WEBVTT - Rep. Maxine Waters Talks Bessent's Agenda, Republican Control

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<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news to.

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<v Speaker 2>The news of the day, including of course, the late

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<v Speaker 2>Friday announcement that Scott Bessett will be, if Donald Trump

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<v Speaker 2>gets his way, the next Secretary of the Treasury.

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<v Speaker 3>Course keeping in mind that.

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<v Speaker 2>If Besson is to be the next Treasury Secretary, he

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<v Speaker 2>does still need to win Senate confirmation, but he has

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<v Speaker 2>had a pretty clear narrative of the agenda he would

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<v Speaker 2>like to pursue this kind of three three three policy.

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<v Speaker 2>He says, reduced debt to three percent from the current

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<v Speaker 2>six percent, make GDP growth go up to three percent,

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<v Speaker 2>and pump three million more barrels a day of crude

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<v Speaker 2>in the United States. He also has floated the idea

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<v Speaker 2>of a shadow FED chair and had this to say

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<v Speaker 2>to Joe Matthew and myself last month when he joined

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<v Speaker 2>us about the influence Donald Trump might want to have

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<v Speaker 2>on FED policy.

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<v Speaker 1>He has a deep understanding of financial markets, as opposed

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<v Speaker 1>to most politicians, so he wants to be in in

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<v Speaker 1>the conversation. He has very well formed opinions. He has

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of private sector friends, so he just wants

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<v Speaker 1>to be a voice.

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<v Speaker 2>We want to add another voice to our program here

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<v Speaker 2>on Balance of Power on Bloomberg TV and Radio. In

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<v Speaker 2>turns of the ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee,

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<v Speaker 2>the Democratic Congressman from California, Maxine Waters, is joining me now. Congresswoman,

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<v Speaker 2>thanks so much for being here. I would love first

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<v Speaker 2>just your reaction to the nomination of Scott Besson. Will

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<v Speaker 2>he be an adequate steward of the US economy.

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<v Speaker 4>Let me just say this, as the world has been

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<v Speaker 4>watching President Trump's appointees, it is not about competence.

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<v Speaker 3>It is not about the ability.

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<v Speaker 4>To be an advocate for the people and protect investors

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<v Speaker 4>and do all that needs to be done to ensure

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<v Speaker 4>that the people of this country, that the Americans have

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<v Speaker 4>someone looking out for their best teters. He has made

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<v Speaker 4>his appointments based on loyalty. Loyalty and that.

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<v Speaker 3>Means they will do whatever he wants.

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<v Speaker 4>And so you know, I consider the new public policy

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<v Speaker 4>will be whatever Trump wants by his appointees who have been.

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<v Speaker 3>Chosen because of their loyalty.

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<v Speaker 4>So I can I get into whether or not this appointee,

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<v Speaker 4>As you know, the Treasury is different from anybody else.

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<v Speaker 4>But I expect right now that we're going to be

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<v Speaker 4>up against appointees at every level of government that are

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<v Speaker 4>loyal to Trump, and they're going to take this country

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<v Speaker 4>in a whole new direction, as identified in Project twenty

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<v Speaker 4>twenty five.

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<v Speaker 2>So when it comes to Scott Beston specifically Congressoan, do

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<v Speaker 2>you think the market is perhaps misplaced in its notion

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<v Speaker 2>that he actually could be something of about and sing

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<v Speaker 2>force for the president, a kind of steady hand, if

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<v Speaker 2>you will, when it comes to the extent of tariffs

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<v Speaker 2>that should be pursued, for example, you don't believe that

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<v Speaker 2>to be true.

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<v Speaker 3>No, I do not believe it to be true. Again,

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<v Speaker 3>and let me reiterate.

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<v Speaker 4>These appointments are based on whether they're going to do

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<v Speaker 4>what Trump wants them to do. It is not based

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<v Speaker 4>on any evidence that they can be independent, that they

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<v Speaker 4>in fact will be looking out for the best censures

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<v Speaker 4>of the people.

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<v Speaker 3>And so I'm prepared.

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<v Speaker 4>I'm prepared for whatever Trump wants them to do, and

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<v Speaker 4>I'm prepared to fight that. I'm prepared to be able

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<v Speaker 4>to help organize that committee the democratic side to educate

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<v Speaker 4>the public about what they're.

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<v Speaker 3>Doing and what's going on. So I'm not going to back.

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<v Speaker 4>Up and say we can't get anything done. We're going

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<v Speaker 4>to continue to try and put before the American people

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<v Speaker 4>the kind of public policy that they expect appointees and

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<v Speaker 4>elected officials to do on behalf of the people.

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<v Speaker 3>And then we want to.

