beat." if you have thoughts on that or any more stories we covered tonight, i always welcome your ideas, questions and feedback, even the constructive kind. you can find me online @arimelber. good evening, everyone. lots and lots of news ahead on tonight's readout, starting with word that senator patrick leahy of vermont, the pro tem of the united states senate and the man sent to preside over the impeachment trial is hospitalized tonight. we'll have more on that coming up. we turn first to joe biden's presidency, now seven full days old, and we've already seen a serious turn of page. the president took several calls

with foreign leaders today, and they were notable for being uncharacteristically opposite of what we've seen over the past four years. they were friendly to america's traditional friends and confrontational with our traditional adversaries. go figure. during his final foreign leader call of the day with vladimir putin, biden placed his predecessor's dictator envy to task, and questioned him over the hack of our election systems, russian interference and our troops. the administration has already agreed to the paris climate agreement, strengthening daca while reversing the policy issues of the foreign administration, even as his maga oasis, otherwise known as florida, is sinking. president biden's victory is a story about change. it's also a story about what he's inherited.

a country nearing collapse under the strains of the coronavirus and racial ininequinequities. a party that would rather look away at an intended insurrection that even threatened their own lives. president biden inherited a government along with the pandemic, one year in, that has killed nearly 425,000 people, more than have died of covid in any other country on earth. we now know what we've always known, that the former administration had no plan. vaccines are missing. the economy is gutted with millions out of work. so, yes, there is a lot of work to do. but with democrats in control of both houses of congress and the presidency for the first time in a decade, the biden administration is moving quickly to turn the page. the administration is working to purchase an additional 100

million doses of each of the two fda-authorized vaccines, providing enough to fully vaccinate 300 million americans by the end of summer. >> more than 400,000 americans have already died. more than all the people who died in all americans who died in world war ii. this is a wartime undertaking. it's not hyperbole. and as such, i directed the team to be ready to exercise all the authorities i have under the defense production act and expedite these vaccines. >> joining me now is michal sindor. michal, great to see you, as always. i want to start by asking about senator leahy, any news you have on his condition or what the white house is thinking or whether or not they've been in contact with him. >> the white house has taken in

this information in which senator leahy was admitted to the hospital out of an abundance much caution. he was seen today, he was out on the senate floor presiding over impeachment where rand paul was trying to stop the impeachment trial for being unconstitutional. i think a lot of eyes are still trying to watch what happens. of course, one, the senate is so, so tight with a 50-50 tie, you can't really afford to lose anybody, not only, of course, wishing him well to recover, but just for the time being. if there's anything you want done, you need all 50 senators to be there. the other thing, of course, is that it's top of mind that there could be issues and complications going forward. >> well, and that is the other issue, right? there were a lot of executive actions. there were more than 30 executive actions taken so far. there was another one today on racial equity, but there is this question of how much they can get done through executive actions and how much they need to legislate. we're seven days into the 100 days when you get the most done.

is the fact that they're now really thinking top of mind about that senate majority changing their strategy at all on what they intend to send to the floor? >> it's a good question, and the big question is, how are they going to work with congress and what are they going to get passed? there is, of course, this issue where, yes, joe biden has now passed some 30, 35, almost, executive orders, we're nearing that high number there, but the big question is, real money, real change, real change in this country comes through legislative action, and what you see here is joe biden trying to push through this $1.9 trillion covid package, and he's already getting pushback, telling me there's not even 50 votes for that idea. and really, the focus on equity is going to turn into legislation because there is so much to legislate, including, of course, something not mentioned today, which was policing.

