>> there are a lot of places to get political information. but only at c-span did you get it straight from the source. no matter where you are from or where you stand on the issues, c-span as america's network. unfiltered, unbiased, word for word. if it happens here or here, or here, or anywhere that matters, america is watching on c-span. powered by cable. we welcome back william barbecuing as a head of the poor people's campaign moral march on

washington taking place this saturday in d.c. remind viewers what the poor people's campaign is and what you are marching for. >> guest: we have tens of thousands of people already over 500 buses alone coming to the poor people's campaign moral march on washington and to the pulse. with the poor people's campaign is saying whether it with people from appalachia or alabama, massachusetts or mississippi, that we cannot have a country where we have 140 million people living in poverty. over 60.9% of black people, 30% of white people but 66 million white people and i could go on with the numbers, 52% of our% of our children, 43% of adults when we are the wealthiest nation in the country, if we just raise the minimum wage to living wage of $15, 32 millionn people would rise up out of poverty,, front-line people. we have 87 million people uninsured or underinsured, and

all of this creates a level of death. 700 people are dying a a day m poverty before the pandemic. a quarterly people a year. the pandemic exposed the fishers of poverty. we put essential workers on the front line but we treated them like they were expendable. our campaign is saying let's get a real count where poverty is in this country on low wealth. let's stop the lies about scarcity. let's have the wealthy pay their fair share, billionaires may $2 trillion during the event pandemic while 8 million more people fell into poverty. and let's do the things that makes sense. they are not even radical, universal healthcare, living wages for people who are working. let's do what is right by alliv the people and change this. >> host: let me get a phone numbers for the viewers to join in. split as usual republicans 202-748-8001. democrats 202-748-8000.

independence 202-748-8002. we have a house coming in and about 20 minutes. we will take you live for gavel to gavel coverage but until then your questions and this conversation with the reverend william barber. i want to focus on the last part of the name of this march, and to the pulse. what we know about americans living in poverty and their voting habits and their ability to get to the pulse? >> guest: we did a study and what your listeners to wake the sleeping giant. we arewa three things. number one in the last election voters who make less than 50,000 out of the year voted higher than normal andma they were critical in at least four to five key states, their votes alone. secondly, poor and low wealth voters make up 32% of the electorate and 45% in battleground states. number three, in 15 states for

low wealth people put between one and 25% i than they did in the last election they could close the margin of victory for any candidate. that means they can decide who sits in the senate, in the house come in the presidency. we can no longer ignore 32% of the electorate. saturday is not a day it's a declaration. people coming, regardless of, party with people from appalachia to alabama, white folks in appalachia, black folk and alabama are f saying here's what our demands are. we planted out its demand. we will mask mobilized to the summit because poor people can shift of the electric. >> host: poor people's campaign.org is where you can find e that report waking the sleeping giant. all i know leading up to this march there have been some effort on your part the campaigns part of the sedan with

president biden. is that quite happen? >> guest: i believe it's going to happen. and i think it's been more of the president's -- the president has said ending poverty would be a major part of this effort. his build back better plan was a good step. it was not as much as it ought to be because the level of poverty is so extreme. part of what we're doing is putting a face on it. when you think that's going to happen after saturday's america will see ourselves. this would be people standing together people have not seen, whether they're from or from california or the carolinas where all the way down the mississippi. i believe it's going to have -- in fact, it must happen because if we don't change the way we do public policy in this country from republicans versus democrats or mansion versus mcconnell or mcconnell versus the president, how does this piece of public policy established justice? how does a lift all of the people in the society? part of the way to do that is you have to put a face on it so

the debate is not just about numbers but about real people. lastly you have to ask a different question now. it'syo a question joseph stigliz nobel peace prize economist raises, it's not how much it cost to fix poverty and low wealth. it's how much does it cost not to fix? it cost $1 trillion a year to let child poverty stay where it is? we have lost 300 some odd billion dollars pumped into the economy because two democratic senators and 49 republicans blocked raising the living wage to $15 an hour. and many people may not know is that the march in washington 1963 fought for two dollars an hour minimum wage, which today would be 15. so at some point america has to say we cannot accept 140 million people living in poverty and low wealth, and a quarter million people to your dying from

poverty and the effects of poverty. >> host: let me bring in collars. colors. hollywood, florida, mitch democrat. you are on with the reverend barber comic good morning. i wanted to know if you have a phone number that i could reach, i'm from the old school and i need to communicate sometimes by phone. i want to talk and i am proud of you and i prayed to god he will always bless you and keep you in good health. you get a long life. so i need that phone number please. >> guest: first of all thank you so much. let me just say to callers like you if you go come under the website but if you dial information they would give you the numbers. what i would like to say to this man i am hearing, there are thousands upon thousands, we have traveled all over this country. we'vee been in appalachia, upstate new york, the bronx, california, arizona on saturday you were going to see black and white and native american and

young and old and gay and straight and latino and asians all come together as one voice saying we are the 140 million poor and lowow wealth people and we won't be signed anymore with our voices or our votes. we are calling for reconstruction agenda. we have full agenda that we have laid out, it is been vetted by some of the best economists in the world and what it says is this willl make america better. we are not begging. we're saying to america you can't sustain this democracy and its fundamental foundation when you have, , again i keep saying the number, 140 million people living in poverty of the welfare i want people to hear that number, and say because that's the point. on saturday you were going to see yourself, you'll see your articles, your aunts, your children and you will say you know what, this has to turn from political fighting to a moral discussion in this country about

what we really are going to be. >> host: where are you gathering? >> guest: third in pennsylvania. it's an assembly which is different than in march. we tell folks come to third in pennsylvania, all the way back to 14th street, and on friday night we are going to the national ball at 7:00. actually at 5:00 5:00 we'ra communal feeding of anybody who was hungry can come but the reason is to show how much hunger exists two blocks from the capitol. and then on friday evening at 7:00 we are having the of morning because 1 million people died from covid and we haven't stopped one week andca just crid as a nation. our people died at a rate of two to five times higher. the pandemic didn't discriminate but we did. essential workers were sent out on the front lines but they weren't given health care. they giving a living wage and

was almost like they were expendable. so we're going to have a service that morning on friday night for those that have died from gun violence, those of died from pandemic, those are dying in war and then at 9:30 a.m. on saturday morning, on third in pennsylvania everybody should come in here the voices. can ir say would quickly, all f the upstart union members like the dollar general workers and the workers in south carolina they are going to have their voices that every union is going to bring forth a a speaker. this is a different rally. i am not going to do like a big -- we putting the voices of the people. t this is the people's gathering. you're going here from real people and people you normally might not have seen together because folk are realizing -- >> we're going to leave this program now to take you live to the senate as part of our 40 plus your commitment to live coverage of congress.

you can continue watching this program on c-span.org. senators are coming back from recess to continue work on legislation to expand access to va healthcare and disability benefits. for veterans exposed to toxic substances. mainly for military burn pits during their service. we take you live now to the senate floor here on c-span2. mr. tillis: i come to the floor today to sadly announce the retirement -- or not retirementf staff's decision to move on to another great opportunity, and i wanted to take a few minutes to talk about ted layman and not only the five years that he's been my chief of staff, but the nearly 20 years that he's been working in the senate. before i start, though, he attended the university of pennsylvania where he got his undergrad. then he went to georgetown to get his law degree. he clerked for thomas hogan,

who was