Congress set to override Trump veto for first time in presidency

Published February 01, 2021

This is a rush transcript from "Special Report" December 30, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR (on camera): Good evening. I'm Bret Baier.

Breaking tonight, the Senate has taken the first steps to override the
president's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act. Senate Majority
Leader Mitch McConnell saying today the Senate will stay on the defense
bill until it's completed one way or another.

He also slammed efforts to approve the $2,000 direct payments, the stimulus
by unanimous consent calling out Senators Chuck Schumer and Bernie Sanders
in a fiery floor speech today. I'll get reaction from the independent
senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders here on the show later tonight.

But first, Correspondent David Spunt is in Washington also keeping an eye
on the Senate's end of the year legislative business. Good evening, David.

DAVID SPUNT, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Bret, good evening
to you. Senators have a lot of work to do, but not much time to do it. Two
major funding bills sit in limbo tonight and those senators hope to come to
an agreement before the new Senate is sworn in on Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): Let's talk about COVID-19 relief.

SPUNT (voice over): Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on the floor
just hours ago announced he will move forward with a COVID relief package
that includes $2,000 direct payments, but there's a catch, involving the
president's wish list.

McConnell says to get the $2,000 checks, Democrats must also repeal Section
230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects big tech companies
who censor speech online.

President Trump says companies like Twitter and Facebook unfairly censor
Republican perspectives and have been for years.

The majority leader also wants a bipartisan study examining the integrity
and security of the 2020 presidential election.

MCCONNELL: The Senate is not going to split apart the three issues that
President Trump linked together just because Democrats are afraid to
address two of them.

SPUNT: Democrats call the election integrity and Section 230 parts of the
package poison pills and want to straight up or down vote only on the
$2,000 direct payments.

On Monday, the House passed a measure that would give $2,000 direct
payments to the American people.

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): Pass the House Bill and pass it now.

REP. NANCY PELOSI, (D-CA): Who is holding up that distribution to the
American people? Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republicans.

SPUNT: McConnell says the House Bill isn't likely to make it through the
Senate, where the majority of Republicans say increasing payments from $600
to $2,000 would cost hundreds of billions of dollars.

SEN. RON JOHNSON (R-WI): Money we don't have. Money that we're borrowing
from our kid's future. So, I think we need to target that a little bit
more.

SPUNT: But some Republicans are in favor of the $2,000 number on the
president's wish list.

Also sitting in the Senate's lap, the opportunity to override the
president's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act. The annual bill
to fund the military.

The president vetoed the bill over language that would rename military
bases currently named for Confederate war leader. McConnell, a Trump ally
on any given day plans to override the president's veto, along with the
majority of other Republicans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SPUNT (on camera): Senator Bernie Sanders wants to stall the NDAA vote and
bring up the COVID relief checks without the presidential wish list.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell snapped back today and
said the NDAA remains a top priority of the United States Senate, Bret.

BAIER: Again, we'll hear from Senator Sanders here on SPECIAL REPORT in
just a minute. David, thank you.

We're less than one week away now from those two Senate runoff elections
crucial in Georgia in the nearly two months since the presidential
election. We've seen a record number of dollars and surrogates pouring into
the Peach State where we have team coverage tonight. Fox team coverage
Correspondent Steve Harrigan is on the ground in Atlanta tracking the
latest developments.

But first, Correspondent Peter Doocy is taking a look at the big picture
live from Washington, Georgia. Good evening, Peter.

PETER DOOCY, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Good evening,
Bret. And now that we're on the ground in Georgia, we're noticing that
people can get a lot closer to the candidates than we've gotten used to on
the presidential campaign beat during the pandemic. But one thing hasn't
changed, and that's the long shadow cast over this election by President
Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. KELLY LOEFFLER (R-GA): We're going to keep fighting for this
president.

DOOCY (voice over): But Democrats are moving on.

JON OSSOFF (D), SENATORIAL CANDIDATE, GEORGIA: Donald Trump is leaving and
Georgia voters sent Donald Trump packing.

DOOCY: There are four Georgia Senate candidates and two arguments. the
Republicans Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue.

SEN. DAVID PERDUE (R-GA): We're running as two of the most liberal
candidates that Democrats have ever put up.

DOOCY: And the Democrats Reverend Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.

OSSOFF: We're running against like the Bonnie and Clyde of corruption in
politics.

