Even. Good to see you both. Thank you for joining us. Start with masks this evening. The mask issue became huge this weekend. Friday, 1 00 a. M. , when the president tweeted both him and his wife had tested positive for coronavirus. University of washington study projects that 160,000 more people could die by january 1. But that number could be reduced 95 of us were masks. Do you supporting mask mandate, where it is legally permissible . A mandate . Yes. I dont supporting mandate. I think there are appropriate guidelines people should follow, and certainly, within confined spaces, yes. I think it is appropriate to regulate what is going on. Guidelinesppropriate people will follow. I checked both of your twitter accounts regularly. I checked yours on thursday, october 1. There was a photograph of your shoulder to shoulder with a staffer, shoulder to shoulder and comedian, lenny clarke, inches away from five customers at the owl diner. None of them had masks. You didnt have a mask. How is that following the guidelines . The guidelines talk about duration of contact. Equal. Tact is not i moved in for photographs, and then separated. Senator markey, you do supporting mask mandate, correct . I do support it. I think it is consistent with all the Public Health guidelines that anthony fauci, Public Health positions all across the country have been advising us to abide by. If i could just be to this, todays arrangements, which were at the 11th hour, are not consistent with any guidelines. Senator markey agree to guidelines with gbh that were changed this morning. Nothing has changed in terms of Public Health guidelines. Nothing has changed in terms of my condition or senator markeys condition. What we saw was the changing of the rules by people with the power to do it. Can i respond to that, please . We apologize. We did change the rules late. But the world changed on friday, and we tried to change with it. The goal was to try to make things as safe for both of you and us as possible. The reality is, this is what it is. Jim, nothing to change. The guidelines we agreed to were carefully agreed to. They were safe, they were sound. Nothing has changed. We did not think they were safe enough. And we let senator markey respond . I was going to ask, many said there is no good to a mandate if there are not five strict enforcements. Do you think we need that kind of strict enforcement come off last enforcement, plus fines . We do need a enforcement going forward. Obviously, the numbers you just outlined, 96,000 deaths, which are avoidable, if we have a mask mandate, obviously, that is something that requires everyone to cooperate. The tweet from President Trump this afternoon was irresponsible as he was leaving the hospital. E as he was leaving the hospital. He said dont be afraid of the converse or it the coronavirus or it will dominate your life. If you are not afraid of coronavirus, it will dominate your life. We need that right now. A mandate for Wearing Masks, along with, by the way, other Public Health safety guidelines, including obviously social distancing, washing hands. Can i unite the trump and covid topics . The president recently gave for how he is handling the pandemic. Is that great appropriate . How would you grade grade appropriate . How would you grade our governor in massachusetts . How would you grade both of them . Mr. Oconnor i think the grades are both incomplete. They both have done things well and i am sure in hindsight, they would look back and do things differently. They do favor opening up safely as soon as possible. I am very concerned about the collateral consequences of being closed. I have a fourthgrader and eighthgrader and i see the consequences for them academically. I also see the consequences in terms of social isolation that we are seeing, in terms of reported increases in the suicide hotline, alcoholism, things of that nature. The reality is that we can be both safe and open our economy and schools. I would like to hear what you think about both baker and trumps performance. The House Democrats reduced the size of their Coronavirus Relief 2. 2ge from 3 trillion to trillion. The Senate Package was very small. By the whiteupped house. Nancy pelosi said a flat no. Issue not holding hostage billions of American Families, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of businesses and state governments . Do you support her flat no . Are you amongst those that wont let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Would you buy the white house compromise to get relief to people right now . I would give donald trump a complete failing grade for how he has handled the coronavirus. I called upon him in the middle of january to brief congress on the coronavirus before it got here. He did not do it. I called on him to name a coronavirus czar. He did not do it. I was the first sender to call upon him to use the defense to produceact tracing technologies that would be necessary. He did not do. He has been criminally negligent all the way up until leaving the hospital and telling people not to be afraid of the coronavirus. As we got to charlie baker, i would say his grade is incomplete. He has worked hard but has been hindered by the fact that donald trump did not provide early on the leadership or supplies needed. With regard to nursing homes, 2 3 of thewhere deaths that occurred in the stay occurred there, obviously things went very wrong when 2 3 of the deaths occurred there. Isnt nancy pelosi negligent saying no to 1. 