Problem Solvers Caucus leaders push for coronavirus stimulus deal

This is a rush transcript from “Your World" October 7, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

NEIL CAVUTO, FOX NEWS ANCHOR:  About yesterday, Bill, it was all an illusion, because those talks are back on and stimulus might happen after all.

The Dow Jones industrials sprinting ahead, at its highs of the day, up almost 530 points, and all on word that the president of the United States, well, if he didn't do a 180, he did pivot a little bit, saying that he is still open to some form of stimulus, maybe something more selective, like

$1,200 checks that could come out to help people, as they did in the beginning of the pandemic, or maybe relief for the airline industry, and leave it at.

That was an encouraging development that maybe stimulus wouldn't have to sort of chill until after the election or longer. But is that enough to keep it going?

Welcome, everybody. I'm Neil Cavuto, and this is YOUR WORLD, where, at this moment, we're learning that the president of the United States is back in the Oval Office. He's getting a briefing on, well, lots of stuff.

Let's get the latest read right now with John Roberts and a full 180, certainly for the markets, sensing that there is a different vibe in town -

- John.

JOHN ROBERTS, FOX NEWS CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT:  Full 180 for the markets, Neil, but I'm not sure about a full 180 in terms of coronavirus relief and where we really stand on it.

The president in the Oval Office for the first time since returning from Walter Reed Military Medical Center for a briefing on the hurricane that is soon going to slam into the Gulf Coast, another one -- yet again, it's going to happen -- and what could potentially happen with the coronavirus relief bill.

You remember yesterday the president saying negotiations have been suspended until after the election. Now the president coming back and urging Nancy Pelosi to, if not do something comprehensive, do it piece by piece, starting with payments to individuals.

The president tweeted -- quote -- "If I am set a stand-alone bill for stimulus checks, $1,200, they will go out to our great people immediately.

I am ready to sign right now. Are you listening, Nancy?"

As it turns out, Nancy Pelosi was listening and said this about that idea:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA):  All he has ever wanted in the negotiation was to send out a check with his name printed on it. Forget about the virus.

Forget about our heroes. Forget about our children and their need to go to school safely and the rest.

So, he's just, again, rebounding from a terrible mistake that he made yesterday, and the Republicans in Congress were going down the drain with him on that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS:  Pelosi claimed today that the president did not inform her that he was going to suspend the talks yesterday, that she learned about it the way everybody else did, when he tweeted about it.

There is another idea out there though, Neil. There is money left over from the first big coronavirus relief bill, about $146 billion worth, that could be turned toward things like paycheck protection, relief for the airlines, enhanced unemployment benefits and other items.

But that would require legislation from Congress, Mark Meadows saying this, this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK MEADOWS, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF:  The stimulus negotiations are off. Obviously, we're looking at the potential for stand-alone bills.

There's about 10 things that we agree on. And if the speaker is willing to look at those things on a piece-by-piece basis, then we're willing to look at it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS:  Now, obviously, as you see down there in the right-hand corner of your screen, the Dow looking at this and going, yes, we may get a deal.

But here's the thing, Neil. They tried to do something very similar a month ago in a skinny relief bill. And Nancy Pelosi said no, that she's not going below $2.2 trillion, and that it needs to be a comprehensive relief package.

So I don't know why she would suddenly capitulate and say, you know, you're right, let's do this piece by piece. So, this may be so much wishful thinking on the part of the White House. We will see.

CAVUTO:  Yes. Well, the market is known for being manic. So we will see what happens.

(LAUGHTER)

ROBERTS:  Yes.

CAVUTO:  John Roberts, thank you very, very much, my friend.

ROBERTS:  To say the least.

CAVUTO:  In the meantime, I want to go to Jacqui Heinrich here getting ready for the big vice presidential debate.

No doubt this twisting and turning on stimulus and all will come up.

Jacqui, we're less than, what, five hours away right now. What can you tell us?

JACQUI HEINRICH, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT:  Hey there, Neil.

Well, Senator Kamala Harris has been reportedly doing debate prep, with South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg doing the mock debate posing as Vice President Pence, who, by the way, is also from Indiana.

And the campaign said this morning they don't expect that Pence is going to try to interrupt, like President Trump did in the first debate, but they do expect him to lie and distort and take the focus off of his administration.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

SYMONE SANDERS, BIDEN CAMPAIGN SENIOR ADVISER:  You expect my sense to have a good debate. He has a history of being a successful debater. He was a talk show host.

So, look, we are not coming in underestimating him. I mean, look no further than Mike Pence's RNC speech.