DOOCY: If Ossoff wins, he'll be the youngest U.S. Senator in 40 years.

You talk in your stump speech that we just listened to about health and
jobs and justice for all, why not talk more about your experience, your
relevant experience, and being the best person to deliver on those things?

OSSOFF: Well, look, I've made my career fighting injustice, exposing war
crimes and corruption. I run a business that's exposed, terrorism.

DOOCY: That business, a documentary film company called Insight TWI. Ossoff
is still managing to pull help from political heavyweights including Barack
Obama.

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You can send Jon
Ossoff to the Senate to beat this virus and rebuild our economy, to make
sure everybody can afford health care. And to carry the torch John Lewis
passed to us.

DOOCY: The latest Obama ad only mentions Ossoff, not the other Democrat
running Reverend Raphael Warnock.

REV. RAPHAEL WARNOCK (D), SENATORIAL CANDIDATE OF GEORGIA: It's time for
moral leadership.

DOOCY: Warnock's ex-wife accused him of running over her foot with a car in
March, but Warnock was never charged. And counselors at a camp he used to
run have now been accused of abusing minors.

LOEFFLER: We have to make sure that Georgians know exactly who he is in his
own words, because it's dangerous policies, it's dangerous candidates and
then, it's a dangerous past.

DOOCY: Any concern that the allegations of wrongdoing against Reverend
Warnock could possibly be a drag on the Democratic ticket next week?

OSSOFF: None whatsoever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DOOCY (on camera): A Warnock win and an Ossoff win would give Democrats
control of the Senate. But with six days to go, Warnock is off the campaign
trail. No public events today. No public events tomorrow. Next public event
scheduled Friday, Bret.

BAIER: Peter Doocy in Georgia. Peter, thanks.

New numbers, new developments tonight. Just six days out from those Senate
runoffs. Correspondent Steve Harrigan brings us the latest on both races
from Atlanta.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE HARRIGAN, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Some of the
2.5 million early votes are already being sorted and scanned ahead of
Election Day where two runoffs will determine which party controls the
Senate.

Nearly $800 million has been spent most of it on T.V. ads that run nonstop.
President-Elect Biden comes to Atlanta Monday to campaign. Vice President-
Elect Harris to Savannah Sunday, where there are concerns the early
Democratic vote has been lagging.

Republican Party leaders are concerned charges of voter fraud could depress
Republican turnout. Northwest Georgia where the GOP can generally hold up
to an eight to two advantage shows the lowest numbers of early voting in
the state.

President Trump tweeted of Georgia's Republican governor Brian Kemp: Nobody
can be this stupid. The president going on to tweet: Brian Kemp should
resign from office. He is an obstructionist who refuses to admit that we
won Georgia, big.

Further controversy after a federal judge ordered two counties to restore
4,000 voters to the rolls after questions were raised about the accuracy of
residential addresses.

Marc Elias Attorney for the Democratic Party tweeted: In a blow to GOP
voter suppression, federal court enjoins Georgia counties from removing
4,000 voters from registration lists.

Republicans noted that the Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner is the sister of
former Democratic candidate for governor, Stacey Abrams, what they say is
another example of election corruption.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How can your sister pretend to be a judge who's going to
be neutral? This is just one more example of why this year has had the most
corrupt elections. And I think in my lifetime and maybe in a hundred years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIGAN (on camera): The president returns to Georgia on Monday for a
rally in which he is likely to both criticize the voting process in Georgia
as corrupt and encourage Georgians to vote, Bret.

BAIER: Steve Harrigan in Atlanta. Steve, thanks.

Modest gains on the next to the last day of the year on Wall Street as
investors look to the New Year with optimism for an improving economic
outlook. The Dow up 74 today, the S&P 500 gained five, the NASDAQ added 20.

Missouri Senator Josh Hawley is throwing his support behind the president's
fight to challenge the results of last month's election. Senator Hawley now
saying that he will object to the electoral college certification process
one week from today, January 6th. Correspondent Rich Edson has that story
tonight from West Palm Beach.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICH EDSON, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Republican Senator
Josh Hawley says "Millions of voters concerned about election integrity
deserve to be heard. I will object on January 6th on their behalf.

And with that tweet, President Trump will secure a debate and a vote in the
House and Senate challenging the election results.

