What A Day - Mask On, Run Off with Senator Ed Markey

Episode Date: January 5, 2021

Today's Senate runoffs in Georgia will determine control of Congress, the future of economic relief, and the country’s response to existential threats like climate change. We spoke to Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey about the Georgia races, what Biden can do on his own on climate, and how to deal with Republicans who want to erase the will of voters.And in headlines: the UK says Assange can’t be extradited to the US, hundreds of Google workers unionize, and Florida counties use EventBrite for vaccine scheduling.Show Links:If you are in Georgia and need more information on how to vote, please go to votesaveamerica.com/georgiaIf you run into any issues voting or witness voter suppression or intimidation, call the voter protection hotline: 1-833-DEM-VOTE — 1-833-336-8683

It's Tuesday, January 5th. I'm Akilah Hughes. And I'm Gideon Resnick. And this is What A Day coming to you on the official last day of the 2020 election. Yeah, it's been a real long time. I've been waking up with Chris Cuomo looking at buttons being like, what does this wall do? But it's almost over. Yeah, I've been wearing khakis every single day in solidarity with Kornacki, and I'm excited to take them off. On today's show, the Georgia runoffs and a conversation about what is at stake with Senator Ed Markey, then some headlines.

But first, the latest. And the debate over $2,000 isn't some abstract debate in Washington. It's, the latest. And the debate over $2,000 isn't some abstract debate in Washington. It's about real lives, your lives, the lives of good, hardworking Americans. And if you're like millions of Americans all across this country, you need the money, you need the help, and you need it now. That was President-elect Joe Biden yesterday in Georgia. Today is finally the day of their Senate runoffs, where Democrats John Ossoff and Raphael Warnock are running against incumbent Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. The races have taken on historic importance for a

number of reasons. Biden won the state in November, becoming the first Democrat to do so since 1992, and his agenda will be shaped by what happens there. Yeah, so no pressure. And that's because wins by Ossoff and Warnock would give Democrats the Senate majority. That point, and specifically that a Democratic majority would secure more economic relief without Republican leadership just obstructing it, has been a big focus of Democratic messaging. Meanwhile, President Trump also visited the state last night

where he began his event, as we started recording, by saying there's no way he lost Georgia and that the election was rigged, and also that he hopes Vice President Pence comes through for him on Wednesday, which comes after his leaked phone call with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which he urged him to undermine the will of Georgia voters and invent votes for him based on a series of conspiracy theories. We love to see it. Well, we'll have to see how this plays out for Republicans. But yesterday, Gabriel Sterling, a top election official in the state,

said he, quote, wanted to scream when he heard Trump's call. Meanwhile, Loeffler and Perdue have said they're in favor of not certifying Biden's electoral college wins. So too long, didn't read. It's a hot ass mess. It is indeed. And while the election claims are false,

the stakes here are very real. Beyond the immediate question of COVID economic relief, the future of the country's response to existential threats like climate change hinges on whether Democrats have a majority in the Senate. I caught up with Senator Ed Markey, who introduced the Green New Deal resolution almost two years ago, and more recently fought for $2,000 direct payments in the relief bill. We talked about the Georgia races, what Biden can do on his own on climate, and how to deal with Republicans who want to erase the will of voters. Here's that conversation. Senator Markey, thank you so, so much for being on the show today and Happy New Year to you. Thank you. Thanks for having me on and let's hope it's a

Happy New Year. We got to turn the page on 2020. Except Joe Biden is the new president. And that's why 2021 is clearly going to be a whole hell of a lot better than 2020 was. I like your optimistic outlook. I'm going to take it with me for the rest of the day and the rest of the year. I want to start with the relief bill that just passed. Senator, you were part of a concerted effort, obviously, to get $2,000 direct payments to Americans in that bill rather than just the $600 and even pushing for payments to be recurring alongside Senator Sanders and VP-elect Harris. For those who may have missed the ins and outs of this over the holidays, can you talk about why those larger direct payments didn't come to pass? Well, they didn't come to pass because Mitch McConnell would never allow for a vote on the floor of the United States Senate. And this, notwithstanding the fact that Josh Hawley, and in my opinion, enough senators on

the Republican side who would have voted for it, were also denied their vote because we would have voted for it were also denied their vote because we would have reached the 60 votes You need in order to provide this two thousand dollars. But again, it's all part of this Republican hard right if you kick them in the heart, you're going to break your toe philosophy when it comes to ensuring That ordinary people get what they need in order to make it through the pandemic and as a result We never had the vote. And we know, let's just say this quite clearly, that if we can win in Georgia, if we can win those two seats, we're going to have a real shot with the majority to bring it out for a vote for an ability for Republicans to actually be recorded on it later on this month.

