Earth senate would look like. Welcome to Inside Politics sunday, im abby phillip and to our viewers in the United States and around the world, thank you for spending part of your weekend with us. Eight week news his presidency, joe biden is grappling with a National Tragedy in georgia and a humanitarian crisis on the border. But hes also marking two big wins. The enactment of his nearly 2 trillion relief bill and now smashing through his goal of 100 million shots in his first 100 days. Behind these 100 million shots, are millions of lives changed when people receive that dose of hope. Grandparents can hug their grandchildren again. Front line workers who could show up their jobs without the same fear they used to have. Teachers with the confidence to head back into the classroom. With his first gold met and the pace of vaccinations picking up, the president told reporters on friday that hes hoping to double it. Things may get worse as new variants of the virus spread. That is why we need to vaccinate as many people as quickly as we possibly can. Because the best thing we can do to fight back against these variants. And while biden focuses on the pandemic, his administration is also struggling to manage a huge surge of Asylum Seeking migrants crossing over the border from mexico including thousands of unaccompanied children. The Biden Administration has no place to put them and republicans say that president s policies encourage them to make this dangerous journey. Do you have to say quite clearly, dont come . Yes. I can say quite clearly, dont come, dont leave your town or city or community. The Biden Administration is unprepared for the size and the amount of number of people coming in as well as the covid or the water or Health Challenges that all of these migrants are facing so this is a total disaster by the Biden Administration. And joining us now, perry bacon of 538 and Kaitlan Collins. Now kaitlan, i want to start with you on this because it is pretty extraordinary when were seeing here on the border. And it is threatening to overshadow the real victory lap that the Biden Administration should be taken. I want to read this quote from our colleagues on cnn. Com who reported this from a biden official who said were we prepared . Yes, the official said. Everybody wants to be like crisis, crisis, crisis, crisis, but things are going really well. Yes, we brought in fema, but you know what, that was the responsible thing to do. There is no question that bringing in fema was the responsible thing to do. But the idea that they were, a. , prepared, and b. , that things are going well on the border seems disconnected from reality. And they dont have the space to put them. And so they say at the same time that they understood this is likely going to happen because theyre approaching immigration from a very different way than former President Trump was. But it doesnt appear they were prepared to have this influx and deal with them because the kids are being put in Border Patrol facility wheres they are not supposed to be longer than 72 days but youre seeing them spend hundreds of hours in the facilities, and theyre not meant for children and while they are struggling for someone else to put them and the other is the lack of transparency for cameras to get inside of the facilities. At height of the 2019 Crisis Reporters got access and saw the conditions and now were relying on accounts of lawmakers going while the administration is working on access and the pandemic does play a factor but it is been several weeks now and that hasnt changed. No pictures from inside and even some Democratic Senators saying that reporters should be let in sooner rather than later. And perry, i do wonder, the border crisis is not entirely of bidens making and it is two month news his administration but do you get a sense they have a plan of how to deal with this. Here is one of the Democratic Senators, chris murphy, who went down to the border and left with his jaw on the floor. He wrote on twitter, i just left the border processing facility, hundreds of kids packed into Big Opened Rooxs in a corner i fought back tears as a 13yearold girl sobbed explaining how terrified she was having been separated from her grandmother and without her parents. A more humane policy is the goal but do you have a sense of what that policy going to be Going Forward to deal with unaccompanied minors and these asylumseekers coming to the border. It looks like theyre struggling with a policy. You saw the language changed from dont come to dont come now. They show the language of it as well. Because i dont think the policy is clearly we want to have a more humane approach to border than trump but we dont want to encourage people to come until we set up our system the way we want it to. That is the general goal, is more humane but a real policy. It looks like right now they have not figured out how to execute that in real life so far. Were two months in but i do think there is a real challenge at this point. And i think they wanted to close this week talking entirely about really a good news story here. I mean 100 million shots in 100 days. Youve got the narrative about this virus really shifting where were heading into possibly a potentially good summer, but there are some ri some risks d just take a look at what is going on with travel in the United States. Record numbers of people already going to airports and getting on planes and traveling even while the Biden Administration, kaitlan, is still trying to figure out what the Travel Guidance is going to be. How are they managing the desire to give people a sense of hope and optimism, with the reality that people are going and doing these things already. And that is what i heard