host: we are back with our question for all of you, the conversation on the biden

administration, what is your confidence level in the president and those that work for democrats. -- for democrats, 202-748-8000. republicans, 202-748-8001 independent, 202-748-8002. text us at 202-748-8003. you can post your comments on facebook. while we wait for your cause let's listen to the president. he was asked about the port of baltimore and what that -- and this is what he had to say about inflation. >> my plan is going to help address has to do with the supply chain. you will hear a lot about the supply chain, not a little less not a lot of people -- not a lot

of people have a clear understanding about how a supply chain works. what is the impact on the economy? it's perfectly understandable because supply chains are incredibly complex. as long as goods and materials are getting where they need to go on time, there's usually no need to worry about the supply chain's. when global disruptions hit like a pandemic, it hits supply chain particulate heart. suddenly, when you go to order a pair of sneakers or a bicycle or christmas presents you are met with higher prices and long delays. the reason for that last year was it has a lot to do with most companies make their product. raw materials plus labor,

shipping. these supply chains are complex, even products as simple wooden from brazil before it comes together in the united states to get a pencil. it sounds silly, but that's how it happens. all of a sudden, you've got a covid crisis in brazil. you can't get the product because the plant shuts down. that's what's -- that's what's happening. products like smartphones. chips from the netherlands. touchscreens -- supply chains across dozens of countries. that's just the nation -- the nature of the modern economy. the global supply chains help dramatically bring down price we pay for things we buy. it also made us much more reliant and what happens in other parts of the world.

host: president biden saying it's the pandemic and supply chain causing inflation. he thinks his administration can get a curb on it, republicans led by mitch mcconnell are arguing this. democrats have already created a lot of harm this year with a previous 2 trillion package that passed earlier this year without a single republican vote. it created raging inflation which larry summers predicted it was going to happen. he is still in an argument with the treasury over it. raging inflation and people don't want to go back to book -- because of what they have done already. the best way to sum up the impact of democratic policies is the democrats passed it and of course it will be asked and of course they will be by themselves. they will double down on all of the mistakes they have already made this year. those comments are going that are putting pressure and the recent headlines about inflation

reaching 31 year high, putting pressure on senator joe manchin. inflation spike gives -- the storing inflation is shaking up negotiations over president biden's go back better agenda. now more leverage to push for smaller reconciliation package. the annual inflation rate hit 830 year high -- hit 30 year high. less optimistic that he can be best that he will support and it's possible he may press for new cuts. he has cited rising inflation for not -- rising inflation is a reason for not supporting the bill. 1.7 5 trillion framework while these -- while the impact in

crisis. democratic caller. your confidence in president biden. caller: i would give him a nine. he is trying. it is not him, america. it is these beak corporations doing this -- it is these big corporations doing this. they have made billions and they don't want to pay the workers the money. it is the big, republican corporations that are putting us in this bind. host: i'm going to show you what the president had to say about working with ceos in a minute, but let's hear from daniel. pennsylvania, independent. caller: good morning. thank you for taking my call. thank you for c-span. interesting, two days ago i would have given the president maybe five. now i will give him may be nine

because the issue about inflation is now in perspective. the 6% as a 30 year high is the 12 year average. it has risen since the economy, but if you take the 24 month average, it is only three point something percent. if we can tear the rise in prices to where we trust during the pandemic, the price bottom -- bottom fell out of the oil market. we are in a much better price -- place. we are, interesting. the woman i heard speaking was from uc davis. also advocating that jay powell be cap in the position he's in because he's been a very steady hand. host: are you personally feeling

it? and where to mark caller: -- and where? caller: we have put pressure on wages to rise because we have more demand. people being home during covid put so many demands on the industry. i've had electricians coming in to do some upgrade work and talking with a number of contractors over the past year. people being home has raised the level of awareness that their homes need work. that's pushing rises up because there is higher demand. it's natural. host: daniel, do you know what you would have paid for an electrician before the pandemic and what they are saying it will cost you now? caller: i've seen a little bit of a rise but also part of that is the supply chain. there's little early -- literally, about a year ago we

started to shop for a new home printer. we upgraded our home computers and we no longer talk to this computer and we went online looking for purchase. i kid you not, they were backordered. there were not available for a small sized printer for a home office use. i'm talking something shy of $500. it's an investment in our home office. you just can't get them. they are just not, offshore sitting in a container. host: i want to show you another , what it looks like across the country. for inflation, not whether. that's the yellow orange color over 6%. this is right now in the midwest and the south, a more tepid

