WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND GLAD
OUR AUDIO DIDN’T BREAK UP THIS
TIME.
THANKS FOR COMING BACK.
WITH THAT LET’S BRING IN MITCH
McCONNELL, SENATE MINORITY
LEADER.
GOOD TO HAVE YOU WITH US TODAY.
OFF THE TOP HERE, AND THANK YOU
FOR BEING HERE, WHAT IS YOUR
REACTION TO WHAT MR. SPERLING
HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE WHITE HOUSE
APPROACH TO ALL OF THIS?
>> GENE HAD A REALLY TOUGH JOB
TRYING TO DEFEND THE
INDEFENSIBLE.
ONE CLEAR REASON WE’RE SUFFERING
FROM 40-YEAR HIGH INFLATION, THE
2. -- 1.9 TRILLION SO-CALLED
RESCUE PACKAGE PASSED LAST YEAR
IN MARCH WITHOUT A SINGLE
REPUBLICAN VOTE, WHICH BILL
CLINTON’S SECRETARY OF THE
TREASURY, LARRY SUMMERS SAID
WOULD CREATE RECORD INFLATION.
JASON FURMAN, PRESIDENT OBAMA’S
TOP ECONOMIST SAID IT WAS GOING
TO CREATE RECORD INFLATION.
AND IT HAS.
YOU SAW THE NUMBERS THE OTHER
DAY.
THEY CONTINUE TO GO UP.
SO GENE DID THE BEST JOB HE
COULD DEFENDING THE
INDEFENSIBLE.
THIS INFLATIONARY SPIRAL IS THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF THIS
ALL-DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT.
AS YOU SUGGESTED, NOW THEY WANT
TO MAKE IT WORSE BY HAVING
ANOTHER SPENDING BILL, WHICH
THEY ARGUE IS SOME VERSION OF
BBB, WHICH SENATOR MANCHIN SHOT
DOWN A YEAR AGO.
THEY’RE DISCUSSING RAISING
TAXES, WHICH COUPLED WITH THE
INTEREST RATES IS THAT THE FED
IS GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE UP
LIKELY LEADS TO A RECESSION.
SO THEY WANT TO TAX US INTO A
RECESSION AFTER SPENDING US INTO
INFLATION.
>> Martha: IF YOU TAX BUSINESSES
AND A LOT OF THE TAX AS I
UNDERSTAND IT IN THIS BILL AND
TELL ME IF I’M WRONG A LOT OF
THESE TAXES, THE ENTITIES THAT
WOULD BE TAXED INCLUDE A LOT OF
SMALL BUSINESSES.
SO ONCE YOU RAISE TAXES ON SMALL
BUSINESSES, THE THING THAT
THEY’RE GOING TO LIKELY RESPOND
BY DOING IS NOT EMPLOYING MORE
PEOPLE, RIGHT?
THEY’RE GOING TO PULL IN
THEIR -- PULL IT IN AND SAY
WE’RE NOT GOING TO HIRE ANYBODY
ELSE.
YOUR UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBER WILL GO
UP, WHICH MAY HELP TO STAUNCH
INFLATION.
IT’S A TOUGH WAY TO DO IT AND
PUTS A LOT OF PAIN ON WORKERS.
LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT SENATOR
MANCHIN.
THERE’S THIS CHINA
COMPETITIVENESS BILL WHICH SEEKS
TO MAKE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
SORT OF A FACILITATOR FOR MORE
CHIP MANUFACTURING IN THIS
COUNTRY AND ALSO WORKS TO MAKE
US MORE COMPETITIVE SO THAT
CHINA DOESN’T CREATE ALL OF THE
PHARMACEUTICALS THAT WE NEED
HERE IN THIS COUNTRY.
THE SUGGESTION IS THAT YOU MIGHT
HOLD BACK ON SUPPORTING THAT IF
SENATOR MANCHIN GIVES HIS
SUPPORT TO THIS SLIMMED DOWN
BBB.
TO THAT, SENATOR MANCHIN SAID,
I’M NOT WALKING AWAY.
IF ANYBODY IS GOING TO THREATEN
ME OR HOLD ME HOSTAGE, IF I CAN
HELP THE COUNTRY.
IF THEY WANT TO PLAY POLITICS OR
PARTY POLITICS, SHAME ON THEM.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT, SIR?
