'Special Report' All-Star panel on critical race theory, infrastructure bill

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Sen. Manchin in the middle of the bipartisan infrastructure bill

'Special Report' All-Star Panel discusses the bipartisan bill and critical race theory.

This is a rush transcript from "Special Report with Bret Baier," August 11, 2021. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, (R-SC): This is the worst thought out idea I've ever seen. They are just throwing every liberal idea and hope it sticks to the wall. And their whole reason for being on the left is in this bill.

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER, (D-NY) SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: The Democrats in the Senate are determined, fiercely determined, to move President Biden's build back better agenda forward.

JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am committed to making sure that our historic economic recovery reaches everyone, this time reaches everyone, and eases the burden on working families not just this year, but for the years to come.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: We've talked about it, there's two different bills. There's the bipartisan infrastructure bill, a little over $1 trillion, passed the Senate, still has to pass the House. And then there is this big reconciliation bill, $3.5 trillion, but we don't really know what's in it. There's just a framework for that.

We've got some new FOX polls. First about the $1 trillion Senate infrastructure bill -- roads, bridges, that sort of thing, favor 62 percent if you asked the question that way. President Biden's job performance on the economy, now 47 percent approved, 49 percent disapprove, changes in recent months there. If you look at the economic conditions in the nation, excellent, good, 24, five percent. You've got 71 percent who say only fair or poor in the economy. And then concern about inflation now, yes, concerned about inflation, 86 percent, no 14 percent. You see the slight uptick from June.

With that, let's bring in our panel, Ben Domenech, publisher of "The Federalist," Harold Ford Jr., former Tennessee Congressman, CEO of Empowerment and Inclusion Capital, and Trey Gowdy, former Congressman from South Carolina.

Trey, you look at those numbers. It's always tough to ask a poll question about a piece of legislation. As you know there's a lot that goes into these things that we don't often talk about, every nook and cranny. But you look at that, you look at President Biden's position in these polls, what do you see?

TREY GOWDY, FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA REPRESENTATIVE: It's hard to be against roads and bridges. I do wonder what else is in the bill. And of course, the people being polled weren't told that. I think he remains personally popular. But, Bret, he is going to be held hostage by a group called the Squad that represents about two percent of the country but wants 100 percent of their agenda. So he's getting ready to not run into Republicans. They are tame compared to what he's getting ready to run into. And I don't think he's going to like the outcome.

BAIER: Harold, we've done a lot of time talking about moderate Democrats in the Senate, including Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema. Manchin from West Virginia, the Democrat, releasing a statement today saying "I have serious concerns about the grave consequences facing West Virginians and every American family if Congress decides to spend another $3.5 trillion. Given the current state of the econometric recovery, it's simply irresponsible to continue spending at levels more suited to respond to a great depression or great recession, not an economy that is on the verge of overheating. I urge my colleagues to seriously consider this reality as this budget process unfolds in the coming weeks and months."

They need him. They need that vote. They need Sinema, they need other moderate Democrats. It doesn't sound like today they have them.

HAROLD FORD JR., FORMER TENNESSEE REPRESENTATIVE: I would argue -- first thanks for having me on. I would argue the country needs the voices of the Manchins and the Sinemas and the Mark Warners and the Mark Kellys alike.

I think the $3.5 trillion, you heard it just there. That's not going to -- likely not going to fly at that level. I think some of the elements of this big package I like. I like some of the priorities. But I was a blue dog Democrat when I was in Congress, and we didn't support things that we couldn't pay for. So there are a lot of things I want in life. I'd love to have more houses and more cars and an airplane, but I can't afford them.

So Congress has to look at this in a way that makes the most sense. The president said it well the other night when he said the $1 trillion package is what America wants. If you are able to craft a second package that America wants, I think it will pass. There are concerns that Nancy Pelosi won't be able to work with the Squad, and I hear my friend Trey Gowdy talk the way he spoke just now. Nancy Pelosi got the health care package passed for President Obama. I think she will find a way to get this bill passed, too. It's needed, when you consider China, what they are spending, when you consider the local needs and communities. This is a smart bill, and I hope we take the win in the House and the Senate and sign it for the country.

BAIER: One of the things that happens with this legislation is what's called a vote-a-rama, and these are amendments that everyone votes on. Republicans put some up. Democrats put them up. One of them that did pass was Tom Cotton's amendment about Critical Race Theory. Take a listen to him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TOM COTTON, (R-AR): Sadly today, some want to replace our founding principles with an un-American ideology called Critical Race Theory. They want to teach our children that America is not a good nation, but a racist nation. Those teachings are wrong, and our tax dollars should not support them. My amendment will ensure that federal funds aren't used to indoctrinate kids as young as pre-k to hate America. Our future depends on the next generation of kids loving America and loving each other as fellow citizens no matter their race.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: So that amendment, the Stop CRT Act, introduced by Cotton, Ben, did pass. And as opposed to the last time, they did not wipe all the amendments clean. And Manchin said he wasn't going to vote for that this time.

BEN DOMENECH, PUBLISHER, "THE FEDERALIST": It's interesting to think about the concerns of a working American family today. Is there concern about these trillion-dollar packages, or is it about the strength of the dollar, their ability to pay without having to spend another $0.40 or the kind of things that their children are learning that they just learned about because of having to have this remote learning year and Zoom packages and the like? Are they concerned more about the build back better plan, or are they concerned about whether the CDC is going to respond to potential pressure from teachers' unions to maybe roll back in person learning in this fall experience?

I think the concerns of the American people are very much out of line with the concerns of this White House at the moment. And that is only going to be a problem that continues to increase, I believe, in the months ahead, creating all manner of problems as we head into an election.

BAIER: With the breaking Afghanistan news at the top, a little shorter panel. But when we come back, tomorrow's headlines with you all.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAIER: Finally tonight, a look at tomorrow's headlines with the panel. Ben?

DOMENECH: Smokin Jay Cutler wants to smoke some school board libs. He is apparently considering, the former quarterback, throwing his hat in the ring for a school board race, passionate about some issues close to him.

BAIER: All right, Harold?

FORD: For the first time in a long time, Michigan football left out of the "USA Today" coaches preseason top 25 poll. It might be just what we need to win the Big Ten. Go Blue.

(LAUGHTER)

BAIER: There you go, go Blue. All right, Trey.

GOWDY: Joe Biden because all six of his West Virginia supporters imploring them to put pressure on Joe Manchin.

(LAUGHTER)

BAIER: He's got them by name, that's right. OK, thank you all.

Tomorrow on SPECIAL REPORT, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas goes to south Texas to talk about the border crisis there. We are live on the border, as we have been covering that important story.

Thanks for inviting us into your home tonight. That's it for this SPECIAL REPORT, fair, balanced, and still unafraid. FOX NEWS PRIMETIME hosted by Lawrence Jones starts right now. Four seconds to spare, Lawrence.
 

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