MARIA: AND FIRST THIS MORNING,
PRESIDENT BIDEN WITH COVID
AGAIN, TESTING POSITIVE ON
SATURDAY AFTER TESTING NEGATIVE
FOR FOUR DAYS PRIOR, EVEN BEFORE
THE SECOND CASE OF COVID IS
WORRIES HEIGHTENED OVER THE
COMMANDER IN CHIEF’S MENTAL
CAPACITY AND ABILITY TO LEAD.
HERE’S DR. BEN CARSON ON THIS
PROGRAM LAST WEEK CALLING
BIDEN’S.
CONDITION A NATIONAL SECURITY
RISK.
>> THERE’S NO QUESTION, YOU
KNOW, HE’S IN THAT AGE RANGE
THAT PUTS HIM AT AN INCREASED
RISK, AND HE HAS UNDERLYING
PROBLEMS AS WELL.
SO IT ISES A SERIOUS ISSUE. --
IT IS A SERIOUS ISSUE.
THE GOOD THING, OF COURSE, IS HE
HAS ACCESS TO THE BEST MEDICAL
CARE IN THE WORLD AT WALTER
REED.
SO I SUSPECT HE WILL GET THROUGH
IT, BUT I HOPE AND PRAY LIKE
MANY OTHERS THAT HE WILL RECOVER
FROM THAT.
BUT THAT STILL LEAVES THE
PROBLEMS WITH HIS ABILITY TO
COMMUNICATE APPROPRIATELY, NOT
TO MAKE GAFFES AND TO CREATE
CONFIDENCE.
ONE OF THE THINGS A LEADER’S
SUPPOSED TO DO IS TO CREATE
CONFIDENCE IN THOSE WHO ARE
FOLLOWING HIM, AND WE HAVE
EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE OF THAT.
AND HE’S THE LAUGHINGSTOCK
AROUND THE WORLD.
THIS IS NOT GOOD FOR AMERICA.
MARIA: AND THIS WEEK SENATOR
CHUCK SCHUMER WILL TRY TO AMASS
MORE SUPPORT FOR A NEW VERSION
OF BIDEN’S BUILD BACK BETTER
AGENDA AFTER GETTING THE SUPPORT
OF WEST VIRGINIA SENATOR JOE
MANCHIN TO SPEND ADDITIONAL
HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS
ON BIDEN’S CLIMATE CHANGE
PRIORITY WHILE ALSO RAISING
TAXES.
JOINING ME RIGHT NOW IS A MEMBER
OF THE SENATE LEADERSHIP, HE IS
WYOMING SENATOR JOHN BARRASSO.
SENATOR, IT’S GREAT TO HAVE YOU
THIS MORNING, THANKS SO MUCH FOR
BEING HERE.
>> GREAT TO BE WITH YOU, MARIA.
THANK YOU.
MARIA: SO BEFORE WE GET INTO
THIS NEW SPENDING AND TAX
PACKAGE, LET ME GET YOUR
THOUGHTS AS A DOCTOR.
YOU ARE A ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON AS
WELL AS A LEADER IN THE SENATE.
YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS
REINFECTION WITH COVID THIS THAT
PRESIDENT BIDEN IS FACING NOW.
>> WELL, IT’S CERTAINLY A
CONCERN.
WE WANT THE PRESIDENT TO FULLY
RECOVER, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT
PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN REINFECTED
HAVE HIGHER HEALTH RISKS GOING
FORWARD, HEALTH RISKS OF
LONG-TERM COVID AND HEALTH RISKS
IN TERMS OF HEART, LUNGS, EVEN
NEUROLOGIC ISSUES AND BIGGER
PROBLEMS WITH FATIGUE THE, SO WE
HOPE THE PRESIDENT DOESN’T FALL
UNDER THAT CATEGORY.
WE WANT HIM TO RECOVER FULLY.
MARIA: ABSOLUTELY.
WE ARE PRAYING FOR THAT, FOR
SURE.
LET ME GET YOUR TAKE ON THE
AGENDA, SENATOR.
LAST WEEK YOUR COLLEAGUE ON THE
LEFT, JOE MANCHIN, AGREED WITH
SENATOR CHUCK SCHUMER TO SPEND
HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS
MORE AND RAISE TAXES TO PAY FOR
IT.
WERE YOU BLINDSIDED BY THIS?
>> WELL, I KNOW JOE HAS BEEN
WORKING ON, BUT LET’S TAKE A
LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK.
WE SAW ECONOMIC NUMBERS CONTINUE
TO COME OUT, WE SAW THE
PRESIDENT’S POLL NUMBERS
CONTINUE TO FALL.
HE’S AT HISTORIC LEVELS.
HE’S PUSHING FOR THE LIFE ALERT
BUTTON BECAUSE HE’S FALLEN, AND
HE CAN’T GET UP.