Democrats control the House and several Senate Republicans, including
Majority Leader McConnell have already acknowledged President-elect Joe
Biden as the winner.

So, Hawley's maneuver likely only delays Biden's Electoral College
certification.

PELOSI: I have no doubt that on next Wednesday, a week from today that Joe
Biden will be confirmed by the acceptance of the vote of this Electoral
College.

EDSON: Vice President Mike Pence will preside over next week's
congressional session counting the electoral votes. Some congressional
Republicans are pushing a legal effort to give Pence the authority to
choose Trump electors instead of those certified for Biden. Attorneys for
the Republican challengers say Pence declined to join their effort.

Vacationing at his Mar-a-Lago club, the president is reserving his
commentary for Twitter, responding to criticism about his administration's
vaccine distribution, putting the responsibility on state governments.
Tweeting: "Get moving." And calling a Wall Street Journal editorial "Very
boring and incoherent."

After the conservative opinion section accused President Trump of always
putting "His personal interests above nearly everything else." Adding,
"Republicans are paying the political price. Mr. Trump lost his re-election
bid to Joe Biden, and now he may cost Republicans the Senate too."

Citing the president's demand to more than triple, the $600 COVID relief
payments to $2,000 at a cost of nearly a half-trillion dollars and dividing
congressional Republicans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

EDSON (on camera): The Treasury Department says the IRS has begun sending
out those $600 payments as the president tweets repeatedly and daily for
Congress to raise that to 2,000, Bret.

BAIER: Rich, thank you. Senator Josh Hawley will be on at 7:00 with Will
Kane in for Martha.

We are still awaiting news on the nominee of a new Attorney General by the
President-Elect tonight. Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich is live in
Wilmington, Delaware with the latest on one of Joe Biden's final and
perhaps most important cabinet selections. Good evening, Jacqui.

JACQUI HEINRICH, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Good evening,
Bret. 20 days till inauguration, the President-Elect still has not
announced his pick for attorney general and reporters have asked several
times what is holding up his decision.

Transition officials said Biden or excuse me, Treasury officials didn't
directly answer whether Biden is waiting for the results of the Georgia
runoffs. Biden's previously said that is not a factor and his team claimed
he's had a full plate with COVID and national security meetings telling us
to expect more cabinet announcements next week.

But Biden's longtime allies Senator Chris Coons is making his preference
known.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): I am hoping that he will choose my colleague Doug
Jones, but there are a number of very capable and talented folks he is
seriously considering. He has assembled an amazing team for his cabinet, a
team that is experienced, that is ready to work together on day one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEINRICH (voice over): The transition is brushing off news Republican
Senator Josh Hawley plans to object to Biden's win when Congress certifies
Electoral College vote on January 6th.

But they're taking it far more seriously what they call obstruction from
political leadership at the Department of Defense and Office of Management
and Budget saying it will likely delay Biden's first budget release.

Moderate Democrats in Congress are asking Biden for classified bipartisan
briefings over the recent Russian cyber-attacks. But that's one area the
transition says they haven't gotten full visibility from the Trump
administration.

Fox has learned the Pentagon civilian leadership ordered a stop down on
meetings with the Biden transition December 18th, only resuming this week,
despite claims from Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller that the outgoing
team has cooperated appropriately.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE SULLIVAN, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR-DESIGNATE FOR PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE
BIDEN: He's wrong. We're looking at as I said before, a substantial number
of very specific important requests for information that they are not
responding to.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Make no mistake, this lack of cooperation has real-world
implications most concerningly as it relates to our national security.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEINRICH (on camera): Transition also announced Biden will issue a memo on
inauguration day stopping any midnight regulations enacted by the Trump
administration that haven't yet taken effect, Bret.

BAIER: Jacqui, thank you.

Coming up, Senator Bernie Sanders and President Trump have little in
common, but both have voiced support for the increase in the stimulus
checks to $2,000. We will talk about that with one of them in just a bit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Congress found plenty of
money for foreign countries, lobbyists, and special interest while sending
the bare minimum to the American people who needed.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): Do we turn our backs on struggling working
families or do we respond to their pain?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAIER: "BREAKING TONIGHT", the fate of the House approved $2,000 individual
relief payments remains unresolved in the Senate. Let's bring in one of the
first lawmakers to back the bigger checks the president is also pushing for
that as well, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Senator, welcome back to
SPECIAL REPORT.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): Thank you very much and Happy New Year to you.

