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About 25 Percent of IRS Workers Plan to Take Buyout Offer; Experts: Study Finds Autism Rate on Rise as RFK Jr Vows to Find Cause; Mistakenly Deported Man's Wife: Stop Playing Political Games. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired April 15, 2025 - 15:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[15:30:00]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: And this just in, sources telling CNN a staggering 25 percent of IRS employees are on track to take buyouts and plan to resign. Today is their deadline to accept the Trump administration's latest resignation offer. And of course, it coincides with the nationwide tax filing deadline for all Americans, which is always the busiest week of the year for the IRS.

And CNN's Rene Marsh is here with details on this. The timing is a little odd. But yes, tell us more what you're learning here.

RENE MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So we're just getting this information from sources within the IRS that some 25 percent of its workforce is planning on taking the Trump administration's buyout offer. If you remember, we talked about the fork in the road, which is this program where essentially you voluntarily resign and still get paid through the end of September. Well, the Trump administration has offered this for a second time.

And we now know that some 25 percent, this is an unofficial headcount of the agency's workforce, says that they will take that offer. That is an enormous offer.

The IRS entire workforce is around 90,000. So more than 20,000 are saying we're voluntarily leaving. And that is just on top of the terminations that we've reported about that we're expecting to start hearing about by the end of the week. The Trump administration has been very focused on shrinking the size of the workforce at many of these agencies, including the IRS.

And so our sources are telling us that they were initially eyeing roughly 20 percent of the workforce as far as terminations go. But again, as you mentioned on the top, the timing at one of the busiest points within this agency's mission to start getting all of this news.

DEAN: Yes, and you've also got this new reporting on how Trump officials and DOGE staffers pressed the IRS to hand over this sensitive taxpayer data. What more did you find out about that?

MARSH: Right. So, you know, with all of the layoffs and resignations happening, then you have this other layer that's also happening there, where it's this sensitive taxpayer information that has been so closely guarded for years. And now it is on track to be used for the Trump administration's immigration efforts.

And this is something that DOGE had pushed for very early on when they arrived at the agency, using this data to help them locate, identify potential undocumented immigrants. Again, that is happening as we have the looming layoffs. We also have reporting that multiple senior level leaders within the IRS, they have resigned or plan to resign, quitting in protest.

[15:35:03]

And let's not forget that the agency still doesn't have its permanent leader at the helm. There is only an acting IRS commissioner who just recently said she's leaving the agency. Trump's pick to run the agency, former Republican Congressman Billy Long, still hasn't had his confirmation hearing just as yet. So lots of turmoil at the IRS.

DEAN: Yes. All right, Rene Marsh, thank you so much for that.

And still to come, new data shows a rise in autism rates as HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says his department hopes to find the cause of autism just months from now. The CEO of the Autism Society of America will join us live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: A CDC study released in just the last few hours finds that the autism rate in the United States is still rising. But experts say that these findings actually reflect positive trends from increased awareness and better screening. The CDC found in 2022, about 1 in every 31 children was diagnosed with autism by the age of 8. In 2020, it was 1 in 36.

Some other conclusions include that the diagnosis is more common in boys than girls. It's also more common among Asian, Black, and Hispanic children than among white kids.

Joining me now to discuss is Christopher Banks, the CEO of the Autism Society of America. Sir, thank you so much for being with us. Talk to us about what this new data represents. Do we understand these shifts?

CHRISTOPHER BANKS, CEO, AUTISM SOCIETY OF AMERICA: Thank you for having the Autism Society to join you today.

I think we understand several things about the shift that you just spoke about. We see an increase in access to diagnosis. We see an increase in understanding more about autism and the condition. And so I think that leads to a portion of the increase. I think we're seeing a greater effort in more states, and we're testing more children than we have before. That's also very important.

We've also expanded it, as you said. It's 1 in 31 for 8-year-olds, and it's 1 in 34 for 4-year-olds. For many, many years, we were only testing and looking at a certain set. Now we have expanded that. So we've expanded the states and the locations for testing, and we are including many individuals who were not tested before in previous communities. As you just spoke about, the Black community and other groups had not been tested in the past.

SANCHEZ: Is there anything in the data that shines a light on the causes of autism beyond -- or rather the cause of the prevalence of autism beyond additional screening? Is there something happening, whether related to diet or the fact that folks are having kids later in life? What is happening that's leading to the increase in rates beyond screening?

BANKS: Well, we know there's a lot of research going on right now to understand more of that. In fact, I am talking to you from Doha, Qatar, where there is an autism tech conference occurring with a lot of understanding about genomes and about genetics and getting more understanding about that. There are a lot of contributing issues that are looking at this, but there's no one singular way of looking at autism. There's no one singular cause. There's no one singular event.

And if you know a little bit about the autism community, we know that if you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism because there are so many variables and personalities and types of individuals.

So I think that it goes beyond just one specific thing.

SANCHEZ: Sure. I do wonder, then, what you make of this global effort by HHS to determine what they describe as the cause of the autism epidemic by September. That's only a few months away, and it seems as though if these resources could have been pooled together before to figure out a cause, that would have happened already.

BANKS: I agree with that statement. If we thought that there was a way to do it in such an accelerated manner, I think it would have happened. We've been looking for causes for autism for decades.

And I think it's, you know, important to be very clear here. Statements that we have seen this administration make are harmful. They're fear-based narrative, and it's not something that the administration seems to be willing to waver on.

So let me be clear. Autism is not a chronic disease. It's a lifelong developmental condition.

It's not an epidemic. Nor should it be compared to the COVID pandemic. And using language like that perpetuates falsehoods, stigmas, and stereotypes.

