NEIL: IT HAS SPREAD INTO AREAS
YOU WOULDN’T HAVE THOUGHT
POSSIBLE WE COULD GO.
I WANT TO GO TO CONGRESSMAN
MIKE WALT’S, THE HOUSE ARMED
SERVICES COMMITTEE, FORMER
GREEN BERET, CONGRESSMAN, THE
MORE WE SEE, FORGET ABOUT THE
TALL, SO MANY HOMES DESTROYED
AND LIVES LOST, 100 BY LAST
COUNT AND THERE’S A SENSE WITH
THE PRESIDENT’S HELP AND
FEDERAL DISASTER DECLARED, THIS
WILL TAKE YEARS TO FIX AND
CLEAN UP.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> THAT IS WHAT PRESIDENT BIDEN
WILL SEE TODAY, IT WILL TAKE A
WHOLE MENU OF FEDERAL AGENCIES
AND THEIR CAPABILITIES TO HELP
WITH THAT.
RIGHT OFF THE BEACH BEHIND FORT
MYERS IS A LOT OF FARMLAND.
IT IS VERY RURAL AND PRODUCES A
LOT OF AGRICULTURE.
THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
NEEDS TO HELP WITH THOSE DAMAGE
ASSESSMENTS, THE ARMY CORPS OF
ENGINEERS LOOKING AT ALL OF THE
INFRASTRUCTURE AND MAKING THOSE
ASSESSMENTS, THE SMALL BUSINESS
ASSOCIATION, ADMINISTRATION ON
ALL THESE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE
BEEN DEVASTATED AND JUST
RECOVERING FROM THE YEARS OF
COVID.
IT WILL BE A WHOLE OF
GOVERNMENT APPROACH AND A LOT
OF THIS AID HAS FEDERAL, STATE,
AND LOCAL COST SHARE AND THAT
IS WHERE WE NEED ALL ELEMENTS
OF THE GOVERNMENT TO COME
TOGETHER, POLITICS ASIDE, AND
HELP THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN
NEED AND I HOPE PRESIDENT BIDEN
REALIZES IT IS A WHOLE SWATH OF
THE STATE.
I’M ON THE EAST COAST WHERE MY
DISTRICT IS AND THE FLOODING
HAS BEEN HISTORIC.
WE HAD A STORM SURGE, THIS IS A
SIGNIFICANT SIGNIFICANT EVENT
THAT WILL TAKE A LONG TIME.
NEIL: GOING BACK TO YOUR
SERVICE TO THIS COUNTRY AS A
GREEN BERET, A LOT OF YOUR
COLLEAGUES, INCLUDING
CONGRESSMAN STEUBE WHO IS ON
THE GOLF SIDE, SAY WE’VE GOT TO
DEEMPHASIZE UKRAINE, STOP
GIVING MONEY TO UKRAINE AND
START GIVING MONEY HERE.
HERE BECAUSE OF THE THEME NOT
OF ALL BUT OTHERS WHO SAY WE
HAVE PLENTY OF HURTING FOLKS
HERE INCLUDING YOUR STATE.
>> WE DO.
THE IRON A IS THE BEST WAY TO
HELP UKRAINE IS TO LOWER THE
COST OF OIL.
EVERY TIME PUTIN HAS FELT
EMBOLDENED TO INVADE WITH
GEORGIA AND UKRAINE AND NOW
OVER $100 A BARREL, BESTING
BIDEN CAN DO RATHER THAN
SENDING MONEY OVER THERE IS TO
REDUCE PUTIN’S CASH FLOW AND
HIS WAR MACHINE BY UNLEASHING
AMERICAN OIL AND GAS.
IS ALSO LEADING AN EFFORT TO
PUSH THE HOUSE AND SENATE HAVE
A SUPPLE MENTAL FOR THIS AID
AND OTHER STATES AFFECTED AND
NOT USE THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY
TO LOAD IT WITH PROGRESSIVE
PRIORITIES.
NEIL: NO MORE MONEY FOR
UKRAINE, I KNOW YOU DON’T AGREE
WITH THAT, MAYBE YOU RELATE TO
HIS FRUSTRATION OVER THIS BUT
WHAT DO YOU THINK, IT WAS A
BINARY CHOICE EITHER OR?
>> WE HAVE TO DO BOTH.
WE HAVE TO STOP PUTIN’S MARCH
ACROSS EUROPE.
WE DON’T HELP UKRAINIAN STOP
HIM NOW, HE WILL MOVE TO POLAND
AND THE BALTICS AND THAT WILL
DRAG AMERICAN TROOPS, THEY WILL
DO THE FIGHTING AND DYING, THEY
ARE ASKING FOR THE BULLETS BUT
THE BEST WAY TO STOP THIS WAR
IS TO LOWER THE COST OF OIL.
NEIL: THEY DECIDED TO CUT
PRODUCTION BY 2 MILLION BARRELS
A DAY DOUBLE WHAT FOLKS
THOUGHT, TRYING TO GOOSE THOSE
ENERGY PRICES, THAT ENRICHES
VLADIMIR PUTIN SO ONCE AGAIN HE
BENEFITS WHILE WE DON’T.
>> THAT IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
RATHER THAN UNLEASHING OIL AND
GAS, THE ADMINISTRATION
CONTINUES TO TALK ABOUT THESE
LEASES, NOT GIVING PERMITS TO
EXPLORE THE LEASES IN THE
UNITED STATES AND THIS OUTREACH
TO PLACES LIKE VENEZUELA AND
IRAN WHICH HAS 50 MILLION
BARRELS IT IS TRYING TO SELL AS
PART OF THE IRAN DEAL IS A
WRONGHEADED POLICY, WRONG FROM
A HUMAN RIGHTS STANDPOINT FROM
US NATIONAL SECURITY
STANDPOINT, IT IS NOT WORKING.
THE ANSWER IS RIGHT HERE AT
HOME AND THAT WOULD SOLVE
PROBLEMS FROM INFLATION TO WHAT
WE ARE PAYING AT THE GAS PUMP
TO PUTIN’S WAR MACHINE AND
THERE IS THIS ENTRENCHED AGENDA
THAT BELIEVES WE OUGHT TO MOVE
TO CLEAN ENERGY BUT THAT ONLY
MAKES US DEPENDENT ON CHINA FOR
THE SOLAR PANELS, LITHIUM FOR
THE BATTERIES AND THE TURBINES
SO IT IS TRADING ONE DEPENDENCY
FOR ANOTHER.
NEIL: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.