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The Situation Room

Interview with Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT); President Biden Signs COVID Relief Bill; New Detail on Biden's Address to the Nation Tonight; New York State Assembly Speaker Authorizes Impeachment Investigation of Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) Allegations; Prince William Says Royals Not Racist, Has Not Spoken to Harry Yet. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired March 11, 2021 - 18:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[18:00:01]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: The White House says people who get direct deposits could see the money in their accounts as early as this weekend.

The president, meanwhile, needing to walk a fine line tonight, celebrating progress toward beating the virus and improving the economy, while at the same time being very mindful that some 1,500 Americans are still dying of COVID-19 every day.

Also, tonight, new CDC data suggests that the past year was the deadliest year in U.S. history. The death toll now surpassing 530,000, with nearly 30 million confirmed cases over the past year here in the United States. One year ago, there were 1,100 confirmed infections on this day and few, if any of us could have imagined the illness and suffering that was about to take place.

Let's go to our chief White House correspondent, Kaitlan Collins, right now.

Kaitlan, this is a huge, very important night for President Biden. What can we expect?

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, he's been preparing for it for about a week now, according to his aides, who say he's been going through the speech line by line, not only because he wants to strike that balance that you were talking about earlier, talking about coronavirus fatigue that's happening inside the country, while also still talking about those 1,500 deaths still happening every single day.

They also say he wants to properly convey what this $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill that he just signed a few hours ago is actually going to mean for Americans. It's this big, massive, complex bill, so they want to make sure he's talking about how it is going to benefit those lower- and middle-income Americans that they say he intended to look out for in this bill.

And, of course, Wolf, this comes as he signed this bill earlier today, earlier than expected.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you all. Appreciate it.

COLLINS (voice-over): With that signature, Joe Biden sealing a defining moment of his presidency today.

BIDEN: This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country and giving people in this nation, working people, middle- class folks, people who have built the country a fighting chance.

COLLINS: Biden signed the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill a day earlier than expected, and the White House now says eligible Americans will start receiving stimulus checks within days.

JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: People can expect to start seeing direct deposits hit their bank accounts as early as this weekend.

COLLINS: Next, President Biden, Vice President Harris, and their spouses will crisscross the country to tout their first major piece of legislation.

PSAKI: It was important to the president to visit not just blue states, but also red states, purple states.

COLLINS: But, first, Biden will address the nation in prime time tonight to mark the anniversary of the coronavirus crisis still killing almost 1,500 Americans per day.

PSAKI: But he also wants to provide a sense of hope and what's possible, if we abide by the guidelines, if, when you have access to a vaccine, you get the vaccine, what people can look forward to.

COLLINS: Biden's speech coming exactly one year to the day after this one:

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The vast majority of Americans, the risk is very, very low.

COLLINS: Biden has tied his coronavirus relief bill to a return to normal. And the White House will host a signing ceremony tomorrow that no Republicans were invited to, given no Republicans voted for it.

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): The American people already built a parade that's been marching towards victory. Democrats just want to sprint in front of the parade and claim credit.

COLLINS: One Republican senator, Roger Wicker of Mississippi, even touted money in the bill for independent restaurant owners, without mentioning he voted against it.

(on camera): What is President Biden's response to those Republicans like Senator Wicker?

PSAKI: Well, we invite them to work with us on the agenda moving forward, because clearly the bill the president just signed into law is something that the American people are excited about.

COLLINS (voice-over): Meanwhile, in an effort to address vaccine hesitancy in the U.S., all living former presidents and first ladies appeared in a new public service announcement urging Americans to get vaccinated.

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This vaccine means hope. It will protect you and those you love from this dangerous and deadly disease.

GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You know what I'm really looking forward to is going opening day in Texas Rangers stadium with a full stadium.

COLLINS: All former presidents participated, that is, except one. Donald and Melania Trump quietly received the vaccine before leaving the White House in January but did not use the opportunity to convince their supporters to join them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Now, Wolf, this is a day of several major moments for the Biden administration, because, in addition to signing that coronavirus legislation earlier and that big speech he has coming up in a few hours, also his attorney general, Merrick Garland, was sworn in today at the Justice Department.

You saw him there earlier getting sworn in by Vice President Harris. He is now officially in that job, of course, after a very long path it took him to get there. And so this is another moment where Biden is adding more and more Cabinet nominees and getting them confirmed.

[18:05:06]

And they really said that's going to be the next step of their focus, now that they have gotten this relief bill signed.

BLITZER: All right, Kaitlan, thank you very much.

And I want to you stand by, because you're going to be joining us.