Autism is not linked to vaccines, and health policies should be rooted in science. Let me repeat that. Autism is not linked to vaccines, and the HHS needs to have policies that are rooted in fact-based, evidence-based science.

SANCHEZ: Christopher Banks, we very much appreciate you joining us and sharing your expertise. We look forward to having you on again soon.

BANKS: Thank you for allowing me to join you, and I look forward to sharing more later.

SANCHEZ: Of course.

[15:45:00]

So when we come back, former President Joe Biden is returning to the national stage. He's set to deliver his first public speech since he left the White House.

What's Joe going to say? We'll discuss in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEAN: We want to go to Greenbelt, Maryland right now, where just moments ago, the wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcias poke to reporters.

SANCHEZ: Yes, this is just ahead of a federal hearing on the fate of her husband. A Maryland resident who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador last month. Let's listen to Jennifer Vasquez Sura.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER VASQUEZ SURA, WIFE OF KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA: Today is 34 days after his disappearance.

[15:50:00]

And I stand before you filled with spirit that refuses to bring down. I will not stop fighting until I see my husband alive.

Kilmar, if you can hear me, stay strong. God hasn't forgotten about you. Our children are, when will you come home? And I pray for the day I tell them the time and date that you'll return. As we continue through Holy Week, my heart aches for my husband, who should have been here leading our Easter prayers.

Instead, I find myself pleading with the Trump administration and the Bukele administration to stop playing political games with the life of Kilmar.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: The hearing for Abrego Garcia begins at the top of the next hour. We'll, of course, be tracking it for you. More on that story ahead on "THE ARENA" with Kasie Hunt, which begins at 4 p.m.

We are tracking another story, too. Former President Joe Biden is set to deliver his first major public speech since leaving office in just a few hours. He's set to address a gathering of advocates for the disabled in Chicago, a speech that will focus on protecting Social Security.

DEAN: In the three months since exiting the Oval Office, Biden has largely stayed out of the spotlight. And CNN's Arlette Saenz is joining us now. I think, Arlette, a lot of people have the question, why now? Why give the speech? ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, President Biden, I should say former President Biden, is clearly trying to find a way to step back into the public spotlight. And he's chosen this speech really trying to offer up a defense of Social Security. I'm told by a source familiar with his remarks that he plans to frame Social Security as a sacred promise to recipients but also talk about what's happening to the program under the Trump administration.

Now, the way it was described to me was this administration, which really raises the question of whether President Biden himself will bring up Trump by name or veer into other issues at this time. I'm told that he's expected to make final edits to the speech in the final hours before the speech.

But it does come at a time when the Social Security administration, under Trump's watch, has undergone a massive reorganization as part of those DOGE efforts.

There's been thousands of jobs that are cuts. They've had technology strains as well and flooded phone lines with Americans worried about their benefits. It is all coinciding with Democratic congressional leaders launching this day of action to try to preserve Social Security at a time when there are widespread fears about cuts that could be made under the Trump administration.

So for Biden, this is an opportunity for him to go back out there, start speaking again after really staying out of the public spotlight for several months now.

SANCHEZ: Could this be read as a signal that he's reentering the political arena?

SAENZ: I think it's probably unlikely that you're going to see Biden out there day in and day out, especially taking on President Trump. He's been very selective with his appearances so far, but it is typical for former presidents to start speaking at some point. I think what people will be very interested to see is how aggressively or whether at all, if he really tries to criticize and attack Trump directly.

And it all comes at a time when Democrats have really been struggling with their messages. And there has been a lot of blame sent Biden's way about what happened in the 2024 election.

SANCHEZ: We'll see if he addresses that. Arlette Saenz, we know you'll be tracking the speech closely. Thank you so much.

New today on CNN, one on one with Melinda French Gates, the philanthropist and author just sat down with CNN's Abby Phillip for a wide ranging TV interview, including discussion of the president's dismantling of USAID.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSNIGHT: What about any of this keeps you up at night when you think about the impact globally on health, on women?

MELINDA FRENCH GATES, PHILANTHROPIST AND AUTHOR: What keeps me up are young children dying. The United States is pulling back on the vaccine alliance that was created well over 20 years ago.

It has been that and malaria bed nets are the two things, vaccines and malaria bed nets that have kept children alive, that have reduced the childhood death around the world by more than half. So to see that we would do something so devastating to families and it's so inexpensive, it just -- it doesn't feel like who we've been as a country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: You can watch the full interview at 10 p.m. Eastern on "NEWSNIGHT" with Abby Phillip. CNN NEWS CENTRAL returns in just a moment.

[15:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Rescuers in California had to fly in to save the day for a woman literally clinging to life. Look at this. They found an exhausted hiker, quote, death gripping the side of a cliff on the Pacific Crest Trail.

They said the woman got stranded and was hanging in that position for more than an hour while she was carrying a heavy backpack. Rather than have her risk letting go, rescuers thought the safest option was for one of them to actually bear hug her and then climb to the top. Listen to the moment they made contact. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just swing it, swing it. Just hold -- oh, no back away. Back away a little bit.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm afraid I'm going to fall.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, hold on to me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. No, no not my ears. Grab a hold and grab my back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Not the ears. You can hear the panic in her voice. They're fortunate she's OK. After they reached the top, they got her on the chopper and flew to safety.

[16:00:00]

Apparently the woman was able to use her sports watch from the side of the cliff to call 911. She is lucky that those folks were there in time to help her out as she was death gripping the side of that cliff. Hey, thank you so much for joining us this afternoon. We very much

appreciate it. Jessica sends her regards. "THE ARENA" with Kasie Hunt starts in just about seven seconds or so.

END