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CHARLES: THE SENATE MEETING AT
11:00 A.M. TODAY TO CONTINUE
WORK ON THE BIPARTISAN
INFRASTRUCTURE BILL AS DEMOCRATS
PUSH FOR SEPARATE 3 AND A HALF
TRILLION DOLLARS SPENDING BILL.
MY NEXT GUEST VOTED AGAINST THE
INFRASTRUCTURE PROPOSAL EARLIER
THIS WEEK.
TENNESSEE REPUBLICAN SENATOR
BILL HAGGERTY JOINS US NOW.
>> GOOD TO BE WITH YOU, CHARLES.
CHARLES: EVERY TIME I LOOK UP, I
KNOW THESE OLD CHRISTMAS
ORNAMENTS AND EVERYONE TRIES TO
SNEAK THINGS IN.
IT’S GOING BAD TO WORSE IN THE
LAST 24 HOURS, WHAT DO YOU THINK
IN SENATOR: IT’S LIKE
GROUNDHOLIDAY, CHARLES.
THEY KEEP SAYING THEY HAVE A
DEAL.
YOU GET RIGHT TO THE FINISH LINE
AND THEN THEY DON’T HAVE ONE
AGAIN.
I DO THINK THEY ARE CLOSE BUT
THIS IS EXTRAORDINARILY
FRUSTRATING AND DAMAGING TO THE
ECONOMY, WHAT THEY ARE TALKING
ABOUT.
CHARLES: ONE OF THE PRINCIPAL
ISSUES HOW GREEN THEY CAN MAKE
THE DEAL EVEN AT THE EXPENSE OF
PATCHING ROADS.
DO YOU THINK YOUR COLLEAGUES
WILL AT SOME POINT SAY, OKAY.
SENATOR: WELL, I DON’T KNOW WHAT
CHUCK SCHUMER’S ULTIMATE GOAL
IS.
THEY HAVE BEEN PRETTY CLEAR.
THEY WILL PUSH THROUGH THE
$3.5 TRILLION COMPLETELY
PARTISAN PACKAGE.
IT’S A TAX AND SPENDING SPREE AS
YOU SEE AND THEY WILL TRY TO PUT
IT ALONGSIDE THE SO-CALLED
BIPARTISAN PACKAGE WHICH IS A
SHIELD FOR THEM AND IT’S
ACTUALLY A PLOY TO SAY THAT
THEY’VE GOT BIPARTISANSHIP WHEN,
INDEED, WHAT THEY ARE SHOVING
THROUGH EVERYTHING THAT PEOPLE
WORKED HARD TO NEGOTIATE OUT OF
THE BIPARTISAN DEAL.
IT’S NOT GOOD-FAITH AND NOT
COMPROMISE AND I DON’T SEE MUCH
BIPARTISAN IN THIS AT ALL.
CHARLES: YOU TALK ABOUT HOW THIS
HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR WEEKS NOW.
NOT LONG AGO PRESIDENT BIDEN
TOOK A VICTORY LAP ON THE
BIPARTISAN NATURE OF THIS ONLY
TO ALMOST IMMEDIATE I WILL SAY
IT HAD TO COINCIDE WITH THE 3
AND A HALF TRILLION DOLLARS.
HE KIND OF WALKED THAT BACK BUT
NANCY PELOSI HAS NOT.
AND SO IS THIS REALLY A
BIPARTISAN DEAL, IS IT STILL
BEING HELD HOSTAGE TO YOUR POINT
THE 3 AND A HALF TRILLION DOLLAR
BILL?
SENATOR: I THINK NANCY PELOSI
HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR.
SHE’S NOT GOING TO EVEN LOOK AT
THE SO-CALLED BIPARTISAN BILL
UNTIL SHE HAS $3.5 TRILLION
PACKAGE RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER.
I’VE BEEN A BUSINESS PERSON ALL
MY LIFE, CHARLES.
YOU SPEND MORE TIME NEGOTIATING
OUT OF THE DEAL.
YOU FOCUS WHAT ISN’T IN THE DEAL
AND MORE IMPORTANT WHAT’S IN IT.
RAISING DEBT TAXES, CRIPPLING
TAXES ON CORPORATIONS AND
KILLING THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY
AND THAT’S WHAT YOU WILL SEE IN
THE $3.5 TRILLION PACKAGE.
IT’LL DEVASTATING TO AMERICA.
CHARLES: LET’S TALK ABOUT
INFLATION FOR A MOMENT.
CONSUMER SENTIMENT CAME IN
SIGNIFICANT BELOW WHAT WALL
STREET ANTICIPATED BECAUSE THE
INFLATION READ WAS AT A 13-YEAR
HIGH.
DEMOCRATS CONTINUOUS I WILL SAY
THAT THIS 3 AND A HALF TRILLION
DOLLARS WILL ACTUALLY DRIVE
INFLATION DOWN.
IT’S AN ARGUMENT THAT TURNS
ECONOMICS 101 ON ITS HEAD BUT IT
IS SOMETHING THEY’RE PUTTING OUT
THERE TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC,
WHAT DO YOU SAY?
SENATOR: I THINK THAT IF YOU
LOOK AT THE INFLATION ALREADY IN
THE ECONOMY.
GASOLINE PRICES SINCE BIDEN TOOK
OFF.
EVERY GOOD THAT WE BUY HAS TO BE
TRANSPORTED.
THAT’S INFLATIONARY.
HOME PRICES UP 20%, RENTS ARE
UP.
IT’S NOT TEMPORARY.
YOU TALK ABOUT THE MARCH COVID
RELIEF PACKAGE, 1.9 TRILLION AND
YOU HAD 3.5 TRILLION THAT NANCY
PELOSI IS NOT DOING UNTIL SHE
GETS ALL PUT TOGETHER, WE ARE
LOOKING AT PERHAPS 3 TO 4 TIMES
THE SIZE OF A NORMAL GDP WHEN
ALL THIS GETS SCORED DUMPED INTO
THE ECONOMY IN ONE YEAR.
THAT’S INHERENTLY INFLATIONARY.
CHARLES: I HAVE A MINUTE TO GO.
I KNOW THERE’S A LOT OF TALK
ABOUT TRYING TO MAYBE EXTEND THE
EVICTION MORATORIUMS AND I’M
HEARING SOME TALK ALSO MAYBE
EXTENDING THE FEDERAL
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS BECAUSE OF
THE RISE OF THE DELTA VARIANT.
ARE YOU HEARING THAT AT ALL IN
SENATOR: I’VE HEARD ABOUT IT.
I TELL YOU WHAT I’M HEARING FROM
EMPLOYERS, WE HAVE FAR MORE JOB
OPENINGS IN TENNESSEE THAN
PEOPLE UNEMPLOYED.
OUR EMPLOYERS ARE COMPETING
AGAINST THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
IT’S DEVASTATING IF FOR ECONOMY
AND HARD ON PEOPLE TOO.
PEOPLE NEED THE PRIDE OF WORK
AND I THINK IT’S REALLY