1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,240 Speaker 1: Not a lot of people traveling these days, especially by air, 2 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:07,119 Speaker 1: and when you do travel by air, it's not particularly comfortable. 3 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: That is, unless you were on a private seven forty 4 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:12,799 Speaker 1: seven with the President of the United States. That's an 5 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:15,960 Speaker 1: experience that my co host just had. We will get 6 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:19,600 Speaker 1: into what the senator spoke about with the President. This 7 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: is Verdict with Ted Cruz. Welcome back to Verdicts with 8 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:31,640 Speaker 1: Ted Cruz. I'm Michael Knowles, Senator. You know I often 9 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 1: express envy and hurt that I'm not invited to your 10 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 1: Senate Republican lunches, and I got to tell you the 11 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:43,200 Speaker 1: ride aboard Air Force One sounds like, well, I don't know, someday, 12 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: I assume my invitation was lost in the mail. Please. 13 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 1: It sounds like you had a crazy day yesterday. Take 14 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:51,159 Speaker 1: us through it. Well, we did, as you and I 15 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 1: were supposed to film Verdict yesterday together in DC, and 16 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 1: I'm embarrassed to admit that I canceled on you. I 17 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 1: stood you up because, well, the President was coming to 18 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: Texas and so he asked if I wanted to come 19 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 1: along as he was heading to Midland and was highlighting 20 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:13,040 Speaker 1: energy production and America's energy independence and that's an issue 21 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: I cared deeply about, and I'll pretty much always come 22 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:19,399 Speaker 1: along if someone's going to Texas. And so it was 23 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:23,680 Speaker 1: an interesting day though. So the way it started, I 24 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:26,039 Speaker 1: had to be at the White House about seven am yesterday, 25 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 1: And for anyone that comes in contact with the President, 26 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 1: they do a COVID test, so that's obligatory. Before you 27 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 1: can get on, you go get tested. So I went 28 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:37,800 Speaker 1: into the White House, got tested yesterday morning. The folks 29 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:39,319 Speaker 1: here in the studio will be glad to know as 30 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 1: of yesterday morning, I confirmed negative WET and got in 31 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 1: the van to head to Andrews Air Force Base. And 32 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: there were a couple of Texas members of Congress that 33 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 1: we're flying with us. And suddenly we're sitting there and 34 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: we hear, well, Louie Gomer's not coming. What do you mean, 35 00:01:57,000 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 1: Louie Gomer's not coming. He was going to join us, 36 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 1: He was going to be on the flight. Louie is hysterical, 37 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 1: by the way, like anytime you spend time with Louie 38 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 1: you will be holding your ribs laughing. So we're all like, well, 39 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:09,919 Speaker 1: why isn't Louie coming. Well, he was at the White 40 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 1: House and he tested positive. So that's how the morning 41 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: started with Louie had to turn around and leave and 42 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:18,919 Speaker 1: was not allowed on the plane because he just tested positive. 43 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 1: So we take the van, we go jump on Air 44 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:27,360 Speaker 1: Force one. The President joins us, we take off while 45 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 1: we're in the air, so we're headed to Midland, Texas. 46 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 1: A whole bunch of Republican candidates for Congress who were 47 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 1: running in various seats. They're not incumbents, they're running against Democrats, 48 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 1: are in open seats. They were all meeting us in Midland, 49 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 1: and the plan was that those Republican candidates they were 50 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 1: going to invite on the plane and meet the President 51 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:50,200 Speaker 1: and do a photo op and they're all excited. Well, 52 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:54,120 Speaker 1: we find out mid air that one of those Republican 53 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 1: candidates got named Wesley Hunt, who's running here in Houston 54 00:02:56,919 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 1: in my home district. Great guy, he tested positive for COVID. 55 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 1: So he was literally heading to meet Air Force one 56 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 1: and he tests positive for COVID, and as a result, 57 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 1: they said, well, okay, all of you candidates, none of 58 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: you can go in and see the president now because 59 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:19,720 Speaker 1: of that. So it was a fairly surreal beginning to 60 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:24,080 Speaker 1: the day. And listen, it's an underscoring that this remains 61 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:26,800 Speaker 1: a dangerous disease and we need to continue to take 62 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:31,359 Speaker 1: serious steps to limit its spread. Right, if for no 63 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 1: other reason, then you might miss your chance to go 64 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:35,720 Speaker 1: on Air Force One. So you got to make sure 65 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 1: you behave responsibly and don't catch it well. It's one 66 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 1: of the biggest reasons actually that you joined the president 67 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: on a trip and I've done at this point a 68 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 1: number of trips on Air Force One with the President 69 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 1: is that you spend a lot of time with him, 70 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 1: and so if there are issues