fellow lawmakers and -- the same dysfunctional matt -- one thing is certain, more drama in the house this week. house speaker kevin mccarthy's nemesis, and chief tormentor, fellow republican matt gaetz, well, he has announced that he will soon file a motion to remove the speaker. will democrats vote for? that we are gonna get some answers from democratic congressman, and chair of the congressional black caucus stephen -- . plus, i caught up with actress carrie washington, we discussed her passion for voting rights, and engaging others in the political process. you will hear why olivia pope says you are the fixer, in this current political crime at. and i am symone sanders-townsend, and i have something to say. ♪ ♪ ♪ well, that was close, with less than an hour before a government funding was set to expire, president biden signed a 45-day resolution, keeping the government afloat until november 17th. but, it is its journey to the presidents dance desk was needlessly massie, and got drawn out. today, president biden has demand for the budget process going forward. >> we stopped playing games. get this done! i am sick and tired of brinkmanship. and so are the american people. enough is enough is enough. this is not that complicated, the brinkmanship has to end. >> after weeks of pursuing on workable funding resolutions, that even his own party rejected, house speaker kevin mccarthy finally offered a clean funding agreement, to earn his support of 335 house members, including 209 democrats who have been calling for a clean funding resolution from the start. the senate then passed a bill, 88 to 9, with all nays coming from republican senators. so, the millions of federal workers whose paychecks were endangered by republican grandstanding, they can now breathe a sigh of relief. but, only for 45 days, because some of the biggest battles are still ahead, no matter what you have heard the all, funding the united states government is nothing like balancing a checkbook. we are talking about trillions of dollars at stake, and every single decision has an impact on the governments ability to serve you. in the coming weeks, you can expect at least three major points of contention, asked congress negotiates a deal. first, house republicans have demand drastic spending cuts, en deeper than the unsecured in the debt limit deal earlier this year, made with president biden. many conservative members are also hell-bent on attacking inhumane border policies to the legislation, while scaling back, or even completely halting any funds for ukraine. those positions are non starters in the united states senate, but if these past few weeks have proven anything, it's that a number of republicans in congress are just willing to use the governments ability at as a bargaining. chip and house republican infighting could fracture congress even further. you've got far-right congressman matt gaetz saying he will file a motion to vacate next week. this is a move that could put kevin mccarthy's speakership to a floor vote, that could cost him his job. here's what gaetz had to say, about the matter this morning. >> i do intend to file a motion to vacate against speaker mccarthy this week. i think we need to rip off the band-aid, i think we need to move on with new leadership, that can be trustworthy. >> do you really think that democrats are going to vote to remove kevin mccarthy, because he made a deal with democrats? >> no, i actually think that democrats are going to bail out kevin mccarthy. >> some days, matt gaetz just doesn't make sense to me. there are members of the congressional progressive caucus like congresswoman alexandria ocasio-cortez, and representatives omar and the chairwoman of the caucus, jayapal, who have already said that they would vote to oust mccarthy. others in the democratic caucus, say that they will take their cues from democratic leader hakeem jeffries. once the motion to vacate is filed, it will take two legislative days before a floor vote is taken. and if mccarthy loses, he will be removed immediately. remember folks, this drama was brought to you by kevin mccarthy himself, all because of a deal he made with extreme republican colleagues just to win the speaker's gavel, back in january, after 15 votes. but mccarthy, well, he doesn't seem worried. >> he says he is coming for you, can you survive? >> yes, i survived. you know, this is personal with matt, he is, more interested in securing tv interviews than doing something. >> okay, we'll stay tuned, grab your popcorn, and start of the clock folks. because 25 days is quicker than you think. joining me now is democratic congressman and chair of the congressional black caucus steven horsford of nevada. welcome to you sir, appreciate you coming in today. first off, let's get right to it. would you support a motion to vacate if it comes to the floor? >> well first, let me extend my condolences, and remembrance today is the anniversary of the one october shooting, which was the largest mass shooting in las vegas, the largest mass shooting in u.s. history. and so, the survivors, their families are still grappling with the loss of their loved ones, and the impact of their lives. and, we will never forget, and i wanted to start off by saying. that >> absolutely, very harrowing. gun violence is something that is gripping this country, and i know it is an issue that you and the caucus are focused on. >> absolutely. now, to the issue of vacating in the chair. look, kevin mccarthy has already vacated the chair. the leader of the house of representatives, the next speaker, is hakeem jeffries. why do i say that? because he is responsible for delivering more votes to avert this extreme maga republican shutdown, he delivered more votes during the fiscal cliff fiasco. there was that