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CHERYL: THE HOUSE PROBLEM
SOLVERS CAUCUS ANNOUNCING ITS
SUPPORT OF THE $973 BILLION
INFRASTRUCTURE FRAMEWORK
PROPOSED BY A GROUP OF
BIPARTISAN SENATORS LAST MONTH.
THIS PACKAGE IS NOT TIED TO ANY
RECONCILIATION PACKAGE.
I WANT TO BRING IN SOUTH
CAROLINA CONGRESSWOMAN AND
TRANSPORTATION AND
INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE MEMBER,
NANCY MACE.
GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
FIRST OFF, YOUR REACTION TO THE
NEWS, MAYBE YOU ALREADY KNEW IT
BEFORE IT WAS RELEASED THIS
MORNING, THAT LOOKS LIKE WE MAY
HAVE AN ACTUAL BIPARTISAN DEAL
ON INFRASTRUCTURE.
>> WELL, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF
WE DID HAVE A BIPARTISAN DEAL.
THE LAST TIME I CHECKED WHEN THE
WHITE HOUSE SAID WE DID HAVE ONE
THEY BACKTRACKED ON IT FOR
SEVERAL DAYS AFTER.
I THINK IF WE’RE GOING TO HAVE
ONE, YOU’LL SEE IT IN THE NEXT
FEW WEEKS WHICH I WOULD LOVEING
IN MORE THAN THAT.
THE BIG QUESTION IS FOR ME THIS
MORNING IS HOW ARE WE GOING TO
PAY FOR IT BECAUSE SOME OF THE
REPORTS OUT THERE SAY THIS
PROPOSAL WILL PAY FOR IT SELF
AND THAT’S JUST NOT THE CASE
RIGHT NOW.
I WILL BE DOING A LITTLE MORE
RESEARCH AND SEEING WHERE THEY
ARE WITH HOW IT WILL BE PAID
FOR.
THAT’S THE BIGGEST CONCERN.
WE DON’T WANT TO SEE TAX HIKES
PAYING FOR ART OR SCULPTURES OR
LANDSCAPING IN AN INFRASTRUCTURE
DEAL.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT MUCH.
CHERYL: BUT AT LEAST WE’RE BACK
OFF OF TWO AND 3 TRILLION-DOLLAR
TALK.
AT LEAST WE’RE DOWN TO UNDER A
TRILLION.
I CAN’T BELIEVE I’M SAYING THAT,
BUT TRUTH BE TOLD --
>> IT’S STILL HUGE.
RIGHT, EVEN AT JUST UNDER A
TRILLION, IT WILL STILL BE ONE
OF THE LARGEST INFRASTRUCTURE
PACKAGES IN OUR NATION’S HISTORY
AND IT’S IMPORTANT THAT WE
RECOGNIZE -- I WANT TO RECOGNIZE
SENATOR SHELLY KAPUT FROM WEST
VIRGINIA AND HER WORK TO GET US
TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
IT’S GREAT TO SEE THERE ARE
REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRAT VOICES
THAT ARE COMING TOGETHER.
INFRASTRUCTURE WAS THE NUMBER
ONE COMMITTEE I WANTED TO BE ON.
I KNEW THAT, HEY, IF WE COULD
WORK TOGETHER, CERTAINLY WE
COULD WORK TOGETHER FOR ROADS
AND BRIDGES.
IT’S TAKEN A LONG TIME.
I THINK IT’S PROMISING.
BUT MY BIGGEST QUESTION IS HOW
ARE WE GOING TO PAY FOR IT.
CHERYL: AS LONG AS THE MONEY
GOES TO ROADS AND BRIDGES AND
THAT’S BEEN THE BIGGEST PROBLEM.
I WANT TO BRING IN PATRICE
ONWUKA INTO THIS.
GO AHEAD, PATRICE.
PATRICE: ABSOLUTELY.
I KNOW, CONGRESSWOMAN MACE, YOU
RECENTLY HAD AN INCIDENT AT YOUR
HOME WHERE POTENTIALLY SOME
PRO-UNION, PRO-ACT THUGS TRIED
TO VANDALIZE YOUR HOME.
I WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT IS THE
STATUS OF YOUR ABILITY TO CARRY
A WEAPON IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
I KNOW SOME OF THE LOCAL
LEADERSHIPLEADERSHIP OPPOSED THA
HOW ARE YOU PROTECTING YOURSELF?
WHAT MESSAGE ARE YOU SENDING TO
WOMEN OUT THERE WHO THEY
THEMSELVES, WHETHER FROM
POLITICAL FOES OR WHATEVER,
FACED THAT SAME KIND OF PERSONAL
SECURITY THREAT.
>> I CAN TELL YOU THIS MUCH.
AT THE END OF 2020, I GOT MY
CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT FOR SOUTH
CAROLINA, BASED ON THE THREATS
THAT I WAS RECEIVING ON MY LIFE.
AND IT WASN’T UNTIL THE
VANDALISM END DENT IN MY --
INCIDENT IN MY HOME WHERE I
DECIDED NOW IS THE TIME TO USE
MY CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT.
FOR ME, WHEREVER I GO IN SOUTH
CAROLINA AND I’M ALLOWED TO
CARRY, I HAVE A FIREARM ON MY
PERSON, ALWAYS CARRYING.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU AS A MOM, AS
A SINGLE MOM, IT’S ONE OF THE
MOST EMPOWERING THINGS I HAVE
DIDN’T I’VE ALSO HAD AN
OPPORTUNITY TO TEACH MY KIDS
ABOUT GUN SAFETY, I THINK THAT’S
REALLY IMPORTANT, SO THEY’RE NOT
AFRAID.
