gretchen whitmer ahead. plus, scandals grow. more accusations against new york governor andrew cuomo. as he faces mounting criticism, does the governor the support of his people or his party? ♪ hello. i'm jake tapper in washington, where the state of our union is beginning to feel a little hopeful. the pace of vaccinations in america hit 2 million per day last week. though health experts warn now is not the time to relax restrictions or public health measures. and for the millions of americans devastated economically it seems more help is on the way. saturday, the senate passed a $1.9 trillion relief bill which appears to be headed for president biden's desk after a final vote in the house on tuesday. the passage is aid targeting middle and low income americans including new $1,400 checks and a $300 boost to unemployment benefits and aid for state and local governments. the package passed with zero republican support, and the path was bumpy among senate democrats. on friday the senate came to a chaotic standstill for nearly 12 hours as republicans, democrats, and president biden tried to win the support of west virgina democratic senator joe manchin who finally voted with his party after some modifications to the bill. joining me now, the man who seemed to control all of washington, d.c., democratic senator joe manchin of west virginia. senator manchin, thank you for joining us. after changes you pushed for, enhanced federal unemployment benefits now expire about a month earlier and there is a new income cap for writing them off on your taxes. i have to say, you represent one of the lowest income states in the nation. why were you fighting for less help for citizens during this cruel economic time? >> jake, first, let me just say it's always good to be with you. okay? and next of all, all i did was make sure we were targeting where the help is needed. right now we are giving $300 to people with no fault of their own. i want that to continue seamlessly. you look what we have done in targeting how we helped the families and how we helped their children with child tax credits and there was so much more we were doing. we are giving more help to individuals than ever before. $300 was seamless and continues on through end of august, if needed, and that is what we tried to do. when we put the cap on, chuck, this is the first time we have ever allowed for tax deduction from unemployment benefits. basically, to be fair for the people out there working all the time, paying their share of taxes, that was something we were concerned about also. so we limited it to $150,000. we capped it that anybody over $150,000 could not use that offset. anybody below it that is struggling and working, where the middle class is able to do that. that was a fair compromise. we worked through that and got it done. >> i know you're doing the round of shows today. just to remind you, i'm jake. i'm not chuck. but your move forced the senate to stay up all night voting after you spent the day on calls with chuck schumer and even president biden. you were talking to senator portman on the other side. how much pressure were you under and what did president biden have to say to you? >> jake, on that, president biden and i have been friends. i have the most respect. i think he is the right person, the right place, at the right time. our conversations have always been cordial. the only thing he has ever said, joe, never go against your convictions. always do what you think is right. and i always appreciate that encouragement and we work very well together. working with all of my other friends back and forth, jake, you know, sometimes can be challenging but the bottom line is, that is what it's about, negotiations. i work with my republican friends. i work with my democrat caucus and my friends. we try to find that middle. with that, sometimes it gets a little frustrating at times but the bottom line is at the end result we got one tremendous piece of legislation. this bill, jake, does an awful lot for a long period of time. it basically goes out to 2024 and we are getting help to every city and every municipality. every one of them will have help now, to basically control their own destiny. they can fix a water line, a sewer line, internet without the bureaucratic-ness that may be making them jump through hoops. we've done everything we can. we are helping children now more so than ever before. we are making our schools safer. we are making it basically able to get back into the classroom in the safest atmosphere humanly possible. we are helping businesses reopen. vaccines are getting in people's arms. we are going to go back to normal and get to some normal. the new normal is not going to be like the old normal and has a chance to be even better. >> i know that bipartisanship is very important to you. president biden says it's important to him as well. at the end of the day, this legislation passed with no republican votes in the house, no republican votes in the senate. some republicans tried to offer to negotiate. it didn't happen at the end of the day. who do you blame for the fact that this bill got no republican support in congress? >> i never do place blame. what i do place is basically we don't have the tolerance to sit down and work more. but let me tell you, jake, this was more of a bipartisan bill than you might think. first of all, the president asked for ten republicans to come over and see him. that was the first visit to the white house, was my republican friends and colleagues that went and sat down. they offered their -- their proposal. they didn't think it was adequate enough to do what president biden has his vision for america and coming out and making sure that we can recover. i think what he did was correct but he listened to them and guess what. for the whole month, jake, we have worked together. we have had democrats and republicans working together. a lot of the things that i was able to get in are some changes i was able to do because of the position i'm in to hopefully help message that, if you will, made significant changes. we targeted, in this bill we targeted where help was needed. we were able to target basically the people, the children and schools that need help. the people on the front line, all of america. that is what we were able to do and a lot of that was by talking with my colleagues and negotiating back and forth and i was able to channel that through, i think. and hopefully make a bill that is a much more encompassing bill. i think it's a great piece of legislation. going to help a lot of people. >> a lot of progressives say for that