AND THE PROBLEM WITH WHAT
MANCHIN AND THE DEMOCRATS ARE
PROPOSING HERE IS THE AMERICAN
PUBLIC IS HAVING A HARD TIME
KEEPING UP.
THEY JUST CAN’T DO IT.
YOU CAN’T AFFORD A FULL TANK OF
GAS, A WEEK’S WORTH OF
GROCERIES, AND WHAT MANCHIN AND
THE DEMOCRATS AND THE PRESIDENT
ARE NOW PROPOSING ARE THE TWO
CARDINAL IF SINS THAT YOU DON’T
WANT TO DO WHEN THE ECONOMY IS
IN SUCH A DIRE SITUATION.
NUMBER ONE IS HAY WANT TO RAISE
TAXES IN THE MIDDLE OF A
RECESSION.
NOW, I KNOW JOE BIDEN SAYS IT’S
NOT A RECESSION, BUT YOU GOOGLE
RECESSION, IT’S A RECESSION.
TWO-THIRDS OF THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE BELIEVE WE’RE IN A
RECESSION.
THEY’RE LIVING IT.
THE OTHER THING IS THEY HAVE A
725-PAGE BILL, AND IT’S OVER A
BILLION DOLLARS A PAGE.
AT THE TIME WHEN WE’RE AT
40-YEAR-I HIGH INFLATION, THIS
IS GOING TO MAKE INFLATION
WORSE.
MARIA: YEAH.
I WANT TO GET YOUR TAKE ON $80
BILLION TO DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF
URS AGENTS AS WELL.
YOU WERE MENTIONING THE -- IRS
AGENTS.
ONLY IN WASHINGTON CAN YOU COME
OUT WITH MORE HUNDREDS OF
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN SPENDING
AND CALL IT AN INFLATION
REDUCTION ACT, SENATOR.
WE KNOW HOW INFLATION GOT
STOKED.
WE HAVE THE INFLATION TIMELINE
RIGHT HERE.
CONSUMER PRICES ARE UP 9.1% IN
THE LAST READING, AND THEY WERE
1 IS.4% WHEN JOE -- 1.4% WHEN
JOE BIDEN WALKED INTO THE OVAL A
OFFICE.
HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT YOUR
COLLEAGUES ARE VOTING FOR
SOMETHING THAT WILL LIKELY MAKE
INFLATION WORSE?
DO YOU BELIEVE INFLATION GETS
WORSE AS A RESULT OF THIS?
>> I BELIEVE INFLATION GETS
WORSE.
THE EXPERTS WHO ARE LOOKING AT
IT BELIEVE EXPERTS -- BELIEVE
THAT THE INFLATION WILL GET
WORSE.
LOOK, THIS IS FALSE ADVERTISING
BY DEMOCRATS.
THIS IS THE LAST BIG WISH, A
DYING WISH OF A PARTY THAT KNOWS
THEY’RE GOING TO GET SHELLACKED
COME NOVEMBER.
THEY HAVE ALL THE SPENDING AND
THE TAXES IN IN THAT THEY’VE
BEEN TRYING TO GET.
THERE’S NO GUARANTEE IT’S GOING
TO GET PASSED, WE CAN TALK ABOUT
THAT IN A SECOND.
THIS IS A PARADE OF HORRIBLES
FROM LAST YEAR.
THEY ARE HIRING 86,000
ADDITIONAL IRS AGENTS.
THAT’S NOT JUST TO GO AFTER A
COUPLE OF BIG COMPANIES, THEY’RE
COMING AFTER FAMILIES, FARMERS,
SMALL BUSINESSES.
AND WHAT DO THEY WANT TO USE THE
MONEY FOR?
THEY’RE GOING AFTER ENERGY
PRODUCERS SO HE CAN GIVE
SUBSIDIES AND PAY PEOPLE TO BUY
ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
THESE ARE GOING TO GO TO RICH
PEOPLE.
THIS IS GOING TO MAKE THE PAIN
AT THE PUMP WORSE, IT’S GOING TO
DRIVE UP INFLATION AND HURT THE
ECONOMY EVEN MORE, MARIA.
MARIA: YEAH, IT’S JUST
INCREDIBLE.
DOES IT PASS?
I KNOW THAT YOU’VE GOT A WEEK
BACK AT WORK BEFORE YOU GO ON
RECESS IN THE SENATE.
WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS UPCOMING
WEEK, AND HOW WILL SENATOR
SINEMA TAKE ON THIS?
>> WELL, YOU MAKE THE IMPORTANT
POINT HERE THAT SENATOR SINEMA
HASN’T -- I KNOW SHE FELT
BLINDSIDED BY THIS, AND SHE HAS
A SPINE OF STEEL.
SHE’S NOT GOING TO EASILY BE
TWISTED.
THE INTERESTING THING IS THAT
JOE MANCHIN HAS BOUGHT INTO
THIS.
THERE ARE THINGS INCLUDED IN
THIS BILL THAT LAST YEAR HE
CALLED SHELL GAMES AND SMOKE AND
MIRRORS AND ACCOUNTING GIMMICKS.
SO I’M NOT SURE WHAT CHUCK
SCHUMER PROMISED HIM, BUT I I
THINK HE’S GOING TO ARE REGRET
MAKING THIS DECISION TO SIGN ON
TO.
EVERY REPUBLICAN IS AGAINST IT
BECAUSE WE KNOW IT IS GOING TO
BURN A DEEPER HOLE INTO THE
WALLETS AND THE SAVINGS ACCOUNTS
OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
IN TERMS OF WILL THIS PASS, THEY
NEED ALL 50 DEMOCRATS ONBOARD
AND IN THE ROOM, MARIA.
AND WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT DUE TO
COVID AND DUE TO SURGERY AND
SOME THE DEMOCRAT MEMBERS, THEY
HAVEN’T HAD 50 SENATORS SHOW UP
FOR WORK IN WELL OVER A MONTH.
SO THIS IS FAR FROM DONE.
MARIA: WELL, I MEAN, I THINK YOU
MAKE A GOOD POINT.
BUT IF IT DOESN’T PASS, IS IT
JUST PURE LUCK?
LET’S FACE IT, SENATOR, YOUR
COLLEAGUES CONTINUE TO
DISAPPOINT ON MANY LEVELS.
DID THE REPUBLICANS GET DUPED
AGAIN?
THAT’S WHAT KIM STRASSEL WROTE
IN THE "WALL STREET JOURNAL"
THIS WEEK, I KNOW YOU SAW THAT
OP-ED.
BUT HAY INTRODUCED THIS NEW
VERSION OF BUILD BACK BETTER
UNDER A NEW NAME JUST HOURS
AFTER THEY GET THE CHIPS BILL
PASSED.
YOU DID NOT VOTE FOR THE CHIPS
BILL.
WHAT IS GOING ON WITH YOUR
COLLEAGUES HANDING THE DEMOCRATS
A WIN WHEN EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK
THERE IS ANOTHER BLOW-UP, WHEN
YOU HAVE A WIDE OPEN BORDER AND
THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT?
WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOUR
COLLEAGUES?
>> WELL, NUMBER ONE AS YOU KNOW,
I DID NOT VOTE FOR THAT BILL.
I THOUGHT IT SPENT TOO MUCH
MONEY AND FOCUSED ON A SPECIFIC
INDUSTRY.
BUT, NO, I NEVER RUSTED CHUCK
SCHUMER.
I -- TRUSTED CHUCK SCHUMER.
I KNEW HE WAS GOING TO CONTINUE
TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER SOME
RECKLESS TAX AND SPENDING BILL
UNTIL THE FINAL MOMENT OF THE
FINAL DAY OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
I KNEW HE WASN’T GOING TO STOP.
NO REPUBLICAN SHOULD EVER
BELIEVE CHUCK SCHUMER.
WITH REGARD TO THE BILL THAT
PASSED, THERE WERE REPUBLICANS
AND DEMOCRATS WHO KNOW WE HAVE A
SPECIFIC PROBLEM WITH CHINA.
I SAY NEVER AGAIN CAN WE BE
DEPENDENT ON CHINA FOR
MEDICINES, FOR MATERIALS, FOR
IMPORTANT MINERALS.
NEVER AGAIN.
THEY’RE TRYING TO GET AT A
PROBLEM.
I JUST THINK IT DIDN’T PROVIDE
WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO TO PREVENT
CHINA FROM STEALING OUR TRADE
SECRETS.
I’VE BEEN ON THE CONFERENCE
COMMITTEE FOR THAT BILL, THE
VOTES WERE THERE.
I’M NOT SURPRISED IT PASSED.
WHAT I AM SURPRISED IS THAT JOE
MANCHIN HAS SIGNED ON TO CHUCK
SCHUMER’S BILL.
I’M NOT SURPRISED THAT CHUCK
SCHUMER WILL CONTINUE TO TELL
PEOPLE ANYTHING THAT WILL HELP
HIM GO VERY, VERY LIBERAL WITH
HIS AGENDA.
MARIA: WELL, SENATOR, I GUESS
WHAT I’M ASKING YOU IS SHOULDN’T
THE REPUBLICANS BE DOING BETTER
AT IN THIS POINT?
LOOK EVERYWHERE, WHETHER IT’S
INFLATION, WIDE OPEN BORDERS,
FOREIGN POLICY DISASTERS LIKE
AFGHANISTAN, CHINA HE REFUSES TO
CALL AN ADVERSARY, ONLY A PET TO
HAVE, AND LOOK AT THE
CONGRESSIONAL -- A COMPETITOR
THE, AND LOOK AT THE
CONGRESSIONAL VOTE PREFERENCE
THAT WE HAVE HERE.
