JOBS, THEIR BUSINESSES OR WHO
ARE SICK, HELP IS ON THE WAY.
IN THE FORM OF A $2 TRILLION
STIMULUS PACKAGE PASSED THIS
WEEK BY THE U.S. SENATE AND THE
HOUSE JUST TODAY.
THE PRESIDENT SIGNED IT THIS
AFTERNOON.
WE INVITED WISCONSIN U.S.
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE GALLAGHER TO
JOIN US THIS WEEK, BUT WITH
LAST-MINUTE CHANGES TO HIS
SCHEDULE, HE COULD NOT JOIN US.
INSTEAD, HE PROVIDED US WITH
THIS STATEMENT.
WHAT WE FACE IS FIRST AND
FOREMOST A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS
AND OUR PRIMARY GOAL MUST BE TO
GET THIS DISEASE UNDER CONTROL.
UNTIL WE DO SO, THERE'S NO
AMOUNT OF FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT
WILL ALLOW US TO KEEP OUR
ECONOMY SHUT DOWN INDEFINITELY.
RECOGNIZING THIS, THE CARES ACT
SURGES BADLY-NEEDED RESOURCES TO
FIRST RESPONDERS ON THE FRONT
LINES OF THIS FIGHT.
IT DEVOTES BILLIONS OF DOLLARS
TOWARD TESTING AND OTHER
CRITICAL SUPPLIES AND BUILDS ON
THE BIPARTISAN EFFORTS TO ENSURE
STATES LIKE WISCONSIN HAVE THE
RESOURCES THEY NEED TO DEFEAT
THIS DISEASE.
NOW, THE EMERGENCY STIMULUS
CALLED THE CARES ACT INCLUDES
DIRECT PAYMENTS TO INDIVIDUALS,
RETENTION LOANS TO SMALL
BUSINESSES SO THEY CAN KEEP
THEIR WORKERS, EXPANDED
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS AND
HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS TO
HOSPITALS AND STATES.
WE ARE JOINED BY U.S.
REPRESENTATIVE MARK POCAN.
THANKS FOR JOINING US.
>> GLAD TO BE HERE.
>> FIRST TELL US ABOUT WHY YOU
SUPPORT THIS MORNING HISTORIC SPENDING.
>> BECAUSE WE NEED IT
DESPERATELY.
WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND THE
COUNTRY AND IN WISCONSIN IS
HAVING A DEVASTATING IMPACT ON
SMALL BUSINESSES AND BIG
BUSINESSES.
PEOPLE'S HEALTH.
WE'RE PUTTING HOSPITALS AND
HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS AT FULL
CAPACITY AND ALMOST OVER
CAPACITY.
IT'S GOING TO PUT MONEY INTO
PEOPLE'S POCKETS WHO ARE
UNEMPLOYED THROUGH NO FAULT OF
THEIR OWN.
WE'VE ALL BEEN WORKING TOGETHER,
DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS AND I
THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.
>> COULD YOU NAME THE BIGGEST
BENEFICIARIES OF THIS PACKAGE?
>> PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR
JOBS, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS,
SOME OF THE BIG BUSINESSES LIKE
AIRLINES ARE GOING TO BENEFIT.
HOSPITALS ARE GOING TO SEE
MONEY.
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE GOING TO
SEE MONEY.
THERE'S A LOT IN HERE.
BUT MORE NEEDS TO HAPPEN
ESPECIALLY FOR SMALL BUSINESS
OWNERS, UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS,
A NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS GOT
INTO POLITICS AND WE NEED TO
MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS IN A
PLACE THAT THEY'RE BEING MADE
WHOLE OR ABLE TO GET TESTING.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW ALL OF THAT'S
CRUCIAL TO MAKING SURE WE CAN
OVERCOME THIS.
>> AND YOU THINK THAT ANOTHER
PIECE OF LEGISLATION WILL BE
FORTHCOMING?
>> EXTREMELY LIKELY.
WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT SOME
OF THE GAPS WE DIDN'T HAVE IN
THIS PACKAGE.
WE'RE GOING TO BE COMMITTED TO
WORKING ON THIS IN A BIPARTISAN
WAY.
IN WISCONSIN, MIKE GALLAGHER,
YOU JUST READ A STATEMENT FROM.
HE AND I TALK ON THE PHONE DAILY
AND WE HAVE FOUND COMPANIES THAT
HAVE ABILITY TO DO TESTS.
WE'RE FINDING NEEDS WITH FEMA IN
THE STATE TO MAKE SURE THEIR
NEEDS ARE MATCHING.
