1 00:00:02,066 --> 00:00:05,166 JUDY WOODRUFF: As we mark 300,000 deaths from COVID, a deal to provide economic relief still 2 00:00:07,133 --> 00:00:11,333 eludes lawmakers. Time is time is running out, as benefits from the CARES Act expire 3 00:00:12,066 --> 00:00:14,600 the day after Christmas. 4 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:18,733 A bipartisan group has now offered two proposals this afternoon to try to break the gridlock. 5 00:00:20,733 --> 00:00:24,333 West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin is one of the key architects, and he joins us now from 6 00:00:24,333 --> 00:00:25,833 Capitol Hill. 7 00:00:25,833 --> 00:00:29,133 Senator Manchin, thank you very much for joining us again. 8 00:00:29,133 --> 00:00:34,133 Tell us why your proposal -- thank you -- why your proposal is now broken up into two separate 9 00:00:34,633 --> 00:00:36,166 bills. 10 00:00:36,166 --> 00:00:38,233 SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D-WV): Well, it's not just mine. 11 00:00:38,233 --> 00:00:40,566 This has been a group of people that have started together in a bipartisan way. It started 12 00:00:40,566 --> 00:00:45,166 after the election on November the 4th. We made phone calls back and forth. Those of 13 00:00:45,166 --> 00:00:47,933 us who have always worked together said, we have got to do something. 14 00:00:47,933 --> 00:00:52,566 Talked to Susan, talked to Lisa, talked to all my friends, Mitt, all my Democratic friends. 15 00:00:52,566 --> 00:00:56,933 We had a dinner at Lisa's house, the eight of us there, the Gang of Eight. And it grew 16 00:00:56,933 --> 00:00:59,066 exponentially. 17 00:00:59,066 --> 00:01:03,366 We now have a unanimous group of people that have agreed on $748 billion that takes care 18 00:01:05,433 --> 00:01:09,966 of all of the emergency needs that we have that will expire at the end of December, Judy, 19 00:01:11,966 --> 00:01:16,066 so people will not go without unemployment checks. It's $300 a week for 16 weeks. They 20 00:01:18,100 --> 00:01:21,633 will not go without food assistance. We put over $13 billion, and even helping, basically, 21 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:26,866 food banks and everyone else who is feeding people that they never fed before because 22 00:01:26,866 --> 00:01:29,366 of hard times. 23 00:01:29,366 --> 00:01:32,500 We're taking care of health care. We're taking care of basically the needs that people have 24 00:01:32,500 --> 00:01:37,500 as a lifeline. All of the emergencies are taken care of in this bill, unanimous Democrat 25 00:01:39,466 --> 00:01:43,033 and Republican. There's no reason why this wouldn't be passed immediately if they put 26 00:01:43,666 --> 00:01:45,100 it on the floor. 27 00:01:45,100 --> 00:01:47,166 JUDY WOODRUFF: And... 28 00:01:47,166 --> 00:01:49,266 SEN. JOE MANCHIN: And the only thing I can tell everybody, help is on the way. We're 29 00:01:49,266 --> 00:01:52,833 not leaving. We will not go home for Christmas. We will not leave this place until that bill 30 00:01:53,466 --> 00:01:55,566 is passed. 31 00:01:55,566 --> 00:01:58,000 JUDY WOODRUFF: And do you have reason to believe that you're going to get the support of the 32 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:02,600 leadership and the majority of both political parties behind what you're putting forward? 33 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:04,633 SEN. JOE MANCHIN: Well, there's no reason why not. 34 00:02:04,633 --> 00:02:09,233 We have been working and growing this group of Democrats and Republicans, from Dick Durbin 35 00:02:09,233 --> 00:02:14,233 to Rob Portman, people well-respected within their political caucuses, if you will, Democrat 36 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:18,933 and Republican. We have gotten people all in between. 37 00:02:18,933 --> 00:02:23,066 And this is the only game in town. There's nobody else has done what we have done and 38 00:02:23,066 --> 00:02:28,066 stuck with it. Nobody thought we would have a bill. We have a bill of $748 billion, close 39 00:02:30,466 --> 00:02:34,233 to 600 pages, we have put together and presented it tonight. It'll be on the Internet. You 40 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:37,466 can see it. You can look at every piece of it. 41 00:02:37,466 --> 00:02:40,966 It's not perfect. I'm sure that people are going to say, well, there's things you left 42 00:02:40,966 --> 00:02:43,066 out. 43 00:02:43,066 --> 00:02:46,966 I remind you, this is an emergency see COVID relief bill, only until April 1. 