WEBVTT - Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto Talks Shutdown Negotiations

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

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<v Speaker 2>With the federal shutdown now becoming the second longest in

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<v Speaker 2>US history, science that it could become the longest one ever,

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<v Speaker 2>with both parties still far apart and far away from.

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<v Speaker 3>A deal, but there are lawmakers who are reaching across

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<v Speaker 3>the aisle. Among them Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto. We

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<v Speaker 3>spoke with Senator Cortez Masto earlier today and we asked

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<v Speaker 3>her about the YA boat and where the shutdown goes

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<v Speaker 3>from here. Here's that conversation.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, I can tell you just in general, there's a

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<v Speaker 4>group of US Democrats and Republicans trying to come together

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<v Speaker 4>and help get through this impast there's an impass right now.

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<v Speaker 4>We need to open up the government and we need

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<v Speaker 4>to extend the healthcare subsidies for the Affordable Care Act.

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<v Speaker 4>I think there's the ability to do both. And those

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<v Speaker 4>are the conversations that are taking place with some of

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<v Speaker 4>us right now, both RS and d's.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, depending on who you talked to right now, Senator,

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<v Speaker 2>and I'm sure you know this all too well, are

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<v Speaker 2>either a profile encourage or you're a problem for your party.

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<v Speaker 2>And I'm wondering what the conversations are like in the

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<v Speaker 2>cloak room, are you trying to get other Democrats to

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<v Speaker 2>join you? And are you surprised that hasn't happened yet.

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<v Speaker 2>I think it's twelve rounds today.

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<v Speaker 4>Right. Well, I can say this, we're all aligned in

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<v Speaker 4>the sense that we're fighting for Americans, right We're fighting

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<v Speaker 4>for this country, We're fighting for healthcare. We're taking on

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<v Speaker 4>what we see are the bad policies of this administration.

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<v Speaker 4>And it is not just unique to Democrats. I can

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<v Speaker 4>tell you right now, there are some of my Republican

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<v Speaker 4>colleagues that want to address the Affordable Care Act and

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<v Speaker 4>address the healthcare subsidies the tax credit. They need to

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<v Speaker 4>because in their states, Americans will be harmed if we

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<v Speaker 4>do not extend these healthcare subsidies. And that is true

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<v Speaker 4>across the country. I don't care with your blue state,

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<v Speaker 4>red state, purple state. It's about Americans and supporting them

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<v Speaker 4>and helping them lower their healthcare costs.

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<v Speaker 1>This is one way we can do it.

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<v Speaker 4>And that's why both Democrats and there are some Republicans

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<v Speaker 4>who want to this healthcare subsidy, and they should because

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<v Speaker 4>if we don't, there's probably about twenty two million Americans

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<v Speaker 4>across the country there are not only going to see

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<v Speaker 4>their healthcare costs go up, some of them are going

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<v Speaker 4>to lose access to healthcare because they can't afford it.

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<v Speaker 3>Senator you said that you believe that you can reopen

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<v Speaker 3>the government and extend the subsidies. I'm curious in your

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<v Speaker 3>conversations with the other senators, do you have some guarantees

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<v Speaker 3>from Republicans that they will vote in favor of it.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, those are the conversations and negotiations now, because clearly

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<v Speaker 4>we have to do both. And I will tell you

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<v Speaker 4>a key part of this conversation is going to be

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<v Speaker 4>the man in the White House, Donald Trump, because the

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<v Speaker 4>leadership of Republicans in the Republican Party in Congress, they're

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<v Speaker 4>only going to do what he says. So they have

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<v Speaker 4>to be a part of this conversation. And Donald Trump

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<v Speaker 4>has to be a part of this conversation. He can't

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<v Speaker 4>be flying around everywhere. He needs to be here in Washington,

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<v Speaker 4>bringing the parties together and being a constructive part of

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<v Speaker 4>addressing the healthcare costs that we have in this country.

