300,000 Americans lives lost due to prove it.

The second, a crowning scientific achievement to the 21st century.

The first Covic vaccines administered from one end of the country to the other.

It was an amazing sight to see the first American inoculated against the disease, a nurse at North Well Hospital in Queens and my home state of New York.

Actually, north well, is on the Queens Nassau County border.

I don't know which part of it she was in.

It was an amazing sight to see the first American inoculated against the disease, and over the next year we will see this replicated hundreds of millions of times.

As Americans get vaccinated, public figures at all levels should be building confidence in the vaccine and fight disinformation of those who undermine, at the moment the vaccines being distributed to medical personnel, doctors, nurses, frontlines, workers in the most vulnerable populations.

And, as I said yesterday, I will take the vaccine as soon as it is appropriate and recommended I will not skip the line so the covert vaccine is light at the end of the tunnel.

It's getting brighter every day.

We have a long way to go, but we can't think that the crisis is over.

We need to pass covert relief to help our fellow Americans get by until we eradicate this virus.

We need to fully fund not only production of the vaccine but its distribution as well that states badly need that money on.

We need to get it done.

For every American senator case.

I want to thank Senator Schumer and Senator Corona for joining us.

A smudges This year has been a challenge on so many fronts regarding the first of all regarding the worst public health crisis in a century.

We still have more challenges ahead, not only in the next few months, with the number of cases and the death numbers rising, but also we face a challenge with regard to the distribution of the vaccine.

We're very happy that we're at this point and that we can talk about the vaccine being distributed as opposed to just being developed and and hope for.

But I think we need to do at least two key things.

First, having more funding for state and local governments to distribute the vaccine and conduct mass vaccination campaigns on a scale that is unprecedented.

So they're gonna need help doing that.

We need also to instill confidence in the vaccine among the public.

You've heard a lot about that.

I know that in my home state of Pennsylvania, officials there have talked about the need for more funding for this effort.

It's gonna take billions of dollars in the federal government, needs toe step up and pay the tab to get this done.

In terms of building confidence, we all, I think, have a role to play talking to friends and family, but also those that might doubt whether or not they should take the vaccine.

There are others, some who will be, who will be better messengers than others.

But we all have to do our part.

We need to make sure we're sharing especially elected officials, sharing accurate information from trustworthy health experts to answer the questions that people have.

Some have made the point that not only do we need to talk to people to instill or increase confidence, uh, that folks have in the vaccine, but we also need toe listen toe What?

Those who have doubts are saying we can't simply lecture to them and hope that they fall in line and get the vaccine.

But I think we're gonna have across the country.

Ah, lot of validators and trusted sources.

In addition to the health experts, other voices, uh, that will get get the point across.

But I think in terms of what our work has to be, we've got to provide adequate resource is so that states have the the the necessary, uh, program programmatic support that they need to get the right message out.

But it's a time to be hopeful, even as we're vigilant in the next couple of weeks and months because of the rising case and death numbers.

Senator Hirono.

Thank you, Leader Schumer and Senator Casey, Thank you so much.

Yesterday was really a red letter.

Dave practically brought tears to my eyes to see all these frontline healthcare workers who have been seeing death and suffering for the last nine months or so to get their vaccinations and how happy they were.

So the hope in their eyes, the stories they told really gave me hope for the country.

But as mentioned, it is not over yet.

As you know, we're still dealing with an emergency covert relief bill and in a safe like Hawaii without the support for state and local governments.

The governor has already announced furloughs, furloughs for every basically every state employee, and that's adding to the suffering that's already going on.

Then what was mentioned was, we're gonna need to provide federal support for vaccine distributions for Hawaii, the first hospital that's going to get these doses.

Queens Hospital, one of the largest health care providers in the state, is going to cost the state of Hawaii something like 25 to $75 million to distribute this vaccine.

And Hawaii E just noted eyes already furloughing their people.

So while there's hope on the horizon, we have a lot more to do to enable the vaccination to to be distributed to all the groups and communities that need them, which gives me to the second point you know we need to encourage, and this is where the media comes in.

We need to encourage communities and individuals to get the vaccine when it iss their turn, and we all know that minority communities are already suffering from the pandemic.

Disproportionate.

In Hawaii, it would be the Pacific Islanders these air communities that we have to make special efforts to reach out to and basically to utilize.

They're trusted community people to get the word out that they should get the vaccine.

So there's some very specific specific things that we have to do to make sure not only that the vaccine gets distributed, but the people who should get them will get it.

And then we continue to need to do our individual responsibility to wear mask, wash your hands, do social distancing because we are not going to get to anything that can be described as crowd immunity until sometimes next year.

So thank you for your part and getting the word off.

Mahalo.

Amazed questions for any of us.

What does it say about our country right now that Vladimir Putin acknowledged the reality of our election results before leaders off the Republican Party?

We'll look so leader.

McConnell today said that he acknowledged that Joe Biden will be president and I am told he also at his lunch with some others urged members to just go forward not to mess around with the Electoral college or any shenanigans.

I hope very strongly that that happens we?

It's over.

The Electoral College has said Joe Biden will be the next president.

Every Republican should acknowledge that and stop the games.

And those in the leadership should encourage Republican fellow Republicans for doing it to do it.

Yes, Leader Schumer is the $6 billion in the bipartisan proposal for vaccine distribution Enough.

And are you willing to set aside state and local get the rest past?

Let me on the first one?

You know, I think without talking about what will happen in that room, I think we need more for distribution on state and local.

Everyone knows my position.

It has broad bipartisan support, and I'm not gonna get into negotiations in any way that will occur at four o'clock.

Yes, E.

O.

Connell last week suggested setting aside liability protections and setting aside state, local.

And yet last week you criticized that.

I mean, isn't that where these talks are?

Said, I'm not going to get into negotiations here?

That'll occurred.

Four o'clock.

Yes, one of your caucus members, Senator Sanders, is still pushing for the individual $1200 stimulus checks.

Is there any chance we could see that this month?

Is that something that I'm not gonna get into Negotiations in the room.

But $1200 in additional money to go to people is something many in our caucus, including me.

Support are you Are you confident that they're gonna be enough vaccine doses for everyone next year?

And should the president should President Biden consider the Defense Production act, if necessary to increase the number available?

You know, the fact that he has Jeff Zients and Ron Clain high up in his administration gives me a lot of confidence That the Biden plan to both produce and particularly distribute the vaccine will be a lot better than Trump's plan.

Okay.

Thank you.

Ever.

Yes.

Last one last week voted on changes.

Thio the rules.

I just wanted to see if you might be able to talk a little bit about what the impact of the rules changes might be.

Well, not gonna with the committee led by Ben Cardin, our committee on caucus rules is still meeting on dso Not gonna come until they come out with some ideas if they dio Okay.

Thank you, everybody.

You have a deal?

Yeah.

Mhm.

Yeah.