captioning sponsored by cbs >> brennan: i'm margaret brennan in washington, and this week on "face the nation," the biden administration's booster shot plans hit a roadblock, and congress gets set for a fall budget showdown. there is relief this morning in the nation's capital as the strong show of security at saturday's rally in support of those arrested following the january 6 insurrection kept the crowds away. nothing like the scene nine months ago. now the focus turns to lawmakers, as both houses of congress return to washington for the first time since the end of july. first up, consideration of

a massive $3.5 trillion spending plan that threatens to shatter the fragile fault lines within the democratic party. we'll talk with vermont senator bernie sanders. plus an f.d.a. advisory panel overwhelming votes against widespread booster shots for adults, saying that the data is inconclusive. we'll talk with dr. francis collins about what happened. plus, we'll have a special conversation with former f.d.a. commissioner dr. scott gottlieb. his new book, "uncontrolled spread" takes a hard look at america's covid failures and offers some solutions. >> doctor: we cannot allow something like this to hit us this bad again. >> brennan: and we'll talk with scott kirby about how the travel industry is navigating the persistent pandemic event. plus a look at the fallout from the traffic mistakes last month in afghanistan. it is all ahead on "face the nation."

♪ ♪ >> brennan: good morning. and welcome to "face the nation." on the covid front, the news is still bleak. nearly 10,000 americans died last week of the virus. we now total more than 673,000 dead. children, who are still not eligible for vaccines, account for almost 29% of all cases. according to the aap, there were nearly a quarter million new pediatric covid infections last week. we begin with mark strassmann in orlando. >> reporter: instead of widespread booster, the biden white house got a shot of rejection. an f.d.a. advisory panel on friday recommended pfizer boosters only for vaccinated seniors and high-risk patients. a decision-making a challenging process even more so. >> you want to roll out booster shots to the population, but you can't

flip a switch and make that happen overnight. >> reporter: not in covid america, where the virus now kills around 1900 people a day. the highest average in six months. by any measure, covid sorrow stocks florida with a vengeance. more than 50,000 floridians already dead. an average of 350 more every day tops in america. >> we've got to get vaccinated. >> reporter: dr. vincent shoo works at a advant health orlando. they have 50 hospitals with 1700 covid patients. more than half of them in central florida. >> there is still a lot of issues with taking care of these patients, supplies, space, as well as staffing. >> reporter: continuous surges remain a threat? >> we always have to be prepared for another surge. >> reporter: critics blast the state's leadership for failing to protect the youngest floridians. >> the decision to try to keep kids in school was the right decision.

the decision to let the virus spread the way it has and not employ mitigation in the schools, i disagree with that decision. >> reporter: pandemic politics surged blood blood blod pressures across the country. in ohio, state lawmakers threaten to block any mask mandate the governor tried to issue. and like his reaction -- >> every single county is red-hot. some counties are almost boiling over. >> reporter: at the united nations, the global worry: a potential super spreader event starting on tuesday. new york city has a vaccine mandate for conventions, but the u.n. had no power to enforce it. >> we as secretaries, cannot tell the head of state if he is not vaccinated, he cannot enter the united nations. >> reporter: this hospital, orlando's largest, is short hundreds of nurses. it is a crisis across america's hospitals. early retirements, resignations, and a rash of sick days, staff burned out by this ongoing covid

siege. margaret? >> brennan: mark, thank you. we would like to welcome the director of the nationaltituteof health, dr. francis collins, to the broadcast. thank you for taking time this morning. >> glad to be with you, margaret. >> brennan: doctor, you predicted earlier this month that it may well be boosters are going to be recommended for almost everybody. that didn't happen on friday. do you still expect broad approval? >> doctor: you know, we have to see how this plays out over the coming weeks because the data changes every day. i do think it was very significant, that the f.d.a. advisory committee voted unanimously in favor of offering boosters to people 65 and older and to others who have high-risk exposures, like health care professionals. so we're starreding down starting downthat path. they weren't convinced that it is required for the younger people not at

