CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: Interview with Senator Chris Coons

Interview

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[17:25:00]

BLITZER: The breaking news this hour, President-elect Joe Biden announcing historic picks for top posts in his cabinet including former Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen to become the country's first woman secretary of the treasury. Joining us now to discuss this and more, a very close Biden ally,

Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware. Senator, thanks so much for joining us. What message do you think president-elect Biden is sending with these cabinet nominees and we put some of them up on the screen right there.

SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): Well, Wolf, these are very impressive picks. This is a team of folks who have deep experience in public service, who previously been confirmed by the Senate and who are experts in the specific fields to which they have been nominated.

I'm very optimistic that this broadly representative and highly talented team will be confirmed and will move us towards a Biden/Harris administration that is led by, run by folks who are competent, skilled, and experienced.

BLITZER: They certainly do have a lot of experience. Most of them did work in the Obama administration. There are a lot of familiar faces there from the Obama administration who are going to be coming into the new Biden administration.

But what do you say, senator, to those who view this as Obama 2.0? Should there be some fresh voices in the new administration at the same time?

COONS: Well, there are. This is not just a retread of the Obama leadership team. Folks are in new roles, different roles and there are people who were not in Obama/Biden leadership roles.

So, I do think this is a good and an encouraging mix. There is also folks with new roles. So for example, John Kerry, former Secretary of State, former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will be a special envoy on climate and he will jump-start our re-engagement with the world on climate.

Linda Thomas-greenfield, an incredibly experienced and seasoned diplomat, will be representing us at the United Nations after, I think, 35 years as a Foreign Service officer. She will bring new skill and new depth and new expertise to that particular role.

Tony Blinken, who has been nominated for Secretary of State, is someone who was deputy Secretary of State, deputy national security adviser, worked on the Hill, and has worked in the White House. A great deal of experience.

I, frankly, think most Americans are looking for a government that is run and led by people who know what they are doing in these jobs, not folks who are learning on the job.

BLITZER: How much of the president-elect's decision making is based on who he thinks can get confirmed if in fact there is a still a Republican majority in the Senate? Is that a driving factor in at least some of the selection process?

COONS: Well, Wolf, you know, to be reasonable, getting confirmation and getting confirmation relatively quickly has to be a concern for any administration. One of the challenges here is that because the transition still hasn't officially started.

The leader of the GSA still hasn't made her ascertainment, despite calls from Republicans, from both former national security leaders, the entire business community leadership and several members of the Republican majority.

She still hasn't made that determination. So it hasn't yet fully started, the opportunity for consultation between the Biden/Harris transition team and the folks who will most likely be committee chairs if the Republicans retain the majority.

That is something that has been foreshortened, but that kind of consultation that makes it more likely that nominees will be confirmed is something that I hope will go forward. I think it should be happening. It's just one part of the transition that hasn't happened yet that really should.

BLITZER: Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, thanks so much for joining us. We will continue this conversation, clearly, down the road. Appreciate it very much. Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

COONS: Thank you, Wolf.

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