from Health Experts when we were talking about the cdc guidance and what vaccinated people could do and it came out and it was really limited. They said theyre going to change it and update it but Health Experts were worried people are going to do things any way. Take a look at spring break if florida. It is a little bit of a mess. Everyone is in miami except us, right now. Thankfully. But what theyre struggling with is that the guidance was too limited and it came out kind of delayed. And it seemed to held with the Health Officials if they had put it out sooner, people would feel like they get good instructions and more mobility if they do get vaccinated and so i think that is something that theyre balancing right now but they knew spring break would be a challenge but i think Summer Travel threatens that as well because people want to return to their normal lives and how do they do that safely and dont risk reversing the progress. And do you get the sense that just quickly that this is coming soon, there were some reports that in may they could be revisiting some of the travel guidelines. I think they faced a lot of pressure to do is sooner rather than later. Not even just from regular people, from Health Experts as well. So there is a chance it could change but the cdc moves slowly and methodically so dont expect it soon. And supply with the vaccine is about no long tore be a huge issue but the demand is becoming a real concern. The polling is really stark here. Youve got republicans being more hesitant than probably any other group to want to get this vaccine. And on top of that, youve got in Congress Republican lawmakers, we did some reporting at cnn, only 53 would say that they had been vaccinated. 13 said they werent vaccinated. But look at that. 145 republicans in the house would not say one way or another whether they have been vaccinated. I imagine many have been vaccinated but they want to seem to be playing footsy with the base that is antivaccine. They dont believe that the vaccine is safe and that people should take it. Yeah, this is a huge problem. We saw this during the before the vaccines were released. You saw a lot of evidence that there were a lot of groups, africanamericans for example, were weary of the vaccine and republicans were too but youve seen the Weariness Number for africanamericans go down a lot because the messaging has worked and it helps and it is safe, et cetera. But on the republican side youre not getting the same messaging. Donald trump reluctantly said he took the vaccine and suggested that other people should. But hes not been out right or forthright about that and other republicans havent either. So until the the Biden Administration is not going to be able to move a lot of republican opinion. You need republican leaders. Fox news hosts, republicans, validators to do that and say the Rvaccine Works but you have so much antivax sentiment in the base that you dont see republicans who are eager to do that. It is going to feed into the idea that biden is trumpeting how much vaccines we get and other republicans dont want to help biden succeed. This is a huge problem. I dont know how we get around this. The Vaccine Numbers have to include the 40 of the country, the voting for trump, those numbers have to go up. I do think the polling is capturing the weariness of saying you get the vaccine because that seems liberal. But that said i think the numbers have to go up and i think they can. But it will require some republican stakeholders to get por invested in this process, maybe a mitt romney or george w. Bush. They could try, but at the end of the day, President Trump had an opportunity to do something and he went on fox news and did a Radio Interview saying get the vaccine but there is so much more obviously that he could do to right side these numbers. So thank you perry and Kaitlan Collins. And coming up next, a reckoning with the surge in antiasian violence. Danafarber Cancer Institute discovered the pdl1 pathway. Pdl1. They changed how the world fights cancer. Blocking the pdl1 protein, lets the Immune System attack, attack, attack cancer. Pdl1 transformed, revolutionized, immunotherapy. Pdl1 saved my life. Saved my life. Saved my life. What we do here at danafaber, changes lives everywhere. Everywhere. Everywhere. Everywhere. Everywhere. These days you need more than an education. So thats what we give you. Introducing Career Services for life. Learn more at phoenix. Edu hi sabrina hi jen so this aveeno® moisturizer goes beyond just soothing sensitive skin . Exactly jen calm restore oat gel is formulated with prebiotic oat. And strengthens skins moisture barrier. Uh i love it aveeno® healthy. Its our nature. ™ hi, im debra. Im from colorado. Aveeno® ive been married to my High School Sweetheart for 35 years. Im a mother of four always busy. I was starting to feel a little foggy. Just didnt feel like things were as sharp as i knew they once were. I heard about prevagen and then i started taking it about two years now. Started noticing things a little sharper, a little clearer. I feel like its kept me on my game. Im able to remember things. Id say give it a try. Prevagen. Healthier brain. Better life. I have a question for you. What are you doing today to reach your weight loss and Wellness Goals . We cant do this Wellness Journey alone right. Find that right coach, the one that speaks to you and youll hear that thing that you needed to hear. Weve all got your back team lisa, this week alone, has lost 4,000 pounds. Were all here to help you succeed. Kickstart your weight loss with the new digital 360 membership from ww, Weight Watchers reimagined. Join now, pay later get your first three months free. Ends march 22th your mission stand up to moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. And take. It. On. With rinvoq. Rinvoq a oncedaily pill can dramatically improve symptoms. Rinvoq helps tame pain, stiffness, swelling. And for some rinvoq can even significantly reduce ra fatigue. Thats rinvoq relief. With ra, your overactive Immune System attacks your joints. Rinvoq regulates it to help stop the attack. Rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. Serious infections and blood clots, sometimes fatal, have occurred. As have certain cancers, including lymphoma, and tears in the stomach or intestines, and changes in lab results. Your doctor should monitor your bloodwork. Tell your doctor about any infections. And if you are or may become pregnant while taking rinvoq. Take on ra. Talk to your rheumatologist about rinvoq relief. Rinvoq. Make it your mission. If you cant afford your medicine, abbvie may be able to help. Antibacterial or moisturizing body wash . Definitely moisturizer antibacterial can i have both . New dove care protect body wash eliminates 99 of bacteria and moisturizes for hours two for one can i keep it . New dove care protect, zero compromise lisa here, has had many jobs. Shes worked in retail during the holidays. As a barista during rush hour. And a nanny to a couple of rambunctious kids. Now, all that experience has led her to a job that feels like home. With home instead, you too can become a caregiver to older adults, with a career that makes a difference. Apply today. Shaq . Remember when you were telling us to check out the general for Car Insurance, so we left you Deep In The Woods . Turns out you were right about the general. Theyre actually a Quality Insurance company. Lets get out of here. Five more minutes, my skunk is almost done. For a great low rate, and nearly 60 years of quality coverage, go with the general. The killings of eight people, six of them asian women at a Massage Parlor in the atlanta area has horrified the nation. Police say a 21yearold man confessed to the shootings and blames it on a Sex Addiction, not racism. But this is a stat that cant be ignored. Hate crimes against asians rose 149 last year. And the pain is felt in communities across the country and on capitol hill where some democrats are blaming republican rhetoric about the pandemic for fostering a culture of hate. Your president and your party and your colleagues can talk about issues with any other country that you want. But you dont have to do it by putting a bulls eye on the back of asianamericans across this country, on our grandparents, on our kids. And Kaitlan Collins is back with us along with New York Times legal reporter nicole hong. The president traveled to atlanta on friday and they meat with asianamerican leaders and condemned the racist rhetoric that weve all been hearing frankly over the last several months. Take a listen. Racism is real in america. And it has always been. Xenophobia is real in america, and always has been. Hate and violence often hide in plain sight. And so it is often met with silence, but that has to change. Because our silence is complicity. And for Vice President Kamala Harris who is of south asian descent, this was a particularly meaning moment. What was the objective for the Biden Administration in changing the focus of this trip, this is supposed to be about the covid relief bill and turning it into something that was very focused on this issue. So, it is a political trip. So this is something that we often did not see with the last president , where in times of tragedy, he would have trouble striking the right note and i think they were trying to basically do the opposite of that. And they went down there and the Vice President came out after a long meeting, it went longer than it was scheduled and i think you saw them trying to address the grief of the nation, the horror over what happened and still saying we dont have a motive from investigators but pointing to things like what you just showed with the numbers, that you cant ignore who the victims were, who owned these businesses and the response from asianamericans throughout the country saying yes, been trying to flag this all along and that is happening and it is an uptick in the violence and harassment and i think they were trying to get at that and to address that pain that people have felt in the country because of it. Right. And as you just referenced, there is some big legal debate happening about whether these murders should even be charged as hate crimes and local authorities and the fbi have said early indications are that race wasnt a motive. A lot of that has to do with what the alleged perpetrator has said. But take a listen to what the Atlanta Mayor thinks. It looked like a hate crime to me. This was targeted at asian spas, six of the women who were killed were asian. So it is difficult to see this as anything but that. And nicole, you wrote in the times this week that asianamericans are being attacked, why are Hate Crime Charges so rare. What is the answer to that question . Why are they so rare in. So the answer is because there is a very high legal bar. There is a gap that were seeing now between the publics understanding of what a hate crime is and the actual proof that Law Enforcement officials need to present to a jury to present in court documents, theyre going to be looking for verbal statements from the gunman, theyre going to be looking through their diaries, his journals, did he write anything that indicated some sort of racial motive. Theyre going to be looking at his social media statements and many of the attacks that weve seen, there have been verbal statements. Many others there havent been and prosecutors have said in those situations they just dont have the evidence