risk. but some of the data coming in from israel tells me it is likely they will get to that point. but this was a start. i know people were confused about different messages. but in a certain way, margaret, this is the way it ou ought to be: science playing out and looking at the data from our country and other countries, and trying to make the best decision tor right now. and that's what they did. >> brennan: as a medical physician, you think a third dose of the pfizer vaccine will be necessary for everyone? >> doctor: yeah, i'm a physician, a scientist. i'm not a politician. i'm trying to figure out what is the best answer here. the place that might be somewhat questionable is the very youngest individuals, the benefit/risk decision is needed there. i think there will be a decision in the coming weeks to extend boosters beyond the list they approved on friday. >> brennan: so this advisory panel, as you said, gave a green light for 65 and up and those high risk. who does that actually

mean? dr. peter marks, the f.d.a. official who oversees the vaccines, put teachers in that high-risk category. do you agree with that? >> doctor: i think they could be seen in that space. they are, after all, in circumstances, especially if they're in classrooms with kids under 12 who can't be vaccinated, where they are at higher risk of exposure than most of the rest of us. so they kind of fit into the same category as health care providers. the way in which the f.d.a. panel made the vote was a little ambiguous. >> brennan: is it just as risky being in a classroom as a hospital ward. and what does that mean for people like me, who live with unvaccinated children. does that put me in a high-risk category? >> doctor: margaret, that is a great question. i think that is one the c.d.c. will have their committee discuss in some seriousness on wednesday and thursday. because you're in a circumstance with younger

kids who can't be more likely that you could be exposed than somebody who is living alone. >> brennan: we'll watch for that. if someone got the moderna or the johnson & johnson vaccine, and they fit in into the 65 and older category, do they walk into their c.v.s. and say give me a booster. can you mix and match? tell me what you're seeing so far? >> doctor: so we're right in the middle of those trials to see can you mix and match any one of the three that have emergency use authority? can you start with one and boost with the others? we're going to know more about that just in the course of the next two or three weeks. right now we don't have the answer. moderna and j & j, by the way, have also submitted their booster data, so it is likely that the f.d.a. will be able to have a comment on that pretty soon. not quite in sync here. people who got moderna, that would be including me, need to sort of hang

on here and see what the recommendation is for those who are interested in a booster. people shouldn't be rushing out right now and getting a booster before it has actually gone through this process. hang on, people. let's be clear: the vaccines right now in the u.s. are doing a great job of protecting people against severe disease and hospitalization. what we're worried about is that that is beginning to erode and we're seeing more breakthrough cases. and we don't want to get behind this virus; we want to stay ahead of it. >> brennan: but the white house wanted boosters widely available this week. do you still believe they will be videing available widening availablethis week? >> doctor: the reason we started talking about this was to be prepared. it is like when you're preparing for a hurricane. we know about a disturbance long before it is going to hit new orleans. this is good. that's kind of what we're trying to do with covid-19. so part of this

announcement that this might very well, if the f.d.a. and c.d.c. agreed, was to get all of the pharmacies, all of the other preparations together, so there wouldn't be a mad dash at the end to try to actually implement this. i think we're in a good place. >> brennan: we know that next month is the target for vaccine for five to 11-year-olds. what about pre-schoolers and the very young, when do you expect vaccines for them? >> doctor: so the trials on kids under five are still going on. the data won't be submitted to f.d.a. for a bit longer. so i think realistically, we're not going to see approval in that space until very much later this year. i wouldn't want to put a precise date on it, though, there are so many uncertainties about f.d.a.'s review and what the data looks like. but as you said, kids five to 11, the data is supposed to come in at the end of this month, and the f.d.a. will be working

24/7 to go through it. we hope it can happen within weeks, not months. >> brennan: so potentially at the end of this year for the very young. there is going to be a massive gathering in new york city for-the general assembly, are you concerned it will be a super spreader event? >> doctor: well, i sure hope not. we've had enough of those, haven't we? ihope people are taking this with the appropriate seriousness as far as vaccines and mask-wearing and not doing silly things, gathering indoors with masks off amongst people who are not vaccinated or even the vaccinated. we're in the midst of a delta surge. it is not a safe place to throw caution to the winds. >> brennan: doctor, thank you for your time this morning. "face the nation" will be back in one minute with vermont senator bernie sanders. stay with us.