they talked about private imprisonment. joe biden talked about george floyd and the eight seconds in which he died. how are they also going to look at success? how are they going to measure that? what does systemic racism actually look like in numbers and data? that's a critical issue when you think that racism is something we've been living with for so long. >> it's a really good question, and i've been watching the briefings, which it's refreshing to see a briefing at all, but i don't think we're getting specifics on timing. what legislation is going to the floor when? whether it's on policing or the specifics on the rollout in terms of the vaccine rollout. do you get a sense that the white house has put things in an order where the first thing they want to see go to the floor is x? do you think they've got that in mind, or is it just seven days in and they haven't figured that out yet. >> the one thing i'm hearing is the covid relief package. that's what they want to see go

to the floor. white house spokespeople i talk to think they want to cut off that covid package to get a couple billion they can get passed. that would be getting more vaccines, more vaccinators and more vaccination sites. they're also looking at minimum wage and other things, but they really understand to get republican buy-in and also to get critical democrats who don't want to, at this point, take votes that might put their tie in jeopardy, they want to focus and be seen as doing emergency relief, and that in some ways means focusing specifically on the vaccine and covid and not so much on other things like worker wages. >> good point and great reporting as always. yamiche alcindo, thank you. joining me now is senior adviser to the president in the office of push engagement. let's engage the public, mr.

richmond. on this question of what needs to go to the floor when. a lot of americans chose not just this president, joe biden, but also voted in that georgia election on the basis of a promise that there would be $2,000 checks in the hands of americans asap. how quickly can americans expect the white house to push through, to push congress to get that money into people's hands? >> well, joy, you're exactly right. i think that's why you saw us within the first two or three days in office introduce the american rescue plan, because, one, we made commitments. two, what people got in december was a down payment. it was $600. we wanted to see that number at 2,000, so we introduced legislation, and we're requesting congress to hurry up and act on it, which would increase it to 1400. it would put out there money for vaccinations, it would get our kids safely in school. there are a number of things we

desperately need, including getting another 100,000 health care workers out there to properly administer the vaccine, mobile units to make sure we're hitting hard-to-reach neighborhoods in rural communities. we need congress to act on this plan, and we want to do it in a bipartisan manner, but this is an emergency for the country. and so we're stressing it and we're talking to everybody about it. >> you talked about a bipartisan manner. i think for a lot of americans, they understand what republicans are. they watched republicans for eight years under president obama when then-vice president biden was a part of that administration. they know how republicans operate. we just saw mitch mcconnell fight with the now majority leader for over a week over an organizing resolution. if he is willing to try brinksmanship with that, are we at the point now, especially with senator leahy in the hospital, which just clarifies

the mind about how narrow the majority is, does the white house think it might be more prudent to just get something on the floor now, get the $2,000 checks -- i assume you mean by 1400, 1400 added to the 600 to get 2,000 -- should they just start sending things to the floor now? >> that is a legislative strategy some people have advocated for, but others have clearly articulated, if you separate it out, we're going to leave families behind, like the enhanced earned income tax credit, the doubling of the child tax credit or the increasing of the child tax credit that lifts so many of our families that are living in poverty out of poverty this year. so we don't want to leave anyone behind. the $1400 is a priority, but also getting vaccinations in the arms of american people is just as important. we're not sacrificing anything. we have until march 15 before the eviction and foreclosure

moatorium expires, employment insurance expires. we're looking at a deadline, but we are pushing this as hard as we possibly can. we're calling and asking congress to act on this legislation. because at the end of the day, this pandemic is not picking people based on party affiliation, color or income level. and we want and expect congress to come along and help us help the american people. and so we're not going to compromise our values in an effort to reach a bipartisan compromise, but we promised that we would reach out and extend a hand of bipartisanship, but we also promised we wouldn't sacrifice our values in helping the american people, so right now we're doing both. >> we've already seen a federal court in texas try to block the deportation pause that the president has implemented. you're already seeing a pushback

there. you're seeing complaining about some of the language about racial equity coming from the other side. there's been this executive action on racial inequity which i expect to get a lot of pushback as well, get the doj not to renew any contracts with private prisons, all the stuff republicans like and they want to keep. is it worth pursuing bipartisanship instead of encouraging democratic senators to use the power they have while they have it? this power can be temporary, to force these pieces of legislation now and make up with republicans later? >> well, joy, the pieces of legislation, like the president called for restoring the voting rights act today, the lewis bill. but that takes 50 votes. we're talking about a majority with the vice president breaking

