CDC director predicts COVID-19 vaccine distribution will increase dramatically by late March
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky details the status of coronavirus vaccine production and distribution on 'Fox News Sunday'
This is a rush transcript from "Fox News Sunday" January 24, 2021. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: I'm Chris Wallace.
Just days into the new Biden administration, the Senate is set to begin its second impeachment trial of Donald Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY), MAJORITY LEADER: The articles will be delivered to the Senate on Monday.
WALLACE (voice-over): Trump, the first president to face a Senate trial after leaving office, but the rules still to be determined as part of a bigger negotiation over a power-sharing agreement.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MINORITY LEADER: The Democratic leader and I continue to flush out the structure of this 50/50 Senate.
WALLACE: We will discuss with the trial means for the Biden agenda, his call for unity, and Donald Trump's hold on the GOP with Republican Senator Mitt Romney.
SEN. MITT ROMNEY (R-UT): I hope that we can do both as quickly as possible.
WALLACE: And Senator Marco Rubio, who opposes trying Trump again.
Then --
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This will be one of the greatest operational challenges our nation has ever undertaken.
WALLACE: President Biden unveils a national strategy to increase vaccine distribution and COVID relief efforts.
We'll talk with Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the new director of the CDC, about the president's plan for beating the virus.
Plus, we'll ask our Sunday panel about the challenges the Biden administration faces in its first 100 days.
And our "Power Player of the Week," Bryan Cranston of "Breaking Bad" fame, reflects on his rise from working actor to a leading man.
All, right now, on "FOX News Sunday."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE (on camera): And hello again from FOX News in Washington.
Opening arguments in the Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump will begin in two weeks. The delay, part of a deal struck by Senate leaders allowing time for Mr. Trump's legal team to prepare a defense. Time also for the Senate to confirm some of President Biden's cabinet nominees, and time to take up his COVID relief package.
In a moment, we'll talk about the trial, the Biden agenda, and the split inside the GOP with Republican Senators Mitt Romney and Marco Rubio.
But first, Mike Emanuel reports on what we know about the timing and structure of the second Trump trial in the Senate.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE EMANUEL, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): House lawmakers will deliver an article of impeachment to the Senate accusing former President Trump of incitement of insurrection Monday evening. But the substance of the trial won't get started until two weeks later, February 9th, allowing time for the Senate to confirm more Biden cabinet members.
BIDEN: The more time we have to get up and running to meet these crises, the better.
EMANUEL: Still, the new majority leader is making the case at trial is necessary.
SCHUMER: Healing and unity will only come if there is truth and accountability. And that is what this trial will provide.
EMANUEL: Conviction in the Senate would appear unlikely as 17 Republicans are needed to join with Democrats. And many in the GOP now argue there is no reason for a trial after President Trump has left office.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): I think it's obvious that the post- presidential impeachment has never occurred in the country for a reason. That is unconstitutional.
EMANUEL: There's also a need for Schumer and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell to complete a power-sharing agreement since the Senate is split 50/50. While some on the left argue the legislative filibuster should be scrapped, McConnell is fighting to save it.
MCCONNELL: I will continue to request that our Democratic colleagues reaffirm the standing rule in the Senate which they have been happy to use on many occasions.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
EMANUEL (on camera): Next up for cabinet confirmations, Janet Yellen for treasury secretary and Antony Blinken for secretary of state. But soon, an impeachment trial will be taking time away from more confirmations -- Chris.
WALLACE: Mike Emanuel reporting from Capitol Hill -- Mike, thank you.
And joining us now, Senator Mitt Romney of Utah.
Senator, welcome back to "FOX News Sunday."
SEN. MITT ROMNEY (R-UT): Thanks, Chris. Thank you. Good to be with you.
WALLACE: Senator, do you support holding this impeachment trial, and what do you think the rules should be on the length of the trial and whether or not to call witnesses?
ROMNEY: Well, we're certainly going to have a trial. I wish that weren't necessary, but the president's conduct with regard to the call to the Secretary of State Raffensperger in Georgia, as well as the incitation towards the insurrection that led to the attack on the capitol calls for a trial and the -- you know, if we're going to have unity in our country, I think it's important to recognize the need for accountability, for truth and justice.
So I think there will be a trial, and I hope it goes as quickly as possible, but that's up to the counsel on both sides.
WALLACE: You were the only Senate Republican to vote to convict and remove the president the first time. Of course, now, as a juror again, I'm sure you want to hear the evidence.
But I want to put up what you said on January 6th, the day that the mob attacked the U.S. Capitol.
Here's -- here's what you said: We gather today due to a selfish man's injured pride. What happened here today was an insurrection, incited by the president of the United States.
Senator, it sure sounds like you're going to vote to convict.
