the race that's been designed for you. ♪♪ >> brennan: we're back with a new cbs news pol. the drop in covid cases has improved people's version of handling the pandemic. joining us now is anthony salvanto. good morning, anthony. the c.d.c. director says we're still not out of the clear. is that how the public feels? >> good morning, margaret. the sense that things are better but not yet well. when you look at the emotions that people have expressed towards covid safety measures right now, there is still a lot of patience with them. but it is mixed.

there is frustration. there is exhaustion. it is not just one thing in the public minds. it is reflective of the fact we've been through all of these ups and downs and the waves. now, when you look at particular measures, mask requirements, there is still a majority that would favor that. but the thing you want to understand is, besides partisanship behind this is the difference between the fully vaccinated, who are far more supportive, they've long been more concerned about the pandemic, long been more concerned about what do do, and they're more supportive than the remaining in vaccinated who are more frustrated and who feel these measures do not work, margaret. >> brennan: we saw some of that in our own focus group that we did with parents. across the board, we heard regardless of political affiliation, they were all incredibly concerned about their children. >> yeah. when we talked to parents

in this poll, we found so many said their kids' mental and emotional health, their kids' educational development had gotten worse during the pandemic. sizable numbers there. so, yes, parents are seeing those changes. but what to do about it, though? when you see parents who still support mas majority saying they still could be required, how do those two things mesh? there are plenty of things parents do that they think will protect their kids, even though it makes them feel frustrated and exhausted. finally, margaret, i would add this: when people look at the state of things in this country, the people who say things are going well is up, but not a high number. so a little better but not quite high. >> brennan: we go now to

governor phil murphy of new jersey. he was the first of several blue-state governors who announced plans to roll back statewide mask mandates in schools. good morning to you, governor. >> good morning, margaret. >> brennan: the c.d.c. says they're not there yet. you say you're following the science, so what do you know that the c.d.c. director does not? >> i think new jersey's scscott gottlieb got this well, our numbers are improving dramatically. in-sool trnsmissions,caatiof llenge is this spike, this variant, has spiked straight up and it is coming straight down. new jersey and new york was hit early, as we have been all of the waves. the fact of the matter is our experience is very different from the average american state's experience. so the c.d.c., which we

have been adherent to from the get-go, they've got a much more complex reality. the science and the data and the facts on the ground in new jersey has allowed us to take this step. >> brennan: the c.d.c. says you're still at a high transmission level. in virginia, the republican governor is locked in court battles over his decision to pull back mask mandates. he made that call back in january. did you fear similar political blowback? did you look a that extreme? >> listen, i think they've dne -- with great respect, i think they've done that backwards. they basicalne ma and ti district sue us todoposite. in other worwere ftthk mande ay, math ouve four-wek runway. and allowed the districts

or individuals to put local mandates or wear magmasks in place. >> brennan: aren't you just kind of transferring a political problem down to a more local level? how do the school districts or the mayors make the call? what benchmarks are you specifically giving them on whether it is safe to advice lifting those masks or not? >> governor: we have got the virus, at least as we sit here, and every timethitimeyou think you've figd it out, it turns, but this thing is going from pandemic to pandemic, and we feel it is the responsible step to take, to allow districts, if they so choose, based on their local health realities, working with their local health authorities, to make a decision on their own. my gut tells me, particularly as we get into warmer weather in the spring, and the virus goes in the right direction,

you'll have an overwhelming amount of districts following suit and lifting the mandate. >> brennan: did you get any timeline from the white house as to when they'll give federal guidelines to do what you're doing? >> we have not, but we think that the biden administration has done an outstanding job managing this, but, again, they have a much more complex reality. this isn't where the curves went sweeping over months up and then months down. this went straight up and straight down. >> brennan: i'm going to ask you, as a democrat, your thoughts here going into these races. you just went through an election yourself. former president obama spoke this week to house democrats and told him to take the wins you can get and it doesn't help to whine about stuff you can't change. do you feel like democrats are in a defensive crouch going into these term races?

>> i'm not sure, margaret, a defensive crouch. but we probably have focused a lot more on what we have not been able to get gone than on the historic things we have got done as a party. the president and congress have gotten a bipartisan structure law that is historic. the american rescue plan monies is historic, by the way a lot of which yet to be spender. totobe spent. >> brennan: when it comes to political liabilities, one of the things we've seen in our polling is the lived experience of americans. they experience the economy through the prices they pay. inflation at 7.50%, is this the biggest political liability for democrats? or is that just not how you see things? >> i think it is a

challenge for democrats, for sure. and i'll put myself in this category, early on we talked about whether a lot of this was transitory and how deep and impactful it would be. the fact of the matter is it is real, it is here. my guess is it is here for the balance this calendar year. we have done a lot in our state as relates to affordability. so i think anything democrats can do -- we passed 14 tax cuts for the middle class and working families and seniors in our first term. steps like that, making health care more affordable, college more affordable, property taxes more affordable -- anything we can do as a party i think will resonate because inflation is real. >> brennan: is there risk from this trucker convoy and these protests? i new jersey is a logistic pub. >> without question, we have one of the largest ports in the country. our folks have managed it brilliantly in the context of this pandemic, but that