44 00:02:47,733 --> 00:02:49,900 JUDY WOODRUFF: And... 45 00:02:49,900 --> 00:02:51,633 SEN. JOE MANCHIN: Joe Biden comes in as our president in January. He can evaluate the 46 00:02:51,633 --> 00:02:55,166 economy what's -- what we need to be doing, and present more if needed. 47 00:02:55,166 --> 00:02:56,466 JUDY WOODRUFF: And... 48 00:02:56,466 --> 00:02:57,433 SEN. JOE MANCHIN: This gets us through the... 49 00:02:57,433 --> 00:02:59,000 JUDY WOODRUFF: And, Senator... 50 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:00,266 SEN. JOE MANCHIN: ... worst, difficult, challenging time. 51 00:03:00,266 --> 00:03:02,333 JUDY WOODRUFF: Excuse me, Senator. 52 00:03:02,333 --> 00:03:05,433 I listened to your news conference with the other Republicans and Democrats who were on 53 00:03:05,433 --> 00:03:10,433 board with you on this compromise, which raises the question, where -- again, where is the 54 00:03:11,866 --> 00:03:14,133 leadership and the rest of these two political parties? 55 00:03:14,133 --> 00:03:18,733 As we know, for the Democrats, one of the main sticking points has been aid for state 56 00:03:18,733 --> 00:03:23,733 and local governments. That money appears to be in a second proposal, as well as so-called 57 00:03:25,300 --> 00:03:30,300 liability protection for businesses, hospitals and others. 58 00:03:32,266 --> 00:03:36,500 My question on that is, why isn't there agreement there? And is that still going to hold up 59 00:03:37,966 --> 00:03:39,500 agreement on this, what you put forward, what we just discussed? 60 00:03:39,500 --> 00:03:41,533 SEN. JOE MANCHIN: That should not hold agreement up on this. 61 00:03:41,533 --> 00:03:45,900 We would love to have one bill. We have agreed on 4908 billion, $160 billion for state and 62 00:03:47,833 --> 00:03:50,566 local need. There's an awful lot of states. And there's a lot of people, basically, first 63 00:03:50,566 --> 00:03:55,566 responders, whether it be policemen, firemen, whatever, that we -- essential services -- that 64 00:03:55,566 --> 00:04:00,566 we need in every state that are basically reducing their work force because of a lack 65 00:04:01,700 --> 00:04:05,266 of revenue. That needs to be attended to. 66 00:04:05,266 --> 00:04:10,000 The other is liability. My Republican friends believe very strongly that businesses shouldn't 67 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,266 be able to sue out of business -- be sued out of business. 68 00:04:13,266 --> 00:04:18,266 We, as Democrats, believe that too. Where they break down in differences is how -- your 69 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:22,266 ability to be able to get into court, Judy. How do you protect the workplace? How do you 70 00:04:22,266 --> 00:04:23,266 protect the worker? 71 00:04:23,266 --> 00:04:24,900 JUDY WOODRUFF: And do you... 72 00:04:24,900 --> 00:04:26,966 SEN. JOE MANCHIN: We have narrowed it down to just a period of time. 73 00:04:26,966 --> 00:04:31,700 It's for two years, one year prior, starting in December 9, 2019, and then ends in the 74 00:04:32,566 --> 00:04:34,333 end of 2021. So, it's very... 75 00:04:34,333 --> 00:04:36,333 (CROSSTALK) 76 00:04:36,333 --> 00:04:38,666 JUDY WOODRUFF: And it's my understand -- I'm sorry to interrupt again. 77 00:04:38,666 --> 00:04:43,000 But it's my understanding that you at this point are the only Democrats supporting what 78 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:45,366 the Republicans want in terms of liability protection. 79 00:04:45,366 --> 00:04:49,733 But what we're hearing, though, from Democrats, Senator, is that they're really worried about 80 00:04:49,733 --> 00:04:54,733 people who work in these high-vulnerability jobs, like at meatpacking plants, where they 81 00:04:56,666 --> 00:04:59,933 would be at a huge disadvantage, where they would stand to lose their jobs -- or, rather, 82 00:05:01,466 --> 00:05:05,633 lose protection and coverage by their employer if they got sick. 83 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:09,700 SEN. JOE MANCHIN: Judy, they have workers comp. All the people who are working for the 84 00:05:09,700 --> 00:05:13,866 large companies or are working for any company has workers compensation to take care of -- I 85 00:05:13,866 --> 00:05:16,833 mean, yes, workers comp, in case they get hurt. 86 00:05:16,833 --> 00:05:20,400 We know that. We're worried about people, basically, that might go into a store and 87 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:23,366 says, I contracted it in your place of business because your... 88 00:05:23,366 --> 00:05:25,500 JUDY WOODRUFF: Right. 