ROMNEY: Well, there's no question but that the article of impeachment that was sent over by the House suggest impeachable conduct but we have not yet heard either from the prosecution or from the defense. I will get a chance to hear from them and I will do my best as a Senate juror to apply justice as well as I can understand it.
WALLACE: You also, I'm sure, have read that there was a report over the weekend that President Trump was talking seriously at one point in December about firing the acting attorney general of the United States, putting in a new acting attorney general who supported the idea of trying to get Georgia to overturn its election results.
Do you think that should be part of the trial?
ROMNEY: Well, that will be up to the prosecutors, of course, but I think it's pretty clear that over the last year or so, there has been an effort to corrupt the election of the United States and it was not by President Biden, it was by President Trump. And that corruption we saw with regards to the conduct in Ukraine as well as the call to Secretary of State Raffensperger as well as the incitation to insurrection.
I mean, this is obviously very serious and an attack on the very foundation of our democracy and it is something that has to be considered and resolved.
WALLACE: There is talk among some Senate Republicans about ending this trial on a procedural ground, whether it's even constitutional to try a president who's already left office. And not even get to the issue of President Trump's innocence or guilt.
How would you feel about that, trying to end this trial on this constitutional issue?
ROMNEY: Well, the Democrats have the majority in the Senate and I doubt that they are going to go along with that move. At the same time, if you look at the preponderance of the opinion, legal opinion not by people who are partisan, but by scholars over the years about whether and impeachment trial can and should be held after someone has left office, the preponderance of opinion is that in fact yes, and impeachment trial is appropriate after someone leaves office and that's something I concur with.
But again, I will listen to the arguments that are made by counsel on both sides to make a final determination.
WALLACE: In his inaugural address on Wednesday, President Biden made a call for unity. Here is some of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban (ph) -- rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: Now, some of your Republican colleagues, including Marco Rubio, who's going to be on in the next segment, say that President Biden has already breached that call for unity with some of his actions, executive actions, legislative agenda in the opening days.
Do you see an inherent conflict between calling for unity and a new president pursuing his agenda?
ROMNEY: Well, I think it would be unrealistic to assume that Democrats and Republicans are going to see eye to eye on every issue. There are going to be differences of opinion, that's expected. But at the same time, I think it's appropriate for us to have unity of purpose, unity of heart, a recognition that we respect each other and treat each other with comity and that is something which I believe President Biden wants to see.
At the same time, I think there are some actions the president is taking that are going to lead to some anger and division. I think, for instance, saying we're not going to allow further leases on the government land for oil and gas, that obviously very badly hurt some of our rural communities, stopping the Keystone pipeline, that puts a lot of people out of work. Those people are going to be understandably angry.
So I think you've got to be pretty careful even recognizing the bounds of disagreement, to not do things that incite a great deal of unnecessary anger.
WALLACE: Let me ask you about another pressing issue, may be the most single pressing issue, and that's COVID. You have said that after the Congress passed a $900 billion COVID relief package just last month that you don't have much interest in passing another Biden rescue plan for $1.9 trillion, more than double what you just passed. Are there some parts of the Biden rescue plan that you could support?
ROMNEY: I think that's very possible. The last time around, a bipartisan coalition came together to look at the needs of the American people and came up with the $900 billion plus plan. We'll listen to representatives of the White House today to understand their perspective, but if there are places that we missed in our proposal, we are happy to pick that up.
The president wants to extend unemployment benefits if people are still unemployed, that is certainly something we would look at. We were of the view last time that states needed help, some rescue for states and localities that may have suffered a reduction in their revenues. That's appropriate, but the total figure is pretty shocking, if you will.
And the idea that we need a stimulus is a little hard to understand, because I'm one of those that's convinced that if you want to see this economy get going, we've got to get beyond COVID. If we get beyond COVID, I believe that the economy is going to come roaring back. And spending and borrowing trillions of dollars from the Chinese among others is not necessarily the best thing we can do to get our economy to be strong long- term.
WALLACE: Finally, Senator, you were flying from Utah to D.C. on January 5th, the day before the attack on the capitol when some people who don't particularly like your stand, particularly when it comes to Donald Trump went after you. Here's an example of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When Trump gets reelected, you're getting primaried.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Laugh it up.
ROMNEY: I'm not laughing at you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Laugh it up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: Where is the GOP now, Senator? What's -- what is the balance between the traditional Republicans and the Trump Republicans, and what do you think is the key to where your party goes over the next few years?
ROMNEY: Well, first, I'd note that there are going to be new faces that are going to be the spokespeople for our party and their own vision, and that could be Larry Hogan, it could be Charlie Baker, it could be Marco Rubio, who's going to be on in a moment, or Ben Sasse. So there will be some new faces.
