FRIEND.
THANK YOU FOR THAT MARK MEREDITH
AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
AND TOO WHAT MARK WAS SAYING MY
NEXT GUEST AMONG THOSE SAYING
THIS IS PROOF THAT EXTRA
BENEFITS BORN OF THE CRISIS AND
MAYBE THE BEST OF INTENTIONS ARE
DOING NOW MORE HARM THAN GOOD.
HIS SENATOR IS MIKE GROUNDS FROM
THE BEAUTIFUL STATE OF SOUTH
DAKOTA.
HE JOINS US.
SENATOR, YOU ARE AMONG THOSE
SAYING ALL RIGHT, THIS ALL
STARTED WITH THE RIGHT
INTENTIONS TO HELP PEOPLE IN A
TOUGH TIME BUT NOW THEY ARE
ACTUALLY HURTING THE ECONOMY AND
LONGER TERM THEMSELVES FIND JOBS
BECAUSE THESE EXTRA BENEFITS ARE
ALLOWING THEM TO HOLD OFF
FINDING ONE.
RIGHT?
>> RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ABOUT
8 MILLION PEOPLE THAT WERE
WORKING A YEAR AGO THAT ARE NOT
WORKING YET TODAY.
WE HAVE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO.
BUT, PART OF WHAT WE HAVE TO BE
ABLE TO DO IS TO PROVIDE THEM
WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET BACK
TO WORK.
AND THAT MEANS AS WE OPEN UP
THESE BUSINESSES AND SO FORTH,
THEY HAVE TO HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT
ARE WILLING TO GO BACK TO WORK.
UNFORTUNATELY, RIGHT NOW, IN
THIS -- AND THIS IS UNINTENDED
BUT WE ARE STOPPING PEOPLE FROM
GOING BACK TO WORK.
THEY ARE MAKING THE FINANCIALLY
CORRECT DECISION THAT SAYS THAT
THEY DON’T HAVE TO WORK.
THEY CAN STAY HOME.
THEY CAN STAY WITH THEIR KIDS.
LET’S NUMBER ONE, GET OUR
SCHOOLS OPEN AGAIN ACROSS THE
ENTIRE COUNTRY.
SECOND OF ALL, LET’S GET THOSE
BUSINESSES OPEN AND THEY ARE
TRYING TO OPEN RIGHT NOW.
BUT WE HAVE GOT A LOT OF
BUSINESSES HERE IN SOUTH DAKOTA
THAT LITERALLY THEY ARE LOOKING
FOR PEOPLE TO GO TO WORK.
WE ARE AT 2.9% UNEMPLOYMENT
RIGHT NOW.
OUR STATE IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS.
WE NEED THOSE FOLKS TO BE ABLE
TO COME BACK TO WORK BETWEEN.
WHEN YOU ADD $300 PER WEEK ON
TOP OF THE REGULAR STATE
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, THAT
MEANS THAT A LOT OF THOSE FOLKS
ARE JUST MAKING THE DECISION
THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER IF I
JUST SIMPLY DIDN’T GO BACK TO
WORK.
UNFORTUNATELY.
NEIL: IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT,
GOVERNORS ARE BEGINNING TO SHARE
YOUR CONCERN THERE.
MONTANA GOVERNOR, FOR EXAMPLE,
WANT TO GET OUT OF THAT EXTRA
FEDERAL BENEFIT PROGRAM AND WILL
EVEN PAY FOE PENAL WORKERS.
>> MY AUDIO IS GONE.
NEIL: THE EQUIVALENT.
YOU DON’T HEAR US ANYMORE.
ALL RIGHT.
WE WILL SEE IF WE CAN FIX THAT,
GUYS.
IF WE’RE WORKING ON IT, JUST TO
LET YOU KNOW, THE MONTANA
GOVERNOR IS AMONG THOSE SAYING
THAT THE EXTRA $300 A WEEK THE
FEDERAL BENEFIT, WE ARE NOT
REALLY KEEN ON EXTENDING THAT
AND IS HE DOING SOMETHING A
LITTLE UNUSUAL TO TRY TO
INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO GET PAST
THAT.
$1,200, IF THEY GET A JOB AND
STICK WITH THAT JOB FOR AT LEAST
TWO WEEKS.
SO, THAT’S ONE OF THE THINGS
THEY ARE LOOKING AT.
SENATOR, MIKE ROUNDS, I HOPE WE
ARE BACK WITH YOU ON THAT.
>> WE ARE.
NEIL: WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT
MOVE ON THE PART OF THE MONTANA
GOVERNOR TO SORT OF PAY PEOPLE
$1,200 TO GET OFF THIS BENEFIT
AND TO GET A JOB?
>> I THINK A LOT OF OUR STATES
ARE KIND OF A LABORATORY TO FIND
OUT WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOES NOT
WORK.
AND SO IF IT MEANS PROVIDING AN
INCENTIVE TO GET PEEK BACK TO
WORK.