was caused, again, by extreme maga republicans. kevin mccarthy never cared about the american people, or their priorities. and, it has been leader jeffries who has delivered, time and again, so the gavel has already been turned over, and it has been turned over to hakeem jeffries, who will be the next speaker. >> so, just as a matter of formality, right, technically, hakeem jeffries is the minority leader, he is the leader of the democratic caucus, and the democrats now have the majority in the house of representatives. and so, if the speaker mccarthy still has the gavel, so if a motion to vacate does come to the floor, are you saying that you, yourself, or even members of the congressional black caucus, would vote to oust him? because, for people out, there it is not whether it is a vote for hakeem jeffries, or a vote for speaker mccarthy. if a motion to vacate comes to the four, it's like you support a vacate, or no? >> well first, matt gaetz is exhausting. i have said this time and again, he has used the house of representatives, and his extreme positions, to divide our country on everything. and, i think kevin mccarthy can now agree, matt gaetz is exhausting. i am going to follow my leader, because he is the leader, not just of the democrats, because he is the one who is keeping our country together. not only is this about millions of americans who are going to continue to get their paychecks, this is about women who have been worried about the criminalizing of reproductive health care. this is about title i schools, that were on the chopping block. this is about extreme republicans, who wanted to cut 70% of funding, from programs like the -- program, which provides heating to low income seniors, or cutting programs for nutrition for children, and seniors. outside of the personalities of matt gaetz and marjorie taylor greene, there are real issues. they are not serious, kevin mccarthy is not serious, it is the democrats who continue to deliver, and it is akeem jeffries who is leading our caucus towards these victories. >> i will just remind people out there that you are absolutely right. i mean, 209 democrats voted for this continuing resolution yesterday. and, just do the math, there are not enough, there are 335 people total, 209 democrats, you do the math, it looks like democrats brought it over the hump. we will be watching what is happening, i know congress is coming back, what on monday, you all? art >> sadly we are here, if we didn't get to go home. i wanted to be in las vegas for the one october remembrance, and for other activities of my constituents. but we are here, because republicans have failed to do their job, all year. they just rammed through three of the 12 appropriations bills. but because of that, we still have nine more bills to get through, in order to fund the rest of the federal budget, which i hope we will be able to come together, and find a bipartisan vote to do. >> so what happens 45 days from now? like, are we gonna be right back here in this position? >> if kevin mccarthy continues to concede the gavel to the extreme faction, like he has done, sadly, we will likely be there once again. >> right before thanksgiving. >> but if he works with leader jeffries, i think we will continue to deliver for the american people. >> i want to switch gears sir, and talking about a letter that you and the congressional black caucus put out today, in support of congresswoman barbara lee. to fill the vacancy, in the united states senate, created by senator feinstein's passing. and, governor gavin newsom has been very clear, he said early on that he would appoint a black woman. and then, he got even a little bit more clear, i guess, and said that well, he is not going he is going to point a -- that wants to run for the seat. so, essentially, he would make a lame duck appointment. why did the, why did you in the caucus feel is necessary to put that letter out today? and what is your message to governor newsom? >> well first of, all it wasn't just a letter, i have spoken to the governor, both in person and by phone several, times of the last few months, weeks, and days. and, in addition to that, this is bigger than any one person. i believe, and the majority of the congressional black caucus believe, and the most qualified person, on day one, to fulfill the legacy of senator diane feinstein, is none other than congresswoman barbara lee. she has the foreign affairs experience, she has the budget experience, at a time when cuts to every program that helps working people and families is under assault. she has the experience, when it comes to fighting for social and economic justice, and women's rights. and at a time when all of our rights are under attack, we need the most prepared person to help us in the senate. the senate is only 50/50 51 seat majority, and we need every one of those senators to do right, and to go to battle every single day. and barbara elias for her to do that. so, we have implored pit governor newsom. >> metal has the governor said, in response? because publicly, he is saying he is not going to appoint someone this friday. >> well, what i have asked us for the governor to reconsider, public statements that may or may not be exactly what he has intended. and, to do what is right, based on the legacy, the long-standing legacy that he has upheld, prior to this. governor newsom has delivered for the people of california, and we are asking for him to understand the moment of this appointment, not only for the people of california, but for the people of the united states. and yes, our very democracy, that depends on the person that we put into this position. >> a lot of black women are definitely watching. -- thank you so much for coming in today, we really appreciate you. and you