THE CLOCK IS TICKING.
DEADLINE TO AVOID A PARTIAL
GOVERNMENT SHUT DOP
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOOP
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IS THREE
DAYS AWAY.
THE PRESIDENT IS DEMANDING THAT
CREASES PROVIDE $5 BILLION IN
FUNDING FOR THE BORDER WALL.
THE DEMOCRATS ARE SHOWING NO
SIGNS OF BUDGING.
MARK MEADOWS WEIGHED IN ON
CAPITOL HILL YESTERDAY.
>> WHAT MAKES JANUARY ANY BETTER
THAN DECEMBER 21st.
I'M WILLING TO STAY HERE THROUGH
CHRISTMAS TO GET IT DONE RIGHT
ON BEHALF OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
AND WE CONTINUE TO PUNT.
THIS IS NOT ANYBODY -- TO
ANYBODY'S SURPRISE.
MARIA: JOINING US RIGHT NOW IS
KANSAS CONGRESSMAN, ROGER
MARSHALL.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
>> GOOD MORNING TO EVERYBODY.
MARIA: ALL OF THIS NERVOUSNESS
IN TERMS OF MARKETS, WE KNOW
THERE'S A SITUATION OF
UNCERTAINTY BETWEEN CHINA AND
THE U.S. AND WE KNOW WE'RE
FACING UNCERTAINTY WITH INTEREST
RATES.
BUT HOW MUCH OF THIS IS
WASHINGTON, THE FACT THAT WE'RE
LOOKING AT A PARTIAL GOVERNMENT
SHUTDOWN THIS WEEK, THE FACT
THAT THIS MUELLER PROBE IS
CONSTANTLY ASKING QUESTIONS AND
PUTTING THESE SUGGESTIONS OF
COLLUSION OUT THERE, EVEN THOUGH
THERE'S NO EVIDENCE OF IT.
THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT ALL OF
THIS SORT OF VITRIOL BETWEEN THE
REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS.
>> ABSOLUTELY, YOU'RE RIGHT.
WHEN I WAS IN THE POSITION BACK
IN KANSAS, I DIDN'T FOLLOW THE
ISSUES QUITE AS CLOSELY AND MY
STOCK MARKET BROKERS LOVED ME
BECAUSE I DIDN'T CALL THEM EVERY
DAY.
NOW I PAY ATTENTION TO EVERY UP
AND DOWN, SEEING THE MARCH HE
GET OVERREACT TO THE
UNCERTAINTY, WHETHER THE THREAT
OF A GOVERNMENT YOU SHUTDOWN,
TRADE TARIFFS OR POTENTIAL
INTEREST RATES BEING RAISED
TODAY OR TOMORROW.
THESE UNCERTAINTIES ARE ADDING
YOU UP.
AS YOU POINTED OUT, THE MARKETS
DON'T LIKE TON CERTAINTY.
MARIA: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO
ABOUT SNIT YOU'RE A LAWMAKER, A
LEADER IN CONGRESS.
HOW CAN YOU HELP THE SITUATION
IN YOUR POSITION AND ARE WE
GOING TO HE SEE A SHUTDOWN?
WHAT'S THE IMPACT?
>> I THINK MY JOB IS TO REMAIN
CALM AND CLEAR, TO MAKE GOOD
DECISIONS UP HERE.
BORDER SECURITY IS SUCH A AN
IMPORTANT ISSUE.
I'M WILLING TO SHUT DOWN A VERY
SMALL FRACTION OF THE
GOVERNMENT.
SO MY JOB AS A CONGRESSMAN IS TO
COMMUNICATE, LOOK, IF THE
GOVERNMENT SHUTS DOWN, WE'RE
ONLY TALKING ABOUT 10% OF THE
SPEND OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
MEDICARE IS TAKEN CARE OF.
SOCIAL SECURITY, THE MILITARY,
THIS IS A VERY SMALL SEGMENT.
BORDER SECURITY, NATIONAL
SECURITY IS SO IMPORTANT.
I'M WILLING TO JUMP ON THIS
GRENADE AND SHUT DOWN THIS SMALL
SLIVER OF THE GOVERNMENT TO FUND
THE BORDER WALL.
