1 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news. 2 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:11,160 Speaker 2: We turned out a Democratic Congressman, Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, 3 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 2: joining us here on balance of power. Congressman, it's so 4 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:16,479 Speaker 2: good to have you this evening as we consider the 5 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 2: changes the speakers trying to navigate here with the various 6 00:00:19,360 --> 00:00:23,480 Speaker 2: factions of his party. They include bringing forward potentially stricter 7 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 2: work requirements for Medicaid, bringing forward rollbacks to subsidies, and 8 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 2: the Inflation Reduction Act. All of that could get us 9 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:32,640 Speaker 2: closer to the midterms in twenty twenty six. Does that 10 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:36,480 Speaker 2: actually serve you and your party better in thoughts about 11 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:38,080 Speaker 2: reclaiming the House majority? 12 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 3: Well, thank you very much for having me. 13 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 1: I'm not too sure that we are concerned about the 14 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 1: conduct at this moment. We are concern about the people 15 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:51,360 Speaker 1: that are going to be affected by all of this. 16 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: I always say, if we take care of our jobs, 17 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 1: if we take care of the American people, that will 18 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 1: do all we need to do for us as Democrats. Now, 19 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 1: we don't know, or at least I don't know yet 20 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:14,120 Speaker 1: exactly what all there is to this legislation. I do 21 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:20,200 Speaker 1: know this, there is no knee jerk opposition to work requirements. 22 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 1: We Democrats another pose to work requirements if they make sense. 23 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:31,119 Speaker 1: And the problem we've got now is that people tend 24 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:32,759 Speaker 1: not to remember that. 25 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 3: We've had work requirements. 26 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:38,120 Speaker 1: In these pieces of legislation for several years now. 27 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 3: We don't oppose that. 28 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 1: We do oppose balancing the budget on the backs of 29 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 1: working men and women. And I don't understand how they 30 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 1: investor class they make their money off of people spending money, 31 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 1: or so against people having money to spend. It seems 32 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: to me that you would be interested in your products 33 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 1: being afforded by the people who work in these companies 34 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:19,079 Speaker 1: and on the manufacturing places that you invest in and 35 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: that you own. 36 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 3: It's just like this Medicaid. 37 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: Medicaid has beneficiaries, but the people who benefit from medicaid, 38 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:32,560 Speaker 1: or the people who own the nursing homes, the people 39 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:38,000 Speaker 1: are on these hospitals, these are the people who get 40 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:38,639 Speaker 1: the benefit. 41 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:41,920 Speaker 3: And so I just think that the. 42 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 1: Time for us to start pushing a serious narrative about 43 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 1: who or the beneficiaries as well as who gets the benefits. 44 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 3: And that's what we Democrats are concerned about. 45 00:02:57,680 --> 00:02:59,359 Speaker 4: Congress soon, it's good to have you back. I'm sure 46 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 4: you saw the news from Moodies on Friday. 47 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 3: The US no. 48 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 4: Longer has a triple A credit rating by any of 49 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 4: the major ratings agencies, and we've got the debt limit 50 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 4: to deal with here. We're waiting for a more firm 51 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:11,519 Speaker 4: X state on this, but it looks like it will 52 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:16,080 Speaker 4: probably be part of this massive reconciliation project. How do 53 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,520 Speaker 4: you reconcile potentially voting no on this bill knowing the 54 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 4: debt ceiling needs to be raised. 55 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:25,200 Speaker 3: Well, you know, I've always been one for getting rid 56 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:25,960 Speaker 3: of the debt seimit. 57 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:29,200 Speaker 1: Ever since I've been in the Congress over thirty years now, 58 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: I've always advocated by getting rid of that. We know 59 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 1: on the company left doing that. I just think I 60 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: think there may be one of us and said, I 61 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 1: think of what we ought to do is separate that 62 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 1: from everything else. 63 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 3: We ought not have that as a part of this package. 64 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 1: And so I would be voting against this bill irrespective 65 00:03:56,680 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 1: of the fact that they're putting things in the raising 66 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 1: the debt limit, because for raising the debt limit, I've 67 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: got to vote yainst people having income or being able 68 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 1: to occur in. 69 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:14,920 Speaker 3: The debt at all. And so that's the fool's eerrand 70 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 3: that I'm not going to go on. 71 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 2: Congressman, I'm sure you are familiar with the thinking of 72 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:25,679 Speaker 2: some Republicans in the Senate, including Senator Josh Holly, for example, 73 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 2: who is also not in favor of Medicaid cuts of 74 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 2: any kind. President Trump suggests he doesn't really want to 75 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 2: see Medicaid touched for eligible individuals as well. To what 76 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:37,800 Speaker 2: extent do you expect that the other chamber may actually 77 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:40,160 Speaker 2: be the one that make sure these policies don't come 78 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:42,719 Speaker 2: to law, and that it's not just Democrats not voting 79 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 2: for this in the House, but Senate Republicans saying no 80 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 2: to some of these policies. 