COMMUNITIES AND THE SPIKE IN CRIME IN MANY PLACES ACROSS COUNTRY. >> KELLY ODONNELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. JOINING US FOR REACTION TO THE WHITE HOUSE AND VERMONT INDEPENDENT SENATOR AND BUDGET COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN BERNIE SANDERS. ITS GREAT TO SEE YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING WITH US. >> I WANT TO START WITH INFRASTRUCTURE. IT ALSO SHOULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY A LARGER, MORE PROGRESSIVE, AND A MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE BILL. DO YOU THINK THE MORE MODERATE MEMBERS IN THAT CAUCUS WILL GO FOR THAT TWO-STEP APPROACH? >> I DO, ANDREA. EVERY AMERICAN OF THE CAUCUS AND TODAY WE ARE LIVING IN A SOCIETY WITH A VERY, VERY RICH, PHENOMENALLY RICHER, JEFF BEZOS IS WORTH $200 BILLION. ONE PERSON. MEANWHILE, THE WORKING CLASS OF THIS COUNTRY IS STRUGGLING. YOUVE GOT 600,000 PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS. YOU HAVE PARENTS WHO CANNOT AFFORD CHILD CARE AND ON TOP OF ALL OF THAT, WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE CLIMATE CRISIS WHICH I THINK EVERY SCIENTIST IS TELLING US IS GOING TO BE DEVASTATING FOR THIS COUNTRY AND THE ENTIRE MANET. WE HAVE TO INVEST IN TRANSFORMING OUR ENERGY SYSTEM AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUEL TO SUSTAINABLE INJURE AND INJURE EFFICIENCY. SO WE HAVE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WORK TO BE DONE AND AT A TIME WHEN THE VERY RICH AND LARGE CORPORATIONS ARE OFTEN NOT PAYING ANYTHING OR VERY LITTLE IN TAXES, THEYLL HAVE TO PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE SO THAT WE CAN PROTECT WORKING FAMILIES IN THIS COUNTRY AND DEAL WITH CLIMATE CHANGE. >> CAN WE DO IT WITHOUT A GAS TAX? A FOSSIL FUEL TAX THAT IT HAS RULED OUT. >> OF COURSE, WE CAN. >> HOW DO WE DO IT? IS IT JUST THROUGH THE CHANGES IN THE TAX LAW AND HOW DO YOU MAKE CHANGES IN THE TAX LAW AND BRING MODERATES ALONG. >> IF THERES ANYBODY IN AMERICA THAT THINKS IT IS A GOOD IDEA THAT MULTIBILLIONAIRES DO NOT PAY A NICKEL IN FEDERAL INCOME TAX ID LOVE TO HEAR FROM THEM. IS IT OKAY THAT LARGE, PROFITABLE CORPORATIONS MAKING BILLIONS A YEAR IN PROFIT DONT PAY ANYTHING IN TAXES. WHAT WE NEED IS A PROGRESSIVE TAX SYSTEM THAT SAYS TO THE WEALTHY AND LARGE CORPORATIONS PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE. WELL INVEST IN ROADS AND BRIDGES AND INVEST IN THE SYSTEM AND WELL INVEST IN EXPANDING MEDICARE. RIGHT NOW, UNBELIEVABLY, YOU HAVE MEDICARE NOT COVERING DENTAL CARE, VISION OR HEARING AIDS AND WE HAVE TO DO THAT, AS WELL. ALL THAT IM SAYING AND I THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AGREE, AFTER YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS ABOUT WORRYING ABOUT BILLIONAIRES AND THE RICH NOW THERES A BUDGET THAT SPEAKS TO THE NEEDS OF FAMILIES THAT WE FACE. THATS WHAT ILL DO. >> I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT VOTING RIGHTS, ABRAMS OPENED VOTER I.D. AND URGING VOTERS. IS IT TIME TO DO SOMETHING SMALLER ASK IS THERE ANY SMALLER AND IS THERE ANY WAY TO GET PAST THE OBJECTION AFTER MITCH McCONNELL? >> CHUCK SCHUMER MADE A POINT IN YESTERDAYS REMARKS. IT IS DISGRACEFUL AND I DONT MEAN TO BE OVERLY PARTISAN AND IT IS