the tie, a lot of things will take 50 votes. when you started off talking about the deportation pause, whether it's protecting our dreamers, whether it's the inclusion act of the embarrassing 1776 commission. those are things we can do by executive order, and we're going to do them. we're the first administration to roll out a whole of government approach to racial equity, and it's going to create a very intentional movement by this administration to make sure we tackle systemic racism across agencies and governmentwide. so we're excited about those things we can do on our own, and remember, this is day 7, one week. i think we still have 1,450 days left, and we're going to work each one of them. >> hopefully every one of you

will come back after those 1400-plus days. i know our audience likes to hear from the administration directly. senator richmond, cheers. thanks so much. now in firm control of a political agenda, can democrats avoid the mistakes they made 12 years ago, hoping for kum-bah-ya with republicans. republicans still seem unable to hold the former president accountable for his coup. will enough vote to convict? back to "the reidout" after this. dout" after this

(coughing) hi susan! honey? yeah? i respect that. but that cough looks pretty bad... try this new robitussin honey severe. the real honey you love... plus, the powerful cough relief you need. mind if i root through your trash? new robitussin honey severe. strong relief for your severe symptoms.

he is not the majority leader, he's the minority leader, and he's not going to get his way. we are not going to do what he wants, and that's universal, rachel, in my caucus. we will not predict what he will do, period.

>> senate majority leader, chuck schumer, vowed that democrats would stand firm in his negotiations over a power-sharing agreement with minority leader mitch mcconnell. 15 minutes into that interview, mcconnell jumps on twitter to announce he's dropping his demand for a guarantee that democrats would preserve the filibuster, a total cave on his lone demand which he tried to twitter spin into victory. that means that at least for now, the requirement that the majority find 60 votes to pass most major legislation will remain in place. and mcconnell, though, if he goes back to his old obama-era waves of filibustering anything and everything will only have assurances of two democrats who rely on him. they said they would honor that 60-vote threshold for now, meaning that mitch might not want to stand in the way of the

things virginians and georgians want or need. eugene robinson says that when republicans stand in the way, democrats should not hesitate to exert the power that they earned in november. he says that gop senators have to realize that compromise doesn't mean republicans win and democrats lose. not anymore. and eugene robinson joins me now, along with david jolley, former republican congressman no longer affiliated with the party. eugene, i'm going to you first. there is a thing that frustrated democratic voters that say, we win to do anything we want, and they find some magical way to get things done. and when democrats go, oh, what do you need? it's frustrating. what would you advise them to do now with just the 50 votes we've got in the senate. >> first of all, they got their

organizing resolution right, so they're going to organize the senate and name the committee chairs and move forward. and i would advise them to move ahead with the big covid legislation in regular order. they don't have to do anything rash right now, but they should keep that threat in abeyance. that threat is still very much there, by the way, and politics never actually means maybe, as you know, and it depends on the situation, it depends on the circumstances. but, look, they have just watched a year's-long master class in the use of naked power by mitch mcconnell, and he's been really good at it. you saw what he did to merrick garland, you saw what he did

with amy comey barrett. he had the power and he used it. and democrats who watched this for years must have learned something. that's how you run the senate, and that's how chuck schumer needs to run the senate. mitch mcconnell knows he lost last night. he came out with a tweet, you know, today, a further statement saying, well, if they go ahead and get rid of the filibuster, they're going to scorch the earth. to me that was a sign of weakness. that was a sign of, you know, i don't run this joint anymore, he does, and i think everybody should keep that reality in mind. >> oh, no, i immediately thought that. david, as soon as i saw that tweet at 9:14, i'm watching the rachel maddow interview, and 14

