this new crop. even before the pandemic hit. that is not made anything easier. thank you. [background noises] [background noises] [background noises] >> we hear from senate minority leader chuck schumer on the latest efforts to pass another coronavirus relief bill. this is 20 minutes. >> good afternoon one and all. some of you i recognize and some of you i don't. but it's good you're here. i will first read a statement on the trump effort to ban undocumented immigrants from being counted. this order is not the worth

the paper it's printed on and will be struck down by the courts. attempting to weaponize the census for political gain is yet another racially driven attack by a president and an administration that wrongly views immigrants as the enemy when they are a vital part of our society. this heartless order will only stoke fear and deprive already underfunded communities across america of much-needed federal resources across all of our government including education, transportation, infrastructure and more. it's mean, it's vicious, it's typical of donald trump. now, on the issue of covid. first i am glad senators durbin and stabenow have joined me. it has been over 60 days, 60 days since the house passed the heroes act which provides

crucial relief and help for education funding, hospitals, medical workers, essential workers on the front lines, state and local governments, and much more. the republican senators have told us to wait, and wait, and waits. faced with the biggest health crisis in 100 years, the biggest economic crisis and 75 years, the republican leaders but the senate on pause for three months, three months as more people die, as more people get sick, as more businesses go under, as more people are unemployed, put it on pause. what kind of attitude is that? every week that republicans delay the crisis got worse and worse for the american people. now that republicans are finally, finally feeling the heat to do another relief bill instead of working with democrats leader mcconnell decided to write the bill across the closed doors of his

offices same partisan one side only as field time and time again to produce successful legislation in the senate. it only delays action, worse, with time ticking away at republicans cannot even get their own act together. the white house and senate republicans are divided and fighting over which corporate interests to please first. earlier today i said republicans were divided i want to amend that, republicans are in complete disarray. and now republicans are experiencing -- and now americans are experiencing needless pain and uncertainty because of republican incompetence and division. after all this time, more than two months after the heroes bill passed the president's chief of staff today said republicans were quote on their own 20-yard line when it

comes to their proposal. what is going on here? this party is incapable of governing at any time let alone when we have such great health and crises for their totally incompetent totally in disarray, totally at war with one another. we don't have time, we don't have time for the mess the republicans are in. congress needs to add quickly and right now they're playing a dangerous game of chicken with pandemic relief. fighting with each other, writing their own focus bill and refusing to work with democrats on either chamber. i will urge my republican colleagues to abandon their one party, one chamber approach and immediately again bipartisan, on the next legislation for they should not waste everybody's time instructing the partisan bill

that benefits corporations and big special interest. and instead work with us on something that could pass. one final point, president trump is committing one of the greatest failures of presidential leadership in our nations history. it may be the greatest failure. it may be rivaled by buchanan exacerbating divisions before the civil war, but nothing else. trump is not focused on addressing the problem. there is no national testing strategy. he is not use the dpa to make more pvp. his pushed states like arizona, texas, florida, to open too quickly and now he's trying to cut the funding for testing which some republicans want. and now things are a lot worse because president trump does not have a plan to deal with the situation. he is just saying, he's waiting for covid to disappear. it ain't disappearing. leader mcconnell and a rare

act of distancing himself from trump had the courage, quote unquote to say that covid is still with us. the president cannot even model good behavior and encourage americans to wear masks. when the covid prices task force briefings resume this afternoon the administration will keep trump away from the podium. every time president trump speaks to the american people about covid-19, he is a threat to public health. senator durbin. >> most of us remember those speeches on the floor from senator mcconnell. they go back almost three months ago. it was before there were any specific provision they're talking about in terms of the next covid bill. there's one thing senator mcconnell wanted to make abundantly clear to everyone who served in the united states senate.