But just because Mike Pence can deliver a line doesn't make it true. It's easy to win a debate if you don't care about telling the truth.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HEINRICH:  The campaign said Harris, a prosecutor, is a natural fact- checker.

But her bigger focus will be the issues Americans are facing under a recession and a pandemic, all happening under this Trump administration.

And because that was already the aim of her preparation, prominent Democrats don't think she's had to adjust attack lines very much, even with the president battling coronavirus.

Former Bernie Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver studied Harris when Bernie faced her in the primary debates. He says her skill is distilling a complicated issue to a simple message. He expects Harris will focus on the agenda, which was not laid out by President Trump in the first debate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF WEAVER, FORMER BERNIE SANDERS CAMPAIGN MANAGER:  If you look at the first debate in terms of tone, obviously, the president's performance was widely panned, including by many Republicans, who felt that his constant interrupting and distraction, in fact, hurt his ability to make his case for a second term.

And Senator Harris is a very accomplished debater. Believe me, we debated her a number of times.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEINRICH:  Now, during the first debate, President Trump tried to bait Joe Biden into angering the far left of his party, saying, "You just lost the left" a number of times.

And you saw Biden kind of distance himself from progressive policies a little bit. Weaver said it didn't have an impact with progressives. They are united against President Trump.

But, on the other end, they do expect potentially Mike Pence will take the opposite approach and paint Harris and the Democratic ticket as part of the radical left -- Neil.

CAVUTO:  Jacqui Heinrich.

Thank you very much, Jacqui, in Salt Lake City for that big event.

Just to lay out sort of the ground rules on all of this, the two candidates will be separated by about 12 feet, so double the normal distance of six feet recommended in this COVID age. There will be Plexiglas between them.

We haven't had a chance to appreciate how that helps or hurts and how it looks. But we will find out pretty soon later on, won't we?

And then there's the issue of them sitting down. For most of the vice presidential debates in recent years, save the 2008 contest featuring Sarah Palin against Joe Biden, when they were standing, all the V.P. affairs have been largely done sitting at a table.

And I think that, on a level, that kind of brings the tension down. They're talking to each other more directly, even given distance.

And, sometimes, you get a pretty sound and substantive debate, like what happened 20 years ago this month, when my next guest, Joe Lieberman, sat down at a table to have a very good, cogent view of various political philosophies, without hitting each other, interrupting each other, shouting at each other, or throwing food each other, maybe because they didn't provide food.

(LAUGHTER)

CAVUTO:  But, if they had, I suspect, Joe Lieberman, and, by the way, Dick Cheney wouldn't have taken the bait or the bun.

Joe Lieberman joins me right now.

Senator, very good to have you.

(CROSSTALK)

FMR. SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (I-CT):  ... be with you, Neil.

CAVUTO:  I do think it makes a difference sitting down, you know? I think it makes a big difference.

What do you think?

LIEBERMAN:  Yes, I mean, you wouldn't think so.

But I think it does. I think it tends to encourage less fisticuffs and more discussion like you're sitting in a living room or something like that.

But, look, the most important thing tonight is that this debate, for the sake of the country, be different than the first Trump-Biden debate, which was chaotic, embarrassing, and I think bad for the country.

I think these two can have a good debate tonight, in which they will differ, but they will do it in a way that's mutually respectful. I think the country really needs that right now.

Now, strategically, at this moment, the Trump/Pence ticket seems to be going down a bit in the polling. So the pressure is on the vice president to sort of rebuild the support for the president and him.

And he's a skilled debater. And, of course, Kamala Harris, Senator Harris, will try very hard not to let him rebuild that support and to make her case and Vice President Biden's against the current administration.

I think it's going to be a really good debate, and two good people on the stage sitting down.

CAVUTO:  You know, what's getting the focus, as you know, Senator, since the presidential candidates are not spring chickens -- we will just leave it at -- the attention is going to be focused on these two as one of them is going to be a future president.

We could be looking at the next battle four years from now. Who knows? But it's going to get more scrutiny than even yours did some four years ago --

20 years ago, I should say, with Dick Cheney.

What do you think of that, that it has changed the equation a little bit?

LIEBERMAN:  No, I think that will be in people's minds.

I mean, these are the two oldest candidates to run at once for president in our history. And we have had one, Vice President Biden, who had an illness earlier in his life, seems in good shape now.

CAVUTO:  Yes.

LIEBERMAN:  President Trump just got COVID-19.

So, yes, I think people will be evaluating these two people, Mike Pence, Kamala Harris, as -- look, let's hope and pray that whoever gets elected president lives out the time of their service.