price increases. stephanie in tennessee, republican. your confidence level? caller: mike confidence in biden is a zero. -- my confidence in biden is a zero. i am an x truck driver. the containers sitting out in the ocean getting more workers in the port and lower restrictions in california. they have a law where certain models of drugs are not allowed into california. the emissions stuff. that puts a hurting on their port. not every truck driver can afford to go out and pay 300,000, $400,000 for truck just

because of them. that limits our production. host: got it. stephanie, i want to show you and others with the president had to say about working with ceos and major retailers to expedite the move of a product. >> we've got 20% more goods coming into the country before we did -- before the covid struck. more products are being delivered than ever before. that's because people have little more breathing room than they did last year. and that's a good thing. it also means they've got higher demand for goods at the same time we are facing directions and the supplies to make those goods. this is a recipe for delays and higher prices and people are feeling it. they are feeling it. paying this much for gallons of gas. in some parts of california, they are paying $4.50 a gallon. that's why it's so important

that we do every thing in a power to stabilize the supply chain. here's the good news. yesterday, i spoke with the ceos personally, walmart, target and effect set -- fedex and ups. they assured me that the shells would be stocked in stores because they sign -- they assured me that the shelves would be stocked in stores because they provide more avenues and are getting more containers off the ports quicker than ever before. a lot of stuff in the ports sitting around because they no longer need the product and it doesn't keep desk and it doesn't cost them anything to leave them sitting at the port. part of the reason why is because my port envoy who was the secretary of just possession, john has worked with shipping companies and unions

and retailers to speed congress so they can get products in stores and to your doors and to get the shelves fully stocked this holiday season. instead of pointing fingers, we are seeing people start to work together. railroads, ocean liners, labor, state and local governments. host: the president on wednesday. andrew, massachusetts, democratic. what is your confidence level? caller: mike confidence level is pretty high. i would say six to percent or 70%. the problem with what the president -- 60 percent or 70%. the problem with the president, it started with when all he did was say warp speed and did not eat -- and did nothing to get the vaccine into the public and all of these things are being backed up and now biden --

host: what's the connection between that and supply? caller: the supply chain is the supply chain of covid. you have to have all your ducks in a row to get things moving and you have to have strategist or somebody on the top level to get the ball rolling and did none of this and so biden is playing catch up. with the virus and with all of those ships docked in the water. that is the remains of trump because he didn't do nothing. he just said fancy words and made people laugh and cry, whatever. host: let me ask you this. what do you think the democrats fast-forward with the social spending proposal? caller: totally. host: what is your message to

senator manchin? caller: my message is do the country right. vote this thing in forget -- for good or bad. trickle-down economics from reagan, all the republicans voted. i'm still waiting for pay from reagan. we've got to do something different. the old way a work in. and the only way, what we got to lose is a lot but we've got a lot more to gain. host: where are you seeing inflation? and what you purchase? caller: my heating bill and my food. and my medical supplies. i'm dead -- i'm diabetic and i suffer from as burgers -- i'm day abetted -- i'm diabetic.

host: walnut, mississippi. independent, go ahead. caller: my confidence level in biden is probably about a one. i don't really, i mean inflation is going up. i don't blame all of this on biden, because of your senator, congressman, they are up there spending money like like -- spending money like drunken sailors. personally, it's a way to stop this. all they've got to do is raise the interest rate. the biggest debtor out there is the federal government and they are not going to do it. thank you. host: you want the federal reserve chair to raise interest rates. caller: short, it will keep the

inflation down. no question about that. but the government is the biggest debtor out there. host: take a look at where we are seeing the price increases. this is a 12 month percent change. look at the percentage that items have gone up. over 5%. energy at 30%. all items that don't include food and energy covering close to about 5%. denise, albuquerque, republican. caller: good morning, america. i just want to say that i do respect our president because we do live in america, but i am very disappointed in the way he runs our country. in less than a year, everything has gone up like skyhigh.

