ALLIES AND NATIONAL REMARKS PART
OF A TOWN HALL TONIGHT, GARRETT.
>> MIKE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
JOINING ME, SENATOR BOB CASEY
FROM PENNSYLVANIA.
SENATOR, WE HAVE A LOT TO TALK
ABOUT.
THERES STILL TIME TO CHANGE
COURSE GIVEN HOW CLOSE THE
BIPARTISAN GROUP SAYS THEY ARE
TO COMPLETING THEIR
NEGOTIATIONS.
SHOULD THE MAJORITY LEADER DELAY
THE VOTE?
>> GARRETT, I DONT THINK HE
SHOULD.
I THINK CHUCK SCHUMER IS RIGHT.
WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD AND
THEYVE HAD MANY, MANY MONTHS OF
NEGOTIATION, EVEN THE LAST
COUPLE OF WEEKS WORKING OUT
AGREEMENT WITH THE PRESIDENT.
IT IS TIME TO MOVE ON THIS.
THAT DOESNT MEAN EVERY PIECE
HAS TO BE IN PLACE WHEN WE VOTE
TO PROCEED, BUT I AM AFRAID A
LOT OF AMERICANS ARE SEEING THE
SAME PATTERN.
WE WANTED TO VOTE TO PROCEED TO
A VOTING RIGHTS BILL AND THEY
WOULDNT LET US DO THAT.
NOW IT IS SOMETHING THEY CLAIM
THEY WANT TO MOVE FORWARD ON BUT
ONCE AGAIN, IT IS JUST
REPUBLICAN OBSTRUCTION ON
SOMETHING THEY CLAIM THEY WANT
TO MAKE PROGRESS ON.
WE NEED TO MOVE IN THE DIRECTION
OF COMPLETING OUR WORK ON THIS
PART BECAUSE WE HAVE TO GET TO
THE NEXT PART OF THIS INVESTMENT
IN THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
>> FOR PEOPLE WATCHING AT HOME,
I THINK THE QUESTION IS WHATS
THE VALUE OF HAVING A VOTE YOU
KNOW IS GOING TO FAIL, HOW DOES
THAT SIGNIFICANTLY ADVANCE THE
AGENDA HERE?
>> WELL SEE WHAT THE VOTE IS,
BUT I THINK THERES ALWAYS
CLARITY THAT COMES WITH THE
VOTE.
THAT WAS TRUE IN VOTING RIGHTS,
CLEAR YOU HAD DEMOCRATS TRYING
TO PROTECT VOTING RIGHTS, AND
REPUBLICANS UNILATERALLY AGAINST
THAT.
THIS SHOULDNT HAVE BEEN ONE OF
THOSE MOMENTS.
REPUBLICANS SHOULD HAVE WORKED
WITH THE LEADER TO MOVE THIS
FORWARD TO GET TO THE
LEGISLATION, FILL IN THE
DETAILS, FINISH THE
NEGOTIATIONS, THEN WE CAN
ACTUALLY VOTE ON THE BILL.
THIS IS A PRELIMINARY STEP WHICH
IS NECESSARY TO MOVE IT FORWARD.
I THINK A LOT OF AMERICANS
WAITED FOR GENERATIONS FOR THIS
INVESTMENT AND DONT WANT US TO
SLOW DOWN AND HAVE THE USUAL
WASHINGTON PROCESS WHERE JUST
CLEARING YOUR THROAT TAKES A
COUPLE HOURS IT SEEMS.
>> I AM FAMILIAR WITH THAT STYLE
OF SPEAKING ON THE HILL.
SENATOR, THERES ANOTHER
DEADLINE TODAY GETTING LESS
ATTENTION, THATS ON THE
RECONCILIATION PACKAGE,
$3.5 TRILLION BILL NOT NEARLY AS
FAR ALONG AS THE BIPARTISAN ONE.
THE MAJORITY LEADER WANTED ALL
DEMOCRATS READY TO GO FORWARD ON
THIS, WANTED AGREEMENT THE 50 OF
YOU SAW THIS AS THE PATH
FORWARD.
ARE YOU THERE YET?
WHATS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE
WHIP COUNT ON THAT DECISION
WHICH IS AN EVEN BIGGER
INVESTMENT?
>> GARRETT, THATS A GOOD
QUESTION.
WHAT WERE TALKING ABOUT IN THAT
BILL IS MAKING INVESTMENTS IN
PEOPLE THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN MADE
BEFORE, INVESTMENTS IN CHILD
CARE, EARLY LEARNING FOR EVERY 3
AND 4-YEAR-OLD IN THE COUNTRY,
INVESTING IN MORE EDUCATION
BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL, PARTICULARLY
THE BILL I AM WORKING ON, BETTER
CARE, BETTER JOBS, INVESTMENTS
IN HOME, IN COMMUNITY BASED
SERVICES FOR SENIORS, PEOPLE
WITH DISABILITIES, LIFTING UP
THE WORK FORCE WHICH IS MOSTLY
WOMEN OF COLOR IN AMERICA MAKING
12 BUCKS AN HOUR.
THATS WHAT WERE TALKING ABOUT
WHEN IT COMES TO THE SERVICES.
