Transcripts For FBC The Evening Edit 20240711 : comparemela.

Plus reverberations are being felt after the doublewhammy from attorney general bill barr who said, no, the Justice Department has not found any widespread evidence of voter fraud, yes, he did appoint a special ounce sell to probe the origins of the trump russia investigation. Critics calling out nasdaq to force companies to include women and minorities on their boards. They say it is another example focus on identity politics taking precedent over efficient capitalism. President obama, remember him, attacks the party about defunding police. They need more than snappy slogans. That is drawing sharp criticism from his fellow democrats. Im gerry baker in for elizabeth mccdonald. The evening edit starts right now. Gerry we begin tonight on capitol hill where there is potential progress on delivering a covid relief package. Fox news Congressional Correspondent chad pergram has the details. Chad . Reporter good evening, gerry. The Senate Majority leader Mitch Mcconnell is pushing socalled skinny 500 billiondollar coronavirus bill. He does not want to do a messaging bill, he wants to pass something that can earn the signature of the president of the United States. That is why he believes he hit the sweet spot on this particular piece of legislation here. Mitch mcconnell was on the senate floor this morning. He says there may be some daylight. Finally this week were seeing cracks starting to form in the Democratic Leaders stonewall, thank goodness for the country that is finally happening. Reporter coalition of bipartisan senators introduced a 908 billiondollar plan this week. What mcconnell is referring to House Speaker nancy pelosi and Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer saying that plan, quote should be used as the basis for immediate bipartisan, bicameral negotiations. Democratic West Virginia senator joe manchin helped craft that bill. He says mcconnells effort is lacking. I can assure you with my republican colleagues, the way i feel also, ive spoken to governors on all sides, they know they cannot cure their i wills with this money. Reporter now treasury secretary steve mnuchin, he was on capitol hill today testifying before a house committee. He is encouraging lawmakers to come to agreement on a coronavirus bill but ruled out the idea of direct payments today. Gerry. Gerry chad, thanks so much for joining us. To the growing backlash against the democrats lockdown double standards, do as i say, not do as i do. These politicians are imposing strict rules on residents and Business Owners and then ignoring them, doing more or less exactly what they please. Joining me now is new york republican congressman lee zeldin. Thanks for joining me. Thank you, gerry. Gerry it is striking, isnt it, the most important rule for many democratic governors, leaders, seems to be there is one rule for me and one rule for everybody else. What do we do about that . That causes a lot of resentment. One of the key principles in leadership is consistency. Also in this particular situation where youre enacting restrictions, limitations on behaviors of individuals, of businesses, you need to be able to pass a basic smell test subjectively for the individual or business. It has to, it cant lack common sense. So in the situation where you might have someone enacting a restriction on say Outdoor Dining, in enacting a restriction on Outdoor Dining you say its a bad situation, after you make the statement, you cast your vote, you go out to eat at a restaurant, that ends up causing resentment amongst your constituents. It makes it very difficult. So what youre seeing criticism at the local level and state level in maces like oregon, nevada, in new york and new jersey and elsewhere, is an issue where people really starting to push back against the elected leaders, especially, not only where it lacks common sense, not passing the smell test but also where you might have the elected official flaunting as you pointed out their own restrictions. Gerry congressman, it doesnt seem to be stopping, doesnt seem to be letting up. Every day we seem to hear new cases, the San Francisco mayor announced today, so many cases in the last week alone of these Democratic Leaders saying these are the rules but we discover they have done something else. What can people actually do to push back . It looks like if anything well get more restrictive measures in many of these states over the next month or so . Ultimately you have elected officials, some who might be up for election next november or the november that follows, sometimes voters, americans might have a short memory and in other cases they deserve more credit than they get in remembering even if its a couple years later what happened. With regards to these lockdowns, you can speak up. You can advocate, you can mobilize, you can rally. Ultimately when it comes down to that power to enact a restriction or limitation the ultimate power in this great country is to throw these people out of office when it is that time to cast the vote. Meantime if youre a Small Business owner, you might not make it to november of 2022. You ban together with other Restaurant Owners to push back on the substance as to why a restriction might not make sense or if youre a place of worship, regardless whether you are your capacity is 200 or 2,000 in your state, if you can have the same limit, maybe