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<v Speaker 4>If he were to engage, that would help us move

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<v Speaker 4>through this impass of opening up the government and addressing

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<v Speaker 4>the Affordable Care Act subsidies so that we do not

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<v Speaker 4>see healthcare insurance premiums increase for families. I can't stress

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<v Speaker 4>this enough. And it's just not unique to Nevada. I

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<v Speaker 4>know my family's in Nevada, family of four. If you're

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<v Speaker 4>making fifty six thousand dollars a year, you're going to

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<v Speaker 4>see your healthcare premium go up by at least two

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<v Speaker 4>hundred dollars.

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<v Speaker 1>That's crazy.

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<v Speaker 4>There's going to be a double digit increase for premiums

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<v Speaker 4>for people and they are not going to be able

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<v Speaker 4>to afford it.

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<v Speaker 1>That means we're going to lose.

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<v Speaker 4>People on healthcare and the only time now we will

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<v Speaker 4>see them if they have an acute crisis and they're

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<v Speaker 4>going to show up in emergency rooms. It's going to

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<v Speaker 4>have a ripple effect for everybody's health care coverage in

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<v Speaker 4>this country, and it's going to have an impact on

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<v Speaker 4>all of our hospitals and our clinics.

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<v Speaker 1>Including in our urban and rural areas.

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<v Speaker 4>So we really need to come together to address this

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<v Speaker 4>issue in this country, and that requires all of us

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<v Speaker 4>talking and get beyond this impass and start addressing and

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<v Speaker 4>solving the problems of the American public, and this is

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<v Speaker 4>what they want us to do.

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<v Speaker 2>The continuing resolution that you've been voting for, Senator only

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<v Speaker 2>runs through the twenty first of November, so there's been

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<v Speaker 2>a question about whether that date needs to change. There's

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<v Speaker 2>also a question about whether this could be extended by

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<v Speaker 2>a much greater length of time. John Thune suggested just

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<v Speaker 2>twenty four hours ago that a full year cr might

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<v Speaker 2>be the only way out of this. The White House

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<v Speaker 2>has suggested it, and we spoke earlier today with the

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<v Speaker 2>chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, Congressman Jason Smith,

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<v Speaker 2>told us he would support such a move. So you're

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<v Speaker 2>not facing potential shutdowns every couple of months here. How

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<v Speaker 2>about you through December twenty twenty six. Would you vote

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<v Speaker 2>for that?

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<v Speaker 4>Well, let me just say this, this is part of

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<v Speaker 4>the problem. Instead of coming to talk leadership, talking amongst

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<v Speaker 4>each other, Democrats and Republicans and all of us working

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<v Speaker 4>together like we normally should, we're hearing conversations from the

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<v Speaker 4>press and offers coming from the press. No offense to

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<v Speaker 4>both of you, but this is where this should happen,

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<v Speaker 4>right here in Washington, and us coming to the table

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<v Speaker 4>having these conversations.

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<v Speaker 1>That's part of the impact.

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<v Speaker 4>And this is my frustration in some of my colleagues,

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<v Speaker 4>we see the same frustration Republican leadership, Democratic leadership, the

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<v Speaker 4>White House.

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<v Speaker 1>We need to all be in the same room.

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<v Speaker 4>We need to be working like the American of public

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<v Speaker 4>expects us to do in Congress and do our jobs.

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<v Speaker 3>Senator, though you are not all in the same room.

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<v Speaker 3>So what do you believe could be the turning point here?

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<v Speaker 4>I think it starts with the conversations around things that

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<v Speaker 4>you've just said. We all obviously need to open up

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<v Speaker 4>the government. We have to address and appropriation skills and

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<v Speaker 4>still pass those. We're going to need time to get

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<v Speaker 4>those done. And we have to fix the Affordable Care Act.

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<v Speaker 4>All of those things are on the tables. It's not

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<v Speaker 4>going to change, and that's why we have to come

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<v Speaker 4>together and start talking about those and how we vote

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<v Speaker 4>on those, and what our agreements are around those very areas,

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<v Speaker 4>and how we start moving those forward.

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<v Speaker 2>Each state is feeling this a little bit differently by

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<v Speaker 2>way of furloughed federal workers, Senator, and your case in

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<v Speaker 2>the VATA. Among the many furloughed are nuclear staffers inspectors

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<v Speaker 2>who are watching the nuclear stock pile in your state.

