APRIL 25, THE LAST SUNDAY IN APRIL. LET US GO ON THE RECORD. JAKE AUCHINCLOSS ARRIVED ON THE HILL JUST DAYS BEFORE THE DEADLY INSURRECTION. NOW FROM COVID-19 TO GUN VIOLENCE, MAJOR ISSUES CONTINUE TO ROIL D.C.. >> FROM WCVB CHANNEL 5, THE INSIDE WORD FROM WASHINGTON TO DEACON HILL. ED: JANET WU’S OFFICE SO I AM JOINED BY SHARMAN SACCHETTI, AND ALWAYS WE CONTINUE TO FOLLOW SOCIAL DISTANCING PROTOCOLS, SO WE HAVE A DISTANCE BETWEEN US. OUR GUEST THIS MORNING IS JAKE AUCHINCLOSS WHO JOINS US VIA ZOOM. HE IS SERVING HIS FIRST TERM ON CAPITOL HILL AND IT HAS BEEN AN EVENTFUL ONE. RIGHT TO HAVE YOU WITH US, AND THE FAMILY AS WELL. REP. AUCHINCLOSS: TEDDY TURNED ONE LAST WEEK. SHARMAN: WE ARE REACHING A TIPPING POINT IN THE COVID VACCINE ROLLOUT, SOON SUPPLY WILL OUTSTRIP DEMAND. WHAT MORE DO YOU THINK CONGRESS AND THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION CAN DO TO CHAMPION THE VACCINES? REP. AUCHINCLOSS: TWO THINGS, PARTNERSHIPS. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS FUNDED VACCINE AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS BUT WE NEED PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO HAVE TRUSTED LOCAL HEALTH BOARDS DELIVERING THE VACCINES. PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN GOVERNMENTS AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR, I RECENTLY VISITED TRIPADVISOR AND THEY CREATED A TERRIFIC USER EXPERIENCE FOR TAKING A VACCINE, AND ALSO PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN THE PUBLIC SECTOR AND NONPROFITS. I WAS ABLE TO SPEAK TO SOUTH COAST HOSPITAL EXECUTIVES ABOUT HOW THEY ARE REACHING THEIR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES WITH THE LESSONS THAT THEY HAVE LEARNED IN THE HEALTH CARE BUSINESS FOR DECADES. WE NEED PARTNERSHIPS. NUMBER TWO, DIPLOMACY. AS SUPPLY OUTSTRIPS DEMAND, THE UNITED STATES NEEDS TO LEAD THE WORLD IN ENSURING THAT ALL 7 BILLION PEOPLE ACROSS THE GLOBE GET THE VACCINE BECAUSE IF WE DO NOT REACH HERD IMMUNITY GLOBALLY, VARIANTS WILL FESTER AND WE HAVE THE SPARK FOR THE NEXT PANDEMIC. SHARMAN: IS MORE TESTED — TESTING NEEDED TO EASE FEARS AND CLASSROOMS? REP. AUCHINCLOSS: REOPENING SCHOOLS IS ABOUT EDUCATION, THE ECONOMY, AND EQUITY. IT HAS BEEN MY DAY ONE ISSUE. I HAVE NOT SPOKEN ABOUT THIS PUBLICLY, BUT IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER AFTER WINNING THE ELECTION AND BEFORE TAKING OFFICE I WAS WORKING WITH SUPERINTENDENTS AND STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS ON HOW TO BRING IN FEDERAL FUNDING, STATE PROGRAMMING AND LOCAL ADMINISTRATIONS TO HELP REOPEN WITH CONFIDENCE AND TRANSPARENCY. I AM PROUD TO SEE THE PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN MADE. MEDFIELD HAS TOTALLY REOPENED THEIR SCHOOLS BY RELYING ON THE BEST PUBLIC HEALTH GUIDANCE, BY BRINGING IN THE BEST SILENT — SCIENCE AND PARTNERSHIPS AND CREATING TRUST WITH NURSES AND ADMINISTRATORS, AND THEY ARE A MODEL FOR THE WHOLE NATION. ED: WOULD YOU SUSPECT THAT BY THE START OF THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR THAT 100% IN CLASSROOM SCHOOLS WILL BE BACK TO NORMAL BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, DO YOU THINK THAT MIGHT HAPPEN? REP. AUCHINCLOSS: THAT NEEDS TO BE THE STANDARD, FULL IN-PERSON LEARNING BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT KIDS ARE SUFFERING BECAUSE OF LEARNING LOSS