That flag were to be removed. That would also require the legislature to work an extended session this legislative session, so well see how it plays out in the upcoming minutes and days. Back to you. Cnns Senior Investigative correspondent drew griffin is in charleston. We just learned that president obama and Vice President biden are planning on flying to charleston for reverend pinkneys funeral, one of the nine victims of the terrorist attack last week. President obama were told will deliver the eulogy there for pinkney. Tell us more. Yeah i think looking at all of this and the funeral behind me here jake here in charleston really whatever the shooter tried to do or whatever he was trying to do its having the complete opposite effect. We may see that flag removed from the State Capitol grounds. Well have a huge unity spirit for those funerals. We saw that over the weekend here. So i think looking at this whole, you know episode, this very, very dark episode, it is true that hate will not win it in. In fact that whatever actions this killer tried to spur its having the exact opposite effect. On all of us jake. Let me bring in cnns Brianna Keilar and brianna, just as some history for our viewers, this flag the rebel flag was put up on top of the capitol dome in 1961 by the democratic governor fritz hollings. It stayed there until about 200 on 0, and then putting it at the capitol, but not on top the capitol was an attempt at a compromise. This authority was issued back in 200, and it has reemerged as a thorny issue for the candidates. It certainly has. Now they are forced to take a position on something where they could be losing some of their base but as past has shown, jake they may not be picking up a whole lot of africanamerican support, so youre seeing different reactions from republicans. We for instance have heard from Lindsey Graham you noted that Governor Haley has changed her opportunity in the last few days same with senator Lindsey Graham saying before that this is what he said on cnn it works here to have a confederate memorial and to have an after kaj memorial in front of the statehouse. However, i think we are seeing this things have shifted here. A lot of that i would say is from a tweet from mitt romney. He tweeted very clearly saying speaking out against the flag saying it has to go. I think that tweet might as well have been a shove to a lot of they republicans candidates now theyre coming occupy positions are being forced a little more to say they either dont like the flab or the flag should do. George pataki former new york governor he has straight up said it needs to go but you have a lot more republicans being nuanced, including jeb bush who said when i was Florida Governor i was against the flag we took it out, but he doesnt go so far to say South Carolina, your flag needs to go. A lot of republicans want to say its up to the states to decide and certainly they were afraid of losing some of that White Conservative base and not and its important to note that whatever individuals outside of South Carolina think of the rebel flag and certainly people have strong opinions. They spokes the compromise and putting it at the confederate mel yam. We see in the statehouse. A lot of different members of congress the mayor of charles ton, you sew congressman mark sanford. It seems to be a bipartisan gathering for this announcement about a very, very contentual issues. Its interesting that all of this has happened so quickly. When i interviewed a president ial candidate a few weeks ago, i asked about a confed real flat he had not been briefed on it did not have an opinion on before as this obviously emerged as a huge issue. Not a small issue for people of either party. In the south, the confederacy is something that a lot of people have pride in. When president clinton was governor clinton, he took steps to honor the confederacy, whether with the arkansas flag which has a star designated to honor the confederacy or taking steps to honor robert e. Lee or jefferson davis. Thats right. I think you have this divide of people who identify and we should also mention the Clinton Campaign not commenting on that. Certainly what they said to do is point to 2007 when Hillary Clinton said is the South Carolina conphet rad flag has to go. But some people say this speaks to our heritage also somesomething that speaks of our south. Lets listen in. Im not going hopefully you all are ready to go. This has been a very difficult time for our state. We have stared evil in the eye and watched good prayerful People Killed in one of the most saeb credit places. We were hurt and broken and we need to do heal. We were able to start that process, not talking about issue that is divide us but by holden vigils hugging our neighbors, honoring those we lost and by falling to our knees in prayer. Our state is grieving but we are also coming together. The outpouring of love and support from all people across the state and country has been amazing. The families who have lost loved ones have been unbelievable pillars of strength and grace. Their express of faith and forgiveness took our breath away. They truly have shown the world what South Carolina looks like at our best. And the Mother Emanuel Church reopened its doors yesterday, michael and i were there, we took our two little ones. My children saul what true faith looks like. My children saw that true haye can never triumph over true love. My children saw the heart and soul of South Carolina starting to mend. I want to talk a bit about the heart of our state. I want to talk about the