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<v Speaker 2>They have in many cases been furloughed as well by

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<v Speaker 2>way of the Energy Secretary. I'm curious your reaction to

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<v Speaker 2>sending those workers home and if this is a national

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<v Speaker 2>security problem.

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<v Speaker 1>So most people don't know.

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<v Speaker 4>The Nuclear Security Agency has a number of sites across

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<v Speaker 4>the country. One of them is the Nevada Site Security Site,

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<v Speaker 4>where we actually have federal workers and contract workers overseeing

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<v Speaker 4>our nuclear stockpile and ensuring its national security, testing the stockpile,

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<v Speaker 4>ensuring its safety, and amongst other things. Those are central workers.

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<v Speaker 4>They should not be furlowed, they should not be fired,

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<v Speaker 4>and they should continue to get paid. It's essential for

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<v Speaker 4>a national security and for so many other reasons. Again,

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<v Speaker 4>what I saw happen just recently with this Energy secretary

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<v Speaker 4>is more of this politics is trying to put pressure

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<v Speaker 4>and play political games. The end of the day, the

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<v Speaker 4>only people that are suffering are these federal workers and Americans.

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<v Speaker 1>They're constantly ponds.

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<v Speaker 4>Federal workers and federal contracts are constantly ponds and at

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<v Speaker 4>the whims of political agendas, and it's just outrageous to me.

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<v Speaker 4>That's the reason why I don't support shutdowns. We can

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<v Speaker 4>still do our jobs and get things done without using

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<v Speaker 4>a federal worker as a pond. This is a very

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<v Speaker 4>example of what the impact is in Nevada. And it's

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<v Speaker 4>not just my contractors and federal workers at that test

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<v Speaker 4>site out at the nuclear site. It is federal workers

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<v Speaker 4>throughout my state. It is a tourism industry that's having

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<v Speaker 4>an impact of the bad policies from this administration. So

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<v Speaker 4>we're sitting a downturn in tourism across the country, including

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<v Speaker 4>in Nevada. I'm now hearing because I follow what's happening

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<v Speaker 4>in my state. Housing is not moving as quickly as

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<v Speaker 4>it could because there's no federal workers to do.

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<v Speaker 1>The permitting that we need. That's crazy to me.

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<v Speaker 4>My small businesses and businesses who rely on SBA loans

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<v Speaker 4>are not getting those loans because there's no federal workers

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<v Speaker 4>at the SPA to do those loans. I mean, it's

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<v Speaker 4>just this is part of the problem why we should

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<v Speaker 4>never have a government shutdown. We should be doing our jobs, appropriating,

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<v Speaker 4>making sure we're moving forward, coming together to work together.

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<v Speaker 1>And that is my frustration.

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<v Speaker 4>That's some of the frustration I hear from colleagues, both

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<v Speaker 4>Democrats and Republicans that are not in leadership, and that's

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<v Speaker 4>why many of us have been talking and negotiating and

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<v Speaker 4>trying to figure out a way out of this impasse.

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<v Speaker 3>Senator, just a short time ago, I do want to

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<v Speaker 3>get to some quick foreign policy before we leave you.

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<v Speaker 3>A short time ago, Scott Bess and the Treasury Secretary

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<v Speaker 3>said to reporters outside of the White House quote, we

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<v Speaker 3>are either going to announce after the close this afternoon

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<v Speaker 3>or first thing tomorrow morning, a substantial pickup in Russian sanctions.

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<v Speaker 3>Just want to get your reaction to that.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah. So, I sit on the Banking Committee.

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<v Speaker 4>I support sanctions against Russia and have in the past

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<v Speaker 4>and will continue to do so. I think we need

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<v Speaker 4>to put as much pressure as we can on Russia.

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<v Speaker 4>I support Ukraine going on is outrageous, this illegal war

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<v Speaker 4>of Putin, and we have to continue using the levers

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<v Speaker 4>that we have here. Some of those are sanctions, in

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<v Speaker 4>my case in the Banking Committee, those are financial sanctions

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<v Speaker 4>that we have to continue to impose, and I hope

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<v Speaker 4>we do use all the levers we can to hold

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<v Speaker 4>Russia and putin accountable.

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<v Speaker 2>Our thanks to Senator Cortes Maso for joining us today.