President Trump, of course, will continue to have influence, but I think our party is going to return to some of our more fundamental principles, which is fiscal responsibility, believing in the importance of character, standing with our allies and pushing back against people like Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin.
But I also think it's important to recognize a new strand in our party that's critical, and that is to communicate more effectively to working men and women in our country that our policies are best designed to help them and to give them and their families a better future.
That's something I think we've missed, something I missed in my campaign. I think that's something that's going to help define us going forward.
WALLACE: Senator Romney, thank you. Thanks for your time this week, and it's as always good to talk to you, sir.
ROMNEY: Thanks, Chris. Good to be with you.
WALLACE: Coming up, we'll talk with Senator Marco Rubio about the impeachment trial and President Biden's call for unity.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WALLACE: Our next guest says a second impeachment trial could turn Donald Trump into a martyr.
Joining us now from Florida, Senator Marco Rubio.
And, Senator, welcome back to "FOX News Sunday".
SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL): Thank you. Thanks, Chris.
WALLACE: You have come out strongly against the idea of holding this impeachment trial. But now it is going to happen.
What do you think the rules should be about the length of the trial and whether or not to allow witnesses to be called?
RUBIO: Well, first of all, I think the trial is stupid. I think it's counterproductive. We already have a flaming fire in this country and it's like taking a bunch of gasoline and pouring it on top of the fire.
Second, then I look back at the time, for example, Richard Nixon, who had clearly committed crimes and wrongdoing, and in hindsight I think we would all agree that President Ford's pardon was important for the country to be able to move forward and history held Richard Nixon quite accountable for - - for what he did as a result.
In terms of the rules, I think the president is entitled to due process. I think he's entitled to have a defense. I think he's entitled to present, you know, testimony and evidence if necessary and, you know, the House doesn't have much of a record of witnesses and so forth because they, frankly, rammed it through very quickly. So, I think, obviously, fairness is important no matter who it is we're talking about.
But I just want to repeat, I think this is going to be really bad for the country. It's going to take us -- not just is it going to keep us from focusing on really important things, but it's also just going to stir it up even more and make it even harder to get things done moving forward.
WALLACE: Senate -- Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell spoke about Donald Trump's responsibility this week. I want to play part of what he said.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): The mob was fed lies. They were provoked by the president and other powerful people. And they tried to use fear and violence to stop a specific proceeding of the first branch of the federal government which they did not like.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: Is Senator McConnell wrong, sir?
RUBIO: I think the president bears responsibility for some of what happened. I -- it was most certainly a foreseeable consequence of everything that was going on. And -- and I think that's widely understood and maybe even better understood with the perspective of time. I think that's separate from the notion of, let's revisit this all and stir it up again.
It's not -- you know, I -- the stories are still going to be written. There's criminal justice investigations that are going to continue to move forward. All these things are still going to happen.
All I'm arguing is, we have some really important things to work on. You want to really kind of bring the country together and remember once again how we can get things done, it isn't by uniformity on all the issues, it's about working through a process that allows people with different points of view to debate all that and get to a solution for the country. All that -- we're just going to go -- we're going to jump right back into what we've been going through for the last five years and stirring it up again with a trial. And it's just going to be bad for the country. It really is.
WALLACE: So let me ask you the same question I just asked Senator Romney, would you support ending this trial if you can on procedural grounds, that it's unconstitutional to try a president whose left office without ever getting to the issue of the guilt or innocence of Donald Trump?
RUBIO: Yes, the first chance I get to vote to end this trial, I'll do it because in think it's really bad for America. If you want to hold people accountable, there's other ways to do it, particularly for a president, including, as I said, the perspective of history and even now as people are learning more about all of this.
But it's really bad -- when you talk about situations like this, this is not a criminal justice trial, this is a political process and ultimately it is a political process that's going to inject things into our public discourse, into a debates, that's going to make it harder to get important things done and it's just going to continue to fuel these divisions that have paralyzed the country and have turned us into a country of people that hate each other.
WALLACE: I want to ask you one less question on this and then we'll move on.
What about the argument that it would be useful, from the point of view of -- of -- of people who think that what the president did was wrong, to ban him from seeking public office again, which would be one of the results of holding this trial?
RUBIO: I think that's an arrogant statement for anyone to make. Voters get to decide that. We -- who are we to tell voters who they can vote for in the future?
WALLACE: OK.
I -- I talked with Senator Romney about Joe Biden's call for -- for unity. And you have spoken sharply already about Biden's first days in office. I want to put up a tweet that you -- you sent out on Friday.
So far Biden has talked like a centrist but governed from the radical left.
So, Senator Rubio, is talk of unity from this White House dead already?