>> WELL, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO
JOE, THAT’S ANOTHER SPENDING
BILL.
THEY’RE FLIRTING AROUND WITH
ADDING ANOTHER TRILLION DOLLARS,
MUCH OF IT IN TAXES, ON
BUSINESSES THAT ARE NOT
INCORPORATED.
BY THE WAY, MOST AMERICAN
BUSINESSES ARE NOT INCORPORATED.
SO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO IS TAX
THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE NOT
INCORPORATED IN A BIG SPENDING
BILL.
AND THEY HAVE APPARENTLY TRYING
TO PASS YET ANOTHER SPENDING
BILL, PARTS OF WHICH I THINK ARE
ARGUABLY JUSTIFIED, THAT IS THE
CHIP PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE IN
THIS COUNTRY, ADD IT ALL UP AND
YOU HAVE MORE SPENDING RIGHT IN
THE MIDDLE OF THIS RECORD
INFLATION CREATED BY WHAT THEY
DID LAST YEAR.
SO YES, I’VE BEEN RELUCTANT TO
SAY IT’S A GREAT IDEA TO ADD TWO
MORE SPENDING BILLS ON TOP OF
WHAT THEY HAVE ALREADY DONE,
WHICH CREATES THE NUMBER 1 ISSUE
IN THE COUNTRY, THIS RECORD
INFLATION, WHICH IS THE
PRINCIPLE REASONS THE
PRESIDENT’S POLL NUMBERS ARE IN
THE DUMPS.
>> THE SIENNA POLL SHOW AS
TIGHTENING BETWEEN A DEMOCRAT
CANDIDATES AND A REPUBLICAN
CANDIDATE.
TO BE FAIR, THIS IS A GENERIC.
IT’S NOT ATTACHED TO NAMES.
YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBER AMONG
LIKELY VOTERS.
DEMOCRAT CONTROL, 43% WANT TO
SEE THAT.
REPUBLICAN CONTROLLED, 44%.
WHY DO YOU SEE THINKS NUMBERS
TIGHTENING AND DOES IT CONCERN
YOU?
>> WELL, IT’S NOT SURPRISING.
I THINK WE’RE BASICALLY A 50/50
COUNTRY.
WE HAVE A 50/50 SENATE RIGHT
NOW.
THE TWO PARTIES ARE VERY
BALANCED.
IF YOU TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ALL OF
AMERICA.
SO I’M NOT SURPRISED.
I THINK THE FALL ELECTION WILL
BE A BIG FIGHT OVER THE FUTURE
OF THE COUNTRY AND PEOPLE IN THE
END WILL HAVE TO DECIDE WHETHER
THEY’RE HAPPY WITH THIS
ALL-DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT OR
WHETHER THEY WANT TO SEND THE
PRESIDENT A MESSAGE AND CHANGE
ONE OR BOTH OF THE HOUSES OF
CONGRESS TO SAY, MR. PRESIDENT,
QUIT DOING WHAT YOU’VE BEEN
DOING.
WE DON’T LIKE IT.
>> Martha: ARE YOU CONCERNED
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SENATE
POLLS IN PENNSYLVANIA OR GEORGIA
OR MISSOURI ABOUT SOME OF THE
CANDIDATES THAT PEOPLE ARE
WONDERING IF THE RIGHT PEOPLE
FOR THE POSITIONS?
>> ALL OF THE RACES THAT WILL
DETERMINE WHO HAS THE MAJORITY
NEXT YEAR ARE COMPETITIVE.
GEORGIA, NORTH CAROLINA,
PENNSYLVANIA, NEW HAMPSHIRE,
OHIO.
MISSOURI.
NEVADA, ARIZONA.
ALL OF THEM ARE COMPETITIVE.
I THINK IT’S A CLOSE ELECTION
ALMOST EVERYWHERE.
IT’S A IF 50 COUNTRY.
SO I THINK IT’S WAY TO EARLY FOR
EITHER SIDE TO BE ASSUMING
THEY’LL HAVE A GREAT ELECTION OR
A DISASTER FOR THAT MATTER THIS
FALL.
>> Martha: SO NO APPREHENSIONS
ABOUT THE CANDIDATES IN THOSE
STATES IN PARTICULAR?
>> SO FAR SO GOOD.
WE’RE HALFWAY THROUGH THE
PRIMARY PROCESS AND WE’VE DONE