minutes in, he says, here's what i'm going to do. i'm like, dude, you admitted you lost and you're trying to spin it. one thing i will give republicans credit for is even when they lose, they say they won. donald trump actually got almost nothing that he said he was going to do. he did not repeal obamacare, he did not build a wall. but they spin it like they win it. and democrats don't do that. can you just explain a little bit of that dna? is it fear? because right now the state parties are cuckoo. they're afraid of their own voters. they're afraid their voters will blow up their homes and hurt them. is it because of fear that makes them so -- i don't know. what is it? explain it. >> republicans have demonstrated in the last decade that they play cutthroat politics in a way that democrats simply don't. whether you have to play cutthroat, in the baseline that

we're about to see play out in the senate, the only way joe biden's bills pass in the congress is by either eliminating the filibuster or by using the reconciliation process. there is no pathway to getting 60 votes in the senate for joe biden's agenda. the republicans in the senate need to accept that and then do what makes the most sense for them. the political calculus is an interesting one. did democrats sweep everything based on an idealogical platform, or was there a segment that was just trying to get rid of donald trump? and even if it wasn't a full idealogical platform, is it worth it to move through democratic priorities and then test those priorities at the ballot box the next time? you can look at the affordable care act as an example of democrats pushing through something that would somewhat make the case ultimately lost to the congress in 2010, but i think every democrat would probably say, it was worth it.

we got it done. schumer needs to make the calculation, what agenda is worth the political calculus and then forget about the 60-vote majority, because you're not getting there. just play hardball. >> the bottom line is in the short term the democrats lost the house. defending obamacare became they're calling card, and there was a governor who said, i'm getting rid of obamacare. you mean my health care? wait a minute, don't get too crazy. can we talk about the fears of the republican party? oregon's republican party called the u.s. capitol riot a false flag. you have them throwing jeff flake, who isn't even a senator

anymore, out. they're all beyond mad. what do you think those senators wind up doing to republicans and democrats? i'll start with you first, eugene. >> well, i mean,s i think you're absolutely right that some of these state party officials are literally afraid of their constituents. the republican party at the grassroots is a trump call to personality at this point, and the elected officials are still trying to deal with that. some of them are pandering to it, others are getting out of the party. they have a deal as to which party they've become, and this is something they need to work out over time. but in terms of the democrats, do reconciliation on the covid package, get it lou and then move to the next thing, you

know? just move to the next thing. if it's got to pass with 50 votes plus kamala harris, do that and then move to the next thing. >> just do it. i wish i had more time, but we're out of time because, david, you have to come back, though, because i'm doing a whole segment on my former state and your state. because, lord jesus, have mercy on florida. we're talking about this. you have to come back. eugene robinson and david jolley. whoo, be safe, david. still ahead -- florida. as senators are sworn in for the impeachment trial, republicans are also busy putting on a stunning display of hypocrisy. that's next. f hypocrisy. that's next.

my retirement plan with voya keeps me moving forward... even after paying for this. love you, sweetheart. they guide me with achievable steps that give me confidence. this is my granddaughter...she's cute like her grandpa. voya doesn't just help me get to retirement... ...they're with me all the way through it. come on, grandpa!

later. got grandpa things to do. aw, grandpas are the best! well planned. well invested. well protected. voya. be confident to and through retirement. the second impeachment trial of the former president is effectively underway. today all 100 senators were sworn in with democrats as the majority for would-be jurors as the all-time magna carte leader for inciting an insurrection that was, in fact, a crime scene. the majority of them, 45, in fact, voted in favor of a motion by tea party rand paul.

