JACKIE: BLAKE BURMAN THANK YOU
VERY MUCH.
HERE TO REACT IS CONGRESSMAN
JODY HICE.
CONGRESSMAN, THANKS FOR BEING
HERE.
SO MUCH TO UNPACK.
THAT SOUND BITE THAT MAKE USED
WITH KAYLEIGH MCENANY AT THE
BRIEFING THIS AFTERNOON.
THE ADMINISTRATION SAYING WE’RE
WORKING AS HARD AS WE CAN TO GET
AID TO AMERICANS THAT NEED IT.
THE DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN VERY
CRITICAL.
THE PROBLEM IS, DEMOCRATS WANT
3 1/2 TRILLION DOLLAR BY THE
REPUBLICANS WANT A ONE TRILLION
DOLLAR BILL.
IT SEEMS LIKE IT WILL BE VERY
DIFFICULT TO MEET IN THE MIDDLE.
YOUR THOUGHTS?
>> WE’RE TWO TRILLION DOLLARS
APART.
IMAGINE THAT, TWO TRILLION
DOLLARS APART.
DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN DRAGGING THE
NEGOTIATIONS OUT.
THEY HAVE BEEN DISINGENUOUS
ABOUT THEIR EFFORTS.
REALLY THEY HAVE PUT THEIR OWN
PARTISAN POLITICS AHEAD OF THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE WHICH IS FRANKLY
BECOMING COMMONPLACE FOR THE
DEMOCRATS.
THIS IS, YOU KNOW THE THINGS
THAT THEY WERE PROPOSING WERE
JUST ABSOLUTELY FILLED WITH
GROTESQUE DEMOCRATIC AGENDA PORK
ITEMS.
WE DON’T NEED THAT.
WE NEED TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUES
THAT ARE AT HAND, THAT ARE
CONCERNS TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE,
NOT FILL THE POCKETS OF DEMOCRAT
AGENDA ITEMS.
JACKIE: PART OF THE PROBLEM HERE
WAS THE EXTENSION OF THE
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, $600,
RIGHT?
THE DEMOCRATS WANTED.
THAT THE PRESIDENT SAID HE WOULD
GIVE IT TO THEM.
AT THE SAME TIME THEY STILL
WEREN’T ABLE TO MAKE A DEAL.
SO HE GOES AHEAD, HE SIGNS THE
EXECUTIVE ORDER.
YOU HAVE GOT $300 COMING FROM
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
$100 COMING FROM THE STATES AND
EVERYBODY IS UP IN ARMS ABOUT
THAT.
>> YOU KNOW $600 QUITE FRANKLY
WAS TOO MUCH.
83% OF THE WORKFORCE IN AMERICA
AT THE UNEMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS
RECEIVING THAT $600, 83% OF THEM
THAT WAS MORE THAN THEY WERE
MAKING ON THE JOB WHICH MAKES IT
EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO GET THOSE
INDIVIDUALS TO GO BACK.
HERE WE ARE TRYING TO OPEN THE
ECONOMY, REOPEN THE ECONOMY AND
THE EMPLOYERS ARE UNABLE TO GET
THEIR WORKFORCE BACK.
AND SO I THINK FRANKLY THAT WAS
PRECISELY THE REASON WHY THE
DEMOCRATS WANTED IT.
THEY WANT TO SLOW DOWN THE
REOPENING OF THE ECONOMY IN
ORDER TO HURT THE PRESIDENT IN
NOVEMBER.
BUT MORE REALISTICALLY, $400
WHICH IS WHERE IT IS AT RIGHT
NOW I THINK IS MUCH MORE
REALISTIC.
IT WILL PROVIDE NEED TO THOSE
FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS WHO
HAVE AUTHENTIC NEEDS AND AT THE
SAME TIME ENCOURAGE THEM TO GET
BACK TO WORK AS QUICKLY AS
POSSIBLE.
JACKIE: BUT THE DEMOCRATS SAY,
IT IS AUGUST 10th AND PEOPLE
NEED THIS MONEY.
THE $400 WON’T GET INTO THEIR
POCKETS PASS ENOUGH TO HELP THEM
ESPECIALLY SINCE YOU HAVE THE
COMPONENTS OF THE STATES BEING
INVOLVED?
>> AGAIN, THAT IS SO
DISINGENUOUS.
THE DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN DRAGGING
OUT THE NEGOTIATIONS.
THEY WERE THE ONES OBSTRUCTING
THIS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
HAD THEY COME TO THE TABLE THEY
WOULD NOT BE IN THE SITUATION
NOW WHERE THE PRESIDENT IS
REALLY BEING PUSHED INTO A
CORNER, HAVING TO UTILIZE
EXECUTIVE ORDERS RATHER THAN
NEGOTIATING INSTRUMENTS AND
TOOLS THAT WE HAD AVAILABLE.
THE DEMOCRATS REFUSED TO DO SO.
SO NOW I BELIEVE THE PRESIDENT
HAS ACTED IN THE GOOD FAITH OF
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
HE IS TAKING STEPS THAT NEED TO
BE DONE IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THE
PROBLEMS AT HAND.
JACKIE: HE IS TAKING THOSE STEPS
YET HE IS BEING CRITICIZED FOR
OVERSTEPPING HIS AUTHORITY.
>> WELL, LISTEN WE ALL HAVE
CONCERNS ABOUT THE EXECUTIVE
AUTHORITY THAT FRANKLY CONGRESS
HAS CEDED TO THE EXECUTIVE
BRANCH.
THERE IS NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
WHERE WERE THE DEMOCRATS WHEN
OBAMA DID THE VERY SAME THING?
WHEN HE ALLOWED MILLIONS OF
UNDOCUMENTED INDIVIDUALS TO
RECEIVE WORK PERMITS?
THEIR COMPLAINTS RIGHT NOW ARE
VERY DISINGENUOUS.
THE AGAIN THE PRESIDENT WAS
PUSHED INTO A CORNER WHERE
DEMOCRATS ABSOLUTELY REFUSED TO
NEGOTIATE AND YET THERE ARE
FAMILIES THAT DESPERATELY NEED
SOME HELP, SOME AID.
SO THE PRESIDENT TOOK TEMPORARY
ACTION TO TRY TO ADDRESS SOME OF
THOSE NEEDS THROUGH EXECUTIVE
ORDER.
I THINK HE IS APPROPRIATE AND IN
HIS ACTIONS TO DO SO AS WHAT
NEEDS TO BE DONE.
JACKIE: CONGRESSMAN, THANK YOU