LET'S GET A SENSE OF THIS,
AFOREMENTIONED HOUSE BUDGET
COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN, JOHN
YARMUTH.
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> GOOD TO SEE YOU, NEIL.
NEIL: CONGRATULATIONS BY THE
WAY.
>> THANK YOU.
NEIL: GET A SENSE WHERE THE
SHUTDOWN IS GOING.
WHERE ANY NEEDLES MOVED WITH THE
PRESIDENT'S SPEECH.
>> NO, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY HAD
THEIR MINDS CHANGED BY LAST
NIGHT.
I DON'T THINK ANY THING OF
CONSEQUENCE WAS SAID EXCEPT FROM
OUR PERSPECTIVE THE IDEA THERE
IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO SHUT
DOWN EIGHT AGENCIES OF
GOVERNMENT WHEN YOUR CONTROVERSY
IS OVER ONE.
AND WE'VE GOT HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO WILL
START SUFFERING BEGINNING THIS
WEEK WITHOUT BEING PAID.
SOME HAVE ALREADY BEEN
FURLOUGHED.
THEY'RE BEING HELD HOSTAGE OVER
THIS DEBATE OVER A BORDER WALL.
SO WHAT WE'RE DOING, THIS WEEK,
IS WE'LL BE PASSING INDIVIDUAL
APPROPRIATIONS BILLS.
THESE ARE BILLS THAT THEY ARE
REPUBLICAN BILLS, THAT WERE
NEGOTIATED ON A BIPARTISAN
BASIS.
THE SENATE ALREADY PASSED THEM
BY UNANIMOUS VOTE, VIRTUALLY
UNANIMOUS VOTE.
WE'LL PUT PRESSURE ON THE SENATE
TO ACT TO GET THESE INDIVIDUAL
AGENCIES OPEN.
THE FIRST ONE WILL BE FINANCIAL
SERVICES WHICH INCLUDES THE
TREASURY DEPARTMENT AND IRS SO
THAT PEOPLE CAN GET THEIR TAX
REFUNDS AT THE END OF THIS
MONTH.
NEIL: THE ADMINISTRATION ARGUED
THAT THOSE FOLKS WILL GET THE
TAX REFUNDS REGARDLESS.
HOW CAN THEY PROMISE THAT IF YOU
DON'T HAVE THE FEATURE YOU
TALKED ABOUT?
>> I DON'T UNDERSTAND, HOW THEY
WILL HAVE PEOPLE COME TO WORK,
PEOPLE COMING TO WORK, EXPECT TO
BE PAID AND SO FAR THERE IS NO
MONEY TO PAY THEM.
SO, I SAY, WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS
THE VALUE TAKING A RISK.
THERE WILL BE INEFFICIENCIES,
EVEN IF THEY GET PEOPLE TO COME
BACK TO WORK WITH IRS.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE
ALREADY BEEN DONE.
THIS IS ONE OF THE TRAGEDIES,
THESE APPROPRIATIONS BILLS ARE
EXAMPLE WHEN THE TWO SIDES WORK
TOGETHER IN PRODUCTIVE WAY TO DO
SOMETHING GOOD FOR THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
WE DID OUR WORK.
IT IS BEING HELD UP OVER THE
CONTROVERSY OVER $5 BILLION.
NEIL: THE PRESIDENT APPARENTLY
SAID, CHAIRMAN, HE IS
CONSIDERING DECLARING A NATIONAL
EMERGENCY TO FUND THE BORDER
WALL.
YOUR THOUGHTS?
>> WELL THERE IS NO NATIONAL
EMERGENCY AT THE BORDER.
AND, AS A MATTER OF FACT,
VIRTUALLY EVERY METRIC BY WHICH
YOU WOULD MEASURE BORDER
SECURITY, BORDER SECURITY HAS
IMPROVED OVER THE LAST FEW
YEARS.
WE'RE AT RECORD LOW
APPREHENSIONS AT THE BORDER.
JUST 30 DAYS AGO THE PRESIDENT
TWEETED OUT WE HAVE A SECURE
SOUTHERN BORDER.
ONE OF THE THINGS IN THIS
CONTROVERSY OVER THE STATEMENT
WHETHER THERE HAVE BEEN 3700
PEOPLE ON A SUSPECT TERROR LIST
STOPPED AT OUR BORDERS, TO ME
THE STORY THERE IS, WHETHER THEY
WERE AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER OR
ELSEWHERE, WE ACTUALLY STOPPED
THEM.
WE HAVE A SYSTEM THAT PREVENTED
THEM FROM COMING INTO THE
COUNTRY.
NEIL: DO YOU THINK THE SYSTEM
HAS GOTTEN A LITTLE PROBLEMATIC,
SIR?
THIS I MAYBE WITH THE CARAVANS
OR MAYBE ACCOMPANIED AND
UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN, AND THAT
IS EMERGENCY IN THAT SENSE AND
THAT IS WHAT THE PRESIDENT
SEEMED TO ATTACH HIMSELF TO WITH
THE CRISIS HE SAYS.
AND YOU SAY?