those who voted with paul was minority leader mitch mcconnell. only five were in opposition to it, which failed. we will soon see how many vote to convict. marco rubio tweeted that it's a waste of time impeachment and isn't about accountability. >> someone needs to be held accountable about what's happened here, but it also is about preventing it happening in the future. this is not about security, this is about getting to the truth. >> really? i'm joined now by senator alex padilla of california who will consider the case against the former president. senator, i feel like senator rubio is just one example that i could pull from, but it seems to me that they have flipped the benghazi standard on its head

for the former president. do you think this is going to be a legitimate real trial, or do you think republicans have already made up their mind to let the former president off the hook? >> look, joy, i think you bring up a great point. republicans can't have it both ways. they're either in this job to execute the oath of office that we've all sworn to do, to uphold the constitution of the united states against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and while, yes, we have a formal trial ahead of us, the whole nation, the whole world saw in realtime on television the insurrection, the violent insurrection, the deadly insurrection in our nation's capitol absolutely instigated by donald trump and his enablers. >> you know, what's really sort of madness, if you think about it, is that the people who will be voting, including yourself, sir, were the victims of this attack. the former president sent a

riotous mob into the capitol to hurt people, some of them maybe to do worse. they had a noose, they had a hangman's noose and were chanting, where is mike pence, produce mike pence, and they wanted to harm nancy pelosi. they wanted to hurt people and five people died. other than the five who voted to go forward today, only five of them could see their way through to see it should even happen, a trial. outside of these five, do you think your fellow members are afraid of their own constituents going forward, or do they idealogically think it's okay for the former president to try to overthrow the election? >> oddly and sadly, it's a mix. it's facing a constituency, is it standing up to the trump base in the republican party? i don't know. but let me make it one better, joy. it's not just that the members of the senate, along wlt house members that voted on the impeachment in the last couple

of weeks, are the victims of what happened on january 6th, the trial itself is happening at the scene of the crime. if there's any doubt, just look outside the window, because the physical impact of january 6th is still there. >> well, yeah. i went in to do an interview with the speaker. you could still feel it, right? there are windows that are still broken. it's shocking to me that this is going to take place, as you said, at the scene of the crime. do you think, in your view, is it right that -- two of them aren't victims, they're perpetrators. josh hawley and ted cruz went along with this. do you think they should sit through this trial or do you think they should be censured? >> nobody is above the law, donald trump must be held accountable but it does not end with him. he's had far too many enablers

in the white house while he was there and throughout the administration, including the two senators you just named. there must be consequences all around. >> and you're newer to the united states senate. as you walk around and deal with these senators, do you get the sense that there is an equal agreement between the two parties on the importance of democracy? >> i certainly don't sense that, not in the last couple of weeks as the conversation has been around impeachment. but look at the last four years, and frankly a lot longer than that when you talk about fundamental faith in our democratic institutions. is our democracy conclusive or not? you look at what took place in 2020 cycle, and what took place state to state across america. sadly, joy, the answer is no, which means it's both my opportunity and responsibility as a face of california representing so many other

constituencies in california and throughout the nation, to be the physical representation in the united states senate to say no, this is our country, too, and we deserve a seat at the leadership table. it's one of the many, many things that incited so many people on january 6. they want to have a debate as to who is an american, and this is a chance for our democracy to show its resilience. >> senator alex padilla, who i cannot believe is the first latino united states senator from california. congratulations on that. it has been a long time coming, sir, and i think america is better for having you there. thank you very much. and up next, the strategy for this impeachment trial. it should be pretty straightforward, right? you just heard the senator, just roll the videotape. if a picture is worth a thousand words, then these pictures, coupled with the president's words, will that ensure a guilty verdict? you would think.

the man who covered the last impeachment trial joins me next. . and in an emergency, they need a network that puts them first. that connects them to technology, to each other, and to other agencies. that's why at&t built firstnet with and for first responders the emergency response network authorized by congress. firstnet. because putting them first is our job.

