STATES AND CHINA, A LEVEL THAT
SEEMS TO BE ONLY RISING.
JOINING US TONIGHT IS
CONGRESSMAN JIM BANKS, HE’S A
MEMBER OF THE REPUBLICANS’ CHINA
TASK FORCE AS WELL AS THE HOUSE
ARMED SERVICES, EDUCATION AND
VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEES.
CONGRESSMAN, GOOD TO HAVE YOU
WITH US.
THIS IS A CLEAR --
>> GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.
LOU: -- AND OBVIOUS PIVOT TOWARD
MEETING THE CHALLENGES THAT
CHINA HAS PUT BEFORE US HEAD ON.
ARE YOU WELCOMING THE NEW, MORE
SPIRITED AND DIRECT PRESIDENT?
>> I APPRECIATE THE PRESIDENT’S
LEADERSHIP, LOU.
AS YOU KNOW, WE HAD BEEN AT
ECONOMIC WAR WITH CHINA ALL OF
MY LIFE, AND WE’VE BEEN IN A IS
SOFT POWER COMPETITION WITH
CHINA FOR DECADES.
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS ALREADY THE
FIRST PRESIDENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE
IT, TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT
WITH BETTER TRADE DEALS, AND NOW
WITH CORONAVIRUS BRINGING TO
LIGHT HOW MUCH OF A THREAT OUR
ECONOMY’S ENTANGLEMENT WITH
CHINA’S ECONOMY IS, THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE ARE DEMANDING MORE OUT OF
OUR LEADERS INCLUDING THE
PRESIDENT AND MYSELF, OTHER
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
AND THE PRESIDENT IS REACTING TO
THAT IN A WAY THAT I GREATLY
APPRECIATE.
LOU: YEAH, I THINK THAT WE ALL
BOTH ACKNOWLEDGE AND APPRECIATE
THE PRESIDENT’S LEADERSHIP.
IT IS ALSO, THOUGH, I THINK VERY
CLEAR THAT SOME OF HIS AD VISORS
ARE TRYING TO -- ADVISERS ARE
TRYING TO MOVE HIM IN A
DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
FOR EXAMPLE, SUDDENLY AFTER
SAYING THAT HE WOULD CONSIDER
WITHDRAWING ALL FUNDING, THE
WHITE HOUSE MAKES IT KNOWN THAT
THE, THERE WILL BE PARTIAL
FUNDING.
THIS IS, TO ME, OUTRAGEOUS.
EITHER IT’S ALMOST A REPETITION
OF THE HUAWEI SANCTIONS.
THIS, THERE IS A HALF-HEARTED
APPROACH BY PARTS OF THIS
ADMINISTRATION THAT ARE IN SUCH
GREAT CONFLICT AMONGST, AS A
RESULT OF THE CONFLICT, AMONGST
SOME OF HIS TOP ADD VISORS.
IT’S UNSEEMLY, IT IS NOT GOOD
POLICY, AND IT’S SURE AS WELL
NOT WHAT THIS PRESIDENT RAN ON
WHEN HE WAS ELECTED.
>> NO DOUBT, LOU, THERE ARE SOME
MEMBERS OF THE ADMINISTRATION
WHO HAVE NOT SERVED THE
PRESIDENT WELL WHEN IT COMES TO
ADDRESSING THE CHINA THREAT.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE
BUCK STOPS WITH THE PRESIDENT,
AND HE’S FOLLOWING THROUGH --
COME THROUGH ON SO MANY OF HIS
PROMISES TO HOLD CHINA
ACCOUNTABLE.
THIS IS BECOMING QUICKLY A
BINARY CHOICE.
YOU’RE EITHER WITH CHINA AND THE
CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY, OR
YOU’RE WITH THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA.
AND WHAT’S BECOME PAINFULLY
CLEAR TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IS
THAT WHEN IT COMES TO
REPUBLICANS AND THIS PRESIDENT,
WE’RE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
WE’RE FOCUSED ON THE CHINA
THREAT.
THAT’S WHY KEVIN McCARTHY SET
UP THE CHINA TASK FORCE.
WE INVITED DEMOCRAT TO
PARTICIPATE WITH US, AND THEY
CHOSE INSTEAD TO RETREAT AWAY
FROM DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT AT
ALL BECAUSE THEY’RE FAR MORE
FOCUSED WITH ATTACKING THE
PRESIDENT AND TURNING A BLIND
EYE TO THE CHINA THREAT THAN
THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT
IT.
AND THAT’S WHY I’M GLAD THAT THE
PRESIDENT RECOGNIZES THAT
FURTHER FUNDING FOR
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS WHO
ARE ALSO ENTANGLED WITH CHINA’S
TO THE DEBT ARE LIMIT OF THE
UNITED STATES -- INTERESTS TO
THE DETRIMENT OF THE UNITED
STATES, THE PRESIDENT GETS THAT
AS WELL AS ANYBODY.
