STUART: WELL, YOU STAY THERE.
LET’S BRING IN A POLITICIAN
AND ASK WHAT ON EARTH THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY THINK SO IT’S
DOING.
CONGRESSWOMAN CLAUDIA IS HERE
WITH US.
SORRY TO INTRODUCE YOU THAT
WAY.
BUT IT APPEARS YOUR PARTY,
GOP, HAS ABANDONED FINANCIAL
RESTRAINTS.
I MEAN, IT HAS, HASN’T IT?
>> LOOK, I DIDN’T LIKE TAKING
THE VOTE ON OUR BUDGET BUT THE
MILITARY IS VERY IMPORTANT.
WHEN GENERAL MATTIS SAYS THE
BIGGEST ENEMY THAT THE UNITED
STATES ARMY AND MILITARY FACES
IS THE U.S. CONGRESS, WE NEED
TO ACT.
OUR MILITARY HAS BEEN
SUFFERING UNDER CRS FOR 36
YEARS.
WE FINALLY GOT A DEAL WITH THE
SENATE AND AMAZINGLY CHUCK
SCHUMER -- BUT REMEMBER
SOMETHING, I’M SO SICK OF
HEARING PEOPLE SAY "YOU
LIKE TO SAY WOULDN’T IT BE
NICE IF WE HAD A 60-VOTE
RULE?
BUT ON THE SENATE SIDE, WE
DON’T EVEN HAVE 51 VOTES.
WE HAVE A LOT OF REPUBLICANS
THAT ARE REGISTERED THAT WAY,
BUT THEY DON’T VOTE THAT WAY
AND WE CAN’T RELY ON THEM FOR
VERY IMPORTANT ISSUES.
BUT REMEMBER WHAT THIS BUDGET
DOES.
IT DEALS WITH DISCRETIONARY
SPENDING.
THE BIG PROBLEM COMING UP IN
THE STATE OF THE UNION -- OR
THAT WAS NONDISCRETIONARY.
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THE
NONDISCRETIONARY SIDE I MEAN.
AND THAT IS DEALING WITH THE
PROBLEM WE NEED TO START
WORKING ON THE ENTITLEMENT
ISSUE.
ENTITLEMENTS ARE A HUGE
PROBLEM.
THERE’S A LOT OF FRAUD ABUSE
AND WASTE.
I COME FROM NEW YORK WHERE THE
GREATEST FRAUD ABUSE AND WASTE
EXISTS, AND WE NEED TO START
ATTACKING THAT.
STUART: YES, WE DO.
>> 1.7 TRILLION IN CUTS ARE
ANTICIPATED COMING UP FOR
THAT.
STUART: CLAUDIA, HOW MANY
TIMES HAVE I HEARD THIS
BEFORE?
I MEAN, I’VE BEEN DOING THIS
FOR 40 YEARS.
I’VE ALWAYS -- ALMOST EVERY
YEAR.
>> WOW.
STUART: YEAH, STOP IT.
>> YOU LOOK GOOD.
STUART: JUST STOP IT RIGHT
NOW. OKAY? BUT SERIOUSLY,
EVERY SINGLE YEAR WE’VE GOT TO
CUT WASTE. THIS YEAR WE’RE
GOING TO DO IT.
NEVER HAPPENS.
>> BUT, LISTEN.
YOU SAID TO ME YOU’RE NEVER
GOING TO GET -- WELL, I CAN’T
PUT THE BRITISH ACCENT ON IT.
YOU’RE NEVER GOING TO GET TAX
REFORM DONE, AND WE DID.
AND LOOK AT WHAT THE RESULTS
ARE.
WE’RE DOING REALLY WELL IN MY
DISTRICT.
I’M HEARING FROM PEOPLE EVERY
DAY.
MIDDLE INCOME TAXPAYERS TO
MEDIUM AND LARGE-SIZE
BUSINESSES ALL DOING EXTREMELY
WELL BECAUSE OF THE TAX REFORM
IN NEW YORK.
AS LONG AS OUR GOVERNOR AND
OUR DEMOCRATIC-CONTROLLED
GOVERNMENT DOESN’T DESTROY OUR
TAX REFORM.
WE HAVE TO START THIS. THIS
STUART: OKAY. YOU GOT ME.
>> AND UNFORTUNATELY IT’S A
CHESS GAME.
WE CAN’T HAVE -- WE CAN’T JUST
GO IN AND, YOU KNOW, CLEAR OFF
THE -- JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE A
COUPLE OF BUMPS IN THE ROAD.
YOU CAN’T JUST CLEAR THE
PLAYERS OFF THE FIELD.
WE’VE GOT TO GO THROUGH THIS
SYSTEMATICALLY.
BUT IF WE’RE GOING TO INCREASE
GROWTH, AND WE’RE GOING TO
BRING JOBS BACK TO NEW YORK,
WE ALSO HAVE CRUMBLING
UNDERCOVER OFFICER, SO WE HAVE
TO DEAL WITH THAT.
STUART: OKAY. I WANT TO ASK
YOU ABOUT THAT.
I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THAT
SPECIFICALLY IN YOUR
DISTRICT.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU HAVE
INFRASTRUCTURE PLANS IN YOUR
DISTRICT.
>> UH-HUH.
STUART: WHO PAYS FOR THE
INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN IN YOUR
DISTRICT, WHO PAYS?
DO I PAY AS A TAXPAYER?
OR IS PRIVATE ENTERPRISE GOING
TO COME IN AND PAY?
>> WELL, I THINK THE
INTERESTING THING IS WHAT’S
HAPPENING NOW IS JUST FROM THE
TAX CUTS ALONE, WE HAVEN’T
GOTTEN TO WHERE WE WANT TO
MAKE -- BE ENTIRELY WITH
THEM.
WE ARE SEEING ALREADY
INVESTMENT FROM THE PRIVATE
SECTOR.
THAT’S MOST IMPORTANT.
BUT YOU ALSO HAVE
INFRASTRUCTURE IN ROADS,
BRIDGES, AND OUR WATER
SYSTEM.
WE HAVE SOME OF THE WORST
INFRASTRUCTURE IN OUR
COMMUNITIES.
AND A LOT OF IT IS THE FAULT
OF NEW YORK STATE BECAUSE WE
HAVE BEEN TAXING AND
SPENDING.
OUR TAXPAYERS INTO OBLIVION
WITH ENTITLEMENTS, WHICH ARE
ENORMOUS.
WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT.
WE’VE DONE THAT ON THE FEDERAL
SIDE.
THINK ABOUT WHAT THE TAX CUT
DID.
WE USE USED TO GIVE A LIFELINE
TO THE RICHEST IN OUR
COMMUNITIES.
AND NOW THAT WE’VE ROLLED THAT
BACK, GIVEN A LITTLE BIT OF A
TAX BREAK TO A LOT OF OUR
MIDDLE AND LOWER INCOME
TAXPAYERS AND OUR BUSINESSES,
YOU’RE GOING TO SEE ACTUALLY
GROWTH BECAUSE NOW THE
LIFELINE, THE LOOPHOLES THAT
THE DEMOCRATS ALWAYS DECRY OR
GONE, THE WEALTHY ARE GOING TO
BE PAYING MORE, THE SMALL
BUSINESSES, THE JOB CREATORS,
THOSE PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY
GETTING A BREAK, AND THEY’RE
INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE.
THEY’RE BUILDING BUILDINGS.
THEY’RE CREATING JOBS, THEY’RE
LIFTING WAGES.
THAT’S HAPPENING.
STUART: YOU GOT IT IN.
YOU GOT IT IN.
AND I HOPE YOU LIKE OUR NEW