to charge that as a hate crime. But obviously, you know, that is of very little comfort to the victim and to many asianamericans hearing that. And at the same time, this suspect has said that to allegedly to Law Enforcement that he had a Sex Addiction and aapi groups say this is a clear example of racism that involves the fetishization of asian women but can you prosecute that under the Hate Crime Laws as they exist right now . Does it even recognize that as a form of bias . , yeah, that is the issue. Theyre looking for a single motive. A clear story they could tell through a case at trial, and this shooting in particular is very complicated. It is at the intersection of race, of gender, of religion. There is a lot going on here. And so this is not the kind of case that has a clean story that Law Enforcement can tell. And so well just have to wait and see how they charge it. You know, kaitlan, you heard there in the intro, grace meng being passionate about what asianamericans have endured. She talked about the rhetoric from the last year largely driven by President Trump. I can name kung flu, i can name 19 different versions of names. China plague. You call it the china virus, you could call it whatever you want to call it. Were going to defeat the china virus. We call it the china virus. It almost feels like republicans are actually even less to say that that is no longer acceptable. What kind of responsibility does the gop have to address that . Well and look at what kevin mccarthy, the Top Republicans in the house, when he was asked did he regret calling it the china virus and he said i dont know. What does that even mean. I dont know. But it is the sentiment of you huh how the words of a president matter and that is something that we repeatedly talked about during the trump era and he said this even though he was pressed multiple times on why he was calling this and we pressed Kayleigh Mcenany an how damaging that could be and this is something that i heard from trump advisers at the time which was they were arguing that he was trying to express his unhappiness with the Chinese Government to how they responded to the outbreak of the pandemic but there is a way to do that as the Congress Woman was saying without pillaring an entire group of people which was the result of this, by calling it the china virus, because these rise in attacks coincide with the outbreak of the pandemic and having the president of the United States use that language, that emboldens his supporters to use it and has them associate the virus with those people and even if you could blame it on the government officials and not those living and going to work every day and that is why you saw how damaging that was and that is the opposite of what President Biden and Vice President harris is trying to do. We could push for this but there is only so much legally that you could do and it starts with an individual changing the way that theyre talking about this. And but at the same time to your point, Leadership Matters on this issue and the tone that is set from the top matters as well. Kaitlan collins and nicole hahn, thank you for being with us this morning. And the vaccine the vaccine against the variants rush to vaccinate as some states surge and a view from the ground about what the relief act money will mean. The mayor of mesa, arizona, joins us next. S youve got the looks lets make lots of money youve got the brawn ive got the brains lets make lots of uh uh uh oohhh theres a lot of opportunities with allstate, drivers who switched saved over 700. Saving is easy when youre in good hands. Allstate click or call to switch today. At panera, when we make a pizza. Allstate we dont just make a pizza. we use fresh, clean ingredients. To make a masterpiece. Order our new pepperoni and four Cheese Flatbread Pizzas for delivery or pickup today. Panera. Tonight. Ill be eating loaded tots for march madness. doorbell thanks boo. Piano Glissando i think you better double them tots. No, this me was last year. I didnt get my madness last year, so were doing double the madness this year. So youre a Small Business, i didnt get my madness last year, or a big one. You were thriving, but then. Oh. Ah. Okay. Plan, pivot. How do you bounce back . You dont, you bounce forward, with serious and reliable internet. Powered by the largest gig Speed Network in america. But is it secure . Sure its secure. And even if the power goes down, your connection doesnt. So how do i do this . You dont do this. We do this, together. Bounce forward, with comcast business. President biden and Vice President harris hit the road this week to sell the American Rescue plan. The plan is broadly popular among americans but not with republican senators. This senator, this is senator rick scott of florida on thursday. We are almost 30 trillion in debt. Weve already given the states and locals 500 billion. So my view is any money in excess of what you need to cover covid expenses, send it back. Were all american citizens. Dont waste the money. It is a different story on ground in mesa, arizona. Where republican mayor john jiles wrote a bipartisan oped with his Neighboring Phoenix mayor pushing for the 1. 