But, right now, I want to go to Capitol Hill. Our chief congressional correspondent, Manu Raju, is joining us.

You have been talking, Manu, to Democrats about the hurdles ahead now that the COVID relief bill has been passed, signed into law by the president. What are you hearing?

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, big clash coming between House and Senate Democrats in a slog over getting the next phase of Biden's agenda through.

After the party was united and got this bill through at a quick pace and kept almost complete Democratic unanimity in both chambers, that is not going to be the case with a key number of measures going forward. And already today, you're seeing signs of tension. In the House, they

passed two bill today that would expand background checks on firearm sales, gun sales, a big priority for Democrats for a long time, but they have a math problem in the United States Senate. They do not have 60 votes to advance that package, because even though they have 50 Democrats and a handful of Republicans are almost certain to join them, they don't have the 60 votes that are needed to overcome any Republican filibuster.

And there is not the support among Democrats right now to gut the filibuster rules and allow that measure to pass on the simple majority basis because of opposition from senators like Joe Manchin.

So those bills like that will stall and also big ticket items, climate change, immigration infrastructure, there are key disputes over policy areas, and also questions about whether they can keep their party unified, and even win over Republicans on those measures.

So, Wolf, I'll even as they're celebrating this historic legislative accomplishment today, there's a lot of expectation that the next chapter will be longer, slower and more divisive. And as one Democrat, Gerry Connolly of Virginia, told me today, he said, I think there's a real risk of a political letdown if they can't get it through the Senate.

He says he sees -- quote -- "frustration" in our future -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, very interesting.

All right, Manu, thank you very much.

I want to bring back Kaitlan Collins, along with senior political correspondent Abby Phillip and CNN political analyst Maggie Haberman, the Washington correspondent for "The New York Times."

Abby, President Biden signed this massive relief bill into law today. Our new CNN poll shows that, altogether, two-thirds of Americans right now have confidence in President Biden's ability to lead the country out of this pandemic.

How significant is this moment right now for the Biden presidency?

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: It's incredibly significant, because so much of the Biden presidency does hinge on his handling of the pandemic, his handling of the economy, especially as it relates to the pandemic.

And it seems that voters are responding to what has already happened positively. He is, by far, best rated on the issue of handling the pandemic. And now, with this COVID relief bill, there's an opportunity here for Joe Biden to say that, no matter what happened in terms of Republicans voting for or against this bill in Washington, I delivered for you.

And I don't know a politician in America who doesn't want to say to their voters that they were able to deliver $1,400 checks to them. And that's what Joe Biden is going to be able to say tonight. It's the key to everything else that is going to come potentially for the next four years of his presidency.

BLITZER: Yes.

Maggie, according to the public opinion polls, this bill is very popular. The White House says Americans will start seeing their stimulus checks as soon as this weekend. Are Republicans going to have to struggle to counter this with their own messaging?

MAGGIE HABERMAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Wolf, it's a great question, and I think you have seen Republicans struggling with how to address it.

There has been a fair amount of questioning of, why are Republicans staying so quiet in relation to this bill? And the answer is, as Abby said, it's popular with voters, and voters are really hurting right now.

This is not a minor piece of legislation. It's a major piece of legislation. Following a pandemic, people are hearing that they can get immediate relief. Oh, but, by the way, the total amount after last -- the stimulus that was done under President Trump and this bill or the relief bill, it will be $2,000 that people are getting.

And that was the same figure former President Trump pitched. So, Republicans, I think, are waiting to see how this plays out. I don't think they know how yet they are going to message against something that ultimately most voters support.

BLITZER: Yes.

And, Kaitlan, President Biden, no doubt, will tout this bill in his prime-time speech later tonight. How does he avoid, though, that mission accomplished moment?

COLLINS: Well, they do want to avoid that, and that's why you heard Kate Bedingfield, the White House communications director, earlier on CNN saying that this is not going to be a victory lap for President Biden tonight, because they do recognize this is a pandemic that's still happening.

Yes, he's signed this bill today, but no one has actually gotten these checks yet. And so there are so questions about the jobless benefits, when those are actually going to go into effect, if there will be any kind of a lapse, given the way that states process those.

So I think the what they recognize behind the scenes is, yes, this is a big accomplishment today for President Biden to actually sign this bill, but implementing a bill of this size and this scope is also going to be a challenge.

[18:10:04]

And so that's really what they're facing next. And one thing we should note that we're still waiting to hear is who's going to be overseeing how this bill is being put into effect, because they did say yesterday they're going to pick someone to really implement and oversee this. They haven't announced who that is yet, but they obviously do realize that's going to be a massive task for someone to handle.

