CNN "New Day" Transcript - Interview with Senator Dick Durbin

Interview

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[08:16:01]

HARLOW: The second night of unrest in Minnesota, a day after a police officer shot and killed 20-year-old Daunte Wright during a traffic stop. He was just pulled over for an expired tag. Wright's death comes as the Derek Chauvin trial plays out just a few miles away.

The Biden administration is now standing down on a campaign promise to create a White House-led police oversight commission. Instead they see it needs to be legislation.

With me now is Democratic whip, Senator Dick Durbin, the chair of the Judiciary Committee.

Senator, good morning to you.

And I'd like to begin by playing for you and our viewers sound of Daunte Wright's aunt, Naisha Wright. Here's what she told my colleague Don Lemon last night.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

NAISHA WRIGHT, DAUNTE WRIGHT'S AUNT: It was a mistake? You don't mistake a stun gun from a gun. You don't mistake that. If I made a mistake like that, I'd be in a jail cell. They would be trying to put me under.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HARLOW: You are the second most powerful Democrat in the Senate. Let's be straight. Is anything going to change? Is Daunte Wright's death, the father of a little boy, is this going to change anything or more of the same?

SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): I think it can change things. I think the cumulative experience that we are seeing played out on videotapes, sadly, almost every day, is really a call to action in the United States Senate and the Senate Judiciary Committee. Let's get down to basics here. I believe the majority of men and women who put that badge on in the morning are caring and competent people and not bigoted in any way.

And yet, in their ranks are people not well-trained, people who don't belong at all in law enforcement, and we've got to make a clear difference. We've got to stand by the good policing and make it clear that bad policing is unacceptable.

And let me add, too, very quickly, there is a racial element here that is very, very real in America. The numbers tell the story. We have got to purge that racism from the administration to justice in America.

HARLOW: Look, your Democratic colleague, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, overnight writes: It was not an accident. Policing in our country is inherently and intentionally racist. Daunte Wright was met with aggression and violence. I am done with those who condone government- funded murder. No more policing, incarceration and militarization. It cannot be reformed.

And your fellow Democrat, Congressman Ayana Pressley, overnight: From slave patrols to traffic stops. We can't reform this.

Are they wrong, Senator?

DURBIN: Well, I can tell you the evidence gives them reason to speak up as they have. And yet we know that the bottom line here, we do need law enforcement in this country for safety and security in our homes and neighborhoods and our cities.

But we must demand of law enforcement with all the power that is given to an individual officer that this type of racial conduct be purged from our law enforcement.

It is reality. It is a very real situation. I can understand their rage and anger as they reflect on what happened in their own state and nearby.

HARLOW: It happened in my state. I mean, I am from Minnesota, and I have pulled over for expired tags, and I can just let you guess what happened to me. Nothing. Nothing.

I was politely told, make sure you make an appointment. Go to the DMV and get it handled.

I mean, I guess my question to you is, you have so much power and know how this body works having been in it so long, what are you going to do? Because I can't imagine being Katie Wright this morning and seeing my son dead for expired tags.

DURBIN: Well, let me tell you, what you've said is reality. I was told once there's some 40,000 outstanding warrants in Cook County, Illinois, and many of them relate to African-Americans and driving on suspended licenses, for example. So you can understand that merely pursuing a warrant can make many people very vulnerable to the same conduct.

But here's the bottom line. We need to act on a bipartisan basis in a Senate that's evenly divided, 50 Republicans, 50 Democrats.

[08:20:07]

Same thing true on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Senator Cory Booker is the head of the crime subcommittee. This is his special assignment, special passion. He has assured me that he's reaching out in every direction to put together the hearings that will lead to legislation.

HARLOW: The White House has just announced just yesterday that they are standing down on a promise that then-candidate Joe Biden made to create a national policing oversight commission. They say it should be through legislation. So, basically, it should be you guys who do it.

Can you make any guarantee to the American people that are now seeing this commission not happening through the White House that you will take care of it?

DURBIN: Well, I can't guarantee results in a 50-50 Senate, but I can guarantee an effort, a sincere and real effort on our part.

What we're seeing with Daunte Wright and George Floyd, with Breonna Taylor, with Laquan McDonald is just a repetition, sadly, a repetition a almost daily basis of gun violence and repetition of racial incidents that are absolutely unacceptable in this country.

And for those -- I join those who have criticized the other side who say we're just cancel culture. We want to cancel racism in America. That is the bottom line.

HARLOW: I'd like to turn to infrastructure and the big push here in Washington and ask you a simple question but I think a really important one given where this debate has gone. How do you, Senator, define infrastructure?

DURBIN: Well, I can tell you, I do not exclude clean drinking water from the responsibilities of government and not only dealing with public health issues but creating jobs in America. And we have 23 percent of all the lead pipe leads in America in the Chicagoland area. You bet I want to clean up this water supply, and I consider that infrastructure.

When it comes to expanding broadband across America, there's some Republicans that say, no, that isn't a highway. The hell it isn't. It's an information highway that should be available to every single American.

Jerome Powell, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, on "60 minutes" Sunday night made it clear that we are just on the verge of a dramatic economic comeback. First, we have to deal realistically and effectively with the pandemic, and then get prepared. America, we're going to be creating good paying jobs and Joe Biden wants to lead us into that.

HARLOW: So, let me ask you this. I have all the numbers of where this money is allocated. And there is a significant amount for roads, bridges, lead pipes, water systems, et cetera.

Do you think it would be prudent of the administration to split that off into its own bill around $600 billion, $700 billion as supported by even Senator Roy Blunt and get some Republican votes on that. And then portion the other part off which deals with elder care, child care, research and HBCUs, et cetera, into a second bill that maybe you have to push through reconciliation but at least you have Republican support on something?

DURBIN: Listen, yesterday, the president called a bipartisan meeting of members of Congress. Republicans and Democrats sat down in the Oval Office with the vice president and said, let's be honest. Let's bargain. Can we reach an agreement?

That kind of spirit and approach is --

HARLOW: But two bills? You want two bills?

DURBIN: I'm not going to presuppose how this negotiation will end, but as long as there's a good-faith effort to move us forward, take advantage of the economic opportunity that can come our way if we are aggressive and not tentative in our approach, I am going to support it.

HARLOW: Senator Dick Durbin, we appreciate your time very much this morning and we really, really, really hope there is action on Capitol Hill about policing in America.

DURBIN: As do I.

HARLOW: Thank you.

DURBIN: Thank you, Poppy.

HARLOW: Daunte Wright's family demanding the justice they deserve after he was shot and killed during what should have just been a routine traffic stop. Officials now call his death an accident. A lawyer for his family, though, is with us next.

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