9 trillion Biden Relief Bill and praising Kyrsten Sinema once the bill was signed into law. Mayor jiles joins us this Morning Bright and early from mesa, arizona. Mayor jiles, Thanks For Be fo being with us here. Your support for this bill really goes against what so Many National republicans are saying about it. But tell us, what does the 100 million that mesa is getting mean to your city right now at this stage in the pandemic . Well, abby, i think it is obviously to those of us that are here on the ground that the pandemic is not over. We dont have money to send back to washington as senator scott was suggesting because weve spent it on providing covid relief to the residents of our community. And that is what is being done in cities across the United States. Local government and cities is the primary area where relief is being provided. So we are we have spent and will spend this money on food, on addressing the huge Food Insecurity problems that people are experiencing as part of the pandemic. Well spend it on devices so our children could participate in online school, well spend it on Small Business grants, on Eviction Prevention and utility assistance and putting shots in arms. That is where this money is going. It is not going anywhere else. Why do you think that not one republican senator or either of the congressman that represent mesa voted for this cash infusion given what youre talking about, i mean, it is not an abstract thing seeing people in food lines trying to get enough food to put on the table for their families. Well, you know, it is unfortunate that in a time of a crisis, you dont see people circling the wagons and setting partisanship aside. And when we had a republican president , it was okay to work on solutions and some people think that is no longer the case. So i really cant give you a good explanation. I would invite and i have invited all of our congressional delegation that want to debate this to come and stand shoulder to shoulder with us while were dispensing this aid and then suggest that there is something that that this is some sort of over reaction. It is not. Lets talk about the pandemic itself. The Arizona House passed a bill this month that would allow businesses to ignore Mask Mandates like the one that you have in mesa. And this also happened in the senate this past week. Listen. Were making policy based on conjecture. No, it is not based on conjecture. So you want people to wear a mask for another couple of years. Youve been vaccinated and you parade around in two masks for show. No, masks are not theater. Masks are protective. Now, i dont think you need to answer for senator paul there. But i mean, help us understand, why is this idea of masks still so political and encountering such resistance on your side of the aisle . Great question. I think very unfortunately we all saw how masks became a symbol of a political statement a year or so ago. And a lot of folks that were so passionate about it then just refuse to listen to the science and refuse to change their mind. So, i think you wont see rational republicans taking that Point Of View. I think that is a pretty extreme Point Of View. Even in republican strong holds like arizona and in mesa. I see most people are very complaint when it comes to requests to wear masks. I think that is a extreme Point Of View that youll see among some die Hard Partisans but it doesnt reflect rational thought. We are heading into what could be a very good period of time for this country. Weve hit 100 million vaccine doses in 100 days, the administration promised. But Vaccine Hesitancy is still a problem and it is increasingly a problem with republicans. Why do you think this is and does mesa have a plan to combat that . Are you seeing that on the ground where you are . Im seeing a shift, actually. Even among our Public Safety workers, initially they were some were expressing reluctance to do it but were seeing as the vaccines become more available and as people see their peers, recognizing the importance of getting vaccinated, i think the reluctant to get vaccinated is becoming less and less. And absolutely, what we are weve got huge Vaccine Distribution locations here in arizona and in phoenix. Were about to lunch juan in mesa but because the weather is becoming so hot, now were moving people, having people drive through warehouses. So well have a spot open next week that will have up to 10,000 vaccinations a day driving through the middle of a warehouse. Wow. So were trying to be inventive and try to do everything that we can to get as many shots in arms as possible. That is great to here. I want to ask you quickly about south of where you are, along the border there is what seems to be a bigger and bigger crisis happening with immigration. President biden told abc this past week that the message is dont come. But the u. S. Is on pace to encounter more migrants this year than in the last 20 years. You know, how do you think that this president and this administration is handling this crisis . What needs to be done from now Going Forward . You know, ive been the mayor for six years here in mesa so i am a veteran of the last border surge. And so we are very nervous about the surge that we see in refugees that are crossing the border. Ive been impressed so far with this administration. Ive i had an opportunity to talk with Secretary Mayorkas and i told him about the experience from a couple of years ago and he was very aware of it. So weve had boots on the ground from the administration here in phoenix and in mesa. Weve got weve explained there are a lot of compassionate people in our community, faith groups and ngos willing to partner with the federal government to respond but the cupboard as are bare because theyve been asked to shoulder this problem as the federal government wasnt capable of doing it without assistance. So far were getting good answers to the questions that were asking and so far it looks like fema and other resources are being brought to help communities like mine that are close to the border and are being asked to provide a lot of assistance. But were going to need funding. In order to provide the assistance that these folks need and that the federal government cant provide. Mayor john jiles from mesa, arizona, thank you so much for