QUITE LITERALLY BY THE MOMENT ON
CAPITOL HILL, AND THAT’S WHERE
WE FIND LOUISIANA REPUBLICAN
SENATOR MEDICAL DR. BILL
CASSIDY, PART OF THE GROUP
THAT’S ROLLED OUT THE TWO MAIN
PROPOSALS.
SENATOR, APPRECIATE YOU BEING
WITH US AND TAKING A BRIEF
RESPITE FROM WORKING THE PHONES.
WHERE ARE WE EXACTLY?
>> SO THE MAJORITY LEADER, MITCH
McCONNELL, SPOKE TODAY.
HE SOUNDED OPTIMISTIC.
THEY’RE NARROWING DOWN THE
NUMBERS OF ISSUES THAT ARE
REALLY STICKING POINTS DOWN TO
ONE OR TWO.
I DO ANTICIPATE, BASED ON WHAT
I’VE BEEN TOLD, THAT WE WILL
HAVE A DEAL BY THIS EVENING AND
PROBABLY VOTE ON IT SOME TIME
TOMORROW.
LELAND: WE’VE HEARD FOR SO LONG
FROM A NUMBER OF FOLKS UP ON
CAPITOL HILL, TAKE THE
REPUBLICAN SIDE FOR JUST A
MINUTE, BUT FROM MITCH
McCONNELL, HOW IMPORTANT
INDEMNIFYING AND DEALING WITH
CORONAVIRUS LAWSUITS ARE FOR
BUSINESSES AND PROTECTING
LAWSUITS FROM LIABILITY.
PROTECTING BUSINESSES FROM
LIABILITY.
NOW THAT APPEARS AS THOUGH IT
MAY OR MAY NOT BE IN THE BULL.
PEOPLE SEEM TO BE WILLING TO
GIVE UP SO MUCH JUST TO GET A
BILL.
DOES THAT SORT OF CALL INTO
QUESTION HOW NECESSARY THOSE
THINGS WERE?
>> SO WE HAD A WORKING GROUP OF
FOUR OR FIVE DEMOCRATS, FOUR OR
FIVE REPUBLICANS.
THE REPUBLICANS ADVOCATING FOR
THAT SORT OF LIABILITY RELIEF
FOR THE LAST YEAR WHEN THE
GUIDELINES WERE VERY UNCLEAR.
BUT DEMOCRATS REALLY DIDN’T WANT
TO GO THERE.
AND WHATEVER WE OFFERED, IT
STILL WENT TOO FAR FOR THEM IN
TERMS OF LIABILITY RELIEF.
NOW, DEMOCRATS WANTED STATE AND
LOCAL AID.
WE LINKED THOSE TWO TOGETHER,
BUT NONETHELESS ALTHOUGH WE HAD
A DEAL ON STATE AND LOCAL, WE
NEVER GOT IT ON LIABILITY.
AT SOME POINT YOU’VE GOT TO
DECLARE A VICTORY AND COME HOME.
AND WE WERE JUST -- WE GOT WHAT
WE COULD, WE GOT THE RELIEF FOR
THE EMPLOYERS, FOR THE
EMPLOYEES, FOR THE UNEMPLOYED.
WE COULDN’T GET LIABILITY
RELIEF.
WE HAVE TO WORK ON THAT NEXT
CONGRESS.
LELAND: THERE SEEMS TO BE THIS
RIFF IN THE SENATE RIGHT NOW
OVER THESE ADDITIONAL CHECKS.
YOU’VE GOT JOSH HAWLEY SAYING HE
WANTS $1200 CHECKS, ANOTHER
ROUND, SIDING WITH BERNIE
SANDERS.
HARD TO FIND TWO PEOPLE WHO
CONCEIVABLY WOULD BE FARTHER
APART, AND THEN YOUR COLLEAGUE
RON JOHNSON SAID THIS LAST
NIGHT.
TAKE A LISTEN.
>> THIS IS ALL BORROWED MONEY
AGAINST OUR CHILDREN’S FUTURE,
AND WE’D HAVE MORE MONEY LEFT
OVER FOR TARGETED RELIEF.
LOOK AT ALL THE SMALL BUSINESSES
THAT DIDN’T GET LOANS, DIDN’T
GET RELIEF, LOOK AT THE NUMBER
OF PEOPLE WHO DIDN’T DO THAT.
SO CONGRESS, IT’S OOZY TO SHOVEL
MONEY OUT -- EASY TO SHOVEL
MONEY OUT, PICK A NUMBER AND SAY
LET’S SPEND THAT, IT’S MORE
DIFFICULT TO ACTUALLY LOOK AT
THE NUMBERS, FIGURE OUT THE BEST
WAY TO TARGET THIS, AND THAT’S
WHAT DOESN’T HAPPEN OFTEN HERE
IN CONGRESS.
LELAND: FAIR CRITIQUE IN.
>> FAIR CRITIQUE.