6 trillion and keeping people on the edge across the country until she gets every nickel she wants . Sen. Markey absolutely not. Nancy pelosi is fighting for the funding which hospitals, for which are schools and cities and towns need. That need is desperate. That lack of willingness to negotiate by the republicans, that obstinate opposition to the real funding that is necessary, is absolutely on the white house. Secretary mnuchin tripled the senate offer. Sen. Markey it is not enough to match the magnitude of our threat to our health, economy, small businesses, hospitals, fornity Health Centers the Unemployment Benefits which people need massachusetts, which has been discontinued since august 1. The republicans still have refused to put in the funding levels that are necessary to deal with the magnitude of this. Would you vote for the white house deal . Mr. Oconnor yes, absolutely. Senator markey has been an extremist throughout. He has never offered any moderation whatsoever on this issue. In terms of coronavirus, he has very highly charged rhetoric. Has statements are misguided, to put it mildly. We have never heard throughout his campaign, is any any question as to the fault of the Chinese Communist party in causing all this. Senator markey has a long record of weakness in terms of dealing with china, and his weakness on a sustained basis poses the greatest threat to American Security and american safety. Sen. Markey thats just plain wrong. When the president said that he was going to cut off travel from china, i agreed with him, and i said so publicly at the end of january. Mr. Oconnor you have never faulted communist china throughout this entire campaign. You have politicized this issue. Is very personal for me, as you know. My father almost died of covid19, my cousin died of it. What we dont need are career politicians politicizing this issue, and thats what youve done. Point the finger at china and hold them accountable signals the level of weakness the unfortunate we have seen unfortunately we have seen direct your long career. Sen. Markey you are absolutely wrong. When the president said he was cutting off any further travel from china, i agreed with him. You are just plain wrong on this. The problem is, the president did not follow up by name ing a czar. He did not provide the moral and personal leadership that the American People needed. And once again, irresponsibly he is telling people not to be afraid of the coronavirus. Mr. Oconnor senator, china is not at fault . Sen. Markey i did not say that. Mr. Oconnor but you have not said a word throughout the campaign. You are a United States senator and your communications have importance in terms of our global stature. Sen. Markey for the third time, mr. Oconnor, i agree with the president at the end of january. Mr. Oconnor a record of weakness. Kevin oconnor, i want to be clear about one thing, you are blaming come is china as opposed to the millions of communist china as opposed to the millions of americans who have been in close contact with each other, not social distancing, not Wearing Masks . You are blaming come is china sin ,000 deathh deaths in the United States . Mr. Oconnor it is not as simple as that, but it started in common is china and they purposely misled. Lies around the world and that lies at the feet communist china. Senator markeys silence on the ear for that for a year on that issue signals his weakness. Just very briefly, you know you are a Donald Trump Republican when you dont wear a mask yourself in public, like mr. Oconnor, just like donald trump. You know you are a trump republican when you are not willing to talk about the magnitude of the climate threat to our planet and what this nation should be. You know youre a trump republican when you support steamrolling some cream Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. The environmental care act, roe v. Wade, environmental protections will be on the chopping block. Mr. Oconnor senator markey has a record week record on china weak record on china. Sen. Markey i agreed with keeping china out. Who was criminally negligent from the beginning . It was donald trump. We got the china part. Lets move on. A couple more minutes on the virus. Senator markey, you have recommended giving every american 2000 a month retroactive to march for the duration of the pandemic. Thats a lot of money, about 5 trillion, which is as big as a federal budget. How would you propose we pay for that . Sen. Markey well, i would begin by repealing the trump tax cuts. I would be going begin by repealing the bush tax cuts. President trump is paying 750 per year in taxes while getting the best medical care in the world from the federal government, millions of dollars worth of Great Health Care from the federal government. We can use those dollars to take care of ordinary American Families who are suffering right now. We have on Unemployment Rate in massachusetts which is in double digits, the worst since the great depression. These families are at home at their Kitchen Table trying to figure out how to pay the bills, rent, mortgage, health care, food, how to pay for their car payments, all that is on the table. We have to provide that funding for those families and those trillions of dollars should be brought back from those tax cuts and they should be used for helping ordinary families in the commonwealth. Do use did you support the president s tax cuts emma which mostly went to wealthy people and caused the biggest deficit in our history . What would you do to support people that are still unemployed . Mr. Oconnor senator markeys proposal is 96,000 a year for a family of four dating back to march, regardless of whether those Family Members are even citizens of the United States. It is a grossly irresponsible proposal. Someone said to me recently, there is nothing more expensive than a free lunch. Ed markey throughout this campaign has proposed these free lunch programs that