QUARANTINE OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS.
GOOD MORNING.
I’M ADAM SEXTON.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
ON CAPITOL HILL, REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS WERE ABLE TO FIND COMMON GROUND ON A MASSIVE INITIAL AID PACKAGE TO ADDRESS THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS.
BUT NOW, THERE ARE SIGNS THAT CONSENSUS IS BEGINNING TO FRACTURE OVER THE NEED FOR MORE HELP.
HERE TO DISCUSS THAT AND MORE THIS MORNING IS CONGRESSWOMAN ANNIE KUSTER.
THANKS FOR JOINING US.
REP. KUSTER: GOOD MORNING.
GREAT TO BE WITH YOU, AS ALWAYS.
ADAM: A GROWING NUMBER OF YOUR REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES ARE CALLING FOR THE ECONOMY TO REOPEN.
THEY BELIEVE THAT’S THE HELP THE COUNTRY NEEDS RIGHT NOW INSTEAD OF ANOTHER ROUND OF THE $2 TRILLION CARES ACT.
WHAT’S YOUR PERSPECTIVE?
REP. KUSTER: I THINK WE HAVE TO LISTEN TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS AND THE SCIENTISTS TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A SOLID PLAN FOR HOW WE REOPEN THE ECONOMY.
IT IS IMPORTANT.
I DO WANT TO REOPEN THE ECONOMY.
BUT I DO NOT WANT IT TO CAUSE A SPIKE IN COVID-19 CASES AND OVERWHELM THE HOSPITALS AND END UP HAVING TO GO BACK INTO A NEW STAY-AT-HOME ORDER.
WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS A VERY CONSCIENTIOUS PLAN.
WE HAVE BEEN STUDYING ALL THE OPTIONS IN MY OFFICE.
I WILL BE WORKING WITH OFFICIALS AROUND THE STATE.
I THINK WE WILL DO A REALLY GOOD JOB, AND I THINK WE CAN KEEP PEOPLE SAFE BUT GET BACK TO WORK AND SCHOOL.
ADAM: THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION IS SAYING IT IS ALREADY OUT OF MONEY TO HELP BUSINESSES WITH LOANS AND WHATNOT.
ARE YOU HEARING ABOUT THIS FROM CONSTITUENTS IN DISTRICT TUNA?
REP. KUSTER: ABSOLUTELY, BUT I SHOULD SAY THAT THE PROGRAM IS SUCCESSFUL HERE.
OVER 7000 LOANS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN, AND IT WILL BRING $1.5 BILLION TO NEW HAMPSHIRE.
I WANT TO COMMEND THE SBA AND THE OFFICIALS WORKING DOUBLE OVERTIME AS WELL AS OUR COMMUNITY BANKS, THAT HELPED OUR SMALL BUSINESSES NAVIGATE DENSE APPLICATIONS.
WE NEED MORE FINDING.
I CALLED UPON SPEAKER PELOSI AND SPEAKER OF THE SENATE MITCH MCCONNELL TO ADD $250 BILLION FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND MAKING SURE WE ARE FOCUSED ON RURAL COMMUNITIES HIT HARD BY THIS
ECONOMIC DOWNTURN.
ADAM: A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO HELP OUT, BUT WE DO NOT KNOW THE DURATION OF HOW LONG THIS WILL LAST.
HOW LONG DO YOU THINK TAXPAYERS SHOULD BE ON THE HOOK BY SBA AND WHATNOT TO HELP THESE BUSINESSES OUT?
REP. KUSTER: IF WE DO THIS IN A CONSCIENTIOUS, CAREFUL WAY, PLAN OUT THEIR REENTRY, THEN I AM VERY CONFIDENT THAT BUSINESSES WILL GET BACK UP AND RUNNING AND, MOST IMPORTANT, THAT PEOPLE
WILL FEEL THAT THEY ARE SAFE, THAT THEIR FAMILIES ARE SAFE, AND THAT THEY CAN REENGAGE IN THE ECONOMY.
THEY CAN START TO GO OUT TO WORK.
GETTING BACK TO SCHOOL, GETTING BACK -- WE WILL HAVE LIMITATIONS.
NOT GATHER IN LARGE GROUPS.
WE WILL WANT TO BE CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT OUR PHYSICAL DISTANCING AND MAKING SURE WE TAKE EVERY STEP TO SAY -- STAY SAFE, BUT HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, BY WORKING TOGETHER, WE WILL
FLATTEN THE CURVE, BRING DOWN THE NUMBER OF CASES, AND THEN WE WILL HAVE A VERY GOOD PROGRAM FOR TESTING AND ISOLATING EACH NEW CASE AND MAKE SURE WE DO CONTACT MONITORING TO MAKE SURE
THEY ARE EXPOSED AND MONITOR THEIR HELP.