WE HAVE TO COVER A LOT OF TOPICS
AND MAKE THE INVESTMENT.
WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO TO COME
TO CONSENSUS BUT WE HAVE A
CONSENSUS THROUGHOUT OUR CAUCUS
ON THE TOTAL NUMBER,
3.5 TRILLION.
BUT THATS ONLY A COUPLE DAYS
OLD.
WERE NOW BEGINNING THE WORK ON
THE COMPONENT PARTS.
>> TOTAL 50 VOTE CONSENSUS,
INCLUDING THE MORE MODERATE
MEMBERS LIKE JOE MANCHIN ON THE
3.5 TRILLION WOULD BE NEWS, SO
LETS PUT A PIN IN THAT.
I WANT TO ASK YOU, ADD ANOTHER
TOPIC TO THIS.
THERES BEEN DISCUSSION ABOUT
THE DEBT CEILING SET TO EXPIRE,
CURRENT AUTHORIZATION SET TO
EXPIRE END OF JULY.
DO YOU SEE THAT BEING THE NEXT
BIG PARTISAN FIGHT?
REPUBLICANS DONT LOOK KEEN TO
HELP DEMOCRATS THAT CONTROL BOTH
CHAMBERS RAISE THE DEBT CEILING.
>> I HOPE NOT BECAUSE IN MY
EXPERIENCE OVER MORE THAN A
DECADE NOW IN THE SENATE IT
SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME WE GET TO
A DEBT CEILING CLIFF SO TO
SPEAK, THE ONES THAT ARE WILLING
TO PUSH THE COUNTRY OVER THE
CLIFF INTO A DARK ABYSS SEEM TO
BE REPUBLICAN MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS.
I HOPE, I HOPE THAT THEY WILL
ACT LIKE RESPONSIBLE ADULTS
BECAUSE IN THE PAST, A LOT OF
REPUBLICAN MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
ON THE QUESTION OF PAYING OUR
BILLS HAVE ACTED LIKE CHILDREN.
I HOPE THEY DONT DO THAT THIS
TIME.
>> I KNOW HOW MUCH SENATORS LOVE
TO BE ASKED ABOUT GOINGS ON IN
THE HOUSE.
I WANT TO ASK YOU WHATS GOING
ON WITH THE SELECT COMMITTEE.
THAT WAS MEANT TO BE -- HAVING
THE COMMISSION VOTE FAIL IN THE
SENATE, THAT COMMISSION VOTE WAS
TO BE THE LAST WORD ON WHAT
HAPPENED JANUARY 6th.
ARE YOU CONCERNED WITH THE
SPEAKERS DECISION WITH
REPUBLICANS PULLING OUT ENTIRELY
THAT ANYTHING THAT MIGHT COME
OUT OF THAT COMMITTEE WILL BE
VIEWED AS PARTISAN?
ARE THEY STILL GOING TO BE ABLE
TO DO THE JOB SET OUT FOR THEM
GIVEN WHATS TRANSPIRED IN THE
LAST HOUR?
>> GARRETT, MOST AMERICANS
UNDERSTAND WHEN IT COMES TO A
THOROUGH INVESTIGATION OF
JANUARY 6th, NOT JUST TO LEARN
WHAT HAPPENED AND WHY AND WHO
DID WHAT AND WHO DIDNT TAKE
ACTION IN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH,
FOR EXAMPLE, HOLDING PEOPLE
ACCOUNTABLE FOR JANUARY 6th, YOU
CAN COUNT THE NUMBER OF
REPUBLICAN MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
WHO REALLY WANT TO GET TO THE
ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS, COUNT
THEM ON ONE HAND UNFORTUNATELY.
ANYONE WHO VOTED FOR THE
OBJECTIONS TO MY HOME STATE OF
PENNSYLVANIA OR ARIZONA SHOULD
HAVE NO ROLE IN THIS.
THEY ARE BY DEFINITION
DISQUALIFIED.
THEY VOTED AGAINST THE
CONSTITUTION.
COMMITTED WHAT I THINK IS A
CONSTITUTIONAL CRIME.
SHOULD BE NOWHERE NEAR THE
MEMBERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION IN
ANY INVESTIGATIVE EFFORT BECAUSE
THEY ARE BY DEFINITION TOTALLY
BIASED IN FAVOR OF A SET OF
ACTIONS THAT ARE CONTRARY TO OUR
CONSTITUTION.
I THINK THE SPEAKER DID THE
RIGHT THING.
>> SENATOR CASEY, THAT VIEWPOINT
HAS BEEN ECHOED BY OTHER HOUSE
DEMOCRATS.
WERE LEARNING MORE WHAT MIGHT