HE WILL JOIN US TO MAKE HIS CASE.
GOOD MORNING.
I’M ADAM SEXTON.
IN A YEAR FULL OF UNBELIEVABLE HEADLINES, OCTOBER AND THESE FINAL WEEKS BEFORE THE ELECTIO HAVE TOPPED IT ALL AS PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND THE FIRST LADY, MELANIA TRUMP, HAVE TESTED
POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS.
AS OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS AR WITH THE WHITE HOUSE AND EVERYONE AFFECTED BY THIS, TODAY ON "CLOSEUP," WE’LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE RACE FOR CONGRESS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE’S 2ND CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICT.
AND WE START THIS MORNING WITH THE INCUMBENT, ANNIE KUSTER.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
REP. KUSTER: GOOD MORNING.
GREAT TO BE WITH YOU.
IT WAS TRAGIC NEWS ABOUT THE PRESIDENT AND MELANIA TRUMP BEING INFECTED WITH COVID-19.
I CERTAINLY SEND MY BEST WISHES TO THEIR FAMILY.
I HOPE THEY WILL BE SAVED DURING THEIR QUARANTINE.
AND IT IS JUST A REMINDER TO ALL OF US ABOUT WEARING THE MASKS WHENEVER YOU GO OUT, WHENEVER YOU ARE AROUND PEOPLE.
IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, TO KEEP YOU AND YOUR FAMILY SAFE.
ADAM WE HOPE EVERYONE INVOLVED IS HEALTHY AND OK FOR THE LONG TERM.
ONE OF THE WIDER IMPLICATIONS HERE, THE PANDEMIC IS IN THE WHITE HOUSE, NOT JUST SOME OFFICE BUILDING IN A SUBURB YOU CAN SHUT DOWN, IT IS THE SEAT OF POWER FOR THE NATION.
REP. KUSTER: IT IS A THREAT TO OUR DEMOCRACY AT THIS POINT.
I THINK THE PRESIDENT, DOING BIG RALLIES, BEING EXPOSED TO SO MANY PEOPLE -- I KNOW THE DAY AFTER HE WAS UP IN NEW JERSEY FOR A FUNDRAISER -- HE HAD THE DEBATE THIS WEEK.
I HAVE COLLEAGUES THAT ARE BEING TESTED AS WE SPEAK, BECAUSE THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT POSSIBLE EXPOSURE.
WE HAVE TO REMEMBER, THIS IS AN AIRBORNE DISEASE, AND YOU HAVE TO BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL.
THAT IS WHY DR. FAUCI HAS BEEN SO ADAMANT.
WEAR THAT MASK AT ALL TIMES WHEN YOU ARE WITH PEOPLE.
BEST TO KEEP A SAFE DISTANCE, AT LEAST SIX FEET, IF NOT MORE.
AND IF YOU ARE GATHERING WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS, YOU HAVE GOT TO BE OUTDOORS, AND THAT WILL GET TRICKIER THIS FALL.
I KNOW PEOPLE ARE GETTING FIRE PITS FOR THEIR YARDS, SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO VISIT WITH FRIENDS, BUT WE HAVE JUST GOT TO BE AWARE -- TH SCIENCE IS REAL, AND COVID IS HERE WITH US, UNTIL
WE GET THE VACCINE, UNTIL WE GET THIS UNDER CONTROL.
ADAM: Y MENTIONED YOUR COLLEAGUES BEING TESTED -- DO YOU BELIEVE WORK SHOU PAUSE, BOTH HOUSE AND SENATE?
THIS WOULD MEAN A PAUSE ON THE RELIEF BILL AND POTENTIALLY THE SUPREME COURT HEARINGS.
REP. KUSTER: I DO THINK EVERYONE ON CAPITOL HILL SHOULD BE TESTED I MYSELF WAS TESTED FRIDAY.
