ARGUED
ARGUED BUT COURTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND EVEN HIS OWN
ADMINISTRATION SAID IT DID NOT
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN. >>> WE HAVE TO BEGIN THIS
MORNING IN WASHINGTON DC.
THIS WEEK, THE 2nd IMPEACHMENT
TRIAL OF FORMER PRESIDENT
DONALD TRUMP BEGINS IN THE
SENATE.
SENATE.
SENATE. WE ARE HEARING FROM A LOT OF
YOU ON WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN
WITH THE NEXT STIMULUS BILL AND
THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE THAT
CAUGHT OUR EYE, A LESSER-KNOWN
PIECE OF LEGISLATION BIPARTISAN
THAT WOULD MAKE THE U.S. POSTAL
SERVICE PROFITABLE.
SERVICE PROFITABLE. WE CALL CONGRESSMAN CARL ALDEN
FROM THE US CAPITOL.
>>> CONGRESSMAN, GOOD TO SEE YOU
.
.
. >>>
. >>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
HAVING ME.
HAVING ME. >> YOU JOINED A BIPARTISAN
GROUP FROM THE HOUSE AND THE
SENATE TO REINTRODUCE THE U.S.
POSTAL SERVICE FAIRNESS ACT.
WHY IS THIS SO NECESSARY?
SUSPECT THE POSTAL SERVICE HAS
BEEN UNDER REQUIREMENTS SINCE
2007:PRE-FUND THEIR RETIREMENT
BENEFITS FOR 75 YEARS AND IT
COSTS THEM ABOUT $5 BILLION A
YEAR AND NO OTHER AGENCY IS
REQUIRED TO DO THAT.
THAT HAS CAUSED THE POSTAL
SERVICE TO HAVE REAL FINANCIAL
PROBLEMS AND, IN FACT, THEY ARE
GOING TO RUN OUT OF MONEY BY
2024.
2024.
2024. REMOVE THIS REQUIREMENT, ALLOW
THEM TO PAY FOR BENEFITS AS
THEY GO AND ALLOW THE POSTAL
SERVICE TO INVEST IN OPERATIONS
AND TECHNOLOGY AND DO A BETTER
JOB OF DELIVERING THE MAIL THAT
WE ALL RELY ON.
>> IF THIS PASSES, DOES THIS
MEAN THAT THE POSTAL SERVICE
WILL SUDDENLY BE FLUSHED WITH
CASH?
CASH?
CASH? >>
CASH? >> ACTUALLY, THEY WILL BE
PROFITABLE AND IT IS AMAZING
THAT THIS IS THE ONLY REASON
THE POSTAL SERVICE IS NOT. IN
FACT, WE HAD TO BAIL OUT THE
POSTAL SERVICE LAST YEAR
BECAUSE OF ISSUES THEY WERE
HAVING WITH FUNDING AND
PARTICULARLY DURING THE PANDEMIC
. I THINK WE ALL UNDERSTAND
JUST HOW MUCH WE RELY ON THE
MAIL, THE POSTAL SERVICE
DELIVERS YOUR PACKAGES AND THEY
ALLOW YOU TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH
VETERANS, FAMILY. SENIORS ARE
RELYING ON MEDITATION IN THE
MAIL AND THIS IS A CRITICAL
SERVICE AND ONE THAT I THINK
BENEFITS EVERYONE.
BENEFITS EVERYONE. >> LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THE
STIMULUS BILL. PRESIDENT BIDEN
OPEN TO $1400 PAYMENTS.
COMPROMISE IS SIGNIFICANT!
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. I THINK THAT WHILE PRESIDENT
BIDEN HAS SAID HE WANTS TO MAKE
SURE THESE PAYMENTS GO OUT, HE
IS WILLING TO NEGOTIATE IN
TERMS OF TARGETING WHO RECEIVES
IT AND OF COURSE, HE IS NOT
MARRIED TO ANY DOLLAR FIGURE IN
TERMS OF THE OVERALL PACKAGE.
I THINK HE IS TRYING AS MUCH AS
HE CAN TO BE REASONABLE TO
ATTRACT BIPARTISAN SUPPORT BUT
EITHER WAY, WE ARE GOING TO
PASS LEGISLATION THAT IS GOING
TO HELP OUR NORTH TEXANS AND
AMERICANS GET THROUGH THIS
CRISIS.