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<v Speaker 4>See if we could not only educate and inform, but

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<v Speaker 4>whether or not the American people are going to understand

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<v Speaker 4>that they now have a president of the United States

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<v Speaker 4>of America who has no respect for the Constitution, does

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<v Speaker 4>not care what president is on any subject, and that

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<v Speaker 4>he's going to do what he wants to do. And

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<v Speaker 4>so I'm looking for him to reveal himself as he

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<v Speaker 4>has identified himself.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, Congresswoman, as you look ahead to the work you'd

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<v Speaker 2>like to continue doing as a ranking member of House

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<v Speaker 2>Financial Services, you're going to be working with another Republican

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<v Speaker 2>atop that committee. Is there's jockeying now for the chairmanship,

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<v Speaker 2>a number of candidates, of course who are vying. Is

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<v Speaker 2>there someone you'd most like to work with that you

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<v Speaker 2>think the most productive bipartisan legislative work out of the

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<v Speaker 2>committee could happen under.

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<v Speaker 3>That's a possibility.

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<v Speaker 4>But if I identify them right now to you for

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<v Speaker 4>the public, this probably would lessen their opportunity of getting chosen.

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<v Speaker 4>So yes, I hope there could be someone that follows

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<v Speaker 4>that description, but I can't tell you whom at this point, So.

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<v Speaker 2>Just one of the candidates in my understanding, you think

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<v Speaker 2>you could work with on a bipartisan basis of the

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<v Speaker 2>three or four that have been floated, Well, to.

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<v Speaker 4>Tell you the truth, I could work with members from

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<v Speaker 4>the opposite side of the isle pretty much in the

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<v Speaker 4>way that I've worked with the McHenry and others. But

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<v Speaker 4>we've got to see who's willing to step up to

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<v Speaker 4>the plate and do what is necessary to protect our investors,

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<v Speaker 4>do what's necessary to hold on to the Consumer Financial

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<v Speaker 4>Protection Bureau that's protecting our consumers. Any of those who

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<v Speaker 4>can do that, I can certainly work with them.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, we have seen some bipartisan work coming out of

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<v Speaker 2>the MIDI in this committee in one hundred and eighteenth Congress,

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<v Speaker 2>including bill that advanced out of the committee and ultimately

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<v Speaker 2>passed on the House floor of the Fit twenty one Act,

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<v Speaker 2>the Market Structure crypto legislation in Congressman, and I wonder

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<v Speaker 2>what you think the future is of those kinds of

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<v Speaker 2>legislative initiatives now that Republicans won't just have control of

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<v Speaker 2>your body, but the Senate as well.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, let me tell you.

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<v Speaker 4>I've worked very closely with mce henry where we've tried

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<v Speaker 4>to get stable going.

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<v Speaker 3>Our efforts have been about guard rails.

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<v Speaker 4>We are not opposed to legitimate legislation that appears to

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<v Speaker 4>be in the best interest of the people of this country,

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<v Speaker 4>and there may be some crypto that would like to

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<v Speaker 4>have guard rails. If there are guardrails that we can

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<v Speaker 4>agree to working with all of the entities that are

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<v Speaker 4>interested in and are part of developing if we're ever

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<v Speaker 4>going to get there, and that means the Treasury, that

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<v Speaker 4>means the Federal Reserve, that means the sec that means

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<v Speaker 4>all of these agencies have to come together with the

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<v Speaker 4>President on crypto in order to have something that will have.

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<v Speaker 3>Guardrails and will not just be determined.

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<v Speaker 4>By the fact that crypto companies are trying to invade

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<v Speaker 4>all of our financial services members with large contribution, etc.

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<v Speaker 3>Etc.

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<v Speaker 4>We know what's going on, and we think now they're

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<v Speaker 4>going to have an opportunity to learn more about what

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<v Speaker 4>crypto really is and how it works in this digital

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<v Speaker 4>economy that we're involved in.

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<v Speaker 3>So we've got a lot of you.

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<v Speaker 4>Understanding, a lot of searching out, and a lot of

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<v Speaker 4>educating to do and if we can work with anyone

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<v Speaker 4>who's willing to do that and provide these guardrails ready.

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<v Speaker 3>And I think some of my members are.

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<v Speaker 4>And I do believe that some of the members who

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<v Speaker 4>voted for the crypto legislation that you're talking about will

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<v Speaker 4>no more now about what they voted for and be

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<v Speaker 4>a lot more skeptical than they were or when they

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<v Speaker 4>decided that they would give it a chance, that they

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<v Speaker 4>would go ahead and vote in ways that they didn't

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<v Speaker 4>quite understand. But I don't think that'll be the case anymore.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, you just mentioned their congresswoman, the SEC's role in this.