>> JUST A QUESTION.
LAST YEAR THERE WAS A BILLION
GIVEN TO BORDER -- FOR THE
BORDER WALL.
THAT HASN'T BEEN SPENT.
THE QUESTION IS, THE PRESIDENT'S
LOOKING FOR $5 BILLION.
WHAT'S THE COMPROMISE?
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU'RE
COMFORTABLE SHUTTING DOWN 108%
OF THE -- 10% OF THE GOVERNMENT.
I GUARANTEE THOSE PEOPLE THAT
WILL LOSE THEIR JOB OVER
CHRISTMAS AREN'T COMFORTABLE.
I THINK YOU'RE STILL GETTING
PAID.
IT'S UNCOMFORTABLE TO SHUT DOWN
PART OF THE GOVERNMENT OVER
CHRISTMAS.
MY QUESTION IS, WHAT IS THE
COMPROMISE.
>> I WOULD PREFER TO KEEP THE
GOVERNMENT OPEN, DON'T GET ME
WRONG.
WE BUILT ABOUT 31 MILES OF
BORDER SECURITY WITH THE FUNDING
WE GAVE THE PRESIDENT LAST YEAR
AND THAT'S GOING TO GO TOWARDS A
TOTAL 40 MILES IN TOTAL.
THIS FUNDING OF $5 BILLION WILL
BUILD ANOTHER 200 MILES OF
BORDER SECURITY OUT.
THAT'S A PRIORITY FOR US.
IT'S A POLITICAL FOOTBALL RIGHT
NOW.
THE PRESIDENT'S WORKING ON A
COMPROMISE.
I'M GOING TO STAND BESIDE THE
PRESIDENT.
THIS IS WHEN WE NEED LEADERSHIP
FROM THE PRESIDENT AND FROM
CONGRESS.
I THINK THERE IS A COMPROMISE
THERE.
I WOULD PREFER THE $5 BILLION.
>> RIGHT.
BUT THE BID OFFER IS 1.6 WHICH I
THINK HAS BEEN APPROVED TO 5.
SO WHY DOESN'T THE HOUSE
MEMBERS, REPUBLICAN AND
DEMOCRATS AND THE SENATE COME UP
AND SAY A DIFFERENT NUMBER AND
ASK THE PRESIDENT TO GO WITH
THEM ON THIS?
>> WELL, IT WOULD SEEM LIKE THE
DEMOCRATS HAVE SAID IT'S A
NONSTARTER.
THEY WANT TO FUND ZERO OR
PERHAPS NOW THEY'RE UP TO 1.7.
SO I THINK AS A CONGRESSMAN I
HAVE TO PRIORITIZE NATIONAL
SECURITY.
MARIA: I UNDERSTAND THAT.
THE PRESIDENT IS KEEPING HIS
PROMISES, THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION FOLLOWING THROUGH
ON THAT SECOND ROUND OF BAILOUT
PAYMENTS FOR FARMERS HURT TABI
ONGOING TRADE -- HURTLY
ONGOING TRADE-H- HURTLY
ONGOING TRADE-HURHURTLY
ONGOING TRADE-HURTURTLY
ONGOING TRADE-HURT BTLY
ONGOING TRADE-HURT BYLY
ONGOING TRADE-HURT BY THE
ONGOING TRADE DISPUTE WITH
CHINA.
WHAT ABOUT OTHER INDUSTRIES?
CAN WE REALLY JUST GIVE BAILOUTS
TO THOSE GROUPS THAT ARE GETTING
HURT BY THE TARIFFS AND NOT
EVERYBODY?
DOESN'T THIS HAVE A BIG DOWNSIDE
RISK?
>> CERTAINLY I UNDERSTAND YOUR
POINTS AND AGREE WITH IT FOR THE
MOST PART.
WHEN THE PRESIDENT FIRST
PRESENTED TO THIS, THE FARMERS
SAID IT'S A NO GO.
WE DON'T WANT A HANDOUT.
WE WANT LONG-TERM ACCESS TO
TRADE MARKETS AND THAT'S ALWAYS
BEEN OUR MANTRA.