Yeah, and we've been talking a little bit about the behavior of Republicans. And I have to mention that over the past few days, we've seen a sizable number of your Republican colleagues outright reject democracy. And we also heard the president on tape, you know, threatening and pleading, if you will, with a Georgia official to basically do the same. What is the appropriate response to this? And why, in your eyes, has there not been one yet? Well, unfortunately, the Republican Party is now the Trump Party. It's like the invasion of the political body snatchers. He now controls this party. And in order to pay the kind of respect to this Trumpism, which now dominates at the grassroots across the country inside of the Republican Party,

we have at least 12 Republican senators, 140 Republican House members members who are willing to vote for something which is crazy. You know, they're saying find the extra votes in Georgia. And of course, what they should be saying to the president is find a copy of the Constitution and read it. The election is over. But as a collective, they've lost their nerve. We're going to be depending on a certain number of Republicans to stand up and to show a little bit of courage in light of the craziness of the Republican base in the country. But it's just, unfortunately, a commentary as to the almost total mind control which Trump now has over the Republican base in the country. 30% of Americans now believe that Joe Biden is an illegitimate president-elect.

And it's just a continuation of Trump because he knows it works with the Republican base as to what he did in denying that Obama was born in the United States. So it's just a continuation. He understands the base of the Republican Party. He knows that there's a pre-existing set of biases which are there. He preys upon them, and then he elicits this response from Republican senators and House members who should know better, but they want to be successful. They don't want to have Donald Trump angry with them. That's just the bottom line on this. They don't want to be wiped out in a Republican primary. They're terrified, and so they just go along with the craziness, which is this attempted political coup, which will fail.

But it just will cast an unnecessary cloud over the Biden president. And should there be consequences? And what what would those consequences look like? The first step is on Wednesday, we're going to have to save the republic from this craziness, and we will. But I am ultimately afraid that too many Republicans believe that not only are they not going to be punished, but they're going to be rewarded in their own campaigns and in their own potential bids for president in 2024 if Donald Trump does not run in 2024, although I believe he's absolutely running. And a lot of this is just setting up the preconditions for him to just stampede through the Republican primaries in 2024. He is definitely running. We should just be prepared to have this be what the state of American politics is going to be for the foreseeable future. And in that context,

try to find areas where we can work with Republicans in order to advance the well-being of our country, but knowing that there are going to be serious limitations. Yeah. And before we get to 2024, I want to talk about this new term that you are embarking on that President-elect Biden is embarking on with this continued focus on the Green New Deal that you have. How are you hoping to push the Biden administration on climate? And how can Congress and the administration make climate change a focus throughout all policymaking? Sometimes people think of it just as clean energy cars, but how can it sort of be infused in all aspects of policymaking? Well, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and I introduced the Green New Deal two years ago, first week of February of 2019. So it's just two years old right now the Green New Deal and it changed

politics around climate change not just here in the United States, but all around the world it unleashed Incredible energy, especially amongst young people in our country who want to see Fundamental changes being put in place. I think one of the most heartening things that happened was that in July of 2020, Joe Biden put together a group that would be working

on what his new Green New Deal would look like. Not the one he ran on for president, but now the one he would be promising the American people for the November election. So inside of the Biden plan, it's $2 trillion that will be spent as part of a green infrastructure bill. And 40% of the money is going to be set aside for communities of color, for frontline communities, for indigenous American communities. And that's a reflection of the Green New Deal, because we built that into the Green New Deal. And now people are talking about it and including it, thank goodness, in President Biden's Build Back Better plan for climate and for energy programs in our country. And we're going to have an opportunity to make the case for that legislation.

And when we do, it's going to create millions of new jobs. It will require charging stations to be built, new wind and solar, energy conservation, plug-in hybrids, all electric vehicles. It's going to be an incredibly big, bold program. And I'm looking forward as a member of the infrastructure committee that will be moving this bill to be there and working with my colleagues in order to advance it. But I just think it's very noteworthy that Joe Biden now mentions it every single time he gives a speech. It's one of the top three or four things he wants to get done. And it's just an extension of what the Green New Deal has done in changing the politics of it.

