THE WHITE HOUSE HAS SAID THAT
THAT WILL BE A KEY FOCUS OF THE
DISCUSSION.
NEIL?
>> Neil: THANKS.
JAMES CLYBURN IS HERE WITH US,
THE SOUTH CAROLINA MAJORITY
WHIP.
CONGRESSMAN, YOU THINK WE NEED A
FEDERAL GAS TAX HOLIDAY?
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
HAVING ME.
YES, I HAVE FOR SOME TIME NOW
BEEN TALKING ABOUT A GAS TAX
HOLIDAY FOR OIL CONSUMERS.
THE PRESIDENT HAS I THINK
RIGHTFULLY SO ADDRESSED THIS
ISSUE PART OF THE WAY WITH HIS
TAPPING IN TO THE STRATEGIC
RESERVE.
THAT IS FINE.
I DON’T THINK THAT GOES QUITE
FAR ENOUGH.
WE NEED TO EQUIP RURAL AMERICANS
WITH SOME RELIEF WITH THE GAS
TAX.
WE’VE DONE THAT.
WE’RE TRYING TO GET THIS ECONOMY
BACK ON TRACK AFTER COVID-19.
WE GAVE A LOT OF RELIEF TO A LOT
OF BUSINESS PEOPLE, A LOT OF
RESTAURANT OWNERS AND OTHER
PEOPLE THAT WERE HAVING
DIFFICULTY.
DURING ALL OF THAT TIME, PEOPLE,
ESPECIALLY WHAT WE CALL
ESSENTIAL WORKERS WERE TRYING TO
BUY GAS.
NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE GAS TAX
HAS GONE -- THE GASOLINE FOR A
GALLON HAS GONE THROUGH THE
ROOF.
SO GAS TAX RELIEF WOULD BE I
THINK A PROPER WAY TO ADDRESS
THIS ISSUE.
>> Neil: IS IT YOUR SENSE THAT
THAT’S WHAT THE PRESIDENT WILL
DO BY THE END OF THE WEEK?
>> I DON’T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE
THE PRESIDENT WILL DO.
I HAVE NOT TALKED TO THE
PRESIDENT ABOUT THIS.
BUT I THINK FROM WHAT I’VE HEARD
TODAY THAT THIS IS WHAT HE’S
CONSIDERING.
I THINK IT’S A GOOD THING.
I’M NO EXPERT WHEN IT COMES TO
ECONOMICS.
I DO TALK TO PEOPLE.
I’VE BEEN TRAVELS THIS COUNTRY
QUITE A BIT WITHIN THE LAST 30
DAYS.
I’M TALKING ABOUT IN STATES LIKE
GEORGIA, FLORIDA, MICHIGAN,
OHIO, NEW JERSEY AND EVERYWHERE
I GO.
PEOPLE ARE ADDRESSING THE COSTS
THAT CONSUMERS ARE HAVING TRYING
TO STAY AFLOAT.
THIS IS A FUNDAMENTAL WAY TO
ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.
>> Neil: ALL RIGHT.
YOU SAY YOU’RE NOT AN EXPERT.
YOU’VE HAD VERY GOOD ECONOMIC
DISCUSSIONS WITH ME.
MANY PEOPLE SAY IF IT WASN’T FOR
YOU, JOE BIDEN WOULDN’T BE IN
THE WHITE HOUSE RIGHT NOW.
NOW THERE’S CONCERN AMONG MANY
IN YOUR PARTY THAT HE SHOULDN’T
RE-UP FOR ANOTHER FOUR YEARS IN
2024.
ARE YOU IN THAT CAMP?
>> NO, I’M NOT.
NEIL, YOU SHOULD REMEMBER THIS.
HALFWAY THROUGH BILL CLINTON’S
FIRST TERM, THAT’S ALL I HEARD.
HE WOULD NEVER GET RE-ELECTED.
BUT HE WAS.
THE SAME THING HAPPENED WITH
BARACK OBAMA.
NEVER WILL GET RE-ELECTED.
BUT HE WAS.
AND SO I THINK THAT WHAT WE
OUGHT TO DO IS JUST CONTINUE TO
STAY FOCUSED ON WHAT IS REQUIRED
OF ALL OF US TO GET THIS COUNTRY
BACK ON TRACK.
I AM IN THE CAMP OF PEOPLE THAT
BELIEVE THAT THE COUNTRY NEEDS
TO ADDRESS SOME FUNDAMENTAL
ISSUES AND STOP GOING OFF ON ALL
OF THESE TANGENTS.