AND SUSPENDED LEARNING, AND JUST AS IMPORTANT AS ACADEMIC IMPAIRMENTS THAT WE ARE SEEING, REAL SOCIOEMOTIONAL ISSUES. MENTAL HEALTH IS ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES THAT I HEAR. WE NEED — KIDS BACK IN-PERSON LEARNING. I HOPE THAT THE SUMMERTIME WE WILL SEE PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CAMPS TO PROVIDE KIDS WITH ENRICHING EXPERIENCES. ED: THE NEXT TOPIC IS THE VERDICT IN THE GEORGE FLOYD CASE LAST WEEK. YOU TWEETED THIS, “THE VERDICT IS THE STARTING POINT FOR PROGRESS, WE NEED IT TO PASS — THE SENATE TO PASS THE JUSTICE AND POLICING ACT.’ DO YOU THINK THAT THAT WILL BE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR? REP. AUCHINCLOSS: WE NEED TO ABOLISH THE FILIBUSTER SO WE CAN PASS THIS AND OTHER CRITICAL CIVIL RIGHTS ACTS. THE FILIBUSTER IN THE SENATE IS A VESTIGE OF 19TH-CENTURY PARLIAMENTARY MOVING THAT IS NOW BECOMING AN EXISTENTIAL IMPAIRMENT FOR POLICE REFORM, IMMIGRANT RIGHTS AND LGBTQ COMMUNITY RIGHTS EDUCATION — COMMUNITY RIGHTS. AS LONG AS WE HAVE THE FILIBUSTER WE CANNOT GOVERN. FILIBUSTER CAN BE DEFEATED? REP. AUCHINCLOSS: I DO. IT REQUIRES POLITICAL SERVER — COURAGE WITHOUT QUESTION, BUT WE HAVE BEEN CALLED TO GOVERN IN THE MIDST OF CRISIS AND FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE. THE FILIBUSTER IS AN OBSTRUCTION AND IT IS NOT CONSTITUTIONALLY SACROSANCT. WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT AN IDEA FROM JAMES MADISON, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AN OBSCURE MANEUVER THAT WAS TURNED INTO A TACTIC TO BLOCK CRITICAL CIVIL RIGHTS LEGISLATION. ED: YOU HAD SAID THAT REFORMS THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IN THE WAKE OF THE GEORGE FLOYD VERDICT AND JUSTICE AND POLICING ACT, YOU SAID THAT THE EFFORTS IN MASSACHUSETTS HAVE NOT GONE FAR ENOUGH BUT GOVERNOR BAKER HAS PRAISED THEM. WHAT MORE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE? REP. AUCHINCLOSS: MASSACHUSETTS HAS MADE STEPS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION ON POLICE REFORM. AS THE CHAIR OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AND PUBLIC COUNSELOR, I WAS INVOLVED IN KICKSTARTING THE CITY OF NEWTON’S POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY INITIATIVE THAT HAS BEGUN TO THEIR FRUIT. MASSACHUSETTS COULD BE A MODEL FOR THE NATION ON A NUMBER OF FRONTS. GUN VIOLENCE IS AN IMPORTANT ONE. WE ARE PLAGUED WITH INCIDENTS OF GUN VIOLENCE ACROSS THE COUNTRY, OR THAN 120 MASS SHOOTINGS IN 2020 ONE. ADOPTING RED FLAG LAWS, A BAN ON ASSAULT WEAPONS IS SOMETHING THAT MASSACHUSETTS HAS DONE, AND IF THE REST OF THE COUNTRY ADOPTED IT IT WOULD SAVE LIVES. SHARMAN: YOU SERVED IN THE MARINES AND YOU UNDERSTAND FIREARMS AND YOU HAVE WITNESSED GUN VIOLENCE IN THE NATION. WE HAD ANOTHER DEADLY SHOOTING AT A LONG ISLAND SUPERMARKET LAST WEEK. WHY DO YOU THINK PASSING LEGISLATION IS SO PROBLEMATIC IN CONGRESS AND WHAT ARE YOUR REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES TELLING YOU? REP. AUCHINCLOSS: THERE ARE SOME ISSUES IN THIS COUNTRY WHERE I WANT TO ROLL UP MY SLEEVES AND WORK IN A BIPARTISAN FASHION, INFRASTRUCTURE AND FOREIGN POLICY. AND THEN THERE ARE ISSUES WHERE I NO LONGER HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT WE ARE IN GOOD FAITH NEGOTIATIONS AND GUN VIOLENCE IS ONE OF THEM. WE NEED TO PASS REFORMS URGENTLY AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL. UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS, RED FLAG LAWS, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WORK AND SAVE LIVES. IF WE HAVE TO DO THEM ON A PARTISAN VOTE IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATE, SO BE IT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THOSE ARE BIPARTISAN PIECES OF LEGISLATION. THERE IS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN UNITY BROADLY AND UNITY WITHIN THE CHAMBERS OF CONGRESS. WE HAVE TO SAVE LIVES. SHARMAN: DO YOU THINK THAT THERE IS NO MIDDLE GROUND ON A GUN-CONTROL BILL? REP. AUCHINCLOSS: I THINK REPUBLICANS HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR A DECADE AND THEY HAVE SHOWN THAT THEY ARE BEHOLDEN TO THE NRA. WE ARE NOT GOING TO WAIT FOR THEM TO REALIZE THAT COMMON SENSE GUN SAFETY LEGISLATION WITH 90% APPROVAL RATING THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. WE NEED TO GET RID OF THE FILIBUSTER TO DO IT. ED: I AM SURE THAT YOU HEAR IT TOO, I THINK IT IS EVERYWHERE, IF THE TRAGEDY IN SANDY HOOK CANNOT MOVE THE NEEDLE, WHAT WILL? REP. AUCHINCLOSS: I AGREE WITH YOU. THE REPUBLICANS HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO DO THE RIGHT THING OVER AND OVER, DAY AFTER DAY. WE HAVE SEEN THE CONSEQUENCES OF INACTION AND THEY DO NOT ACT. I AM DONE WAITING. WE WILL PASS THIS LEGISLATION, BUT NOT TO BE A BROKEN RECORD, BUT WE GOTTA GET RID OF THE FILIBUSTER. ED: I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THE PRESIDENT IS GOING THROUGH. AS A MARINE YOU SERVED IN AFGHANISTAN AND THE PRESIDENT CALLED FOR A REMOVAL OF ALL TROOPS. AS AT THE RIGHT DECISION? REP. AUCHINCLOSS: PRESIDENT BIDEN IS SIGNING THE DEAL THAT PRESIDENT BUSH COULD END SHOULD HAVE SIGNED IN 2002. I COMMEND HIM FOR WITHDRAWING TROOPS AND WE HAVE TO DO A LOT MORE TO ENSURE THAT WE CANNOT HAVE FAILED FOREVER WARS LIKE THIS, MEANING REPLACING FOR THE AUTHORIZATION FOR THE USE OF MILITARY FORCE, REASSERTING CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT OF WAR POWERS, AND RIGHTSIZING THE PENTAGON’S BUDGET. I AM THE ONLY COMBAT VETERAN TO CO-LEAD WERE COSIGNED THE LETTER WITH REPRESENTATIVES TO CUT THE BUDGET BY 10%. WE HAVE TO BE INVESTING THESE IN HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND GLOBAL CHALLENGES LIKE CLIMATE CHANGE AND PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS. WE DO NOT NEED TO INVEST THEM IN THINGS LIKE THE F-35, A FIGHTER JET THAT DOES NOT DOGFIGHT. SHARMAN: ARE WE ABANDONING THE WOMEN AND GIRLS OF AFGHANISTAN? REP. AUCHINCLOSS: WE ARE COMMITTED TO HIM UNITARIAN AND DIPLOMATIC ASSISTANCE AND PARTNERING WITH NONPROFITS AND THE AFGHAN CENTRAL GOVERNMENT TO PROTECT THOSE GAINS FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS. WE KNOW THAT ON BOTH ECONOMIC AND SOCIOPOLITICAL DIMENSIONS, EDUCATING GIRLS IN PROTECTING WOMEN’S RIGHTS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU CAN DO FROM A HUMANITARIAN PERSPECTIVE AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMEN

OTR: Rep. Jake Auchincloss calls for urgency in national gun reform laws

Updated: 12:11 PM EDT Apr 25, 2021

The U.S. Marine Corps veteran says the filibuster in the Senate needs to end in order to save lives.

BOSTON —

The U.S. Marine Corps veteran says the filibuster in the Senate needs to end in order to save lives.