89 00:05:25,500 --> 00:05:27,000 SEN. JOE MANCHIN: ... your employers weren't safe enough, you didn't sanitize enough, things 90 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:29,200 of that sort. There's a lot of things we didn't know. 91 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:34,200 I went ahead and signed onto that bill with my Republican colleagues, in the spirit of 92 00:05:36,133 --> 00:05:39,633 bipartisanship, because, basically, everyone has to give and take. My reason is, is, they 93 00:05:39,633 --> 00:05:44,633 shortened their time element from five years to two years, one year back, one year forward, 94 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:50,033 not one year back and four years forward, and made some other critical changes. 95 00:05:50,033 --> 00:05:52,166 I'm sure it's not good enough for a lot of people. 96 00:05:52,166 --> 00:05:56,766 But here's the thing, Judy. If, for some reason, they can't come to an agreement, and the Senate 97 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:02,333 and the House Democrats and Republicans won't agree, then that stays by itself, because 98 00:06:02,333 --> 00:06:07,333 those two are -- those two are one bill, liability and state and local help. 99 00:06:08,066 --> 00:06:10,100 JUDY WOODRUFF: But my... 100 00:06:10,100 --> 00:06:13,700 SEN. JOE MANCHIN: The 748 is the emergency bill, Judy. That takes care of every need 101 00:06:13,700 --> 00:06:18,700 every American has with their lifeline for housing, rental, basically everything that's 102 00:06:20,666 --> 00:06:23,600 needed for you to survive, get through the worst quarter of next year, which is going 103 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:25,633 to be the first quarter. 104 00:06:25,633 --> 00:06:29,600 JUDY WOODRUFF: So, as we stand here tonight, Senator Manchin, are you -- how confident 105 00:06:31,533 --> 00:06:35,300 are you that that aid bill, the $748 billion, will pass, whether or not there's agreement 106 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:41,466 on the other issues around liability protection and aid for state and local governments? 107 00:06:43,500 --> 00:06:45,433 SEN. JOE MANCHIN: Judy, I'm as confident as I am standing here talking to you that this 108 00:06:45,433 --> 00:06:47,433 is real. 109 00:06:47,433 --> 00:06:51,733 This language is done. The bill is -- this is not just a concept. Two weeks ago, we gave 110 00:06:51,733 --> 00:06:56,733 basically an Outline. That's all we had was an outline showing you how we come to 908. 111 00:06:58,733 --> 00:07:02,766 We worked it and worked it and worked it for the last 30 days, morning, noon and night. 112 00:07:04,666 --> 00:07:08,100 Our staff has been going around. We have been on Zoom calls and phone calls continuously 113 00:07:08,700 --> 00:07:10,766 every day. 114 00:07:10,766 --> 00:07:14,500 We have came -- we have come to this, after a lot, a lot of discussions, back-and-forth 115 00:07:14,500 --> 00:07:19,500 bantering, talking to our caucuses respectively, Democrat and Republican, and representing 116 00:07:20,666 --> 00:07:22,700 them. No one else has done anything like this. 117 00:07:22,700 --> 00:07:25,933 If the leadership all of a sudden wants to reinvent the wheel, that's what they would 118 00:07:25,933 --> 00:07:30,733 be doing. We would hope that they would say, thank you all for what you have done, because, 119 00:07:30,733 --> 00:07:31,766 sometimes, they hit an impasse. 120 00:07:31,766 --> 00:07:33,900 JUDY WOODRUFF: Well... 121 00:07:33,900 --> 00:07:36,500 SEN. JOE MANCHIN: We were able to work past that impasse. And we have a bill. I'm confident. 122 00:07:36,500 --> 00:07:39,333 And if they want to stay here for Christmas, I will be right with them. 123 00:07:39,333 --> 00:07:43,800 JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, we saw the bipartisanship today. We will see what the leadership does. 124 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:45,933 Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, we thank you. 125 00:07:45,933 --> 00:07:46,633 SEN. JOE MANCHIN: Thank you, Judy.