going on, it is 71 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: some of the most concentrated, intense time, and it's a 72 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 1: stark difference. First four years I was in the Senate, 73 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 1: Barack Obama was president that entire time. I went on 74 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:08,120 Speaker 1: Air Force One once. If you remember when when five 75 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 1: Dallas police officers were murdered and there was a funeral 76 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 1: for those police officers, Obama came down to speak at 77 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 1: it and he invited me to come along. Actually, I 78 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:22,240 Speaker 1: sat next to Nancy Pelosi on Air Force One. We 79 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: had it may have been the first time I had 80 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:29,599 Speaker 1: met Nancy. We had a very pleasant conversation, mostly about 81 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 1: her grandkids, not about anything remotely related to politics. And 82 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: the interesting thing about Obama's he wouldn't hang out with us. 83 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:41,279 Speaker 1: He briefly came back and talked with There were several 84 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:43,760 Speaker 1: folks that were coming down and that had been invited 85 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 1: to guests, and he came back briefly and kind of said, Hi, 86 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 1: how you doing okay? Great, and then went off went 87 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:50,720 Speaker 1: off to his office and we didn't see him the 88 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:54,279 Speaker 1: rest of the flight. Trump is totally different. Like Trump 89 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:58,599 Speaker 1: hangs out, he wants to like the office on Air 90 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:01,120 Speaker 1: Force One. It's it's exact actually like the movie. It's 91 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 1: a cool desk with the seal and it's so there 92 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:09,719 Speaker 1: were the Texas House members and look or there Texas 93 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:11,920 Speaker 1: members of the US House who were there who were 94 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 1: pretty excited, and so I was taking pictures of all 95 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 1: of them. All right, go stand by the president, give 96 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:17,680 Speaker 1: me your phone, I'll take a picture. So I was 97 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 1: the designated photograph, the photographer. But it's it's actually really 98 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:26,800 Speaker 1: valuable because you're sitting down with the president for significant 99 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 1: time talking and right now there is a lot to 100 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:35,159 Speaker 1: talk about. So we had probably seven hours of he 101 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:40,960 Speaker 1: and I discussing, in particular the economic challenges in the 102 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:43,920 Speaker 1: country and the legislation moving moving through the Senate right now, 103 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:46,480 Speaker 1: and so it was it was a propitious time to 104 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:50,039 Speaker 1: be there with him. Well, without you know, asking you 105 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 1: to violate any confidences or tell any tales at a school, 106 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 1: I would like to know something about perhaps what you 107 00:05:56,279 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 1: spoke about or what you're thinking about this economic relief 108 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 1: bill that seems to be coming down the pike in 109 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: the midst of all this kind of bad economic news. Well, 110 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 1: let's take it in a couple of pieces, and I'll 111 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:09,480 Speaker 1: tell you what I think. I'm not going to share 112 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 1: what the President said, and that's usually the line I 113 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 1: try to follow, is what I said, I'm happy to relay. 114 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:18,359 Speaker 1: I'll leave it to others to share what they said. 115 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 1: But but let me just get in my views, the 116 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:27,480 Speaker 1: Nancy Pelosi three trillion dollar bill that they passed a 117 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:33,320 Speaker 1: couple of months ago is an absolute monstrosity. It is 118 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:38,360 Speaker 1: three trillion dollars, even in government speak, is a crap 119 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:43,040 Speaker 1: ton of money. And it's a bill. Look, Pelosi wasn't 120 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 1: intending to pass that in the law. It's it's a 121 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:48,919 Speaker 1: bill that is just a Democratic wish list. And she 122 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 1: didn't talk to any Republican, she didn't talk to the Senate. 123 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:54,560 Speaker 1: It was a campaign document. They passed it so that 124 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 1: Democrats could campaign on it in November. That's all it's about. 125 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:03,400 Speaker 1: Then we get to the Senate. Unfortunately, in the Senate 126 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:07,120 Speaker 1: this week, the Republican leader Mitch McConnell rolled out his 127 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:12,840 Speaker 1: own plan, and the so called Republican Leadership Plan is 128 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: it's cheaper than the Democrats plans. Instead of three trillions, 129 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 1: it's only one trillion. But it's it's fundamentally flawed, and 130 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:26,760 Speaker 1: so I have been very outspoken against it, very outspoken 131 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:30,560 Speaker 1: at our lunches that we do every day in the 132 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:33,120 Speaker 1: Republican Conference that you and I have talked about before, 133 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:39,320 Speaker 1: but I've been very outspoken publicly, and I was very 134 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 1: clear with the President what I thought yesterday when we 135 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:46,000 Speaker 1: were together. I seem to recall, if some people haven't 136 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:48,640 Speaker 1: been following you your takes on this, you said that 137 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 1: as the legislation currently stands, you're not just to know 138 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:54,800 Speaker 1: you're a hell no, yep, that that is exactly right 139 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:58,480 Speaker 1: on a couple of levels. First of all, let's talk 140 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 1: the amount, like the one trillion, which is a ton 141 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 1: of money, is clearly just an opening bid, and nobody's 142 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 1: hiding the fact, Okay, we'll start at a trillion, but 143 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 1: the plan is to get negotiate up to one and 144 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:15,040 Speaker 1: a half or two or two and a half, and 145 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:17,840 Speaker 1: we don't have it. There's no magic money tree in Washington. 