people of South Carolina im so proud to serve. The country and the world have watch our strength and resilience over the last few days. We are strong people, who love god, our families and have a deep faith. We believe in neighbors helping neighbors. We are a state that has helped our traditions and continue to grow and change in ways that move us forward. We were recently named the friendliest state in the country and the most patriotic, too. American flags fly proudly from home to home in South Carolina. In just the last few months the nation watched our state go through another time of crisis when we dealt with the betrayal of one of our own in the tragic shooting of walter scott. South carolina did not respond with rioting and violence like other places had. We responded by talking to each other, by putting ourselves in other peoples shoes, and by finding Common Ground in the name of moving our state forward. The result both republicans and democrats, black and white came together and passed the first body camera bill in the country. I stand in front of you, a minority female governor twice ecelebritied by the people of South Carolina behind me stands my friend senator tim scott, elected by those same people as one of just two africanamerican members of the United States senate. Five years ago it was said in the last 50 years South Carolina is a state that has changed the most for the better. That was true when i quoted it at my first inauguration in 2011. Its even more true today. We have changed through the times, and will continue to do so but that does mean we forget our history. History is often filled with emotion, and thats more true in South Carolina than a lot of other places. On matters of race South Carolina has a tough history. We all know that. Many of us have seen it in our own lives and the lives of our parents and grandparents. We dont need reminders. In spite of last weeks tragedy, we have come a lot ways since those days and have much tore proud of but theres more we can do. That brings me to the subject of the Confederate Flag that flies on the statehouse grounds. For many people in our state, the flag stands for traditions that are noble, traditions of history, of heritage and ancestry. The hatefilled murder that massacred our brothers and sisters in charleston has a sick and twisted view of the flag. In no way does he reflect the people in our state who respect and in many ways rever it. Those south carolinians view the flag as a symbol of respect, integrity and duty. They also see it as a memorial a way to honor ancestors who came to the service of their state during a time of conflict. That is not hate nor is it racism. At the same time for many others in South Carolina the flag is a deeply offensive symbol of a brutally oppressive past. As a state we can survive and indeed we can thrive as we have done while still being home to both of thousands viewpointsse viewpoints. We do not need to declare a loser or winner here. For those who wish to reflect their pride in the flag on their private property, no one will stand in your way, but the statehouse is different. The events of this past week call for us to look at it differently. 15 years ago, South Carolina came together to move the flag from atop the capitol dome. Today we are here in a moment of unity in our state, without ill will to say its time to move the flag from the capitol grounds. [ cheers and applause ] 150 years after the end of the civil war, the time has come. There will be some in our state who see this as a sad moment. I respect that but know this for good or for bad, whether it is on the statehouse grounds or in a museum the flag will always be a part of the soil of South Carolina. But this is a moment in which we can say that that flag while an integral part of our past does not represent of future of our great state. The murderer now locked up in charleston said he hoped his actions would start a race war. We have an opportunity to show that not only was he wrong, but just the opposite is happening. My hope is by removing a symbol that divides us we can move forward as a state in harmony and honor the nine blessed souls who are now in heaven. [ applause ] the General Assembly wraps up their year this week. As governor i have the authority to call them back into session under extraordinary circumstances. I have indicated to the house and senate if they do not take measures to ensure this debate takes place of business i will use that authority for the purpose of removing the legislateflag from the statehouse grounds. That will take place in the coming week after the regular session and the veto session have been completed. There will be a time for discussion and debate but the time for action is coming soon. I want to make two things very clear. First, this is South Carolinas statehouse. It is South Carolinas historic moment and this will be South Carolinas decision. To those outside of our state, the flag may be nothing more than the symbol of the worst of americas past. That is not what it is to many south carolinians. The statehouse belongs to all of us. Their voices will be heard and their roles will be respected. We have made progress on South Carolina on racial issues yes, but on so many others. The 21st century belongs to us because we have chosen to seize whats in front of us to do what is right and do it together. I have every faith that this will be no different. It is what we do in South Carolina. It is who we are. Second i understand that what i have said here today will generate a lot of interest. What i ask