But even if that's the cases, as we hope, the two vice presidential candidates are naturals to be the head of the ticket next time, certainly the one that's on the ticket that gets elected.

So, no, I think there will be a separate view of this. Also, there's a certain number of people out there, Neil, I think, who are not quite sure who to vote for yet, believe it or not, and the vice presidential performances tonight may help them decide.

CAVUTO:  Yes, you could be right about that.

There was talk today that Joe Biden, the first time, said, I want to make sure the president is testing negatively on the coronavirus, more or less saying, if he isn't, we're not having a debate.

How likely you think something like that is?

LIEBERMAN:  Well, I mean, the president will continue to be tested, and will be under pressure to reveal it as we get closer to the next presidential debate.

I think it's going to happen. I don't think -- now, Vice President Biden may ask for some separation that's greater between the two of them. But that debate will happen, and it should happen, because the country is about to make a really important decision at a very difficult...

CAVUTO:  Yes, I'm wondering -- but I'm wondering, Senator, whether you could still have it, but virtually. There is some precedent for that.

LIEBERMAN:  Right.

CAVUTO:  In the third JFK-Nixon debates, I believe that Kennedy at the time was at the ABC studios in New York, Richard Nixon at the ABC studios in L.A.

LIEBERMAN:  Right.

CAVUTO:  Now, I know that was the third debate. The fourth one, they were both together again.

By that time -- the first debate generally makes the biggest impression.

That's where John Kennedy took what was a bit of a gap behind Richard Nixon, moved out front, and never looked back.

LIEBERMAN:  Right.

CAVUTO:  But I'm wondering if that is a model that the candidates can use now, if it came to that.

LIEBERMAN:  Oh, it's definitely a model.

And, look, it was unusual at that point. But, today, everybody's doing everything virtually and at a distance.

CAVUTO:  True.

LIEBERMAN:  And I think it might be a way to go if there are any concerns.

Of course, both of them have to agree to do it that way.

Also, frankly, I think, a debate that's -- where they're separated and on screens, distant, but talking to each other, is also more likely to be a substantive debate, and at least not a chaotic, I'm going to interrupt you every moment, and I'm going to fight back at your interruptions, debate.

I mean, again, I say that debate hurt the country, it hurt our image in the world. For the sake of our country, I hope tonight's a lot different and that the next two presidential debates are a lot better than that first one.

CAVUTO:  Yes, don't get me started, Senator. The Lincoln-Douglas debates, I remember covering those. And, boy, what a nightmare.

LIEBERMAN:  Yes.

CAVUTO:  Anyway, Senator, it's always good...

LIEBERMAN:  Yes, I was...

(LAUGHTER)

LIEBERMAN:  I looked for you in the crowd that day, but I couldn't find you.

CAVUTO:  Yes. Yes. I was way, way back. It's good seeing you, Senator.

LIEBERMAN:  Well, you were...

CAVUTO:  And happy memories of 20 -- 20 years ago.

LIEBERMAN:  Thanks.

I do have great -- it was a great debate. I'm proud to have been part of it. And I think it was a win-win debate.

CAVUTO:  It was very -- I'm not blowing you smoke, but it was very solid and substantive.

LIEBERMAN:  Thanks.

CAVUTO:  It shows what these things can be if you set your mind to it.

LIEBERMAN:  I hope tonight...

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO:  Joe Lieberman.

LIEBERMAN:  Be well.

CAVUTO:  Thank you, sir, very, very much, the former vice presidential candidate.

Twenty years ago this month, he was at that table on that stage with Dick Cheney. And it really was substantive. That is something that can happen positive.

I don't know if that goes these days. But we will see.

All right, in the meantime, just to remind you, we will be covering this tonight as well, not only on FOX, but on FOX Business. And, of course, it all kicks off at 8:00 p.m. It will continue with the debate itself and afterwards, a one-stop shop there, where you can get foreign market reaction and our own futures trading reaction.

This is something we have done since, of course, we first went on the air FOX Business and for FOX News itself, looking at the business implications of this.

So, again, it's something fascinating to watch. If you think our country is really into this, you should see how foreign countries react to this -- after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAVUTO:  All right, we are still honoring the president. He's back in the Oval Office here.

We're also taking a look right now at the key issue for voters. And the economy still, no pun intended, trumps all the others, from national security, education, health care, even the pandemic response.

If that is the case, and given the improving economy, why isn't the president doing better in overall polls? In fact, the ones we're seeing right now, he is slip-sliding away nationally against Joe Biden and even in some of those battleground states.

I suspect Frank Luntz has some ideas.

Frank, what's going on? That's a big old disconnect, isn't it?