(computer beeps) (shaq) magenta? i hate cartridges. not magenta, not magenta. i'm not going back to the store. magenta! cartridges are so... (buzzer) (vo) the epson ecotank. no more cartridges! it comes with an incredible amount of ink that can save you a lot of frustration. ♪♪ the epson ecotank. just fill and chill. area homeowners learn how your neighbors are accessing $100,000s

with a reverse mortgage loan from the bay area's #1 reverse mortgage lender. lemme tell you something. i wouldn't be here if i thought reverse mortgages took advantage of any american senior. or worse, that it was some way to take your home. a reverse mortgage loan isn't some kind of trick to take your home. it's a loan like any other. big difference is how you pay it back. discover if a reverse mortgage loan is right for you. use it to eliminate monthly mortgage payments pay of credit card bills, medical costs and more. with a reverse mortgage you can pay whatever you can when it works for you, or you can wait and pay it off in one lump sum when you leave your home. find out more, call aag for your free information kit i'm proud to be a part of aag. i trust 'em. i think you can too. call now!

he has betrayed our national security and he will do so again. he has compromised our elections and he will do so again. you will not change him. you cannot constrain him. he is who he is. truth matters little to him. what's right matters even less. and decency matters not at all. >> joining me now is congressman adam schiff of california, chairman of the house intelligence committee, and the lead impeachment manager from the first impeachment trial of the former president. i hate to say you told us so, but you did, sir. and i wonder just what you make of this coming trial. i mean, your thaddeus stevens type eloquence could not convict one republican to convict when it seems so obvious to everyone that the former president is guilty. what do you think might be said

differently given that the scene of the crime is where the trial is taking place? >> it's a very different trial, very different facts, and as you point out, all these senators were really witnesses to the crime. but even so, you know, i think what we learned in the first trial is we thought that, you know, the hearings in the house which were so well publicized meant that the senators would be very familiar with the facts. when we got to the senate, we learned that that was not the case, that many of them only knew about the facts of the president's ukraine scandal filtered through fox news or breitbart or these other highly politicized news presentations by sean hannity and the like. so when we showed them the actual evidence, a lot of them were quite stunned that it was as powerful and overwhelming as it is, and i don't think we should assume that all these senators have seen all the video, are familiar with everything the president said in that speech, know what the

president, for example, said to the secretary of state in georgia. of course, all of this is part of a pattern. and telling that story, i think, to the senators is important, but maybe even more important, telling that story to the american people is important to try to protect our country from someone like this ever occupying office again. >> well, i think you make an excellent point, right, that republican senators are probably taking in the same kind of news sources as their voters, so you're right, they may not have seen it all in sort of linear fashion and looking through it. i wonder if you were involved in this particular trial, do you expect to see members of the justice department, the current and former, be called? we now have information that donald trump was going into the justice department, thinking about switching out the acting attorney general, trying to impact the election from multiple angles, whether it was from georgia or from the department of justice. would you expect to see people called both from georgia and from the doj? >> you know, i have every

confidence in jamie raskin. i think he's a brilliant lawyer, and he has a wonderful team. so they will make those right, strategic decisions. and, you know, the challenge for this team, and we had a similar challenge, is not the scarcity of evidence but the overwhelming abundance of it and trying to figure out what's the most important thing to communicate to these senators and also to the country that's watching. so they'll have to decide, is that the most powerful evidence or do we want to spend time on that, or is it better to be focused on certain things that are very simple, that are very easy to communicate, and with those decisions, as i said, i have every confidence in this team. >> and you were so wise about talking about the potential jeopardy to the country if there was an acquittal, and there was an acquittal. and we did see, as was

prognosticated by yourself and other democratic managers, that he tried to undermine this democracy. in your mind, what is the big risk this time? >> that's a good question, and it goes to the heart of this tragic procedure we saw today that senators contrary to the text of the constitution, contrary to the logic of the constitution and history essentially voted you can't try a president once they left office. we've tried people once they left office before. the risk is this. if a president is going to essentially try to overturn their election defeat, that will always happen at the end of their term. if they succeed, they become president for life. if they fail and were to hold there was no repercussion, you can't try them, we suspect that will happen again. the profound danger here is that donald trump or someone just like him runs in four years and