IT'S JUST REAL IMPORTANT THAT WE
DO WHAT WE CAN HERE ON THE
GROUND RIGHT NOW BUT WE'RE GOING
TO NEED ANOTHER PACKAGE.
>> IN TERMS OF THESE DIRECT
PAYMENTS TO PEOPLE, WHEN MIGHT
PEOPLE SEE THIS MONEY?
>> SO THE CHECK, THEY'RE SAYING
ABOUT THREE WEEKS, THE $1200
CHECK, PEOPLE WHO MAKE LESS THAN
$75 THOWRKS,000 AS AN INDIVIDUAL OR
$150,000 AS A COUPLE.
THERE'S ALREADY A SYSTEM SET UP
TO DELIVER THAT MONEY.
PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO GET UP TO
THE STATE MAX PLUS $600 A WEEK
FOR THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS.
SO PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE AVERAGE
INCOME IN WISCONSIN, IF YOU'RE
UNEMPLOYED, YOU SHOULD BE MADE
WHOLE FOR THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS
IF YOU ARE OUT OF WORK.
>> BECAUSE WISCONSIN IS SEEING
SOME 20,000 UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS
A DAY STARTING MONDAY OF THIS
WEEK.
SO IT'S REALLY BAD OUT THERE.
>> YEAH.
MY BUSINESS WAS FORCED TO CLOSE.
I'M NONESSENTIAL.
SO I AM LIVING THIS WITH
EVERYONE ELSE.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE
THAT EVERYONE'S TAKEN CARE OF.
THIS BILL WILL TAKE CARE OF
PEOPLE LARGELY.
BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
SMALL BUSINESSES GET TO A
POSITION THEY CAN BRING THEM
BACK TO WORK AND THERE'S A FEW
GAPS STILL.
>> YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL
LEGISLATION IN MIND WHICH WOULD
KEEP WORKERS EMPLOYED.
>> YEAH.
THERE'S A WORK SHARE PROPOSAL
WITHIN UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE
WHERE PEOPLE CAN START TO GET
BACK TO WORK AT MAYBE 25 OR 50%
OF HOURS BUT STILL BE ABLE TO
ACCESS UNEMPLOYMENT, SO THEY
WILL HAVE MORE MONEY IN THEIR
POCKET THAN JUST BEING
UNEMPLOYED.
THE BUSINESS CAN RAMP BACK UP
INTO PRODUCTIVITY AND YOU SAVED
THE STATE MONEY BY ALLOWING THIS
TO HAPPEN.
WE HAVE IT IN WISCONSIN.
27 STATES HAVE IT.
IT NEEDS TWEAKS.
IT'S HARD TO ACCESS.
WE NEED TO DO SOME CHANGES AT
THE FEDERAL LEVEL AS WELL.
I'VE BEEN TALKING TO SPEAKER
VOS, THE GOVERNOR ABOUT IT.
>> WE'RE HEARING WORKERS IN
ESSENTIAL INDUSTRY OR FACTORY
POSITIONS THAT ARE STILL ON THE
JOB ARE WORRIED ABOUT HAVING TO
WORK WITH THE POTENTIAL OF
CONTRACTING COVID-19 FROM THE
PERSON NEXT TO THEM.
WHAT ABOUT THOSE CONCERNS?
WE TALK ABOUT OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE
LOSING THEIR JOBS.
REALLY BAD.
BUSINESSES HAVING TO CLOSE.
BUT THEN THERE ARE THESE PEOPLE
WHO ARE WORRIED ABOUT BEING
DECLARED ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEES IN
A FACTORY OR A PLANT JOB.
>> AND A COUPLE HUNDRED BONUS
FROM WALMART IS NOT GOING TO CUT
IT IF YOU'RE EXPOSED LIKE THAT.
SO THERE ARE SOME STANDARDS OF
THIS BILL.
THAT'S WHY A FOURTH BILL, TOO.
WE NEED MORE STANDARDS TO
PROTECT EVERY WORKER WHO RIGHT
NOW IS DOING ESSENTIAL THINGS.
PEOPLE MAKING VENTILATORS,
RUNNING OUR TESTS TO SEE IF
PEOPLE HAVE COVID-19 AND
OPERATING OUR GROCERY STORES AND
GAS STATIONS.
EVERYONE HAS TO BE PROTECTED.
SOME OF THAT'S IN THIS BILL.
I THINK MORE HAS TO HAPPEN.
>> THANKS VERY MUCH FOR