he had a red line? there'll be nothing denver covid unless you respect the redline. the immunity of businesses across america when it comes to liability for covid-19. how many times did he give that speech? day, after day, after day, he talked about the redline when it came to immunity for any kind of liability. well, i've paid close attention to because i was anxious to see mcconnell proposal when it came to immunity. i waited, and waited, and waited, and the best we could come up with so far was that report from the special interest lobbyist on k street that mcconnell and the republicans have been trying out a couple of ideas on immunity first. we are still waiting to see the language of the so-called

immunity provision from senator mcconnell. this much we know. the statements he has made on the floor about the flood, this tsunami of lawsuits that were going to be filed because of covid-19. the vulnerability from some of the most innocent business owners and individual across america to these crafty lawyers were rushing to the courthouse, we have some numbers to report on that. let me tell you about the synonymy. we live in a nation of 330 million americans. so far we know there have been three and a half million americans infected by covid-19. three and a half million. here comes the tsunami of lawsuits. there have been 15 consumer personal injury cases filed in the year 2020. those are related to covid-19. fifteen, not 15000, 15. how many medical malpractice cases have been filed in united states of america mentioning covid-19 is one of

the elements what would you guess in this tsunami of lawsuits? how many doctors, nurses, hospitals have been sued across united states of america? six. when it came to the 15 lawsuits 11 involved cruise ships does that tell like an outrageous number when you consider the thousands of people who were marooned at sea on those crew ships which were floating petri dishes for the covid virus? sixty-nine unsafe workplace lawsuits, 69 across the united states. will let me tell you, the numbers tell the story. there is no sued nami, there's no flood, what senator mcconnell's trying to do is capitalize on this moment of insurgency in america. to close down the responsibility of businesses, to make certain they do everything reasonably possible to protect their customers and their employees. that is what it comes down

to. twenty-eight states have already passed legislation. they want to make sure their states are on top of it. but senator mcconnell does not care at the state's name. u.s. preempt their lawsuits and their laws and basically say that businesses across america will be immune. what standard did they have to work toward? what did they have to do to make sure their businesses safe? any standard will do according to senator mcconnell. could be local, state, federal, could be anything good enough for him. that just tells you when it comes on two fundamental issues like the ones we are facing on the next stage of covid relief, senator mcconnell is one thing in mind, protecting corporations and big businesses. well the american know better. overwhelmingly they said what you go along with the mcconnell approach a thing what is the business to do the right thing? it's better to have based on standard health and good

businesses, the majority are good businesses they can live up to that standard with a clear conscience they are doing everything they stand for their customers. the bottom-line question is this how we protect america, et cetera mcconnell when you try to give immunity to businesses who can leave two more infection and death. >> while senator mcconnell is trying to protect corporate interest, people across america just need help. the struggling, have hardship some people call this package we talk about a stimulus. it's really what it is people are looking to see with the republicans are going to do, will they care? will they care about special corporate interest? so far americans have seen them turning their backs on them and their families.

so when we look at comet we just put out the democratic policy report yesterday on some of what people are facing just this week as well as going into the next two weeks. we look at it see the fact that 30% of americans did not make their housing payment this month. 30%. and by the end of the week, by friday the protections that allow them to stay in their home during covid-19 go away if we do not act. they are gone. does mitch mcconnell care about that? does the republicans care about having a home in the middle of all this? at the end of the week the additional $600 for people who are on unemployment goes away. that is about 60% of the income of the people, the millions of people getting help right now through unemployment insurance. it goes away. 60%. this mitch mcconnell care

about that? do republicans care about that? so far they're just turning their backs. every single day moms and dads, i am worried whether or not my grandkids can go back to school safely. whether or not members of my family who are teachers will be able to be in the classroom. will they be able to teach and be safe? and the clock is ticking. a lot of schools go back in august. so far we have nothing coming from republicans. they are talking about it but schools are having to make decisions, parents are making decisions about what's going to happen. when are they going to act? they are just turning their backs on them. that goes for food assistance, state and local services, those jobs who are on the edge

right now it's really simple. all they are saying is we need help in the middle of this crisis. what they are seeing from the republicans is simply they are turning their back on them. we are not turning our backs and we are going to fight every single day do the very best we can because we understand what is at stake. the bill is not about stimulus , it is about survival. we get it we're going to work as hard as we can to make sure people have as much as what they need to be able to survive during this pandemic. two thank you both senators stabenow and durbin for great statements. yes? reporter: is a question about unemployment. reporter: [inaudable question]. >> i don't think people should drink bleach i don't think

