Secretary betsy devos who does not have a background in either education or medicine said its time to go back to school. Kids need to get back to school. They need to get back in the classroom. Families need for kids to get back in the classroom. And it can be done safely. I know for fact that there are many schools that have been working hard to put together their plans for moving ahead. And we want to see every school district, every state, doing the same thing. To say not what we cant do but what were going to do and what we can do. Were a country of action and doers and we need people to work hard and figure this out. Joining me now senator Debby Stabenow of michigan, a member of the budget and finance committees. Senator, when you hear by the way before we start i want to say congratulations on your new show. Im so excited for you. Its going to be great to see on at that time. Oh, thank you so much, senator. Thats very kind of you. Thank you very much. When you listen to betsy devos who has never had any belief in Public Schools. She seems to prefer private religious schools to Public Schools ordering along with the president ordering third and fourth graders, High School Students to go back to school even though we havent done the work in this country that countries in europe going back to school have done. I mean, what is your reaction to that . Well, it just is another in a series of outrages, joy. And when i think about this, you know the president cant just bully or tweet that schools are going to be safe. We have to do the work as you said. And if they were serious, they would have passed my bipartisan bill that i introduced two weeks ago. Called the reopen School Safety act. We would have done it before Mitch Mcconnell decided that the senate should be on recess for two weeks. You know, im talking to teachers, superintendents, all across michigan. We are running out of time to get them the resources to be able to do this correctly. We have got to make sure our teachers have protective gear, bus drivers. The custodians, everybody working with children. That the schools the classrooms are distanced appropriately. That they address whats happening in the cafeterias, the buses and so on. That takes resources and the way we fund schools has because its going to the economy theres less revenue available at the state. So the money is going down for regular School Operations and we know now nationally theyre estimating close to 2 million to keep our kids safe. So our kids are worth it and they need to do more than just be talking. They need to join us to actually do something. And your bill as you mentioned would you know provide for the cost of keeping kids safe, of keeping the lunch ladies, everybody else safe. The Editorial Board said the federal government must open the checkbook. And the installation of physical barriers in common areas, increased cleaning and daily health checks. The necessary protective measures would cost 1. 8 million for an average district of eight schools with more than 13,000 School Districts in the United States, the total really adds up. You know, theres two pieces to this question. One part of it is will Mitch Mcconnell as you said, you guys are in recess, bring the senate back to pass the money . It is already almost mid july. Theres not a lot of time to retrofit schools to make them as safe as a meat packing house. Theyre already trying to retrofit. You saw the big fight that your governor had with people in the state bringing guns to the capitol to protest having to wear masks. Theres a lot of people that are sort of the antivaxxers of covid and refuse to participate and refuse to accept the science including the president. How can you open school at all when we havent gotten through the pandemic . First of all, youre absolutely right. The only way to reopen schools and the economy, since the very beginning, its been getting our arms around the pandemic. And what do we need to do to manage it . Until we get the vaccine. And let me remind you, we need to remind people all the time, january 20th was our first public case of covid, same day as south korea. They tested 40 times more people than we did. Our president said it was one case. Did almost nothing for three months and put us in a situation, majority of the lives lost did not have to happen and now were here again because theres no national strategy. And what do we do for our children and for schools . So we come back july 20th. And we should be passing this bill july 20th because the reality is if we do what im guessing Mitch Mcconnell will o do, hell take the next three weeks, we are in session according to his calendar until the end of the first week in august. Hell run it up to the deadline and then here well be. Here we will be where schools are trying to figure out what to do. Most go back in michigan after labor day. Some in other places of the country go back in august. And nothing will have been done. And so you cant put children and teachers and everyone that is involved in our children in this kind of a spot. Theyre putting them in impossible situations again. And we know our children need to be going back to school. They want to go back to school. Parents, grandparents, everybody wants that to happen. But shame on the federal government if its not done in a safe way. Yeah. Well said, senator. Well be praying for your michigan schools. You guys are better off in states like florida. At least you have actual leadership in your state. Thank you very much. Have a wonderful rest of your weekend. Lets bring in the president of the National Educational association and Jamaal Bowman a candidate for congressman from new york. He actually won his seat in new york and will be headed to congress this week and hes a principal of a middle school. Thank you both for being here. I want to start with you. In europe they have gotten a handle on covid19. They have done what theyve needed to do in places like italy, even