BAIER: Happy New Year to you, Sir. You know, you've called President Trump
a racist, a sexist, a xenophobe, a religious bigot, a demagogue, a liar.
But now you say he's a visionary when it comes to $2,000 --

(CROSSTALK)

SANDERS: I didn't say visionary. No, I didn't. Bret, I think President
Trump is the most dangerous president in the history of our country, but he
happens to be right on this issue.

I think he is correct in saying that we are living in a terrible, terrible
economic moment for tens of millions of working-class families. We fought
very hard to get the $600 direct payment. Trump is right in saying that's
not enough. We need to go to $2,000. I didn't say he was a visionary. He's
right on this issue.

BAIER: You know, obviously, Speaker Pelosi, Senator Chuck Schumer, the
treasury secretary debated this with Republican leadership for a long time.
They cut a deal for the $600 stimulus check. Did they just waste their time
and cut a lousy deal?

SANDERS: Well, look, when you look at a deal, you have to look at it within
the context of the problems that we face. And Bret, as I think most
Americans know, we are living in a terrible unprecedented moment when
millions of folks have lost their jobs and their income. Tens of millions
of people are facing eviction. We are looking at a record level of hunger
in America in the midst of this terrible pandemic. You've got 90 million
people who are uninsured or underinsured and can't afford to go to a
doctor. You have people accumulating more and more debt, you have
shoplifting, with families -- people trying to get enough food to their
kids.

So, in this particular moment, I think we need bold action, and I think
providing a $2,000 check to every working-class adult is the right thing to
do.

BAIER: And there's a lot of people, Senator, that both Republicans and
Democrats who feel the way you do that this is an extenuating circumstance.
But on the flip side, there are some who feel like $600 is going to get the
job done right now. And they feel like $463 billion added to the debt at
this moment is not the right thing after this funding bill. What do you say
to them?

SANDERS: Well, I -- look, I fought and helped lead the fight for direct
payments and I wanted more, we got 600, and that will help a lot of people.
But Bret, I was on the floor of the Senate today reading stories that came
to my office from all over this country. And when we're talking about moms
trying to feed their kids, we're talking about people worried about being
thrown out on the street because they are faced with the eviction, we got a
really serious problem. 600 bucks as President Trump has said is just not
enough, not going to do it.

Now, in terms of the debt, that, that is a serious issue. And you're right,
we're talking about a whole lot of money. But I always find it amusing that
this sometimes the very same people who voted for a $1-1/2 trillion tax
break for the one percent and large corporations, they didn't have a worry
about the deficit at that point. When it comes to hundreds of billions of
dollars in corporate welfare, these large profitable corporations, they
don't worry about the deficit, we just voted working on right now.

The largest military budget in the history of this country, $740 billion.
The Pentagon can't even do an independent audit. There is enormous amount
of waste and duplication in that budget, but no one worries about that.

When it comes to working families, to the mom and dad who are struggling to
put food on the table for their kids, oh, my God, we're worried about the
deficit. So, deficit is an issue.

BAIER: Yes.

SANDERS: I agree. But I think this -- at this moment, we've got to do the
right thing for working families.

BAIER: Senator, to your credit, you said the exact same thing to me in
April when we talked at that town hall and you said that you were concerned
about it, but that you thought there was hypocrisy here. I should just
point out, that was $22 trillion in debt. It's now 27.

SANDERS: Yes.

BAIER: Let me play Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell talking about,
you just mentioned defense, the NDAA.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): Our colleague from Vermont is again putting
political stunts before the needs of our men and women in uniform. The
Senate will not let our national security be shoved off course. Certainly
not by senators who have spent years literally years trying to gut
America's capabilities while our adversaries continue ramping up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: So, are you and your Democratic senators' colleagues dug in on
forcing a delay on this override --

(CROSSTALK)

SANDERS: First of all -- first of all, that vote is going to take place.
So, what McConnell said is just not accurate. Of course, it's going to take
place.

BAIER: But why delay it?

SANDERS: Because it is the only tool that I have, Bret, in order to force a
vote. The real issue and what -- I was down on the floor of the Senate
today demanding is, what is McConnell's problem? In the House, 44
Republicans voted to provide $2,000 checks to working-class families.