RUBIO: Yes, no, unity and ideology are two separate things, OK? Unity is to mean uniformity. That's ridiculous. We are a country that the elections prove it, the 50/50 split in the Senate proves we've got people with very different opinions and we settled that argument through a process in our republic in which we elect people to have debates and try to find a way to move forward. That's separate from portraying yourself as a centrist.
But the first thing you do is get thousands of people fired at the stroke of a pen by ending the Keystone Pipeline, jump on the issue of -- of, you know, gender when it comes to sports and who can use what bathrooms and so forth and so on, an immigration order that I think could be read -- I've asked for clarification, I hope it doesn't mean this, but I think it could be read to say that someone whose committed a very serious crime, has raped or sexually abused a minor, as long as they were released from prison before the 19th of January, they're not a priority for deportation. Those are not centrist ideas.
Now, I understand Joe Biden comes from the left of center. I understand all that. But this is -- some of these are far left of center ideas. So my point in that tweet was, he may use the language, the rhetoric, even the demeanor of a centrist, but so far his policies don't seem to represent that. And -- and I think that's an important thing to note as we get into these debates about different issues.
WALLACE: I want to pick up on this issue of immigration.
President Biden assigned a number of executive actions on immigration in these first few days. He has introduced legislation that would give 11 million people a path to citizenship over the next eight years.
You, of course, back in 2013, were a leader on the issue of immigration reform. You had a plan that would lead to a path to citizenship, as I remember, in 13 years.
But you're talking about the Biden plan so far on immigration as -- as coming right up close to amnesty. Is that fair?
RUBIO: Yes, because that's very different from what we talked about back then. That -- that -- back then we also talked about $25 billion, $30 billion for border security, including fencing and so forth. It talked -- it had those sorts of provisions in there. It talked about reforming the immigration system so that it was more merit-based, meaning you bring people in on the basis of what they can do for a living and not just primarily whether they have family members living here.
That's not what he's talking about. He's basically talking simply and almost entirely about what to do with people that are here in an unlawful status, of which I think the majority of Americans believe we need to do something. But you can only do something after you've gotten place immigration reforms that allow you to secure the border and stop illegal immigration, otherwise doing something is going to encourage more people to come.
We saw a very brief example of that. Just the fact that he was elected incentivized some of these trafficking networks to try to push people to the United States through one of these caravans. That's a reality.
And -- and -- so, again, I -- not -- not to mention that back when we did it in 2013 we weren't in the midst of a pandemic, which I think should be the number one focus outside of national security. And I actually think it's related to national security.
WALLACE: Is -- going to switch subjects on your now -- is the GOP still the party of Trump for the foreseeable future? And do you see it at some point over the next three, four years moving away from President Trump?
RUBIO: The GOP is the party that nominated Donald Trump. And the reason why it did and ultimately got him elected and he got 75 million votes is because you have tens of millions of Americans that feel this economy isn't working for people like them, that feel socially displaced, even like strangers in their own country, and who believe that both of the parties, at least traditionally, and all of politics doesn't understand or care about any of this, that they don't matter to people.
Donald Trump did not create those things. He -- he got elected because of those things. He got 75 million votes because of those things. And those factors, those feelings that are out there among tens of millions of Americans didn't leave when he left on Wednesday. They're still there. That's why he got elected and that's what I hope we'll be a party of.
Now, I hope we can do it in a way that keeps the people who believe we're fighting for them and brings back some of the people that perhaps didn't vote for Republicans or didn't vote for the president because they may not like, you know, the way it was said or the way it was done. I think that's quite possible. And I think that's the future of the Republican Party because, frankly, on that I think depends the future of the country.
WALLACE: Finally, you're up for re-election in 2022 and there has been talk, as I'm sure you know, about the possibility that Ivanka Trump might run against you in a Republican primary in Florida in 2022.
How seriously do you take Ivanka Trump as a potential opponent?
RUBIO: Well, I -- I -- I don't really get into the parlor games of Washington, other than to tell you that when you decide to run for re- election in a state like Florida, you have to be prepared for its competitive race. You run it like a competitive race. So that's what I'm preparing to run, a very competitive race against the tough opponent.
I'm sure the Democrats are going to have somebody who's going to be very well-funded, may even outraise me the way they raised money this last time because they're -- you know, they've gotten all kinds of innovative ways to raise money.
So that's what I'm getting ready for. I'm getting -- if you're going to run from Florida Senate, if you're going to run statewide in the state of Florida, you're going to have a tough race. And that might include a primary. That's their right under our system.
I don't own the Senate seat. It doesn't belong to me. If I -- I want to be back in the U.S. Senate, I have to earn that every six years.
WALLACE: And Ivanka Trump, what's the feeling? The water is fine, jump on in?
RUBIO: I -- I like Ivanka. We've worked very well together on issues. And she's a U.S. -- look, anybody can decide to run if they want to. I mean I'm not entitled to anything and so forth. I've got to earn my way forward. I'm very proud of our record.
I would point to the last four years working with President Trump in the White House and I can tell you it's probably been the most productive four year period of any U.S. senator from Florida in modern history. The list is long and extensive. I've gotten more done than anybody, I think, as much as anybody in the U.S. Senate.
One of the bills the president brags about the most is the VA Accountability Bill. That was my bill that I've been working on. And, fortunately, when he was elected, we were able to get it done. The child tax credit that we got expanded. The PPP program that saved tens of millions of jobs across the country. So I'm looking forward to being able to tell the people of Florida, and in the meantime I have two years left to continue to do my job.
WALLACE: Senator, you sound like you're in campaign form.
RUBIO: Yes.
WALLACE: Thank you. Thanks for joining us. Please come back.
RUBIO: Absolutely. Thank you.
WALLACE: Up next, President Biden pledges a full-scale wartime effort to combat the coronavirus, including giving out 100 million doses of the vaccine in 100 days.
We'll break down the challenges ahead with the new director of the CDC. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WALLACE: Coming up, Republicans waste no time attacking the new administration's early actions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: You can say you want unity but you cannot pretend a liberal Democratic agenda is the American priority.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: We'll ask our Sunday panel about Joe Biden's first 100 days. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: President Biden has taken office confronted by a public health and economic crisis. And in his first days he signed a series of executive orders to ramp up COVID vaccinations, expand testing, and reopen schools. Joining us now, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Doctor, I want to start with the president's call this week. Take a look. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're in a national emergency. We need to act like we're in a national emergency. So we've got to move with everything we've got. (END VIDEO CLIP) WALLACE: Mr. Biden promises 100 million doses in the first 100 days. And you have said that the administration is sticking with that promise.
But, Doctor, there are experts who say, at that pace, 100 million doses in 100 days, we will not contain the virus here in the United States until 2022, until sometime next year. Don't you have to go faster than that? DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, CDC DIRECTOR: Good morning, Chris.
Yes, we have to go faster. We are limited by numerous constraints here. The first is the supply, and we're working closely with the manufacturers so that that does not become a constraint. We also need to sort of make sure that this -- the supply gets to pharmacies, that we have enough vaccinators, that we have enough places and outreach to do the vaccinations. So, yes, I think that the supply is probably going to be the most limiting constraint early on and we're really hoping that after that first 100 days we'll have much more production, not just for these two vaccines, but we are hopeful that we'll have another one from Johnson & Johnson in the weeks ahead and perhaps even a fourth coming down the pipeline. So -- so we are really hoping that we'll have more vaccines and that will increase the pace at which we can do the vaccinations. WALLACE: I want to get to those supply concerns in a moment. But let's talk about the stakes first. We are already seeing variants of -- of the virus from the U.K., from Brazil, from South Africa that we're being told are more readily transmissible, are deadlier and more resistant to the virus. Aren't we in a race against time to -- to vaccinate everybody before we get a variant that actually blocks the vaccine, makes it impossible for the vaccine to -- to actually protect people? WALENSKY: You're absolutely right. And we are now scaling up both our surveillance of these and our study of these in cross-agency collaborations with the NIH, with the Department of Defense, with the FDA, with the CDC so that we can monitor these variants, as well as monitor how the impact of these variants on vaccines, as well as on our therapeutics. And you're absolutely right, what this tells us is that we need to get more vaccine out there and that people really, when they have -- are offered the vaccine, have the opportunity to roll up their sleeves and take it. WALLACE: But -- but is that fair to call it a race against time? To -- to make sure that -- that you vaccinate people before we get a strain that the vaccine won't work on? WALENSKY: I would say we've been in a race all along. The more virus that is out there, the more virus that is replicating, the more likely that we are going to have mutations and variants. So not only do we need to vaccinate, but we need for people to wear masks, we need all of these other mitigation strategies so that we can decrease the amount of virus that is circulating and, therefore, decrease the amount of variants that are out there. WALLACE: I want to talk about this supply side issue.
Yesterday, Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York state, said that state has already run out of its initial run of doses. Are we going to get into a situation by let's say the end of March, where the initial run, 200 million doses from Pfizer and Moderna are -- are gone, you don't have enough from Johnson and Johnson or other people, and we're really in a supply crunch by the end of March? WALENSKY: You know, from the data that I've seen so far, my understanding is that the current supply crunch is the one that is -- I'm most worried about. We have every indication that over time we'll get more and more vaccine. So we certainly can't predict any of the -- the obstacles that would come in our way here. But from the data that I've seen so far, I'm hopeful that we'll actually get an increasing amount of supply, not a stagnating one. WALLACE: And -- and is there a specific point in this whole run that you're particularly worried about in -- in the next two or three months that you think the first doses will have run out and we won't have geared up for a second run? WALENSKY: You know, we are carefully monitoring the second doses that are going to be required in the time ahead so that people who have gotten their first dose will have access to their second dose. So I'm -- I'm really hopeful that that is not going to be the case. But what you're commenting on is absolutely true, that we don't have as many doses as we would like now for states like New York, for other states that are see -- claiming to have run out of vaccine. And so right now is actually the pressure point that I'm feeling and by the end of March or so I really do hope that our production has scaled up dramatically and that we actually have way more supply than we do right now. WALLACE: Then there is distribution. The new White House COVID coordinator says what you inherited from the -- the Trump administration is much worse than any of you could have imagined. What is the distribution problem and how do you fix it? WALENSKY: You know, I would say one of the biggest problems right now is, I can't tell you how much vaccine we have. And if I can't tell it to you, then I can't tell it to the governors and I can't tell it to the state health officials. If they don't know how much vaccine they're getting, not just this week but next week and the week after, they can't plan. They can't figure out how many sites to roll out, they can't figure out how many vaccinators that they need and they can't figure out how many appointments to make for the public. So if they overshoot it, then we have vaccine on the shelf. If they undershoot it, we have these queues and queues of people, people whose appointments are canceled. And, either way, we have challenges. So the fact that we don't know today, five days into this administration, and weeks into planning, how much vaccine we have just gives you a sense of the challenges we've been left with. WALLACE: One sign of the crunch that you're facing, at least in the short term, is that CDC put out guidelines this weekend that under, quote, exceptional circumstances you say that it would be OK to -- to mix doses, to use one vaccine for the first dose and the other vaccine, Moderna and Pfizer, for the second dose. And you also said, under these exceptional circumstances, instead of the three to four weeks that are recommended, that -- that patients could take the two doses as far as six weeks, the first dose from the second dose. But -- but, Dr. Walensky, you don't have any trials, clinical trials, you don't have any science to back that up. WALENSKY: I want to be very crystal clear here, those are not the recommendations of the CDC. The CDC recommends that you follow the FDA authorization, 21 days for Pfizer, 28 days for Moderna, and you stick to the same one. But the CDC is a place that people come to for guidance. And we know that not everyone is going to receive that second dose at 28 -- 21 days, 28 days, and some people likely will have forgotten which dose they got, which vaccine they got, and they will come to us and they will say, what do we do now? And that is the purpose of that guidance, it is to say, in those exceptional situations where we couldn't follow the CDC guidance, what do we do now? That was the purpose of that statement. WALLACE: Finally, I got about a minute left here, Doctor.
The CDC has traditionally been and --and -- and, you know, over the years I've talked to people in your position during various -- the swine flu, Ebola -- the head of the CDC has been the great authority, the lead agency in things like this pandemic. But you write this week, in "The New York Times," and I want to put it up on the screen. You say that you will have to work very hard to restore public trust in the CDC, which, quote, has been undermined over the last year. How much damage, Doctor, did the Trump administration do to the standing of the CDC? And how do you fix that? WALENSKY: You know, I would say that the people of the CDC has been -- have been muzzled. The science has not always been followed. The great news for me and for the agency is that those exceptional public health servants, those exceptional scientists are still there.
What my job is to make sure is that their voice is heard, that their science is heard, and we, again, become the trusted authority for public health around the world. WALLACE: Dr. Walensky, thank you. Thanks for taking the time to talk with us. And, of course, we'll be following your efforts to beat the virus. Thank you. WALENSKY: Thank you so much.
WALLACE: Up next, we'll bring in our Sunday group to discuss President Biden's first busy days in the White House. How's he doing?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hear me out as we move forward. Take a measure of me and my heart. If you still disagree, so be it. That's democracy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: Joe Biden on Inauguration Day calling for unity just two weeks after a mob stood at that same spot and invaded the Capitol.
And it's time now for our Sunday group.
Jason Riley of "The Wall Street Journal," former DNC Chair Donna Brazile, and Gerald Seib, also from "The Wall Street Journal."
Gerry, what stands out for you about Joe Biden's first few days in office, the blizzard of executive actions and what we know so far about his legislative agenda?
GERALD SEIB, EXECUTIVE WASHINGTON EDITOR, "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL": Well, you know, three things strike me, Chris.
The first is, this has started big. You know, 30 executive orders in two and a half days, I mean that's not -- that's not sleepy Joe Biden. And you're going to see more of the same this week, by the way, more executive orders, more on coronavirus, maybe more in immigration. So this is an attempt to have a very fast start.
The second thing is, I think we have learned, if there was any doubt, the coronavirus overshadows everything. I mean there's an awful lot being banked on this $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief and stimulus package that the president's putting forward. And a big event today when Brian Deese, the head of the National Economic Council, starts to talk with senators about that, you heard Senator Romney refer to that a few minutes ago.
And then, third, I think the great question is whether the -- the center and political unity that Joe Biden has talked about an awful lot can really hold. That's an open question and I thought it was interesting how aggressive Senator Rubio has been and was on this show about questioning whether the center is really holding.
WALLACE: Jason, do you think the president will get anywhere with Senate Republicans on the $1.9 trillion COVID rescue package? And if they block that, what do you think are the chances that either on that legislation or something else that Senate Democrats will eventually decide, you know what, we're going to kill the filibuster and run the Senate on a one-vote majority?
JASON RILEY, "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL," MANHATTAN INSTITUTE SENIOR FELLOW AND FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I think the package will pass in -- in some form and I think parts of it should pass, particularly the parts dealing with COVID and -- and -- and vaccination programs and funding those sorts of things, more testing and so forth.
My problem with the package has to do with some of the things I think will be harmful, actually. I mean take the $15 federal minimum wage proposal, Chris. You know, restaurants have been one of the hardest hit industries over the past year and they rely on a lot of low skill workers. And a $15 minimum wage will make it more difficult for them to find workers because these low skill workers will be priced out of -- out of the labor force. So I don't think something like that is helpful. Or extending unemployment benefits -- or supplementing unemployment benefits that discourage people from returning -- returning to work because they're being paid more to stay home. So -- so some of this I don't think deserves to pass, but some of it should and some of it I think will.
I don't think killing the filibuster would be a very smart idea for Democrats. They -- they would seem to be making the mistake of thinking they'll be in control of the Senate indefinitely. And, of course, that is not the case. And you have some senators, Mark Kelly out in Arizona, Raphael Warnock in Georgia, that are going to be up in two years. And -- and so I -- you know, this -- this is still a very, obviously, closely divided Senate and I don't think they want to -- they want to jump off that bridge.
WALLACE: Donna, your -- your thoughts about the prospects for the COVID rescue plan, because while Jason said he thinks some of it will pass, he was talking about a lot that he thinks Senate Republicans won't go for.
What do you think of the prospects for that and eventually, because you know that the Senate Republicans are going to block some legislation, some of the stuff that -- that Joe Biden is talking about as a national emergency, at a certain point do you think Senate Democrats are just going to not be able to restrain themselves and try to kill the filibuster?
DONNA BRAZILE, FORMER DNC CHAIR AND FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, first of all, I -- I agree with Jason, I think there is so much good in this $1.9 trillion package that the -- the country is -- is really anxious for. The fact that we are still behind on testing, we're behind on disturbing the vaccines. I mean if you look across the country today, before 8:00 in the morning, many states rollout there openings and then by 9:00 there's no way you can get a vaccine. So I think this -- this package will go a long way in healing some of the pain that we're feeling, the -- the people who are still struggling. And there are many businesses that did not get anything in the last two rounds. So this is a -- I think, a credible package.
Joe Biden was elected to -- to help lead us out of this pandemic. And he's going to continue to fight for that.
And I also believe that the Senate do not wish, at least Senate Democrats do not wish to see the same replay as they witnessed back in 2009 where basically one person can block the -- all of the good ideas that come forward. So Democrats will have to continue to keep their option on the table to eliminate the filibuster. The -- the framers never intended for us to -- to have super majorities in order to get things done.
WALLACE: Right.
BRAZILE: And I think it's -- they need to look at it.
WALLACE: And then there is the second impeachment trial, the second impeachment trial, of Donald Trump.
Here was the soon to be Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, talking about that this week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): Presentation by the parties will commence the week of February the 8th. The January 6th insurrection at the Capitol, incited by Donald J. Trump, was a day none of us will ever forget.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: Gerry, we heard two very different opinions from Romney and Rubio about whether this trial is just something you have to do, or whether it's going to be terribly destructive to the country and -- and, frankly, destructive to Joe Biden's first days and his agenda in Congress.
Where do -- where do you come down on that, and is there any chance that 17 Senate Republicans will join with Democrats to convict Donald Trump?
SEIB: You know, what -- what I'm really struck by is the fact that the president, Joe Biden, has never expressed much enthusiasm for this impeachment trial. They're not opposed to it, but I think they realize the potential for this to be a huge distraction and something that slows down the stuff we were talking about just a minute ago, the coronavirus package.
And also, by the way, something we haven't mentioned, nominations and confirmation of Biden cabinet picks. You know, those are going to be slowed down by this impeachment trial as well. That doesn't make anybody in the new administration particularly happy.
So I think there's a -- kind of a decided lack of enthusiasm, but it's going to go -- it's going to happen. It's going to move forward.