you need to push back to make your argument publicly banning together with other churches and bringing lawsuits. That is why last week you saw the u. S. Supreme court rule unconstitutional the restriction on houses of worship in new york state. Gerry as you say the Supreme Court weighed in on that and weighed in very firm language. Do you think there is other legal avenues here . Again as these restrictions probably get tater in some places do you think there could be more legal challenges . The Supreme Court seemed to suggest it, was narrow case, on the issue of religious freedom but the Supreme Court seemed to indicate a majority willing to take a skeptical view of some of these really, really restrictive measures against peoples freedoms . No doubt there is room for additional cases in the right to worship in nevada, regardless of your capacity limit you might only be able to have 50, even if you might normally hold 200, 2,000, only have 50. Or go to oregon where you only have 25. Those cases especially with the Supreme Court and in the new york case, they have that ability and inclination to rule unconstitutional some limitations. As far as the other businesses one of added props is that these local and state elected officials enacting that restriction on the business and on that industry, theyre not at the same time talking about how to get that business through the lockdown. They are ignoring, theyre not paying attention to the common sense mathematics, economics of getting that industry through, in new york state if you want to enact a restriction on 10 00 p. M. , you cant go to a gym at 10 30 p. M. , that will lead to more people going during the day. You have increased the density. As you go state to state, youre seeing a lot of inconsistencies, i think the lawsuits you have strong arguments to be made even if it is not a First Amendment, freedom of religion argument i think there are other meritfilled arguments to be making where state and federal courts can rule in favor of these local businesses, these industries because theyre not going to survive otherwise and youre going to see more Business Owners and others starting to stand up to some of these restrictions because they cant survive otherwise. Gerry finally, congressman, very briefly, looks like weve got progress, we reported progress on the covid Financial Relief talks, possible another package coming through. Do you think were moving closer to a deal for more Financial Relief . Well see. I mean there is, theres a strong need for especially we were talking about those businesses, additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program is a great example. Food assistance and other areas that are being discussed at the table, education, state and local government funding is part of the talks. It is really important that the speaker of the house kind of recalculate her compass where exactly her leverage is. She made a strategic mistake not taking the deal before the election. The president went from 1. 6 trillion to 1. 8 trillion, 1. 9 trillion in his offer, the speaker didnt take yes for an answer. She is now in a weaker position. What would be really big mistake waiting until joe biden was president of the United States would help her. The speaker needs donald trump help deliver Congressional Republican votes. The smart thing for the speaker of the house in Work Together cutting a deal right now this month because if she waits any longer, she will have even less leverage come less month. Gerry actually as you point out, congressman, many more fellow republican houses in the new house, new congress, that meet next month. Congressman lee zeldin, thanks very much for joining us. Thank you, gerry. Gerry former National Economic Council Director for barack obama Gene Sperling will talk about the incoming biden cabinet, what they will do and how hard it might be in the face of rising resistance from republicans and some democrats alike for those nominees to get through. Stay with us. Well the problem with neera tanden not so much her tweets it is her radical liberal ideas. Neera tanden has no chance being confirmed. 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Gifts keep coming at you. Everywhere. This is 5g from americas most reliable network. Ithe first full prescriptionis pstrength nonsteroidal antiinflammatory gel. Available over the counter. Voltaren is powerful arthritis pain relief in a gel. Voltaren. The joy of movement. teen mom. It happened again. vo add some thrill to your wish list. At the season of audi sales event. Gerry at least one of president elect joe bidens cabinet picks may already be facing a brick wall when it comes to senate confirmation. Joining me to discuss this, other matters, former National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling, Economic Policy rolls in both last democratic administrations. Thanks for having me, gerry. Gerry you may have not heard before the break, tom cotton republican senator from arkansas, no chance near rattan dem, the president bidens pick for office of management and budget. No chance she is confirmed. She seems to be a controversial pick. Why do you think joe biden picked her . She is eminently qualified. She has run a major organization. She knows a vast amount of policy, gerry, neera tanden is embody meant of the american dream. This is somebody who was raised by a single mom, on food stamps, section 