In the Senate, as you know, a number of Republicans, I don't know, it's
five or six have said they want to vote for this. All that I am asking of
Mitch McConnell, give us a vote. He wants to vote against it, that's fine.
What is the problem giving us a vote? And if he wants to announce that vote
now, he can have his vote on the -- on the defense override in five
minutes.

But it's the only tool --

(CROSSTALK)

BAIER: OK. So, you're going to do relent and let it come out on Saturday,
this vote, the override?

SANDERS: Right now, it's the only tool that all that I want -- all that I
want is -- and I think the American people don't understand what is the
problem with having a vote. If people want to vote it against it, vote
against it. If you want to vote for it, vote for it. Let's have the vote.

BAIER: OK. So, what are the problems you have with the other elements that
Mitch McConnell is now wrapping into this $2,000 check which is the Section
230 prohibitions? And also looking into election fraud and concerns about
election fraud not even necessarily for this election but for elections to
come.

SANDERS: Right, right. I don't --

(CROSSTALK)

BAIER: Why is that a problem?

SANDERS: I have no -- I don't have a problem. For example, there are a
whole -- the way we do elections needs a whole lot of improvement. There
are parts of this country where people are waiting in line for five or six
hours in order to vote. There is a lot of voter suppression, voter
intimidation. I worry about the possibility.

Well, I mean, just the whole lot of things that are out there, sure, let's
look at it. But don't attach it to the issue of the moment which is people
are desperate they need help.

He wants to bring that up, let's do it. You want to talk about Section 230?
Fine, we can do it. But why do you want to attach it to a bill which is
just so important to working families?

(CROSSTALK)

BAIER: I get what you're saying, Senator. I really do. I get what you're
saying. But couldn't this be put back in House Speaker Pelosi's lap, and
Senator Schumer's lap and say, why did you relent to $600? Why didn't you
listen to Bernie Sanders and say $2,000?

I mean they agreed to this deal. It went through, it got compromised. They
passed it and broke chambers.

SANDERS: Right, Right.

BAIER: And now you're going back, and the President agrees with you.

SANDERS: Well, that's the point. I mean, I think what, you know, my view
has always been as you well know that the $600 was not adequate, I wanted
more. You make a fair point. But the point also is that you have a
president right now who is telling Republicans in a very strong way, I
might say, in the Senate, do the right thing.

Do it -- I think, ASAP was his term. Do it as soon as possible. And if the
president is saying that, and you got President-elect Biden saying that,
you got the House having voted on it, let's do it. Let's do it.

BAIER: OK, let me ask you two other things. Did either of the Democratic
candidates down in Georgia ask you to campaign for them in the final days
ahead of this runoff?

SANDERS: Did they ask me to go to Georgia to campaign? No, they did not.

BAIER: Does that tell you anything about them?

SANDERS: No.

BAIER: Or where that race is?

SANDERS: No, I think that race is very, very important. And I would say to
our friends in Georgia that it is terribly important that we elect Warnock
and Ossoff so that, in fact, if we're unable to move aggressively right now
on those $2,000 checks, we will do it, I believe. I can't speak for Joe
Biden. But I think it will be at the very top of the agenda for a Biden
administration.

BAIER: What does it tell you that the Biden transition team hasn't, and the
president-elect hasn't picked someone for the job you've expressed interest
in, the labor secretary?

SANDERS: Well, look, what I have -- so, I think the picks, many of the
picks that the president-elect has made are really excellent. And I think,
especially in the area of COVID-19 and healthcare, you're going to see a
radical change, and God knows we need that.

I share the president-elect's concern that the vaccines are not getting out
as quickly as they should. What I have said many times, Bret is that I
think the progressive movement in this country is, you know, 40-45 percent
of the Democratic coalition. And I think it is appropriate that the
progressive movement have representation in the Biden Cabinet. That's was
my point, that is my point, that's what I believe.

BAIER: Do you think it's progressive enough as it stands today?

SANDERS: It is -- it's pretty good. It's pretty good, but not as strong as
I would like it to be.

BAIER: Senator Sanders, we always appreciate you coming on. Thanks for the
time.

SANDERS: Thank you, Bret. Happy New Year, everybody.

BAIER: You too.

