CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview With Georgia Congresswoman Lucy McBath

Interview

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BALDWIN: Stephen Collinson, thank you so much.

Coming up next: more on this fast-moving story out of Washington, as both sides dig in on this escalating shutdown, a new fight over the fate of the president's State of the Union address.

Plus, we will talk live to a woman who I have interviewed several times, ever since her son was killed by gun violence.

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REP. LUCY MCBATH (D), GEORGIA: And this is Jordan's room. The most special piece, this is the very last Mother's Day card that Jordan gave me.

"Thank you for bringing me into the world. I love you."

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BALDWIN: Well, this time around, Lucy McBath is a congresswoman. The newly elected Democrat joins me live to talk about the gun control legislation that she just introduced and what she thinks should be done to end this government shutdown -- next.

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[15:26:39]

BALDWIN: As the government shutdown enters its 26th day, it is not only stalling paychecks for federal workers. Newly elected members of Congress eager to get to work are seeing their initiatives placed on the back burner, members like Congresswoman Lucy McBath.

She just introduced her first bill, as a Democrat from Georgia, advocating for universal background checks on gun sales.

And back in 2012, just some -- some history on her -- McBath's son Jordan was shot and killed in an incident that came to be known as the Loud Music Trial.

And I interviewed Lucy McBath the first time a couple of years ago. She participated in this town hall I hosted for CNN full of family members who had all been touched by gun violence.

And so here is what she shared then.

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BALDWIN: Lucy.

MCBATH: I was visiting with my family for Thanksgiving in Chicago.

And I had just talked to Jordan Thanksgiving Day, and he was really excited about going to the mall the next day and shopping with his friends. And he made phone calls to all of his friends on Thanksgiving Day to tell them that he loved them and that he was so thankful to God that they were his friends.

And then, the next day, I received a phone call that said Jordan had been murdered simply for playing loud music in his car. And every fear that you have as a parent, every fear that you have that they'll be hurt while driving or be in an accident, it all comes crashing down on you at one time.

And I remember I was just completely numb.

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BALDWIN: She has since turned her pain into advocacy.

Congresswoman Lucy McBath, the newly sworn in Democrat from Georgia, is with me now from Washington.

Congresswoman, nice to have you on.

MCBATH: Thank you, Brooke. Thank you.

BALDWIN: So let's first start just with this government shutdown, day 26.

Speaker Pelosi is suggesting that the White House work with her on finding an entirely new date for the State of the Union. You are getting to know the House speaker.

Congresswoman McBath, is she asking Trump, or is she telling him move the date?

MCBATH: Well, I think that what Speaker Pelosi is really trying to do is trying to find the best solutions possible for the American people, making sure that we get our federal workers back to work, making sure that they're receiving their paychecks. And we're trying to make sure that we're compromising, the Democratic

Party. We have tried to do so. The legislation that we reintroduced to them is basically simply what the Senate Republicans created in the first place. And we have just given it back to them, those same, very same measures.

But, also, we have worked very hard to create appropriations to make sure that we are funding government services and making sure that we're getting people back to work, because that's what the American public deserves.

BALDWIN: Well, let's talk about those workers. And I know you have been wanting to hear from your constituents.

We know that TSA has been hit incredibly hard. In Atlanta, an airport you know really well, they're saying that the line security are three hours.

MCBATH: Yes.

BALDWIN: Before becoming congresswoman, you worked for Delta for 30 years.

What is your biggest concern here?

MCBATH: Well, my biggest concern is, you know, we had a bit of information that came to us from the Centers of American Progress.

And there was a breakdown state by state by state of the affected federal workers in each and every state. And, in my state alone, in Georgia, there are about 144,000 federal workers that did not receive a paycheck in December.

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