It's lifted people's gaze to the constellation of possibilities for ourselves, for our local communities, for our states, for the country, for the world when it comes to climate change and the solutions which are going to be the job creation engine for getting us out of this recession. because we can save all of creation by engaging in massive job creation. And that's what the Green New Deal is. And you're right that there's been this really strong focus from him, particularly in the back half of his presidential campaign on this issue. In addition to Congress, in addition to actual legislation, what are some unilateral actions that a President Biden can take on climate change that may not require you having to

get, you know, Senator Lindsey Graham to agree with you on the Green New Deal? Well, I, you know, I was house author of the 2007 legislation that Obama used to increase the fuel economy standards of the vehicles which we drive. And he used that law, the 2007 law and the California Clean Air Act waiver to lift it to fifty four point five miles per gallon by the year 2025. Well, Trump has been rolling it back, challenging the law, challenging California. And what Joe Biden can do with his EPA, with his Department of Transportation, is just set a very high goal for 2025 to get us back into the game and send a message to the rest of the world. But then a very high goal for 2030, 2035, 2040, that just lay out that we're going to 55 miles per gallon, 65 miles per gallon, 75 miles per gallon. We're going all electric vehicles.

That's what Massachusetts has now voted as our state law. It's what California has done. That's where we're headed. But he can do the same thing on public lands. He can just prohibit any further fracking for oil and gas on public lands. He can open up the ocean for wind turbines. We now are seeing an explosion in wind turbine technology where a single wind turbine can now generate enough electricity for 20,000 homes.

It's six or seven times more powerful than it was just 10 years ago, each individual wind turbine. So much of this is absolutely doable. And meanwhile, John Kerry will be traveling around the world, letting the world know that we're in the game and that by the end of this year at the global conference, we need to set even higher standards that the whole world is going to meet. And we're falling behind other parts of the world in the last four years. But we have a chance to catch up very quickly because it's not a technological problem. It's a political problem that's been holding us back. The technologies are there and ready to go. Ready to go. That was Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts with a very hopeful outlook on what the incoming government can get done.

Yeah, by the way, head over to votesaveamerica.com slash Georgia for voting and volunteer information. We've also put voter protection resources in the show notes. And that's the latest. It's Tuesday WOD Squad, and for today's Temp Check, we're talking about a high-profile rebrand. The CIA rolled out a new website and graphics package yesterday featuring a look that has already been compared to that of Noise Rock, record labels, pop-up stores, The Intercept, and more. In their materials, the new and improved CIA prominently features black and brown faces in what looks like an attempt to recruit a more diverse workforce. As it stands, nearly 75% of their employees are white. So Gideon, the question for you, how will this new look impact your perception of the CIA? You know, when you have to do a coup in a South American country, you got to look good while you're doing it. When you disrupt a socialist government and overthrow it, you've got to look great. So, you know, this makes me want to do all of those things with the CIA even more because I would have a beautiful graphics package to demonstrate to people as to why I got involved in doing said things.

Yeah, totally. I feel like they would focus group it and be like, well, you know, I was initially incensed about our involvement in disrupting people's, you know, governments. But now that it looks really crispy, like you probably have, you know, bourbon and like $18 pickleback shots. I feel like, you know, I'm okay with it. That's absolutely the vibe. Yeah, it's all

about aesthetics. When you're violently overthrowing various countries, governments, I digress. So same question for you, Akilah. How is this impacting how you're viewing our Central Intelligence Agency? I mean, I kind of find it hilarious, to be honest, like, just I saw the header on Twitter with like oh they've got like a cute hispanic woman and a black lady and i think like you know so a lot of people who are racially ambiguous as if like i'm like are those the people they're looking for because aren't those the people they typically oppress like is this some new poster being like if you see this lady like citizens arrest her. Like, I don't know exactly

how they think just putting a black person there is enough to change the perception because I'm still like, that's the feds. And they're probably listening to our Zoom call right now. Yeah, they probably are. And if they are, I just want to reiterate again, beautiful graphic design, no issues there. I think that the aesthetics are nice, like we're saying. You know, possibly they're going to sell me some whiskey or some good scoop stories like The Intercept. So in that respect, I think well done on the

rebrand. Yeah, you know, bespoke wooden stools, maybe. Or some place that has really good, fresh candles that are overpriced. But, you know, I guess it's 2021. They're like New Year's, same us, but like better looking us. And honestly, cosign. And just like that, we've checked our temps. Stay safe and we'll be back with some headlines.