146 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:21,080 Speaker 1: It's not like there's some secret vault hidden in the 147 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:24,240 Speaker 1: Capitol nobody knows about. This is all money that we're 148 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:28,960 Speaker 1: either printing or borrowing from China, but it doesn't exist. 149 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 1: We've already spent over three trillion dollars and so the 150 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:35,880 Speaker 1: amount is a problem. But actually my concern, Michael, is 151 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:37,960 Speaker 1: much bigger than the amount, and this is that this 152 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:40,720 Speaker 1: was the center of what I was arguing to the 153 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:47,520 Speaker 1: President yesterday. The focus of the bill, the objective of 154 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:52,480 Speaker 1: the bill is wrong. The objective of the bill is 155 00:08:52,559 --> 00:08:58,920 Speaker 1: just shoveling cash. It's just spending trillions of dollars shoveling 156 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:02,520 Speaker 1: it into the economy, but none of it creates jobs. 157 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 1: And so what I've been arguing to the other Republicans, 158 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 1: what I've been arguing to President, our focus on this 159 00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 1: bill should be one thing. In particular, it should be 160 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 1: creating jobs. We've got now fifty one million Americans who've 161 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:20,200 Speaker 1: lost their jobs because of this catastrophe that's hit this country. 162 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 1: We've got to get them back to work. That is 163 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:27,640 Speaker 1: overwhelmingly the priorities. Get people back to work. And you know, 164 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:29,719 Speaker 1: you look at these first bills, the bills that we 165 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 1: passed several months ago, in the height of the crisis. 166 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 1: Those were overwhelmingly bipartisan. The big one, the Cares Act, 167 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:42,800 Speaker 1: ninety six to nothing. Every Democrat, every Republican voted yes. 168 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:46,200 Speaker 1: I voted yes. Bertie Sanders voted yes. That was not 169 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:50,480 Speaker 1: a stimulus bill. It wasn't designed to stimulate the economy. 170 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 1: The press calls it a stimulus bill, but that's not 171 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:55,400 Speaker 1: what it was. It was a relief bill. It was 172 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: designed to give emergency loans, short term loans to people 173 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:03,280 Speaker 1: at the very height of the crisis. Now our focus 174 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:05,400 Speaker 1: has got to be different. It's got to be getting 175 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:10,120 Speaker 1: people back to work. We need a recovery bill. Now, 176 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:13,520 Speaker 1: what does the recovery bill do? Our entire focus, I 177 00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:18,560 Speaker 1: think should be cutting taxes and reducing regulations that are 178 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:22,680 Speaker 1: killing jobs, making it easier for small businesses to open. 179 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:25,960 Speaker 1: That's the issue. And by the way, the entire election 180 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 1: in November turns on it. So the Democrats, what does 181 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:31,960 Speaker 1: Nancy Pelosi want. She wants all fifty one million people 182 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:36,760 Speaker 1: who've lost their jobs to stay unemployed, to stay at home, 183 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:40,160 Speaker 1: to not be working, to not have their kids in school, 184 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 1: because she is gambling on that fifty one million people 185 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:47,240 Speaker 1: who are broken, unemployed and out of a job and 186 00:10:47,320 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 1: pissed off are going to go in and vote to 187 00:10:49,679 --> 00:10:52,640 Speaker 1: throw the bums out, and she's most interested in defeating 188 00:10:52,679 --> 00:10:55,400 Speaker 1: Donald Trump. Well, the case I made to the President 189 00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:58,880 Speaker 1: and to the other Republicans is we shouldn't be complicit 190 00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:03,040 Speaker 1: in that objective. If the President wants to win in November, 191 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:06,440 Speaker 1: we need people going back to work, We need people 192 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:10,120 Speaker 1: earning a paycheck, We need people providing for their families again. 193 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 1: And simply spending trillions for Nancy Pelosi's buddies ain't going 194 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:18,560 Speaker 1: to get the job done. You know, I remember early 195 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:21,320 Speaker 1: on when when there were those debates over the initial 196 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:26,080 Speaker 1: relief bill, you in particular pointed out that this language 197 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:29,760 Speaker 1: that the Democrats added in on the question of unemployment 198 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:34,199 Speaker 1: insurance was going to disincentivize people going back to work. 199 00:11:34,480 --> 00:11:37,000 Speaker 1: And it now seems that your prediction turned out to 200 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:39,319 Speaker 1: be true. There's a Cato Institute survey of this. It 201 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:43,319 Speaker 1: showed that two thirds of people who went on unemployment 202 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:47,000 Speaker 1: for the COVID lockdowns are making more money than they 203 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:49,240 Speaker 1: would have made had they remained at their jobs. And 204 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:52,400 