FRANK LUNTZ, POLLSTER:  Well, there's two points here.

Number one is, the economy is important to more people than any other issue. But in terms of intensity, those who care about COVID care more about COVID than those who care about the economy care about the economy.

Second is that the economy is a -- an outgrowth of COVID, so that people who lost their jobs don't blame the economy. They blame COVID. People who are looking for work, people who've had their hours cut, people who are economically challenged, they see COVID as the cause. And so they're looking for that kind of solution.

And, second, Trump has the advantage on the economy, but he keeps talking about the stock market. In the work that we have done, jobs, how many jobs exist, how many jobs have been lost, the issue of jobs outranks every other economic issue.

Now, Donald Trump has the advantage on the economy over Joe Biden by a small margin. But that's not been enough. And you know why? Because he talks about everything else, that this president does not have the discipline, does not have the focus on those things that voters might vote for him over.

And they never even got a chance to hear his difference between him and Joe Biden because of his behavior in the last presidential debate.

So, Neil, you're correct in your assertion. But the president is not getting the advantage on the economy because voters don't understand what he's done or what he will do. And it's because of how he presents his answers.

CAVUTO:  So, does that put pressure on Mike Pence to try to make things right tonight? How much does the needle move based on what the number two guys are saying?

LUNTZ:  It's got a tremendous potential because of the point you made earlier, that these are the oldest presidential candidates.

But Mike Pence, we went through this back in 2016. And you're a historian.

Everyone assumed that Pence was going to lose that debate, that Tim Kaine was a better debater, more articulate. But Pence did well, because Kaine came after him, and Pence just did not behave that way.

If you go back and look at the numbers, Mike Pence righted the Trump ship after Donald Trump's first debate performance, which, in his mind, was pretty positive, in everybody else's mind, wasn't that successful.

I think Pence has a lot of pressure on him tonight to do exactly the same thing. But you know what? I actually think the more pressure is on Kamala Harris. She took Joe Biden down, and she's going to have to have an explanation better than, it's a debate, for why she challenged him so hard, and did so much damage to his campaign, to his candidacy.

I think she's got to figure out how to modulate herself to demonstrate that she is different, that she is preferable, but that she's not angry, and that she's not so partisan in her approach, that she turns off undecided voters.

So, actually, Neil, you know what the truth is? They both are under pressure tonight.

CAVUTO:  Yes, that's probably the case.

Frank, Joe Biden wants to make sure the president is cleared of this COVID- 19-positive diagnosis, that he's COVID-clear. If that were not the case, and this were pushed back, does it risk no more presidential debates? Or do you skip to the third one and leave it at that?

In other words, what is the risk for either candidate if there are no more presidential debates?

LUNTZ:  I will be blunt with you. If there are no more presidential debates, then Joe Biden is the next president of the United States.

And I have no hesitation in saying that. I know that there will be eruptions all over 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Donald Trump needs those debates to bring his -- the answers that he has and the challenges that Joe Biden has to the American people.

Without that, Joe Biden can coast. He doesn't need to go to events, and he wins, based on the current polling numbers. So, Trump needs debates.

However, I have faith in the Presidential Commission that they will do the right thing. And the people on that commission put their country ahead of their party. And that's really it. We don't have many people who do that anymore.

Frank Fahrenkopf and the leadership there knows what needs to be done, knows the changes to the debate, moderation that needs to be implemented, so that the American people get a chance to hear from both candidates and just side, side by side, who's better and who's worse.

It would be the worst thing for Donald Trump to allow these debates to get canceled.

CAVUTO:  All right, Frank Luntz, we're not there. I should posit that and just raise the possibility, if they're delayed and it gets too close, then they scratch him. We're not there. But we will see.

Frank, always good chatting with you, my friend, Frank Luntz following all of that.

We told you at the outset here stocks soaring on the possibility that stimulus could be resumed right now, but there's no way of knowing.

What we do know is those Supreme Court confirmation hearings are still very much on for Judge Barrett. What we also know is more than a week ahead of the fact, it's already nasty, very, very nasty.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAVUTO:  Forget about the political storm in Salt Lake City tonight. Have you seen the one that is brewing in the Gulf of Mexico right now?

Because, right now, we're looking at a storm, Hurricane Delta, that could be a Category 4 and hit land as a 5.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAVUTO:  All right, stimulus might still not happen, but those confirmation hearings for Judge Amy Barrett certainly are.

Mike Emanuel with the latest on Capitol Hill.

Hey, Mike.

MIKE EMANUEL, FOX NEWS SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT:  Neil, good afternoon.