I THINK HE’S MADE CLEAR THAT
HE’S ON THE RIGHT SIDE
WITHHOLDING --
LOU: FORGIVE ME, CONGRESSMAN.
YOU JUST USED AN EXPRESSION I
HAVEN’T HEARD IN A WHILE.
HE GETS THIS.
THIS PRESIDENT -- LET ME BE
CLEAR, THIS PRESIDENT, AS YOU
JUST POINTED OUT, HAS BEEN
LEADING ON CHINA FROM THE VERY
BEGINNING, FOR YEARS BEFORE HE
WAS ELECTED.
BUT SUDDENLY WE’RE LOOKING AT A
PRESIDENT WHO HAS CONFLICT
ADVISORS, AND THEY’RE TRYING TO
TURN THE MOST, IN MY OPINION,
THE GREATEST PRESIDENT IN THE
COUNTRY’S HISTORY, THEY’RE
TRYING TO TURN HIM ASIDE FROM A
DIRECT THREAT TO THIS NATION.
AND NO GAMES CAN BE PLAID.
I MEAN, THE IDIOT WHO CAME UP
WITH THE IDEA THAT INSTEAD OF
CUTTING OFF FUNDING TO A, BY THE
WAY, ENTANGLED ORGANIZATION?
THAT ORGANIZATION IS OWNED LOCK,
STOCK AND BARREL, WE’RE TALKING
ABOUT THE WORLD HEALTH
ORGANIZATION DOING THE BIDDING
OF PRESIDENT XI.
IT IS NOW AN ALLY OF WHAT IS
EFFECTIVELY AN ENEMY STATE.
MY GOD, THE REPUBLICANS HAVE GOT
TO WAKE UP.
WE DON’T -- I MEAN EVEN BIDEN
CAN SIT THERE AND TALK ABOUT
THIS SILLINESS OF SAYING WE’RE
GOING TO FUND THE WORLD HEALTH
ORGANIZATION AT THE SAME LEVEL
OF CHINA INSTEAD OF DOING WHAT
IS DRAMATICALLY NECESSARY THE
FIRST IDEA THEY HAD, WHICH WAS
TO CREATE A GLOBAL HEALTH
ORGANIZATION THAT IS ALIGNED
WITH U.S. COMMITMENTS TO
DEMOCRACY AND A FREE SOCIETY.
MY GOD, WHAT IN THE WORLD IS
GOING ON?
AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY CAN’T
FIGURE OUT IN THE SENATE WHETHER
TO RUN WITH HIM OR AGAINST HIM,
APPARENTLY.
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, IT’S ONE
THING TO BE COWARDLY, BUT TO BE
COWARDLY AND STUPID?
THEY NEED TO START LISTENING TO
RONNA McDANIEL.
SOME -- CERTAINLY FOLLOW THE
LEADERSHIP OF PRESIDENT TRUMP.
>> WELL, YOU’RE RIGHT, LOU, AND
THAT’S WHY REPUBLICANS IN THE
HOUSE HAVE TRIED TO CREATE A
ROAD ARE MAP TO TACKLE THESE
ISSUES WITH THE CHINA TASK
FORCE, MAKING IT A TOP PRIORITY
OF REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE.
I APPLAUD KEVIN McCARTHY’S
LEADERSHIP IN PUTTING THAT TASK
FORCE TOGETHER.
WE WANT TO WORK WITH THIS
PRESIDENT TO HOLD CHINA
ACCOUNTABLE BECAUSE THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE MORE THAN EVER ARE
DEMANDING IT.
THEY’RE DEMANDING THAT THEIR
LEADERS DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS
SO WE NEVER GO THROUGH WHAT
WE’RE GOING THROUGH TODAY EVER
AGAIN.
AND DON’T ALLOW THE CHINESE TO
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AMERICA WHILE
OUR ECONOMY IS ON ITS KNEES
EXACTLY LIKE THEIR DESIGNS ARE
TO DO.
IS SO REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE
ARE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE
CAN, I BELIEVE, LOU, WITH ALL
DUE RESPECT TO THE CHINA
PASTASSING FORCE TO PUT TOGETHER
A ROAD MAP TO DO JUST THAT.
LOU: WELL, CONGRESSMAN, I KNOW
THAT YOU’RE AT THE FOREFRONT OF
THOSE SUPPORTING THE PRESIDENT
AND TRYING TO DO AS MUCH AS
POSSIBLE TO MOVE FORWARD THE
TRUMP AGENDA.
BUT WE NEED LOUDER VOICES, WE
NEED GREATER ACTION FROM REARE
PALINS IN EVERY QUARTER -- FROM
REPUBLICANS ON EVERY QUARTER ON
CAPITOL HILL.
ANOTHER 2018 THE REPUBLICANS
CAN’T AFFORD, AND WHEN YOU’VE
GOT THE SENATE BEHAVING AS IT IS
UNDER THIS MAJORITY LEADER,
DISASTER AWAITS WITHOUT ANY
CHANGE OF DIRECTION ON THE PART