The Daily Show: Ears Edition - ICYMI - Tammy Duckworth on Sustaining Businesses and Communities in Illinois During the Pandemic

Episode Date: May 2, 2020

Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth discusses her efforts to aid small businesses during the COVID-19 crisis and the health issues disproportionately affecting communities of color. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look, starting September 17th, wherever you get your podcasts. Senator Duckworth, thank you so much

for taking the time to join us on the Daily Social Distancing Show. It's good to be on from our far. Yeah, from very far. Let's talk about the interesting world that you are a part of right now. As a senator, you are part of some of the biggest decisions that America needs to make during this crucial time. You have to make those decisions by voting. I'm confused right now as to whether senators are coming back into session or not coming into session, because it seems like there's a lot of contradictory information.

Do you know what you're doing yet? We do not know what we're doing yet. I will tell you that we can pass this legislation by unanimous consent. That's how we pass the latest bill that just passed last week. As long as it's a bipartisan compromise and we all agree on it, we can actually pass it unanimous consent. Nobody is objecting thiiiiiiiiiiiii, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, thi. And, thi. And, thi. And, thi. And, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi. And, too. And, tooooo. And, too. And, too. And, too. And, do, do, do, do, do, do, th it with unanimous consent, nobody is objecting, it can actually pass without senators physically being in the room. We are on calls all day negotiating. I was on four Zoom calls already today, only one of which was a preschool class of my five

year old. But you know, we're actively working every day, but the legislation doesn't actually physically require us to be there unless somebody objects and says we want people to physically cast a vote. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to be to be the vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote. to to to be to to to be require us to be there unless somebody objects and says we want people to physically cast a vote. Right. Is there any reason anyone would have to want people to physically cost a vote during the time? I mean it feels like an unnecessary risk for so many senators and their staff to be coming to D.C. to cost votes that they can be doing digitally in video form? Right, with the votes can be done unanimously. So we have a couple of senators, you know, that the senators from Virginia, Maryland can go on the floor and can certainly, you know, but actually Mitch McConnell can present the vote by unanimous consent. No one is there, no one objects and then it just passes,

which is what happened with COVID 3.5. We don't physically need to be there. It's really, I think a dog and pony show that Mitch McConnell was trying to put on by calling it would be back and that's the best case scenario, the worst case scenario, he's trying to bring us all back to help pass unqualified judges who really stack the courts for this Trump administration. Let's talk a little bit about the bill and its importance and it's importance. You know it's rare that we see bipartisan anything from America's government these Why do you think everyone is behind this bill and what do you think the importance of this bill is? What do you hope it will achieve? Well, there are several things that I wanted to achieve. First, we need to get money to the hospitals.

All these hospitals, these first responders, the folks on the front lines need the money, need the money to keep operating keep operating and serving their communities. We need to make sure that we get money into the system for our small businesses. In Illinois, 95% of our employers are small businesses. They're drowning. And the last bill that we passed, many of the big banks game the system and actually sent money to large corporations that didn't need it. In this version, we put guardrails around it and we set aside money, $70 billion that will

go to small businesses in particular in small banks. Very important in communities like the South Side of Chicago for minority-owned businesses that desperately need this money just to survive. And then third, we need to make sure that we are able to reopen the economy and keep, there to be, to be, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, we're, we're to be a, their, we're, we're, we're, we, we, to, we, we, their, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we're, we're, we're, we're, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, their, their, their, their, their, is, their, their, their, together, together, together, somea-s.ea-s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s. today, today, today, their, is need to make sure that we are able to reopen the economy and keep there to be an economy for us to reopen as we move forward. So let's take care of the first responders. Let's make sure there's testing. Let's make sure there's money for our small businesses. And that is something I think we can all agree on.

Yeah, it really feels so many things about how the coronavirus adversely affects communities. You are a senator representing Illinois. Chicago is one of the hardest-hit cities in America. And what we've also learned in Chicago is, just like in many places in America, it is disproportionately affecting black and brown communities, where we're starting to see the adverse effects of the world that they places in America, it is disproportionately affecting black and brown communities where we're starting to see the adverse effects of the world that they lived in beforehand being exacerbated by coronavirus.