After a slow start, Judge Amy Coney Barrett has spoken today with three Judiciary Committee Democrats, California Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Judiciary Democrat, but no readout was given.

Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse expressed his concerns about undoing the Affordable Care Act and Roe v. Wade. And Delaware Senator Chris Coons spoke by phone with Judge Barrett and says he did not ask her about her membership in religious groups.

Barrett has faced some scrutiny about her Catholic faith and how that might affect her role as a judge. Some Democrats have also questioned her involvement in a small Christian group called People of Praise.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is firing back, saying -- quote -- "The ongoing attacks by Senate Democrats and the media on Judge Barrett's faith are a disgrace. They demean the confirmation process, disrespect the Constitution, and insult millions of American believers."

Today, a leading Senate Democrat admitted there's little they can do to stop Barrett's confirmation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RICHARD DURBIN (D-IL):  Sadly, we're in a spot now, with the number of votes we have, 12 Republicans and 10 Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, that, unless there is a change of heart among the Republican senators.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

EMANUEL:  Some Democrats have called for delaying Barrett's confirmation hearings.

Majority Leader McConnell says the process will go forward.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY):  There's nothing I can see that would keep that from happening. We can operate successfully in a COVID environment.

Look, you don't shut down a fire department because one of the firemen ended up coming up sick one day. We're going to continue to operate. The American people are entitled to it. And that's what we're going to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

EMANUEL:  Her confirmation is a top priority for both Leader McConnell and, of course, President Trump -- Neil.

CAVUTO:  All right, Mike, thank you very, very much.

And, finally, what appears to be justice long in coming for those charged with beheading at least four Americans during the ISIS rampage of the Middle East, two British ISIS suspects making their first court appearance in Virginia.

Gillian Turner has more -- Gillian.

GILLIAN TURNER, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT:  Hi, Neil.

So, two of the most dangerous and deranged ISIS terrorists alive today have now arrived on U.S. soil. They are facing multiple charges, including hostage-taking resulting in death. The two men have been transferred from military custody into the U.S. criminal justice system.

And, this hour, they are appearing in court in Alexandria, Virginia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN DEMERS, U.S. ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR NATIONAL SECURITY: 

Today's announcement is a reminder of the threat that we continue to face from radical Islamic terrorism. These terrorists despise the freedoms and the way of life we cherish and are hell-bent on imposing their ideologies on a world that continues to reject them.

If you have American blood in your veins, or you have American blood on your hands, you will face American justice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TURNER:  The two men, Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, are part of a group dubbed The Beatles by former hostages because they are British.

Now, they have been in U.S. military custody inside Iraq since 2018, where they were involved in kidnapping and killing 27 people, among them, U.S.

aid worker Kayla Mueller, who was kidnapped and then tortured before her death in captivity in 2015, Peter Kassig, also an American aid worker, as well as journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff were all beheaded in gruesome videos streamed online, sparking really outrage and horror across the world.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZACH TERWILLIGER, U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA: 

Forced witnessing of murders, mock executions, shocks by electric Taser, beatings, amongst other brutal acts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TURNER:  The families of Americans murdered by ISIS have been pushing for a long time for The Beatles to be returned to the United States and face prosecution here, because it's believed they would face longer sentences on trial here than if in done in the U.K.

The other new tidbit we're learning this hour, Neil, is that the vice president has invited Kayla Mueller's parents to attend tonight's debate as one of his guests. They have accepted. They are going to be there, this after they both spoke very movingly during the RNC last month -- Neil.

CAVUTO:  Gillian Turner at the Justice Department, thank you very, very much for that.

We're so focused on the big debate tonight, the vice presidential debate, and probably what's going to happen with the control of the White House, but a real struggle going on for control of the United States Senate.

The sands are shifting dramatically. What's at stake and who's at stake in the battle you're not watching that you probably should?

After this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAVUTO:  All right, to say the Democrats are very, very excited about the prospect, if polls prove right, of winning the White House, they're also eying the United States Senate, where they think they have a very good chance of flipping that body around and running the table.

Jackie DeAngelis has been crunching the numbers in some races to see if that's possible -- Jackie.

JACKIE DEANGELIS, FOX BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT:  Hi, Neil.

Well, with the spotlight back on the Trump administration's pandemic response, there's also this fresh uncertainty that you mentioned about the fight for the Senate come Election Day.

Now, right now, the Republicans hold a 53-47 advantage in the Senate. But they are playing defense. It's a harder job here, defending 23 seats, the Democrats defending 12. To get control, the Dems need to flip four seats if the president is reelected, three seats to control if Joe Biden wins.

