CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Kim Schrier
Interview
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REP KIM SCHRIER (D-WA): Well, my biggest concern, first of all, is that we are just headed into this new normal. We're just in the early parts of July. And we usually don't see this kind -- these kinds of levels until August.
And this we're going to see every year the whole West is on fire, and I am very concerned about what the -- for air quality, for health, and for our forests.
WHITFIELD: So, what if anything can be done for people to brace themselves to best prepare themselves for what is to be another, you know, potential wave of onslaught?
SCHRIER: So, there's a lot of things that you can do on multiple levels. So, for people themselves, they can protect their homes by creating a defensible space. On a policy level, I have a bill that will markedly accelerate what we call prescribed burns. A way to remove some of the debris in our forest that makes these fires so incredibly hot, and turns them into conflagrations.
And then, you know, on a -- on a, you know, on a policy level as well, we need to think about climate change. And we've known for 30 years that this was coming, it's here, nobody should be surprised, and I'm just relieved that now we have an administration who is working with us on real climate action.
[13:25:00]
WHITFIELD: So, Washington State is also under a state of emergency right now for drought. That coupled with extreme heat emergency. How devastating are the effects of this drought in particular?
SCHRIER: This is devastating up and down the West Coast. And no, when you think of Washington State, we think of the eastern part of our state as being the dry part that is prone to fires. And yet, here I am in Western Washington where we have heightened fire risks.
So, you know, this is really a sea change, and it is incredibly dangerous. And people need to also again take responsibility for their own homes, but for also, not setting fires, not taking risky behaviors, not driving their cars off of the road and setting brush on fire. Like we all have a role to play here.
WHITFIELD: I want to also now turn to COVID. Because before entering Congress, you were a pediatrician. I guess once a pediatrician, always a pediatrician.
SCHRIER: Right.
WHITFIELD: You know, when I asked you about, you know, getting a kids vaccinated, we're seeing vaccine hesitancy, and in some cases such as Tennessee, they are stopping outreach to children and families.
Is this an example of putting politics ahead of public health? I mean, what is at the root of this?
SCHRIER: Well, you know, I would say that, you know, on the -- on the part of the say Tennessee and other policies being made, I would say that it's stupid, except for people do know that the risk. And so, I would just call this reckless. That we are seeing this Delta variant that is so incredibly contagious, it will find you if you're not vaccinated.
And any attempt to roll back efforts of vaccination or to feed into this hesitancy is endangering lives and endangering communities. And, you know, at this point, what we really need are trusted conversations, conversations with your doctor, conversations with family members.
You know, I was delighted to get my 12-year-old vaccinated. He was delighted to and it's made for an amazing summer with sleepovers and sleep away camp. And I know he can go to school safely in the fall, and I wish other parents would make that same decision so we can get back to normal.
WHITFIELD: And what about some states that are actually prohibiting mask-wearing in schools? I mean, how does anyone explain that?
SCHRIER: Well, again, incredibly reckless. there is no justification for that. And by doing that, you know, first of all, they're going against science against all medical advice, but they're putting those kids at risk.
And, you know, whether that is children who are not vaccinated, children who are in some way, have a medical condition that prevents them from being vaccinated. I mean, imagine what they're going through right now. It is not just the Wild West, it is really dangerous to do that right now.
WHITFIELD: You talked about your 12-year-old that has been vaccinated, able to do you know, sleep overs, well, you've got some kids who are going away to summer camps, overnight summer camps across several states. And there are also in some cases, some outbreaks of COVID.
Is it your concern that some places may have to close camps? You know, change, make some big modifications because of the risks involved with young people who perhaps in many cases aren't even eligible to get vaccinated?
SCHRIER: Right. Look, let me just clarify that there are ways to do even sleep-away camp relatively safely, you can have layers of protection, you can cohort kids, you can keep them outside, you can have them masked. And You can encourage vaccinations. You could also bring in rapid testing programs two or three times a week to just check and make sure we don't have asymptomatic carriers in camp, and you know, take them away from the rest of the campers.
You can do it safely. We have CDC guidance on this. You just have to implement it.
WHITFIELD: Dr. Anthony Fauci said, you know, there are two Americas, the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. Is it your feeling that at this juncture, if people are eligible, and they are choosing not to or for whatever reason, something is standing in the way of them getting vaccinated that it's going to be very difficult to make them budge, get them vaccinated?
SCHRIER: Well, I think that there is a spectrum there. There are some people who will never budge. But in my experience as a pediatrician, those numbers are not -- they're higher with COVID, but they're not all that high.
I think there's a big group that once these vaccines have been a full FDA approval, they'll do it. Once the schools require it, they'll do it.
[13:30:00]
There are just things that will push people on to the side of from gentle hesitancy, and I'll just kind of wait, to yes, it is time to do it. Those are the people we need to get vaccinated.
I feel terrible, by the way, for the medical professionals, doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, who are working in places with low levels of vaccination.
And almost every case that comes in, almost 97 percent of cases that are coming in are preventable cases of COVID.
And they put the community at risk, put medical professionals at risk, and they're unnecessary preventable deaths.
WHITFIELD: Congresswoman Kim Schrier, we'll leave it there for now. Thank you so much for being with us.
SCHRIER: Thank you, Fredricka.
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