in england where they had some struggles. These countries can reopen the schools because they have done step one which is control the virus. New york has done a really good job of getting it under control. You saw the leadership by the new york governor but i think of a state like florida and think of liberty city, predominantly black and brown communities, where they dont even have enough books and resources and computers for kids. How on earth will schools like that be able to retrofit appropriately . If my team can put up the picture of the school classroom. Kids are on top of each other. How do you get a third grader to socially distance from their friends on the black top . That doesnt happen. How can this possibly happen and what will you say to betsy devos if she agreed to talk with us this morning . So that classroom looked like the year i had 39 people in the classroom. Heres the thing. If you took a list of all of the things that the countries that donald trump was talking about, they opened schools in denmark and germany and australia and said heres what they did, states like texas and florida are doing the exact opposite. Youre absolutely right. The first thing, homework, they made sure the infection rates were constantly down. Denmark the day that donald trump used denmark as an example had ten new cases and the United States had 55,442. So first of all, its apples and bowling balls theyre trying to compare here. But heres another thing. And i hope that enough senators were listening to senator stabenow because we need federal help. A business needed federal help in this pandemic. We supported the c. A. R. E. S. Act. That was help for our childrens families. Our students families. Why cant we have the very same consideration as shake shack got . When denmark and germany and the rest of them opened heres what they did. With a national response. National strong leadership. They made teachers and support staff essential emergency workers. They came to the top of the list for testing and tracing and treatment. We had access they had access to the masks, distance none of that is being made available in american Public Schools. Just threats of taking your federal funding. By the way, federal funding for Public School, thats your special ed funding. Thats your school lunch funding. Just do it. Wave the magic wand and do it. I just have i just have to say, they have no plan. Donald trump, betsy devos they have no plan. All they have are threats. But full teachers and principals and School Boards all around the country right now are not waiting for an answer from donald trump and betsy devos. We have been working day in and day out to say how could we create and use this space, how could we creatively shift kids . These would be temporary measures to say, get those kids some of what they need in person and education. But having someone come up and say, ill bully you, please, please under no circumstances take education or medical advice from donald trump or betsy devos. Teachers, principals, School Boards were the ones that have to solve this problem but we need help. Yeah. You know, mr. Bowman, you know, you have been a principal. You know what this is like, how difficult it would be to get students to socially distance. We know how young people are. Theyre social creatures, it will be very difficult. So the American Academy of pediatrics, theyre concerned about Remote Learning being a problem. Theyre concerned about increased social isolation. Theyre worried about those impacts. Of course their main interest most severely black and brown children and low income children and those with learning disabilities so they said it would be good to get kids back in school. But you as a former principal, youre running a school this coming fall what would you need in order to reopen schools and would you for instance feel comfortable reopening in florida where disney world is reopening again. Some of the kids might have been at disney world and yelling and screaming on the roller coaster and getting covid and sharing it. Would you feel comfortable opening . No, even here in new york where we flattened the curve i would not feel comfortable. We need the full resources of the federal government. We need to bring the full resources to bear on our resources across the country. I would not feel comfortable sending my child to school. We need to pass the heroes act to make sure the resources are made available. We need to retrofit the school building. We need to increase ventilation. We need to hire more teachers and we need to be innovative to use spaces throughout our city and state that arent being used to make sure we keep class sizes as small as possible. We need to mandate masks, we need to increase our cleaning and make it more efficient and better. There are so many things to do but it start with resources from the federal government. If i were still a principal and we did not get the resources, i would refuse to open my school. And i would work with our parents to organize against reopening because, you know, as we said before, parents want kids back in school. Grandparents want kids back in school, i want my two kids back in school but im not risking my children under the incompetence of the federal government. We need their full resources to bear. Absolutely. It is amazing to me that you could possibly mandate kids and lunch the people that work in the lunchroom, janitors, put all of those people in danger and not have a mask mandate thats completely upside down and backwards. If my children were still school age they would not be going back. Thank god i dont have to deal with that, theyre big. I dont have can i correct something . Yes, sure. Sure. The academy of pediatrics were appalled at how the Trump Administration misused their their information. The first thing they said is you dont even think about this until the infection rate would not put kids in danger. They did not quote that part of the research and the academy of pediatrics has joined the ama in saying that you dont have to sacrifice a Childs Health or their social Emotional Development in anything else. Were all on the same page. Thank you very much for that correction. Very important to get that under control. Because yeah, clearly thats their primary focus is childrens health. Thank you very much. Be safe and be well. Coming up, a. M. Joy legends will be on the other side of this break. Joy legends will be on the other side of this break ok like we wont wait were taking everything we wanted we can do it all strength, no sweat a lot of folks ask me why their dishwasher doesnt get everything clean. I tell them, it may be your detergent. Thats why more dishwasher brands recommend cascade platinum. With the soaking, scrubbing and rinsing built right in. For sparklingclean dishes, the first time. Cascade platinum. Im sitting here today in the u. S. Capitol talking to our elected professionals, talking to our elected professionals is proof you made the right decision 40 years ago to leave the soviet union and come here to the United States of america in search of a better life for our family. Do not worry, i will be fine for telling the truth. One of the key witnesses in the impeachment of trump, Alexander Vindman announced his retirement this week. Vindman was set to receive a promotion, but government officials became concerned that the white house would intervene to block it. But vindmans courage in speaking truth to power has secured his place in the history books. Im struck by the word dont that phrase do not worry. You addressed to your dad. Why do you have confidence that you can do that and tell your dad not to worry . Congressman, because this is america. This is the country i have served and defended. That all of my brothers have served and here right matters. Joining me now, malcolm nance, contributor and author of the plot to betray america. Sarah kendzior, and Naveed Jamali, author of how to catch a russian spy. Thank you all for being here. The new yorker has called it trumps impeachment revenge. That vindman has been bullied into retiring, secretary of defense esper was told. To dig for misconduct that would justify blocking his promotion. They couldnt find anything. His fate got caught up in the future of the more than 1,200 officers awaiting promotions. Here is what senator duckworth had to say about his retirement. Oh, im reading it. Im listening for a sound bite. Vindman sets a dark new precedent that any commander in chief can interfere with routine based promotions while upholding the oath of office. Malcolm nance, im giving the first commentary on all of this to you. Well, of course, donald trump is corrupted the entirety of how the military carries out military justice. We have seen this. He pardoned and interferes with military legal proceeding against a guy who was up on crimes for war crimes. He actually pardoned and commuted sentences of convicted war criminals. He put his finger deeply down the chain of command to commit retaliation against vindman and others and the precedence this sets is the commander in chief can carry out criminal acts with impu impugnty. These are the things they accused obama of doing against flynn. And so to carry this out against a brave soldier of vindman who stood up for the honor of the United States is no new thing. What should be a new thing is that when the Trump Administration is defeated, because all of you are going to go out and vote this november, that colonel vindman be given a very high position. I dont know, under secretary of state for man power or at the secretary of Defenses Office or at the state department so he can continue to serve this nation. It is a sad state of affairs when the commander of chief is attacking a very heroic member of the unified military. Im going to your fellow navy man, Naveed Jamali on this one. Hes not doing it alone. The Republican Party tries to wrap itself in the flag and in military support and, you know, they revel like in the broad support they generally get from members of the military. But here is fox news. People on fox news attacking this man. Here they are. Here we have a u. S. National security official who is advising ukraine while working inside the white house apparently against the president s interests and usually they spoke in english. Isnt that kind of an interesting angle on this story . I find that astounding and, you know, some people might call that espionage. Im of irish descent, i love irish and he has an affinity for his homeland. Hes from the soviet union. He emigrated here and he has an affinity toward the uranian people. I mean, naveed, pretty stunning. This man is an immigrant. Theyre mocking him for that. Theyre trying to make him sound like a spy. They are belittling his service. Your thoughts . As a son of two immigrants who served this nation, i have a lot of thoughts and ill probably im going to censor myself for a second. Im going to do something we should do which is when they go low, lets go high for a second. When we talk about alex vindman and what he did, youre right. He was promoted on the army side. The promotion list is at the white house and it was going to go to congress. What vindman did is his last act in uniform i think speaks to just the decency of who this plan is. Rather than risk a political fight that would have held up the promotion of 1,200 other officers who had no fight in this battle. He did something that was truly selfless. He retired. And when i think about decency, when i think about just doing the right thing, when i think about morality and ethics, what an amazing act and selfless act to do as your last act in uniform. Its a way not only to deprive the Trump Administration of this battle that they very much sought, you know, trump has always been someone whos punitive and likes to reach out and punish individuals. He denied that. But really he did it because he wanted to b