Speaker 1: one third of people actually made two times or you know, 205 00:11:52,800 --> 00:11:56,800 Speaker 1: two x their salary, which you know, wonderful for them. 206 00:11:56,800 --> 00:11:59,120 Speaker 1: I don't think we begrudge anybody money, but that is 207 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:02,360 Speaker 1: a recipe to keep people out of work that would 208 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:06,800 Speaker 1: seem to have a political objective in an election year. Well, 209 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 1: incentives matter, and the dumbest part of what Congress did 210 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:17,720 Speaker 1: already in this crisis was creating massive disincentives to work. 211 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:20,559 Speaker 1: And in particular, what Congress did is added six hundred 212 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:24,160 Speaker 1: dollars a week to the already existing unemployment conversation. So, look, 213 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:26,200 Speaker 1: we had an unemployment system. If you lost your job, 214 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:30,360 Speaker 1: you could file file for unemployment. That's designed to be 215 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:33,480 Speaker 1: to help you meet basic necessities, but it's designed to 216 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:36,800 Speaker 1: be substantially less than your job was. Because you want 217 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:39,719 Speaker 1: people who've lost their job to have strong incentives to 218 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:42,120 Speaker 1: go back to work. The best thing if someone's out 219 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 1: of work has helped them get back to work. Adding 220 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:47,800 Speaker 1: six hundred dollars to unemployment, let me give you some 221 00:12:47,920 --> 00:12:50,520 Speaker 1: math and I apologize to everyone in the podcast. There 222 00:12:50,520 --> 00:12:53,280 Speaker 1: was supposed to be no math. They told me I 223 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:55,640 Speaker 1: couldn't sign up for this. Let me give you just 224 00:12:55,720 --> 00:12:59,560 Speaker 1: a little bit. So. It used to be the maximum 225 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 1: weekly unemployment check in Texas was five hundred and twenty 226 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:08,040 Speaker 1: one dollars a week. When Congress added six hundred dollars 227 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:11,520 Speaker 1: to that, that took it to eleven hundred and twenty 228 00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:14,960 Speaker 1: one dollars a week, more than doubled it. That works 229 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:21,320 Speaker 1: out to about fifty eight thousand dollars a year, or 230 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:25,240 Speaker 1: about twenty eight dollars an hour. Now, think about it 231 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:29,040 Speaker 1: for a second. If you're if you're working waiting tables, 232 00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:32,840 Speaker 1: if you're working in an hourly job, you ain't making 233 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:37,280 Speaker 1: twenty eight bucks an hour. And if suddenly the government 234 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:40,120 Speaker 1: pays you more to stay home than to go back 235 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:42,400 Speaker 1: to work, well naturally you're not going to go back 236 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:43,800 Speaker 1: to work. I mean, if you're paid more to do 237 00:13:43,880 --> 00:13:47,120 Speaker 1: something else, you're going to follow the incentives. But that's 238 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:50,640 Speaker 1: terrible for you, and it's terrible for the economy, and 239 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:53,120 Speaker 1: it's why Nancy Pelosi wants to keep doing it, and 240 00:13:53,760 --> 00:14:00,240 Speaker 1: the Republicans are falling in this trap that sixty eight 241 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:03,559 Speaker 1: percent of people nationally right now because of what Congress did, 242 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:10,000 Speaker 1: are receiving more ununemployment than their previous salary twenty percent, 243 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:14,520 Speaker 1: or receiving double their previous salary. If you're getting paid 244 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:17,880 Speaker 1: twice as much not to work as to work, what 245 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:21,040 Speaker 1: are you gonna do? I mean, that ain't complicated, and 246 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:24,760 Speaker 1: it's why Nancy Pelosi is all in on wanting to 247 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:27,920 Speaker 1: keep that going right until November third, right until the election. 248 00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:34,360 Speaker 1: But Republicans shouldn't be complicit in that. And I talk 249 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:37,920 Speaker 1: to small business owners every single day that they're trying 250 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 1: to reopen their businesses and they can't rehire their employees. 251 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:45,320 Speaker 1: They're calling their employees saying come back, and they're saying, understandably, 252 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:47,680 Speaker 1: why would we come back. We're getting paid more not 253 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:51,840 Speaker 1: to That is disastrous for getting the economy moving again 254 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:54,720 Speaker 1: and getting people back on their feet. Right. It's a 255 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:57,640 Speaker 1: pretty deceitful tactic. It would see them. I understand the 256 00:14:57,760 --> 00:15:01,520 Speaker 1: political objectives the Democrats have, but you know, you're you're 257 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 1: not getting what they seem to be proposing. You know, 258 00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:08,200 Speaker 1: this has this underhanded aspect. I think that ties in 259 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:12,320 Speaker 1: pretty well with another underhanded display we saw from Democrats 260 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:16,200 Speaker 1: on Capitol Hill this week, which was the billbar testimony. Yeah, 261 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:17,920 Speaker 1: and let me actually stop you there and go back 262 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:22,680 Speaker 1: to the prior topic for a second, which is, let 263 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:24,880 Speaker 1: me tell you right now, what is pretty good in 264 00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:29,200 Speaker 1: the in the Republican bill, okay, and what could be 265 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:32,560 Speaker 1: good in the Republican bill. So there are two elements 266 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:36,720 Speaker 1: that are mildly good in the Republican bill. Number one, 267 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:42,120 Speaker 1: it includes actually legislation that I've introduced that is for 268 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:46,840 Speaker 1: school choice, that creates federal tax credits for contributions to 269 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 1: scholarship granting organizations for K through twelve education. That's really good, 270 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:56,440 Speaker 1: and it's really important, and it's really substantive, and it's transformational. 