BLITZER: Massive, indeed.

Abby, what sort of tone do you expect we will hear tonight from the president?

PHILLIP: Well, I think President Biden, while he's going to try to avoid a mission accomplished moment, he is going to try to usher in this feeling that this is the beginning, potentially, of the end of this long national nightmare for this country.

People are desperate for some sense of hope. We are approaching spring in a lot of parts of the country. And it's an opportunity for Biden really to say that we are on the verge of something really good for America, where we can have this virus under control, people can get back to work, kids can get back to school.

It's the forward-looking part of this that I think he's going to be very focused on, now that -- so much of what he has promised hinged on the ability to get this COVID relief bill passed. Now is the time for Biden to say, we have that component of the puzzle. Now it's about execution, so that I can make good on all the rest of those promises.

If he's able to do that, it won't be a mission accomplished. It'll be what Americans are really looking for, which is a sense of hope that things are about to get better for them.

BLITZER: Yes, that's important.

Maggie, for now the second day in a row, the Dow Jones industrial average closed at an all-time new record high. You see 32485, up 188 points. The market, Wall Street, Maggie, is clearly happy with what they're seeing. Contrast that to what former President Trump used to say, his predictions during the campaign.

Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: This election is a choice between a crippling depression or a historic boom. It is. You will have a depression. All that money, all those 401(k)s, they are going to go right down the tubes. Throw it out.

If they got in, they would collapse. You will have a crash the likes of which you have never seen before, your stocks, your 401(k)s.

Does anybody have a 401(k)? Because you can just throw it right out the window if that happens. This election is a choice between a Trump super recovery and a Biden super depression. They will collapse our economy and send our nation into a very steep depression.

There is a possibility, if Biden wins, you're going to have a stock market collapse the likes of which you have never had.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: All right, Maggie, what do you make of that?

HABERMAN: Well, there was also a possibility that that wasn't going to happen, that there wouldn't be a stock market collapse. Indeed, that is what happened. It is doing very well.

As you say, Wall Street is responding very favorably to how President Biden is doing. And that's not a surprise. We saw repeatedly, even when the economy was doing well under former President Trump, that Wall Street did not react well to his moments of erratic behavior. It did not react well to moments when he was handling the COVID crisis poorly.

I think that it is problematic for President Trump, who is trying to run again in 2024, potentially -- if it were today, I think he would declare he is running -- that he wants to frame this as the economy was only good under me.

There are questions about whether the current relief bill will add to increased inflation. Time will tell. Not everyone agrees. But in the immediate term, there's just no sign of this apocalypse that former President Trump predicted coming into play.

Clearly, Wall Street thinks things are moving in the right direction right now.

Guys, thank you very, very much.

Just ahead: As Derek Chauvin's trial continues, he now faces an additional murder charge in the death of George Floyd. Could that help or hurt prosecutors' chances of getting a conviction?

And Prince William now speaking out about the Harry and Meghan interview and their allegations of racism.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:17:50]

BLITZER: We're getting closer and closer to President Biden's first prime-time address to the nation, 8:00 p.m. Eastern later tonight. We will, of course, have live coverage.

There's a lot to discuss one year into the pandemic, including the nearly $2 trillion relief bill he signed into law today.

Joining us now, Senator Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut.

Senator, thank you so much for joining us.

We know the president wants to project optimism tonight, but the virus, as you know and as all of our viewers know, is still killing around 1,500 Americans every day. What does the president need to say tonight to keep Americans committed to fight against this pandemic?

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): Well, that's exactly right, Wolf. This is still a deadly virus.

I went down to the Senate floor and talked about how, right now, there are about three times as many people dying from COVID-19 as there were last March, when we passed the first major relief act, which is why it was so wild to so many of us that Republicans who lined up to support relief a year ago were absent from our attempts to try to deliver relief this time around.

Yes, the president's got to display a sense of optimism. That's easy for him. He's somebody who conveys optimism naturally. But we can't turn this corner if people rely on only the vaccine.

Remember, there's going to be a percentage of the population that won't get the vaccine. We're going to ramp up. But, for the next month or so, there's still going to be a lot of people who are exposed. So, we have got to still social-distance, wear masks. That won't be the case for the rest of our lives. But we have got to be vigilant.

And the president's got to show the way out, while also making sure that everybody understands they have got a role to play.

BLITZER: Yes, so, so important.

You have heard all the criticism from your Republican colleagues about the COVID relief bill that the president signed into law today. Some say it's simply too expensive, that it has way too much spending which isn't even related to COVID.