trucker reality is a threat without question. >> brennan: governor, thank you very much for your time today. we'll be right back. johnson & johnson is the world's largest healthcare company. building a future where cancers can be cured. strokes can be reversed. joints can be 3-d printed. and there isn't one definition of what well feels like. there are millions. we're using our world to make your world a world of well. we love our new apartment. great kitchen, open floor plan. but there's not much privacy... (laughter, applause) at least geico makes bundling our renters and car insurance easy. (laughter, clapping) for bundling made easy,

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>> brennan: and we're back with congressman adam kinzinger of illinois, who is one of two republican members on the committee investigating the january 6 insurrection. foogood morning to you. >> good morning. >> brennan: i want to start with what is happening with ukraine and russia. you have these massive russian military exercises. how do you assess the biden administration's handling of this so far? >> i'm on team america, team ukraine. tere are some nuances i would have done different than the biden administration, but now is the time to stand unified. they have done a good job, particularly in bringing out intel early to try to defang any russian far tiff that could come with ukraine. we know about the

discussion of a false flag attack, and now we've made it clear that russia may do that. i think a lot of that is good. one thing i will add, though: we have to shut down nordstream 2 regardless what happens in ukraine because russia is using energy as a weapon. >> brennan: russia is using energy as a weapon. >> yes. >> brennan: on russia generally, there had been for so long bipartisan support for standing up to russia and standing up for democracies, but there is this interesting trend within the conservative movement, you have senators, like josh hawley, who called on president biden to rule out invasion into ukraine. and similar sentiments elsewhere. how significant of a portion of the republican

party is moving in this direction? >> i don't think it is a huge portion, but it is way too big and it is growing. a few years ago it might be something like rand paul who might say something, and now there is a significant number of folks doing it. with tucker carlson talking about how ukraine is part of russia. i think it could be a couple of things. number one, it could be nnaivete. i think vladimir putin has done a decent job in engaging in culture battles. he has seen us defending in essence. ukraine is next. already one-third of the country of georgia is occupied by russia. then you have the baltics that they're enter fearing in. this is a frightening movement. any republican who has

affection or vladimir putin has no understanding of what our party stands for or what our country stands for. >> brennan: you are on that january 6 committee. rudy giuliani, the president's former attorney is apparently speaking to the committee in some form. is he being cooperative at this point? what can you tell us about that? >> well, what i can tell you is he has been subpoenaed. our expectation is he is going to cooperate because that is the law and the requirement. there may be some changes in dates and moments here as lawyers do their back and forth, but we fully expect in accordance with the law, we'll hear from rudy giuliani. regardless of when we hear from rudy giuliani, we're getting a lot of information, and we're looking forward to wrapping this up when that is right, showing it to the american people, but not russia not rushing this. i have a new son, i want

to make sure in five or 10 years when he is learning about this in history class that he gets the full answer and no some conspiracy garbage. >> brennan: is the plan to end the hearings in the spring? >> spring or summer is the timeframe. we want to take this information and present it to the american people not just in a report, which is going to be essential, but in people,es stories. >> brennan: senate mcconnell said in very clear terms that january 6 was a violent insurrection for the purpose of trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of power after a legitimately certified election. so unlike some republicans, he is clearly pointing to the intent of the actors. he is not just talking about the fact there is some violence. he said what the people were doing that day was inherently wrong, and what president trump was saying about the election has been clearly said by vice

president mike pence to have been wrong. does this give more political cover to republicans running for election in 2022 to say this, or is it still too dangerous? >> well, it does give more political cover. the question is: will it? i have lost faith in some of the courage of my colleagues. i thought that every person, when they swore an oath, had some version of a red line they would never cross. but certainly mitch mcconnell's statement was important. certainly the vice president's statement was important. margaret, this is a moment where every republican, i don't care if you're running for city council all the way up to congress and senate -- every republican has to be clear and forceful on the record, do they think january 6 was legitimate political discourse. don't let them avoid it or hem haw. this is an answer every one of them have to give, and then we can move on

once they're clear and on the record. but this is definitive to our democracy, how do you feel? >> brennan: as you know, the chairwoman of the republican national committee and even senator marco rubio, who was on this program last sunday, argued there is a difference between the day and what the committee that you are on and the work you are doing -- what those things add up to. they argue that you're committee is persecuting ordinary citizens that had nothing to do with violence. how do you respond to that? >> it is obviously a convenient way for them to deflect. we are not looking at the 20,000 or so people that were there on january 6 that did not enter the capitol grounds. we're looking at the corruption that led up to the moment and what happened since. we're talking about thwho went intthpitotpting to overflow this. marco rubio knows that,

rhonda mcdaniel knows that. they don't want to tick off the base, but they don't want to appear to be two in there with donald trump, and that's the game. we have to choose and take definitive lines. it is starting to shape up. but everybody should have to take a position. >> brennan: congressman, thank you for your time today. we'll be back in a moment.

