AISLE AND WISCONSIN'S 2nd
DISTRICT CONGRESSMAN MARK POCAN.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
GLAD TO BE HERE.
>> WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO THE
NEW STATEWIDE EMERGENCY ORDER
AND MASK MANDATE THAT GOES INTO
EFFECT TOMORROW?
>> WELL, I'M GLAD?
MAJORITY OF STATES ALREADY HAVE
THIS BECAUSE IT'S IN THE BEST
INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE.
FOR THE SHERIFFS THAT ARE SAYING
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO ENFORCE
THIS, I THINK IT'S PRETTY
RIDICULOUS.
THEY'RE TAKING POLITICS OVER
THEIR OATHS TO YOU HOLD THE LAW.
TO ANYBODY WHO THINKS THIS IS A
BURDEN ON THEIR FREEDOM, I HOPE
THAT THEY ARE CONSISTENT AND
THEY GO BAREFOOT AND SHIRTLESS
INTO EVERY STORE THAT THEY GO
INTO, BECAUSE THAT ALSO IS
AGAINST THOSE FREEDOMS THAT THEY
SEEM TO ESPOUSE AROUND MASKS.
THIS IS JUST COMMON SENSE, YOU
KNOW.
I'VE SEEN STUDIES THAT IF BOTH
PEOPLE HAVE A MASK, THE CHANCE
CAN BE AS LITTLE AS 1.5% CHANCE
OF SOMEONE GETTING THE VIRUS
WHEN YOU HAVE THAT SITUATION.
SO THERE'S REASONS WHY OVER 70%
OF PEOPLE SUPPORT THESE MASK
ORDERS.
IT'S A GOOD THING WE HAVE IT IN
WISCONSIN AND I CONGRATULATE THE
GOVERNOR FOR DOING IT.
>> DO YOU THINK THAT GOVERNOR
EVERS SHOULD HAVE ACTED SOONER
ON THIS?
>> WELL, I'M JUST GLAD WE HAVE
IT NOW.
MAJORITY OF STATES HAVE THIS.
RECENTLY THEY SHOWED SOME -- WE
HAVE SOME SPIKES IN WISCONSIN WE
NEED TO ADDRESS AND I THINK THIS
WILL CERTAINLY HELP US TOWARD
THAT SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT
TO DOTH DO THIS FALL WITH SCHOOLS AND
BUSINESSES.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP THE
NUMBERS DONE AND THE BEST WAY TO
DO THAT IS FOLLOWING THE MASK
ORDER.
>> IN WASHINGTON WE KNOW THAT
CONGRESS IS WORKING ON THE NEXT
CORONAVIRUS AID PACKAGE.
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THE
SENATE WANTING TO REDUCE
UNEMPLOYMENT FROM $600 A WEEK TO
$200?
>> FIRST OF ALL, FOR TWO AND A
HALF MONTHS -- TWO AND A HALF
MONTHS AGO WE PASSED A BILL AND
THEY DID NOTHING.
NOW THEY'RE FIRST COMING AROUND
TO DOING THEIR JOBS WHICH I
THINK IS AMAZING AND I'M SAYING
THAT WORD BECAUSE I'M NOT
ALLOWED TO SAY OTHER WORDS ON
TV.
THE FACT THAT THEY WOULD REDUCE
THAT EXTRA SUPPORT FOR
UNEMPLOYMENT, DON'T FORGET,
PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS AT
NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN, AS MANY
SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE LOST
DEMAND BECAUSE OF THE DISEASE.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS, TOURISM,
MEETING INDUSTRY, GO DOWN THE
LIST.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SEVERELY
IMPACTED.
TO SAY SOMEHOW WE'RE GOING TO
PUNISH THOSE PEOPLE AND THEY'RE
GOING TO BE MAKING AS LITTLE AS
UNEMPLOYMENT OFFERS DOESN'T SEEM
TO MAKE SENSE.
WE WANT PEOPLE NOT TO BE
EVICTED, TO BE ABLE TO FEED
THEIR FAMILIES.
THAT EXTRA SUPPORT WAS DOING
THAT.
STUDIES HAVE SHOWN US THAT IT
WORKED.
$200 ISN'T NEARLY ENOUGH TO BE
ADDITIONAL.
WE'RE GOING TO FIGHT FOR THE
$600.