I THINK ANYONE THAT HAS BEEN AROUND ANY OF OUR COLLEAGUES THAT WERE AT THE DEBATE, THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND THE PRESIDENT AND MELANIA TRUMP, OR HO HICKS -- AND CERTAINLY, I THINK THERE
WILL BE A PAUSE, BECAUSE I DO NOT THINK THE WHITE HOUSE WILL BE ABLE PARTICIPATE, AS YOU SAY, IN THE SUPREME COURT NOMINATION HEARINGS THAT ARE SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 12.
WHAT I DO KNOW -- THE HOUSE IS SCHEDULED TO ADJOURN.
WE PASSED A MAJ COVID RELIEF PACKAGE, AN ADDITIONAL ROUND OF STIMULUS CHECKS.
WE HAD A CONTINUATION OF UNEMPLOYMENT FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT YET BACK IN THERE AND IMPORT -- WHO ARE NOT YET BACK IN THEIR EMPLOYMENT BECAUSE OF COVID.
MOST IMPORTANT LEE, FOUR, WE MADE THE -- MOST IMPORTANTLY, FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE, WE MAD THE PATIENT PROTECTION PROGRAM MORE FLEXIBLE.
OTHER 24 THOUSAND LOANS THAT WENT TO SMALL BUSINESSES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, 22,000 OF THEM IN NEW HAMPSHIRE WERE UNDER $150,000.
THE STEP THE HOUSE HAS TAKEN IS TO STREAMLINE THE FORGIVENESS OF THOSE LOANS.
ESSENTIALLY, WITH VERY MINOR PAPERWORK, THOSE WILL BECOME OUTRIGHT GRANTS, AND YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO BE CONCERNED IF YOU ARE A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER ABOUT PAPERWORK AND THEN SOME
REGULATIONS.
I HAVE TALKED TO THE BANKS, TO THE CREDIT UNIONS -- THIS WILL COME AS A GREAT RELIEF TO THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
WE NEED THE SENATE TO ACT ON THIS, AND WE KNOW THAT NEGOTIATIONS ARE CONTINUING.
SPEAKER PELOSI, WITH SECRETARY MNUCHIN FROM THE TREASURY.
I AM VERY HOPEFUL THAT WE WILL GET AGREEMENT, AND THAT WE WILL GET THIS SIGNED INTO LAW, B YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, THAT THIS POSITIVE TEST IN THE WHITE HOUSE IS GOING TO SLOW THINGS
DOWN.
ADAM: THERE WAS A BIT OF A FRACTURE IN THE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS ON THAT TWO POINT $2 TRILLION CORONAVIRUS RELIEF BILL.
ONE OF YOUR COLLEAGUES SAID THIS "IS JUST A VOTE TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL GOOD.
I WANT TO HELP PEOPLE.
THAT MEANS SITTING AT THE TABLE AND GETTING A DAMN DEAL." WHAT, SPECIFICALLY, ARE YOU -- ARE THE DEMOCRATS HOLDING OUT FOR?
REP. KUSTER: TO BE KIND TO MY COLLEAGUES, WE HAVE A FEW NEW MEMBERS, AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN THROUGH THESE TYPES OF NEGOTIATIONS BEFORE.
I’VE BEEN THROUGH A NUMBER OF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS AND CONTINUING RESOLUTIONS.
I KNOW SPEAKER PELOSI IS VERY ADEPT NEGOTIATOR.
WE WERE WITH HER YESTERDAY AND LEARNED SHE IS CONTINUING TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH SECRETARY MNUCHIN THAT SHE DEALS POSITIVE ABOUT THE PROGRESS WE ARE MAKING.
THE BIGGEST ISSUE THAT SEPARATES US RIGHT NOW, AND THIS IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE -- I’VE HAD A NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS WITH THE GOVERNOR ABOUT THIS -- WE REFER
TO IT AS EIGHT AND LOCAL RELIEF.
IT IS NOT JUST REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE COST OF RESPONDING TO COVID, THE PPE, FOR FIRE AND POLICE, THE EXTRA STEPS BEING TAKEN TO REOPEN OUR SCHOOLS, IT IS THE LOSS OF REVENUE.
