A
CORONAVIRUS
RELIEF
BILL HAS
%BEEN
TYING
WASH
WASHINGTON
UP
IN
%KNOTS.
%DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS
SPENT
%THE DAY
TRYING
TO
MAKE A
DEAL
%THAT
WOULD
HAVE
TO
BRING
THE
%SIDES
HUNDREDS
OF
BILLIONS
OF
%DOLLARS
CLOSER.
%WE
TALKED
WITH
SENATOR RON
%JOHNSON
FROM
HIS
DISTRICT.
%SENATOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
%JOINING
US.
%>>
GLAD TO
BE
HERE.
%HOPE YOU'RE
STAYING
HEALTHY.%>>
DESCRIBE FOR
US.
%YOU HAVE
CALLED
THE
DEMOCRATS'
%PROPOSED
SPENDING LEVELS
I
N THE
%RELIEF
PACKAGE
A
S
GROTESQUE.%>>
JUST
LOOK
AT
THE
NUMBERS.
%AS OF
THE END
OF
APRIL WE'VE
%PASSED
$2.9
TRILLION.
%IT COULD
BE
3
PL
.5
OR
.OF.
%THAT
REPRESENTS
ALMOST
17%
OF
%OUR
ECONOMY.
%RECENT
ECONOMIC
FORECASTS SAY
%FOR THE
WHOLE
OF
2020
OUR
%ECONOMY WILL
PROBABLY
SHRINK
%4.6%.
%SO
WE'VE
ALREADY
AUTHORIZED MORE
%THAN ENOUGH
SPENDING.
%$1.5 TRILLION
IS
UNSPENT
AND
%UNOBLIGATED.
%I'M
HAPPY
T
O
SAY
THAT
WE
HAVEN'T
%SPENT.
%LET'S
LEARN
FROM
WHAT
W
E
ALREADY
%HAVE
SPENT,
WHAT
DIDN'T
WORK,
%WHAT
DID
WORK,
YOU
KNOW,
HOW
CAN
%WE
DIRECT
THE
OTHER
1.2
T
O
1.5
%SO IT'S
DIRECTED TOWARD
THE
%BUSINESSES AND
INDIVIDUALS
THAT
%REALLY NEED THE
HELP.
%WHEN WE
PASSED THESE
BILLS,
WE
%HAD TO
DO
SOMETHING
FAST
AND
%MASSIVE
AND
KNEW IT
WAS
GOING TO
%BE
FAR
FROM
PERFECT.
%NO CRITICISM OVER
WHAT WE
DID.
%BUT NOW
IS
THE
TIME
TO
CORRECT
%THE
LESS
THAN
PERFECT.
%THEY'RE
IN
DEBT
O
N
OUR
WAY
TO
%$27
TRILLION,
$28
TRILLION.
%REAL
DISPOSABLE
INCOME
IS
%ACTUALLY
INCREASED
FROM
14.9
%TRILLION
IN
MARCH
TO
16
TRILLION
%IN
JUNE.
%SAVING
RATES
HAVE
INCREASED.
%SO
AGAIN
W
E
AUTHORIZED MORE
THAN
%ENOUGH
MONEY.
%WE
NEED
T
O
SPEND
WHAT
WE
%AUTHORIZED
BETTER AS
OPPOSED
TO
%WHAT
NANCY
PEL
PELOSI
DID
DOUBLING
%THAT
AMOUNT,
CLOSE
TO
30%
O
F
%
LAST
YEAR'S
GDP
WHEN
THIS
YEAR'S
%GDP WILL
ONLY
BE
DOWN
UNDER
10%.
%THAT'S
WHY
I
CALLED
THAT A
%GROTESQUE
AMOUNT.%>>
THE
$600
EXTRA
UNEMPLOYMENT
%BENEFIT
EXPIRED
LAST
WEEK
AND
%YOU HAVE SAID
THAT YOU
WANTED
%SOMETHING LESS THAN THAT.
%WHY?
%>>
WELL,
FIRST
OF
ALL,
REMEMBER
%WHAT
DEMOCRATS
DID AFTER THE
%GREAT
RECESSION WHEN
THEY
HAD
%THE
PRESIDENCY, A
%FILIBUSTER-PROOF
SENATE.
