SO FAR OFF THE MAP AND ALIENATED FROM DEMOCRATIC TRADITIONS, EVEN THEIR ALLIES HAVE NO STOMACH FOR IT. WHICH IS MORE LIKELY. INDEPENDENT SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS OF VERMONT, DO TO HAVE YOU. YOU’VE BEEN A CRITIC OF CORPORATE POWER FOR A VERY LONG TIME. SO I IMAGINE YOU FEEL VERY EXCITED TO HAVE ALL THESE NEW COLLABORATORS AND COMRADES TO LINK ARMS WITH YOU TO SERIOUSLY TAKE ON CORPORATE POWER IN AMERICA FROM THE REPUBLICAN SIDE. >> IT’S JUST EXTRAORDINARY, CHRIS, AFTER A TRILLION DOLLARS OF TAX BREAKS, LOWERING THE CORPORATE TAX RATE, AFTER PROTECTING THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY FOR CHARGEING US BY FAR HIGHEST PRICES FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, MITCH McCONNELL AND FRIENDS ARE NOW UPSET THAT SOME CORPORATIONS HAVE SAYING IT’S AN OUTRAGE IN JORNGZ GEORGIA THEY’RE TRYING TO MAKE IT HARDER FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR AND LOW INCOME PEOPLE TO VOTE. ALL OF THIS IS NOTHING MORE THAN A DEFLECTION, YOU MADE THE POINT WELL, DEFLECTION FROM THE REALITY THAT ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY IS REPUBLICANS ARE TRYING TO PROTECT THEIR INTERESTS BY MAKING IT HARDER FOR PEOPLE VOTING AGAINST THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS. THAT MEANS MINORITIES, YOUNG PEOPLE, NOT SYMPATHETIC TO RIGHT-WING AGENDA, AND OUR JOB IS AMONG OTHER THINGS TO PASS HR-1, AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF LEGISLATION WHICH SAYS IN AMERICA IF YOU’RE 18 YEARS OF AGE, NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO IN GEORGIA OR ANYPLACE ELSE, YOU GOT THE RIGHT TO VOTE. >> RIGHT. >> THAT WE GET RID OF, MOVE FORWARD TO ADDRESS CITIZENS UNITED AND BY THE WAY, AS YOU KNOW, MITCH McCONNELL WAS THE BIGGEST SENATE DEFENDER OF CITIZENS UNITED. >> YES! >> AND ABILITY OF CORPORATIONS TO BUY ELECTIONS. >> AMAZING THING TO WATCH MITCH McCONNELL OF ALL PEOPLE, THE NAMED PLAINTIFF TO SUE AGAINST McCAIN FEINGOLD, BIGGEST PUSHER OF CITIZENS UNITED. BELIEF THAT CORPORATE RIGHT TO SPEAK IS SACROSANCT, TO SAY CORPORATIONS STAY OUT OF POLITICS, ASTONISHING SENTIMENT FOR THAT MAN TO HONOR. >> WE KNOW LONGER SAY THE WORD "ASTONISHING" IN WASHINGTON, D.C., THEY’RE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING TO WIN ELECTIONS, INCLUDES INCLUDING EXCESSIVE GERRYMANDERING, AND CAN’T THINK OF ANY ISSUE MORE IMPORTANT THAN MAKING SURE AMERICANS CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS. >> IT IS INTERESTING AND STRANGE TO ME, NOT COMING FROM VISION OF POLITICAL ECONOMY LIKE CRITICISMS YOU’VE LEVELLED AT AMAZON OR WALMART IS COMING FROM. MARCO RUBIO, THE AMAZON UNIONIZATION DRIVE, YOU’RE OUTSPOKEN IN SUPPORT OF IT. MARCO RUBIO SAYING I DON’T REALLY LIKE UNIONS, AND TEND TO SIDE WITH CORPORATIONS OVER THEM BUT BECAUSE AMAZON’S CULTURAL PRONOUNCEMENTS ARE BAD, I NOW SUPPORT THE UNION SORT OF. SEEING MORE OF THIS, THAT REPUBLICANS SHOULD USE THE MECHANISMS OF REGULATION OF THE STATE TO PUNISH SPEECH AND INTERVENTIONS POLITICALLY BY CORPORATIONS. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT? >> I TAKE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT TAKE. I THINK THE REPUBLICAN PARTY NOW, AND CERTAIN LEADERS OF THE PARTY, ARE TRYING TO PRETEND THEY’RE A PARTY OF THE WORKING CLASS. THESE WHAT THEY’RE TRYING TO DO. OBVIOUSLY THAT’S TOTAL NONSENSE. WHAT THEY’RE TRYING TO DO IS APPEAL TO WORKING-CLASS PEOPLE IN TERMS OF RACIAL POLITICS, HOMOPHOBIC POLITICS, XENOPHOBIC POLITICS. AND OUR JOB, WHICH TAKES ME TO WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO DO WITH RECONCILIATION HERE, DEMOCRATS LOUDLY AND PROUDLY HAVE TO BE THE PARTY OF THE WORKING CLASS IN THIS COUNTRY AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ON THE GREED OF CORPORATE AMERICA, NEED TO BE PASSING SECOND RECONCILIATION BILL, DEALING NOT ONLY WITH PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND CREATING MILLIONS OF GOOD PAYING JOBS, WE NEED TO DEAL WITH HUMAN INFRASTRUCTURE, HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION, CLIMATE CHANGE. >> YEAH. >> MAKING SURE EVERY KID IN THIS COUNTRY GETS QUALITY EDUCATION HE OR SHE NEEDS, DOES NOT LEAVE SCHOOL DEEPLY IN DEBT. ONE OF THE ISSUES I’M WORKING ON IN THE NEW RECONCILIATION PACKAGE IS THE NEED TO EXPAND MEDICARE TO COVER DENTAL, HEARING AIDS, EYEGLASSES, BECAUSE MILLIONS OF SENIORS CAN’T AFFORD THOSE. LOWER MEDICARE ELIGIBILITY TO 60 SO A LOT MORE PEOPLE CAN GET INTO THAT IMPORTANT PROGRAM. >> MENTIONED SECOND RECONCILIATION PACKAGE, THERE’S INTERESTING CONTEXT. WHEN THE COVID RESCUE PASSED, SAW REPUBLICANS RAILING AGAINST DR. SEUSS, DIDN’T MAKE A PARTICULARLY CONCERTED OR EFFECTIVE ARGUMENT AGAINST THAT PACKAGE. TODAY THERE’S A RULING FROM SENATE PARLIAMENTARIAN, AND WE DON’T HAVE TO GET CAUGHT UP IN PROCESS BUT YOU GET ANOTHER SHOT AT RECONCILIATION BILL THAT CAN PASS WITH 50 VOTES. >> YES. >> HOW BIG OF A DEAL IS THAT? GAME CHANGER? >> PRETTY BIG DEAL. >> FOR THE LEGISLATIVE HORIZON FOR DEMOCRATS. >> IT’S IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT GIVES US A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY, DON’T HAVE TO PUSH EVERYTHING INTO ONE BILL. IN OTHER WORDS, RIGHT NOW, WHAT THIS NEW RECONCILIATION PACKAGE IS ABOUT IS DEALING WITH LONG-TERM STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS. EVERYBODY KNOWS OUR PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IS COLLAPSING. WE KNOW WE CAN CREATE MILLIONS OF JOBS, TRANSFORMING OUR ENERGY SYSTEM AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUEL, BUT ALSO WE HAVE GOT TO DEAL WITH HUMAN INFRASTRUCTURE. WE CANNOT CONTINUE BEING ONLY MAJOR COUNTRY ON EARTH THAT DOESN’T HAVE PAID FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE. WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY NOW TO SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER STUDENT DEBT TO MAKE PUBLIC COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES TUITION FREE, TO EXPAND HEALTH CARE. WE’RE BEHIND MANY OTHER MAJOR COUNTRIES ON EARTH IN GUARANTEEING BASIC ECONOMIC RIGHTS TO WORKING FAMILIES, AND WE HAVE GOT TO MOVE FORWARD. THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT AND RULING FROM THE PARLIAMENTARIAN GIVES US A LITTLE BIT MORE OPPORTUNITY IN THAT DIRECTION. >> TO BRING TO THE FINAL POINT AND END A LITTLE BIT WHERE WE BEGAN, MY UNDERSTANDING IS ONE OF THE BIG FIGHTS IS GOING TO BE ON THE CORPORATE TAX RATE, A HUGE POLICY FIGHT IN WHICH THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS GOING TO TRY TO RAISE TAXES FOR CORPORATIONS AND REPUBLICAN WILL NOT GIVE A SINGLE VOTE FOR IT. I HAVEN’T LOST MY MIND, THAT’S ONE OF THE BIG POLICY FIGHTS? >> I KNOW YOU WILL BE SHOCKED AFTER McCONNELL’S VEHEMENT ANTICORPORATE RANT TODAY THAT HE WILL VOTE VIGOROUSLY AND LEAD THE OPPOSITION AGAINST ASKING