8 public housing, roads through ucla and law school and academic, professional success. I have not heard a single respectable reason people would oppose her she is kind of a pull no punches tweeter. Gerry she deleted a 1000 tweets, gene, many whom directed at some senators she is expected to confirm her. You know, youve been around politics a long time. There are risks doing that kind of thing. Can you think after prominent person say who sits in the white house who tweets much, much harsher things. Gerry he was elected by the people to be fair. Here is the important thing, you know many of these republican senators tweeted very harsh things about joe biden. He is still going to work with them if they want to Work Together on policy. Neera tanden done some tough tweeting but i think there is no argument she is outside the mainstream of democratic party. She is not qualified, that she would be, i think a very inspiring choice would be the first woman of color to head the office of management and budget. Nobody is really questioning her qualifications. So i know theyre raising a storm but i think when they have to actually stand up to say what it is about neera tanden that they oppose, if the main thing is tough tweets, well, you know, people are going to, what is that thing about you know, dont throw stones if you live in a glass house . I think people will think about that. Gerry i havent noticed too many abusive tweets from you, between. You have a little more reticence. Moving on to the actual economic challenges looks like were increasingly likely were probably going to get an economic, some sort of a package before the end of this, before the end of this congress. No certainty in that but we could get something. Janet yellen said yesterday when she was announced as president elect bidens pick for treasury secretary, the country still faces serious Economic Risks and challenges. Assume we get some sort of a package the next month, president biden, janet yellen takes office, early january, what more are they going to do to help the economy recover from its current problems . Well i think youre obviously going to depend on what is in the existing package but i think people have to worry very seriously about a very uneven kind of unfair recovery. I think that if youre fortunate, like i am, perhaps you are, to have continued to be working, maybe saved more, you know, yes, you may have some pentup demand and that might help the economy and it might mean a lot of people who never lost a job are doing okay but for many people who are dramatically behind in the rent, who lost jobs, i think we all know there is going to be a lot of jobs that are permanently lost. I think that requires a strong fiscal response and i think that means real new job creation like infrastructure bill. I think it means having Unemployment Insurance that allows people who may have permanently lost their job to find new work, find new skills to get those jobs. And i think there is going to be things like child care, Small Businesses that have closed where it is going to be hard to pay the debt to come back. I think it will take a very serious agenda, i hope the republicans dont take the view just say no because it is joe bidens economy and realize these are their constituents, are their workers, tough workers who maybe arent in the higher middle class but they have worked hard their whole lives, lost jobs or Small Businesses or ability to get child care because of pandemic and they need some help because it is the right thing morally, it is the right thing to make sure they dont lose their future Job Opportunities and it will be the right thing for the economy in spurring economic demand which i think will be good across the board. Gerry gene, finally quickly, the overall look of the cabinet so far, seems pretty mainstream, say joe biden type, not a lot of, there havent been a more from the progressive wing of the party and there is a little bit of rumbling about that. We still have pour positions to come. You think there might be a role for Bernie Sanders on role for some on the left of the party still to come . Very briefly if you would. I really dont know the answer. I heard Bernie Sanders was interested in secretary of labor. I really dont know the answer but i do think that what joe biden has done very carefully is pick people who have been able to draw significant support. Janet yellens number one. She has been popular with the progressives, more moderates, yet the republicans also know that she commands respect globally. So i think they have done well. I think your point only confirms that neera tanden is actually in the mainstream of progressive thought. She is a fighter but shes, but again, i dont think there is going to be really solid objections i think will hold up when we come to her confirmation hearing. Gerry gene, she is certainly a fighter. Gene, thank you very much for joining us. Thank you, gerry. Gerry next former u. S. Attorney brett tolman weighs in on attorney general bill barr weighing in himself on two major fronts this week, the president ial election and the trumprussia probe. Well we continue the process of finalizing, counting every single legal vote here in georgia. Wednesday at midnight there is recount will be finished. It was requested by the president and his campaign and that will be [ thunder rumbles ] [ engine rumbling ] [ beeping ] [ engine revs