CNN "Erin Burnett Outfront" - Transcript: Interview with Congressman French Hill
Interview
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[19:41:32]
GOLODRYGA: Tonight, a growing number of House Republicans defying President Trump during his final days in office. One hundred and nine Republicans joining Democrats to override his veto of a key defense spending bill that would give U.S. troops a raise, but a bill Trump opposed because it didn't repeal a law that protects big tech companies.
And 130 Republicans voting against $2,000 stimulus checks that President Trump has called for repeatedly.
Earlier today, Trump tearing into Republicans over the defense bill, tweeting: Weak and tired Republican leadership will allow the bad defense bill to pass, a disgraceful act of cowardice and total submission by weak people to big tech. Negotiate a better bill or get better leaders, now. Senate should not approve NDAA until fixed. OUTFRONT now, one Republican who went against President Trump on both
of those votes, Republican Congressman French Hill of Arkansas.
Congressman, thank you so much for taking the time to join us tonight.
Let's start with that defense bill. What do you say to President Trump calling this a disgraceful act of cowardice and total submission by weak people?
REP. FRENCH HILL (R-AR): Well, Bianna, thanks for having me on.
Well, this is President Trump's defense authorization bill. It contains his strategy for changing our national security strategy. It contains all the authorizations for new platforms, pay raises for our troops. It contains over 40 recommendations to change our strategies that relates to China, particular something that he's been very concerned about.
So, in my view, this is a key bill, a bill that supported and you saw that on both sides of the Capitol, with the vote for the NDAA, the National Defense Authorization bill, and the vote in the House to override the veto.
He's right about concerns about Section 230 as it relates to immunity for big tech companies, but it doesn't belong in this bill.
And I was very pleased to hear Mitch McConnell in the Senate -- our Senate leaders say today that he thought it should be taken up and dealt with. I know in the House, on both sides of the aisle, we want to look at Section 230, how it can be amended, and how it can be rectified.
GOLODRYGA: I know many referring to Mitch McConnell's proposal as a poison pill right now at this point, really putting Democrats up against the wall even though they had been the ones who have been pressuring Republicans over the past few days.
I also want to ask you about President Trump's repeated calls for Americans who receive those $2,000 stimulus checks. Not the previously agreed to $600, that his own treasury secretary put forward.
Today, he tweeted in part, quote: Unless Republicans have a death wish, and it is also the right thing to do. They must approve the $2,000 payments ASAP, $600 is not enough. This, of course, is a popular measure with American struggling to get by, are you worried that President Trump is right? And that opposing it is a, quote, death wish for the party?
HILL: Well, look, during the course of the year, Republicans and Democrats came together in the CARES Act provided immense relief in the face of the pandemic, particularly in the spring, and we didn't know how it would affect the economy, how it would affect our individual families. And during that time, a family of four with one person out of work has gotten over $20,000, in direct support in 2020 from the federal government, on top of their state unemployment. So, in my view, the $600 additional economic stimulus checks for
families combined with rental assistance, the Paycheck Protection Program to bring more people back to work, the enhanced weeks of unemployment, all that should be looked at together.
[19:45:14]
And I got 60 votes in the Senate, and I'm not sure the $2,000 threshold will get 60 votes in the Senate, and I believe that's why Treasury Secretary Mnuchin was able to craft the bill that he did, that we voted on that President Trump is now signed into law.
GOLODRYGA: I guess the big question here is the president could've pushed for this months ago. And who knows? He is convincing -- he may have even been successful at it. Why do you think he is putting your party, his own party, in such a bind right now?
HILL: Well, I think the president always advocated for more economic stimulus payments in the summer. Of course, Speaker Pelosi delayed bringing COVID-19 relief to the floor for politics, in my personal view, before the election. She didn't want President Trump to have that victory of COVID-19 relief before the election.
So, she foot -- she was a foot dragger on this measure as well. So, President Trump has advocated for bigger checks, for families, he's had that consistent view, but he should've pressed harder before the bill came to conclusion with Treasury Secretary Mnuchin, Speaker Pelosi and Leader McCarthy in the last three weeks. And we didn't hear that vociferously statement at that time.
GOLODRYGA: Congressman French Hill, thank you so much for taking the time. We appreciate it.
HILL: You bet. Thank you. Happy New Year.
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