[slow electronic notes fade in] [fast upbeat music begins] [music stops] and release. [deep exhale] [fast upbeat music resumes] [music stops] >> brennan: we're back

with the chairman of the independent committee, bernie sanders, who joins senator. >> good morning. >> brennan: lots to get to with you today, but i want to ask your reaction to the news that the u.s. military killed seven children, three civilian adults, in this drone strike. you have been, in the past very critical on drone strikes. are you comfortable with the biden administration's over the horizon policies? >> i hope they understand what happened and make sure it never happens again. it reflects on us before the entire world. it is unacceptable. >> brennan: on immigration, i also want to get your reaction to what the biden administration just said they're doing this weekend, which is st to step up deportations, particularly of some of the haitian migrants who have gathered in southern texas. ilhan omar has called it

inhumane. do you agree with her, and working on what you're working on on scotia capitascotcapitolhill, do you he immigration will be worked on? >> i hope so. we have many, many millions of undocumented immigrants, people who are maintained this economy, something like 11 million people. and i would hope very much, and i think the american people agree, that now is the time, and if we can do it through reconciliation, i'm there, i want to do it. to move towards a path towards citizenship and comprehensive immigration reform through the reconciliation bill. that's my hope. >> brennan: whether or not that can be done is still going to be decided. i know you said you want it done. >> right. >> brennan: isn't this exactly the same kind of social policy that moderates are bulking at

baubecause you're combining it into something that should be just for -- >> the truth is because we have no republican support in trying to pass a significant piece of legislation representing working families, we have to do it through the so-called reconciliation process. which means that you have to obey the rules. i won't go into all of the details. so it is something we are arguing right now. but i do hope as we move towards what i believe is the most consequential piece of legislation for the working class of this country, as we demand that the wealthiest people and large corporations start paying their fair share of taxes, as we lower the cost of prescription drugs and we expand medicare for hearing aids and eye glasses, as we lower the childhood poverty, as we have already down, by 50% as a result of the american rescue plan, i hope that immigration

reform is part of that general package. >> brennan: but don't all of these worthy causes you're laying out deserve their own debate and consideration. you, in the past, as said this is not how this should happen. >> right now we have no republican support. zero. there is not republican who is prepared to stand up to the drug companies and lower the costs -- >> brennan: and you mate may not have full democratic support, either. >> we can't do it without the reconciliation package. i want the american people to understand it, we're taking on the pharmaceutical industry. we're spending millions and millions of dollars trying to make sure they can charge us 10 times more than the people of other countries for drugs. we're taking on the health care industry who does not want to expand medicare. we're taking on the fossil fuel industry who thinks it is okay to keep emitting carbon -- this is monumental.

>> brennan: i understand it monumental. senator manchin met with president biden, and he continues to say the number you're asking for is too big, too much. will you meet with the president this week and do you plan to give anything here to get closer to the numbers that the moderates and yo your own party says needs to be met. >> i'll tell you this: we have started off with i would guess 80% of the democratic caucus supporting a $6 trillion bill. this is over 10 years. per year it is less than we spend on the military. maybe you can tell me or somebody else can tell me how much we should spend to save the planet. because what the scientists are telling us if we don't get a handle on climate change within the next few years, there will be i irreparable damage. i think we owe them to leave a planet that is healthy and inhabitable. we got 50 votes.

