REAL LIVE PEOPLE ARE HURTING.
AND WE CAN FIX IT.
>> JOINING ME NOW IS SENATOR
CORY BOOKER OF NEW JERSEY.
SENATOR, I’M SO HAPPY FOR YOU TO
MAKE YOUR DEBUT ON "THE CROSS
CONNECTION."
MANY THANK YOU FOR MAKING TIME
FOR US ON A SATURDAY.
I WANT TO ASK YOU QUICKLY --
>> TIFFANY, I’M SORRY, BUT
PLEASE ALLOW ME A POINT OF
PERSONAL PRIVILEGE.
>> OF COURSE.
>> IN THE WORDS OF THE GREAT
STEVIE WONDER.
♪ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YA ♪
♪ HAPPY BIRTHDAY ♪
THAT’S AS FAR AS I’LL GO. >> I LOVE IT.
>> I LOVE IT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
MY FAMILY REJOICES IN NOT JUST
YOUR BIRTH BUT YOUR PRESENCE ON
TV AND HOW YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE.
TODAY IS WORTHY OF CELEBRATION
AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR
BEING A LIGHT WORKER IN THIS
WORLD.
>> WELL, MY FAMILY ALL ACROSS
THIS COUNTRY IS SCREAMING IN
PRIDE NOW THAT SENATOR CORY
BOOKER SANG "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" TO
ME, STEVIEP WOD WONDER VERSION A
THAT, SO THANK YOU AND I CAN
PROBABLY DIE NOW.
THAT WILL NOT BE MY LAST
QUESTION FROM THIS CHAIR, I
HOPE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I APPRECIATE IT.
>> OKAY.
>> I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THIS
COVID-19 RELIEF BILL BECAUSE
THIS IS A HUGE ISSUE AS YOU KNOW
FROM MANY AMERICANS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY STRUGGLING.
THE BILL HAS NOT BEEN SIGNED.
THIS IS NOW WHEN YOU GET TO THE
NITTY-GRITTY AS THEY SAY.
THIS IS WHERE YOU WRITE THE
LEGISLATION.
SO WE’RE STANDING AT THE EDGE OF
A CLIFF HERE.
THE NEXT UNEMPLOYMENT CLIFF IS
MARCH 14th.
THERE ARE CABINETS BARE, PEOPLE
OUT OF WORK FOR SIX MONTHS.
WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS AND HOW
SOON CAN THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
EXPECT THAT $1,400 CHECK TO HIT
THEIR ACCOUNT? >> THIS IS A DEBATE OVER
>> THIS IS A DEBATE OVER
PEOPLE’S LIVES, 30 MILLION
AMERICANS WHO DON’T KNOW
NECESSARILY WHERE THEIR NEXT
MEAL WILL COME FROM.
WE HAVE SEEN UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS
OVER 40 WEEKS NOW AMERICANS LOST
THEIR JOBS, IN CRISIS.
MORE THAN THAT WE HAVE AN
ECONOMY OVERALL FACING ITS WORST
REALITY SINCE THE WIPEDDOWN FROM
WORLD
WORLD WAR II.
WE ARE IN THE GREATEST ECONOMIC
OF OUR LIFETIMES, MOST OF US,
AND WE NEED TO ANSWER IT WITH A
BIG BILL, A BIG RESPONSE.
THAT’S WHAT THE DEBATE WAS UNTIL
5:30 IN THE MORNING YESTERDAY
WAS AND NOW WE’RE GOING TO WORK
TO GET THE SHORT STROKES OF THIS
DONE.
AND I THINK THE PRESIDENT OF THE
USE IS 100% RIGHT.
ALL OF THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE
WILLING TO BLOW REPUBLICAN
COLLEAGUES OF MINE, BLOW
TRILLION DOLLAR HOLES IN OUR
NATIONAL DEFICIT FOR A TAX CUT
THAT WENT TO THE -- AND THESE
ARE ANNUAL DEFICITS THAT WENT TO
THE WEALTHIEST AMONGST US, AND
OUR CORPORATIONS, NOW CAN’T
SUDDENLY CRY THAT WE CAN’T
AFFORD A ONE TIME, $1.9 TRILLION
RESCUE PACKAGE FOR OUR ECONOMY
AND MILLIONS OF AMERICANS
SUFFERING THAT MOST ECONOMISTS
ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE ARE
SAYING WOULD HAVE A STIMULATIVE
EFFECT TO OUR COUNTRY’S ECONOMY.
WE’RE GOING TO WORK REALLY HARD.
WE HAVE AN IMPEACHMENT TRIAL TO
GET THROUGH BUT WE’RE GOING TO
WORK REALLY HARD TO GET THIS
DONE AND GET RELIEF TO THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE AS QUICKLY AS
POSSIBLE.
>> ONE THING I NOTICED IN THIS
LEGISLATION IS THE HIGH EARNERS,
WHICH YOU JUST BROUGHT UP.
SO HIGH EARNERS WILL NOT GET
THIS CHECK.
I’M CURIOUS HOW WILL CONGRESS
DEFINE HIGH EARNERS?
I MADE THIS POINT WITH MY
COLLEAGUE, IF YOU MAKE $100,000
IN THIS CITY, YOU WON’T BE
CONSIDERED A HIGH EARNER BUT IN
SOUTH DAKOTA YOU WOULD BE
CONSIDERED A HIGH EARNER.
SO YOU HAVE THE POTENTIAL RED
STATES COULD BENEFIT MORE FROM
COVID RELIEF THAN HEAVILY, MORE
POPULATED BLUE STATES AND THAT
DOESN’T SEEM FAIR.
HOW DO YOU ADDRESS THAT ISSUE IN
THIS BILL?
>> AND THIS IS WHY I’M FIGHTING
SO HARD.
I’M A JERSEY BOY AND I’M SITTING
HERE IN NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.
FAMILIES WHO ARE MAKING $75,000
ARE STRUGGLING DURING THIS
DIFFICULT PANDEMIC.
SO I’M FIGHTING TO MAKE SURE WE
PRESERVE FOR AN INDIVIDUAL
MAKING $75,000, FOR A COUPLE
MAKING UP TO $150,000, WE NEED
TO PRESERVE THESE CHECKS.
SO THE CALLED MIDDLE CLASS
FAMILIES ARE DRUGLING AS
FAMILIES
FAMILIES ARE STRUGGLING AS WELL.
I HAVE VERY SHORT PATIENCE FOR
PEOPLE WHO TELL ME A YEAR AGO
YOU’RE WILLING TO VOTE FOR THE
WEALTHIEST OF AMERICANS TO GET A
TAX BREAK AND YOU KNOW MILLION
AIRS AND BILLIONAIRES HAVE DONE
EXTRAORDINARILY WELL DURING THE
WORST ECONOMIC CRISIS OF MY
LIFETIME AND NOW YOU WANT TO
PLAY PENNYWISE SO TO SPEAK ON
SHORT CHANGING MIDDLE CLASS,
WORKING CLASS AMERICANS
SUFFERING.
SO I’M GOING TO BE ONE OF THOSE
PEOPLE FIGHTING FOR FINISHING
THE $2,000 CHECKS, ANOTHER
$1,400 AND TWO PEOPLE BELOWS