loses and tries to cheat again, and maybe this time they're successful, because, joy, we came really close to losing our democracy. if it wasn't for a handful of brave elections officials and judges who had true independence, we might have lost our democracy. >> yeah, indeed. and, you know, i have to ask you this question as the chairman of the house intelligence committee. your thoughts on seeing the fact that we did have the current president have a very different kind of call with vladimir putin and rebuke him for the allegations of, you know, putting bounties on our troops and rebuke him for the mistreatment of pro-democracy protesters. just what did you make of that, and what do you think that change is going to mean for our national security? >> it means the world, and joy, i can't tell you how grateful i was to see a u.s. president acting like a u.s. president. joe biden communicated, you have to stop meddling in our

elections, there are going to be consequences. you know, i'm going to raise with you and confront with you these reported bounties on the heads of our troops, this major russian hack, and other activities like the poisoning of navalny, this russian opposition figure. but the president also said, look, we need to also find our mutual interests, and our mutual interest is in the extension of the new s.t.a.r.t. treaty. that's exactly what a president should do. it puts our values first, our interests first. gone are the days of a president being the sycophant like vladimir putin. >> isn't it weird that normal stuff is revolutionary now? it's sad that's where we are, but it was a good day today. congressman adam schiff, thank you. really appreciate you. up next, president biden's executive orders addressing racial inequiies address police

reforms in our private prisons. it's a good start but is it enough? that's next. t but is it enough that's next. i think the sketchy website i bought this turtle from stole all of my info. ooh, have you looked on the bright side? discover never holds you responsible for unauthorized purchases on your card. (giggling) that's my turtle. fraud protection. discover. something brighter. we're all finding ways to keep moving. and at fidelity, you'll get planning and advice to help you prepare for the future, without sacrificing what's most important to you today. because with fidelity, you can feel confident that the only direction you're moving is forward. lisa here, has had many jobs. and all that experience has led her to a job that feels like home. with home instead, you too can become a caregiver to older adults.

apply today. ♪♪ in a year of changes. don't take chances on your taxes. be 100% certain with jackson hewitt. we'll get your taxes done right, guaranteed. ♪♪ (coughing) hi susan! honey? yeah? i respect that. but that cough looks pretty bad... try this new robitussin honey severe. the real honey you love... plus, the powerful cough relief you need. mind if i root through your trash?

new robitussin honey severe. strong relief for your severe symptoms.

new year's resolutions come and go. strong relief so give your business more than resolutions... give it solutions, from comcast business. work more efficiently with fast internet and advanced wifi. make your business safer with powerful cybersecurity solutions. and stay productive with 24/7 support. make this year's resolution better solutions. bounce forward with comcast business. get started with a powerful internet and voice solution for just $64.90 a month. plus, for a limited time, ask how to get a $500 prepaid card when you upgrade. switch today.

a coalition of 81 million diverse americans elected president biden, and now it's time for him to deliver. so far in the face of an obstinent republican party, today he moved to address discriminatory housing practices, end federal contracts with private prisons, ensure the tribal independence of indigenous people and make sure his administration combats xenophobia against asian americans and pacific islanders. before signing the new executive actions, president biden made clear that racial equity benefits every american. >> for too long we've allowed a narrow, cramped view of the promise of this nation to fester. you know, we've bought the view

that america is a zero sum game in many cases. if you succeed, i fail. if you get ahead, i fall behind. if you get the job, i lose mine. maybe worst of all, if i hold you down, i lift myself up. we've lost sight of what president kennedy told us when he said a rising tide lifts all boats. when we lift each other up, we're all lifted up. >> for more, i'm joined by patrice colors, political strategist and co-founder and executive director of black lives matter. patrice, always great to talk to you. let's dig into it. the executive actions on equity, including restoring protective bargain and goes all the way through getting rid of that silly 1776 commission and having a covid task force on making sure there's racial equity in terms of the vaccines, et cetera, when you see those executive actions as an activist, what's your reaction,