Will Congress have a role in overseeing the execution of the new law to make sure the money actually reaches the people who need it the most without going to waste?

MURPHY: You know, what's wild just on that first point, this complaint that it's too expensive, what's wild is that, yesterday, Republicans in the Senate unveiled a repeal of the estate tax, a repeal of the estate tax, which would help 0.2 percent of Americans.

[18:20:08]

It would be a $77 billion windfall to the Bezos family. And so Republicans are very willing to engage in very expensive items when it helps the super wealthy.

This bill delivers its relief to poor Americans and middle-class Americans. And, yes, Congress is going to be engaged in oversight. Yes, we're going to work with the states to make sure they spend the money in the right way. We actually designed the state and local assistance so that it goes out in tranches, meaning states have to sort of prove that they're spending it according to the guidelines.

But Republican complaints that it's too much money, it's just kind of laughable, given that they're willing to spend trillions of dollars in tax giveaways to corporations and millionaires. But when it comes to relief for poor people, they are not so interested in spending money.

BLITZER: The Senate also is looking ahead, as you and I know, to major, major infrastructure development, new legislation on that front.

But Senator Joe Manchin, he's a Democrat. He certainly is a key swing vote. He was a key swing vote for the COVID relief bill. He says he won't let Democrats go it alone this time around. What is it going to take to bring some Republicans on board and get this infrastructure legislation going?

MURPHY: Well, listen, I am all for passing bipartisan legislation.

But I will be honest. My constituents don't really care how legislation that helps their lives gets passed. They just want it passed. We have bridges that were built in the Grover Cleveland administration in my state. We have highways that badly need repair.

And so they just want it to get done. They want us to put people to work rebuilding America's infrastructure. So, I'm all for trying to get bipartisan buy-in for anything we pass. But in the end, process doesn't matter to the American people. In the end, the American people want to see us get stuff done.

So, on infrastructure, let's try to engage with Republicans. Let's try to get their support. But let's keep in mind that the voters decided that they wanted to put Democrats in charge of the White House, the House and the Senate in part because they didn't want gridlock. They actually wanted us to produce results.

BLITZER: It's so important, that infrastructure. We need it, and we need it badly.

While I have you, Senator, let's talk about some new developments on gun control legislation. As you well know, the House just passed a bill significantly expanding background checks.

You're a lead sponsor for that bill in the Senate. But you will need 60 votes to get past the filibuster. Are you prepared to make significant changes to win over at least 10 Republicans, assuming all 50 Democrats are on board?

MURPHY: I think it's important to note that the bill passed with a bipartisan majority in the House today. It wasn't the majority of Republicans, but there was a good handful of Republicans, some from conservative districts, that supported background checks.

Why? Because 90 percent of Americans in every single state support universal background checks. Your question is, are we willing to make major concessions in order to get it passed? I don't think we will need to you.

In 2019, we were engaged in some pretty detailed discussions about a background checks bill. Republicans were calling me up, Senate Republicans, saying, listen, I'm tired of fighting this. I want to get right on this issue of background checks. I think we might have some surprising support from Republicans for a

strong background checks bill. Let's test that theory in the upcoming weeks and months.

BLITZER: Well, good luck. It only makes sense to have important, very serious background checks. You're dealing with life-and-death issues.

Senator Murphy, thank you so much for joining us.

MURPHY: Thank you.

BLITZER: Just ahead: New data suggests that it was the deadliest year in U.S. history. We're going to have more on the state of the pandemic then and now.

And have new remarks by Prince William does anything to ease the crisis for the royals after the Harry and Meghan interview?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:28:21]

BLITZER: Tonight, as the nation marks one full year of the coronavirus pandemic, the progress we're making against the virus is tempered by the enormity of what we have lost, the U.S. death toll surpassing 530,000 tonight, as cases near 30 million here in the United States.

Let's bring in our national correspondent, Erica Hill. She's joining us right now.

Erica, we now have CDC data that gives us very disturbing perspective on this past year.

ERICA HILL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it does, especially when you think about the number of lives lost, Wolf.

So, we have early data from the CDC, which shows that 2020 was the deadliest year for this country in more than 100 years. In fact, that's largely due, perhaps not surprisingly, to COVID-19. The U.S. death rate increased by 15 percent last year because of the pandemic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: We have got breaking news. The NBA has just announced that the season is going to be suspended.

HILL (voice-over): The NBA coming to a screeching halt just hours after this warning.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NIAID DIRECTOR: Bottom line, it's going to get worse.