Up next, new developments on several fronts in the battle against the
coronavirus pandemic.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAIER: The new coronavirus strain from Great Britain has now been
confirmed in two U.S. states. It comes as the U.K. authorizes a new easy to
handle vaccine with the hopes that it will stem the tide of soaring cases,
both the first ones and the new variant. Correspondent Anita Vogel is
digging into the details tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ANITA VOGEL, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Just when you thought 2020 couldn't
get much worse, a new, more contagious strain of COVID-19 which first
emerged in the U.K. and quickly spread to other countries has now surfaced
in Colorado and California. In Colorado, officials have confirmed one case
and suspect another, both assigned by the National Guard to work at a rural
nursing home outside Colorado Springs.

JARED POLIS, (D) COLORADO GOVERNOR: There's nothing that indicates that
this would cause different or severe symptoms. But if it does transmit more
quickly, obviously more people get it, it means more people hospitalized.

VOGEL: And in California, Governor Gavin Newsom making the announcement
the strain had hit the Golden State during a joint virtual conversation
Wednesday afternoon with Dr. Anthony Fauci.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS
DISEASES: I don't think that the Californians should feel that this is
something odd. This is something that's expected.

VOGEL: Perhaps accounting for an explosion of virus cases across the
nation, but especially in southern and central California, where capacity
in the ICU remains at zero and no relief in sight, with the end of the year
celebrations just days away.

FAUCI: That's what we are concerned about, that in addition to the surge,
we're going to have an increase superimposed upon that surge, which could
make January even worse than December.

VOGEL: And while the rollout of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been
hampered by delays, there is hope across the pond as a third vaccine was
now available.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

VOGEL (on camera): And today the U.K. became the first country to give
emergency authorization to a new coronavirus vaccine developed by
AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford which touts a cheaper and easier
to store method and the hope of vaccinating 1 million people per week.
Bret, back to you.

BAIER: Anita, thank you.

Republican Representative-elect Luke Letlow of Louisiana has died just days
before he was set to be sworn in. He died from complications related to
COVID-19. Condolences to his family poured in all day from both sides of
the aisle. Congressman-elect Letlow was 41-years-old.

Up next, new developments in the investigation into the Nashville bomber.
We'll bring you there. First, here's what some of our FOX affiliates around
the country are covering tonight. FOX 41 in Louisville reporting that the
interim police chief intends to fire two detectives involved in the March
13th raid that resulted in the death of Breonna Taylor. If their
terminations are upheld, Detectives Myles Cosgrove and Joshua Jaynes would
follow Brett Hankison out the door of the Louisville Metro Police
Department.

FOX 6 in Milwaukee where residents are navigating wintry conditions and
slick roads after some parts of the metro area saw up to eight inches of
snow. The Milwaukee County sheriff's office says it responded to 34
crashes, 43 disabled vehicles. Several other midwestern states also
reporting heavy snowfall tonight.

And this is a live look at New York from our affiliate FOX 5. The big story
there tonight, Joe Clark, the bullhorn, and the baseball bat wielding
principal who inspired the 1989 movie "Lean on Me" has died. Clark was
known for pushing his students to perform better at the crime ridden high
school in New Hampshire where Clark worked. He expelled 300 students in one
day, lifting expectations for those still in the classroom. His family said
he died at his Florida home after a long battle with an unspecified
illness. Clark was 82-years-old.

That's tonight's live look outside the beltway from SPECIAL REPORT. We'll
be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAIER: New details tonight about the background and a possible missed
warning sign concerning the man behind that massive explosion in Nashville
on Christmas Day. Correspondent Mike Tobin is in Nashville with more.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

MIKE TOBIN, FOX NEWS SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Video from security cameras
shows the impact of the Christmas Day bomb on downtown businesses.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We did get the back wind of it. So all the exterior
doors of our building were blown open.

TOBIN: 911 calls reflect the first mysterious reports of hearing gunshots,
then fear at the warning blared from the RV, and finally the blast.

TOBIN: There have been three rounds of gunshots inside the building.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is a recording out there that's saying there's
a limited time to evacuate this area. There's a large bomb inside this
vehicle.

TOBIN: There was a big fiery explosion on top of the building. That's what
I've seen.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God, my entire building just fell down, and
it's collapsing.