CRISIS.
CRISIS. A
CRISIS. A LOT OF THE BENEFITS WE PUT IN
PLACE IN THE CARES ACT ARE
GOING TO BE EXPIRING NEXT MONTH
AND THEY HAVE TO BE EXTENDED.
>> I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE
STATE OF CONGRESS.
THE LAST TIME WE TALKED TO YOU,
YOU SAID THE SITUATION IS STILL
PRETTY RAW AFTER THE RANSACK OF
THE CAPITAL ON JANUARY 6.
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WHO SKIPPED
THE METAL DETECTORS GOING INTO
HOUSE CHAMBERS ARE CHARGED
$5000 FINE FOR SKIPPING IT. FOR
THE 1st TIME, 10,000 FOR THE
2nd TIME.
2nd TIME.
2nd TIME. THERE IS A SITUATION THAT
MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE, AS
WELL.
WELL.
WELL. HOW
WELL. HOW HAS THE SITUATION CHANGED?
HAS IT IMPROVED?
WHAT IS IT FEEL LIKE TODAY?
>> I THINK IT DEPENDS ON THE
COMMITTEE YOU ARE ON INTO HER
YOU ARE WORKING WITH.
I JUST GOT OUT OF A BIPARTISAN
COMMITTEE THAT I THOUGHT WAS
PART REDUCTIVE AND I THINK
THERE ARE FOLKS HERE THAT
RECOGNIZE THE NEED TO WORK
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. CERTAINLY, WE ARE FACING ONE OF
THE GREATEST ATTACKS ON OUR
DEMOCRACY IN OUR HISTORY SO
THERE HAS TO BE ACCOUNTABILITY.
I THINK THAT IS A PART OF
HEALING, FOR YOU TO MOVE
FORWARD, YOU HAVE TO HAVE BEEN
HELD RESPONSIBLE, HELD
ACCOUNTABLE BUT I THINK WE ALSO
REALIZE WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF
A PANDEMIC, AND ECONOMIC CRISIS
WHERE WE HAVE REAL AND SERIOUS
CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE TO
ADDRESS AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO
DO THAT, AS WELL.
>> I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE
IMPEACHMENT, 17 REPUBLICANS
WOULD HAVE TO JOIN THE
DEMOCRATS IN ORDER TO GET A
CONVICTION.
CONVICTION. THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE
SUPPORT IN THE REPUBLICAN
CAUCUS TO ACTUALLY DO THAT.
IS A CONVICTION REALLY
NECESSARY, AT THIS POINT?
>> IF THE HOUSE DOES ITS DUTY
IN TERMS OF PASSING A FUTURE
RESOLUTION AND SENDING IT BACK
TO THE SENATE FOR TRIAL THERE
AND I WOULD EXPECT THAT THE
UNITED STATES AND IT WOULD
FOLLOW ITS DUTY AND CONDUCT A
FAIR TRIAL AND HAVE A FAIR
OUTCOME BUT THIS IS AN
IMPORTANT PART OF
ACCOUNTABILITY.
ACCOUNTABILITY. THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES ASSEMBLED THIS MOP AND
LIT THE FLAME OF THE ATTACK AND
THOSE ARE MY WORDS AND THE
WORDS OF MS. CHENEY. #3
REPUBLICAN IN THE HOUSE AND
THERE HAS TO BE AN
ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THAT.
THERE IS NO JANUARY EXCEPTION
THAT IF YOU DO IT IN JANUARY,
IF YOU TRIED TO OVERTHROW THE
GOVERNMENT OR HAVE A COUP IN
JANUARY, THAT YOU CANNOT BE
IMPEACHED.
IMPEACHED. THAT WOULD OPEN A PERIOD IN
WHICH ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN AND
I DON'T THINK THAT IS THE ROUTE
WE WANT TO GO DOWN.
ALSO, BECAUSE A CONVICTION
WOULD PREVENT THE PRESIDENT
FROM EVER HOLDING FEDERAL
OFFICE AGAIN AND THAT IS