I THINK THE FACT THAT THAT'S A
PRIORITY AT THE SAME TIME
THEY'RE THROWING INTO THEIR
PACKAGE FUNDING FOR F-35s AND
BIGGER DEDUCTIONS FOR TWO
MARTINI LUNCHES JUST SHOWS HOW
AWFUL THEIR PRIORITIES ARE.
>> WHAT ABOUT THE ARGUMENT THAT
GIVING PEOPLE THAT EXTRA $600
PUTS THEM ABOVE THE PLACE WHERE
THEY WERE WHEN THEY WERE WORKING
AND SO IT'S A DISINCENTIVE TO
FIND WORK?
>> SO FIRST OF ALL IT'S NEVER
BEEN PROVEN.
MANY STUDIES SAY THIS IS NOT
WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH THE EXTRA
MONEY.
IN THE FEW ANECDOTES WHERE IT
MAY BE TRUE, YOU WOULD HAVE TO
BE PAYING SOMEONE $10 OR $12 FOR
THAT TO BE TRUE.
YOU'RE NOT A JOB CREATOR AT THAT
POINT.
YOU'RE A POVERTY ENHANCER AT
THAT POINT.
THIS IS SHOWING THAT ON THOSE
REALLY LOW-PAID JOBS AT $10 AN
HOUR, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU'RE BELOW
THE POVERTY LINE WITH A FAMILY
WHEN YOU'RE MAKING A $10 AN HOUR
JOB.
MAYBE THAT'S PART OF THE JOB,
RIGHT?
SO WE NEED TO ADDRESS RAISING
MINIMUM WAGE AT A FUTURE TIME.
IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION,
YOU'D HAVE TO BE A REALLY
LOW-PAYING EMPLOYER FOR THIS TO
HAVE ANY IMPACT.
>> MEANWHILE, OUT OF WASHINGTON
WHAT OTHER KINDS OF HELP SHOULD
STATES LIKE WISCONSIN AND PEOPLE
LIVING HERE EXPECT AROUND
CORONAVIRUS AID?
>> SO I THINK SOME OF OUR
PRIORITIES HAVE BEEN THE
UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE FOR
PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR JOB,
HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES WHO
LOST DEMAND, RESTAURANTS AND
BARS AND TOURISM.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT STATE
AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE
MONEY.
THEY'RE THE ONES PROVIDING THE
SERVICES RIGHT NOW AND YET
THEY'RE LAYING OFF PEOPLE
BECAUSE IT'S COSTING THEM SO
MUCH TO DO THAT.
WE HAVE TO SHORE UP THE TESTING
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE
CONTINUING IT DO THAT AND
CONTACT TRACING.
WE HAVE TO PROTECT THOSE FRONT
LINE WORKERS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T
DO THAT IN THE FIRST CARES ACT.
BUT IT'S STILL FOCUSED ON COVID.
IT'S JUST RIDICULOUS THAT
SOMEHOW THE REPUBLICANS IN THEIR
BILL PUT FUNDING FOR F-35s AND
TWO MARTINI LUNCH TAX DEDUCTIONS
IN WHEN WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON
PEOPLE AFFECTED.
>> THE U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
ANNOUNCES THAT IT WILL BE
SENDING FEDERAL AGENTS INTO
MILWAUKEE.
THEY SAY IT'S FOR VIOLENT CRIME
FIGHTING, BUT WHAT IS YOUR
REACTION TO WHAT'S CALLED
"OPERATION LEGEND" IN WISCONSIN?
>> OPERATION LEGEND IS NOTHING
MORE THAN THE PRESIDENT'S LAST
GASP AT TRYING TO SURVIVE BEFORE
DROWNING BEFORE THE
NOVEMBER ELECTIONS.
HE REALIZES HE'S NOT DOING WELL
IN THE POLLS, THE ECONOMY IS NOT
DOING WELL.
HIS RESPONSE TO COVID HAS BEEN
PATHETIC.
HE'S TRYING TO BRING THOSE
SUBURBAN VOTERS BACK IN AND HE
THINKS TO SCARE PEOPLE IS THE
WAY TO DO THAT.
THAT'S WHAT HE TRIED IN
PORTLAND.
IT DIDN'T WORK OUT.
NOW HE'S REMOVING PEOPLE FROM
THERE WITHOUT ANY RHYME OR
REASON.
NOW HE'S LANDING IN PLACES LIKE
MILWAUKEE.
IT'S A PATHETIC FINAL GASP TO
TRY TO SURVIVE AND I THINK
EVERYONE SEES IT AS JUST THAT.
>> CONGRESSMAN MARK POCAN,