271 00:15:56,480 --> 00:16:00,360 Speaker 1: And as you know, I'm passionate about school choice. Now. 272 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:06,120 Speaker 1: The problem is the Democrats are passionately opposed because the 273 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 1: teachers unions opposed choice. And my concern is the Republican 274 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 1: negotiators will give that up at the table that it's 275 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:16,040 Speaker 1: in there, but it's not going to stay in there. 276 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:18,800 Speaker 1: That it's in there to be a bargaining chip to 277 00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:23,160 Speaker 1: be given up. The second good elements right now is 278 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:25,920 Speaker 1: some liability protection. And there's no doubt it's a real 279 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 1: problem right now for any small business, for any school, 280 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:32,800 Speaker 1: for any university that opens, they're going to be sued. 281 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:34,920 Speaker 1: All of them are going to be sued. Trial lawyers 282 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:37,440 Speaker 1: are going to descend upon them. Yeah, because if any 283 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:41,640 Speaker 1: customer gets sick, if any employee gets sick, immediately they're 284 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:44,440 Speaker 1: getting sued. So I very much agree with the objective 285 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:50,240 Speaker 1: of providing some reasonable liability protection so that people could open. 286 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:53,720 Speaker 1: It's not their faulty. It's not like the small businesses. 287 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:57,960 Speaker 1: It's not like the movie theater created this this coronavirus 288 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 1: from Wuhan, China, and and it doesn't make sense for 289 00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:05,359 Speaker 1: billions of dollars of damage judgments to make a bunch 290 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 1: of plantiffs lawyers rich suing everybody. But the problem is 291 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 1: those same plantiffs lawyers are, along with the teachers unions, 292 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 1: the biggest owners to the Democrats. So they're going to 293 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:20,200 Speaker 1: fight to water that provision down. So those two provisions 294 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:25,440 Speaker 1: are right now pretty good, but my concern is they 295 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:29,480 Speaker 1: will be gutted. Here's what we ought to be doing instead. 296 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:33,600 Speaker 1: We ought to be engaged in pro growth policy. So, 297 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:37,080 Speaker 1: for example, instead of just shoveling cash out the door, 298 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:39,959 Speaker 1: one thing we could do is between now and the 299 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:44,920 Speaker 1: end of the year, suspend the payroll tax. That results 300 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:49,600 Speaker 1: in for you and for everyone, basically an immediate pay 301 00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:52,520 Speaker 1: raise in your job because the payroll tax you pay 302 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:55,840 Speaker 1: out of your pocket. Suddenly your take home pay is higher. 303 00:17:56,480 --> 00:17:59,840 Speaker 1: But that's an incentive for work. Suddenly your employer apportion 304 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:04,399 Speaker 1: payroll chat tax your employer pays. Suddenly the cost of 305 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:07,600 Speaker 1: employees of bringing back an employee has gone down for 306 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 1: your employer. That is a pro growth incentive. That is 307 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:15,200 Speaker 1: a pro jobs incentive. That is all about helping encourage 308 00:18:15,240 --> 00:18:18,480 Speaker 1: people to go back to work and work more. That's 309 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:21,880 Speaker 1: a very worthwhile thing to do. Another example of a 310 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:25,520 Speaker 1: very good thing to do. I've got legislation on health 311 00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:31,320 Speaker 1: savings accounts. So health savings accounts are accounts where you 312 00:18:31,359 --> 00:18:35,240 Speaker 1: can save in a tax advantage way for healthcare needs. 313 00:18:36,119 --> 00:18:39,400 Speaker 1: The problem is, current law prohibits most people from having 314 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:42,680 Speaker 1: a health savings account. The only instance in which you're 315 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:45,280 Speaker 1: allowed to have a health savings account is if you 316 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:48,800 Speaker 1: have a high deductible health insurance plan, which most people 317 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:52,720 Speaker 1: don't have. I have legislation that says everyone can have 318 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:56,640 Speaker 1: a health savings plan. That just lets everyone have one. 319 00:18:56,800 --> 00:19:02,000 Speaker 1: That is really important healthcare reform right now in terms 320 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:04,600 Speaker 1: of changing the system, driving down the cost of healthcare, 321 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:07,000 Speaker 1: making healthcare more affordable. And we're in the middle of 322 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:14,720 Speaker 1: a pandemic. People are understandably concerned with healthcare costs. This 323 00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:18,560 Speaker 1: would be really meaningful reform. So this is something I 324 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:21,159 Speaker 1: urged the President, and I said, by the way, for 325 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:25,400 Speaker 1: the Republicans that want to shovel cash, look, we've got 326 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:27,720 Speaker 1: the checks of twelve hundred dollars sent out to everyone. 