know, if anything pops, if you just call, us and come on back, we appreciate your time. >> thank you symone. >> thank you. all right, now congress, they managed to keep the lights on for another 45 days. but, are they going to be able to pass ukraine funding? or, agree and other spending priorities before we are right back where we started. pennsylvania senator bob casey joins me next, with some answers. and later, my conversation with actress carrie washington, she has got a new book out, and has some advice for black women about getting engaged in politics. but first, my colleague and our guest richard louis is here, with today's other top news stories. richard, what is going on out there in america? >> hey simone, good sunday to you. about 500 people in south central illinois, now heading back home, after a truck carrying potentially toxic -- was in a deadly crash. it led to evacuations in that area, killing five people, including a father and two children. thousands of gallons of -- were spilled, they're treating a dangerous gas plume. authorities say there is no indication that those toxins played a role in the deaths. a federal judge blocked two provisions of north carolina's abortion ban. yesterday's order means that abortion providers can continue to provide medication for abortion at early stages of pregnancy. and also, it stops enforcement of a rule that requires abortions after 12 weeks for cases like rape and incest, to be performed only in hospitals, and not in reproductive health clinics. and, the body of late senator diane feinstein is back in her native san francisco today. her daughter catherine, former house speaker nancy pelosi, accompanied her flag draped casket. feinstein was the first woman to serve as san francisco's mayor in 1978, before becoming the first woman to serve as senator, from california as well. more simone, after this break. fter this break. now subway's slicing their ham fresh. like on the new grand slam ham. piled high with double the cheese and more meat. i'd like to tackle one of these after a game. quarterbacks can't tackle anything! [♪♪] there's a way to cut your odishwashing time by 50%.. try dawn powerwash dish spray. it removes 99% of grease and grime in half the time. it cleans so well, you can replace multiple cleaning products. the power goes out and we still have wifi try dawn powerwash. to do our homework. and that's a good thing? great in my book! who are you? no power? no problem. introducing storm-ready wifi. now you can stay reliably connected through power outages with unlimited cellular data and up to 4 hours of battery back-up to keep you online. only from xfinity. home of the xfinity 10g network. >> the government may be funded for the next 45 days, but calendars must reach a deal to fund it through the same time next year. we've talked a lot about the funding chaos in the house. now we get to talk about the senate and how that chamber will move forward. joining me now to discuss is democratic senator bob casey of pennsylvania. welcome, senator. it's good to see you. let's start with your reaction to this continuing resolution. what do you think is right and where is the room for improvement? >> thank you for having me on. number one, we are able to stop the draconian cuts that house republicans want to impose upon the country. you consider what they would do, not just enjoying the government but the way they voted today before the terrible cut, 30% voted -- cutting heads, cutting meals on wheels, cutting childcare, everything you can think of it that the federal government and invest in when it comes into families and communities they want to cut. we stop that from happening. we were able because a democratic leadership to make sure we were acting like responsible adults. i'm not sure the house republican leaders were demonstrating that at all. thirdly, we made it very clear that even though they, the only reason there is no ukraine money in this, this continuing resolution is because republicans blocked it. we have to start on monday. as soon as we start work tomorrow on getting the consensus around the ukraine money so we can invest in that courageous country, the brave fighters who are taking on vladimir putin. the murderous reign, trying to destroy a country. we >> senator, we heard from president biden today. he implored congress, particularly house republicans, to just stop playing games. to make sure that the ukrainian funding comes to pass. are you confident that congress can actually pass stand-alone legislation to secure more funding for the war in ukraine? i know senator michael bennet helped held up the vote because of the ukraine funding was not included. where do we stand right now? >> i think we will. not without a lot of work. we have a long way to go on this in terms of continuing to make it clear to the american people what's at stake. vladimir putin cannot prevail here. we have to make it very clear to house republicans and to the world if you are standing in the way of continuing the investments in ukraine, you're not on the side of democracy. you're on the side of putin. it's as simple as that. there's no in between. you are there on the side of the people of ukraine and america and democracy, or your supporting the -- maybe the worst autocrat in the world, in recent history. i think that messaging has to be very clear. also, the investment that americans derived from it. we are creating a lot of jobs by making this investment. supporting communities as we support the people of ukraine. >> you know, senator, my abc news colleagues reported yesterday that the reason republicans in the senate blocked this ukraine funding was because they came together and stood in opposition to senator mitch mcconnell. there are thoughts that perhaps