negotiation, none of those people you were working with senator portman or whomever, never voted for the bill and point to things left out. let me ask you this. one democratic priority that got dropped from the bill was a federal minimum wage increasing and increasing it to $15 an hour was one of president biden's first campaign promises. congresswoman alexandria ocasio-cortez, a democrat in new york, singled you out and kyrsten sinema in front of capitol hill last week said, quote, the fact that we have two people in this country holding back a complete transformation the same people held our country together throughout this pandemic is wrong, unquote. what do you say to her and on the issue of the federal minimum wage increase, is there anything situation where you would go higher than $11 an hour? >> well, jake we are going to go and do something because there is not one senator out of 100, not one that does not want to raise the minimum wage. not one. with that said, we are going to make that happen. the $15 an hour minimum wage never fit in this piece of reconciliation. the rules of the senate and know that from day one. i know they made a big issue about this. i understand. everyone has their right. the congresswoman, i respect where she is coming from. i respect her input. we have a little different approach. we come from two different areas of the country that have a different social and cultural needs. but with that, you have to respect everybody. we are going to get that but it's going to sit down and i hope in more of a collaborative ray. >> how high would you go? >> let me tell you what needs to be done. joe biden has said anybody that goes to work -- and i believe this with all of my heart -- if you go to work every day you should be above the minimum guidelines for poverty line. you should be above that. that should be the absolute low base. when you figure the numbers it comes out to $11. that is how i got to 11. and we can do that very quickly too within a couple of years. once we get to $11 it should be indexed for inflation so it never becomes a political football again. it should be the respect and dignity of work always being above the minimum wage of what the guidelines for poverty is and being able to lift yourself way far above that by your skill sets and your determination. and that is all we are saying and that's what we have been trying work to. this is the easiest lift of all. you have that many people want to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to above the poverty guidelines, let's do it and let inflation take us from the standpoint of indexing it so we never fall below that. >> senator, let me ask you this. i want to ask you about one of the issues coming to capitol hill. you've not yet said whether you're going to support or oppose president biden's pick for secretary of the department of health and human services, xavier becerra. will he be able to expect your support? >> i've spoke to xavier. we had a great conversation and we are supposed to meet and we have sent out questions we want answers to. i haven't had time in all honesty to really work on those nominations. while we are in the whole thing with the most important piece of legislation that we could possibly have, the covid relief package. and we look forward to looking at that next week. i always give discretion to the president wanting to his team together, any executive should want to put their team together, and try to do that together to the best of might have ability. >> you used to be a governor. andrew cuomo of new york is inappropriate conduct or sexual harassment. one former staffer charlotte bennett called cuomo a textbook abuser. do you believe the women come forward, should governor cuomo resign? >> jake, these allegations are serious. you should let the attorney general and others look into it. let's see and wait until that investigation is completed before you have a rush to judgment. i've seen that happen and it doesn't work well. the rule of law is our bedrock of who we are as a country and i want to make sure that everyone has their opportunity and fair chance and let the investigation come forth and the results will be based on that and that is what it should be. >> i have more questions for you but i'm told we are out of time and you have other interviews to do. thank you so much, senator. appreciate it. >> jake, thanks to having me, as always. enjoy being with you. >> always good to have you, sir. how will the dynamic affect president biden going forward? white house communication director kate bedingfield joins me next. plus, we are so close out of this national nightmare but are decisions by some governors to loosen covid restrictions now prolong our suffering? i'll ask the governor of mississippi. stay with us. at jackson hewitt, we offer safe and easy ways to file with a skilled tax pro. securely drop off your documents, have them picked up, or upload them, and work with a tax pro online from home. safe and easy ways to file that work around you. ♪ ♪ ♪like an echo in the forest♪ [singing in korean] ♪another day will return♪ [singing in korean] ♪like nothing ever happened♪ at visionworks, we want you to feel safe [singing in korean] ♪like nothing ever happened♪ and we want you to see yourself in your new glasses and think, "ooh!" but if you get home and your "ooh" is more of a "hmm..." you have 100 days to change your mind. that's the visionworks difference. visionworks. see the difference. up at 2:00am again? tonight, try pure zzzs all night. unlike other sleep aids, our extended release melatonin helps you sleep longer. and longer. zzzquil pure zzzs all night. fall asleep. stay asleep. this is wealth. ♪ ♪ this is worth. that takes wealth. but this is worth. and that - that's actually worth more than you think. don't open that. wealth is important, and we can help you build it. but it's what you do with it, that makes life worth living. principal. for all it's worth. does scrubbing grease feel like a workout? scrub less with dawn ultra it's superior grease-cleaning formula gets to work faster, making easy work of tough messes dawn takes care of tough grease, wherever it shows up. scrub less, save more...with dawn welcome back to "state of the union." i'm jake tapper. president biden's covid relief bill passed a major hurdle yesterday. after the senate made changes to lower direct payments on americans and lose a minimum wage increase. the next challenge is getting the okay from progressives in the house on what just passed the senate. joining me is kate bedingfield. such progressives as bowman and talib said they