[LAUGHTER]
MARIA: ABSOLUTELY.
THANK YOU, CHERYL.
MEANWHILE JOE BIDEN SPENDING
SPREE IS NOT OVER, THEIR ARE
CONTINUING TO PUSH THROUGH MORE
DEMOCRATS ARE SCRAMBLING TO PASS
THE MASSIVE SOCIAL SPENDING AND
TAX PACKAGE BUILD BACK BETTER
BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
THE CBO HAS COME OUT WITH ITS
SCORE ON THE PLAN, ESTIMATING
THAT THIS PLAN WILL COST
$4.9 TRILLION.
JOINING ME RIGHT NOW MICHIGAN
CONGRESSWOMAN AND DEMOCRAT
POLICY AND COMMUNICATION
COMMITTEE COCHAIR DEBBI DINGELL,
CONGRESSWOMAN, GREAT TO SEE YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING
HERE THIS MORNING.
CONGRESSWOMAN: THANK YOU, MARIA,
GOOD TO SEE YOU AND ALMOST MERRY
CHRISTMAS.
MARIA: EXACTLY, MERRY CHRISTMAS
TO YOU, CONGRESSWOMAN.
WHAT DO YOU TAKE OF THE CBO
SCORE, $4.9 TRILLION IN COST.
IT’LL ADD $3 TRILLION TO THE
DEFICIT.
CONGRESSWOMAN: SO I KNOW THE
SENATE IS CONTINUING TO WORK TO
OFFSET THE COST SO IT’S NOT
GOING TO COST ANYTHING AND SO I
WAS LISTENING TO THE SHOW PRIOR
TO MY COMING IN.
THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS IN
THE BILL THAT WILL HELP PEOPLE
GET BACK TO WORK.
PEOPLE WANT MORE FLEXIBILITY.
THEY ARE NOT GOING INTO THOSE
JOBS BECAUSE THEY HAVE CHILD
CARE ISSUES AND LONG-TERM CARE
ISSUES, THAT’S ONE THINGS AMONG
MANY THAT ARE BEING ADDRESSED IN
THIS BILL.
I THINK BUILD BACK BETTER IS
GOING TO HELP BUILD THIS COUNTRY
BACK BETTER AND KEEP
NEGOTIATING, JOE MANCHIN IS
SPEAKING UP AND THERE’S A LOT OF
THINGS IN THE BILL THAT THE
COUNTRY NEEDS.
MARIA: THERE ARE A NUMBER OF
AREAS IN THE BILL THAT SAY THAT
SOME OF THE PROGRAMS GO AWAY
LIKE THE CHILD TAX CREDIT
EXPECTED TO GO AWAY ONE
TWO-YEAR’S TIME.
DO YOU WANT THIS PROGRAM TO STAY
IN PLACE FOR THE TEN-YEAR PERIOD
OR DO YOU EXPECT IT WOULD GO
AWAY AFTER ONE YEAR?
>> I THINK THAT THERE ARE --
LOOK, THE CHILD TAX CREDIT IS
MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN A LOT OF
PEOPLE’S LIVES, THEY ARE GETTING
THE CASH.
I HAD A MOTHER WHO TOLD ME SHE
WAS ABLE TO BUY A BED FOR HER
DAUGHTER.
PEOPLE ARE BUYING --
MARIA: SO YOU WANT TO KEEP IT IN
PLACE FOR A DECADE?
>> IF IT’S WORKING.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT’S
HAPPENING AFTER A YEAR.
SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS WE DO
NEED TO SEE WHAT IS GOING TO
HAPPEN.
IS IT A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM?
MARIA: THAT’S THE DIFFERENCE IN
COST.
AND THAT’S THE DIFFERENCE IN
COST BECAUSE, OF COURSE, YOU AND
YOUR COLLEAGUES ARE SAYING THAT
THIS COST $1.75 TRILLION BUT
WHEN YOU, IN FACT, LOOK AT THE
PROGRAMS OVER THE TEN-YEAR SPAN
IT’S $5 TRILLION.
I SPOKE WITH YOUR COLLEAGUE
CONGRESSWOMAN RO LAST WEEK.
WATCH.
WHY PUT A FEDERAL PROGRAM IF
YOU’RE GOING TO TAKE IT AWAY IN
ONE YEAR OR TWO YEARS?
>> I DON’T LIKE TO.
I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A TEN-YEAR
PLAN.
MARIA: YOU WANT IT FOR THE TEN
YEARS.
4.9 TRILLION --
>> BUT THERE’S NO SUPPORT FOR
THAT.
I DO NOT, BUT WE DON’T HAVE THE
SUPPORT FOR THAT.
MARIA: SO WHAT ABOUT THAT?