support within the republican caucus and the senate for ukraine is waning. senator mitch mcconnell does not necessarily have a hold on his caucus as he once had. do you share those concerns and those thoughts? >> simone, i don't think i have enough insight into the republican thinking on the leader. i will say this. this is rare for me to say this about a republican leader. the good news here on ukraine is that leader mcconnell and leader schumer have been working together to get that funding. not just going forward, in the recent past. i think there's a lot of support on the republican side of the senate. unfortunately, the house is where we have to continue to make the argument about how important a system of democracy and our own security. >> last year, sir, speaker mccarthy said throughout this entire process of funding the government and this conversation around ukraine, it was the senate that hasn't done one thing. that's a quote from him. don he said the house did all the work. what's your response to that? >> well, i don't think he should be lecturing the senate after what he took the country through the last couple of days. we came very close to a shut down because of speaker mccarthy. not being able to engage his extreme members to act rationally, instead of acting like, i won't go into comparisons to what they're not doing. here is the reality. speaker mccarthy should make it clear to the country that he is going to come up with an agreement with senate republicans and senate democrats to fund the government for the whole fiscal year instead of playing games. by the way, the senate right now the, appropriations work, getting those committee -- i feel confident we can get that done and on the rest of the pistol year. >> democratic senator bob casey of pennsylvania, thank you very much, sir, for joining us this afternoon. >> thank, you simone. we know that our democracy is under attack. just look at january six. or basically anything out of donald trump's now. president biden has been sounding the alarm. coming up, i will make that case that democracy isn't just under attack, our democracy is broken. the question, is can it be fixed. i think it can. i will talk about how. that is next. you're replacing me? customize and save with liberty bibberty. he doesn't even have a mustache. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ (vo) the new iphone 15 pro with titanium is here. only pay for what you need. get it on us, with verizon's best business unlimited plans. get the new iphone 15 pro, on us. it's your business, it's your verizon. >> president biden has been sounding the alarm. most recently in a speech last week in arizona, pleading with all americans to defend our democracy from the forces that could destroy it. take a listen. >> we should all remember, democracies don't have to die at the end of a rifle. they can die when people are silent. when they failed to stand up for condemn threats to democracy. if people are way filling to give away that is why this precious to them, because they feel alienated a disillusioned, i get it. i really do, i get it. for all its faults, american democracy remains the best path forward, to be quality. i'm asking you, regardless of whether you're a democrat, republican, independent, but the preservation of our democracy before everything else. put our country first. over the past few years we should be proud of the american democracy. proud of what we've been able to hold on to. we can't take democracy for granted. >> the presidents plea is a genuine one. he's very clearly not giving up on our country. i don't think we should either. to protect our democracy, we must except this truth. we have to do all understand that our democracy is broken. we have been shouting from the rooftops that maga extremists, right-wing with publicans, and violent election deniers want to bring our democracy down. i would argue that in some way shape and form they already have. if you need any proof of, that listen carefully. in america right now, a former president like donald trump, he can specialize, he can stand accused of not numerous crimes, 91 counts. he can still be the republican front runner to be the nominee for president again. exhibit a, our democracy is broken. here in america, supreme court justice can be threat with impeachment and removal without even hearing one case because republicans in the state legislature don't like how they think she will rule. i would say our democracy is broken. here in america, people have to go to court over and over again just to ensure that black and brown voters can have their voices heard. fair elections can be properly represented. our democracy is broken. despite all of that there is hope. there is a path forward. if we can accept that our democracy is broken, i think it will help us understand the work you must do to fix it. we have to acknowledge that our democracy is already in shambles. the work that is before us is holding it together. building it back up. salvaging the democracy that we have left. we have to be united a raid engaged and vigilant. we have to just understand that, yes, our democracy is on the ballot. yes, there are anti-democratic forces working to tear our democracy down. to be very clear, we are currently in peril. there is work we can do to save it. when we come back we're going to continue this democracy conversation and talk about how democracy itself has become a kitchen table issue for the american people. and going to ask my political panel to read some tea leaves about kevin mccarthy's future as house speaker. can he survive matt gaetz threat to oust him. we will talk and find out. don't go away. don't go away. you need sinex saline from vicks. just sinex, breathe, ahhhh! what is — wow! sinex. breathe. ahhhhhh! every