we're going to have to work it out as we did with the american rescue act. i have made, and my colleagues have made, a major compromise. >> brennan: am i hearing you correctly when you say you're not willing to move on the $3.5 trillion number -- >> right now we're engaging with the house and the senate. it is a complicated proposal. all i'm telling you is that $3.5 trillion is much too low. a compromise has already been made and an agreement has be made. and the american people, by the way, poll after poll after poll are telling us now is the time to stand up to powerful special interests, and now is the time to start representing working families. on all of these issues, they are enormously powerful. and maybe we can work for workers for a change -- >> brennan: you keep saying the number of 50 votes, but it is well reported that senator

manchin and senator cinema are not on this within the democratic party -- >> with dealt with this with the american rescue plan, which, as you know, is the most significant piece of legislation to take us out of the economic decline. and it cut childhood poverty by 50%. it provided unemployment benefits. it did what had to be done to get us out of the emergency. we came together. i expect because of the pressure of the american people, we'll come together anyone and do what has to be done. >> brennan: will you meet with president biden this week, just like senator manchin did last week? >> i talked -- i'm happy to meet with the president any time. but at the end of the day -- >> brennan: so no? >> -- what the overwhelming majority of what the people want us to do is stand up to the drug companies. it is an enormous fight, and we're going to win it. >> brennan: it is an enormous fight, and we

will track it. thank you very much, senator sanders. we'll be right back in a moment with more "face the nation." unlike older medicines, ubrelvy is a pill that directly blocks cgrp protein, believed to be a cause of migraine. do not take with strong cyp3a4 inhibitors. most common side effects were nausea and tiredness. ask about ubrelvy. the anytime, anywhere migraine medicine.

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>> brennan: there were some big developments on the national security beat, including the pentagon's admission of a tragic deadly mistakes as americans were pulling out of afghanistan. we turn to senior national security correspondent david martin. you heard senator sanders say how badly this reflects on the country in the eyes of the rest of the world. but policy-wise, doesn't this show a flaw with the president's over the horizon reliance? >> this is the heart of the matter. what happens in afghanistan matters here in the u.s. only if al-qaeda and other terrorist groups there are able to make a comeback. the u.s. says it is going to prevent that with surveillance conducted from outside the country,

drones thriving from outside the country, what they call over the horizon. and that they will be able to detect a plot in the works and then be able to disrupt it with a drone strike. but you have to say this mistake made in kabul is not an encouraging precedent.. they had six drones over kabul that day -- six. so now everybody is gone. they have to operate these drones from outside the country. are they really going to be able to sustain that many drones over -- >> brennan: six drones, and yet an aide worker is who they killed, who had no ties to isis. >> it was just a horrendous mistake, and nobody claims it was

anything but that it happened in the context of a terrorist attack just a few days before. communications intercepts, telling them there was going to be another terrorist attack, and it was going to volve a white toyota corolla. and this aide worker just happened to be driving a toyota corolla. so each one of his entirely innocent stops becomes suspicious to them. especially when they see him loading containers into his truck. they th thought they were explosives. when they ordered the strike. and after the investigation was done, those containers held water which he was bringing home to his family because his home

was without running water. it was just the final debacle of the afghan war. >> brennan: you know, just this week, the deputy c.i.a. director told us they're tracking al-qaeda members moving back to afghanistan. so it raises the stakes on getting things right. there is a extensive discussion about the presidents involving afghanistan. the chief military advisor to the president said don't do it, don't do it this way. and general austin said the same thing to president biden and he dismissed it. >> he didn't dismiss it. he listened. they all give him credit for listening. but he just wasn't buying it. he just not believe that it was worth the candle to remain in afghanistan.

remember, lloyd austin had seen this movie before because he was the commander in iraq during the obama administration, when the obama administration pulled all its combat troops out of iraq, which gave rise to isis. and he was the commander of the u.s. central command when isis came storming out of syria, and we had to basically fight the war of iraq all over. so not only had he seen this movie before, he played a role in it. and he had a great sense of fo foreboding. >> brennan: and that is why that reporting is so important. david, thank you for your analysis and your time today. we'll be right back.

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>> brennan: welcome back to "face the nation." we go now to united airlines c.e.o. scott kirby, who joins you from state college, pennsylvania. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> brennan: united has said 90% of your employees are vaccinated. what about for contractors and someone buying a ticket on your airline, how confident can they be they won't run into someone unvaccinated? >> well, there are a lot of people who work in the airport who don't yet have a vaccine. >> reilrequirement.one of the ts important when you're traveling on an airplane, once you're on the airplane, it is really the safest place you can be because of the air flow on the airplane -- the safest place you can be ind