22 Democratic and Republican Senators working on this.
Senator, thanks so much for taking the time this morning. SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): Thanks, Jim, great to be on with you this morning.
SCIUTTO: All right so here we are, there's a deadline today set by the Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer. Republicans are going to be unified in voting against beginning debate n it. Was this deadline counterproductive?
COONS: Well, Jim, we have made great progress and I think we are very close to finalizing every detail today. I'll just say generally that if you look back a year at the process that produced the unanimous vote the Senate for the CARES Act. There were two motion to proceed votes, just like we're going to have today, that failed before we finally got the unanimous bipartisan vote that produced the CARES Act.
I think it was helpful to have a clear forcing mechanism. And whether or not everybody's going to join in voting for this motion to proceed vote today, I think we are continuing to make real and solid progress, final bill text I would expect by this weekend.
(CROSSTALK)
SCIUTTO: OK.
COONS: And I'm very optimistic that it will be ready for Floor action next week.
SCIUTTO: But you have been on the record saying, it would be better to give the two sides time to work this out. Is it a mistake to push this Floor vote if the outcome is preordained?
COONS: Well, Jim, up until we have the vote I'm not going to pass judgment on the timing of it.
(CROSSTALK)
SCIUTTO: Mitch McConnell says - (CROSSTALK)
COONS: There has been some discussion back and forth -
(CROSSTALK)
SCIUTTO: -- all 50 Republicans are voting against it.
(CROSSTALK)
COONS: -- on whether it should be today or tomorrow or Monday. At the end of the day it's a forcing mechanism and I respect that the Majority Leader realizes we have a very short amount of time left -
(CROSSTALK)
SCIUTTO: Yes.
COONS: -- this summer to get several big things done. SCIUTTO: OK, fair enough. Listen, and I know the Republicans as well
as Democrats have said, OK, set this vote aside, we are actually very close to agreement. But, to be fair, you and I and everybody watching right now has heard that before.
COONS: Yes.
SCIUTTO: Explain why they should be confident that this time they're going to bring it all together and before you guys go on recess next month?
COONS: Well we're not going on recess for several more weeks. I think we have the time to finish this bipartisan bill. And, Jim, all I'm going to say in conclusion on this point is, I have been a part of bipartisan negotiating teams in the past where it really felt like the folks in the room didn't want to get to yes -
(CROSSTALK)
SCIUTTO: Yes.
COONS: -- and were finding excuses for the group to blow up. And I've been a part -
[09:20:00]
COONS: -- of groups where it felt like everyone was determined to pass something significant and we held together and bore down and got the group done and got the legislation done. To me this very much feels like the latter. The core group of 10 Senators who have been at this for weeks and weeks have a great and positive dynamic. They're working well with the White House and they are clearing difficult final issues before we text released. So I'm optimistic this will get done.
SCIUTTO: All right, from your -
(CROSSTALK)
COONS: I also frankly think, Jim, it matters to our country. I had a dinner with a Foreign Head of State last night here in Washington who reminded us that the rest of the world, after January 6, is left wondering -
(CROSSTALK)
SCIUTTO: Yes.
COONS: -- whether or not the United States and our democracy can still function. Passing $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill will help -
(CROSSTALK)
SCIUTTO: Yes.
COONS: -- answer that question at home and abroad. SCIUTTO: We'll see. I mean you wrote about that, you know, in your op- ed just earlier this week, making exactly that same point. I do want to ask you about voting because the focus first on COVID relief, now very much on infrastructure. You know that there are members of your party who say listen, the real threat to this country is not bipartisan agreement on infrastructure it's protecting the vote.
And you have laws already being passed, no just about voter access but the key is about even certification of votes, right, allowing partisans to just say, hey, I don't like these results, forget about it. What's the urgency? And should there be more urgency from the President and Democrats to act on voting?
COONS: Jim, we've got a number of urgent and important issues right in front of us. One of them, as you're pointing out, is that if you look back at the 2020 election we came very, very close to having election results overturned through partisan interference. President Trump - Former President Trump, refused to accept the results of the election -
(CROSSTALK)
SCIUTTO: Yes,
COONS: -- and pressured local political officials to take actions that they weren't empowered to do. And now in several states laws are being change so that there would have been a different outcome in 2020.
(CROSSTALK)
SCIUTTO: Yes.
COONS: That is alarming. So, too, is climate change, Jim. I think we should all have a sense of urgency about climate change as we see forest fires across the West and -
(CROSSTALK)
SCIUTTO: Yes.
COONS: -- tornados and hurricanes recently in the center and Southeast of our country. That's why I just introduced a border carbon adjustment bill that would take us a big step forward toward harmonizing having the same approach toward international trade and climate change as our neighbors in Canada, as our partners and friends in the U.K. and E.U. I think that's another urgent issue we need to address.
Frankly, immigration is another.
(CROSSTALK)
SCIUTTO: Yes.
COONS: So, Jim, we've got a lot on our menu. That's why Leader Schumer has been pushing this bipartisan group to get to a final deal - (CROSSTALK)
SCIUTTO: I get it.
COONS: -- and why I'm optimistic we will to create time to deal with issues like voting that are urgent.
SCIUTTO: I did want to ask you about climate change because it does seem like the plane is sending us signals on this. Part of this is a Civilian Climate Corps. Why do you believe that needs to be included in budget reconciliation in the next step of this kind of two track plan? Make your case for it.
COONS: Well, Jim, I'm a big believer in AmeriCorps, in national service. A 25-year old program that allows 75,00 young Americans to give a year or two of their lives in service to our communities and our country. And to earn an opportunity to go to college -- money for college as a result. To learn skills and to engage with their communities.
President Biden campaigned on a Civilian Climate Corps -
(CROSSTALK)
SCIUTTO: Yes.
COONS: -- that would put a new generation of young people into America's forest and national lands and public lands to help with climate resiliency. To help with preparation. To make sure, whether it's in my low lying state of Delaware -
(CROSSTALK)
SCIUTTO: Yes.
COONS: -- that our marshlands are better maintained. Or in the forested highlands of states like New Mexico and Colorado that their forest are better maintained so they're less vulnerable to forest fires.
SCIUTTO: Right.
COONS: I think this is a great idea to revive the CCC from the 1930's as a modern, updated, diverse, inclusive, strong, 21st Century -
(CROSSTALK)
SCIUTTO: OK.
COONS: -- Civilian Climate Corps.
SCIUTTO: We'll be watching where that goes. We'll watch infrastructure first. Senator Chris Coons, thanks so much for joining us this morning.
COONS: Thank you, Jim.
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