day, more dog people, and more vets are deciding it's time for a fresh approach to pet food. they're quitting the kibble. and kicking the cans. and feeding their dogs dog food that's actually well, food. developed with vets. made from real meat and veggies. portioned for your dog. and delivered right to your door. >> the underpinning democracy it's smarter, healthier pet food. get 50% off your first box at thefarmersdog.com/realfood in the constitution, the declaration of independence, all those things that provide for the certainty that everybody gets a shot. we the people, i know it sounds corny. that's what we're talking about. everything is happening now, it's designed to prevent that from happening. the peoples voice. >> the peoples voice. president biden is right. in his recent interview with propublica, he acknowledges the peoples voice is under attack. what can we do to build up the democracy we just discussed that's already broken. we must admit it needs fixing. frankly, voters are ready and they need to hear that. this year democracy has become a kitchen table issue for americans. the 19th has a new article. there's new research saying people are, quote, paying attention to baot access, vote now vacation and state legislation aimed at changing the rules in response to certain electoral outcomes. how our democracy works and for whom is a topic for many households. in a way that it hasn't been in recent history. let's get into that and some of the chaos on capitol hill with my political panel, elaine castro's here, the former secretary of housing and urban development, he was the 2020 presidential candidate, joe walsh is also here. a former republican congressman from illinois. joe walsh two once ran for president. mister secretary, i will start with you. i want to know your take on this idea about our democracy. we keep talking about it. i don't think enough people, frankly, candidates are lawmakers are talking enough about our democracy. do you agree that we should just be a little bit more honest with folks and know that our democracy is already broken, what we're fighting for is to put pieces back together and protect what we currently have left? >> yes, i do, symone. the speech that president biden gave yesterday, there to honor his friends, the former senator john mccain. someone from the other party. i thought it was great mauro modeling of what our democracy is about. also a very clear call that all of us have a role to play in protecting it. we have to acknowledge that it is broken and it needs fixing. everyone has a role to play in doing that. people going to the ballot box, congress has a role to play. the department of justice in protecting fundamental rights in the ability of voters to cast their ballots. of course, courts, there is also challenges with that. in the history of this country, the united states of america, when it comes to democracy, has faced very dark moments before. each time the majority of people in this country have been able to summon the will to propel that democracy forward. to continue to try to perfect our union. i believe we can do that again the presidents words, i think, were spot on. more people should be paying attention to this issue. more people should keep it in mind as they go to the polls in november of 2024. we have somebody on the other side, donald, trump if he gets elected, he wants to repair democracy up. make it something we don't even recognize anymore. >> quite literally donald trump has talked about tearing up the constitution. joe, as the secretary just noted, president biden gave that speech on democracy in front of many members of the late senator john mccain's family. he was explicitly trying to reach across the aisle of this issue, noting this isn't about democrats or republicans. it's about us as americans. do you think that people are listening? >> not enough, simone. by the, way thank you for your words before the break. trying to help get people to listen. look, this is the issue of our time. the president of the united states has that pulpit. he should talk about defending our democracy, every single day between now and the election. simone, here's the scary truth. i say this as someone who comes from maga. the maga movement has taken over one of our two major political parties. the country needs to know that. moderna is not some fringe movement within the republican party. it is the republican party. i say this again as someone who comes from aga. maga is an anti-democracy movement. what do we need to do right now? we need to make sure right now that maga is defeated in 2024. that is our charge. this point about mcgrath being a fringe movement, being a part of the republican party apparatus, i used to be a professional or fellow before before i had a television show. beforin my class i talked aboue different factions in the apparatus. there used to diss be, i would argue, two factions in the republican party, conservatives and tea party republicans. and i have maga, you have qanon folks. all of this hodgepodge of different ideologies that are a key tenant of republicanism right now. it's playing out in the house of representatives. i am concerned about what we are hearing coming out of this government shutdown. you have speaker mccarthy who went to the cameras and gave an alternate reality. he was talking about hunter biden and café milano and the president saying that the president didn't not want to work with him to avoid the shutdown. mister secretary, this does not bode well for the next 45 days. this large conversation we're having about democracy, it's like we're not even reading from the same hymn book. >> what can you say except this is republicans in disarray. this is a party at war with itself in washington. of