MARIA: WELCOME BACK.
CONGRESS DID SOMETHING RARE IN
PASSION BIPARTISAN BUDGET BILL.
BUT TO REACH THAT COMPROMISE
THEY INCREASED SPENDING BY A
LOT.
I SPOKE TO HOUSE SPEAKER PAUL
RYAN ABOUT THE BUDGET.
HE SAID HE HAD TO SWALLOW THE
EXTRA SPENDING TO TAKE CARE OF
THE MILITARY.
SPEAKER PAUL RYAN: THE MILITARY
HAS BEEN DETERIORATING AND
HOLLOWED OUT.
THEY NEED A BUDGET THEY CAN PLAN
FOR.
THE DISCRETIONARY BUDGET WE HAVE
NOW IS STILL LOWER THAN THE
BUDGET WE PUT IN PLACE IN 2011
THAT WE PASSED.
THE DISCRETIONARY SPENDING IS
LOWER THAN THE LEVELS WE
ENVISIONED IN 2011.
OTHER POINT IS THE SEE
QUESTIONSER, NO ONE INTENDED THE
SEQUESTER TO KICK IN NOR AFFECT
THE MILITARY.
WE PUT IN $250 BILLION IN
PERMANENT MANDATORY SPENDING
CUTS AND WE HAVE MEANS TESTING.
A BIG DOWN PAYMENT ON HEALTHCARE
REFORM.
'.
WE DID HAVE MORE DOMESTIC
SPENDING.
AND THE DOMESTIC SPENDING WE PUT
IN HERE IS DISASTER AID,
INFRASTRUCTURE AID IN EXCHANGE
FOR THE MILITARY BUDGET WE
WANTED.
WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF
ENTITLEMENTS.
THIS WAS A DISCRETIONARY FUNDING
BUDGET.
AND FOR US, SAVE THE MILITARY,
SPEND FOR HURRICANE DISASTERS.
GET SPENDING CUTS THAT WILL GROW
IN THE OUT YEARS.
BUT WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON
ENTITLEMENT SPENDING.
HOUSE REPUBLICANS PASSED THE
BIGGEST ENTITLEMENT SPENDING
BILL EVER IN THE HEALTHCARE
BILL.
WE CUT SPENDING IN THE HOUSE BUT
WE HAVE TO GET OUR OTHER
PARTNERS IN GOVERNMENT WILLING
TO DO THE TOUGH REFORM WE ARE
WILLING TO DO.
MARIA: YOU HAVE BEEN THIS
ENTITLEMENT REFORM PERSON FOR
YEARS.
>> I STILL AM.
MARIA: BUT YOU DON'T LOOK LIKE
YOU ARE.
YOU MENTION DISCRETIONARY.
$7 BILLION IN COMMUNITY HEALTH
CENTERS.
CHILDCARE GRANTS.
IT'S MORE THAN DISASTER RELEAVES
AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
DO YOU HAVE TO AGREE TO THAT
STUFF JUST TO GET THE MILITARY
RUNNING?
SPEAKER PAUL RYAN: WE HAD TO DO
SOME SPENDING.
IT'S A BIPARTISAN COMPROMISE.
YOU DON'T GET EVERYTHING YOU
WANT.
BAR WESTWARD * WITH ECONOMIC
GROWTH COMES INFLATION AND
HIGHER WAGES AND HIGHER INTEREST
RATES.
NOW IT UNLESS YOUR FACE HOW MUCH
YOU WILL BE SPENDING ON THE
DEBT.
$50 BILLION ADDITIONAL ON THE
DEBT.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE INFLATION
GETTING OUT OF THE GATES.
IT SHOULD BE NORMALIZING.
THE WAY WE LOOK AT THIS, THE FED
HAS BEEN CARRYING ALL THE WATER.
WE HAD HORRIBLE FISCAL POLICY,
OVERREGULATION, HIGHER TAXES.
WHAT ARE WE DOING NOW.
WE ARE GETTING REGULATORY
RELIEF, WE ARE GETTING TAX
REFORM.
NOW THE FISCAL POLICY
AUTHORITIES WHERE TAKING OVER.
SO WE CAN START NORMALIZING
INTEREST RATES.
WE WANT TO HAVE RATES BE
NORMALIZED.
I THINK WE ARE GOING THROUGH
THAT TRANSITION.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I'M
SAME OLD GUY DOING THE SAME OLD
ANYTHING HOUSE WITH ENTITLEMENT
REFORM.
MARIA: DO YOU THINK YOU WILL
HAVE AN ACTUAL ENTITLEMENT
REFORM PACKAGE IN PLACE THIS
YEAR?
>> I CAN'T ANSWER THE QUESTION.
I THOUGHT WE WOULD HAVE ONE LAST
YEAR.
IF WE CAN GET AT THE ROOT CAUSE
OF INFLATION, THAT HELPS THE
FEDERAL BUDGET.
THE CHALLENGE IS WE HAVE A 90%
INCREASE IN RETIREMENT
POPULATION AND THE% INCREASE IN
THE WORKING POPULATION.
COMBINE THAT WITH THE FACT
HEALTHCARE COSTS RISE FASTER
THAN INFLATION.
SO WE HAVE TO FIX HEALTHCARE.
DOES THAT MEAN SACRIFICE YOUR
MILITARY IN THE MEANTIME?
NO.
IT MEANS BUILD YOUR MILITARY,
GROW YOUR ECONOMY.
THE REASON I WAS COMING ON HERE
IS TO TALK ABOUT HOW WELL TAX
REFORM IS WORKING.
SO WE ARE GOING TO SEE HIGHER
LIVING STANDARDS, FASTER
ECONOMIC GROWTH.
BUT OVER THE LONG TERM HORIZON
WE HAVE TO GET THE DEBT UNDER
CONTROL.
WE'LL NEVER GET GIVE UP ON
ENTITLEMENT.
MARIA: WE HOPE NOT, WE REALIZE
THAT'S WHERE THE CRUX OF THE
SPENDING IT.
WE ARE SHOCKED AT YOU.
PEOPLE ARE SAYING THIS IS THE
DEFICIT HAWK.
THIS IS THE GUY WE HAVE BEEN
COUNTING ON TO COME UP WITH
SWLIEWTIONS FOR THESE PROGRAMS.