I HAVE A GOOD FEELING ABOUT THIS HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
WE ARE ALL WORKING TOGETHER IN A BIPARTISAN WAY.
EVERYBODY IS ROLLING UP THEIR SLEEVES.
WE WILL GET THIS DONE AND PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO ENJOY THIS SUMMER.
ADAM: IT SEEMS, TO GET TO THAT POINT, WE WILL NEED A VAST EXPANSION OF TESTING.
IT WOULD APPEAR TO BE A PROBLEM BEGGING FOR A FEDERAL SOLUTION RATHER THAN THE 50 STATE PATCHWORK WE ARE SEEING RIGHT NOW.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET THERE?
IS SOMETHING THAT CONGRESS CAN WORK ON OR DO YOU AGREE THIS IS A FEDERAL ISSUE?
REP. KUSTER: I DO.
I DO NOT WANT TO GET REALLY POLITICAL.
WE ARE TRYING NOT TO GET POLITICAL AND WORK TOGETHER.
I HAVE BEEN SORELY DISAPPOINTED BY THE LACK OF LEADERSHIP COMING FROM THE WHITE HOUSE ON THE ISSUE OF TESTING.
OUR VERY FIRST BILL WE PASSED OVER A MONTH AGO WAS ALL ABOUT INCREASING TESTING.
IT HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT A FIASCO EVER SINCE.
INSTEAD, WE ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH GOVERNMENT SUNUNU AND WITH OUR LOCAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS.
I WANT TO GIVE A DARTMOUTH-HITCHCOCK AND THE PEOPLE AT THE DARTMOUTH MEDICAL SCHOOL.
THEY HAVE PUT TOGETHER THEIR OWN TESTING.
WE HAVE RECEIVED 15 OF THE NEW ABBOTT MACHINES, BUT WE DID NOT GET THE TEST GETS TO GO WITH IT.
WE HAVE TO HAVE A FEDERAL SOLUTION AND DISTRIBUTE THOSE TEST KITS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
IT IS CRITICAL TO HAVE TESTING FOR OUR FRONTLINE HEALTH CARE WORKERS, FOR FIRST RESPONDERS -- I’VE BEEN TALKING TO POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS AROUND THE STATE AND MAKE SURE WE CAN ISOLATE THE
CASES GOING FORWARD.
THE ONLY WAY TO DO THAT IS THROUGH TESTING AND KNOWING WHO TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS.
ADAM: YOU MENTIONED FRONTLINE WORKERS.
YOU THINK OF POLICE, FIREFIGHTERS, EMTS, NURSES, DOCTORS, THEIR EFFORTS NOTHING BUT HEROIC.
BUT WE ARE ALSO SEEING PEOPLE LIKE GROCERY STORE CLERKS WHO DID NOT NECESSARILY SIGN UP FOR LIFE AND DEATH KIND OF JOBS.
DO YOU THINK WE ARE, COLLECTIVELY, DOING ENOUGH FOR THOSE PEOPLE ON THE FRONT LINES BUT HAVE NOT BEEN THOUGHT OF THAT WAY PREVIOUSLY?
REP. KUSTER: I DID TALK WITH GROCERIES OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS AND GROCERY WHOLESALERS -- DO NOT FORGET PEOPLE DISTRIBUTE IN THE FOOD AS WELL.
I WAS IMPRESSED SOME OF OUR WHOLESALERS HAVE STEPPED UP TO INCREASE THE PAY.
I AM HOPING THAT GROCERIES ON THE FRONT LINES WILL GIVE AN INCREASE ON PAY.
I AM WORKING ON A HAZARD PAY PROPOSAL COMING OUT OF CONGRESS SO WE CAN REIMBURSE FOR THAT TYPE OF, AS YOU SAY, HEROIC DEED.
THEY DID NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS.
THE OTHER STEP IS I WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY FEEL SAFE IN THE WORKPLACE.
THIS IS WHAT IT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO LIMIT OUR TRIPS.
DO NOT GO TO THE GROCERY STORE JUST TO WANDER AROUND BECAUSE YOU ARE BORED -- OR THE HARDWARE STORE OR RETAIL STORE.
LIMIT YOUR TRIPS, WHERE YOUR MASKS, PROTECT THOSE ON THE FRONTLINE.
ADAM: IF CONGRESS IS GOING TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION, YOU WILL HAVE TO TAKE ACTION IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER.
IS IT SAFE FOR CONGRESS TO MEET NOW AND WHAT WOULD A FUTURE -- FUTURE GATHERING LOOK LIKE?
REP. KUSTER: THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE DISCUSSING.
I DO NOT THINK IT WOULD BE SAFE TO BRING 435 PEOPLE BACK INTO THE SAME ROOM, WORKING TOGETHER AS WE HAVE TRADITIONALLY, RIGHT NOW, BUT WHAT WE ARE WORKING ON IS A PROPOSAL WHERE WE COULD
TAKE TURNS GOING -- I DID GO DOWN TO WASHINGTON TO VOTE ON THE CARES III PACKAGE.
