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Transcript: Rep. Summer Lee on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Aug. 25, 2024
The following is a transcript of an interview with Rep. Summer Lee, Democrat of Pennyslvania, on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that aired on Aug. 25, 2024.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Good morning to you, Congresswoman.
REP. SUMMER LEE: Good morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Our CBS polling shows that a majority of Americans, 59% of them, think the U.S. should encourage Israel to stop or decrease its military actions in Gaza. At the Democratic Convention. Vice President Harris received loud applause for these remarks:
VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: President Biden and I are working to end this war such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Now that is largely just restating existing U.S. policy. Do you think that’s sufficient outreach to those who felt the administration hasn’t expressed empathy,
REP. LEE: You know, I think that, you know, I think people who are experiencing this, right, who were- who were outside of the arena, who have been organizing since October, you know, that is a step, but I think that what they really were asking for was a, of course, the opportunity to speak for themselves. I think that, like all people, when you are experiencing something, you want to be able to tell your own story. And a lot of the people who are Palestinian, Palestinian-American, Arabs and Muslims, were asking for that opportunity. So while, you know, we all obviously believe that there should be a ceasefire immediately and permanently, and that Palestinians, just like Israelis, deserve the right to self-determination. We have to do more than just say that we believe that. We have to actually take steps that are going to evidence that take steps that are going to show that we’re willing to start to listen to people who have been outside of the political, I would say, conversation for so long, it’s been a third rail, and there’s going to be a lot more work that we have to do to show to this demographic that the Democratic Party is- includes them in its big tent, includes them in our foreign policy considerations, and also includes them in our conversations around humanity and human rights.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You’re talking about the decision at the DNC to deny anyone from the Uncommitted Movement or Palestinian-American to take the stage. Congressman Ro Khanna tweeted, “it was a tragic mistake perpetuating the erasure of the Palestinian story and voice.” Why do you think Democratic leaders resisted it, and is it a self-inflicted wound?
REP. LEE: I think that there has been, and I think that if you really look at this, long before October 7, it was almost taboo to talk about Palestinians, to talk about the experiences that they have and that they continue to have in our politics. And I think that this was a continuation of it. To put on stage, first of all, I think it’s important that we recognize that even the way we talk about the movement is in a way that sometimes is a little wide, it’s broad. It doesn’t always take into account what folks are arguing about. I think that whether it’s the Black lives movement or the movement for Palestinian rights, there’s always this rush to say that their movement, the ways that they protest, the tactics, the strategies, are inconvenient, and I think that that’s just the way that we’ve done it. Especially when we’re nervous about a presidential election that we all know is incredibly important. Defeating Trump is the top concern, but we can do that, and we can also give space, create space for people, voices that are marginalized. We missed an opportunity to do that here, and in doing so, what we are essentially saying is that every Palestinian thinks the exact same way, that all folks who are protesting, who are voicing their concerns are one group and not individuals, not all folks who are coming with different perspectives. I think that there was room and space to say that. There was room in the Democratic Party for that particular perspective as well.
MARGARET BRENNAN: This was a historic nomination of Vice President Harris as the first Black, first South Asian nominee of a major party. She’s chosen, really, not to talk about the historic nature of that. Do you think that she should?
REP. LEE: I think that it speaks for itself. You know, I think that there is, you know, zero chance that folks all across America do not recognize that she would be the first Black woman, the first South Asian woman in person, to be not just our party’s nominee, but hopefully our president. So to talk about it, it’s almost a filler. I think that what’s- I think that what they’re doing and what they should be doing is talking about the issues. Talking about the things that not are not just unique to women, Black women, Asian women, but actually the things that make her qualified for the job, her resume, the policies that that bring Democrats to- to vote, you know on November 5, those are the things we need to focus on, we all know there’s history here.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Congresswoman, let’s talk about those things on the other side of this next break, stay with us.
– COMMERCIAL BREAK –
MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome back to Face The Nation. We’re continuing our conversation now with Congresswoman Summer Lee of Pennsylvania. Congresswoman, you were talking before the break about the need to focus on issues for- for the campaign. This past week, former Speaker Pelosi stated Vice President Harris will, quote, “have to” govern from the center, because “that’s where the public is.” I know you are a progressive Democrat. Do you think that this pivot to the center, particularly on issues like the border and immigration and crime, are they going to hurt support for the Harris-Walz ticket, or is it what’s required?