THAT’S WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
WHETHER OR NOT THE PRESIDENT
SHOULD RUN AGAIN AND WE HAVE NOT
GOTTEN TO THE MID-TERMS YET.
>> Neil: A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
ALARMED BY WHAT IS HAPPENING
WITH THE ECONOMY.
THE PRESIDENT SAYS WE’RE NOT IN
A RECESSION.
OTHERS DISAGREE.
OUT OF CURIOSITY, YOU THINK
WE’RE IN A RECESSION?
>> WELL, FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE WE
ARE.
THERE’S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
IF YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO BUY
GASOLINE, YOU ARE IN A
RECESSION.
THE INVESTOR CLASS IN THIS
COUNTRY IS NOT LOOSING ANY
MONEY.
INDIVIDUALS?
YES.
AS A CLASS INVESTORS ARE STILL
MAKING MONEY.
CORPORATE EXCESSES MAKING PLENTY
MONEY.
THAT’S NOT THE ISSUE.
>> Neil: WHEN YOU SAY INVESTORS,
THEY’RE LOSING MONEY IN THE
MARKET, YOU KNOW THAT?
>> I SAID THE INVESTOR CLASS.
AS A CLASS --
>> Neil: THAT’S A LARGE CLASS OF
PEOPLE THAT TRADE STOCK, RIGHT?
>> THAT’S TRUE.
I’M NOT ONE OF THEM.
BUT THE PEOPLE --
>> Neil: WHILE WE’RE ON THAT
SUBJECT, SIR, WHEN YOU HEAR ALL
OF THIS TALK WITHIN YOUR PARTY,
JOB SHOULDN’T RUN, THAT HE’S TOO
OLD AND, YOU KNOW, HE’S SHOWING
HIS AGE, IS THAT A CONCERN?
YOU THINK THAT IS A LEGITIMATE
CONCERN?
>> I DON’T THINK HE’S TOO OLD,
NO.
I JUST HEARD A 95-YEAR-OLD LADY
TODAY WHO MANY TV STATIONS HAVE
HAD ON, THEIR GRANDMOTHER OF
JUNETEENTH.
95 YEARS OLD.
I HAVE BEEN SAYING AND I WILL
SAY AGAIN, AGE IS
CHRONOLOGICALLY A THING TO TALK
ABOUT.
THE INDIVIDUAL DETERMINES WHAT
IS TOO OLD.
NOT THE CALENDAR.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT
JOE BIDEN AT HIS AGE, HE’S 15
YEARS YOUNGER THAN ONE OF THE
SHARPEST PEOPLE THAT I’VE HEARD
FROM TODAY.
SHE’S A VERY SHARP WOMAN AT 95.
>> Neil: ALL RIGHT.
YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE
ENVIRONMENT COULD CHANGE.
YOU’RE RIGHT. YOU GO BACK IN HISTORY WHEN IT
YOU GO BACK IN HISTORY WHEN IT
LOOKED DOUBTFUL FOR BILL
CLINTON.
THE DIFFERENT THERE IS THAT HE
WAS FLEXIBLE.
HE COULD READ THE WRITING ON THE
WALL.
SEE WHICH WAY THE PARADE WAS
GOING AND IN HIS CASE HE GOT IN
FRONT OF IT.
THERE’S SKEPTICISM THAT JOE
BIDEN CAN DO THE SAME THING.
DO YOU THINK HE CAN?
OR WILL HE BE HOSTAGE TO
PROGRESSIVES IN YOUR PARTY THAT SEEM TO BE CALLING THE SHOTS?
SEEM TO BE CALLING THE SHOTS?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, HE WON THE
NOMINATION WHEN THE PROGRESSIVES
SAID HE HAD NO CHANCE.
I CAN’T TELL YOU WHAT THEY SAID
TO ME.
PEOPLE CALLED ME AND SAID I WAS
CRAZY FOR BEING FOR JOE BIDEN.
I LOOK BACK ON IT NOW AND I SAID
WHO’S THE CRAZY ONE?
YOU WILL SELL YOURSELF SHORT IF
YOU SELL JOE BIDEN SHORT.
>> Neil: FAIR ENOUGH,
CONGRESSMAN.
VERY GOOD CATCHING UP WITH YOU.
JAMES CLYBURN, THE HOUSE
MAJORITY WHIP.
A CLOSE CONFIDANT OF THE
PRESIDENT.
HE WAS IN THE PRESIDENT’S CORNER
PARTICULARLY IN SOUTH CAROLINA
AT A CRUCIAL MOMENT THAT PAVED