course we should have known that. it took 15 rounds of voting to get -- speaker of the first place. and now the vitriol and loading is even greater amongst these factions. what i take solace in, and when i take spoken, democrats were able to help stave off a shut down. so we're hundred nine republicans, including the speaker, who said he finally wanted to be an adult in the room. in this instance, he was compared to the 91 republicans, the maga extremists, under any circumstance we're just going to let the government shutdown unless they gave him anything he wanted. for the next 45 days, my hope is that democrats will continue to press the case of being steady, of making sure that we fund the government the way that we should, investing in the united states the way we should. that kevin mccarthy will be able to cobble together enough support somehow to be able to keep things on track. i don't know that that's going to happen. look at what happened with john boehner and paul ryan. huge ushered out in their own different ways. it doesn't give me great hope that mccarthy is not going to meet the same faith. we may well be faced in that with someone who's more extreme. the american people can clearly see how isolated and extreme this maga group is. joe biden has been very savvy. i think justified in pointing that out more vocally and loudly. and these last two weeks than he has in the entirety of his administration. >> i would agree on that. you know, i'm not even going to ask about matt gaetz. joe, i know how you feel. matt gaetz wants us to talk about him. jake tapper handled him very aptly on his show. -- but the thing on the floor and we will talk about. i want to talk about student loans. the payments resume today. americans are dealing with these rising costs. and a few seconds i have, left what kind of impact do you all believe this will have on every day americans. joe, quickly. >> well, quickly, we could have an hour-long conversation on this. this is an issue that can go either way politically. there are a lot of americans, simone, who are opposed to bailing out people who took loans out to go to college. i know the inclination is that we've got to forgive all of the student loan debt. you know what, it doesn't play well with the 85% of americans who paid off their student student loans and didn't go to college. >> mister secretary, i'm at a time. i'm gonna let you respond. >> it shows that this is something that would be popular. it's not only those young people that might be in their twenties and 30s, even their 40s, 50s, that have their student loan debts. it's all their family members. they have to pay that debt off. many families and different generations are affected by this. i think they're going to hold republicans accountable for blocking student loan debt relief. >> all right, we will leave it there. former secretary julián castro, and joe walsh, thank you very much. coming up, folks. we are shining e simone spotlight on to people who know it's -- about fixing a problem. scandal superstar carrie washington and opinion more, the chair of the national convention. why they say voters are the real fixers right now. s. there's fresh sliced turkey on the titan turkey. fresh sliced ham on the grand slam ham. five meats on the beast! and look at that double cheese! try subway's tastiest refresh yet. this is american infrastructure, a prime target for cyberattacks. but the same ai-powered security that protects all of google also defends these services for everyone who lives here. ♪ >> >> this weekend, we are shining the spotlight on the importance of civic engagement. to do that, i called on scandals one and only elizabeth libby upheld herself. i sat down with actress, activists, and author carrie washington ahead of her more thicker than water. i also sat down with many on more, ahead of the democratic national convention. just a powerhouse. these two women are folks who have been known as political fixers and we discuss how you are the fixers we need right now. take a listen to the highlights from our powerhouse conversation, hosted by the black women's agenda during congressional black caucus week. >> i feel like service is a way out of despair. >> that is right. >> i'm overwhelmed by the state of the world. when i feel like there's so many problems the community, there's so much we have to fix, where we start. the environment, voting, rights isn't reproductive rights, what do we do? if i can plug into action and service, i can get out of the feelings and be part of the solutions. >> this election is going to be critical. it's not just that there is a presidential election. 11 states are choosing governors in 2024. every single member of the house of representatives is in control of the senate. there's a record number of black women running. what would it mean for you to see a black woman in the senate again. right now, there isn't one black woman serving. >> isn't that something? >> we had to give up the senate to be vp. it shouldn't be an either or. we should be able to have an abundance when you look at the genus in this room. i have to say, i know you will relate to this. i woke up on 2016, the morning after the election. and my social media was flooded with olivia pope, you have to fix this. >> they're like, olivia. [laughter] olivia needs to show up. >> it's the same with minion. we have this culture of hero or ship where we put the solution and other peoples hands. in my, case we are trying to put the solution in a magically airy characters hands. i'm thinking, people, olivia pope doesn't have as much power as you do. olivia pope can't vote. olivia pope can't knock on doors and get people to register. olivia pope can't make phone calls. so, for me, a lot of the work has been about trying