is that the focus still remain on the nine victims of this horrible tragedy. Their families the mother eplan family the a. M. E. Church family the South Carolina family we all deserve time to grieve and to remember and to heal. We will take it and i ask that you respect that. We know that bringing down the Confederate Flag will not bring back the nine kind souls that were taken from us nor rid of us of the hate or bigotry that drove a monster through the doors of mother emanuel that night. The evil we saw last wednesday comes from a place much deeper much darker. But we are not going to allow this symbol to divide us any longer. The fact that people are choosing to use it as a sign of hate is something we cannot stand. The fact that it causes pain for so many is enough cause to move it from the capitol ground. It is afteral, a capitol that xwlongs to you will. July 4th is around the corner. Soon we will once again celebrate the byrd of our nation and our freed dom. It is be fitting that the State Capitol, god bless, got bless of people of et great state of South Carolina. Thank you. South carolina governor nikki haley, a republican raising a congressional delegation and the delegation mark sanford, as mayor riley from charleston a very potent moment. No matter what you think of the decision that the governor and other members of the senate and house that stood with her, whatever you think of that decision you have to take some comfort in the fact that a, the racist killer who perpetrated the assault will not be happy about the announcement. Lets bring in Brianna Keilar. I tell you, one thing thats remarkable about this decision and we can get to the merits of it with our analyst who is disagree on the merits of the flag but brianna, very seldom to political leaders have a moment of crisis that is on the National Stage where they have to act, and do they act so decisively i cant imagine that Governor Haley has not shot to the top of a lot of president ial candidates lists. I think she was probably already up there. She has represented someone who i think speaks to what republicans are trying to do not very well at times, and need to do which is be more embracing of women and minorities. Shes very charismatic, shown herself to possession a love the good political qualities, but i think you have this moment where you see her standing in front of so Many Democrats and republicans, where shes brought people together and i think she is going to be judged very well because of this definitely. And she did so drew griffin, or Senior Correspondent who is in charleston right now, she did so in a way so as to make it clear that she doesnt think that everybody who likes the rebel flag the Confederate Flag is racist but a lot of them see it as a symbol of heritage but we have to look at it in a new light because of the events of last week. You have to look at it in the light of everybody who lives under that flag in this state, and if you have half the people dont like it and half the people like it it seems to be a good compromise to take it down. What i think everybody kind of misses in this though it certainly its not the state flag. They have a state flag. They have an american flag. This is just this rebel battle flack that we want up as you said 100 years after the end of the civil war, which also went up right at the beginning of what was the Civil Rights Movement and many people in this state and elsewhere believe it went up sort of in 1961 as a sign to protest the Civil Rights Movement. It has always been a symbol to especially the black community of South Carolina that that was an unwelcomed flag in their state. Drew griffin, thank you so much. Ana cabrera was in the room as nikki haley stood with the bipartisan delegation. Ana, tell us about it. Reporter well there was a lot of applause when she announced she believe that flag must come down and be moved to a more appropriate place, perhaps in a museum as some have suggested, as she browed a lot of that Bipartisan Group, several republicans, which have been a Traditional Group of people that have been for the flag staying where it is because they believe it represents heritage southern pride, rights for the states but at the same time she noted there is no winner or loser if that flag is moved ultimately. If theres a groo up that feels so strongly that it represents the negative aspects of the history of this state, thats nothing that should have a place on state grounds. At the same time she also calls for being respectful for the states and i think she made those exact comments sort of dancing around this issue, on this heated controversy, but she kept coming back to the nine people who lost their lives and emphasized at this time thats what the state is focused on called on the state legislature to work in the coming weeks to resolve this Confederate Flag issue. Ana cabrera, and Brianna Keilar in the studio drew griffin in charleston, thank you all. Lets talk with senator scott, and david french thanks to both of you for joining me. Senator scott, let me start with you. Im assuming you think Governor Haley plead for the right call by calling for the flag to come down. Its going to take a two thirds majority in the South Carolina legislature to do so based on the law that was pass when would this compromise was first made 15 years ago. Do you think theres any chance she will not be able to marsha that support . Two thirds is a lot. I think shell get that support. I would say to you that members of the senate are already talking about having an organized coalition of