CHERI BUSTOS FROM THE GREAT
STATE OF ILLINOIS.
>> THANK YOU, MIKE.
MIKE: I’M JOINED BY SOUTH
CAROLINA CONGRESSWOMAN AND
MEMBER OF THE HOUSE
TRANSPORTATION AND
INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE NANCY
MAZE, CONGRESSWOMAN, WELCOME.
CONGRESSWOMAN: THANK YOU FOR
HAVING ME AS ALWAYS?
>> WHAT’S YOUR ASSESSMENT OF THE
U.S. ECONOMY?
CONGRESSWOMAN: IT’S IN SHAMBLES
AND THE DECISIONS THAT WE ARE
MAKING ARE MAKING WORSE AND WHEN
WE HAD THE HOUSING RECESSION
INFLATION WAS 5.8 AND I HAVE TO
CORRECT CONGRESSMAN CHERI WAGES
ARE DOWN, AND THE COST OF
GROCERIES ARE DOING UP.
I JUST FILLED MY TANK IN MY 2011
CHEVY TAHOE AND COST ALMOST $100
TO DO THAT.
STEAK IS UP AND MOST AMERICANS
ARE ON FIXED INCOME AND THIS IS
GOING TO HIT THEM HARD AND THIS
IS BEFORE THE ENERGY CRISIS THIS
WINTER.
MIKE: I MENTIONED GOING THROUGH
SOME NUMBERS WITH HER THAT THE
INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE IS
POPULAR BUT CONCERN THAT IS THE
PRESIDENT WILL OVERREACH AND DO
TOO MUCH TO INCREASE THE SIZE
AND THE ROLE OF THE GOVERNMENT
IN THE UNITED STATES.
HOW DO YOU ASSESS THOSE NUMBERS?
CONGRESSWOMAN: WELL, THAT’S
ABSOLUTELY HAPPENING AND THE
TAXES THAT ARE GOING TO COME
ALONG WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE
PACKAGE, OF COURSE, EVERYBODY
WANTS ROADS AND BRIDGES BUT THE
PROBLEM WITH THIS PACKAGE THAT
PRESIDENT BIDEN IS SIGNING INTO
LAW TOMORROW IS THAT THEY’RE
GOING TO BE 42 NEW TAXES IN IT
AS PART OF THE WAY TO PAY FOR
IT.
THOSE PRICES WILL BE PASSED DOWN
TO CONSUMERS AND GUESS WHAT,
ONLY 3% OF THE SPENDING OF THE
1.3 TRILLION IS GOING TO REAL
ROADS AND BRIDGES.
WE SAW 80 SHIPS OFF THE COAST OF
CALIFORNIA JUST LAST WEEK.
THEY ARE SITTING OUT THERE WHILE
LONG BEACH IS ONLY BECOMING 24/7
IS BEYOND ME.
HERE IN CHARLESTON, THE PORT OF
CHARLESTON THROUGH COVID WE HAVE
BEEN 24/7 THIS ENTIRE TIME.
GOVERNMENT HAS TO GET OUT OF THE
WAY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
MIKE: ON THE ISSUE OF INFLATION,
WHAT IS TROUBLING YOUR
CONSTITUENTS THE MOST, IS IT THE
FUEL PRICES, IS IT THE COST AT
THE GROCERY STORE, IS IT ALL OF
THE ABOVE AND, YOU KNOW, THE
WHITE HOUSE HAS USED THE TERM
TRANSITORY FOR MONTHS, HAVE THEY
BEEN IN DENIAL ABOUT THE EXTENT
OF THE PROBLEM?
>> I THINK THEY’VE BEEN DENIAL
ABOUT THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM.
HERE IN MY DISTRICT IT’S ALL OF
THE ABOVE AND THE ADMINISTRATION
THEY’VE NOT BEEN FACTUAL WITH
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, THE
SPENDING THAT WE ARE TALKING
ABOUT, WE DID THE CARE’S ACT
EARLIER THIS YEAR, 1.9 TRILLION.
WE ARE DOING INFRASTRUCTURE
TOMORROW AT 1.2 TRILLION ON TOP
OF THE COVID SPENDING ALL LAST
YEAR AND NOW WE ARE TALKING
ABOUT 1.75 TRILLION FOR THE
BUILD BACK BETTER PLAN.