Are there any laws or any legislation that anyone is proposing that'll try and help those people specifically? Because it feels like a lot of laws get written, almost with blinders on, but there comes a point when people say, do we the problem or do we act like the problem isn't affecting some in a different way to others? Well, you put your finger right on it, Trevor, and it's something I've been working on for a while now. Last year, I started the environmental justice of caucus in the Senate because the black and brown communities in and around Chicago, for example, are the ones that have disproportionate location of polluting industries. It's where, you know, these black American communities are where we put the industries to

pollute the air the environment. We have skyrocketing rates of asthma among African American kids in Chicago. If you go from the loop in Chicago and you go down 10 stops, which is what we call a subway, the life expectancy dropped 20 years in 10 stops. That's just absolutely unacceptable. So we need to address these issues thi issues the issues the issues the issues the issues the issues the issues the issues the issues the issues the issues the issues the issues thicoxxxxxxx, th. th. to, to, th. to, to, to, to, to, to, th. to to tho, thi, tho, thoes, to to to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, toe, th. We, the, toe, toe, toe, th. We, toe, th. We, th. We, th. We, th. We, th. We, th. We, th. We, th. We, th. We, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the. the, the, the, the.a. I, the. I, the. I, the. I, the. I, the. I'm, their, the, unacceptable. So we need to address these issues. With the COVID-19 right now, African-Americans, for example, are 15% of our population in Illinois, but they're 43% of the cases of COVID-19, not just because of where they live and in the higher rates of illnesses that they have, but it's lack of access to health care, and it's the jobs that they're holding. They're the janters they're the people working in the nursing homes, they're the people doing their really hard work that keeps our society going. So I'm working on

several issues. I've been working on environmental justice to make sure we clean up the the environment in our black and brown communities and we give them the same rates of protection that we do for our more afflue and to.... to. to. to. to, to, to, to, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, th. to, tho, the, tho, tho, the, the, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, thii, their, thi, their, tops, togu, togu, togu, thes, thes, their, their their their their their their, their their, to make sure that we protect those workers who are on the front lines. We can't forget about the folks who are working the McDonald's drive-through right now. They need a living wage and we need to support them. We can't forget about the janitor who's cleaning the hospitals right now. Because they need to be protected as well. Right. A group that definitely needs protection right now, not just for themselves, but for the health of the economy in America, small businesses. You know, we've been talking about how this loan program was meant to invigorate small businesses and to keep them afloat during the coronavirus shutdown. But as you said, big businesses got the money because banks found a way to gain the system.

Now I know the Treasury has put in some guidelines for this next round of funding. But is there going to be any, are there going to be any ramifications? Like, you know, is anyone going to ask questions about where the money went, who the money went to? Are companies that didn't need the money going to be forced to give the money back? How is that working? Well, I am joining a group of senators in a letter requesting, requesting exactly that. Where did the money go? How did those people get the money? Was it just because they all have relationships

with Wells Fargo and Chase? Or whether it went through small community banks? And then I want to break it down by industry as well. So that we know that the money is going out across the board to lots of different industries, so that it's not just one industrythe money. And then in the 3.5 field, we've actually put guidelines around it so that a lot of this money would go through small community banks and credit unions and the like to,

those are more likely to lend to small businesses, to mom and pop stores, that sort of thing. And in this next bill, COVID-4 that we're negotiating, we're making sure that we double that we're double that we're double that we're double that we're double that we're double that we're double that we're double that and I want to go back and take a look and see how exactly the the Trump administration distribute this money because I you know I just don't I don't trust the Department of Treasury under the Trump administration very much unfortunately I mean I wish I could but I just worried that they're not doing things where they're favoring small businesses as opposed to

large corporations. Let's talk a little bit about the coronavirus itself. We hear about task forces. We hear about teams that are working together. At one point I heard you were part of a team, but I haven't seen you as part of that team. And again, I'm forgive me, but I don't understand. Are you part of the Corona Task Force that is deciding when to reopen the economy? Yes, I am part of the task force task task task task task task task task task task task task task task task task task task task task task task task task task task task task task task task task task task task task task taskaskaskaskaskaskask. tasked tasked tasked tasked to to to to to to to to to to to the to to the to to the the to to to the to the the the to the the the the to the to the to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the the the the the the the the the the the the the thea. task. task, task, task, task, task, task, the, task, the, thea. thea. thea. thea. thea. the the, t part of the task force to reopen the economy. Dick Durbin and I are the two senators from the same state that are on the task force. It was a surprise to me because I wasn't even asked. I'm glad to be on it.

I'm going to be pushing hard to make sure that before we open the economy and to to the, before we open the economy, and to to thrown, to be, the, to be, to be, the, to be, to be, the, to be, and to be, the, and to be, and to, to, the, and, to, to, and, to, and, to, and, to, to, to, to, to, and, and, and, and, and, to, to, to, too we can open the economy and not have to shut it back down again. How devastating would it be, Trevor, if we just let her everybody out, and then suddenly we have another wave of COVID positives and then we have to shut back down. I think that would be worse for our economy than to move forward in a methodical way. Our task force has only met once. We'd had one phone call for an hour, 45 minutes of that hour was spent with President Trump boasting on how great the testing was going in this country, how he had, we had conducted more tests in any other country and at other countries were calling us, asking for us to give them tests, all of which are not true. And when asked how much, how many tests do we need for the country, the teatr-nest

their country? On a separate call with, th.... the same thing. This is a basic math problem. You need to know how many tests we need to have. For example, Israel tests their front line health care workers every three days. You can do the basic math and figure out how many tests you need. And they don't even know how many tests they have, or how they projected to have them. And so it's very frustrating working with this administration. It's why I pushed so hard to use the Defense Production Act, and I'm actually writing new language right now

to include pandemic response in the Defense Production Act for testing supplies and PPE as well. Well, you know, changing gears for a moment before I let you go, you were the senator who made news for being the first senator to bring their child child their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their to bring their child to work with them. And you know it was inspiring and it was amazing because there you were at work with your child and now once again you are at work with your child but just both at home and now you're at school with your child.

It's been quite a journey for yourself and for your family being, being the mother of two young kids. What has the hardest part of homesceling, to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the to the to to the to the to to the the the the to be, the the the the their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, the the the the the th, th, the th.. And, th. And, th. And, their, thi, their, their, their, their, they.e.eat, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, the mother of two young kids. What has the hardest part of homeschooling slash spending the full day with them been? Well, the hardest part is really, I want to spend all my time with them. And homeschooling I think is probably the hardest part. I'm homeschooling my daughter every day. And I had great respect for her teachers before. But right now, I mean, I would kiss her teacher's feet feet feet I am blown away by how hard our educators work and how tough it is.

And so I'm trying to homeschool my daughter. But let me say something, Trevor. I have a job. My job is paying me a salary. I cannot imagine what it must be like. You know, I can't imagine because my dad was in his 50s when he lost his job and my family was on food stamps and we didn't have enough to eat. So there are a lot of families right now in this country that are hurting who need help. And that's when I'm focused on right now.

And so yeah, it's tough homeschooling my daughter, but it's nowhere near as hard as the janitor who's got to go show up to clean up a hospital who doesn't make ends meet and how is she going to get enough food for her family so that's the family that I'm focused on. My family and I will be fine I'm just worried about the working families out there. Well Senator Duckwood thank you so much for your time and good luck with the home schooling. Thank you. The Daily Show with cover no news. the daily show. Watch the daily show week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week week the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the tho. tho. the. the. the.e.e.e.e.e.e.e. the the the the the the the the the.e. the. the. the. the the the Show weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central and the Comedy Central app. Watch full episodes and videos at the Daily Show. to.

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Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look, starting September 17th, wherever you get your podcasts.