hydroxyquinoline is a cure. i don't warm weather makes it go away. he called this a hoax heat misleads people if you look at foreign countries in europe and east asia, developed countries, why are they much better off than us? they had leadership in this president shows no leadership. when he gets up he speaks of ms. truth he tries to muddle the scientists have them stay away we do better without him. reporter: is there a middle ground perhaps [inaudable question] >> if you look at the statistics the unemployment insurance we passed cap more people out of poverty than just about anything else that has been passed people need to feed their families need to pay the rent. with the republicans talk about drastically cutting it on then coming up with this idea it will give you money for going back to work pretty for going back to work you going be paid a salary. the bottom line is the

provision in the heroes act is a fine provision we are sticking with it. >> i said what i said. reporter: what is the minimum you accept? >> we think the heroes bill is the right place to be. that is our position. unlike republicans democrats are united house and senate behind the heroes bill it has overwhelmingly brought broad support is provision here or there that water to might not like over a couple provisions they want to add in. yes. but put that into the feuding fractured republican caucus and the fact that the president and the republican senators category is quite the contrast. reporter: [inaudable question]

>> we are not going to negotiate against ourselves. the heroes bill had a provision far more generous than what mcconnell's talking about in terms of direct payment. reporter: with filibusters where you stand on that so look, job number one is to get the majority we don't take anything for granted but it's looking better and better once we get the majority we will discuss it amongst our caucus. nothing is off the table. reporter: [inaudable question] >> the proof of the pudding is in the details. we have had a written legislative plan that is past the house for two months. we are waiting to see the specifics of the plan before commenting. reporter: [inaudible]

jim: we have to see the specifics we don't know what it is especially this case when they listen to corporate lobbyists refer they listen to the needs of the american people we will have to see the plan. yes. reporter: sarah line in the sand -- >> the bottom line is it was extreme it was written by lobbyists and corporate bigshot corporate interest. our number one goal is to protect workers. and for mcconnell to make this the number one issue 120 million are out of work and need help. people are losing their homes and need help and people can't feed their kids in going under and need help not for helping average americans ahead of anyone else so look see what's in there we don't know yet they cannot and get their own act together put a bill together among themselves. last one.

reporter: [inaudable question] so i think it's despicable. we have in our legislation that we agree it's a no unmarked cars no more police if federal agents want to protect federal property they should be on that federal property if they want to be anywhere else they need to have permission from whoever has jurisdiction in the area. i doubt the president did was despicable. you pick up someone with no identification dragged them somewhere in here she doesn't even know what's doing. and second, so typical of trump he cannot solve the covid crisis, testing is a mess, the whole country realizes he's an abject failure to try to do diversionary thing. this is a despicable diversionary thing and it will backfire on him. thank you. [background noises]

>> ♪ ♪ c-span's "washington journal", every day we are taking your calls live on air on the news of the day will discuss policy issues that impact you coming up on wednesday morning pennsylvania republican congressman glenn thompson member the house education and labor committee will join us to discuss negotiations of the next coronavirus relief bill. oregon's conger congressman will be on to talk but the federal response of the antiracism purchase in portland. watch c spans "washington journal" live at seven eastern wednesday morning. be sure to what join the discussion with your phone calls, facebook comments, text messages and tweets. join the discussion. ♪ ♪ >> during the summer months reach out your elected officials with c spans congressional directory it contains all the contact information you need to stay

in touch with members of congress, federal agencies and state governors. order your copy online today at c-span store.org. ♪ ♪ >> booktv on cspan2 has topped nonfiction books and authors every weekend. coming up this weekend send the at 4:30 p.m. eastern princeton university professor author of beginning again, james baldwin american earth's urgent for our own on race in america join in conversation with harvard university professor cornell west. 9:00 p.m. eastern on "after words" washington state demonstrated congresswoman with her book use the power you have guide to politics in much book tv on cspan2 this weekend.

>> next maryland governor larry hogan talks about the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic with scott godley who previously led the food and drug administration during the first two years of the trump presidency. governor hogan was asked about testing challenges in the upcoming election and the debate over reopening schools in the fall we are here with governor larry hogan to talk about the challenges we face as a country grappling with the covid pandemic and some of the things that we've done to deal with their epidemic this is unprecedented time of the global pandemic the intelligence community has long warned us about the risks of a pandemic and put it on par with weapons of mass destruction in counterterrorism and cyber attacks as much as we thought we were prepared for this as a nation, weou