Now, about nine key Senate races are in play. Let's take a look at the map here. The states that we're watching, Arizona, North Carolina, Colorado, and Maine. They are leaning towards the Democrats, tossups right now in Iowa and Montana.

Now, some polls even show that Lindsey Graham's seat in South Carolina is a tossup too.

Let's look at North Carolina, because this is an interesting one. Right now, Republican Thom Tillis is under fire for testing positive for COVID-19 as a member of the president's inner circle. He's trailing in the polls by an average of 5.4 points.

Democrat Cal Cunningham, however, married, but had an affair. We will see how that sits with voters.

In Maine, this is another good one to watch. We're looking at Susan Collins here. We got her there. She's the Republican. She's behind Democrat Sara Gideon by an average of 3.7 points. Collins has a reputation of being a little bit more of a moderate.

There's also the issue of taxes. So I'm going to pivot here, because coronavirus cost states a lot of money. They need to figure out how they're going to raise revenue. So we're watching Illinois really closely, because, in that state, the Constitution calls for a flat tax rate of 4.95 percent.

Voters are being asked to approve an amendment that would make it more progressive.

So ,if you make over a million dollars in that state, it would jump to 7.99 percent. Colorado is also one that's in play. Residential property taxes are limited by the Gallagher Amendment. Voters are going to decide if it should be repealed, and that would mean paying higher rates.

If you're in California, you know very well -- oh, sorry about that -- about Proposition 13 from the '70s. Residential and commercial real estate owners, they pay tax based on what they originally paid for the property, with increases capped at 2 percent.

Now lawmakers want residents to remove the caps for commercial businesses with properties worth over $3 million.

Finally, I want to take a look at Alaska, because this is home to big oil.

And the question there, should these companies be paying more in taxes?

Voters are going to decide that as well -- Neil.

CAVUTO:  All right, Jackie, a lot on the table there, Jackie DeAngelis on all of that.

By the way, we're still tracking Hurricane Delta right now. It had a direct hit on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, slowed down a little bit. It's picking up steam again, expected to soon be back to a Category 4 storm, a hurricane watch now in effect in parts of Louisiana.

We will be getting an update from the governor there, who has already declared a state of emergency, as has the governor of Alabama. They're not taking any chances on this 25th named storm of the season.

We have never seen so many, certainly this early, and the ninth to directly threaten the Gulf.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAVUTO:  All right, we will be monitoring Louisiana Governor Edwards. He's going to be having a briefing on this approaching storm right now, Hurricane Delta, and not bumping around right now, expected to re- strengthen to maybe a Category 4 storm, every possibility it could hit land as a Category 5, as incredible as that seems.

Anyway, Rick Reichmuth has more for us right now and tracking everywhere it is going.

Rick, what can you tell us?

RICK REICHMUTH, FOX NEWS CHIEF METEOROLOGIST:  Well, I tell you, this active season, we're not done yet, although we are on the downhill slide for the year, which is certainly good news.

A hurricane watch already in effect across Southeastern parts of Texas, all the way across the Louisiana coastline, towards Plaquemines parish, the Mississippi River Delta.

And that is for a hurricane that will be making landfall sometime Friday evening is the time frame.

This is a satellite loop. Spent a little bit of time over land, cut right across areas of Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and then exiting the Yucatan Peninsula, back over the water, which is plenty warm, not incredibly warm.

We're not talking about water that is really well above average, but it's plenty warm to sustain a hurricane.

You get an idea. This is a future radar, what -- one of our modeling radars is a future of what it thinks that the radar will look like as it moves forward in time, probably getting very well organized again.

And the storm, as it moves into the Gulf, Neil, it's going to become a much larger storm. When it made an impact in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, it was a very small storm, hurricane-force winds only extending at around 30 miles or so from the center of that very small eye.

This will likely be a much larger storm. That means the impacts will be felt in across a much broader area, primarily Louisiana, maybe a little bit of Texas, and then in across parts of Minnesota.

This is the water temperature you see, certainly warm enough to sustain a hurricane, even a very major hurricane. But notice it does cool down just a little bit right as you get in towards the coast. So, in that last few hours before it makes landfall, waters may be dropping a little bit. And that could be a bit of a saving grace for us.

A lot of oil platforms out of here. This is where all the industry is and where it's going to be cutting right across probably at least as a Cat 2, Cat 3 storm here, across that area. So we're going to watch that closely.

This is the official track from the National Hurricane Center. They officially right now still are forecasting it to come on shore as a Category 3 storm. Keep in mind, back in August, we had a Category 4 storm hitting almost the exact same area of Louisiana, had huge impacts across the Lake Charles area of Louisiana, this one very close into that same area.