I said that, but I did not in my mind think that much worse was going to be 525,000 deaths.

HILL: And yet here we are, in the course of a year, more than 29 million confirmed cases in the U.S., 530,000 lives lost.

KRISTIN BELL-PEISTRUP, WIDOW OF COVID-19 VICTIM: Grieving in isolation is a very difficult thing.

HILL: CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky calling the toll of the past year heartbreaking.

"We are tired, we are lonely, we are impatient," she writes in a new statement, while also focusing on hope.

Both deaths and average new cases down in the last week; 10 percent of the population is now fully vaccinated. Four former presidents teaming up to boost that number.

[18:30:09]

GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: -- officially to do your part.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is our shot.

JIMMY CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Now it's up to you.

HILL: Notably absent Donald Trump, who we recently learned was vaccinated off camera in January.

Meantime, encouraging new data from Israel shows the Pfizer vaccine appears to be 94 percent effective against asymptomatic spread.

DR. MEGAN RANNEY, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: It means not just you're protected from getting sick but also protect from potentially catching it and then spreading it to others.

HILL: The same studies show it's also highly effective against the variant first identified in the U.K., which is the dominant variant in Israel and which has been confirmed in all but three U.S. states.

DR. MICHAEL OSTERHOLM, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASE RESEARCH AND POLICY, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA: This is coming at us at the very same time we're opening up America as if there's nothing else is happening.

HILL: The Texas attorney general suing Austin officials for keeping the cities mask mandate in place, saying it undercuts reopening efforts.

MAYOR STEVE ADLER (D-TX), AUSTIN: The science and the data very clear that the single most important thing we can be doing at this point is wearing masks.

HILL: And yet from Maryland to Oklahoma, more states are easing restrictions.

GOV. KEVIN STITT (R-OK): The standard for normal cannot be zero cases. In Oklahoma, the standard for normal is freedom. HILL: Prompting celebration and concern.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL (on camera): We just learned today that New York State will no longer require a mandatory quarantine for domestic travelers beginning April 1st, though those rules will still be in place for international travelers. The governor is saying this is not an all-clear that New Yorkers need to remain vigilant. Just a note, Wolf, a little bit closer to you, in Maryland, those mandatory quarantines for out-of- state travelers are lifted tomorrow.

BLITZER: Erica Hill reporting from New York for us, Erica, thank you very much.

We're right now getting new information about President Biden address to nation, that's an hour and a half from now. Let's go back to our Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins. Kaitlan, you're getting new information, this is important. What are you learning?

COLLINS: Yes, Wolf. Earlier, the press secretary said there was going to be news in the speech from President Biden tonight and now we're finding out what exactly that's going to be.

And one thing that he is going to say tonight when he does address the nation here just in a few hours from now President Biden is going to say that he is directing all states, tribes and territories to make all Americans eligible to get the vaccine no later, they say, than May 1st.

And that means that those conditions on age, other health conditions you may have that qualify you for the vaccine right now, they want all of those to fall away by May 1st. So, meaning every American can go and get a vaccine by then.

They say that President Biden has the authority to direct states to do this through the Health and Human Services department and he will use that if he does need it to. So, they are encouraging all states to do that right now.

And, of course, Wolf, the question of what that's going to pave the way for, what they believe it could, is to have small gatherings by July 4th, by Independence Day celebrations that, of course, did not happen last year, so many of them canceled as we were just learning about the pandemic. They're hoping they can start to have life look a little bit closer to normal by then if Americans do get the vaccine.

Ad that is one thing that a senior administration official who was really briefing reporters earlier was talking about saying that a lot of this is not just what the administration is doing but making sure that Americans are going out and actually getting the vaccine once they are eligible.

Because a thing that they stressed is that May 1 deadline that they want to have states drop away all of those conditions to get a vaccine, they said that doesn't mean everyone is going to get one by May 1st, but that means that you will be able to go get one. You could qualify for one, and, of course, that is going to be something that people are then seeking out.

But those are two critical dates that you're going to hear President Biden mention tonight, that May 1st and July 4th when they are hoping life can look a little bit more like normal.

BLITZER: That is so, so encouraging. Let's hope it works out.

Kaitlan, these two dates, as you said May 1st, July 4th, what is President Biden changing to get closer and closer to normal by then?

COLLINS: So, one thing they're going to change, for example, is, of course, not only talking about ramping up vaccine production, as we've seen them talk about, but actually who can and give the vaccine. They say that they are going to be opening that up to dentists, to veterinarians, other health professionals that can actually give these vaccines and administer them because that has been something that the U.S. has struggled with, not just getting the vaccines but actually having people to give them to people who are qualified to do so. So that's one thing they're going to open up.