Headlines. the United States. As a quick refresher, Assange was indicted by the U.S. government for his role in publishing secret military documents in 2010. Look, sometimes the military is shy and doesn't want people to know which civilians they are targeting. Assange has since been in London after his arrest by British police in 2019. The judge yesterday argued that his extradition should be blocked because Assange would be at risk of taking his own life due to his current mental state combined with harsh prison conditions in the U.S. Monday's ruling also rejected his lawyer's arguments that he wouldn't get a fair trial in the U.S., which was a blow to his supporters. In the end, U.S. authorities were not happy with the overall verdict and are appealing the decision. Meanwhile, Assange plans to apply for bail later this week. Trump and his administration are spending their last

weeks in the White House squeezing in more ways to restrict and deter immigration. Last month, the administration proposed significant rule changes that would make it much harder for asylum seekers to get protection in the United States. The rules include an agreement to send asylum seekers back to El Salvador and the creation of a fee for asylum applications. Terrible. Harvard and immigrant rights groups sued to block those changes earlier this week. Trump also extended a ban on green cards and work visas until the end of March this year. The rules are set to go into effect next Monday unless a court challenge stops them. Hint, hint. Advocacy groups are pushing for Biden to throw the rules out when he takes office.

Yes, indeed. Computer David is standing up to computer Goliath. Hundreds of Google workers formed a union yesterday that will help give structure to activism at the company. Bing, you are next. Mr. Jeeves and his powerful friends will soon throw away their tuxedo jackets in utter shame. The Alphabet Workers Union is a so-called minority union representing just a portion of the Google workforce. That means it won't be able to make bosses

come to the bargaining table to agree on contracts, but it will have greater leverage to pressure google to address their more troublesome policies in the past google employees have protested the company's collaborations with defense departments firing of its critics handling of sexual harassment claims and more the union will be open to full-time google workers as well as contractors but if you're the guy who invented google glass they might ask you to be quiet at the meetings and just listen for a while. So far, unions have been rare in tech, but activism in Silicon Valley is currently on the rise. Awesome. Like any company selling tickets to a party that can't be missed, several counties across Florida are using the website Eventbrite to schedule

COVID-19 vaccine appointments. It's an unexpected but not that surprising turn during the country's rocky vaccine rollout, which in Florida is left to local health departments. Officials from one county said they planned to schedule appointments by phone, but on the day the lines opened, people couldn't get through to the number. Eventbrite is supposed to be more efficient, plus it offers the familiar routine of slamming refresh on multiple browser windows in an all-consuming panic spiral. Concert goers know this is sometimes more exciting than the show itself. Of course, there are a lot of issues here. The tactic prioritizes people who have internet access and are tech-savvy,

meaning poor communities could be shut out. Scalping tickets could also be a problem since it happens on ticket sites all the time. And there have already been reports of people creating fake accounts and charging others to register. Thanks to the federal government for thinking the vaccine would just fall out of the sky and land in our arms. Best of luck to people in Florida who are trying to get their spot. Yeah, mine said it had an obstructed view. I don't know what that means. Yeah, mine says general admission, so I'm just going to stand around and hope that somebody throws me a vaccine. Sounds like a plan. And those are the headlines.

That's all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review, catch the vaccine out of the sky and tell your friends to listen. And if you're into reading and not just the mood board for the CIA like me, What A Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and subscribe at crooked.com slash subscribe. I'm Akilah Hughes. I'm Gideon Resnick. And good luck to Computer David. You're gonna do great. You throw that rock, Computer David.

Throw it with your mouth. If you don't hit him in the eye, you might still hit him in the head. It's true. What a Day is a production of Crooked Media. It's recorded and mixed by Charlotte Landis. Sonia Tun is our assistant producer. Our head writer is John Milstein, and our executive producers are Katie Long, Akilah Hughes, and me. Our theme music is by Colin Gilliard and Kshaka.