>> brennan: inflation went up again in january, and there is growing pressure on the federal reserve to increase interest rates in order to cool down the economy. mary daly is president and c.e.o. of the san francisco federal reserve bank. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> brennan: you know, we say consumer prices are at the highest level in 40 years. if you look at certain items, like car prices, they're up more than 40% compared to where they were last year. energy is up 27%. bacon, up 18%. you've said inflation is going to get worse before it gets better. what do consumers need to be bracing for and what needs to be done to get this under control? >> so, first, it is very

true that inflation is too high. and it is really hitting the pocketbooks of average americans across a wide range of categories. th federal reserve is actively focused on this. as you know, we've talked about changing our policy stance, raising rates as early as march, which certainly would be something i would support barring any surprises, and that is really meant to take some of accommodation out of the economy and help inflation come back down to a place where people don't have to worry about the price of bacon or the price of used cars. but as you know, we're not the only part of this puzzle. we also have to get supply-chains repaired and we have to get back out of our homes after covid. >> brennan: you said you do not favor a half percent increase in interest rates in march. what do you favor? >> so i look at the data, and i see that it is obvious that we need to pull some of the

accommodation out of the economy. but history tells us with fed policy that abrupt and aggressive action can actually have a destapling affect on the growth we're trying to achieve. i would favor moving in march and then watching and measuring, and being very careful about what we see ahead of us, and taking the next interest rate increase when it is the best place to do that. that could be in the next meeting or a meeting away. but either way, the most important thing is to be measured in our pace and importantly data dependent. >> brennan: the financial markets are anticipating six to seven rate hikes in the year ahead. is that the kind of tempo you foresee? >> i think it is too early to call. really, you want -- you talk about it. we have ukraine, geopolitical risk, we're just coming out of our homes after omicron, and we hope that the virus

will stay at bay but we have to watch. we have another print on the unemployment, the jobs, and inflation. all of those things are very important because we make any announcements on exactly what we've been doing this year. what every american deserves to hear is we're on this and we're going to take those data in and get the accommodation right-sized for the economy. >> brennan: one of your colleagues out of the kansas city fed has said current monetary policy is out of sync with the economy. the fed is still injecting some emergency support measures here because of the pandemic. can you continue to do this when inflation is at 7.5%? is this just about rate hikes? what more needs to happen? >> that's a terrific question. you're right, we're continuing to taper our asset purchases. but those will be complete by the early march. markets understands we're doing that to make sure we have a predictable decline

in our purchases so we don't dislocate financial markets. if you look at financial markets, they have already priced in that injection, as you've referred to it, and they've also priced in rate increases over the coming year. i think markets and house holds, and all of my context in the business community, they understand that the fed is moving on the policy and adjusting it to get it right-sized for the economy we have. >> brennan: you have mentioned the geopolitical risk, and eastern europe is a potential risk -- how should the people at home understand that? they're cautioning u.s. businesses to be prepared about potential blowbacks from cyber-attacks. how do you foresee this playing out? >> well, any time, as you know, that we have geopolitical risk, it creates uncertainty. and americans are already

facing quite a bit of uncertainty. uncertainty about when covid is going to leave our sure. uncertainty about how the economy is going. it affects consumer sentiment and also affects consumer demand. what i know businesses are thinking about is cautious optimism. they're bullish on the u.s. economy. they're bullish on coming outout of the pandemic strong. and there are many things in our future we have to balance. >> brennan: is that an argument against taking energy policy -- how do you see the risk we're facing right now? >> i see risks on both sides. if we act too aggressively, then we can actually add to american's uncertainy. they have to worry about whether the fed is being too aggressively. if we act too slowly, we

have accommodation that is too much for the economy. that's why this balanced approach -- i see march as an appropriate time to raise the interest rate. and then we have to take in all of the information that you've mentioned and make the right decision at the right time for the economy. >> brennan: mary daly, thank you very much for your analysis. we'll be right back. >> thank you.

>> brennan: that's >> brennan: that's it for us today. thank you for watching. until next week, for "face the nation," i'm margaret brennan. ♪♪ captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org

b good evening and thanks for watching. today president biden told ukraine's president that the united states and its allies would respond quote, swiftly and decisively to a new russian invasion into the country. diplomatic efforts to diffuse the crisis are ongoing, but the u.s. warns an attack is expected and soon. this weekend, some airliners began suspending flights. today a charter jet lliner carrying more u.s. troops from the 82nd airborne division arrived in poland to bolster nato's presence there. cbs has been following the story for us and is at the w