BUT RIGHT NOW BACK IN KANSAS,
FARM INCOME IS 50% OF WHAT IT
WAS, FARM BANK P RUN
WAS, FARM BANKRP RUN
WAS, FARM BANKRUPRUN
WAS, FARM BANKRUPTCN
WAS, FARM BANKRUPTCIES ARE UP
600%.
IT'S HARD TIMES BACK HOME.
THIS FUNDING ALLOWS THE FARMERS
TO MAYBE GET THE LOANS TO PLANT
NEXT YEAR'S CROP.
IT'S A DROP IN THE BUCKET.
WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR IT.
IT'S NOT WHAT WE ASKED FOR.
WE'RE ASKING TO GET -- WE ASKED
TO GET USMCA DONE AND THAT'S
BEEN A ACCOMPLISHED, STILL NEEDS
TO GO THROUGH CONGRESS.
WE'RE ASKING TO GET THE EUROPEAN
UNION TRADE AGREEMENT DONE, THE
JAPAN AGREEMENT DONE.
MARIA: A LOT OF DEMOCRATS SAY
THEY WON'T VOTE FOR THE USMCA
THE WAY IT IS.
ARE YOU READY TO MAKE CHANGES?
>> I'M WILLING TO MAKE CHANGES.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF CRYING
AND NASHING OF HE TEETH.
I THINK IT WOULD PASS WITH THE
MAJORITY AS WELL AS 40 TO 50% OF
THE DEMOCRATS.
I THINK THEY'RE POSTURING,
WANTING TO MAKE THE PERFECT
ENEMY OF THE GOOD.
>> CONGRESSMAN, YOUR DISTRICT
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT
AGRICULTURE BUT AS WE KNOW SINCE
WE'RE ON A PANEL TOGETHER A FEW
WEEKS AGO, YOUR DISTRICT IS VERY
WIDESPREAD IN TERMS OF ITS
ECONOMY INCLUDING MEDICAL
EQUIPMENT.
YOU WERE IN THE BUSINESS.
YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW TARIFFS ARE
HURTING IMPORTS OF CRITICAL
MEDICAL EQUIPMENT THAT DO
DIAGNOSIS.
DO YOU SEE ANY PROSPECT OF
GETTING THIS CHINA UNCERTAINTY
OUT OF THE WAY, BECAUSE IT IS
HURTING THE ECONOMY AND HURTING
YOUR DISTRICT.
>> CERTAINLY IT'S GREAT TO SEE
YOU AGAIN.
I ENJOYED BEING ON THAT PANEL
WITH YOU.
YOU'RE RIGHT, SO HOSPITALS BUY
MRIS AND MAMMOGRAMS, MOST OF
THOSE ARE MADE IN CHINA AND
SOUTHEAST ASIA.
THE PRICES ARE GOING UP 25, 50%
AS WELL.
IT'S IMPACTING MORE THAN JUST
AGRICULTURE.
THESE TRADE WARS, THESE TARIFFS
COULD IMPACT THE GDP 2%, COULD
IMPACT THE AVERAGE FAMILY TO THE
TUNE OF A COUPLE THOUSAND
DOLLARS PER FAMILY NEXT YEAR.
THAT'S THE PRESSURE WE'RE
PUTTING ON THE PRESIDENT.
WE PUT PRESSURE ON HIM.
WE HELD HIM ACCOUNTABLE.
HE GAME THROUGH WITH AN IMPROVED
AGREEMENT WITH NAFTA.
WE THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY
FOR IMPROVED AGREEMENT WITH
CHINA.
WE KNOW THIS, MR. FORBES.
WE CAN'T KEEP DOING WHAT WE'VE
BEEN DOING WITH CHINA EITHER.
HOWEVER BAD I THOUGHT THE TRADE
IMBALANCES WERE AND THE UNFAIR
TRADE PRACTICES WITH CHINA ARE,
THEY WERE EVEN WORSE WHEN I DOVE
INTO THEM.
MARIA: IT'S PRETTY INCREDIBLE
WHAT CHINA HAS BEEN DOING AND
IT'S WELL BEYOND TRADE.
I OS AGREE WITH YOU,
CONGRESSMAN.
IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU THIS
MORNING.