327 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:30,480 Speaker 1: My parents both received twelve hundred dollar checks. They don't 328 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:33,680 Speaker 1: need a twelve hundred dollar check. But Congress set on 329 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:37,600 Speaker 1: one the proposals to do it again. I said, listen, 330 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:42,280 Speaker 1: if you are really intent on throwing money out of 331 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:46,679 Speaker 1: a helicopter, how about taking the twelve hundred dollars and 332 00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:50,200 Speaker 1: populating it in a health savings account for everyone, so 333 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:52,879 Speaker 1: that everyone can suddenly have a health savings account to 334 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:57,720 Speaker 1: meet healthcare costs. If you must spend the money, actually 335 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:00,639 Speaker 1: spend it in a way that does some positive, if good. 336 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:04,919 Speaker 1: Right next week, I'm going to introduce a bill that 337 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:07,399 Speaker 1: I'm calling the Recovery Act that is going to be 338 00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:11,720 Speaker 1: a whole series of pro jobs, pro growth steps that 339 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:15,000 Speaker 1: if we're going to take our focus should be getting 340 00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:18,160 Speaker 1: people back to work. And right now, the current so 341 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:20,760 Speaker 1: called Republican bill that is going to lose a lot 342 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:23,960 Speaker 1: of Republican votes if and when we vote on it 343 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:27,280 Speaker 1: is not focused on jobs. Pelosi wants jobs to go away. 344 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:32,439 Speaker 1: And right now, basically the Republican bill took the Nancy 345 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:35,880 Speaker 1: Pelosi bill, divided all the numbers by three, and proposed 346 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:40,400 Speaker 1: the same damn thing. We should have different ideas, ideas 347 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:45,360 Speaker 1: that work. And a final political point, So are there's 348 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:47,679 Speaker 1: some Republicans who are really scared. We got to do this. 349 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:49,720 Speaker 1: We just got to do it. It's an election. You 350 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:53,960 Speaker 1: got to spend money. Look in the battle to be 351 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:59,840 Speaker 1: Santa Clause, Republicans will always lose. If suddenly we pony 352 00:20:59,880 --> 00:21:02,840 Speaker 1: up three trillion dollars, they'll go to four like like 353 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:08,880 Speaker 1: there's no limit. And frankly, show me the voter out 354 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:12,760 Speaker 1: there that's really looking for a bunch of cash that's 355 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:15,480 Speaker 1: actually going to vote for the president because of it. 356 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:19,480 Speaker 1: If you want someone to bankrupt the country and bankrupt 357 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:21,800 Speaker 1: your kids and grandkids in order to get more cash, 358 00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:26,520 Speaker 1: right now, you're going to vote Democrats. Yeah, I think 359 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:30,359 Speaker 1: it's a null set. We should be the party of 360 00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:34,800 Speaker 1: jobs and growth and prosperity and higher wages. Look at 361 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:36,640 Speaker 1: other proposal. I told the President, all right, at five, 362 00:21:36,760 --> 00:21:41,160 Speaker 1: you want to spend money, waive the federal income tax 363 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:43,480 Speaker 1: for the next six months up to a certain amount. 364 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:48,840 Speaker 1: That again puts real money in people's pockets now, and 365 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:53,760 Speaker 1: unlike what's being proposed, it doesn't kill jobs. We should 366 00:21:53,800 --> 00:21:58,920 Speaker 1: be creating jobs, not killing jobs. Well, I love this 367 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:01,760 Speaker 1: point you're making. You're you're never going to out democrat 368 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 1: the democrats. You're never going to outliberal the liberals. There's 369 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:08,640 Speaker 1: a famous conservative book from many decades ago called a Choice, 370 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:10,919 Speaker 1: not an echo. You want you want to actually have 371 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:13,320 Speaker 1: a choice in your politicians when you go to the 372 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:15,119 Speaker 1: ballot box. And I got to tell you, as somebody 373 00:22:15,119 --> 00:22:18,320 Speaker 1: who has an HSA, who uses an HSA, I love 374 00:22:18,480 --> 00:22:21,520 Speaker 1: HSA's I think it is it's brilliant. It's shocking to 375 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:24,080 Speaker 1: me that they have not been more popular, they haven't 376 00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:26,320 Speaker 1: been more encouraged over time. And I think a lot 377 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:29,639 Speaker 1: of that is a law prohibited. The reason they're not 378 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:34,200 Speaker 1: more popular is Congress. Unless you have a high deductible 379 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:38,880 Speaker 1: health insurance plan, it's legal for you to have an HSA. 380 00:22:39,080 --> 00:22:41,520 Speaker 1: The poet I'm trying to make to the other Republicans, like, 381 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:46,040 Speaker 1: is there anything we want to accomplish that actually would 382 00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:49,440 Speaker 1: be good and fix the problem. We shouldn't rush out 383 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:52,600 Speaker 1: like chicken little and say we must do something to 384 00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:57,880 Speaker 1: do something. Let's do something that would work and help 385 00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:00,639 Speaker 1: people get back to work. That's right. There a lot 386 00:23:00,680 --> 00:23:02,919 Speaker 1: a lot of perverse incentives I noticed going on on 387 00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:05,640 Speaker 1: the left side of the aisle on Capitol Hill. And 388 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:09,360 Speaker 1: I think nowhere was this clearer than when our former 389 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:13,320 Speaker 1: verdict guest, the Attorney General William Barr, was invited to 390 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:16,600 Speaker 1: testify on Capitol Hill. He was actually he accepted the 391 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:19,320 Speaker 1: invitation on the very day that you and I sat 392 00:23:19,359 --> 00:23:21,880 Speaker 1: down with him at the Department of Justice. And so 393 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:24,280 Speaker 1: he finally goes to sit down for this hearing, and 394 00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:26,720 Speaker 1: then it turned out that the Democrats and a House 395 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:29,320 Speaker 1: of Representatives didn't really want to hear a single word 396 00:23:29,359 --> 00:23:34,320 Speaker 1: he had to say. It really was studying. When you 397 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:37,960 Speaker 1: and I were interviewing Bill Barr, you recall we nicknamed 398 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:41,960 Speaker 1: him Honey Badger, which wasn't planned that that was off 399 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:46,760 