Took them a long time -- in fact, a lot of people still trying to recover from that storm, and having another storm come right behind that certainly not good news.

We're going to get a lot of rain out of this primarily across parts of Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi. This will be a faster-moving storm in its forward movement. That is good news. That means it won't have as much time to sit around and rain for so long.

And then, Neil, let me just end. Our typical season, September 10 is the peak. You get the idea here. We are on the downhill slide of this season, which is very good news. We can't get out of this soon enough. Give it a couple more weeks, and, hopefully, we will get things calmed down for the remainder of this year -- Neil.

CAVUTO:  Hopefully.

Thank you very much, Rick Reichmuth, on all of that.

Meanwhile, back to the debate site in Salt Lake City. We just understand that the vice president has toured the facility, heading back to his hotel.

They are all ready for this debate that is now about four hours away.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAVUTO:  All right, is there such a thing as, I don't know, a skinny stimulus bill?

Wall Street pouncing on the notion that the president's open to that. But what exactly is that?

Chad Pergram, what are you hearing?

CHAD PERGRAM, FOX NEWS CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT:  Well, it's remarkable that they reengaged today. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the secretary of the Treasury had another phone call today, after President Trump put the kibosh on these talks yesterday.

That really underscores just how dire the situation is. And Democrats are more than happy to pin this on the president. He's the one who withdrew from these negotiations.

Here's the speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PELOSI:  I think it's a missed opportunity. You should ask them why they don't want to put food on the table, rent in the pockets of the American people, crush the virus, support our heroes and the rest.

We -- our bill is scientifically, institutionally, academically documented to meet the needs of the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PERGRAM:  There's been some chatter about doing some stand-alone bills for the airlines or even re-upping extra unemployment benefits.

Pelosi has rejected most stand-alone bills. There is no agreement here.

Now, keep in mind that this negotiation has not really moved at all since May. They reengaged in October because it was a dire situation. All these layoffs were starting to filter in here. The election will be the deciding factor in this.

Also, Neil, we have a bit of breaking news at this hour. Amy Coney Barrett is on Capitol Hill right now. She is touring the hearing room where her confirmation hearing will start next Monday -- Neil.

CAVUTO:  All right, Chad, I think you're going to be live-tweeting through all of this tonight, right, the big debate?

PERGRAM:  That's right, live-blogging alongside Chris Stirewalt.

To -- go to the bottom of your screen there. There's a Q.R. code you can scan. You can ask us questions. We will make observations, even discuss debate history and trivia. And come join the fun. It'll be an interesting discussion.

CAVUTO:  Look forward to it, my friend.

Thank you very, very much.

Chad was getting onto this idea that maybe, maybe some targeted COVID relief is coming. That's better than nothing.

There's a group on Capitol Hill trying to get stuff done. They're called the Problem Solvers. It's a caucus of 50 congress men and women, 25 Republicans, 25 Democrats. You can imagine a good many of them in both parties were startled when the president essentially tweeted out, that's it, talks are done, kaput.

Josh Gottheimer joins us right now, New Jersey Democratic congressman, Tom Reed, Republican. They are the caucus co-chairs of this House Problem Solvers group.

Gentlemen, welcome to both of you.

I will begin with you, Congressman Gottheimer, on whether this is better than nothing, the idea that the president might entertain, I don't know if they call it a skinny virus relief bill, but one that might include pandemic relief checks for folks or rescue the airline industry, leave it at that for now.

How do you feel about that?

REP. JOSH GOTTHEIMER (D-NJ):  Well, I think you really need to take this on as a -- on a comprehensive approach. Doing this thing piecemeal is very difficult.

You risk leaving a lot of people out. We have got small businesses hurting, small towns hurting, a lot of families who really need help. So, I think the way this has come together and the way we get it done is by bringing these pieces together.

And we're so close. I think we have got to get back to the table. It's what Tom and I have been pushing for, as well as the Problem Solvers Caucus, for people to reengage. We need the administration to come back. We will all sit back together.

And I think the key is just to get this done. You have got far too many people hurting right now.

CAVUTO:  Congressman Reed, were you surprised, was it a little lightning bolt out of the blue, when the president said, that's it, it's over, done, this waits until after the election?

REP. TOM REED (R-NY):  Well, I have been hearing a lot of positive information being exchanged.

We have been working, Josh and I, in the Problem Solvers Caucus for months, eight weeks now. And, really, we're happy that the negotiators were back in the room. And we were hearing positive indications from our sources at the White House and in the Senate and the House that they were getting closer.