SO WHAT ABOUT THAT
CONGRESSWOMAN?
THIS IS THE ISSUE ON COST.
JOE BIDEN SAYS HE’S NOT GOING TO
AGREE TO ANYTHING BEYOND 1 AND A
HALF TRILLION AND YET WHEN YOU
LACK AT THIS PACKAGE THE
PROGRAMS THAT ARE IN PLACE THE
PROGRAMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO
RETIRE?
>> I HAD LONG TALK WITH JOE
MANCHIN, JOE MANCHIN WANTS TO
KNOW THAT THE PROGRAMS ARE GOING
TO WORK.
THE LONG-TERM CARE THAT WILL
HELP GET SENIORS TO BE ABLE TO
STAY IN THEIR OWN HOMES AND BE
COMMUNITY-BASED.
THAT’S A TEN-YEAR PROGRAM
BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVEN’T -- KNOW
THAT IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
WE HAVE A MILLION PEOPLE ON A
WAIT LIST THAT WANT TO BE --
THEY JUST NEED A LITTLE HELP AND
WANT TO BE ABLE TO SPEND THEIR
SENIOR YEARS THAT THEY’RE WORKED
HARD FOR IN THEIR OWN HOME.
THAT’S WHY --
MARIA: RIGHT.
WHY NOT JUST BE HONEST ABOUT THE
TRUE COST OF THE BILL?
I THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE JUST
WANT HONESTY.
IF IT’S GOING TO COST
$5 TRILLION SAY IT, DON’T SAY
IT’S NOT GOING TO COST ANYTHING.
JOE BIDEN CONTINUES TO SAY IT
COST ZERO, IT’S NOT GOING TO
COST ANYTHING, RIGHT?
SO YOU WANT THE PROGRAMS TO STAY
THE TERM, TEN YEARS, THAT’S WHY
YOU’RE NEGOTIATING.
>> IF THEY’RE WORKING.
MARIA: THAT’S $5 TRILLION.
CAN WE AFFORD THIS?
CONGRESSWOMAN: MARIA, WE HAVE A
LOT OF PROGRAMS THAT AREN’T
AUTHORIZED FOR TEN YEARS. WE JUST DID THE NDA BILL WHICH I
WE JUST DID THE NDA BILL WHICH I
VOTED FOR THAT THAT HAD TO MAKE
WE NEED TO COME BACK AND LOOK AT
IT, DO WE NEED TO MAKE CHANGES
AND IS THIS BILL WORKING.
MARIA: I WANT TO GET BACK TO
THAT NDAA, BUT THE ISSUE -- THE
ISSUE THAT I’M REFERRING TO.
>> I’M JUST TRYING TO MAKE THE
POINT.
MARIA: SOMEBODY HAS GOT THE PAY
FOR THIS.
SOMEBODY HAS GOT TO PAY FOR THIS
AND IN THIS BILL ARE TAX
INCREASES ON SMALL BUSINESS IN
ORDER TO PAY FOR IT.
SENATOR BARRASSO WAS WITH ME ON
SUNDAY, A THIRD OF THE
MIDDLE-CLASS TAXPAYERS ARE GOING
TO SEE THEIR TAXES GO UP.
THE WHOLE IDEA THAT PEOPLE
MAKING $400,000 WILL NOT SEE A
TAX INCREASE IS JUST NOT TRUE.
SMALL BUSINESS, FAMILY OWNED MOM
AND POP BUSINESS WILLS SEE THEIR
TAXES GO UP.
THAT’S THE ONLY WAY TO PAY A
PLAN THAT’S $5 TRILLION THAT HAS
PROGRAMS ARE NOT GOING TO EXPIRE
IN A YEAR.
DO YOU AGREE?
CONGRESSWOMAN: ACTUALLY, SENATOR
WIDEMAN IS WORKING HARD IN THE
SENATE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE
SMALL BUSINESS THAT IS YOU ARE
TALKING ABOUT AREN’T GOING TO
PAY THE INCREASE TAXES.
MARIA: THEY CAN’T PAY FOR THE
BILL.
IF YOU CAN’T RAISE TAXES ON
EVERYBODY, YOU CAN’T PAY FOR
THIS BILL.
WE BOTH KNOW THAT YOU NEED THE
OFFSETS.
CONGRESSWOMAN: MARIA, YOU’RE
MAKING THE ASSUMPTION THAT THOSE
OFFSETS CAN ONLY COME IN CERTAIN
WAYS.
DO YOU THINK BILLIONAIRES SHOULD
PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE?
MARIA: OF COURSE.
OF COURSE.
BUT THE TOP 10 PERCENT -- BUT
THE TOP 10 PERCENT OF EARNERS
ALREADY PAY 70% OF THE INCOME
TAX.