REP. LEE: Yeah, so I have to say, and I like to hope that we’re able to do this. I have to- I have to disagree a bit. I think that we have data, we have polling, we have anecdotal evidence from American- Americans all over the country, but especially out in Pennsylvania, in a swing state where we’re not actually asking for our candidates to run away from progressive ideals. We’re asking them- for them to run to them. You know, there’s this idea that to say that, you know, having health care or equitable education, or even talking about, you know, immigration reform and the border in a humane way is somehow to the left, but I think that that’s what the average American wants. And I think that in too many, in very many ways, we’ve ceded ground to Republicans, especially around immigration. They have the tendency of talking about it in an incredibly fear mongering and inhumane way. And I don’t think that it’s wise that we join them in that. I think people want to see us distinguish ourselves as a party. I think they want to see that we offer solutions for working class people, for marginalized people, and I think that we can do that vocally and proudly and still bring people to the party and not have them run away from it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, so that means you disagree with the Harris endorsement of the bipartisan border bill, which was a fairly conservative bill, and that’s the policy stated for what the Vice President would enact if she’s elected.
REP. LEE: I think that what I like to hope- I hope that what I think so many of us want to see, and not just progressives, I mean, even just Democrats, is that we can recognize that we need comprehensive immigration reform. That there are millions of folks in America who are impacted by this, folks who want to come here for a better life, who are looking for opportunities, and they are finding that the pathway, the window to achieving those opportunities, is shutting, not opening. We know that in the past, there were systems in place that- that created an easier pathway for folks who attain citizenship, for folks to work, for folks to contribute, and that’s what people want now. And I think that we need to be real about the solutions. What’s driving folks to our border and what’s driving folks to want to make a life here in the United States at the same time.
MARGARET BRENNAN: All right, Congresswoman Lee, thank you for your perspective.
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Boeing workers going on strike after overwhelming vote to reject contract offer and walk off the job
Seattle — Machinists at Boeing voted Thursday to go on strike, another setback for the giant aircraft maker whose reputation and finances have been battered and now faces a shutdown in production of its best-selling airline planes.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said its members rejected a contract that would have raised pay 25% over four years, then voted 94.6% to reject the contract and voted 96% to strike. A two-thirds vote among 33,000 workers was needed to strike.
“This is about respect, this is about the past, and this is about fighting for our future,” IAM District 751 President Jon Holden said in announcing the vote.
Very little has gone right for Boeing this year, from a panel blowing out and leaving a gaping hole in one of its passenger jets in January to NASA leaving two astronauts in space rather sending them home on a problem-plagued Boeing spacecraft.
As long as the strike lasts, it will deprive Boeing of much-needed cash that it gets from delivering new planes to airlines. That will be another challenge for new CEO Kelly Ortberg, who six weeks ago was given the job of turning around a company that has lost more than $25 billion in the last six years and fallen behind European rival Airbus.
Ortberg warned machinists that a strike vote would put Boeing’s recovery in jeopardy and raise more doubt about the company in the eyes of its airline customers.
Workers were in no mood to listen.
Ortberg made a last-ditch effort to avert a strike, telling machinists Wednesday that “no one wins” in a walkout.
“For Boeing, it is no secret that our business is in a difficult period, in part due to our own mistakes in the past,” he said. “Working together, I know that we can get back on track, but a strike would put our shared recovery in jeopardy, further eroding trust with our customers and hurting our ability to determine our future together.”
Many union members have posted complaints about the deal all week on social media. On Thursday, several dozen blew whistles, banged drums and held up signs calling for a strike as they marched to a union hall near Boeing’s 737 Max plant in Renton, Washington.
“As you can see, the solidarity is here,” said Chase Sparkman, a quality-assurance worker. “I’m expecting my union brothers and sisters to stand shoulder to shoulder, arm in arm, and let our company know that, hey, we deserve more.”
The machinists make $75,608 per year on average, not counting overtime, and that would rise to $106,350 at the end of the four-year contract, according to Boeing.
However, the deal fell short of the union’s initial demand for pay raises of 40% over three years. The union also wanted to restore traditional pensions that were axed a decade ago but settled for an increase in Boeing contributions to employee’s 401(k) retirement accounts.
Although the bargaining committee that negotiated the contract recommended ratification, Holden predicted earlier this week that workers would vote to strike.
Boeing worker Adam Vogel called the 25% raise “a load of crap. We haven’t had a raise in 16 years.”
Broderick Conway, another quality-assurance worker and 16-year Boeing employee, said the company can afford more.
“A lot of the members are pretty upset about our first offer. We’re hoping that the second offer is what we’re looking for,” he said. “If not … we’re going to keep striking and stand up for ourselves.”
The head of Boeing’s commercial-airplanes business, Stephanie Pope, tried earlier this week to discourage workers from thinking a strike would result in a better offer.
