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 IN THE
RELIEF PACKAGE AS 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 TO SAY THAT WE HAVEN'T
SPENT.
LET'S LEARN FROM WHAT WE ALREADY
HAVE SPENT, WHAT DIDN'T WORK,
WHAT DID WORK, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN
WE DIRECT THE OTHER 1.2 TO 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 ON 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 WE AUTHORIZED MORE THAN
ENOUGH MONEY.
WE NEED TO SPEND WHAT WE
AUTHORIZED BETTER AS OPPOSED TO
WHAT NANCY PEL PELOSI DID DOUBLING
THAT AMOUNT, CLOSE TO 30% OF
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% OF PEOPLE ON
UNEMPLOYMENT WERE MAKING MORE ON
UNEMPLOYMENT THAN THEY WERE
MAKING ON THE JOBMENT JOB, ABOUT FIVE
OUT OF SIX%.
THAT'S A PERVERSE INCENTIVE NOT
TO BE IN THE WORKFORCE.
WHAT I PROPOSED IS PLUS THEM UP
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 IS 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 TO
REIGNITE THIS ECONOMY IS THEY
CAN'T BRING PEOPLE BACK OFF OF
UNEMPLOYMENT.
PEOPLE MAKE 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 YOUR MESSAGE TO THE
PEOPLE OF THIS STATE IN 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 TO 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 BEINGING OUR KIDS'
FUTURE.
THIS IS REAL MONEY WITH A
LONG-TERM EFFECT.
LET'S SPEND IT WISELY.
>> AS 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 AT 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 IS 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 MY COMMITTEE'S TIME HAS
BEEN SPENT HOLDING HEARINGS ON
COVID-RELATED ISSUES, THE SUPPLY
CHAINS.
WE HELD A MARKING UP 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 AN 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
YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
>> HAVE A GREAT DAY.
STAY HEALTHY.
>> WE INVITED DEMOCRATIC SENATOR
TAMMY BALDWIN TO JOIN OUR
PROGRAM.
SHE WAS UNABLE.
SHE DID PROVIDE THIS STATEMENT.
PRESIDENT TRUMP KEEPS PRETENDING
THAT THINGS ARE GETTING BETTER
WHEN THIS PUBLIC HEALTH AND
ECONOMIC CRISIS CONTINUES TO GET
WORTH.
FOR NEARLY THREE MONTHS DEMOCRAT
REPUBLICANS HAVE FAILED TO TAKE
ACTION ON LEGISLATION THAT
PASSED THE HOUSE AND NOW THEY
WANT TO CUT FEDERAL UNEMPLOYMENT
BENEFITS WHILE SO MANY ARE STILL
OUT OF WORK AND STRUGGLING TO
MAKE ENDS MEET.
FAMILIES, SMALL BUSINESSES AND
SCHOOLS NEED HELP AND WE NEED
ACTION NOW ON BIPARTISAN
LEGISLATION THAT DELIVERS IT.