to remind people in the community, trying to remind every black woman that you are the olivia pope of the community. you are the fixer. it's not about olivia pope fixing the election. it's about how many people didn't vote in the election. that every one of these people gave their power. that's why voting rights is so important. actually, for me, i get so overwhelmed by how much needs to be fixed. education, health care, the environment, reproductive rights, all of it. i think, okay, at least if we are fighting for voting rights, we're fighting for our voice. not giving up our voice in all of those issues. if i want to impact all those areas, i have to show up. >> black women have showed up, they've showed out, they keep showing up. and now we got to get other people just like you to show up and show out. this is a consequential election. people keep talking about, oh, this is the most consequential election in the lifetime. this will shape decades everyone that has a child in this room, this election is for them. if you have grandchildren, this election, democracy is being torn asunder before our very eyes. we have to take it very seriously. >> our participation can change things. for me, it really is just understanding that, we are not that far removed from jim crow. we are not that far removed from separate water fountains and separate school and our rights being illegally denied from us at every turn. the fact that we are sitting here in this room for so many beautiful, bold, black women who are leaving at every space and place, it feels sort of like a revival. >> there was none on capitol hill making decisions, no. they work for us. we literally pay their salaries. we pay our taxes, we pay their salaries. we are not bossing up. people run around, they're not working for us, they're not making decisions and -- we're giving them our cash. that's not okay. >> what do you want people to take from this? >> thank you for saying that. >> i think what happened when i got this reveler tory information from my parents, what i realized was that in many ways, i have spent my life up until now being a supportive character in my parents narrative. it was time for me to be lead character in the story of my life. and that's also what i'm looking for in the civic engagement work. for each of us to know that we deserve to be the hero in the story of our lives. we deserve to get to vote and participate and be part of the solution. just that we matter. when we don't vote, it's as if we don't care. whether you vote or not, you vote. we are either part of the solution, part of the problem. not voting is about. so, when we don't vote, we don't step into solutions, we are giving our power away. i think for me, writing the book was truly an exercise in trying to walk the walk and step into my power, to say i matter. not just the characters i play, not just the people i love, do i have the courage to center myself. so, i really hope that in community, we all have the courage to center ourselves and take responsibility for our power, to show up for ourselves and our families and our communities. whatever that looks like to you. please, let it include civic engagement. ea se, let it include civic>> my te washington, and minyon moore, and the black women's agenda for making that great conversation possible. we're going to have a little bit more of that on our peacock show on monday. when we come back, y'all, a very special message for our oldest living former president jimmy carter on his 99th birthday. don't go away. don't go away. ing it to safelite. my customer was enjoying her new car, when her windshield cracked. [gasp] >> customer: my car! >> tech vo: she didn't take it to the dealer. she scheduled with safelite. we have the latest technology for the newest vehicles. and we do more replacements and recalibrations than anyone else. >> customer: thank you so much. >> tech: don't wait-- schedule now. ♪ pop music ♪ >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪ (bobby) my store and my design business? we're exploding. but my old internet, was not letting me run the show. so, we switched to verizon business internet. they have business grade internet, nationwide. (vo) make the switch. it's your business. it's your verizon. >> before we go, i want to wish former president jimmy carter a happy 99th birthday. president carter is now the longest-living president. at least 20 members of the carter family gathered to celebrate the former presidents on his very special day in his hometown of plains georgia. president biden sent the birthday message to carter commanding his integrity, character, determination. the former president entered hospice care in february. thankfully he's able to still spend his days with the former first lady, rosalynn. we wish him all the best on such an amazing milestone birthday. thank you all out there for watching symone on this sunday. i'm symone sanders-townsend. you can catch me on msnbc weekends at four pm eastern. anytime over on peacock. you can find us on instagram, a site formally known as twitter. of, course tiktok. politics nation with the great reverend al sharpton is up next. rev, i want to congratulate you on your march on washington syllabus kayla. you had a visionary leadership in the fight for suitable rights. they had to create a new award. so well deserved. we are so blessed to know you. i know you have a packed show today including congressman barbara lee. given that letter, i want to see what she has to say. >> i'm excited about talking to her and about what happens on the floor of the house during this traumatic politically experience. thank, you you help present to the. award you and i both could be in washington. my daughter ashley received an award. people are excited about your