Kamala Harris: I Applaud Liz Cheney’s Courage to Speak Truth

RUSH TRANSCRIPT Woodruff I ░░░░░░░░ to ask you about ░░░░░░░░ the vice chair of ░░░░░░░░ committee representative Liz Cheney ░░░░░░░░ of the only Republicans ░░░░░░░░ to hold the former ░░░░░░░░ accountable said She said ░░░░░░░░ President Trump summoned this ░░░░░░░░ assembled the mob and ░░░░░░░░ the flame of this ░░░░░░░░ Is she right Yes ░░░░░░░░ again these are moments ░░░░░░░░ we must speak truth ░░░░░░░░ I applaud her courage ░░░░░░░░ the midst of you ░░░░░░░░ a number of her ░░░░░░░░ who have failed to ░░░░░░░░ such courage or those ░░░░░░░░ have shown courage and ░░░░░░░░ are not seeking reelection ░░░░░░░░ have not sought reelection ░░░░░░░░ applaud her courage to ░░░░░░░░ truth Woodruff if that ░░░░░░░░ the case then does ░░░░░░░░ not mean there will ░░░░░░░░ to be serious consideration ░░░░░░░░ a criminal prosecution I ░░░░░░░░ not privy to the ░░░░░░░░ facts that are before ░░░░░░░░ committee so I can ░░░░░░░░ speak to them And ░░░░░░░░ I m burdened by ░░░░░░░░ my career as an ░░░░░░░░ and as a prosecutor ░░░░░░░░ I m not going ░░░░░░░░ judge or speak to ░░░░░░░░ facts and the law ░░░░░░░░ the case which I ░░░░░░░░ t know Woodruff well ░░░░░░░░ me ask you about ░░░░░░░░ aftermath of all this ░░░░░░░░ and President Biden are ░░░░░░░░ to be speaking out ░░░░░░░░ publicly in the days ░░░░░░░░ come about the need ░░░░░░░░ voting rights reform But ░░░░░░░░ know right now there ░░░░░░░░ t enough votes for ░░░░░░░░ in the Senate Some ░░░░░░░░ are countering right now ░░░░░░░░ a proposal to reform ░░░░░░░░ way the Electoral College ░░░░░░░░ takes place Why is ░░░░░░░░ not an acceptable compromise ░░░░░░░░ it s not a ░░░░░░░░ to the problem at ░░░░░░░░ which is that right ░░░░░░░░ in the United States ░░░░░░░░ America we need federal ░░░░░░░░ that guarantee the freedom ░░░░░░░░ right of every American ░░░░░░░░ have access to the ░░░░░░░░ to be able to ░░░░░░░░ The John Lewis Voting ░░░░░░░░ Act the freedom to ░░░░░░░░ act address that issue ░░░░░░░░ those are the issues ░░░░░░░░ are present and that ░░░░░░░░ imminent and that are ░░░░░░░░ dispositive frankly of this ░░░░░░░░ in time in terms ░░░░░░░░ whether we are going ░░░░░░░░ fight for some of ░░░░░░░░ most important pillars of ░░░░░░░░ democracy such as the ░░░░░░░░ to vote and free ░░░░░░░░ fair elections So let ░░░░░░░░ pass those two pieces ░░░░░░░░ legislation and ensure through ░░░░░░░░ law that all Americans ░░░░░░░░ meaningful access to the ░░░░░░░░ Woodruff three other things ░░░░░░░░ want to ask you ░░░░░░░░ madam vice president Covid ░░░░░░░░ the first Six of ░░░░░░░░ prominent public health advisers ░░░░░░░░ were part of the ░░░░░░░░ Harris transition team have ░░░░░░░░ gone public with a ░░░░░░░░ to the president to ░░░░░░░░ an entirely new pandemic ░░░░░░░░ geared to what they ░░░░░░░░ the new normal of ░░░░░░░░ with this virus indefinitely ░░░░░░░░ to minimize the risk ░░░░░░░░ think that first of ░░░░░░░░ what we know without ░░░░░░░░ debate and I think ░░░░░░░░ of us agree is ░░░░░░░░ we have tools available ░░░░░░░░ us to address this ░░░░░░░░ in a way that ░░░░░░░░ can at the very ░░░░░░░░ mitigate the harm to ░░░░░░░░ greatest number of people ░░░░░░░░ so we are going ░░░░░░░░ continue as an administration ░░░░░░░░ urge all people who ░░░░░░░░ eligible to get vaccinated ░░░░░░░░ get the booster to ░░░░░░░░ masks when they are ░░░░░░░░ public and to do ░░░░░░░░ is necessary for us ░░░░░░░░ get beyond this We ░░░░░░░░ of course anyone who ░░░░░░░░ information especially those who ░░░░░░░░ experts about how we ░░░░░░░░ accomplish these goals But ░░░░░░░░ are certain things that ░░░░░░░░ without debate and really ░░░░░░░░ even necessary for discussion ░░░░░░░░ this point among people ░░░░░░░░ are knowledgeable about what ░░░░░░░░ to happen in terms ░░░░░░░░ vaccines and boosters and ░░░░░░░░ Woodruff but is it ░░░░░░░░ for a new approach ░░░░░░░░ the question I mean ░░░░░░░░ administration came in promising ░░░░░░░░ get things on track ░░░░░░░░ we are a year ░░░░░░░░ we re in the ░░░░░░░░ wave There aren t ░░░░░░░░ tests Nearly enough Well ░░░░░░░░ first of all we ░░░░░░░░ t we know that ░░░░░░░░ approach in terms of ░░░░░░░░ boosters and masks work ░░░░░░░░ I don t think ░░░░░░░░ that s what we ░░░░░░░░ discussing right now But ░░░░░░░░ s also talk about ░░░░░░░░ your point where we ░░░░░░░░ today versus a year ░░░░░░░░ Today the vast majority ░░░░░░░░ schools are open Today ░░░░░░░░ have a vaccine that ░░░░░░░░ majority of Americans have ░░░░░░░░ received Boosters we are ░░░░░░░░ great progress with that ░░░░░░░░ are wearing their masks ░░░░░░░░ have seen progress We ░░░░░░░░ seeing businesses reopen I ░░░░░░░░ it s important for ░░░░░░░░ just to see in ░░░░░░░░ moment we re still ░░░░░░░░ is extremely frustrating there ░░░░░░░░ no question for all ░░░░░░░░ us But we also ░░░░░░░░ acknowledge that there has ░░░░░░░░ progress and that that ░░░░░░░░ the trajectory But there ░░░░░░░░ still steps to go ░░░░░░░░ have still work to ░░░░░░░░ and in particular around ░░░░░░░░ vaccines and masks We ░░░░░░░░ to make sure that ░░░░░░░░ is taking advantage of ░░░░░░░░ the tools that we ░░░░░░░░ have available to us ░░░░░░░░ now Woodruff two other ░░░░░░░░ One is your administration ░░░░░░░░ Biden Harris agenda in ░░░░░░░░ beginning a year ago ░░░░░░░░ off to a strong ░░░░░░░░ but it s obviously ░░░░░░░░ Right now the president ░░░░░░░░ approval ratings have taken ░░░░░░░░ dramatic hit Did you ░░░░░░░░ to do too much ░░░░░░░░ I think that there ░░░░░░░░ many metrics by which ░░░░░░░░ can measure where we ░░░░░░░░ today One of them ░░░░░░░░ is where we are ░░░░░░░░ Covid which we just ░░░░░░░░ Let s also look ░░░░░░░░ where we are on ░░░░░░░░ economy Last year we ░░░░░░░░ six million new jobs ░░░░░░░░ year we brought unemployment ░░░░░░░░ to I believe it ░░░░░░░░ 4 2 which the ░░░░░░░░ most didn t believe ░░░░░░░░ happen until at least ░░░░░░░░ 2024 So we have ░░░░░░░░ great progress We passed ░░░░░░░░ infrastructure law People have ░░░░░░░░ both parties as administrations ░░░░░░░░ been talking about doing ░░░░░░░░ generations There has been ░░░░░░░░ progress no doubt Covid ░░░░░░░░ example I mean we ░░░░░░░░ all well you know ░░░░░░░░ is frustrated with that ░░░░░░░░ I understand and I ░░░░░░░░ appreciate there is a ░░░░░░░░ of malaise We re ░░░░░░░░ years into this thing ░░░░░░░░ know people are we ░░░░░░░░ to get back to ░░░░░░░░ We all do But ░░░░░░░░ have to then do ░░░░░░░░ tough and hard work ░░░░░░░░ pushing through with solutions ░░░░░░░░ that there are going ░░░░░░░░ be challenges but let ░░░░░░░░ meet the challenges where ░░░░░░░░ are And let s ░░░░░░░░ take a moment to ░░░░░░░░ the progress we ve ░░░░░░░░ Woodruff last question This ░░░░░░░░ madam vice president has ░░░░░░░░ been an easy one ░░░░░░░░ you There have been ░░░░░░░░ rash of stories about ░░░░░░░░ inside your office inside ░░░░░░░░ White House about questions ░░░░░░░░ your role What would ░░░░░░░░ say you ve learned ░░░░░░░░ this year Well one ░░░░░░░░ the things I ve ░░░░░░░░ is to get out ░░░░░░░░ D C I think ░░░░░░░░ s important to definitely ░░░░░░░░ out and be you ░░░░░░░░ I can t tell ░░░░░░░░ when I ve been ░░░░░░░░ to get out of ░░░░░░░░ C and be with ░░░░░░░░ folks who are actually ░░░░░░░░ our policies and will ░░░░░░░░ impacted by our policies ░░░░░░░░ do hope that this ░░░░░░░░ I will be able ░░░░░░░░ get out there more ░░░░░░░░ know the president feels ░░░░░░░░ same way so that ░░░░░░░░ can make sure that ░░░░░░░░ are we are with ░░░░░░░░ folks and not just ░░░░░░░░ you know hanging out ░░░░░░░░ D C With the ░░░░░░░░ Woodruff madam vice president ░░░░░░░░ Harris thank you very ░░░░░░░░ for joining us today ░░░░░░░░ appreciate it Thank you ░░░░░░░░ to be with you ░░░░░░░░ you. Happy new year.