They also say by the beginning of May, or you're going to hear President Biden say this tonight, they're going to launch a federally supported website where you can go and look to where you can get a vaccine in your area. And they say for people who don't have internet, they're going to set up a call system where if you don't have Wi-Fi at your house you can call and find out where the nearest location is toward you to get a vaccine. So, look for measures like that, Wolf.

[18:35:00]

Of course, they also talked about something that has been on everyone's mind, that's opening schools. They said they are going to use money from that package plan that you saw President Biden sign earlier today to increase testing inside schools, talk about genome sequencing so we can find the variants people have been talking about, learn more about them before they actually start to spread in the U.S.

So those are the measures you are going to see President Biden announce here shortly. But, of course, it is those two dates that everyone is going to be talking about for the next several days.

BLITZER: It certainly is, very encouraging. Stand by, we're going to get back to you. But right now, I want to bring in Dr. Richard Besser, the former Acting Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Besser, thanks so much for joining us.

So what's your reaction to the breaking news that President Biden will direct states to open vaccine eligibility to all adults by May 1st?

DR. RICHARD BESSER, FORMER ACTING DIRECTOR, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: You know, Wolf, I find that exciting. But you know what I find more exciting was the follow-up question in terms of what are they going to be able to do to ensure everyone has access. And the idea that there could be something as simple as a phone number that people call to find out where to get vaccines, one of the challenges so far has been that there have been very high numbers of people getting vaccinated each day but major disparities in terms of vaccination rates for black and Latino Americans. And if you open the floodgates so that everyone can get vaccinated but you're not bringing vaccine into the community, you would expect to see those disparities widen.

So, it really needs to be that two-part of having enough vaccine and ensuring that vaccine is getting to people, the systems are easy for people to access so that they know where to go to get their shots.

BLITZER: Yes, that's really important. The president, we're told, will also tout the ability for Americans to have small gatherings for the 4th of July. Does that timeline seem viable to you?

BESSER: I think it does. You know, if there truly enough is vaccine for every adult in America who wants to be vaccinated, to get a vaccine, then, yes, 4th of July will look different. The only challenge here, and we have to keep it in mind, is that there won't be vaccines for children.

And so, you would hope to see the continued trend of the pandemic is going down. If it's not, if there's still 50,000 cases of COVID a day, then you might be able to have a gathering. But you're going to have -- it's going to need to be a different kind of gathering, one with masks and still ensuring some social distancing so that children are protected as well.

BLITZER: Well, clearly there's going to be some important news in President Biden's speech that's coming up shortly. Thank you very much, Dr. Besser, for your expertise. We are always grateful to you.

There's more breaking news we're following, a major new development in the crisis facing the New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. The state assembly speaker has just authorized an impeachment investigation into sexual harassment allegations.

Plus, details of Prince William's first public comment about the crisis confronting the royal family over Harry and Meghan's allegations of racism.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:40:00]

BLITZER: We have breaking news on the crisis surrounding the New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, amid allegations of misconduct. Our National Correspondent Brynn Gingras is in New York following the story for us. Brynn, I understand a new investigation has just been launched. What's the latest?

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and that's right, Wolf. I mean, this is big news coming out of Albany. Essentially, the assembly speaker, Carl Heastie, authorizing the assembly judiciary committee to begin impeachment investigations into the alleged misconduct of Governor Andrew Cuomo, calling those allegations concerning.

So, what does this mean? Well, this is really the first step to possibly removing Governor Cuomo from office. But, again, it's just the first step. This committee will have now authorization to subpoena witnesses, get their hands-on documents to go about this investigation. And it comes on the heels today, Wolf, of 59 lawmakers saying they believe Cuomo should step aside.

Of course, we've heard from the governor multiple times he has no plans on resigning. We have not heard any response from him just yet about this new information about this investigation. But let's be very clear, Wolf, right now the governor is facing three separate investigations they are piling up for him.

There is the investigation by the New York attorney general's office into sexual harassment allegations and inappropriate behavior, there's investigation into how his administration handled nursing home death data done by the U.S. attorney's office and the FBI and now there's this impeachment investigation by the assembly judiciary committee, Wolf.

BLITZER: Yes, these developments are moving very, very rapidly. Brynn Gringas in New York for us. Brynn, I know you're staying on top of this story, we'll stay in close touch with you. Thank you very much.

Also, tonight, there's a major new development in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer, charged in the death of George Floyd. The judge has reinstated a third-degree murder charge against Chauvin.

