WILMINGTON, Del. — On Sunday, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined Chuck Todd on NBC’s Meet the Press to discuss the bipartisan framework for a $908 billion COVID-19 relief package and the immediate need for Congress to work together to pass relief for the American people.

“There is now, I think, real optimism because a terrific group of eight senators, a bipartisan group along with two members of the House, have worked hard over the last couple of weeks and came forward with a framework, a $908 billion framework, Chuck, for a next round of needed relief,” said Senator Coons. “We should not leave for the holidays until we have adopted that $908 billion framework to give a next round of relief to the millions of Americans who are facing eviction, hunger, unemployment, disease. It includes funding for vaccine distribution and $300 billion for small businesses to keep them afloat or help them reopen. I'm really optimistic we can get this done this coming week.”

Senator Coons concluded, “we have to address the trust deficit in our country, trust in science and vaccines, trust in each other after this election. The Senate here can lead and show that we can deliver the kind of relief that will restore hope to the American people.”

Full audio and video available here. A transcript is provided below.

Q: Joining me now is Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware. Senator Coons, welcome back to Meet the Press. I want to start with something that Governor Chris Sununu said to me on Friday on Meet the Press Daily. It was about all of you guys in Congress. Take a listen, sir.

Clip, Gov. Sununu: I don't think any of them deserve their jobs, frankly. None of them can stand up and say as a congressman or a senator, I led on the biggest health crisis this country has ever faced. They fell down and let politics get in the way. Shame on them. 

Q: Senator Coons, can you defend Congress from that criticism?

Sen. Coons: Well, Chuck, thanks for a chance to be on again. First, I'm just going to celebrate the combination of two things: that nine months ago, the Senate passed unanimously the CARES Act, which provided about $2.2 trillion in support to the American people and funded much of that great work at NIH and at private firms like Pfizer that is delivering these vaccines to the American people starting this coming week. But I will agree with Governor Sununu that the fact that nine months later we don't have a next round of COVID relief is something I personally am frustrated and embarrassed about. Bluntly, I will put a lot of that responsibility at the feet of the leader of the Senate Republican majority, Mitch McConnell, because over and over as negotiations have tried to move forward over the last nine months, he's had a key red line and sticking point. There is now, I think, real optimism because a terrific group of eight senators, a bipartisan group along with two members of the House, have worked hard over the last couple of weeks and came forward with a framework, a $908 billion framework, Chuck, for a next round of needed relief. We should not leave for the holidays until we have adopted that $908 billion framework to give a next round of relief to the millions of Americans who are facing eviction, hunger, unemployment, disease. It includes funding for vaccine distribution and $300 billion for small businesses to keep them afloat or help them reopen. I'm really optimistic we can get this done this coming week, and if we don't, we deserve Governor Sununu’s criticism.

Q: So does this deal already have a majority support in the U.S. Senate? Is the problem that it doesn't have a majority support among Senate Republicans? Is that why Senator McConnell won't bring it to the floor

Sen. Coons: That's my strong impression, but I do want to say there are Republicans working hard on coming together around this bipartisan framework. It has been a difficult negotiation and there are folks who have dedicated weeks and weeks to this effort. Even earlier this morning, I was exchanging ideas and terms with some of the Democrats about exactly how we close the last remaining gaps. Frankly, Chuck, I'm hopeful that all of us in the Senate will look back on what we accomplished nine months ago with the unanimous passage of the CARES Act, look at the need and the suffering in our states, and look forward. We are at the beginning of the end of this pandemic with nearly 300,000 Americans dead. That's a lot of empty chairs at tables at holiday time, and there’s 16 million Americans infected. 850,000 filed for unemployment this past week for the first time. We have to address the trust deficit in our country, trust in science and vaccines, trust in each other after this election. The Senate here can lead and show that we can deliver the kind of relief that will restore hope to the American people.

Q: I want to move quickly to the transition. One of the jobs not yet filled is attorney general. I'm curious what you think is – what is the best way to ensure that the Hunter Biden investigation at the Justice Department is protected from the appearance of political interference? Do you think it needs to be a special counsel?

Sen. Coons: Well, Chuck, first, you know, so many of us have just gotten used to in the era of Trump that being a normal question. Joe Biden will not run the White House as a family business as President Trump has, and he will not interfere in decisions made by senior leadership at the Department of Justice. He won't view the attorney general as his personal attorney, as President Trump clearly has viewed Attorney General Barr, so I'm confident that whoever is nominated to be the attorney general will restore the rule of law and will follow the appropriate process once they're in place.

Q: I understand wanting to take your word for that but the public is pretty skeptical now, and it may not be President-elect Biden's fault, but do you think there needs to be some protection? Is it a special counsel? Is it keeping the Delaware U.S. Attorney on and letting him – making it clear publicly that he is not going to be interfered with?

Sen. Coons: Either of those options may well work, Chuck, but frankly, this is news to all of us within the last week. I think we should trust that an attorney general nominated by Joe Biden will restore the rule of law to how the Department of Justice works and will be an attorney general following the Constitution for the American people, not a personal attorney for the president.

Q: Senator Chris Coons, Democrat from Delaware, thanks for coming on and sharing your perspective with us, sir. I appreciate it.

###