CNN "Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees" - Transcript: Interview with Pramila Jayapal
Interview
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COOPER: Gloria Borger and John King, thank you.
We're joined now by Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Congresswoman, thanks so much for being with us.
So Speaker Pelosi called this the most consequential legislation that many of us will ever be party to. I'm wondering, what is your message tonight to Americans out there who are desperate for help and pinning a lot of hopes on this bill?
REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-WA): My message tonight and it's great to be with you, Anderson. My message tonight is help is on the way real, tangible help. Money in your pockets.
A family of four is going to get checks for $5,600.00. You've got two kids, you're going to get another $6,000.00 in child tax credit. If you're on unemployment, and you're worried that your unemployment is going to go away, we extended that unemployment to $300.00 and it'll go through the beginning of September.
But on top of that, we've got rental assistance in here. We have, you know, the biggest investment in childcare. We've got money for schools to open so parents can have some hope, again, that their kids are going to be able to go back to school and be supported.
We've got money for state and local governments, a lot of money for vaccine distribution because we've got to crush the virus if we're going to be able to resume our activities. So that's my message.
It's really simple. Help is on the way and it's going directly to the people, every single piece of this package.
[20:10:06]
COOPER: So it didn't have Republican support, though at least one G.O.P. senator is now taking credit for some of the bill's potential impact. What does that tell you? I mean, are you skeptical about the prospects for bipartisanship down the road, if something this big and seemingly popular at this stage, if you look at the polls, couldn't bring Republicans on board? JAYAPAL: It's a very big tactical mistake for Republicans and that's
why I think you see some of the Republicans trying to claim credit for some of the things that are in this bill, because they're going to have to go home to their constituents, and this bill has 76 percent approval across the country and they're going to have to try to explain why they voted no on a package that puts money in people's pockets and that helps people survive this terrible set of crises that we're in right now.
So I think, you know, they're going to have to make a decision if they are going to continue to obstruct us every step of the way, or if they're going to roll up their sleeves and be part of the solution. But we're not going to slow down what we do. We're not going to make what we do less, because the crises are too important.
And I think President Biden understands that that's why he came out with $1.9 trillion. That's why he stuck to that. That's why we, progressives push so hard to make the bill as progressive as it is, and we are really committed to delivering for the people.
COOPER: One question not about the bill, today, you called for Ethics Investigations into Republican Members of Congress, Lauren Boebert, Mo Brooks and Paul Gosar based on what you allege were their roles or potentially played a role in what you called instigating and aiding the Capitol insurrection on January 6.
We should note, they've all denied any wrongdoing. Do you believe they intentionally put lives at risk? Do you think they knew what was going to happen?
JAYAPAL: Well, I've asked for an investigation for exactly that reason. I do fear that that is the case. But the proper way to go about it is to call for an investigation, which is what we did.
So I sent letters to both the Office of Congressional Ethics and the House Ethics Committee, because they both have the ability to investigate this.
And I would like to know and I gave a lot of evidence that's public, but I think there's a lot of private evidence, Anderson, that we haven't seen yet. And the House Ethics Committee and the Office of Ethics will be able to look at all of the evidence and make a determination on the conduct of these individuals.
Because I will tell you that having people who say the things that have been said, who go to the kinds of events that they go to, who promote the ideas and conspiracy theories that they promote, is dangerous for all of Congress. It undermines our credibility as a governing branch.
And I think that is inappropriate, and I think it does not match our ethics standards of conduct that are clearly articulated in our House rules.
COOPER: Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, I appreciate it. Thank you. Still to come tonight, more political fights over COVID including one
over a deadline in Texas that just passed setting up a fight between state authorities and officials in Austin over local mask mandates, the Mayor of Austin is going to join us.
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