WE HAVE 8 MILLION PEOPLE THAT
WERE WORKING A YEAR AGO THAT
AREN’T WORKING TODAY.
WE NEED THOSE FOLKS IN THE
MARKETPLACE.
WE NEED THEM TO BUILD THIS
ECONOMY BACK UP AGAIN.
AND YOU KNOW, WE’RE NOT OUT OF
THIS PANDEMIC.
BUT, LET’S TARGET THE RESOURCES
THAT WE HAVE GOT IN THE RIGHT
LOCATIONS.
PART OF WHAT WE CAN DO AND I
THINK REPUBLICANS ARE VERY
INTERESTED IN DOING IT, IS
LONG-TERM INFRASTRUCTURE
DEVELOPMENT.
WE ALL BELIEVE IN THAT.
I THINK REPUBLICANS AND
DEMOCRATS CAN COME TOGETHER.
BUT IT’S GOT TO BE TARGETED.
IT’S GOT TO BE SPECIFIC.
WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT WHILE
WE’RE DOING THIS FOR THE RIGHT
REASONS, WITH REGARD TO
INFRASTRUCTURE, ROADS, BRIDGES,
YOU KNOW, THAT THE
COMMUNICATIONS WE NEED, THE
WATER STRUCTURES, AND SO FORTH,
THE ONE THING THAT WE HAVE TO
REMEMBER IS THAT SOMEBODY HAS
GOT TO PAY BACK ALL THIS MONEY
THAT WE ARE BORROWING.
YOU KNOW, WE’RE GOING TO EXCEED
100 PERCENT OF G.D.P. RIGHT NOW
WITH JUST OUR CURRENT SHORT FALL
WITHIN WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY
BORROWED.
WE’RE GOING TO BE OVER
$30 TRILLION IN DEBT.
AND AT SOME STAGE OF THE GAME
WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO START
PAYING IT BACK THAT MEANS WE
HAVE TO HAVE A STRONG ECONOMY TO
DO SO.
WHERE REPUBLICANS PROBABLY
DISAGREE MORE WITH DEMOCRATS IS
THAT WE DON’T THINK WE SHOULD
TEAR APART OUR TAX STRUCTURE
RIGHT NOW WHICH HAVE SHOWN, IT’S
PROVEN ITSELF TO ACTUALLY HELP
BUILD THE ECONOMY.
SO, ALONG WITH ALL OF THE
NEGOTIATIONS ABOUT SPENDING MORE
MONEY, AND IN THE APPROPRIATE
PLACES, TARGETED RELIEF, LET’S
NOT TAKENOT APART AN ECONOMY THA
WAS GROWING BEFORE THIS PANDEMIC
HIT.
NEIL: SO HAVE DEFICIT AND DEBT
IN THE PRIOR FOUR YEARS,
SENATOR.
REPUBLICANS ARE NOT EXACTLY THE
ONES TO TALK ABOUT SPENDING LIKE
DRUNKEN SAILORS, RIGHT?
>> NO QUESTION ABOUT THE FACT
THAT IT’S NOT JUST ONE PARTY.
BUT, LET’S REMEMBER, THE VAST
MAJORITY OF THE NEW DEBT HAS
COME IN RESPONSE TO AN EMERGENCY
WHICH WAS THIS PANDEMIC.
BUT THERE IS ALSO SEVERAL
DIFFERENT PIECES OF LEGISLATION
THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED THAT
RESPONDING TO RIGHT NOW.
ONE OF THEM IS THE TRUST ACT.
YOU ARE HEARING MORE ABOUT IT
THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE
OVERSPENDING THAT WE DO IS IN AN
AREA THAT CONGRESS STUNT EVEN
VOTE ON ANYMORE.
THEY GAVE AWAY THEIR
RESPONSIBILITY.
WHAT THEY SAID WAS IS WE HAVE
DEFENSE SPENDING AND
NONDEFENSE -- DISCRETIONARY.
AND THEN WE HAVE MANDATORY
SPENDING, WHICH MAKES UP ABOUT
THE MANDATORY SPENDING MAKES UP
ABOUT 70% OF WHAT WE ACTUALLY
SPEND ON A YEAR-TO-YEAR BASIS.
WE DON’T EVEN VOTE ON THAT
ANYMORE.
MEDICARE, MEDICAID, INTEREST ON
THE DEBT AND SO FORTH.
THOSE TRUST ACCOUNTS RIGHT NOW
NEED TO BE MANAGED
APPROPRIATELY.
WE’RE OVERSPENDING THE TRUST
ACCOUNTS.
WE NEED TO PUT TOGETHER THE PLAN
TO MAKE THEM SUSTAINABLE AGAIN
OR SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS
COULD BE IN JEOPARDY.
MEDICARE BENEFITS.
NEIL: WE’RE NOWHERE NEAR THAT
YOU ARE RIGHT.
WE ARE NOWHERE NEAR THAT WE WILL
WATCH IT CLOSELY.
SENATOR MIKE ROUNDS, I ALWAYS