%THEY
PUT UP
STATE
BENEFITS
BY
%$25 A
WEEK.
%WE'VE
PUSHED IT UP
BY
$600 A
%WEEK.
%THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
DID A
%
STUDY,
SAID
68%
O
F
PEOPLE
O
N
%UNEMPLOYMENT WERE
MAKING MORE
O
N
%UNEMPLOYMENT THAN THEY WERE
%MAKING ON THE
JOBMENT
JOB,
ABOUT
FIVE
%OUT
OF
SIX%.
%THAT'S A
PERVERSE
INCENTIVE NOT
%TO BE I
N
THE
WORKFORCE.
%WHAT
I
PROPOSED
IS
PLUS
THE
M
U
P
%BY
$200.
%THAT'S
EIGHT
TIMES MORE
THAN
%WHAT THE
DEMOCRATS
ENACTED AFTER
%THE
GREAT
RECESSION.
%BUT THAT'S
NOT
ENOUGH.
%WE
HAD A
COUPLE
PROPOSALS
TO
%GIVE US
TIME
TO
NEGOTIATE.
%WE'LL JUST EXTEND
THE
$600 A
%WEEK.
%DEMOCRATS STILL SAY
NO.
%DEMOCRATS
ARE
INSISTING
ON A
$3
%TRILLION BILL.
%REPUBLICANS ARE
TRYING TO
OFFER
%GOOD
PROPOSALS
HERE.
%DEMOCRATS KEEP
SAYING
NO.
%REMEMBER,
MY
PROPOSAL
$200
PER
%WEEK
I
S
STILL
EIGHT
TIMES
HIGHER
%THAN
WHAT
DEMOCRATS
PASSED WHEN
%THEY
HAD
TOTAL
CONTROL.%>>
DOESN'T
THE
EXTRA
MONEY
%ITSELF
SPUR
THE
ECONOMY AS
WELL
%AS KEEP
PEOPLE
AFLOAT?
%>> I
KNOW
THE
ARGUMENT
IS
MADE
%THERE,
BUT
OUR
ECONOMY WOULD BE
%SPURRED BETTER
IF
WE
ENCOURAGED
%PEOPLE
TO ENGAGE
IN THE
ECONOMY,
%GET BACK IN
THE
WORKFORCE.
%AT
THE END
OF
MAY, THERE
WERE
%5.4
MILLION JOBS
OPEN
THAT
%WEREN'T BEING FILLED.
%WHAT I
HEAR
FROM
EMPLOYERS THAT
%ARE TRYING TO
OPEN
UP,
TRYING
T
O
%REIGNITE THIS
ECONOMY
IS
THEY
%CAN'T
BRING
PEOPLE BAC
K OFF
OF
%UNEMPLOYMENT.
%PEOPLE
M
AKE
RATIONAL
%DECISIONSMENT IF
DECISIONS.
%IF
THEY'RE
MAKING MORE
SITTING
%AT HOME ON
UNEMPLOYMENT,
THEY'RE
%SITTING AT
HOMEMENT WE HAVE
TO
HOME.
%WE
HAVE
TO
END
THAT
PERVERSE
%INCENTIVE.%>> WHAT
IS
YOU
R
MESSAGE T
O
THE
%PEOPLE
OF
THIS
STATE
I
N
THE
%MIDST OF WHAT
IS A
DEVASTATING
%PANDEMIC?
%>>
CERTAINLY
FROM
WHAT
EYE
%SUPPORTED IN
CONGRESS
IS
I
KNEW
%WE
HAD
TO
PASS
SOMETHING FAST
%
AND
IT
HAD TO
BE
MASSIVE BECAUSE
%WE
DIDN'T
WANT
MARKETS
TO
%COLLAPSE.
%WE
WANTED
TO
PROVIDE
%INDIVIDUALS, BUSINESSES
THAT
%WERE
CLOSING, EMPLOYEES THAT
%WERE OUT
WORK,
WE
WANTED
TO
GIVE
%THEM
THE
FINANCIAL
AID.