DEMOCRATS, 41%.
REPUBLICANS, 44%.
SHOULDN’T THE GAP BE WIDER?
SHOULDN’T REPUBLICANS BE
WINNING, AND SHOULDN’T IT BE AN
ASSUMPTION THAT THE REPUBLICANS
TAKE OVER NOT JUST THE HOUSE,
BUT THE SENATE AS WELL?
IF WHY THESE NUMBERS, MANY YOUR
VIEW -- IN YOUR VIEW?
>> I’M VERY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT
ELECTIONS IN NOVEMBER.
IT’S STILL 100 DAYS AWAY.
MARIA, THIS IS GOING TO BE A
REJECTION ELECTION.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE GOING TO
REJECT THE DEMOCRATS AND JOE
BIDEN BECAUSE OF THE THINGS THAT
YOU JUST MENTIONED; CRUSHING
INFLATION, CHAOS AT THE BORDER,
CRIME IN THE CITIES.
THIS IS A REASON TO ELIMINATE
AND TO REMOVE AND TO DEFEAT ALL
OF THE DEMOCRATS WHO ARE ON THE
TICKET.
WE NEED TO TAKE THE MAJORITY SO
WE CAN STOP THIS RECKLESS
AGENDA, RADICAL AGENDA THAT THE
DEMOCRATS HAVE.
WE NEED TO GET BACK TO THE JOB
OF BUILDING THE ECONOMY, NOT
BUILDING THE GOVERNMENT WHICH IS
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT -- THE
DEMOCRATS WANT TO DO.
I’LL BE CHAIRMAN OF THE ENERGY
COMMITTEE, AND WE -- GO AHEAD.
MARIA: NO, GO AHEAD.
[INAUDIBLE CONVERSATIONS]
>> I’LL BE CHAIRMAN OF THE
ENERGY COMMITTEE, AND WE WILL
PUT ON JOE BIDEN’S DESK BILLS
THAT WILL ACTUALLY BRING DOWN
THE COST OF ENERGY BY DRILLING
AND GETTING THE PERMITS TO DO
THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE’LL HOLD THIS ADMINISTRATION
ACCOUNTABLE.
MARIA: REAL QUICK, I WANT TO TO
GET YOUR TAKE ON WHY YOUR
COLLEAGUES VOTED FOR THE CHIPS
ACT.
WAS IT BECAUSE THE LIBERAL
UNIVERSITIES WANT MORE MONEY,
AND HOW DO THEY EXPLAIN THAT
THIS ADMINISTRATION WANTS EVERY
ACCOUNTING AND EVERYBODY TO
COUNT, THEY WANT TO KNOW ANYTIME
YOU TAKE $600 OUT OF YOUR
ACCOUNT OR HAVE A TRANSACTION OF
$600?
WASN’T THAT THE PROPOSAL IN THE
INITIAL BUILD BACK BETTER?
>> WELL, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF
THINGS THERE.
I HAVE GREAT CONCERNS WITH
CHINA, AND THIS IS THE NEW
BATTLEFIELD OF THE 21ST CENTURY.
IT’S NOT JUST WEAPONRY, IT’S
INFORMATION AS CHINA TRIES TO BE
THE MILITARY, THE ECONOMIC AND
THE TECHNOLOGICAL SUPERPOWER OF
THE WORLD.
WE CAN’T STOP.
WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO WORK TO
STOP THEM FROM ALLOWING THAT TO
HAPPEN.
THAT’S WHAT OUR FOCUS NEEDS TO
BE, AND WE HAVE MEMBERS THAT
HAVE BEEN WORKING TO DO THAT.
I THINK THIS BILL DIDN’T
ACCOMPLISH IT --
MARIA: YOU’RE REFERRING -- YEP,
GO AHEAD.
>> I MEAN, MANY TERMS OF THEIR
BUILD BACK BETTER, THEY’RE
COMING AFTER EVERYBODY WITH
RAISING TAXES.
THAT’S WHO THEY’RE GOING AFTER,
FAMILIES AND FARMERS, EVERYONE
IN AN EFFORT TO PAY FOR LIBERAL
THINGS THAT I THINK ARE GOING TO
MAKE THE ECONOMY WORSE.
IT’S GOING TO MAKE INFLATION
WORSE, DEEPEN THE RECESSION.
THESE GUYS LOOK LIKE WHAT HEIR
DOING, THE DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING
TO DO THE, IS GET TO
DOUBLE-DIGIT INFLATION.
WE WANT TO GET INFLATION DOWN.
THEIR PROPOSALS ACTUALLY SEEM TO
RAISE IT.
MARIA: SENATOR, THANK YOU VERY