WE NEED FEDERAL REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE LOSS OF REVENUE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
AND WHEN YOU GO ABOUT NEW HAMPSHIRE, WE KNOW ABOUT THE TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IS NUMBER TWO IN OUR ECONOMY, AND THAT IS THAT IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, THE ROOMS AND MEALS
TAX, FOR OUR STATE BUDGET.
WE HAD A 90% DROP I TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY SPRING INTO SUMMER.
IT CAME BACK INTO SUMMER AND INTO THE FALL.
I WANT TO COMMEND THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE LAKES REGION AND THE NORTH REALLY WORKING HARD.
BUT WE HAVE HAD -- I THINK WE ESTIMATE $800 MILLION THAT WOULD COME FROM THE HOUSE PACKAGE TO THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE FOR REIMBURSEMENT.
ALSO, THE LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT OF WORK.
SO WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THAT WE NEED TO FILL THAT HOLE IN THE STATE BUDGET, BECAUSE OTHERWISE, WE WILL BE FACING DEVASTATING CU WHEN THE STATE LEGISLATURE RECONVENES IN JANUARY.
ADAM YOU ARE IN A REELECTION REMATCH AGAIN WITH STEVE NEGRON.
OBVIOUSLY, ABORTION WAS A BIG ISSUE LAST TIME.
IT WILL BE EVEN MORE SO THIS TIME WITH POTENTIALLY THE BALANCE OF POWER SHIFTING ON THE SUPREME COURT.
IF DEMOCRATS TAKE BACK THE SENATE, THERE HAS BEEN TALK OF ADDING TO JUSTICES.
AR YOU IN SUPPORT OF COURT PACKING?
REP. KUSTER: I DO NOT THINK THAT IS THE DIRECTION TO GO, BUT I AM SHOCKED THAT MITCH MCCONNELL RUSHING THIS NOMINATION.
I HAVE SEEN THE PULLING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
AS HIGH AS 70%, THE PEOP THINK THAT THE NEXT PRESIDENT SHOULD CHOOSE THE NEXT SUPREME COURT JUSTICE TO REPLACE RUTH BADER GINSBURG.
RUTH BADER GINSBURG WAS AN ICON FOR OUR GENERATION, NOT ONLY ON THE ISSUE OF REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS FOR WOME BUT, IMPORTANTLY, ON THE ISSUE OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST
WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE, EQUAL PAY AND WAGES.
THESE ARE ALL SUCH SIGNIFICANT ISSUES, AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE VOTING ALREADY, VOTING HAS STARTED IN NEW HAMPSHIRE -- I UNDERSTAND THAT THE BALLOTS ARE BEING RECEIVED BY PEOPLE THAT
REQUESTED THE ABSENTEE BALLOT IN ADVANCE.
WE HAVE EARLY VOTING THIS YEAR.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW.
AND SO THE PEOPLE ARE SPEAKING.
LET’S LET THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE AND A VOICE IN WHO THE NEXT NOMINEE SHOULD BE TO THE SUPREME COURT.
ADAM: AS WE WRAP UP HERE, IF ROE V. WADE IS STRUCK DOWN, WHAT IS THE CONTRAST BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR OPPONENT THIS YEAR?
REP. KUSTER: I WILL PROTECT WOMEN’S RIGHTS.
I WILL PROTECT THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF CHOICE.
I WAS AN ADOPTION ATTORNEY FOR 25 YEARS.
I’VE SAT WITH LITERALLY 300 BIRTHMOTHERS, MAKING THIS MOST PERSONAL, PRIVATE, AND CONSEQUENTIAL DECISION.
I BELIEVE THAT I NOT A DECISION TO BE MADE BY THE GOVERNMENT.
I BELIEVE IN LESS GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE IN PEOPLE’S PERSONAL LIVES.
MY OPPONENT WHAT INSERT THE GOVERNMENT IN THAT DECISION.
I THINK THAT IS A BIG DISTINCTION.
ADAM: CONGRESSWOMAN ANNIE KUSTER, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON "CLOSEUP."