are totally unaffordable, that will bankrupt future generations, and they are inexcusable. Do you support the tax cuts, though . Yes or no . Mr. Oconnor on balance, yes. And gentlemen, we are going to move to the Supreme Court. Mr. Oconnor tax cuts raise more revenue in the year after the tax cuts than before and have led to the greatest economy in the last four years. The last time we did that well was quite a long time ago. Everything that got us to that point, senator markey opposed. Supreme court. You have said if the gop rhymes through the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, you would support ending the filibuster and expanding the size of the Supreme Court. Your nominee for president apparently was annoyed, according to the washington post, with your comments. Do use still support you still support those positions. Is joe biden wrong not to support those sort of remedies if the republicans proceed, as they appear to be doing . Mr. Oconnor very simply, the republicans back in 2016 and 2017 blocked Merrick Garland as the nominee for barack obama, would not allow him to be confirmed. They just swiped that seat for their own purposes. They made a promise, that they would never nominate anyone for the Supreme Court during a president ial election year. Now, the republicans are trying to steamroll through the nominee right before an election in a coronavirus epidemic up on capitol hill. Please let me finish. Someone on thee Supreme Court who would be able to begin to hear the repeal of the Affordable Care act legislation in the second week of november, 2020. In addition to that, it would be able to begin the process of rolling back roe v. Wade, rolling back massachusetts versus epa, the most important Climate Change case in american history, civil rights, rolling back womens rights. If they take these two seats, it is very much necessary for us in america to repeal the filibuster, and to begin a discussion of enlarging the Supreme Court in order to make sure that what the republicans have done does not wind up in a fundamental change in the protections which we have provided to the American People. Mr. Oconnor, the word on the street is you went to the same law school. Are you for or against expanding the size of the court . Is a terrible idea that has been discredited by everyone. Justice ginsburg said it is a terrible idea. Nobody of common sense thinks senator markeys idea is good and even the Biden Campaign thought it was illadvised. Lets get to roe v. Wade. 10aul found eight in massachusetts voters want roe v. Wade to be upheld. You said you supported the Trump Nominee to the Supreme Court, gorsuch and kavanaugh. They could get rid of roe v. Wade. So you seem to be out of touch with massachusetts voters on that. Do you also support amy barrett to the Supreme Court . Sen. Markey she is extremely wellqualified and has lived an extraordinary life mr. Oconnor she is extreme we wellqualified and has lived an extraordinary life. She has expressed respect and reverence for the constitution and the rule of law. I think we can expect her to follow those principles. She appears to be a strong justice. That said, i will await the hearing. I will await to see what she has to say in response to the questions. Senator markey i believe has said he will not even meet with her facetoface. You support justices that were appointed to the Supreme Court because they are prolife. Massachusetts voters have indicated over and over again that they are prochoice. How come you support those justices . Mr. Oconnor the personal position of a judge is not relevant. Will a judge respect the rule of law, the constitution . These supremewhat Court Justices will be deciding 10, 20 years from now. We cannot have litmus tests. We need the best people, bright people of character and who have lived responsibly. Mr. Oconnor, mr. Oconnor, when we interviewed candidate trump in new hampshire, we asked him if he had any litmus tests, and he said yes, that they would be prolife. The president of the United States has a litmus test. Mr. Oconnor personally prolife. I dont think that the question has been asked as to what she would do on that case. I would note that justices, over the course of even recently, have followed president prsident, followed ecdent, followed the rule of law dent, followed the rule over. Lawou do support role of rule of law. Some people have called this infanticide. I think massachusetts is only 2 of americas population but we have to be the leader in ensuring that we are going to it on the books protections for women so that the only decision is between a woman and her physician, in terms of any Health Care Decision which she would make. Way that webe the deal with that issue. We have to be the leader. From my perspective, yes, what the republicans are doing is engaging court packing. They have picked up two extra justices. Their goal is to repeal roe v. Wade. President trump made it very clear repeatedly that he is going to name justices to the Supreme Court who will overturn roe v. Wade. Thats his goal. Hes made it very clear. Please, let me finish. Over and it very clear over again thats his goal. By the way, what will come after that is the Affordable Care act, environmental protections. At the top of the list is this repeal of roe v. Wade. Statutee going to get to protect women. Do you want to respond to what the sender just said . Mr. Oconnor senator markey is within the most extreme group in terms of advocating abortion rights, even at the point of delivery, ninth month, right there. It is terrible to think that he has advocated for. Viewsn extremist and his are not consistent with the majority of massachusetts voters. Consistent, you know that the first