DISGRACEFUL THAT WE DID NOT HAVE ONE REPUBLICAN VOTE IN HELPING US DEAL WITH THE REAL THEY IN STATES ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY THERE IS A CONCERTED EFFORT TO DENY AFRICAN-AMERICANS, LOW-INCOME PEOPLE, YOUNG PEOPLE THE RIGHT TO VOTE. ITS GOING ON ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY. THAT IS NOT WHAT AMERICA IS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT. WE CAN DISAGREE ON EDUCATION, ON HEALTH CARE ON ANY OTHER DAMN THING YOU WANT TO DISAGREE WITH, BUT YOU CANNOT DISAGREE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT ALL AMERICANS HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE AND THAT RIGHT IS BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM. THATS WHAT WERE TRYING TO DEAL WITH RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE ONE REPUBLICAN VOTE. SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, IN MY VIEW, SHOULD WE END THE FILIBUSTER ON THIS ISSUE? ABSOLUTELY. THIS IS AN ENORMOUSLY IMPORTANT ISSUE. DEMOCRACY IS THE SAME. REMEMBER, WERE DEALING WITH A PARTY WHERE MANY OF THE LEADERS STILL ARE CLAIMING IN THE MOST FRAUDULENT MANNER THAT DONALD TRUMP WON THE ELECTION. THATS THE KIND OF OUTRAGEOUS ACTIVITY WERE DEALING WITH. WE HAVE TO STAND UP TO THAT. >> WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT THE OBJECTION TO ENDING THE FILIBUSTER, MANCHIN AND SINEMA. >> ANDREA, IM TIRED OF TALKING ABOUT MR. MANCHIN AND MISS SINEMA. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY UNDERSTAND THAT NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT AND I WILL ALSO TELL YOU, WE ARE CONSTRAINED BECAUSE WE HAVE 50 DEMOCRATS AND ITS WHETHER THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT US TO HAVE A GOVERNMENT THAT BELIEVES IN ALL PEOPLE THAT BELIEVE IN DEMOCRACY OR NOT AND WE NEED MORE DEMOCRATS IN THE SENATE THAN WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. >> I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT ANOTHER ASPECT OF THIS. PEOPLE HAVE FOCUSED A LOT ON ACCESS TO VOTING, BUT ISNT IT AN EVEN MORE IMPORTANT ISSUE, THE NULLIFICATION OF VOTING? THE ASPECTS OF THE LOCAL BILLS, STATE BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN PURSUED BY REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURES THAT ACTUALLY TAKE THE RIGHTS AWAY FROM STATE-ELECTED VOTING EXPERTS INCLUDING SOME REPUBLICANS. ARIZONA, GEORGIA AND GIVES IT TO CAREFULLY SELECTED PARTISANS WHO KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE LAW AND ARE GOING TO NULLIFY VOTING. >> AND GIVES POWER TO THE LEGISLATURE. WE CAN SEE, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL. WERE SEEING HOW THE TRUMP PEOPLE BEHAVED AFTER THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. I CAN SEE A SITUATION WHERE IN A GIVEN STATE SOMEONE SAYS, YOU KNOW WHAT? I HAVE A PROBLEM. I HAVE A REAL PROBLEM, I DONT HAVE ANY EVIDENCE, BUT I HAVE THE PROBLEM WITH THE VOTES THAT CAME IN IN THIS COUNTRY AND WELL TAKE AWAY THE RESPONSIBLITY TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE RESULTS OF THAT ELECTION WERE LEGAL OR NOT AND WELL TRANSFER IT TO THE LEGISLATURE AND BY THE WAY, THE REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURE VOTES TO SAY THAT THOSE THAT COUNT WAS NOT PROPER AND THATS