before which charge about $62 to fill my tank, now i am almost at $80. i go to the grocery store. if i am able to find the items that i am shaped -- that i am shopping for, the prices have increased dramatically. i have been trying to shelve, and everything has gone really high. i think that our president hasn't done anything good for our country and i think as long as he continues to give people money, people are not going to want to work. therefore, you drive down any street where i live all you see his help wanted signs. and i don't understand. we live in a very poor state. you would think that there would be opportunity for people to go back to work. but if the government is going to continue to give you free money, of course you are going

to take the easy way out. not myself. i am retired and the city of albuquerque for 27 years. and i never in my life have never seen such homelessness and so much crime in our state. it saddens me. i have nine grandchildren and i worry about their future because all we are doing is putting this united states of america, who i love so dearly, into debt. and therefore, they are the ones who are going to have to pay the price for our nonsense. host: you mentioned the cost of gasoline. we showed you on the traffic of the 12 month consumer index. gasoline, gas and oil are going up the most which is 30%. today's washington post, one way for practice for biden to show -- to show that he cares about inflation. sometimes you have to take a step sideways or backwards to

ultimately move forward. biden needs to address inflation. picker 10, ohio, confidence level? caller: i was calling, i don't have any respect for our president. i don't think he can manage this country. he's not capable of doing it. he has created all of this inflation and now he doesn't know how to get back to where he was. host: what should he do? caller: when he took control of the country, gas was $2.19 a gallon. now, it is three dollars five

cents a gallon. host: so would you -- show hit -- -- so should he follow eugene robinson's advice? caller: sure. host: alabama, democratic color. -- democratic -- ed, kentucky. republican. caller: good morning and thank you for taking my call. i would rate joe biden as president biden, i would rate him a negative tian -- -10, -10. host: what are some policies you think of been wrong? caller: we had petroleum price down like president trump and the pipelines running and they are referring to heating oil and

natural gas being double. they are up 50%, but maybe not double. i think that is a big downfall. and i also tell you that my family has been democratic for years. but this ain't the same bunch of democrats that was in there in the 1950's and 60's. this is a whole different bunch and they are taking us downhill. host: let's listen to energy secretary. she was on state of the union this past sunday. this is what she had to say about where prices of gas and oil are headed. >> the national average of gas prices is now re-dollars $.42 a gallon. bank of america -- $3.42 a gallon. could the average gas price beat

four dollars a gallon? >> we certainly hope not. at the desk the energy information forecast is going to be put out this week. they can't control the public -- the price of gasoline because it is a global market. opec is unfortunately controlling the agenda with respect to oil prices. opec is a cartel and it controls over 50% of oil. host: is there anything that the >> -- is there anything that the biden demonstration can do? >> that is going to increase access to -- going to increase a chokehold on access to fuel at the pump. he is certainly looking at that, we'll be looking at the forecast coming out on tuesday. >> likely be a cold weather, expect to pay higher prices for

heating their homes? >> this is when to happen. it will be more expensive last that this year than last year. we are in a slightly beneficial addition relative to europe. we are going to pay that they are going to pay five times higher. but we have the same problem in fuel which is the oil and gas companies are not flipping the switch as quickly as demand requires and so that is why the president has been focused both on the immediate and long-term. let us get off the volatility associated with fossil fuels and associated with others who don't have our country's interests at heart and invest in moving to clean energy or we will not have this problem and that is so much but these two bills are focused on. host: that was energy secretary. take a look at bloomberg's website and the headlines that the u.s. oil markets

oversupplied by early next year. bloomberg.com if you want to read about where the market is heading. john, emma craddick line -- democrat line. caller: it draws me nuts coming people don't understand economics in this country -- it drives meet nuts how people don't understand economics in this country. dropped the ball big-time when it came to preventing us from having to go through issues with pandemics. from the beginning, he disbanded the white house level pandemic response team which would've helped us in trying to reduce the fact of how the pandemic effects our country. we should have shut the country down right from the beginning. many other countries did and we opened, new zealand, australia.

there are several countries that did this and didn't have to go to the same things we did in regards to supply chain. ultimately, all of this was caused by trump. he discovered that he destroyed our economy. he promised four to 6% gdp, which never happened. the third quarter in 2019 before pandemic hit was a 2.1 percent. his economy was already flailing, but yet when you talk to these trump stirs -- trumpsters, they don't understand how the price of gas is controlled. it is not by the president. it is by the corporations. if you look at what oil costed us several years back, it was over $100 a barrel. when opec decided to flood the market with oil, oil plummeted to $50 a barrel. did you see gas prices go down in reflection to the same percentage? no, you didn't. this is all about the oil

companies and profits. unfortunately, a lot of people that are trump supporters, they don't spend the time educating themselves with economics and try to understand how this all works. host: that does it for today. thank you all for watching and participating in the conversation. we are back tomorrow morning at 7:00 p.m. eastern time. enjoy your weekend. ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2021] ♪ >> this morning, the head of the centers for medicare and medicaid services discusses children health care challenges. live coverage begins at 11:00 a.m. eastern on c-span, online at c-span.org, or what's

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