THE SPEND ASKING GOING TO
CONTRIBUTE MASSIVELY TO OUR
INFLATION WOES AND 1.5 TRILLION
DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR COST OF
GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS.
AS SENATOR MANCHIN SAID A FEW
WEEKS AGO, DEMOCRATS ARE PLAYING
A SHELL GAME.
THIS IS THE COST -- THIS IS JUST
THE START OF THE COST OF SOME OF
THESE PROGRAMS FOR A YEAR MAYBE
TWO, BUT IT DOESN’T INCLUDE THE
COST IN PERPETUITY WHICH IS 3, 4
OR 5 TIMES THE COST AND
INFLATION WILL GET WORSE.
MIKE: WHAT ABOUT THE SUPPLY
CHAIN ISSUE?
YOU OBVIOUSLY MENTIONED THE
CRITICAL PORT THERE IN
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.
WHAT MORE CAN BE DONE TO ADDRESS
THAT AND OBVIOUSLY HUGE CONCERN
FOR MILLIONS OF AMERICANS?
>> CONGRESSWOMAN: WELL,
CONTINUING TO THROW MONEY AT ALL
OF OUR PROBLEMS IS NOT GOING TO
FIX THE PROBLEM.
WE HAVEN’T DONE ANYTHING TO HELP
THE SUPPLY CHAIN WHETHER THAT’S
GETTING MORE DRIVERS IN TRUCKS,
WHETHER THAT’S GETTING MORE
GATES TURNED, GETTING MORE
FOLKS, BARGES GETTING RAILS,
PULLING BACK ON REGULATION THAT
IS WOULD MAKE THE SUPPLY CHAIN
EASIER FOR MANUFACTURERS AND
DISTRIBUTORS FOR GOODS
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
WE ARE JUST NOT DOING IT.
WE MIGHT HAVE A HEARING OR A
MEETING BUT CONGRESS AND THE
PRESIDENCY, NO ONE IS DOING
ANYTHING BUT THROWING MONEY AT
PROBLEMS AND IT’S GOING TO
CREATE MORE PROBLEMS.
MIKE: LOOKING AHEAD OF NEXT
YEAR’S MIDTERMS, MAKE THE CASE
WHY REPUBLICANS SHOULD BE IN
CHARGE AGAIN?
OBVIOUSLY CONCERNS OF THE WAY
THINGS ARE RUNNING IN CAPITOL
HILL RIGHT NOW?
>> WE SAW WITH GLENN YOUNGKIN’S
RACE IN VIRGINIA.
HE OWNED THE POLICY, HE PROVIDED
SOLUTIONS FOR CONSTITUENTS AND
VOTERS IN VIRGINIA.
IF REPUBLICANS COME FORWARD WITH
SOLUTIONS AND HOW WE ARE GOING
TO GET OUT OF THE INFLATION
CRISIS WE ARE SEEING AND HOW WE
WILL GET OUT OF THE JOB CRISIS
WE HAVE RIGHT NOW AND HOW WE
WILL IMPROVE THE ECONOMY AND
HAVE A HEALTH YEAR ECONOMY, HAVE
HEALTHY KIDS AND HAVE A GREAT
EDUCATION AND BE THE BEST
COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, WE HAVE TO
TO HAVE SOLUTIONS FOR ALL OF THE
PROBLEMS THAT WE ARE FACING.
AND THE REPUBLICANS, YOU KNOW, A
COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO I SAID A
DOZEN OR TWO, BUT NOW I BELIEVE
WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, A REAL
OPPORTUNITY TO WIN MASSIVELY IN
2022 IF WE COME UP WITH THE
RIGHT SOLUTIONS FOR THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE AND WE COMMUNICATE AND N
A WAY AND THE SAME WAY THAT
GLENN YOUNGKIN DID IN VIRGINIA.
IT GIVES ME GREAT HOPE FOR NEXT
YEAR IN THE MIDTERMS.
MIKE: CONGRESSMAN NANCY MAZE
FROM THE BEAUTIFUL PART OF THE
GREAT STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME,