TREASURY.
AND THAT’S WHAT’S GOING ON.
ALL RIGHT, SENATOR SHELLEY MOORE
CAPITO WITH US RIGHT NOW, WEST
VIRGINIA REPUBLICAN SENATOR,
SITS ON THE APPROPRIATIONS
COMMITTEE.
SENATOR, I DON’T WANT TO GET IN
THE WEEDS, SUFFICE IT TO SAY --
AND I THINK YOU MENTIONED THIS
LAST TIME WE CHATTED AS WELL,
SENATOR -- THE ECONOMY’S
IMPROVING.
WE DON’T NEED TO GO NUTS ON
ANOTHER STIMULUS PACKAGE BECAUSE
IT IS IMPROVING, AND WE’VE SEEN
STEADY EVIDENCE OF THAT WHICH
IS, IRONICALLY, IT HITTING
STOCKS FOR JUST THAT REASON.
ALL OF A SUDDEN RATES ARE BACK
UP ON THAT IMPROVING ECONOMY.
SO ARE ARE THEY STILL GOING
GANGBUSTERS ON GETTING THIS $1.9
TRILLION STIMULUS THROUGH?
HOOK OR CROOK, NO MATTER WHAT
THE MARKETS ARE SAYING?
>> IT CERTAINLY SEEMS LIKE
THEY’RE GOING GANGBUSTERS ON THE
$1.9 TRILLION.
AS YOU MIGHT RECALL, I WAS WITH
A GROUP OF REPUBLICANS THAT PUT
A COUNTERPROPOSAL OUT THAT
FOCUSED IN ON THINGS YOU WERE
JUST TALKING ABOUT, VACCINE,
TESTING, SCHOOLS, UNEMPLOYMENT,
PEOPLE WHO STILL ARE STILL
REALLY SUFFERING.
AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT’S
WHERE WE TARGET.
BUT THEY’VE LOADED ANOTHER
TRILLION DOLLARS ONTO THIS WILL
IT’S A BRIDGE IN CALIFORNIA OR
IT’S PENSION RELIEF OR IT’S
MINIMUM WAGE RATES, ALL OF THESE
THINGS THAT ARE EXTRANEOUS TO
COVID.
AND I THINK YOU’RE GOING TO SEE
SOME RESULTS FROM THIS.
THE ECONOMY IS IMPROVING.
IS IT WHERE WE NEED IT TO BE?
NO, THERE’S STILL A LOT OF
PEOPLE HURTING, SO LET’S FOCUS
ON THEM.
BUT I DON’T THINK --
NEIL: WHEN YOU SAY, SENATOR,
FOCUSED ON THEM -- I’M SORRY,
SENATOR --
>> SURE.
NEIL: -- YOU’RE PLAYING ALONG
WITH THE MITT ROMNEYS AND SOME
OF THESE OTHERS TALKING ABOUT A
$618 BILLION PLAN, ABOUT A THIRD
OF THE COST OF THE DEMOCRATIC
PLAN.
SO AS THINGS STAND NOW, IF
THEY’RE ONLY OFFERING THAT, IT
SOUNDS LIKE YOU WOULD BE A NO
VOTE.
>> OH, I’M DEFINITELY A NO VOTE.
I CAN’T SUPPORT PUTTING THIS
FUTURE TRILLION DOLLARS -- SOME
OF IT’S NOT EVEN GOING TO BE
SPENT UNTIL 2028.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE EDUCATION
MONEY, TWO-THIRDS OF THE MONEY
THAT WE APPROPRIATED OVER THE
LAST FIVE BIPARTISAN TO COVID
BILLS STILL HASN’T GONE OUT.
SO WE’RE GOING TO LOAD ANOTHER
OVER $100 BILLION TO OUR
SCHOOLS, A LOT OF THEM NOT EVEN
OPEN?
I DON’T THINK THAT MAKES GOOD
SENSE.
WE’RE GIVING MONEY TO 21 STATES
WHO HAVE ACTUALLY DONE BETTER
OVER THE LAST YEAR IN TERMS OF
TAX COLLECTIONS AND IN TERMS OF
ECONOMIC VIABILITY.
SO WE’RE BASICALLY REWARDING THE
STATES THAT HAVEN’T, AND I THINK
THERE AGAIN NOT MUCH
ACCOUNTABILITY, NOT TO SATISFY
ME.
AND THEN THERE’S OTHER, YOUNG,
GREEN ENERGY THINGS -- YOU KNOW,
GREEN ENERGY THINGS AND SORT OF
THEIR USUAL WISH LIST THAT
THEY’VE THROWN INTO THIS.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK THAT
WE COULD HAVE REACHED A GOOD
SPOT BETWEEN 6-800 BILLION WHERE
WE WOULD FOCUS IN ON THE HEALTH
AND WELL-BEING OF THESE PEOPLE
STILL HURTING AND EVERYBODY IN
GENERAL IN TERMS OF VACCINE
DISTRIBUTION AND TESTING AND ALL
OF THE THINGS CONNECTED DIRECTLY
TO THE VIRUS.
NEIL: SENATOR, ONE LAST
QUESTION.
I KNOW WE’RE WAITING TO HEAR
FROM THE SENATE 35R8MENTTARIAN
ON WHETHER YOU CAN INCLUDE A
HIKE IN THE MINIMUM WAGE.
ING.
>> WE ARE.
NEIL: LET’S SAY SHE SAYS, NO,
YOU CAN’T, AND THAT SEEMS TO BE
THE CASE.
I’M NOT SURE, YOU’RE MORE ON TOP
OF THIS THAN I AM, I CAN IMAGINE
THE DEMOCRATS WILL CHALLENGE
THAT.
AND COULD THIS GET TO BE A NASTY
BACK AND FORTH OVER WHETHER YOU
CAN OR CAN’T INCLUDE A WAGE HIKE
IN A RECONCILIATION BILL?
>> WELL, IT’S A TECHNICAL
QUESTION THAT THE
PARLIAMENTARIAN’S GOING TO
ANSWER HERE AT -- WHENEVER.
I MEAN, ANY MINUTE NOW.
I THINK IT IS EXPECTED TO DROP
OUT.
THE VICE PRESIDENT, WHEN WE WERE
TALKING WITH HIM -- I MEAN, THE
PRESIDENT WHEN WE WERE TALKING
WITH HIM EXPECTS IT TO DROP OUT.
WE NEED TO HAVE A BROADER
DISCUSSION ON MINIMUM WAGE.
I THINK IT’S TIME TO RELOOK AT
IT.
WE HAVEN’T LOOKED AT IT SINCE
2007 WHERE I VOTED FOR IT THEN.
BUT DO I THINK IT’S GOING TO GET
DOWN TO THE POINT WHERE YOU
BRING VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS IN
TO BREAK A TIE AND YOU RAISE THE
MINIMUM WAGE AND, YOU KNOW, YOU
GO AGAINST THE PARLIAMENTARIAN?
I DON’T THINK WE’RE GOING TO GET
TO THAT POINT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU NEVER KNOW
AROUND HERE.
[LAUGHTER]
NEIL: DO YOU SEE ANY OF YOUR
REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES VOTING FOR
THIS?
>> AT THIS POINT, NO, I DON’T.
I HAVE -- I’M ON A WHIP CARD
HERE, I’M ON THE WHIP TEAM, AND
I HAVEN’T RUN INTO ANYBODY WHO
IS VOTING FOR IT, AND IT’S
BECAUSE IT’S GOT SO MUCH PORK
LOADED INTO IT.
AND BECAUSE IT’S NOT BIPARTISAN.
YOU KNOW, IT’S REALLY, I THINK,
HAS BEEN A MISTAKE BY THE NEW
LEADERSHIP AT THE WHITE HOUSE
AND ALSO IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE
TO TRY TO TAKE SOMETHING THAT
WE’VE ALL AGREED ON AND
POLITICIZE IT.
AND THAT’S WHAT WE’RE SEEING
HERE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, GOOD THINGS ARE
GOING TO HAPPEN IN HERE,
CERTAINLY, THAT WE WOULD HAVE
SUPPORTED, BUT THERE’S A LOT IN
HERE THAT I CANNOT AND MANY OF
MY COLLEAGUES WILL NOT SUPPORT.