TOBIN: An incident report from August 21st, 2019, shows the suspected
bomber Anthony Warner, contrary to police statements, did get the attention
of authorities. A girlfriend of Warner made statements that her boyfriend
was building bombs in the RV trailer at his residence, and that the suspect
frequently talks about military and bomb making. Police attempted several
times and could not get the suspect to answer the door.

The report says the yard was fenced off. Police saw the RV but could not
see inside it, and the property was wired with cameras and alarms. Police
say the hazardous device unit followed up, but with advice from a lawyer,
Warner did not allow police on his property. August 22nd, metro police
asked the Department of Defense as well as the FBI to check on Warner, and
according to an FBI spokesman, subsequently found no records at all.

Prior to the discovery of this incident report, authorities said the only
record they had of Anthony Warner was a pot charge from 1978.

DAVID RAUSCH, TENNESSEE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: He was not on our radar.
He was not someone that was identified as a person of interest for the
Bureau.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

TOBIN (on camera): Metro Nashville police chief John Drake said in 2019
his officers did not have enough evidence for a search warrant of Warner's
property. He believes his officers did everything they could do legally.
Perhaps they could have followed up more, he says, but hindsight is 20/20.
Bret?

BAIER: Mike Tobin in Nashville. Mike, thanks.

Los Angeles County prosecutors are pushing back tonight against the new
district attorney's directive that would end most sentencing enhancements,
including those related to gangs, guns, and repeat offenders. The group
representing hundreds of county prosecutors is seeking a restraining order,
claiming what George Gascon is ordering them to do is unethical and
illegal.

Up next, the races for Georgia's two Senate seats are coming to a head with
the balance of power in the Senate hanging in the balance, as Congress
addresses more stimulus and a veto override. We'll discuss it all with the
panel next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN, (D-MD) SENATE BUDGET COMMITTEE: We could get it to
President Trump's desk today. He could sign it. And Mitch McConnell and
Senate Republicans are holding this up and playing political games, and
people are hurting.

SEN. RON JOHNSON, (R-WI) SENATE BUDGET COMMITTEE: There is a demand to
increase the $600 per person payments up to $2,000 per person, which would
increase the average amount of money going to households from about $2,400
in the original CARES Act to a family of four would get $8,000, money we
don't have, money that we're borrowing from our kids' future. So I think we
need to target that a little bit more.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: That's the debate, and it's ongoing now. The president is for
increasing the stimulus to $2,000. You heard Bernie Sanders early in the
program saying that.

Let's bring in our panel, Mollie Hemingway, senior editor at "The
Federalist," Julie Pace is the Washington Bureau Chief for the Associated
Press, and Bill McGurn, columnist for "The Wall Street Journal."

Bill, you heard Senator Sanders earlier in the show saying why can't Mitch
McConnell just do an up or down vote on just that? That's not what he's
doing.

BILL MCGURN, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Right, well, the truth is the whole
thing is a political game, and there's a reason that the Democrats are so
excited about it. It's all about Georgia. Senator Sanders has also said
Georgia, progressivism is on the ballot in Georgia, and it is. And that's
the only reason people are interested in these two provisions, Section 230
on the defense bill, and the $2,000.

It's designed to split the Republicans, to either force them to break with
Trump or to go with Donald Trump, as in Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue,
and sort of against earlier votes. I think, my guess is they are going to
be all right. They said they sided with Donald Trump on the $2,000. The
only thing that matters right now is who wins in Georgia. This is a
microcosm because it shows what's at stake, and that's why everyone is
jumping in on it.

BAIER: Julie, a lot of people are saying this is the big issue in Georgia,
and of course the control of the Senate is broader than the head-to-head
races in either one of those runoffs. You have Joe Manchin from West
Virginia, a Democrat, who said he would vote against blowing up the
filibuster. He said he would vote against defunding police and other
things. Is that enough to convince moderates to say that progressivism is
not going to get a foothold with a Chuck Schumer Senate?

JULIE PACE, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, ASSOCIATED PRESS: I think there's the
reality of what the Senate would look like even if there is a Democratic
majority, and then there's the messaging around the Senate, and certainly
the messaging is pushing more the idea that if Democrats were to take
control, then this would essentially be a field day for progressives.

I think the reality is that even if Joe Biden has a Democratic controlled
Senate, he has members like, as you mentioned, Joe Manchin, who is not an
automatic rubber-stamp for a Democratic agenda. And Joe Biden himself is
much more of a moderate than a progressive. So Biden would have to grapple
with the divisions within a Democratic led Senate the same way that Mitch
McConnell right now is very much dealing with divisions within his own
party even though he is the majority leader.