WHAT WERE LOOKING AT. TAKING AWAY THE POWER OF LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THEYVE DONE A GOOD JOB IN THAT RESPECT AND GIVEN IT TO PARTISAN LEGISLATURES. >> IS THERE A COM PROO PROMYSELF. A BIPARTISAN COMPROMISE. THERES ANYTHING THAT MIGHT BE OKAY WITH YOU? >> NO. THERES NO BIPARTISAN. LOOK, YOU TELL ME, IF YOU KNOW ANY REPUBLICAN THAT IS FOR VOTING RIGHTS THERE ARENT ANY. THATS THE SAD REALITY. YOU HAVE A FORMER PRESIDENT GOING AROUND THE COUNTRY TODAY SAYING HE WON THE ELECTION BY A LANDSLIDE. YOU HAVE CANDIDATES RUNNING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY THAT ARE TOUTING THAT ABSURD POSITION, AND YOU DO NOT HAVE ONE REPUBLICAN IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE WHO IS PREPARED TO VOTE TO PRESERVE AMERICAN DEMOCRAT SEE AND PREVENT THESE STATES FROM DOING THE TERRIBLE UNDEMOCRATIC THINGS THAT THEY ARE DOING. SO NO, UNFORTUNATELY, AND I SAY THIS WITH GREAT SADNESS, THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE BISART AN. UNFORTUNATELY, DEMOCRATS WILL HAVE TO DO IT BY THEMSELVES. >> CAN YOU GET THE WHITE HOUSE TO GO ALONG? >> I BELIEVE THAT THE WHITE HOUSE IS DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND WILL DO THE RIGHT THING. >> I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE. AS YOU KNOW JOE BIDEN WAS CRITICIZED DURING THE PRIMARY FOR SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN THE 94 BILL. ARE WE AT A POINT WHEN THERE IS SOME KIND OF GUN -- GUN REFORM, GUN CONTROL, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT THAT CAN GET THROUGH THE SENATE? >> ONCE AGAIN, I THINK THE QUESTION IS WHETHER REPUBLICANS WHO ARE INTIMIDATED BY DONALD TRUMP, WHO ARE BECOMING A MORE AND MORE FRIGHTENED AUTHORITARIAN PARTY AND HAVE THE COURAGE TO STAND UP TO THE NRA AND OTHER GUN LOBBY ORGANIZATIONS. WE DO APPOINT, AS I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOURE SAYING AND THERE IS A GROWING CONSENSUS AND NOT RADICAL THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE CRIMINAL BACKGROUNDS AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE HISTORIES OF VIOLENCE SHOULD NOT OWN GUNS AND WE NEED THOROUGH ANY STRONG GUN BACKGROUND CHECKS. WE NEED TO DO AWAY WITH THE SO-CALLED GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE AND THE STRONG MAN PROVISION. THERE ARE THINGS THAT THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE INCLUDING GUN OWNERS AGREE WITH. THE QUESTION IS WHETHER THE REPUBLICANS IN THE CONGRESS HAVE THE COURAGE TO SUPPORT THOSE POSITIONS. >> AND BEFORE I LET YOU GO, SENATOR, I DO WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT FROM THE HILL TEAM ON THE CAP AND LOCAL STATE TAX DEDUCTIONS AND YOULL HAVE TO GO THROUGH YOUR COMMITTEE. WOULD YOU SUPPORT THAT? >> WHAT I WOULD SUPPORT IS THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE ARE MIDDLE-CLASS FAMILIES IN STATES WHERE PROPERTY TAXES ARE VERY HIGH AND ARE PAYING A WHOLE LOT IN STATE AND LOCAL TAXES, AND I THINK WE HAVE TO SUPPORT THEM. ON THE OTHER HAND, IF YOU HAVE SOME BILLIONAIRES WHO OWN A MASSIVE MANSION, SHOULD THEY BE ABLE TO WRITE OFF THEIR STATE AND LOCAL TAXES? >> NO. IT IS NOT, AND IT MAKES IT CLEAR THAT VERY WEALTHY WILL PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE.
Amen