CNN "Erin Burnett Outfront" - Transcript Interview with Patty Murray

Interview

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OUTFRONT now, the assistant Democratic leader, Senator Patty Murray.

And, Senator Murray, I appreciate your time tonight.

This bill had a lot in it, $25 billion for airlines. Airlines say that would have allowed them to bring back about 50,000 workers that they furloughed on October 1st. So, now, this has been put off until after the election. What happens, say, to those 50,000 workers for the airlines?

SEN. PATTY MURRAY (D-WA): Well, it's the airline workers, it's the people who have been unemployed. It's people in the hotel industry who are minimum wage workers, who no longer have a job and just waiting for a little bit of help.

It's the people in the food line. It's the people on the front lines of this pandemic, and our health care system that aren't going to get the help and support they need.

It's the small little communities across the country that are reeling from the economic impact, who just had the president of the United States virtually say to them, I don't care. That to me is so irresponsible.

BURNETT: So, I want to ask you about the letter you wrote. You wrote it along, I know, with the Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. You accused the White House of, quote, opaque and secretive handling of information.

So when you say that, Senator, what specific information do you think they are hiding? MURRAY: Well, since the beginning of this pandemic, back in January

and February, I have been angry because this administration has not taken this as an urgent health crisis. Their number one job is to secure the safety and health and economy of this country, and they haven't been urgent about it. Now, we have a White House who is clearly covering up when this started, who was exposed, the extent of it.

So, those people who have been exposed can take care of themselves, quarantine, and not spread it further. It is really dismissive of people's health and well-being, and it sends a message not only to the White House, but to the country, that this crisis is not being dealt with in a way to assure you and your family, that you are being taken care of.

BURNETT: Why -- Senator, why do you think they're doing this? Why, if it's as simple as just having people have the ability to take care of themselves, if they're in quarantine --

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MURRAY: I fear that for the president, he worries about optics more than he does about any human being in this country. And he wants -- he doesn't want us to know when it happened or how it happened or that he might be the spreader or whatever because he's worried about politics.

It is so past time to think about that. We have to think about the health and safety and security of everybody who's been exposed and every family in this country. So, I don't expect the president to do the right thing, but I do expect some people around him to be adults and take charge and deal with this.

BURNETT: Do you think -- I don't know if you just heard Dr. Reiner, right, who used to advise the White House and obviously worked with Dick Cheney and communicated with the press frequently in that role about his health. He's raising the point that the president, he believes, he believes, had -- would have been positive for the virus on the day of the debate if he were to have been tested, which right now it doesn't seem that he was.

[19:40:07]

But we just don't know, right, because they're not giving us that information.

MURRAY: Right.

BURNETT: Do you think, Senator, because this is a really significant thing to say if so, that President Trump knew he was ill, but went ahead with his travel and events schedule? Obviously, we know he was not feeling well on Thursday when he went and met with the donors, right, and he knew Hope Hicks was positive, and that's a terrible thing that he did that.

Beyond that, though, do you think he went to a rally, do you think he went to a debate? (CROSSTALK)

MURRAY: I don't know. And you know what he looks like, he's the kid who has his hand in the cookie jar and he won't fess up. And you're looking at him, and you know.

This is far more serious, obviously. If they know when the president was contagious and are not telling people so that they can take care of their own health, that is so wrong, irresponsible.

I'll just say as a mom and grandmother, it's time for people to take care of the people around them, to make sure that they can take care of themselves and prevent themselves from being sick or spreading it.

No one knows of any of those employees who work in the White House, whether it's military, whether it's the waitresses, whether it's people who clean the bathroom or serve the president, if they have somebody at home that could die because of this, let's go (ph) up in the White House. That's what I would have to say.

BURNETT: Senator, I just want to ask you, the White House deputy spokesperson was on. Obviously, Kayleigh McEnany is quarantined. So, Brian Morgenstern was on.

I asked him specifically whether he knew the answer to the question of when the president last had a negative coronavirus test, right? Does he know the answer to that question? He said he does not know the answer to that question.

Do you think it's acceptable that the deputy press secretary wouldn't know that?

MURRAY: Well, somebody knows. And somebody responsible needs to stand up, fess up, tell people. Not so we can point fingers. I'm so far beyond that. But so that people can protect their own health.

If people have been exposed, they need to know it so that they can get tested, so they can quarantine, so they can stop the spread of this virus. It has impacted the health, well-being, and lives of too in people in our country and our economy, and as a policymaker, I can tell you, we have spent billions of dollars as a result of this pandemic.

Let's stop fooling around, let's take the steps we know that need to be taken, let's contain this, and it starts with letting people know if they have been exposed so they personally can take the precautions to stop the spread.

BURNETT: Senator, I appreciate your time. Thank you.

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