I AGREE ANY, YOU KNOW, ANY
TRICKS IN TERMS OF BILLIONAIRES
NOT PAYING, THEY NEED TO PAY.
THAT BRINGS ME TO THE OTHER
QUESTION.
WHY ARE YOU AGREE TO GO RAISE
THE DEDUCTION ON SALT?
ISN’T THAT GIVING A TAX CUT TO
MILLIONAIRES?
CONGRESSWOMAN: I AM NOT BIGGEST
SALT SUPPORTER BUT I --
LEGISLATION IS A COMPROMISE AND
WE NEEDED TO GET THOSE VOTES AND
A LOT OF PEOPLE INVESTED IN THE
HOMES FOR THAT REASON, SO MANY
OF MY COLLEAGUES AND --
MARIA: YOU CAN’T HAVE IT BOTH
WAYS.
ON THE ONE HAND BILLIONAIRES AND
MILLIONAIRES SHOULD PAY THEIR
FAIR SHARE AND ON THE OTHER
HAND, YOU’RE GIVING THEM A TAX
BREAK.
ON THE ONE HAND, PAY YOUR FAIR
SHARE, BILLIONAIRES AND
MILLIONAIRES AND, ON THE OTHER
HAND, YOU’RE GIVING THEM A BREAK
WITH SALT DEDUCTION?
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE STILL IN
THE MIDDLE CLASS AND I WANT TO
SAY THIS TO YOU, COMPROMISE
ISN’T A DIRTY WORD AND THAT’S
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THIS
COUNTRY.
THERE ARE THINGS THAT I DON’T
LOVE IN ALMOST EVERY BILL AND MY
PROGRESSIVES GO AFTER ME FOR
SUPPORTING SOME THINGS THE
CONSERVATIVES, WE NEED TO FIND
THAT COMMON GROUND.
SALT WAS PART OF THE COMMON
GROUND.
WE HAVE TO --
MARIA: WHERE WAS THE COMMON
GROUND, WHERE WAS THE COMMON
GROUND ON AGREEING TO SOME CAPS
IN SPENDING BECAUSE YOUR
REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES WENT ALONG
WITH THE DEBT CEILING VOTE.
SO REPUBLICANS WENT ALONG WITH
DEMOCRATS ON THAT VOTE.
REPUBLICANS WENT ALONG WITH
DEMOCRATS ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE
VOTE.
HOW COME THERE WAS NO COMMON
GROUND FROM DEMOCRATS TO SAY,
OKAY, YOU’RE GOING TO HELP RAISE
BORROWING LIMIT, WE WILL PUT A
CAP ON SPENDING, NO CAP ON
SPENDING, KEEP SPENDING LIKE THE
SAILOR?
CONGRESSWOMAN: I WOULD DISAGREE
WITH YOU THAT WE ARE SPENDING
LIKE THE SAILOR AND WE ARE
FINDING OFFSETS.
WHAT ABOUT THE TAX CUT THAT
TRUMP DID THAT HAD THE MOST
SIGNIFICANT ADDITION TO OUR
NATION’S DEBT, THOSE TAX CUTS
FROM THE PRESIDENT -- PRESIDENT
TRUMP DID SIGNIFICANTLY ADDED TO
THE COUNTRY’S DEBT, WHAT ABOUT
THAT?
MARIA: WELL THE TRUMP TAX
LEGISLATION RESULTED IN THE
BOTTOM EARNERS ACTUALLY SEEING
HIGHER WAGE INCREASE THAN THE
TOP EARNERS.
WE HAVE HISTORY TO LOOK AT.
WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THE
TRUMP TAX CUTS WERE IN PLACE.
THE ECONOMY GREW, THE HIGHEST
ITS GROWN IN A LONG TIME AND THE
BOTTOM EARNERS SAW WAGES GO UP
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN DECADES.
WE ACTUALLY SAW A MOVEMENT IN
INCOME INEQUALITY.
SO THE RESULTS --
>> CONGRESSWOMAN: NOT A LOT.
MARIA: ARE NOT ON YOUR SIDE ON
THIS ONE.
CONGRESSWOMAN: I’M GOING THE
DISAGREE WITH YOU.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER THAT
UNDER THE BIDEN PLAN EVERY WAGE
FOR LOW-INCOME WORKERS HAS INCREASED 6% OVER THE LAST FEW
INCREASED 6% OVER THE LAST FEW
MONTHS AND F AND MORE RESTAURANT
WORKERS 13%.
YOU TO GIVE PRESIDENT BIDEN
CREDIT FOR THAT ONE.