Speaker 1: the cuff. But if anyone didn't believe that nickname. You 400 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:53,919 Speaker 1: just had to watch the you know, the Liliputians trying 401 00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:57,159 Speaker 1: to tie him down. I mean it was small and 402 00:23:57,359 --> 00:24:02,280 Speaker 1: petty democrats relentlessly attacking him. And I love that Bar 403 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 1: is completely not concerned. I don't know that I've ever 404 00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:12,560 Speaker 1: seen anyone drink coffee in a more dismissive way. There's 405 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:15,879 Speaker 1: something about the coffee cup that just said you are 406 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:21,879 Speaker 1: an utter buffoon. And the part that was really ridiculous 407 00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:24,560 Speaker 1: is you'd have a Democrat go given a histrionic speech 408 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:30,200 Speaker 1: and then they'd declare, I reclaim my time. You reclaim 409 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:34,600 Speaker 1: my time, which basically means shut up. I'm scared of 410 00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:38,240 Speaker 1: your answer. I don't want you to answer me, and 411 00:24:38,359 --> 00:24:40,480 Speaker 1: I'll look really dumb if you do. And they did 412 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:43,679 Speaker 1: it over and over again, reclaiming their time, reclaiming their time, 413 00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:48,040 Speaker 1: and it ultimately was an expression of fear. And I'll 414 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:52,520 Speaker 1: tell you, Michael, I actually had a conversation about House 415 00:24:52,560 --> 00:24:56,840 Speaker 1: democrats reclaiming their time a couple of days before Bill 416 00:24:56,880 --> 00:25:00,760 Speaker 1: bar testified. And let me tell you why. So next 417 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:05,000 Speaker 1: week I'm chairing a hearing in the Senate on riots, 418 00:25:05,040 --> 00:25:10,280 Speaker 1: on violence, on antifa, on the organized terrorists who are 419 00:25:10,359 --> 00:25:15,199 Speaker 1: burning and attacking our cities. And first witness we're going 420 00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:20,320 Speaker 1: to have is Ken Cuccinelli. Ken is the Deputy Secretary 421 00:25:20,359 --> 00:25:24,160 Speaker 1: of Homeland Security. Ken is the former Attorney General of Virginia. 422 00:25:24,200 --> 00:25:26,560 Speaker 1: He is a rock rib conservative. Ken is a good 423 00:25:26,560 --> 00:25:30,879 Speaker 1: friend and right now Ken is leading the efforts to 424 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:35,399 Speaker 1: secure the border, but he's also fighting for the federal 425 00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:39,240 Speaker 1: law enforcement officers of the Democrats are you know, Nancy 426 00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:44,640 Speaker 1: Pelosi's calling them Nazi stormtroopers, which is grotesque. So when 427 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:46,440 Speaker 1: Ken and I are talking on the phone and I'm 428 00:25:46,480 --> 00:25:48,119 Speaker 1: telling them, Hey, Ken, I really want you to come 429 00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:52,399 Speaker 1: to this hearing we're chairing, he said, listen. One thing 430 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:57,240 Speaker 1: that he said I really don't like when I testify 431 00:25:57,280 --> 00:26:01,040 Speaker 1: at the house is they'll attack you. And then the 432 00:26:01,119 --> 00:26:03,560 Speaker 1: Democrats will say, I reclaim my time. So they attack 433 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:05,640 Speaker 1: you and they don't give you a chance to respond. 434 00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:08,959 Speaker 1: And this is before the bar hearing, by the way. 435 00:26:09,560 --> 00:26:12,040 Speaker 1: And I laughed and I said, I said, well, Ken, 436 00:26:12,119 --> 00:26:15,240 Speaker 1: let me tell you this. In any hearing I chair, 437 00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:20,320 Speaker 1: the Democrats are going to attack you. That's that's for sure. 438 00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:23,240 Speaker 1: They're going to come after your hard because they've decided 439 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:26,880 Speaker 1: to demogogue every police officer in America. But I can 440 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:29,360 Speaker 1: promise you, if I'm chairing the hearing, You're damn well 441 00:26:29,359 --> 00:26:33,040 Speaker 1: going to get a full chance to respond each and 442 00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:38,080 Speaker 1: every attack headed your way. We have that conversation kenn 443 00:26:38,200 --> 00:26:40,439 Speaker 1: Is coming to the hearing, and then like a day 444 00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:43,520 Speaker 1: or two later, Bill bar goes through this this ridiculous 445 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:47,240 Speaker 1: charade where they are terrified of his answers and quote 446 00:26:47,320 --> 00:26:50,560 Speaker 1: reclaim their time. If the words I reclaim my time 447 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:54,040 Speaker 1: ever come out of my mouth other than quoting them, 448 00:26:55,240 --> 00:26:59,600 Speaker 1: throw something at me, Michael that they simply will. I 449 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:03,160 Speaker 1: ain't going to say that, Senator, You've been spending too 450 00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:05,520 Speaker 1: much time with the Democrats. You must get come back 451 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:08,320 Speaker 1: to yourself. You know, I don't think I had read 452 00:27:08,359 --> 00:27:11,919 Speaker 1: anywhere that Ken Cuccinelli is going to be testifying. Is 453 00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:15,280 Speaker 1: that this is that is that is breaking news where 454 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:17,159 Speaker 1: we were going to announce that next week, but I 455 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:20,440 Speaker 1: just announced it with you, terrific. I very much look 456 00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:24,359 Speaker 1: forward to hearing that because obviously I think this issue 457 00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:27,280 Speaker 1: of the mobs, the organized violence, ANTIFA has been at 458 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:29,320 Speaker 1: the top of a lot of people's minds. Yeah, so 459 00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:31,879 Speaker 1: I look forward to seeing that, and I look forward 460 00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:35,040 Speaker 1: also to not having just echoes of reclaim my time, 461 00:27:35,560 --> 00:27:37,159 Speaker 1: take up all the time that we could actually be 462 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:39,560 Speaker 1: hearing from someone who has so much to say on this. 463 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:42,800 Speaker 1: One last question before we let you go, Senator, This 464 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:45,119 Speaker 1: is from Kira. I think a lot of people are 465 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:47,600 Speaker 1: wondering this these days, if they're living in urban centers 466 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:50,560 Speaker 1: in America. Is there any hope for sane people in 467 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:53,760 Speaker 1: New York City? Or should we flee? What about New 468 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:57,800 Speaker 1: York in general? What is what is the future? Not 469 00:27:57,880 --> 00:28:00,000 Speaker 1: just maybe of New York, but of all the cities. 