81 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:50,840 Speaker 3: Well, I think there'd be some Senator Republicans saying no. 82 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:54,919 Speaker 1: I think that's some House Republicans who would like to 83 00:04:54,960 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: say no as well. It just so happens that people 84 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:05,839 Speaker 1: tend to put priority over whether or not they remain 85 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 1: in this Congress or whether or not they get challenged 86 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 1: in the primary. That's never been a priority for me. 87 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:21,000 Speaker 1: I get challenged every year, and that's fine. I'm here 88 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: to do everything I possibly can to make those greatnesses. 89 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:28,680 Speaker 1: And the people say, I'd hear me say this, but 90 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:32,440 Speaker 1: this is a great country. We got a great educational system, 91 00:05:32,839 --> 00:05:38,880 Speaker 1: We've got a great healthcare system, energy, We've. 92 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:40,960 Speaker 3: Got it all. The problem is. 93 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 1: All Americans can't affod it. All Americans need to be 94 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 1: able to forward these things. And so that's what I 95 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:56,960 Speaker 1: am going to be voted for trying to do the 96 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 1: things are the necessary so that all irrespective of what 97 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:05,279 Speaker 1: side of town you may live on, irrespective of what 98 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 1: zip code you exist in, whether or not you can 99 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 1: afford to educate your children, whether or not you can 100 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 1: afford to have health care, whether or not you can 101 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:19,360 Speaker 1: afford to pay your energy costs. These are the things 102 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: we ought to be about. And to the extent that 103 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 1: there are Republicans in the House and the Senate who 104 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:30,840 Speaker 1: would agree with us, I'm pleased to have them and 105 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:34,720 Speaker 1: I'm pleased to be associated with them. 106 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:37,720 Speaker 4: Harrison Kleinberg, I want to ask you about former President 107 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 4: Joe Biden's health and this terrible cancer diagnosis that we 108 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:44,000 Speaker 4: have all learned about. I know you two are close. 109 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:46,280 Speaker 4: Have you had a chance to talk with them. 110 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:52,200 Speaker 1: I have not talked to the former president about this diagnosis. 111 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:54,799 Speaker 3: I do believe that. 112 00:06:56,720 --> 00:07:02,560 Speaker 1: I received calls from him last week, which I did 113 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:06,919 Speaker 1: not get I saw this thing that I could not 114 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 1: return a call to and I was told on the 115 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: last evening those calls were coming from him. 116 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 3: So I have not talked to him, but I do 117 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:15,200 Speaker 3: know this. 118 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:19,480 Speaker 1: I know what it is to be associated with people 119 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:25,559 Speaker 1: going through dehabilitating illnesses. My late life spent thirty years 120 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:31,119 Speaker 1: fighting diabetes that led to heart failure or stroke, told 121 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:35,000 Speaker 1: kidney failure, and I know what that's like. My father 122 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 1: died from prostrate cancer, my mother from multiple my MoMA, 123 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:45,200 Speaker 1: and so these diseases that he has worked so hard 124 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 1: to help alleviate and eliminate, to see him become a 125 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:56,480 Speaker 1: victim to one, it's a little bit disheartening. But I 126 00:07:56,560 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 1: hope he will come along well, and I plan to 127 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 1: talk with him very soon. 128 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 2: Well. And we extend our well wishes to the former 129 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 2: president as well, and we're sorry for your loss as Congressman. 130 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:11,400 Speaker 2: But we just heard from President Trump in the Oval 131 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:15,680 Speaker 2: Office suggesting that somebody is not telling the facts around 132 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:18,240 Speaker 2: this diagnosis. There's dark corners of the Internet where people 133 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 2: are also questioning the timing of this announcement, And I 134 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:24,040 Speaker 2: wonder if it saddens you, sir, to see this kind 135 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:25,520 Speaker 2: of erosion of trust. 136 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:30,520 Speaker 1: Well, trust has been erouting for a long time in 137 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:33,360 Speaker 1: this country when it comes to our governmental process. 138 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:36,600 Speaker 3: This is not anything new. 139 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 1: I've been talking about this now for about ten years. 140 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:44,600 Speaker 1: I just left the meeting before coming out here when 141 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:49,320 Speaker 1: I talked about the erosion of trust in our government, 142 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 1: erosion of trust in the system. Whether or not we 143 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:57,920 Speaker 1: are going to continue to work together to try to 144 00:08:57,960 --> 00:08:59,559 Speaker 1: build a more perfect union. 145 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:02,319 Speaker 3: We're going to go the way the country went back in. 146 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:07,840 Speaker 1: The eighteen seventies when we initiated that which became known 147 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:11,720 Speaker 1: as Jim Crow. I referred to Project twenty twenty five 148 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:14,720 Speaker 1: as Jim Crow two point zero. And if you look 149 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:18,960 Speaker 1: through that project, you will see throughout that those nine 150 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:25,760 Speaker 1: hundred ages or all kinds of things that undermined the media, 151 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:30,559 Speaker 1: undermine the government, undermine the private sector. 152 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:33,960 Speaker 3: These are just things that are eroding. 153 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:37,960 Speaker 1: And so I know that people, no matter what they 154 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:41,200 Speaker 1: see here these days, they're not going to believe it. 155 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:49,160 Speaker 1: So I have no idea when the cancer was first detected. 156 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:56,480 Speaker 1: I do know this that hindsight is twenty twenty which 157 00:09:56,559 --> 00:09:59,439 Speaker 1: all of us because they have the benefit of hindsight 158 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:03,079 Speaker 1: as we go through the process of making decisions about 159 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:05,360 Speaker 1: our lives and our livelihoods. 160 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:08,440 Speaker 3: It's good to have you. 161 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:12,400 Speaker 4: Back with US Congressman Democratic Congressman Jim Clyburn of South Carolina. 162 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 3: We thank you.