CNN "Newsroom" - Transcript Interview with Vicente Gonzalez

Interview

START OF TRANSCRIPT

[09:30:00]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: That the data is pushing him away from the politics.

REP. VICENTE GONZALEZ (D-TX): I surely hope so. Right now is not the time to listen to political consultants while we make health care decisions. We need to listen to our health care experts. We can't follow President Trump's agenda in the opening of Texas at the cost of Texas lives.

And I think this is the consensus across the state. This is what the people of Texas want. And I think that the governor moving in this direction is doing the right thing. And that -- we hope to, you know, hold him accountable, to do what's appropriate, follow CDC guidelines, recommend for people to wear masks in public places, limit groups -- group gatherings across the state and really just follow CDC recommendations, WHO recommendations and talk to our friends and neighbors across the country who have been successful in lowering their numbers.

As you know, Washington, D.C. had a -- had a huge issue just a month ago. Right now things have flipped from where we were a month ago in Washington and Texas. The script has really flipped in regards to new infections.

SCIUTTO: Right.

So the other side of this, of course, I don't have to remind you of this because I know you're in touch with small business owners in your district, is the severe, devastating economic impact of this. As Congress considers a new round of stimulus, as some of the other initial rounds are set to expire, where would any new money best be spent based on what we've learned about the first round? Where is it needed most? Where would it work most?

GONZALEZ: Certainly our small businesses need to be uplifted. Hotels, restaurants, public venues that hold large gatherings of events. Our live entertainment venues have been impacted. But also, you know, manufacturing, trade is being impacted. Agriculture to some extent. So it's across the board in terms of the economy. And you're not going to find a single red blooded Texan that doesn't want to get the economy open again. I certainly want to get everybody back to work and open. But we need to do this in the safest way possible, not in a way that costs lives, like we've seen in the last 30 days.

SCIUTTO: As you know, there's been an effort to cut federal funding for testing. And even Republican senators have differed with the president on this, including Senators Cruz and Cornyn from Texas, asking the administration not to stop federal funding.

GONZALEZ: (INAUDIBLE).

SCIUTTO: What do you say to the president and others as they -- as they consider that in the midst of Texas' spike in cases?

GONZALEZ: That would be reprehensible to imagine that we would be cutting tests at a time when our pandemic is increasing in leaps and bounds in a state like Texas. So I hope that the president follows CDC recommendations, listens to Senator Cruz and Senator Cornyn and the rest of us. And assuring that testing is robust, that it's widespread, that it's available, that's the only way we're going to ever get this under control is testing, tracing, and -- and treating folks who -- who are infected and have a medical impact from this.

We -- we need to educate the community to stay home when they don't need to come out, to wear masks, to wash their hands thoroughly and often. You know, all the rules that have been put out clearly save lives. We need to start following the recommendations of our health care professionals, not our political consultants. And we can't open any state in this country based on President Trump's political agenda.

SCIUTTO: Congressman Vicente Gonzalez, thanks for joining the broadcast this morning.

GONZALEZ: Thank you for having me.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source