GRIFF: NOW BACK TO OUR TOP
STORY, AS FEARS GROW OF A
POSSIBLE INVASION OF UKRAINE, A
MEMBER OF THE HOUSE FINANCIAL
SERVICES COMMITTEE, TED BUD.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME.
YOU MAY HAVE HEARD LUCAS
TOMLINSON’S REPORT FROM KIEV, A
LOT OF TENSION ON THE UKRAINIAN
BORDER.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS THIS
MORNING.
>> THIS NEVER WOULD HAVE
OCCURRED UNDER A STRONG
PRESIDENT LIKE PRESIDENT TRUMP.
THIS HAS GONE BACK TO AMERICAN
WEAKNESS PUT ON FULL DISPLAY BY
PRESIDENT BIDEN.
THE REPORT BEFORE THIS WHICH
WAS AFGHANISTAN AND IT REALLY
PUT OUR--
THOSE THAT WOULD BE AGAINST US
WHETHER IT’S CHINA, IRAN, NORTH
CAROLINA, RUSSIA, IT PUTS THEM
ON NOTICE THAT AMERICA WILL NOT
STEP UP AND THAT’S NOT WHO
AMERICA IS.
THE WORLD NEEDS TO KNOW THAT
WE’RE STRONG NOT JUST GOOD FOR
AMERICA, BUT IT’S GOOD FOR THE
RE OF THE WORLD SO WE NEED TO
BE STRONG AGAIN AND CERTAINLY
NOT GOING TO HAPPEN UNDER
PRESIDENT BIDEN.
GRIFF: CONGRESSMAN, YOU WROTE A
LETTER TO SECRETARY OF STATE
BLINKEN IN RECENT DAYS.
WHAT IS IT THAT YOU’RE ASKING
OF THE SECRETARY?
>> WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE’RE ARMING OUR ALLIES IN
UKRAINE, BUT I’M VERY CONCERNED
ABOUT SENDING TROOPS OVER
THERE.
THEY’RE NOT ASKING FOR THAT.
UKRAINE IS ASKING FOR MATERIAL
SUPPORT AND CERTAINLY SOMETHING
THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE DOING.
GRIFF: AND JUST AS A SORT OF AN
ASSESSMENT OF THE
ADMINISTRATION’S PLAN, DO WE NEED TO BE SORT OF UNITED HERE
NEED TO BE SORT OF UNITED HERE
IN OUR APPROACH BEFORE WE CAST
A
APERSIANS AND WHAT DO YOU THINK
OF THE PLAN.
>> YOU’RE SEEING A CHAOTIC PLAN
AND MIXED MESSAGES FROM THE
ADMINISTRATION, TALKING TERMS
LIKE MINOR INCURSION.
THERE IS NO MINOR INCURSION
FROM ONE SOVEREIGN NATION TO
ANOTHER.
YOU’RE SEEING THINGS LIKE,
FIRST OF ALL, YOU SEE UNDER
OBAMA YOU SEE UKRAINE LOSE
CRIMEA AND NOW YOU SEE UNDER
BIDEN, YOU’RE SEEING THE THREAT
ON EASTERN UKRAINE.
SO, AGAIN, WE NEED TO GO BACK
TO AN AMERICA STRONG WHERE
THESE PROBLEMS NEVER BEGAN,
GRIFF, IN THE FIRST PLACE.
SO IT’S REALLY ABOUT WHAT BIDEN
IS DOING WITH REGARDS TO
WEAKNESS, WE NEED TO BE STRONG
ON SANCTIONS AND LOOK, YOU’VE
SEEN HIM BOTCH AFGHANISTAN.
DO YOU REALLY WANT HIM IN
CHARGE?
DO YOU WANT PRESIDENT BIDEN IN
CHARGE OF SOMETHING INFINITELY
MORE COMPLEX THAN THAT?
I MEAN, THESE CHALLENGES GO
BACK TO PROBABLY 354AD BETWEEN
THE EAST AND WEST.
THIS IS AN ANCIENT ISSUE AND I
DON’T THINK THAT BIDEN IS UP TO
THE TASK TO SOLVE IT, BUT WE
NEED TO MAKE SURE TO SUPPLY OUR
ALLIES.
GRIFF: WE SHALL SEE.
WE’LL TURN TO THE ECONOMY AT
HOME.
JOBS REPORTS, 467,000 NET NEW
JOBS AND PRESIDENT BIDEN HAD
THIS TO SAY AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
>> TO OUR ECONOMIC PROGRESS.
I’M PROUD OF THE ROLE THIS
ADMINISTRATION PLAYED IN THE
RECOVERY OF THE ECONOMY.
IT’S A RESULT OF A PLAN ON DAY
ONE WHEN I SAID IT’S GOING TO
BE BUY AMERICA, I’M DELIGHTED
TO KEEP IT GOING AND EXPAND
WHAT WE’VE DONE.
GRIFF: CONGRESSMAN, YOUR
REACTION?
>> WELL, I WOULD ACTUALLY GO
BACK TO THE NOVEMBER AND THE
DECEMBER REPORTS WHICH THEY’VE
HAD TO REVISE.
SO WHAT’S GOING ON AT THE LABOR
DEPARTMENT UNDER PRESIDENT
BIDEN THAT MAKES HIM HAVE TO GO
BACK AND CHANGE THEIR NUMBERS
UPWARDLY.
NOW IT MAKES IT EVEN MORE
SUSPECT WHAT WE’RE SEEING FOR
THE JANUARY REPORTS, AND IT’S
NOT SUCCESSFUL WHEN YOU TAKE
PEOPLE OUT OF THE WORK FORCE
AND SAY IT’S AN IMPROVED
NUMBER.
LOOK, WE WANT AMERICANS TO GO
BACK TO WORK, BUT WE HAVE TO
HAVE MORE MARKET AND LABOR
PARTICIPATION FROM HARD WORKING
AMERICANS AND GET RID OF THE
MANDATES AND THIS WOULD HAVE
HAPPENED MONTH AFTER MONTH
AFTER MONTH GOOD REPORTS UNDER
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND WE SAW THAT
FOUR YEARS STRAIGHT.
AND JOE BIDEN HAS ONE REPORT
AND MEDIA GATHERED ON AROUND
HIM AND CHEERS HIM ON FOR A
WEEK.
THIS IS ONE GOOD WEEK OUT OF 54
WEEKS IN OFFICE.
GRIFF: AND THE WAGES INCREASE
5.7%, BUT INFLATION HIT 7%.
>> INFLATION IS OUTRUNNING AND
PEOPLE IS COMING UP TO ME HOW
MUCH EASIER IT IS TO CARRY $100
WORTH OF GROCERIES.
THAT’S NOT GOOD NEWS.
THE WAGE INCREASE THEY’RE
GETTING IS NOT OUTPACING JOE