is it enough? >> well, i want to just say that it's a nod towards much of the work that has been happening across the country, organizers and advocates have fought for many of these directives in this executive order. but we know it's not enough. we are literally dealing with 400 years of white supremacy, 400 years of anti-black racism. and so there's so much more to do. and we will push this administration to do it. >> and we know that the emancipation proclamation was an executive order, right? so executive orders can have power, but they're also not as permanent as legislation. the given the fact that there's such a razor-thin margin in the united states senate, are you concerned that anything that president biden and vice president harris enact now can just be overtaken when the inevitable backlash happens, whenever the next person that's like the former president gets

in and they take it even further? are you worried that it will all be whisked away? >> absolutely. i think we need to go beyond executive order. it's great that this administration is using executive order to undo much of the trump era. but we have to have legislation. we've been talking about the breathe act with the movement for black lives and black lives matter for the last six to eight months. this is federal legislation that will look at reinvesting into black communities, communities that have been divested from for decades. we need to look at that. we need to look at that now. >> i'm curious what you think. black lives matter protests were the subjects of just thousands of arrests. nothing like what we've seen with these maga insurrectionists who have been arrested by the dozens. i wonder what you make of the fact that the one black guy who decided he was going to go maga with the rest of them, his name

is emmanuel jackson. he was allegedly wielding a baseball bat. he turned himself in. he's still being held pending trial. whereas you have the woman who allegedly stole the laptop belonging to the speaker of the house is on home release and cautioned because she apparently still logged on and got online when she wasn't supposed to. you have others that were accused of violence against police officers, et cetera, who are chilling at home awaiting trial. your thoughts on that? >> well, it's rather simple. we have a criminal justice system that actually discriminates against black people in particular. it's a criminal justice system that allows for white people, white passing people to get away with often murder. let's talk about george zimmerman. and so this is not surprising to me. it's why this administration has to look at police violence in

particular and mass incars rags as key components to upending. >> we know that joe biden as a human being opposes the death penalty. would you want to see a moratorium on the death penalty? what do you think criminal justice reform should look like? >> absolutely, there have been advocates and organizers trying to get a moratorium on the death penalty for years. here in the state of california, governor newsom called for a moratorium on any deaths and the death penalty in particular. but i think we have to go further and imagine more. we know that police and prisons are the most invested in social service in our cities, states and in the country. so we have to reimagine and reinvest into black communities. we need to pour dollars into housing infrastructure, healthy food infrastructure, into adequate education.

all of these places that have been completely divested from in black america in particular. >> has the white house or anyone from the office of public engagement reached out to talk to leaders of black lives matter and maybe bring you all into the white house for a conversation about all of this? >> yeah, we -- the minute that president biden was declared the president, we sent an email and a letter to him and now madam vice president kamala harris to sit with us. their team has contacted us. we have sat with the transition team. we're still looking forward to meeting with the president and madam vice president of the united states. we think that's important. and we have been reached out to by other people in their cabinet as well. >> yeah. and what do you think black lives matter, the movement, looks like very briefly under this president as opposed to the last one? what is the movement going to

look like? >> very different in that we are not fighting fascists and don't have to spend all of our energy every single day trying to challenge irrationality but i think we will be pushing this administration. >> that's how it works with activism. thank you so much for being here, really appreciate you. and "all in with chris hayes" starts right now. tonight on "all in," the senate swears in for impeachment and 45 republicans vote to give trump a preemptive pass. >> at some point, give the man a break. i mean move on. >> tonight the corrupt political bargain for trump enablers in the wake of a fascist riot. plus, a trump supporter arrested for threatening congressman hakeem jeffries. congressman jeffries joins me exclusively. then joe biden's massive promise on vaccines and explaining why some states are doing so much better than others.