I WAS VERY FORTUNATE.
SHOUT OUT TO THE PEOPLE AT THE MANCHESTER AIRPORT.
IT WAS SAFE THERE.
IT WAS PRACTICALLY EMPTY.
BUT PEOPLE WERE KEEPING THEIR DISTANCE.
THE FLIGHT WAS SAFE AND RATHER EMPTY AS WELL.
I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS TAKE TURNS STEPPING UP TO TAKE THOSE VOTES, AND WE NEED TO DO MORE BY WAY OF TECHNOLOGY TO DO OUR COMMITTEE WORK ONLINE AND BY PHONE, AND THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE
BEEN DOING OF LATE.
I SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS ON THE PHONE, CONFERENCE CALLS AND SUCH, AND WE ARE MOVING FORWARD, AND I WILL BE EQUALLY PROUD OF THIS NEXT CARES PACKAGE.
BY THE WAY, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE MORE FINDING COMING TO HOSPITALS AND FRONTLINE HEALTH CARE WORKERS.
THEY GOT TO HAVE THE SUPPLIES AND THE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT TO DO THEIR JOBS SAFELY.
ADAM: TWICE IN THE LAST WEEK, THE PRESIDENT HAS MADE COMMENTS THAT HAVE RAISED EYEBROWS IN REGARDS TO WHAT HE PERCEIVES AS HIS POWERS AS THE EXECUTIVE.
IN ONE INSTANCE, HE REFERRED TO HIS POWER IN THIS PANDEMIC AS "TOTAL," AND HE THREATENED TO INVOKE ARTICLE THREE OF HIS CONSTITUTIONAL POWER TO ADJOURN CONGRESS.
HOW DO YOU READ THESE STATEMENTS?
IS THIS THE USUAL BLUFF AND BLUSTER, OR IS IT CAUSE FOR ALARM?
REP. KUSTER: PERSONALLY I THINK IT IS CAUSE FOR ALARM.
THE BEST LEADERSHIP AS SHOWN BY THOSE HEADS OF STATE WORKING IN A CALM AND DELIBERATE MANNER, BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER, CALMING THE WATERS, NOT CREATING MORE CONSTERNATION.
THE LAST THING WE NEED RIGHT NOW IS A SHOWDOWN BETWEEN THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE U.S. CONGRESS.
SO FAR, WE HAVE WORKED WELL TOGETHER.
THE TREASURY SECRETARY HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN NEGOTIATING BIPARTISAN DEALS WITH LEADERSHIP AND WITH THE SENATE, AND I HOPE THAT LEVEL HEADS IN THE WHITE HOUSE WILL PREVAIL AND THAT
THOSE PEOPLE THAT CAN INFLUENCE THIS PRESIDENT WILL DO SO AND WE WILL MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER AS A COUNTRY.
ADAM: THIS PANDEMIC ORIGINATED IN CHINA.
THERE IS MORE AND MORE REPORTING DONE ABOUT HOW THEIR INITIAL HANDLING OF THIS MADE THE SITUATION MUCH, MUCH WORSE.
DOES CHINA NEED TO OFFER SOME SORT OF REPARATIONS?
DOES THERE NEED TO BE ACTION TAKEN BY THE QUOTE -- LOCAL COMMUNITY AGAINST THEM WHEN THIS IS ALL SAID AND DONE?
REP. KUSTER: THIS TIES INTO YOUR PREVIOUS QUESTION ABOUT THE PRESIDENT.
WHAT WE NEED IS STRONG, INTERNATIONAL OPERATION THROUGH ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION.
ACTUALLY, IF WE GO BACK AND LOOK AT JANUARY, FEBRUARY, OUR PRESIDENT WAS NOT OPEN TO HELPING OUT IN THAT SITUATION AND MAKING SURE THAT WHAT THEY DID WAS IN THE BEST INTERESTS
NOT JUST OF THE CHINESE BUT OF THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THIS VIRUS IS TEACHING ALL OF US IS THAT IT DOES NOT RESPECT COUNTRY LINES, STATE LINES, COUNTY LINES, AND WE HAVE TO LEARN TO WORK TOGETHER.
AGAIN, I THINK IT IS A LACK OF LEADERSHIP AND TENSION IN THAT RELATIONSHIP THAT EXACERBATED THE SITUATION, SO WE WILL NEED TO ANALYZE.
ONE OF LOST IS THE OFFICER PANDEMIC RESPONSE THAT THE PRESIDENT ELIMINATED.
THAT WOULD HAVE GIVEN US THE SURVEILLANCE OF INTERNATIONAL HEALTH AND OUTBREAKS, PANDEMICS, WOULD HAVE GIVEN US THE TIME TO PLAN AND PREPARE.
ADAM: ALL RIGHT