were open to voting against the covid relief bill because it got too watered down in the senate, in their view. as you know, it will only take five democrats in the house to tank the bill. two moderates already voted no the first time. do you have enough votes? >> well, this is a historic and transformational piece of legislation that the senate just passed. it is going to cut child poverty in half, in part by making a historic investment in the child tax credit. it is going to fund a vaccine program that is going to get this virus under control. it is going to get money out to schools so they can reopen so kids can go back to school and we are not losing a generation of kids to this crisis. so look. this is an incredibly transformational and frankly progressive piece of legislation. you heard senator sanders say that this was the best piece of legislation for working people in the modern history of this country. this is a bill that reflects president biden's belief that the best way to get the economy back on track and get it growing is to invest in working people and middle class people. >> right. >> so, you know, this is a -- this is a reflection of president biden's values and urgent aid that is going to help people across the country and making a long-term investment in helping people get back on their feet. we're very hopeful the house will move quickly. >> i get you that think it's a major piece of progressive legislation. the question is what about congressman bowman? and what about congresswoman talib? are they going to vote for it? i'll ask you again -- do you have the votes? >> they will make that judgment. we certainly hope so. again, i think if you look at what their constituents need and at what people all across this country need the american rescue plan addresses that and it's going to get $1,400 checks into the hands of 85% of households in this country. the single biggest direct payment i think in the modern history of the country. this is money that working people need for a family of four making $100,000, they are going to get just over $5,000 in direct payments. that is money that the people need to get back on their feet. there is money for small businesses in this package. so i think, you know, if you're a member of congress and you're looking to what is the best thing that you can do quickly to help people in your district, i think it's passing this bill. so we are certainly hopeful the house is going to move quickly. >> so let's look forward. it seems clear you will need 60 votes if you want to raise the federal minimum wage in the senate. that means you'll need to win over at least ten republicans, not to mention joe manchin. i know president biden supports a $15 federal minimum wage. there are not even 50 votes in the senate for that. you just heard manchin saying he supports $11 an hour. some republicans like romney and cotton said they would support $10 an hour. if a $10 minimum wage bill came to the resolute desk, would president biden sign it? >> president biden supports raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. that is where he stands. that is where he stood for a long time. he believes strongly that that is the level at which people in this country who are working full-time can make a living wage and not be living in poverty and he believes that's a fundamental matter of values. he doesn't believe anyone in this country should work full-time and be living in poverty. >> but you don't even have 50 votes about that. >> what i would say, jake, there are currently -- but currently no active discussions about lowering the threshold and details get worked out. the senate just passed our american rescue plan, a massive effort to get people aid across the country and make these investments. so the conversation is going to turn to how we tackle the minimum wage and for the president, who is looking forward to working with congress to determine the best way to do it. so right now, the president is committed to raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. >> raising the minimum wage is not the only thing at stake. voting rights legislation and health care, climate change, immigration reform, all these things biden laid out that he wants to accomplish and all unlikely to pass with 60 votes. there are new calls now to end the filibuster. president biden historically has said he opposes ending the filibuster in the senate. is that still his position? >> it is. it is still his position. his preference is not to end the filibuster. he wants to work with republicans, to work with independents. he believes that, you know, we are stronger when we build a broad coalition of support. and, look. i would say, look at what we have been able to do in the first six weeks that we have been in office with the filibuster in place. we just passed a $1.9 trillion rescue plan that is going to make a massive difference in the lives of people all across the country. >> with no republican votes, though. >> you know, we have been able to -- but we were able to get it done. look. it's a 50/50 senate. we understand that and we have to navigate our way through a 50/50 senate. >> you got this done with reconciliation -- other bills you won't be able to do that. >> well, but we also got it done with the support of 75% of the american people, including over 50% of republicans, you know, american voters who heard president biden lay out his proposal, believed that he had the right approach, that this was the right plan. and they rallied behind it. so, you know, we were able to pass this legislation with massive bipartisan support across the country. you had, i think, something like 400 governors and mayors come out in support of the rescue plan. as i say, president biden's preference is not to get rid of filibuster. but look at all we've been able to do. we have been able to rejoin the paris climate agreement. >> i only have a minute left. i want to get this question in. president biden will not directly sanction saudi arabia crown prince bin salman for his approval for -- for mbs' approval of the operation to "the washington post" journalist jamal khashoggi. it's clear president biden believes the relationship with saudi is more important than holding the crown prince responsible. didn't the crown prince make that calculation already that murdering khashoggi was more important than the u.s./saudi relationship? hasn't that decision already been made? >> i would dispute the way you frame that. president biden has been very clear this was a horrific unacceptable crime. it is not something that the americans -- that we as ameri