BAIER: Bernie Sanders, Mollie, in the earlier segment, here's a clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, (I-VT): I think President Trump is the most dangerous
president in the history of our country, but he happens to be right on this
issue. I think he is correct in saying that we are living in a terrible,
terrible economic moment for tens of millions of working-class families. We
fought very hard to get the $600 direct payment. Trump is right in saying
that's not enough. We need to go to $2,000. I didn't say he was a
visionary. He's right on this issue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: So is it concerning for President Trump or Trump supporters if
Bernie Sanders is agreeing with you?

MOLLIE HEMINGWAY, SENIOR EDITOR, "THE FEDERALIST": Usually something to be
worried about, but remember that Senator Sanders and Senator Hawley had
both pushed for larger direct payments to the Americans who have had their
lives so grievously harmed by government shutdowns.

I thought another thing that Senator Sanders said was interesting which is
about people saying that they opposed the increased direct payments because
of concerns about debt. And it is charming to hear people say this when
they just passed this bloated bill, when you have states getting bailouts
because they are suffering from lack of tax dollars because of how they
shut down the economy, when money is going overseas, when $6.5 trillion has
been spent on the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and how the same
Senate is trying to make it so that Donald Trump cannot bring troops home,
doing whatever they can to make sure that those wars continue.

It would be great if people really cared about how much money is being
spent, but that they only seem to express concern when it comes to direct
payments to the Americans who have had their jobs taken away from them, who
can't go to church or go to school or go to jobs that can't be done from a
desk like so many elite people can, it's a little bit too much to take. And
it's important that we help people out during this time and that Senate
Republicans do something if they do care about winning these Georgia Senate
races.

BAIER: Yes, speaking of Georgia, Bill you mentioned that as well, listen,
this veto override is a key issue down there. Georgia is, I think, the
sixth biggest military state as far as defense contractors as well as
military presence in the state. It's a big deal down there. And for
Senators Loeffler and Perdue, that's a big vote. But right now that's been
delayed by people like Senator Bernie Sanders.

MCGURN: It would be nice for them if it were delayed until after the
election. It is a big vote. I'm of the view that Section 230 really does
need something of an overall, but it needs a real debate, not to be tacked
on at the end of a bill like this and thrown there before a New Year's
deadline.

To me this is Donald Trump's big moment. I'm of the belief that with all
the dissension and all, some Republicans are irritated with him and some
Republicans in Georgia might not vote because they don't like his attacks
on their -- my opinion is they need Donald Trump to pull out Georgia. If he
does that, he's going to be hailed -- he will go out on a winning note, if
he can do it. Whatever else happens on these other votes, if he does that,
he will go out on a winning note. If he doesn't, he'll be blamed.

And the interesting thing in this race is though it's such a national race,
it's the opposite of Tip O'Neill's all politics is local. All politics is
national in these races. Joe Biden is a nonentity. Jon Ossoff had 100,000
fewer voters than Joe Biden. So it just shows, it will confirm he has no
coattails, as we saw in November.

BAIER: Julie, very quickly, now Senator Josh Hawley, Republican from
Missouri, is signing on to this effort to challenge the election results.
What does that mean big picture, come January 6th?

PACE: Big picture it means nothing in terms of Joe Biden being sworn in,
but it is now the third issue we are talking about where Republicans are
forced to do something very, very difficult in early January. It's going to
be a tough entry for some of these Republicans who would really rather
avoid dealing with this issue.

BAIER: All right, panel, thank you very much. When we come back, police
officers show we can always get back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAIER: Finally tonight, in Massachusetts Officer Matthew Lima did
something unexpected after getting reports of shoplifting from a local
grocery store, he decided instead of arresting the two girls, he paid for
the groceries they attempted to steal. He said it was time for a lesson and
some compassion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW LIMA, SOMERSET, MASSACHUSETTS, POLICE OFFICER: Right away when I
looked at those items, I noticed that they were all grocery items, they
were all food items. If I were in that situation, I would be grateful if
somebody could help me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: Help. Thanks for inviting us into your home tonight. That's it for
the SPECIAL REPORT. Fair, balanced and still unafraid.

END

Content and Programming C

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