%AND WE
TRIED
T
O
DO
THAT.
%AND
WE
DID DO
IT.
%AND
EVEN
THE
FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT
%HAS A
HARD
TIME
SPENDING
%TRILLIONS OF
DOLLARS.
%WE
HAVEN'T
SPENT
$1.2
TRILLION.
%WHY DON'T
WE
SPEND
THAT
BETTER
%BEFORE
WE
AUTHORIZE
ANOTHER
%DIME.
%WE'RE
$26.5
TRILLION
IN
DEBT
%MOVING
TOWARD
27,
28.
%THAT
IS
GOING TO
HAVE AN
%ENORMOUS IMPACT
IN
THE
FUTURE.
%WE'RE
MORTGAGE BEING
ING
OUR
KIDS'
%FUTURE.
%THIS
IS
REAL
MONEY
WITH A
%LONG-TERM EFFECT.
%LET'S
SPEND
I
T
WISELY.%>>
A
S
CHAIRMAN OF
THE HOMELAND
%SECURITY COMMITTEE
YOU
ARE
%LEADING AN INVESTIGATION
GOING
%BACK TO
THE
OBAMA
%ADMINISTRATION.%WHAT
ARE
YOU
SEEK TO
GO
UNCOVER
%HERE?
%>> WHAT
WE'VE
ALREADY
UNCOVERED
%IS
CORRUPTION
A
T
THE DEPARTMENT
DEPARTMENT%OF
JUSTICE,
THE
TRANSITION
%PROCESS.
%PART OF
OUR
INVESTIGATION
DID
%SEEK
TO
DETERMINE WHAT
HAPPENED
%IN
THE
ELECTION
BASED
ON A
%REPORT
FROM
POLITICO
WHERE
THAT
%REPORT
SHOWED
THAT
SOME
DNC
%OPERATIVES WERE
WORKING
WITH
%UKRAINIAN
NATIONALS.
%WE'VE BEEN
INVESTIGATING THESE
%THINGS FOR
YEARS.
%OUR
INVESTIGATION
CERTAINLY
%SHOWED
AND
MADE
PUBLIC
THE
TEXTS
%WHICH
WERE A
ROADMAP OF
THE
%CORRUPTION THAT
DID
OCCUR
WITHIN
%THE
FBI.
%THESE ARE REAL
ISSUES.
%THE AMERICAN PUBLIC
HAS A RIGHT
%TO
KNOW.
%>>
WITH
JUST
ABOUT A
MINUTE
%LEFT,
SENATOR, WHAT
I
S
YOUR
%REACTION
TO
CRITICS
OF
THIS%INVESTIGATION
SAYING
IT'
S
%DIVERTING YOUR
TIME
AND
%ATTENTION AND
OTHERS
AWAY
FROM
%DEALING WITH
THE
PANDEMIC?
%>> FIRST
OF
ALL,
IT
ISN'T.
%MOST
OF
M
Y
COMMITTEE'S
TIME HAS
%BEEN SPENT
HOLDING
HEARINGS
O
N
%COVID-RELATED
ISSUES,
THE
SUPPLY
%CHAINS.
%WE
HELD A
MARKING U
P
LEGISLATION%A COUPLE
WEEKS
AGO.
%WE
PASSED
FIVE
BILLS
ADDRESSING%COVID
AND A
NATIONAL
STOCKPILE
%AND
SUPPLY
CHAIN
VULNERABILITY.
%IT'S
NOT
DISTRACTING FROM OUR%EFFORTS
WHATSOEVER.
%HONESTLY, THERE IS
A
N
ENORMOUS
%DISINFORMATION
CAMPAIGN
BEING
%CONDUCTED AND IT IS
DEMOCRATS
%THAT
ARE
NOW
INTERJECTING THINGS
%INTO OUR
INVESTIGATORY
RECORD AS
%WELL.
%DEMOCRATS ARE
FALSELY
ACCUSING
%US OF
THE
BEHAVIOR
THEY'RE
%ENGAGING
IN.
%IT'S
DESPICABLE.%>>
SENATOR RON
JOHNSON, THANK