being with us this morning. Thank you, abby. An coming up next, prieb suggests hes open to reforming the filibuster if it blocks his agenda. It is a very different tone than the one senator biden took 16 years ago. At its core, the filibuster is not about stopping a nominee or a bill, it is about compromise and moderation. That is why the founders put unlimited debate in. That is what it is about. En gendering compromise and moderation. And now, putting you in control of your financing. At carvana, get personalized terms, browse for cars that fit your budget, then customize your down payment and monthly payment. And these arent madeup numbers. Its what youll really pay, right down to the penny. Whether youre shopping or just looking. It only takes a few seconds, and it wont affect your credit score. Finally a totally different way to finance your ride. Only from carvana. The new way to buy a car. If youre 55 and up, tmobile has plans built just for you. Get 2 unlimited lines for only 70. And now get netflix on us with your plan. And this rate is fixed, youll pay exactly 70 total. This month and every month. Plus, switch today and get a free smartphone for each line. The best value and awardwinning customer service. Only at tmobile. University of phoenix is awarding up to one Million Dollars in new scholarships through this month, because hope fuels opportunity. See what scholarship you qualify for at phoenix. Edu are you managing your diabetes. Using fingersticks . With the new freestyle Libre 2 System, a continuous glucose monitor, you can check your glucose with a painless, onesecond scan. And now with optional alarms, you can choose to be notified if you go too high or too low. And for those who qualify, the freestyle Libre 2 System is now covered by medicare. Ask your doctor for a prescription. You can do it without fingersticks. Learn more at freestyle libre 2 dot u. S. Bipolar depression. Its a dark, lonely place. This is art inspired by real stories of People Living with bipolar depression. Emptiness. A hopeless struggle. The lows of bipolar depression can disrupt your life and be hard to manage. Latuda could make a real difference in your symptoms. Latuda was proven to significantly reduce bipolar depression symptoms, and in clinical studies, had no substantial impact on weight. Now im feeling connected. Empowered. Latuda is not for everyone. Call your doctor about unusual mood changes, behaviors or suicidal thoughts. Antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. Elderly Dementia Patients on latuda have an increased risk of death or stroke. Call your doctor about fever, stiff muscles, and confusion, as these may be lifethreatening, or uncontrollable muscle movements as these may be permanent. These are not all the serious side effects. This is where i want to be. Talk to your doctor and ask if latuda could make the difference youve been looking for in your bipolar depression symptoms. For every idea out there, that gets the love it should there are 5 more that dont succeed youve been looking for and so are lost for good and some of them are pretty flawed and some of them are slightly odd but many are Small Businesses that simply lack the tool to find excited people who will stop and say thats cool and these two, they like this idea and those three like that one. And thats cause personalized ads find good ideas for everyone thats why at americas beverage companies, our bottles are made to be remade. Not all plastic is the same. Were carefully designing our bottles to be one hundred percent recyclable, including the caps. Theyre collected and separated from other plastics, so they can be turned back into material that we use to make new bottles. That completes the circle, and reduces plastic waste. Please help us get every bottle back. Dave do you remember when we kicked you out of the band for recommending the general for our Car Insurance . Yeah. Turns out you were right about the general. Theyre actually a Quality Insurance company thats been saving people money for nearly 60 years. For a great low rate, and nearly 60 years of quality coverage, go with the general. In a shift, President Biden said he now supports a change to the longtanding senate institution, the filibuster. Dont think you have to eliminate the filibuster. You have to do what it used to be when i first got to the senate and back in the old days, when you used to be around there. It almost is getting to a point where there is democracy is having a hard time functioning. And that is happening as some Senate Democrats including majority leader Chuck Schumer say it is time to lower the threshold from passing 60 votes to a simple majority. But Mitch Mcconnell has this warning. Nobody serving in this chamber can even begin, can even begin to imagine what a completely Scorched Earth senate would look like. Everything the Republican Senate did to President Obama would be childs play compared to the disaster that democrats would create for their own priorities. So weve got two experts here joining us now to talk about this. Adam gentleson, staff from former senate reid, author and Republican Former strategist scott jennings. Scott and adam, Thanks For Being here. Look, this is usually a seriously wonky topic. But it is all of the rage in washington this week. And scott, i have to ask you, i mean, what is wrong with the idea of returning to an actual Talking Filibuster. Isnt that a better compromise than getting rid of the filibuster altogether and something that could help a future Republican Administration if theyre trying to pass legislation through congress . Well i dont know what is wrong with the current rules as they stand. They have served our country quite well over the last several decades and as joe biden said, they drive moderation and bipartisanship in the legislative process in washington. The results of the election are clear, we have equal librium in washington. The senate is 50 50, the congress is almost 50 50 and the house was close but tilted toward biden. The American People didnt send a message they wanted one side or the other to have full control. They sent a message they want the sides to work together. The filibuster is the last rule that enforces working together and bipartisanship and policy moderation. So republican view is if it aint broke, dont fix it and there is no reason to make a change. And i have some questions about whether there has been more bipartisanship and moderation in congress as a result of the filibuster. But well get back to that in a second. Adam, take a look at this list of democratic priorities for what they would do. Passing Climate Change legislation, immigration reform, et cetera. Will a change to a Talking Filibuster, which is something that joe biden now said that he wants or he would be open to, but other people like joe manchin has said hes open to, will it actually help democrats accomplish any of those priorities . Well, i think the answer is we dont know. Because weve never seen it enacted in this kind of polarized environment. The Talking Filibuster used to exist. I think what most people think of the flb is the filibuster used to work but it was effective at holding up legislation but it only was applied to civil rights. And so weve never seen what it looks like when you have to actually sustain a Talking Filibuster against everything that comes to the floor. I think that could get very exhausting very quickly and it could be effective in breaking some of the gridlock that you see in washington. At the very least, i think reform is good, it is a good first step. I think if democrats have to go further, maybe they will. But i certainly would like to see that reform tried. So scott, getting back to this point that you were just raising about whether the senate is actually working, lets look at this, you may not be able to see this but our audience could see it is a chart that shows how often motions have been filed in congress. Now nor people at home, this is how we kind of gauge how often the filibuster is being used. And this chart shows in the obama era, a spike of 252 times, but then in the trump era, 328 times. It seems to suggest that this is happening more and more over time. Doesnt that suggest to you that something isnt functioning if the senate if this tool is being used hundreds of times over the course of a president s presidency . Well, what that charts suggests to me is that when donald trump was the president , democrats were all too happy to use the filibuster to try to stifle his nominees and stifle his agenda and now that joe biden is the president they want to do away with it. The blatant hypocrisy is outrageous. We havent had any filibusters since joe biden became the president. The last four years are all democratled and now you have but shouldnt that encourage republicans to want to reform this . No. Senate rules exist for a reason and they exist to protect the rights of the minority. And Mitch Mcconnell made a very, very important statement this week about what would happen if you take away the rights of the minority on the filibuster because then other rules would be used to grind the senate to a halt. Mcconnell is a man of his word. Remember, when harry reid weakened the judicial filibuster, he said you may regret this and sooner than you think. The same thing would happen if they eliminate the legislative filibuster. Democrats would soon regret it and it would be bad for the country to eliminate this rule that protects bipartisanship. And adam, what is your response to that . If the shoe were on the other foot . Sure, sure, well i scott is wrong about the rule being invented to encourage bipartisanship. This wasnt in the constitution or something the framers envisioned and it came about much later in the antebellum and the civil rights era, and it is the main tool used to uphold jim crow. This is to create gridlock and the main reason that our system is gridlocked today. Democrats used it when i was there. Bup the fact is republicans use aalmost twice the race of democrats. It is a tool that encouraged gridlock and allows the Conservative Party to prevent any legislative change from passing and what the flamers wanted to do was create a balance between Majority Rule and mine ort rights. In recent decades that has been tilted toward minority rights in a way that creates gridlock and progressives are trying to tilt that back to a Functioning Government where things pass. You saw that with the American Rescue plan, this isnt a wild Majority Rule run amok legislation, this is supported by 75 of the American People, including a majority of republicans. So i dont think youre going to see wild mob rule here, youre going to see actually a Government Functioning and addressing some of the challenges that we face. Adam just im so sorry scott, but were out of time. Scott jennings and adam well do this for another hour next time, i apromise. Thank you for being with us. And republicans would focus on cancel culture than policy. Will it pay off politically . Washed your hands a lot today . Probably like 40 times. Hands feel dry . Like sandpaper. Introducing new dove handwash, with 5 x moisturizer blend. Removes germs in seconds, moisturizes for hours. Soft, smooth. New dove handwash. Soft, smooth. In a recent clinical study, patients using Salonpas Patch reported reductions in pain severity, using less or a lot less oral pain medicines. And improved quality of life. Ask your doctor about salonpas. Its good medicine. Tonight. Ill be eating loaded tots for march madness. doorbell thanks boo. Piano Glissando i think you better double them tots. No, this me was last year. I didnt get my madness last year, so were doing double the madness this year. The new myww i didnt get my madness last year, gives you more of what you need to help you lose weight more simplicity with the whats in your fridge . Recipe feature. And more motivation with ondemand workout classes. The new myww . Join now, pay later get your first three months free. As republicans aim to regain power in washington, theyre choosing the culture wars over poles plans. Listen to how two protrump republicans framed a statewide candidacy. Just like President Trump, im being cancelled by the silicon tech and Tech Executives who think they can restrict our freedom of speech. Our state needs a leader with the courage to do whats right. Not whats politically correct or convenient. I will not bow down to the radical left, not now, not ever. You can hear a common theme there. Perry bacon is back to discuss this he wrote a piece about this very same dynamic last week, why attacking cancel culture and woke people is the new political strategy. Perry, its really striking to me. One of the statistics you pulled out if your poll shows just how united republicans are on the issues that you might describe as cancel culture. I will put this up on the screen. You can be forgiven for thinking a lot of this is very vague, issues luke there are more than two genders. Its a lot more difficult to be a black person. There are significant obstacles for men compared to men, while you unite the Republican Party. But when you look at some of the republican policy, things that have defined the Republican Party over the years, look at their overall favorability in the american electorate. Its not that favorable. There is a 26 gap in terms of people being more proabortion rights. A 23 gap for more Government Spending and building the border wall is down 10 overall. So it seems to me that its pretty clear here, republicans have decided that its not going to be the policies that gets them to the majority in 2022 or the presidency of 2024, its going to be all this other stuff. I think thats right, abby. Is there a debate in america happening about what our new cultural norms are and what you can say and how you should be adjudicated. You saw on the bachelor with team vogue this week. There is a debate about this. This always happens in america. But you seem to turn cancel culture in the world being discussed as a more sincere way imparting our culture, has become this way to say, everything that they dont like is woke and everyone in business is trying to can sell them. They use these terms cancel culture and woke broadly to anyone that critique them. What you are seeing is there is a wave, an attempt to talk less ability. You saw the stimulus debate. Republicans will not debate the stimulus bill, itself, very much, particularly on fox news and republicans rung for officer and are moving to cultural wars saying Tech Companies or twitter is trying to cancel me. I saw Marjorie Taylor green had an email, people are trying to cancel so just using can sell with broad ideas, to talk about politics, you are seeing it all over the right, right now. I think the question that is for the democrats, will this work . I think the premise of your piece is that it might actually work because its so vague that a broad swath of people might actually agree with this idea that maybe pc culture has gone too far. Is there a risk here for the democrats . The republican Policy Agenda is not particularly popular. But these culture wars have sort of, you know, weve seen this a long time, the silent majority. Law and order a. Lot of these are mixed in, reagan, there is too many people, too many new whites and soak a backlash. A lot are seeing an old republican strategy if new terms around sort of woke and new issues like transjngender peopl. But these things can work because they worked in the past. The Republican Party is divide on minimum wage, the voters might like it but the elites dont. We look at reparations, the Republican Party is unified. Everyone opposes it. Whereas the democratic side is a large debate about racial and gender issues and how far the parties should go on this. Absolutely. But i think its incredibly telling that you got lawmakers in both the house and the senate who are being paid to read dr. Seuss in the halls of congress to make some kind of a political point. Perry bacon, thank you so much for being with us today. Thats it for Inside Politics sunday. Joins every morning 8 00 a. M. , the weekend show at noon eastern time. Coming up next, State Of The Union with jake tapper and dana bash. Danas guests include Homeland Security aAlejandro Mayorka. And dig did you bin and young kim. Thank you for sharing your sunday with us. Emhelp me recall things and also think more clearly. And i enthusiastically recommend prevagen. It has helped me an awful lot. Prevagen. Healthier brain. Better life. If you smell gas, youre too close. Leave the structure, call 911, keep people away, and call pg e right after so we can both respond out and keep the public safe. If you see wires down, treat them all as if theyre hot and energized. Stay away from any downed wire, call 911, and call pg e right after so we can both respond out and keep the public safe. Dont come. Thousands of unaccompanied Migrant Children arrive at the border and agents struggle to provide adequate care and urge them to wait. We are saying dont come now. How will the Biden Administration handle what they refuse to call a crisis. I will speak to Alejandro Mayorka and dick durbin next. Deadly shootings in