The bottom line is, I think there may have been some miscommunication here too, Neil. That is what I'm hearing. Some of the folks in the Senate that I talk to, senators themselves, were under the impression this was a $2.2 trillion offer that Pelosi put down as her last and best offer.

And, really, I think that what may be on the table is a $1.7 trillion deal.

And, from my perspective, if we're talking about a 1.7, our Problem Solvers Caucus deal was at 1.5. And I will tell you, when we talked about that today with some senators, they're like, if that's where the deal is at, there seems to be an appetite to embrace it, to get this done.

And so I hope that these folks get back in the room, the speaker, the president, as well as Mitch McConnell and the senators, get into the room to clarify any miscommunication and put their last, best offers on the table, because they really -- I think they're really close in that final package.

CAVUTO:  Wow. I didn't know they were that close.

Congressman Gottheimer, assuming he's right -- and you're both smart gentlemen, so I'm sure you think he is right. I'm wondering if, you know, for $200 billion, and that close, that a deal could still be had. It could be a deal closer to what we were hearing originally considered, pandemic relief, unemployment relief that would renew again -- I guess it depends whether it's $300, $400, or the old $600 -- but that an all coronavirus relief measure, fairly sweeping, could still be had.

Do you agree with that?

GOTTHEIMER:  Yes, I think we're -- what I understand -- and I agree with Tom -- is that we're actually very close.

And all the parties, the secretary of Treasury, and the White -- and, of course, the speaker were in the room, really, really close to getting there, and not wanting to quit on the American people.

And what's really important, Neil, as you know, is less about the top-line number, and more what's in the number, what programs we're doing. We're doing -- how are we helping people with stimulus checks, and PPE, and helping people with unemployment, and standing by our restaurants and our airline workers.

We have got a lot of people hurting. We have got to make sure we have got that testing lined up, especially as we head into flu season. So, the key is what's in there.

And I think, as Tom points out, what often happens is, people are speaking past each other. It's really important that we get everyone back into the room. It's what the Problem Solvers Caucus was so focused on, was getting people, here's a framework for how we start -- restart negotiations.

And we just can't walk away. And the idea that we would wait months now to help people is unconscionable. It's unacceptable. So, let's get people back into the room.

CAVUTO:  You know what's inspiring about both of you guys -- I'm sure you have been told this before -- the whole point of the Problem Solvers Caucus, 50 men and women-strong, evenly divided, Republicans, Democrats, is that you can get stuff done.

So you put the extreme nonsense out, and you try to cobble together something that would be mutually acceptable. It's a concept. We used to do this all the time. But now you have to have a caucus to hearken back to that.

Do you think, after this election, regardless of who wins, we can return to that kind of stuff?

I will begin with you on this, Congressman Reed.

REED:  I absolutely agree with you, Neil.

We need to get back to that and be proud Republicans and proud Democrats, like I know Josh is and the members of the Problem Solvers Caucus on the other -- but -- other side of the aisle -- but respect each other, listen to each other, work with each other, because, at the end of the day, we shouldn't always be about who's going to win the political battle, but how do we work together to win for the American people?

And that's what we're all about in the Problem Solvers Caucus. And when Josh and I have a disagreement, we work it out. We stay in the room to find out, where are we coming from? Listen to each other, respect each other, trust each other, so that you don't miscommunicate, and you find that common ground that you can agree upon.

And that's why this deal right now, this COVID-19 deal, I'm not giving up on it. I know Josh isn't giving up on it. We're very close. And they just need to get back in the room and finish this off for the American people.

GOTTHEIMER:  And, Neil, I think just adding to that...

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO:  ... Congressman Gottheimer?

GOTTHEIMER:  No, you were just spot on about putting country first.

I think we spend too much time screaming and yelling, and not enough time actually working together. I think the country wants more civility. They want us to actually get things done. You're not always going to get everything you want.

But the key is to keep moving the country forward. And with what we're facing with this COVID crisis and the economic crisis and the health crisis, we have got to stay in the room and get it done.

CAVUTO:  Gentlemen, you lift my spirits that hope springs eternal that two sides can talk to one another, disagree, but you don't have to be disagreeable. You don't have to take cheap shots.

I wish you well. I'm sure you will cobble together something.

I think it was John Kennedy who once said that, at our core, we're human beings. We all breathe the same air. So, let's keep that in mind. Hope springs eternal.

And let's hope we keep to that tonight in the vice presidential debate.

We will be following it on FOX Business beginning at 8:00 p.m., right through and after the debate, looking at market reaction, foreign and here.

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