>> IF HE FOCUSED ON THE
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS WITH THE
ASYLUM-SEEKERS AND THE FAMILY
SEPARATIONS AND THESE KIDS BEING
TRAUMATIZED, THEN I THINK HE
WOULD HAVE A MUCH MORE
SYMPATHETIC RESPONSE BUT HE
CONTINUED TO STOKE FEAR IN THE
PUBLIC THAT THE SOUTHERN BORDER
IS THIS SIEVE WHERE ALL THE
CRIMINALS ARE COMING IN, DRUGS
ARE COMING IN, TERRORISTS ARE
COMING IN, AND THAT IS NOT THE
SITUATION.
NORMALLY IF A PRESIDENT GIVE AS
PRIME TIME OVAL OFFICE ADDRESS
TO TALK ABOUT NATIONAL CRISIS,
THE PURPOSE IS TO CALM THE
COUNTRY AND TO PROVIDE
LEADERSHIP.
HE DID EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE.
SHOWED NOBODY IS IN CONTROL AND
WE, HE STOKED FEARS.
AND THAT WAS ONE OF MY BIGGEST
CONCERNS ABOUT WATCHING THE
PRESIDENT LAST NIGHT.
NEIL: BUT OBSTINENCE CAN WORK
BOTH WAYS RIGHT?
>> IT CAN, BUT YOU HAVE GOT A
SITUATION WHERE WE'RE BEING
ASKED TO WRITE A BLANK ECONOMIC
TO THE ADMINISTRATION FOR
$5 BILLION.
WE SAY, COME TO CONGRESS, MAKE
YOUR CASE FOR YOUR MONEY.
WE DON'T WRITE BLANK CHECKS FOR
MONEY.
MAKE A CASE FOR THE WALL.
FOR BORDER SECURITY.
LET US SEE WHAT YOU PLAN TO DO
AND WE'LL DEAL WITH IT.
THERE IS NO INTEREST IN THE
DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS TO PREVEN
SENSIBLE, INTELLIGENT BORDER
SECURITY MEASURES.
NEIL: CHAIRMAN, AS YOU THINK, IT
IS IMPORTANT WHAT YOU THINK
BECAUSE YOU'RE HEAD OF THE HOUSE
BUDGET COMMITTEE, MEDICARE
SHOULD BE FOR EVERYBODY?
>> I SUPPORT MEDICARE FOR ALL.
NEIL: THAT IS A BIG TICKET.
>> EXACTLY.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE INTEND TO
DO?
THE BUDGET COMMITTEE HAVE
HEARINGS ON MEDICARE FOR ALL,
UNDERSTANDING THERE ARE A LOT OF
DIFFERENT WAYS YOU CAN DO FOR
MEDICARE FOR ALL.
BERNIE SANDERS WAS NOT MEDICARE
FOR ALL.
IT WAS UNIVERSAL ACCESS TOWN
LIMITED HEALTH CARE ON DEMAND
WITH NO CONSUMER CONTRIBUTION.
THAT IS NOT WHAT MEDICARE IS.
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IN THE
HEARING IS, EXPLORE THE OPTIONS
THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THE
COUNTRY TO EXPAND HEALTH CARE TO
EVERYBODY, THROUGH A
MEDICARE-LIKE PROGRAM.
CONSIDER THE VARIETIES OF HOW WE
COULD DO THAT, WHAT THE IMPACT
ON THE BUDGET WOULD BE.
NEIL: ONE OF THE WAYS YOU WOULD
PAY FOR IT, JUST SO YOU
UNDERSTAND, YOU ESPOUSED RAISING
THE CORPORATE TAX RATE 21% IT
WAS LOWERED TO 28% IS THAT ONE
WAY TO PAY FOR THAT OR WHAT?
>> WELL, I THINK, THAT WOULD BE
A POSSIBILITY.
YOU KNOW, I DEFER TO THE WAYS
AND MEANS COMMITTEE ON HOW MUCH
WE'RE GOING TO RAISE TAXES OR
LOWER TAXES.
THAT IS THEIR JURISDICTION.
NEIL: YOU WANT TO RAISE THEM,
RIGHT?
YOU WANT TO RAISE THEM?
>> OBVIOUSLY IF YOU WERE TO TAKE
A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE
PRIVATE HEALTH CARE EXPENDITURES
AND MOVE THEM ON TO THE FEDERAL
BUDGET, WOULD YOU HAVE TO
INCREASE REVENUE, THAT IS NOW
BEING SPENT IN THE PRIVATE
SECTOR, GENERATED IN THE PRIVATE
SECTOR.
WOULD YOU HAVE TO MOVE THAT TO
THE FEDERAL SIDE.
YES YOU WOULD HAVE TO DO
SOMETHING.
NEIL: WHAT ABOUT ON THE UPPER
INCOME?
ARE YOU LOOKING TO RAISE TAXES
ON THEM?
>> YOU KNOW, I, THAT IS NOT A
TOP PRIORITY OF MINE.
I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH HAVING A
PROGRESSIVE RATE THAT GOES
HIGHER FOR SUPER INCOME
INDIVIDUALS.
NEIL: ARE YOU IN THAT 70% CAMP?
>> I AM, FINE WITH LOOKING AT
THAT --
NEIL: REALLY?
>> THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT,
THERE IS NOT ENOUGH REVENUE
AVAILABLE THERE TO MAKE KIND OF
INVESTS I THINK CONGRESSWOMAN
ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ WANTS
TO MAKE, GREENE NEW DEAL,
MEDICARE FOR ALL, NOT ENOUGH
REVENUE BY A LONG STRETCH TO
ACCOMPLISH THE KIND OF INVESTS I