“We bargained in absolute good faith with the IAM team that represents you and your interests,” she said. “Let me be clear: We did not hold back with an eye on a second vote.”
Voting began at 5 a.m. local time at union halls in Washington state, Portland, Oregon, and a smattering of other locations.
A strike would stop production of the 737 Max, the company’s best-selling airliner, along with the 777 or “triple-seven” jet and the 767 cargo plane at factories in Everett and Renton, Washington, near Seattle. It likely would not affect Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which are built by nonunion workers in South Carolina.
TD Cowen aerospace analyst Cai von Rumohr said it is realistic based on the history of strikes at Boeing to figure that a walkout would last into mid-November, when workers’ $150 weekly payments from the union’s strike fund might seem low going into the holidays.
A strike that long would cost Boeing up to $3.5 billion in cash flow because the company gets about 60% of the sale price when it delivers a plane to the buyer, von Rumohr said.
Union negotiators unanimously recommended that workers approve the tentative contract reached over the weekend.
Boeing promised to build its next new plane in the Puget Sound area. That plane – not expected until sometime in the 2030s – would replace the 737 Max. That was a key win for union leaders, who want to avoid a repeat of Boeing moving production of Dreamliners from Everett to South Carolina.
Holden told members Monday the union got everything it could in bargaining and recommended approval of the deal “because we can’t guarantee we can achieve more in a strike.”
Many union members, however, are still bitter about previous concessions on pensions, health care and pay.
“They are upset. They have a lot of things they want. I think Boeing understands that and wants to satisfy a fair number of them,” said von Rumohr, the aerospace analyst. “The question is, are they going to do enough?”
Boeing has seen its reputation battered since two 737 Max airliners crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people. The safety of its products came under renewed scrutiny after a panel blew out of a Max during a flight in January.
___
Koenig reported from Dallas.
(Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.)
9/13/2024 12:43:48 AM (GMT -4:00)
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Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa leaves field with concussion after collision with Bills’ Damar Hamlin
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was ruled out of Thursday night’s game with the Buffalo Bills because of a concussion after colliding with defensive back Damar Hamlin and hitting the back of his head against the turf.
Tagovailoa, who has a history of dealing with head injuries, remained down for about two minutes before getting to his feet and walking to the sideline after the play in the third quarter. He made his way to the tunnel not long afterward, looking into the stands, appeared to smile and departed for the locker room.
Lynne Sladky / AP
The Dolphins needed almost no time before announcing it was a concussion.
Tagovailoa, who sustained multiple concussions his first three NFL seasons, positioned himself for a big pay bump with an injury-free and productive 2023. He threw for 29 touchdowns and a league-best 4,624 yards.
He signed a four-year, $212 million extension before this season and was the NFL’s leading passer in Week 1 this season. Tagovailoa left the game with the Dolphins trailing 31-10, which held as the final score.
Tagovailoa was hurt on a fourth-down keeper with about 4:30 left in the third. He went straight ahead into Hamlin and did not slide, leading with his right shoulder instead.
He wound up on his back, both his hands in the air and Bills players immediately pointed at Tagovailoa as if to suggest there was an injury. Dolphins center Aaron Brewer quickly did the same, waving to the sideline.
Tagovailoa eventually got to his feet. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel grabbed the side of his quarterback’s head and gave him a kiss on the cheek as Tagovailoa departed. Skylar Thompson came into the game to take Tagovailoa’s spot.
Hamlin was the player who suffered a cardiac arrest after making a tackle during a Monday night game in January 2023 at Cincinnati, causing the NFL to suspend a pivotal game that quickly lost significance in the aftermath of a scary scene that unfolded in front of a national television audience.
Tagovailoa’s history with concussions — and how he has since worked to avoid them — is a huge part of the story of his career, and now comes to the forefront once again.
He had at least two concussions during the 2022 season. He was hurt in a Week 3 game against Buffalo and cleared concussion protocol, though he appeared disoriented on that play but returned to the game.
The NFL later changed its concussion protocol to mandate that if a player shows possible concussion symptoms — including a lack of balance or stability — he must sit out the rest of the game.
Less than a week later, in a Thursday night game at Cincinnati, Tagovailoa was concussed on a scary hit that briefly knocked him unconscious and led to him being taken off the field on a stretcher.
His second known concussion of that season came in a December game against Green Bay, and he didn’t play for the rest of the 2022 season.
Going into last season, Tagovailoa added muscle and spent time studying jiu-jitsu in an effort to learn how to fall more safely and try to protect himself against further injury.