One of the side effects here I think that's ironic is it's going to have the effect of giving Donald Trump something he craves, which is more attention and more oxygen. That doesn't please a lot of Republicans either.
WALLACE: And what do you think the chances --
SEIB: Oh, I don't --
WALLACE: Of 17 --
SEIB: Yes, I think the chances are very slim. I -- I just can imagine 17 Republicans moving. I think you're going to have some, but you're not -- I -- I would be stunned if you had 17.
WALLACE: Jason, what do you see this trial doing to the start of the Biden presidency?
RILEY: Well, I think I agree with -- with Gerry. It seems like the Democrats want to get this done quickly and get on with their -- with their agenda. I think the Republicans -- you know, I'll be keeping my eye on -- on -- on Mitch McConnell. I think he's made some noises about conviction and I -- you know, so I'm keeping an eye on him. I think if he is in favor of it, you will see others follow.
I think Donald Trump is quite fortunate that the impeachment vote was anonymous and secret because, you know, several congressmen have said if it hadn't been there would have -- you know, there would have been far more than ten Republicans voting for -- for -- for impeachment.
But the Republican Party has to decide whether, you know, they want to make a clean break from -- from Donald Trump and -- and -- and make sure he can't run for president as a Republican again or start a third party and run at the top of the ticket. And -- and that's part of what's on the table here.
WALLACE: Thirty seconds, Donna, do think there's any chance that the Senate votes to convict Donald Trump?
BRAZILE: I think it's hard to get 17 Republicans. But, on the other hand, Mitch McConnell, when he took to the floor on January 19th, I was surprised by his comments. It's -- it's important that they hold this vote and hold the president -- the former president -- responsible.
WALLACE: Thank you, panel. Thank all of you. See you next Sunday.
Up next, our "Power Player of the Week," Bryan Cranston, on the iconic roles that have made him one of our most respected actors.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WALLACE: He was a journeyman actor who turned small parts into memorable characters. And when he finally got his big break, he was ready to make the most of it.
Here's our "Power Player of the Week."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRYAN CRANSTON, AWARD-WINNING ACTOR: From the time I was 25 years old, I was making a living as an actor. And that really was my goal. Once that happened, whatever happens on top of making a living is just gravy.
WALLACE (voice over): Bryan Cranston is one of America's most accomplished actors, but he still seems surprised by his success.
CRANSTON: My dad was an actor. He really wanted to be a star. And when he didn't become a star, it really kind of destroyed him.
So I wasn't going to be an actor. I was going to become a police officer here in Los Angeles.
WALLACE: But he was a natural and a scene stealer.
WALLACE (on camera): The first time I remember seeing you was as Tim Whatley, the dentist on Jerry Seinfeld.
How big a break was that?
CRANSTON: Enormous. Being cast as Tim Whatley on "Seinfeld" was like permission to go to comedy camp.
WALLACE (voice over): He gained a bigger following as the dad on the unruly family sitcom "Malcolm in the Middle." And then came his unforgettable turn as Walter White, the chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin on "Breaking Bad" that earned him four Emmys.
CRANSTON: To all law enforcement entities, this is not an admission of guilt.
WALLACE (on camera): Did you realize that was going to change everything?
CRANSTON: No. A little show on AMC? I -- no one has any clue that it's going to become what it became.
WALLACE: And why do you think the show and you made such a mark?
CRANSTON: The most underrated element in all of performance art is the writing. I always say this, if Meryl Streep got C-level material, she could bring it up to a B. But that's it. When you get A-level material, as I was handed in "Breaking Bad," you get a little nervous, like, oh, I can't mess this up now.
WALLACE (voice over): The role propelled Cranston to leading man status with turns on Broadway as LBJ and Howard Beale in "Network."
Now on Showtime's "Your Honor," Cranston plays a judge using his legal knowledge to keep his teenage son alive and out of jail after a hit-and-run accident killing a mobster's son.
CRANSTON: Your worst fear is the threat of -- of something happening to your child. Everyone said, oh, yes, if I felt my child was under moral threat, I would absolutely become a criminal or do whatever it takes to save my child.
CRANSTON: I can still make this work.
It's fantastic.
WALLACE: Maybe it's time for Cranston to raise his sites from just making a living.
WALLACE (on camera): You are now one of the most respected actors in the business. It's got to be kind of fun.
CRANSTON: Oh, it's a blast! It's a blast! I love what I do. I love acting. I'll leave when it stops being fun. But, right now, it's still a blast. So I'll still do it as long as people will have me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE: "Your Honor" is a ten part series on Showtime and there are a few more episodes. The finale airs Sunday, February 14th.
And that's it for today. Have a great week and we'll see you next FOX NEWS SUNDAY.
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