Fox News "The Story with Martha McCallum" - Transcript Interview with Eric Swalwell
Interview
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MARTHA MACCALLUM, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: So, joining me now, Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell, a member of the judiciary committee.
Congressman, good to have you back this evening.
REP. ERIC SWALWELL (D-CA): Thanks, Martha.
MACCALLUM: So, does that mean that we're going to see a deal and how soon?
SWALWELL: Let's get a deal. We have passed the HEROES Act already. We've come down a trillion dollars from what we passed back in May. The president wants a higher number. The need, as you know, Martha, is great. People are in food lines. No -- never in our history have more people been unemployed.
And so, let's go as big as the need is. And I think we're ready to do a deal now.
MACCALLUM: So, he's at, I think 1.5 trillion. Is that a starting point? Is that a place that do you think Democrats could get to?
SWALWELL: Well, what we want to make sure is that we extend unemployment until the end of the year. We also want hazard pay for the frontline workers the states, and these are red states and blue states like Florida and Georgia, and Tennessee and Texas who have deficit short falls, they need relief, too. So, we want a trillion dollars. And we're willing to, I think play with that number for their relief.
MACCALLUM: Yes. I mean --
(CROSSTALK)
SWALWELL: So, I think we can do this, Martha.
MACCALLUM: You know that the state and local area has been a sticking point here. There's already been --
(CROSSTALK)
SWALWELL: But not for the -- not for the Republican governors and Republican mayors.
MACCALLUM: -- just under a trillion --
SWALWELL: They want it.
MACCALLUM: -- under a trillion that already went out and $300 billion of it, $300 billion of it is still unspent at that state and local level. So why would you release more money when $300 billion has not even been spent yet? And we did $3.6 trillion in the overall.
(CROSSTALK)
SWALWELL: Sure. My family and friends -- my family and friends in Florida where the governor today has announced that no Floridian now will receive unemployment because they have run out of money. They sure could use the money. In Texas where they say it's a $4.4 billion deficit, they sure could use the money.
So, this is really seeing us all as Americans not as red states and blue state.
MACCALLUM: No, there's the 300 billion in that pie that should be allocated to those places.
SWALWELL: I agree.
MACCALLUM: That's where they need it. Because, you know, what we don't want -- it's all taxpayer hard working earned money that goes to this. It's not funny money. So, it has to be tracked and allocated and if there's still money that is in the last tranche, I think a lot of people would ask why you would need to get more of that.
This is the Wall Street Journal editorial board. Pelosi's nervous majority.
There's also no reason for Mr. Trump to give a break to the swing state Democrats who are shouting at Mrs. Pelosi to do a deal. She's putting a bail-out for progressive politicians in blue states ahead of genuine COVID relief. The voters ought to hear about it before they cast their ballots.
What do you say to that that, sir?
SWALWELL: Again, Donald Trump is the president of every state and the need is in every state. And look, we have passed the HEROS Act. We have done our job, and the Congress were ready to negotiate. The only person who has really failed to negotiate is the guy who wrote a book called "The Art of the Deal." This president so far has not been able to find a deal at a garage sale. But I'm excited that he has now express a willingness to go up and meet the need. What we should do is not meet in piecemeal --
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: Well, I think a lot of people saw a lot of members of Congress
--
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SWALWELL: -- or small.
MACCALLUM: -- who didn't come back who were at home --
SWALWELL: We should try and meet the need.
MACCALLUM: -- and not doing what they should be doing when there was a lot of common ground in the middle of this bill that could have been passed perhaps quite some time ago so that people wouldn't still be in that situation suffering. So, I think there's fault on all sides.
(CROSSTALK)
SWALWELL: But there's no time like the present, right, Martha?
MACCALLUM: Absolutely.
SWALWELL: So, let's do it now.
MACCALLUM: Get it done. I just want to play this for you because I know that this got you fired up and you were tweeting about it. This is Jim Cramer and Nancy Pelosi.
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JIM CRAMER, HOST, CNBC: What deal can we have, crazy Nancy? I'm sorry.
That was the president. I have such reverence for the office. I would never use that term. But it is hard to --
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PELOSI: But you just did.
CRAMER: Come on.
PELOSI: You just did.
CRAMER: You know what I mean. You know what I mean.
PELOSI: I know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: You know what I mean. My goodness. Your reaction to that?
SWALWELL: I don't think you would say that to a woman. She responded with dignity. But he apologized. And I think we should accept his apology and move on.
MACCALLUM: I'm not sure you would say it too. He says he calls people lots of things. So, I don't know if he would say to it a woman or man or not.
But anyway, they made up. So that's good. Good to see you, Congressman.
Thank you very much.
SWALWELL: You, too. Thanks, Martha.
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