Let's talk about what this means for the trial. CNN Legal Analyst, the former federal prosecutor, Laura Coates, is joining us. So, what does this additional charge, Laura, mean for Chauvin's trial?

LAURA COATES, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Well, it means options for the jury to be able to consider a wide range of his behavior. And, remember, for every crime you, charge the prosecutor has to actually match each element of the offense with the evidence. It ranges from anywhere from culpable negligence to reckless behavior. None of the actual charges he has been charged with though require there to be intent to kill. Simply, the behavior itself, the intention to act in a way caused the death of another person.

And so you have a deduction (ph) of this particular claim which essentially says that it is harkening back to a familiar case from a few years ago.

Remember, former officer Mohamed Noor who actually shot an Australian woman who was living in Minneapolis at the time who reported to police that there was a sexual assault in progress, and he fired a shot and killed her.

[18:45:12] He was convicted of third-degree murder in Minneapolis, and he is now serving time and tried to appeal saying, look, the way the statute was written says this particular crime could not be charged for what I did. The appeals court said, oh, yes, it can. They maintain the conviction.

And now, they're able to use this very same theory essentially saying if you engage in behavior that could cause the death of, say, any person, even if you focused on one person in particular who had one victim, you can be charged under this. Now you have three different options, two degrees of murder and manslaughter here.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: How much more serious is the potential prison sentence, Laura, and you know the law there very well. You grew up in St. Paul. You lived in Minneapolis. How much more sear just a potential prison sentence for second-degree murder versus third degree?

COATES: Well, second-degree murder is a higher charge, and, in fact, you could actually serve up to 40 years in prison if you are convicted. Now it likely would not be that extent, that maximum penalty, but up to 40 years is the penalty. For third degree you're talking about 25 years. And them for manslaughter, it goes down even more significantly.

But you're still talking about a very lengthy prison sentence. What is interesting here, Wolf, is the fact that last year, we heard from reports in the last couple of weeks that former Officer Chauvin was prepared, perhaps, to plead guilty to third-degree murder. But because that particular plea must have come with assurance there was no federal civil rights cases and former Attorney General Barr was not willing to do so that plea fell through.

Now it's been reintroduced, I wonder if that will be the result, a plea, at this trial. I would be surprised at this very late stage to try to claw it back. But given its reintroduction and perhaps a prior willingness to plea, we might be down that road as well.

BLITZER: And, as I said, you're from Minnesota. The trial is taking place, I understand, in a predominantly white county in Minnesota. Take a look at the racial breakdown of the six jurors already selected. I think we have that up on the screen. Three white, one multiracial, one Hispanic, one black. What does that say to you?

COATES: Well, Hennepin County is where this is, one of the most diverse areas in terms of metropolitan areas in Minnesota, which is overwhelmingly, of course, not people of color in the state. But that particular county actually is more diverse than most.

And so you got the notion of trying to have a jury of one's peers without actual guarantees of a racial composition, talking about a jury of one's peers does not guarantee a particular allotment or portion according to race. But what it does suggest to you is there has been not only from the jury pool the potential for diverse jury members and this is an issue so racially charged but not exclusive to simply black jurors or white jurors. It really has ran the gamut. And what you're seeing from the voir dire process here has emerged

that they've been asked questions about their feelings on things like Black Lives Matter, blue lives matter, the response of the protests, the response of those who hijacked the protests in the form of looting. All of this has come up, including the idea of how you trust the police and your relationship with the police officers, all of which can often be racially charged issues.

So what we're seeing right now, we don't have a complete jury, we don't have the alternates selected at this point in time. What you're seeing perhaps is a jury of the peers of this particular defendant.

BLITZER: Very interesting. Six jurors already selected. You need 12 plus 2 alternates. Laura, thank you very much.

Just ahead, we're going to break down Prince William's new comments about racism after the Meghan and Harry interview.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:53:21]

BLITZER: Tonight, Prince William is pushing back at one of the most explosive allegations made by his brother Harry and sister-in-law Meghan during their tell-all interview.

Let's go to London. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz is joining us right now.

Salma, Prince William spoke out for the first time about the claim over racism. Tell us about that.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: They are brief comments, Wolf. But before you take a look, I want you to understand that this is a real departure from protocol. Statements from families are almost always orchestrated.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Sir, have you spoken to your brother since the interview?

PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: I haven't spoken to him yet, but I will do.

REPORTER: Can you just let me know, is the royal family a racist family, sir?