LOOK, SENATOR SANDERS AND
SENATOR HAWLEY SAID THEY WOULD
OPPOSE MONEY GOING TO SMALL
EMPLOYERS AND OPPOSE MONEY FOR
THOSE WHO ARE UNEMPLOYED AND
MONEY GOING FOR FOOD RELIEF AND
MONEY GOING FOR RENTAL RELIEF
AND HELPING LANDLORDS TOO
BECAUSE WE DIDN’T GET CHECKS.
NOW, THE CHECKS ARE OKAY, BUT
THE FOLKS WHO ARE REALLY HURTING
ARE THE FOLKS WHO ARE ABOUT TO
LOSE THEIR BUSINESS AND LAYING
OFF FOLKS WHO OTHERWISE WOULD BE
EMPLOYED.
I SAY THE BEST STIMULUS WHICH
CAN IS A PAYCHECK.
SO I THINK THERE’S A LITTLE BIT
OF A DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHY THERE.
CHECKS ARE PART OF THE DEAL, OR
THEY’LL BE PART OF THE DEAL.
I THINK RON JOHNSON’S IDEA WAS
LET’S TAKE CARE OF THE FOLKS
UNEMPLOYED, FOLKS ABOUT TO LOSE
THEIR BUSINESS AND, THEREFORE,
FOLKS ABOUT TO LOSE THEIR JOBS.
LELAND: WHEN YOU’VE GOT JOSH
HAWLEY ADVOCATING FOR THIS AND
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS TALKED ABOUT
CHECKS AS WELL, JUST SENDING OUT
MONEY TO EVERYBODY, HAVE
REPUBLICANS SORT OF LOST THE
NORTH STAR OF FISCAL
CONSERVATIVISM?
>> SO THOSE TWO DO NOT DEFINE
ALL OF CONSERVATIVES, NOR ALL
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
LELAND: RIGHT.
>> SO THERE’S ALWAYS GOING TO BE
DIVERSITY OF OPINION.
NOW, THOSE CHECKS ARE STILL LA
STORY.
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SPEND THAT
MONEY, AND THAT DOES INCREASE
SALES TAX REVENUE AND KEEPS
STORES AFLOAT, THAT SORT OF
THING.
I’M NOT ARGUING THERE’S NOT A
BENEFIT THERE.
BUT IF YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT THE
FOLKS WHO ARE GREATEST NEED,
THEY ARE THE FOLKS ABOUT TO LOSE
THEIR JOB BECAUSE THE PERSON
THAT OWNS THE SMALL BUSINESS IS
ABOUT TO GO BANKRUPT.
SO IF WE HAVE TO CHOOSE WHERE WE
HELP FIRST, LET’S HELP THE FOLKS
ABOUT TO LOSE THEIR JOB, ABOUT
TO GO BANKRUPT --
LELAND: NEIL CAVUTO ASKED SUCH
AN IMPORTANT QUESTION EARLIER OF
ME, AND I ADMIT THAT THE ONLY
ANSWER I COULD GIVE IS IT’S 2020
AND ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN, BUT
THAT CAVEAT ASIDE, I PUT THE
SAME QUESTION TO YOU WHICH IS,
IS THERE ANY WAY THERE’S NOT A
DEAL BY TOMORROW?
ARE WE GOING TO BE GOING ANOTHER
FEW DAYS ON THIS?
>> I THINK THERE IS A DEAL BY
TOMORROW.
LELAND: WHAT WOULD DERAIL A
DEAL?
>> I’M SORRY?
TWO PROVISIONS THAT PEOPLE ARE
STRIVING TO GET COMMON GROUND
ON, COMPROMISE.
LELAND: WHICH WOULD BE WHAT?
>> THERE’S A LITTLE TECHNICAL,
BUT UNDER THE CARES ACT THE
FEDERAL RESERVE WAS GIVEN THIS
ABILITY TO LEND MONEY TO
BUSINESS.
LELAND: RIGHT.
>> WE TELL THEM AS REPUBLICANS
THAT WAS AN EMERGENCY ISSUE.
NOW THAT THE EMERGENCY IS
RESOLVED FOR THE BIGGER
BUSINESSES, WE SHOULD STAND THAT
DOWN.
DEMOCRATS WISH TO KEEP IT.
KIND OF A TECHNICAL POINT, BUT
IT’S A STICKING POINT RIGHT NOW.
LELAND: WELL, IT’S SUCH AN
IMPORTANT ONE.
YOU CAN JUST IMAGINE HOW THE
MARKETS WILL REACT ON MONDAY
EITHER WAY TO THAT IN TERMS OF
LOOKING AT HOW BUSINESSES ARE
GOING TO BE ABLE TO SURVIVE AND
GET MORE LOANS FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT.
I SHOULDN’T SAY SURVIVE, BUT GET
MORE MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT WHICH CERTAINLY
CHANGES THINGS.
SENATOR, WE APPRECIATE IT, AND