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<v Speaker 2>The chair, Gary Gensler, of course, has announced that he

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<v Speaker 2>will be stepping down on January twentieth, when this new

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<v Speaker 2>president and new administration comes in. And I wonder, given

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<v Speaker 2>the nominees for other regulatory agencies that we have already

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<v Speaker 2>seen coming from Donald Trump, Brendan Carr, for example, at

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<v Speaker 2>the FCC, what concern you might have about the kind

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<v Speaker 2>of person who could ultimately fill the shoes that Gary

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<v Speaker 2>Gensler is stepping out of.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, you know, a Gansler was an expert in crypto.

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<v Speaker 4>He taught crypto at the University, and many of those

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<v Speaker 4>in the crypto business did not like him, did not

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<v Speaker 4>want him because they knew too much and he wanted guardrails.

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<v Speaker 4>And he was absolutely the one who I believe should

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<v Speaker 4>be in position to deal with securities as we understand them.

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<v Speaker 4>Crypto is a security, It is not a commodity, and

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<v Speaker 4>that's what the fight is all about, commodity versus security.

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<v Speaker 4>And I don't know who can fill those shoes, but

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<v Speaker 4>we'll have to see.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, we know gangsters will be out of those shoes

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<v Speaker 2>in January. A term that goes much longer, though, and

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<v Speaker 2>there's no sign that this person will be leaving in

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<v Speaker 2>advance of the term being up. Is Michael Barr, the

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<v Speaker 2>vice chair of Supervision at the Federal Reserve, who, of

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<v Speaker 2>course initially put forward the Basel three end game proposal

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<v Speaker 2>with higher capital requirements for big bangs, something many your

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<v Speaker 2>colleagues on the Financial Services Committee and the President elect

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<v Speaker 2>have been highly critical of.

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<v Speaker 3>How do you expect Michael.

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<v Speaker 2>Barr will fare under this new administration? Do you think

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<v Speaker 2>that Donald Trump might actually try to fire or demote him?

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<v Speaker 4>Well, first of all, let me just go back and

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<v Speaker 4>some of what you just said, I think I missed,

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<v Speaker 4>But let me tell you if you mentioned Powell or

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<v Speaker 4>at the Federal Reserve, he cannot fire him, and he's

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<v Speaker 4>not going to leave, and we've already gotten him to

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<v Speaker 4>make that a public statement, and so he'll be there.

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<v Speaker 4>Now if you're talking about a Ginstler and why he

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<v Speaker 4>would be stepping down, he knows Trump does not want him.

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<v Speaker 4>Trump would fire him in a hot second, and so

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<v Speaker 4>he's stepping down.

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<v Speaker 3>He will not be there.

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<v Speaker 4>I don't know much about a replacement, and whether or

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<v Speaker 4>not they will come in with the same kind of

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<v Speaker 4>understanding that the securities must be DELA and that crypto

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<v Speaker 4>are securities.

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<v Speaker 3>And so if they come in already thinking that.

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<v Speaker 4>That's not the business of the sec the Securities Exchange Commission,

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<v Speaker 4>that rather it is a commodity, then we have a problem.

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<v Speaker 4>And so we've got all of these issues to work out.

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<v Speaker 2>A congressman I had asked, and I'm sorry if I

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<v Speaker 2>was hard to understand. Michael Barr, the vice chair of

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<v Speaker 2>Supervision at the Federal Reserve, who of course will oversee

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<v Speaker 2>the future of capital requirements for big banks. What do

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<v Speaker 2>you think his future holds in this incoming administry?

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<v Speaker 3>Let me just tell you.

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<v Speaker 4>We've got to continue to educate our members and the

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<v Speaker 4>public on why it is so important that we have

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<v Speaker 4>capital requirements and that we have what we need to

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<v Speaker 4>protect against, you know, the kind of meltdown that we

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<v Speaker 4>had in two thousand and eight.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, we cannot.

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<v Speaker 4>The lessons that have been learned about capital requirements, and

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<v Speaker 4>so we're going to push very hard with all of

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<v Speaker 4>the information, with all of the history about what took

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<v Speaker 4>place when we had the meltdown in two thousand and eight,

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<v Speaker 4>and this country was practically ruined because of a lack

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<v Speaker 4>of the ability of the banks of this country to

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<v Speaker 4>be able to ensure all of our depositors and investors

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<v Speaker 4>that they could be safe.

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<v Speaker 2>All right, Congresswoman, thank you so much for joining us

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<v Speaker 2>here on Bloomberg TV and Radio. That is the ranking

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<v Speaker 2>member of the House Financial Services Committee. Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters,

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<v Speaker 2>thank you.