CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Maxine Waters

Interview

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Congresswoman Maxine Waters is here with us. She's a Chairwoman of the Financial Services Committee. Chairwoman, thank you for being with us. I want to start with the most important question for the people who are in danger of losing their homes.

[15:35:03]

Who can do something about this right now? I mean, you say that the White House, this administration has the authority to do it. I want you to listen to one of the advisers, senior advisers to the president, Gene Sperling, who's coordinating the COVID Rescue spending. Here is his defense of the White House's position.

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GENE SPERLING, SENIOR ADVISER TO THE PRESIDENT: I would say that on this particular issue, the president has not only kicked the tires he has double, triple, quadruple checked. He has asked the CDC to look at whether you could even do targeted eviction moratorium that just went to the counties that have higher rates and they, as well, have been unable to find the legal authority for even new targeted eviction moratoriums.

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BLACKWELL: And you say he's wrong, and explain why?

REP. MAXINE WATERS (D-CA): Well, I do believe that the president of the United States has the authority through executive order, work on CDC, as he has done previously, to extend the moratorium and I know that people are using what happened at the Supreme Court as justification for his not having the authority. That was a different case all together. There has been no ruling on this emergency matter that we have before us with the evictions that started as of Saturday night when the moratorium ended.

And so, we are asking and pleading with the president of the United States to use that authority and if there is some objection to that, if someone disagrees with that, let whoever is disagreeing make the case. And if they have to go into the court, what have you. But it is important that the president takes care of this emergency.

We have 11 million families out there who are at risk. We have children and families who may be sent out on the street and become homeless and that is not acceptable.

I was in the leadership of putting $46.6 billion into operation to support this project and support our renters. There's no reason why they should not get the kind of assistance that they need. The governors have to play a role in this. We gave the money to the states and to the local municipalities. And they have not been able to get that money out in the way that they should. So, the president must step up to the plate.

BLACKWELL: Madam chairwoman --

WATERS: Yes.

BLACKWELL: -- let me go back. And for people who have questions about that Supreme Court decision that you talked about at the end of June and explain a little bit about this.

This was a petition from a realtor's group that thought that the president's effort to stop the evictions was too broad. There was this concurring opinion from Justice Kavanaugh in which he said, it's clear and specific, Congressional authorization would be necessary for the CDC to extend the moratorium past July 31st.

That's what the White House is saying is blocking them from acting. But there's no question that Congress can do something about this. You and Speaker Pelosi tried at the end of last week to get enough support within the caucus to do something about this. You could not do that. Why can't you get the Democrats, alone, to do something about this?

WATERS: Well, it's too late to even talk about it that way. The Democrats are out of session. Yes, we did try. We were not able to get my bill up on the floor. And so, as we were working it, we do know that some of our members were asking questions. They were not ready, et cetera.

But that's behind us. What's before us now is the emergency. And we're all working together with the president to move forward and to get this extension. And I am confident that the president understands the seriousness of this. And I do believe he's going to do everything that he possibly can for an expansion. And that's what we're supporting right now.

BLACKWELL: Is a special session possible?

WATERS: I beg your pardon?

BLACKWELL: Is a special session possible? You said this is behind the Democrats. Cori Bush is sleeping in front of the Capitol.

WATERS: Yes, that's right.

BLACKWELL: She's hoping that there will be one.

WATERS: No, absolutely not. There's not going to be a special session where you try and call all of the Democrats back into session. Knowing that we have problems, perhaps, with the Senate, knowing that we still have work to do with the Democrats.

But knowing more than anything that people are at risk. And that they are frightened. And there's a lot of anxiety out there about families, about what's going to happen to them. That's what's before us. An emergency that must be attended to. And we're looking to the president to use that executive authority to do it.

BLACKWELL: All right, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, thank you so much for your time.

WATERS: You're so welcome. Thank you for having me on.

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