470 00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:02,600 Speaker 1: Do we all have to flee down to Texas? All right? 471 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:06,280 Speaker 1: So let me take New York. Actually listen. I'm an 472 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:14,320 Speaker 1: optimist by nature. I believe in America. I believe in freedom. 473 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:20,879 Speaker 1: I even believe in New York. And I'll point I 474 00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:26,120 Speaker 1: often point to history as foreshadowing of the future. I'll 475 00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:28,280 Speaker 1: confess I think things are going to get worse in 476 00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:32,120 Speaker 1: New York in the short term. I think the malignant 477 00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:36,280 Speaker 1: politics there. I think radicals like de Blasio when they're 478 00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:40,560 Speaker 1: proposing cutting a billion dollars from the NYPD and AOC 479 00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:44,480 Speaker 1: is saying not enough, basically burn it to the ground. 480 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:46,680 Speaker 1: That's not quite what she said, but she said, defunded 481 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:50,960 Speaker 1: and abolish it, which is the same thing. In the 482 00:28:51,080 --> 00:28:54,440 Speaker 1: short term, New York is going to head to some dark, 483 00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:59,040 Speaker 1: dark days and it's but New York went through this 484 00:28:59,080 --> 00:29:03,120 Speaker 1: in the sixties and seven, and we saw rampant crime 485 00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:07,120 Speaker 1: in New York. New York was facing bankruptcy. I mean, 486 00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:11,120 Speaker 1: the policies of the far left, they don't work, and 487 00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:15,440 Speaker 1: every time they're implemented, particularly in the extreme, they are 488 00:29:15,480 --> 00:29:18,960 Speaker 1: a disaster. So what's the good news is that when 489 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:22,040 Speaker 1: people see the disaster, they often open up their eyes 490 00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:25,400 Speaker 1: and say, hey, this doesn't make any sense, let's change it. 491 00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:28,440 Speaker 1: And New York had a renaissance. Why do they have 492 00:29:28,480 --> 00:29:33,760 Speaker 1: a renaissance? Remember Rudy Giuliani when he was elected and 493 00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:38,600 Speaker 1: not Rudy. Rudy today is a very different person than 494 00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:41,760 Speaker 1: Mayor Rudy was when he was first elected. But New 495 00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:44,000 Speaker 1: Yorkers were sick and tired. They were sick and tired 496 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:46,200 Speaker 1: of the crime, they were sick and tired of the violence, 497 00:29:46,200 --> 00:29:48,960 Speaker 1: they were sick and tired of the shambles the city 498 00:29:49,040 --> 00:29:53,400 Speaker 1: had had gone through. And Rudy got elected. Remember the 499 00:29:53,440 --> 00:29:56,520 Speaker 1: broken windows theory, which is, let's let's when you go 500 00:29:56,560 --> 00:29:59,160 Speaker 1: into a neighborhood and you see shattered windows, you see graffiti, 501 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:02,840 Speaker 1: and you see row. That makes all of the rest 502 00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:05,840 Speaker 1: of violent crime more likely. And so go repair the windows, 503 00:30:05,840 --> 00:30:08,760 Speaker 1: Go clean up the graffiti, Go stop the squeegee guys 504 00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:11,239 Speaker 1: who used to just dump crap on your car in 505 00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:14,520 Speaker 1: the streets, and it actually stops the rest of violent 506 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:18,480 Speaker 1: crime too. So de Blasio and the radicals have forgotten 507 00:30:18,520 --> 00:30:24,120 Speaker 1: those lessons. I think they will go through a dark period, 508 00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:26,560 Speaker 1: and many of our cities may go through a dark period. 509 00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:31,040 Speaker 1: But when the failures of radical left policies become evident, 510 00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:33,680 Speaker 1: I think people will turn back to them and say, hey, 511 00:30:33,760 --> 00:30:35,600 Speaker 1: we want a New York City where you can walk 512 00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:37,560 Speaker 1: in Central Park again and be safe. We want a 513 00:30:37,560 --> 00:30:40,680 Speaker 1: New York city where you can open a business and survive. 514 00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:44,040 Speaker 1: There are many things about New York that are extraordinary, 515 00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:47,360 Speaker 1: that are wonderful that it has been. The statue of 516 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:50,720 Speaker 1: liberty invites the whole world. We've seen immigrants from across 517 00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:55,040 Speaker 1: the globe come to New York to make it. But 518 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:59,280 Speaker 1: the policies of the socialists can destroy all of that. 519 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:02,600 Speaker 1: But we'll come out of it. That's why I think 520 00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:04,160 Speaker 1: a lot of the moving trucks are heading down to 521 00:31:04,200 --> 00:31:06,520 Speaker 1: your state, Senator, and you know I'm a New Yorker 522 00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:08,680 Speaker 1: and I live in Los Angeles. Both my cities have 523 00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:11,360 Speaker 1: me wanting to fly straight down to where you are. 524 00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:13,720 Speaker 1: Probably not a board Air Force one. I haven't gotten 525 00:31:13,760 --> 00:31:16,360 Speaker 1: that invitation yet, but maybe I'll fly commercial and see 526 00:31:16,360 --> 00:31:19,200 Speaker 1: you there. Hey, Southwest one, you can sit in NYC. 527 00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:23,160 Speaker 1: That's true. That's I got some drink tickets too. We 528 00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:26,360 Speaker 1: will have to pause it there until next time. Thank you, Senator. 529 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:38,560 Speaker 1: I'm Michael Knowles. This is Verdict with Ted Cruz. This 530 00:31:38,640 --> 00:31:41,480 Speaker 1: episode of Verdict with Ted Cruz is being brought to 531 00:31:41,480 --> 00:31:44,959 Speaker 1: you by Jobs, Freedom and Security Pack, a political action 532 00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:50,000 Speaker 1: committee dedicated to supporting conservative causes, organizations, and candidates across 533 00:31:50,080 --> 00:31:53,440 Speaker 1: the country. In twenty twenty two, Jobs Freedom and Security 534 00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:57,000 Speaker 1: Pack plans to donate to conservative candidates running for Congress 535 00:31:57,080 --> 00:31:59,760 Speaker 1: and help the Republican Party across the nation.