THEY KNOW HOW TO HANDLE A
FIREARM IF THEY EVER ARE NEAR
ONE.
I THINK THOSE THINGS ARE REALLY
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
I AM IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING
MY CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT FOR
D.C.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE I FOLLOW ALL
THE LAWS.
BUT I’M NOT GOING TO BE PUT IN A
POSITION WHERE I CAN’T DEFEND
MYSELF AND WE’VE SEEN POLITICAL
VIOLENCE INCREASING OVER THE
LAST YEAR TO YEAR AND-A-HALF AND
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I CAN
DEFEND MYSELF, MY FAMILY, AND MY
VALUES AND THE THINGS THAT I
BELIEVE IN.
CHERYL: ARE YOU GETTING
PUSHBACK, THOUGH, FROM SOME OF
YOUR COLLEAGUES AS FAR AS
CONCEALED CARRY?
I KNOW THAT’S BEEN A BIG TOPIC
OF DISCUSSION ON THE FLOOR OF
THE HOUSE, THAT SOME OF THESE
CONGRESS PEOPLE, YOURSELF
INCLUDED, ARE SAYING I WANT TO
PROTECT MYSELF AFTER WHAT WE SAW
ON JANUARY 6th.
HOW -- WHAT KIND OF REACTIONS
ARE YOU GETTING FROM YOUR
COLLEAGUES?
>> RIGHT.
WELL, IT’S INTERESTING.
THE ONE PLACE WHERE WE MIGHT
HAVE NEEDED A FIREARM ON JANUARY
THE CHAMBER, THE ONE PLACE WHERE
WE’RE NOT ALLOWED TO CARRY WHEN
WE’RE ON CAPITOL HILL.
FOR ME PERSONALLY,ISM GOING TO
FOLLOW THE LAWS OF THE DISTRICT
AND CAPITAL IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE I FOLLOW ALL
THE LAWS.
I DO BELIEVE IT’S IMPORTANT,
PARTICULARLY FOR PUBLIC FIGURES
AND POLITICAL OFFICIALS, IT
DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU’RE
REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT, MANY OF
US WHO ARE STRONG VOICES AND
OUTSPOKEN ON THE THINGS THAT WE
BELIEVE IN, WE GET A LOT OF
DEATH THREATS AND WE OUGHT TO BE
ABLE TO DEFEND OURSELVES AND
PROTECT OURSELVES WHEREVER WE GO
AND I THINK THAT’S A REALLY
IMPORTANT DISTINCTION AND IT’S
IMPORTANT THAT, ONE, IF YOU’RE
GOING TO HAVE A FIREARM YOU’RE
TRAINED ON IT AND YOU KNOW HOW
TO USE IT AND ALSO WE FOLLOW THE
LAWS AND WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO
CARRY WHEREVER WE GO, QUITE
FRANKLY.
CHERYL: WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION
LAST WEEK WHEN THE PRESIDENT
CAME OUT AND SAID BASICALLY THE
CRIME SURGE WE’VE SEEN ACROSS
THE COUNTRY WAS ABOUT GUNS.
JUST REMINDING MYSELF HERE THAT
SOMEBODY HAS TO BE HOLDING THE
GUN, LIKE A CRIMINAL, BUT WHAT
DID YOU MAKE WHEN THE PRESIDENT
SAID THAT.
>> IN THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
BECAUSE OF THE INCREASE IN
VIOLENCE I BELIEVE YOU’RE GOING
TO SEE A BIG PUSH FOR GUN
CONTROL IN THIS COUNTRY MANY BUT
LET’S FACE IT LAW ABIDING
CITIZENS DON’T BREAK THE LAW.
CRIMINALS DO.
WE’RE GOING TO BE DOING THIS GUN
CONTROL MEASURES FOR PEOPLE WHO
ARE ALREADY FOLLOWING THE LAW.
OVER THE LAST YEAR AND-A-HALF,
WE’VE SEEN HEALTH CASES HAVE
INCREASED IN OUR YOUTH AND
PEOPLE WHO DIDN’T HAVE JOBS.
WE HAVE ANEN AN ENORMOUS PRESSUR
ON US BECAUSE OF COVID-19 IN THE
LAST YEAR AND-A-HALF.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WHATEVER
LAWS WE ARE PURSUING, THEY MAKE
SENSE.
FOR EXAMPLE, CONGRESSMAN TOM
RICE AND I FOSTERED LEGISLATION
EARLIER THIS YEAR.
DID YOU KNOW HE THAT WHEN YOU HA
A BACKGROUND CHECK AND YOU’RE
FLAGS FOR IT, THE FBI WHEN
THEY’RE DOING ADDITIONAL
RESEARCH, THEY’RE ALLOWED TO USE
A FAX MACHINE BETWEEN THE
FEDERAL AND LOCAL AND STATE
AGENCIES AND THEY’RE DOING THAT
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND WORK.
I DON’T OWN A FAX MACHINE.
I DON’T KNOW THAT ANYBODY DOES.
JUST COMMON SENSE REFORMS MIGHT
GO A LONG WAY HERE.
CHERYL: THAT’S UNBELIEVABLE.
REALLY SORRY ABOUT YOUR HOUSE BY
THE WAY.
I’M SORRY THAT YOU’VE BEEN
THREATENED SO MUCH.
I KNOW THAT’S PART OF THE JOB
BUT IT’S A SAD PART OF THE JOB.
CONGRESSWOMAN NANCY MACE, THANK