PRINCE WILLIAM: No, we're very much not a racist family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: Now, I think what anti-racism after this will tell you, Wolf, is that prince William is missing the point and that journalist asking the question is missing the point because what Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were talking about were much larger than single acts of racism, single incidents of racism. Of course, there is an allegation there that needs to be explored by the palace.

But what the couple was talking about was a system, an institution, a larger structure where there is racism entrenched in it. That was the allegation. And they were asking for a larger conversation, not just the members of the royal family, but about the entire staff, advisers and not just the people, but we're also talking about traditions, protocols that date back to colonialism.

I was speaking to one antiracism activist who told me, I am tired of explaining the ABCs and 1, 2, 3s of racism. People need to start to educate themselves on what Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were talking about.

[18:55:04]

They were talking about larger structures of racism in Britain and how we can begin to tackle them and address them at a time like this. So this who done it, who is the racist, it's not enough. Black Britons want to have a bigger conversation than that, Wolf.

BLITZER: They certainly do.

All right. Salma, thank you very much. Salma Abdelaziz in London for us, thank you for that.

I want to bring in the journalist and former British talk show host Trisha Goddard.

Trisha, you heard the response from Prince William. He said we are very much not a racist family. Were you surprised to hear him speak out?

TRISHA GODDARD, JOURNALIST & FORMER BRITISH TALK SHOW HOST: Well, I was surprised at the stupidity of the questions. I mean, we train journalists not to ask closed questions. And Inzamam Rashid from Sky News asked the question. What was he meant to say? Yes, we are.

And I absolutely agree with that comment.

When I'm talking about racism in Britain, I try to avoid the term systematic or institutional racism because I don't actually think it's well understood. You can talk about it in the United States because slavery happened on this soil. You still have issues like red lining and the busing of students that many people alive can still remember.

Britain doesn't have that, remember. Their slavery was done overseas, out of sight. So, there absolutely needs to be an education especially amongst journalists and the media.

BLITZER: What do you think the prince's response to the question -- you didn't like the question, but what did you think of the response?

GODDARD: I thought it was more telling the way in which he said it. It was very terse. I think both of them were very terse. It is a departure from normal protocol. And also he was with a black teacher at a school and they were there

to talk about restarting up the COVID -- the mental health charity that they've got -- program they have for primary schoolchildren. So, it was a really awkward situation.

He's asked by a journalist of color with blackhead teacher nearby. And it's in a primary school. So, I think his response, I don't think he could have won whatever he said. He had no way out.

BLITZER: As you know, Trisha, this is not just about the family proper, but also the institution around the family, right?

GODDARD: Absolutely. Yeah, and it's embedded. It goes back centuries. It's a bit like that saying having a dinosaur in an elevator. It's going to take a long time to turn it around. And one flip question is not going to sort things out.

And absolutely there needs not to be a witch-hunt about who said what. That's missing the point. It's how do we change this ancient, this monument, this whole situation. And it's going to be a very slow process. But we need to see change rather than have statements put out about, yes, we are willing to change.

BLITZER: Do you think this moment of reckoning about systemic racism will actually lead to positive and lasting changes within the monarchy and indeed across the U.K.?

GODDARD: I sincerely hope so. There's been movement, you know, with the society of editors with Ian Sinclair stepping down after he refuted Meghan Markle's claims about racism in the newspapers. And the fact that 160 journalists of color stood up and said, actually you're talking rubbish, and that editors of certain newspapers refused to go along with that statement.

Charlene White is a television presenter, and I know her. She's a black woman who helps judge the press awards. She has stepped down. She said, you know what? I came on board because the society of editors, newspapers actually said -- gave lip service to wanting to change and she said nothing has.

So, she stepped down. So, let's hope this is the beginning of across the board.

BLITZER: Trisha Goddard, thank you very much for joining us.

GODDARD: You're welcome. Thank you.

BLITZER: Finally, tonight, we want to tell you about an important campaign to save lives. It's all in honor of this beautiful and brave little girl, Francesca, nicknamed Beans, the daughter of our colleague and friend Andrew Kaczynski and his wife Rachel Ensign.

Francesca died of an aggressive form of brain cancer on Christmas Eve. She was just nine months old. Today would have been her first birthday. To commemorate that, CNN is now launching the #TeamBeans to raise

funds for research and treatment at the Dana Farber Research Institute where Francesca was treated. We invite you to help by purchasing one of these beanies at teambeans.com. You can see I've already got mine.

Remember, all proceeds will go to help other wonderful children like Francesca. We want to thank you for your support and may her memory be a blessing.

Thanks very much for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Stay with CNN for special coverage of President Biden's address to the nation in one hour, 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.