MARIA: ARE YOU SAYING PRESIDENT
BIDEN’S ECONOMIC POLICY IS
SUCCESSFUL?
CONGRESSWOMAN: I THINK WE ARE
BEGINNING TO SEE IT.
INFLATION IS REAL.
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET IN
MICHIGAN AND GAS $3 AND WENT GOT
GAS AT THE GAS STATION.
MARIA: YEAH, IT’S NOT ACTUALLY.
IT’S NOT COMING DOWN.
GASOLINE IS UP 60% YEAR OVER
YEAR.
FOOD PRICES ARE UP 40% YEAR OVER
YEAR.
INFLATION IS REAL, THIS IS NOT A
RICH PROBLEM.
WE ARE ALL FACING HIGHER
INFLATION AND YOU MENTION --
UNFORTUNATELY, CONGRESSWOMAN,
ANYBODY’S WAGE WHO IS HAVE GONE
UP HAS BEEN ZAPPED BY INFLATION,
WAGES ARE UP A LOT LESS THAN
INFLATION IS UP.
YOU MENTIONED THE -- YOU GAVE A
RAISE TO THE MILITARY, I’M SO
GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
OUR MILITARY MEN AND WOMEN
DESERVE IT, BUT WE ARE STILL
TALKING ABOUT DECLINE IN DEFENSE
SPENDING IN BERNIE SANDERS’
BUDGET WHEN COMPARED TO
INFLATION.
YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I KNOW OUR
ADVERSARIES ARE RISING, CHINA,
RUSSIA, WHY AREN’T YOU
ALLOCATING MORE MONEY TO
DEFENSE?
CONGRESSWOMAN: WE HAVE TO KEEP
LOOKING AT WHERE WE ARE SPENDING
OUR MONEY AND HOW WE ARE
SPENDING OUR MONEY AND THAT’S
WHAT WE WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE
DO.
WE TOOK THINGS OUT OF THE NDAA
BILL THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE
BUT I ALSO WANT TO GO BACK TO
INFLATION FOR ONE MINUTE, MARIA,
BECAUSE THE REASON THAT WE ARE
SEEING SUCH SIGNIFICANT
INFLATION IN THIS COUNTRY IS
BECAUSE WE TOOK OUR SUPPLY
CHAINS AND SHIPPED THEM
OVERSEAS.
IF COVID HITS THE WORLD, SUPPLY
CHAINS WERE DESPERATELY HIT FOR.
MARIA: WE AGREE ON THAT.
WE SHOULD NEVER -- WE SHOULD
NEVER BE RELIANT ON COMMUNIST
CHINA FOR THE UNDERLYING
INGREDIENT IN OUR PRESCRIPTION
DRUGS BUT CONGRESSWOMAN, YOU’RE
SEEING TO THE CHOIR, YOU AND I
HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR
A LOT OF YEARS.
HOW COME IT’S TAKING SO LONG TO
GET OUR SUPPLY CHAINS BACK TO
AMERICA AND NOT RELY ON THE
COMMUNIST CHINESE GOVERNMENT TO
SEND US BILL AND THE UNDERLYING
INGREDIENTS IN OUR PRESCRIPTION
DRUGS?
CONGRESSWOMAN: IT’S IN THE JUST
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS, IT’S CHIPS.
WE NEED TO GET THE CHIPS BUILT
BACK.
MARIA: THAT’S RIGHT.
CHIPS.
CONGRESSWOMAN: THAT’S ONE OF THE
PROBLEMS WHY CAR PRICES ARE
HIGH.
MARIA: I’D LOVE TO SEE YOU FIGHT
HARD FOR THAT.
CONGRESSWOMAN: I AM.
MARIA: LET ME ASK YOU,
CONGRESSWOMAN, DO YOU BELIEVE IN
TERM LIMITS?
>> , NO I DON’T BECAUSE I THINK
TERM LIMITS --
MARIA: WHY?
WHY SHOULD SOMEBODY BE IN THE
SENATE FOR 40 YEARS, THEY FORGET
WHO THEY ARE WORKING FOR?
LOOK AT THE LEADERSHIP TEAM THAT
AMERICA HAS.
EVERYBODY IS ABOVE 80.
CONGRESSWOMAN: SO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT AND
IT’S CALLED TERM LIMITS.
IN THE HOUSE IT’S EVERY TWO
YEARS.
EVERYBODY SAYS DON’T YOU WANT TO
HAVE LONGER TERMS, NO, IT MAKES
PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PEOPLE
THAT YOU REPRESENT.
YOU KNOW ME --
MARIA: REMINDER OF WHO EVERYBODY
IS WORKING FOR CONGRESSWOMAN,
GOOD THE SEE YOU.
AND THANK YOU FOR FIGHTING FOR