♪ host: good morning, everyone, on this thursday, september 15. we begin this morning with your thoughts on gop senator lindsey graham's proposal to ban abortion nationwide after 15 weeks. we want to know this morning from you does this impact your enthusiasm in the midterm elections and if so, how. democrats, (202) 748-8000. republicans, (202) 748-8001.

independents, (202) 748-8002. you can also text us, first name city and state, to (202) 748-8003. you can send a tweet if you include the handle @cspanwj. we will get to the abortion debate and what it means for the midterm elections in just a minute. breaking news out of the freight rail negotiations with the unions. this is from the labor secretary, marty walsh, to weeding out that moments ago following 20 hours of negotiations at the department of labor, negotiators came to a tentative agreement alan sing the needs of workers, businesses , and our nation's economy. then he also wrote this -- the biden administration applauds all parties were reaching this hard-fought deal. rail is integral to the supply

chain and disruption would've had a catastrophic impact across the country. we will dig into the issue at 9 a.m. eastern time here on "washington journal with an in-depth conversation with a wall street reporter about the way -- rail industry and the deal that was struck early this morning, these tweets coming out at 5 a.m. this morning. first, the 15 week national abortion van proposed by lindsey graham. here he is earlier this week, along with pro-life groups, leaders of them on capitol hill, talking about this legislation. [video clip] >> i feel comfortable at 15 weeks, the science tells us that the nerve endings are developed to the point that the unborn child feels pain. the theory of the case is not to be like europe, so much. it's to have a standard in america that would prohibit

abortions during the birthing process at a stage where it's pretty clear from the science and most of the world that this should be a no go unless there is some extraordinary reason. so, we will be introducing this bill as of like right now. people will join. i hope it will be bipartisan. we will have a debate if we are allowed to bring it up as to why we are doing what we are doing. abortion is a contentious issue. abortion is not banned, it's left up to electric -- elected officials to defy the issue. states have the ability to do it at the state level and we have the ability in washington to speak on the issue if we choose. i have chosen to speak.

i have chosen to craft legislation that i think is eminently reasonable in the eyes of the world and i hope the american people. 15 weeks pretty much strong majority of americans believe abortion should be the exception, not the rule. host: senator lindsey graham talking about this abortion ban. republican leaders, republican members reacted. some of them saying they want to leave it up to the states. yahoo! news, the graham abortion bill creates turmoil for the midterm strategy for the gop overturning, jackson women health overturning the right to abortion, 30% of democratic campaign ads have mentioned the issue compared to 5% for republicans.

lindsey graham was on fox news yesterday defending his proposal when host jesse walters confronts him. >> no one is saying you need to sit on the sidelines but yesterday wasn't the day to do that. yesterday was the day they lost momentum when the inflation thing punch them in the face and you gave them an out. a lot of people don't like that. you could have done it any other day like you could have delayed the whole press conference like joe should have delayed his party. >> i take issue. i don't think that there's a bad day to stand up for the unborn. one of my trying to say. america needs a policy that makes us a civilized nation. it would bother me if a baby was aborted at 38 weeks. what am i proposing for our country. 15 weeks, when the baby contribute -- feel pain, you provide anesthesia to save its life. if you operate on it it should be protected from being

dismembered. putting us in line with france, germany, grape. they all have bands below 15 weeks. the people are with you on that. i'm not going to ever apologize by standing up for the unborn. you know what, we need to go on the offense of here. host: on fox news, senator lindsey graham. yahoo! news notes that legalizing abortion, many republicans have been trying to straddle the gap between the already's core voting base that has long sought the outcome and independent voters who polls show are in favor of abortion right and who would be key to the outcome in several electoral battlegrounds. meaning playing down the issue in many senate campaigns and deferring to the state. dozens have bands and more are considering restrictions.

so, let's turn to all of you. does this motivate you one way or the other to get out and vote and why. surely, orangeburg. let's go to you, first. caller: the first thing i would like to say, i don't agree with lindsey graham on anything. why is he up there talking about abortion. he can't have a baby. he give a baby. he's gay. i would like to say to the people of south carolina, when are we going to about this guy out of office. he never, i don't know anything that he do for the state of south carolina. he up there talking about abortion, get him out. host: does the issue of abortion motivate you and do you feel more enthusiastic about voting this november? caller: i vote all the time and

i will be the first one out there voting against lindsey graham. host: all right, john, good morning. new york. caller: how are you, greta? i'm john from brooklyn, new york. i'm clergy and i want to say to all the clergy and all the so-called crystals -- christians, you call yourself a christian out there, why you don't stand up and tell people that abortion is no more a sin then telling a lie tried. g should stand up. people should say abortion, you killing the unborn. god don't see big sin and little sin. why don't clergy call into let people know this. these people out there are living against the rules, against god's commandment, but when they talk abortion, sometimes they kill abortion doctors, homosexuals, dog -- god

don't see little sin and big sin. why christians don't tell that? host: heard the point. democratic caller, highland park, illinois. caller: how about women's health. why did they discriminate against a woman's health? if she has an infection or hemorrhaging, shouldn't that be allowed for an abortion? why did they think that women can't make up their own minds? host: listen to the reaction from mitch mcconnell in kentucky when asked about the lindsey graham proposal this week. [video clip] >> will you put this on the floor of the senate or commit to leaving the issue entirely state? >> if you are going to his bill,

you will have to ask him about it. in terms of scheduling, most of the members of my conference preferred that this be dealt with at the state level. >> with regards to the abortion issue. do you feel like republicans are doing enough. seems like democrats are kind of controlling the issue right now saying that your random mother had more right than you. do you feel like republicans need to do a better job of educating americans? >> every republican senator running in contested races this year has an answer as to how they feel about the issue. and it may be different and it different state. i'll leave it up to our candidates who are quite capable of handling the issue to determine for them what their response is. host:4 senator mitch mcconnell,

leader of the senate. 538 with new polling showing that democrats are favored to win the senate. the deluxe version of the model shows which party wins most often in this sample of 100 outcomes gives you an idea of scenarios that the model considers possible. this is out this morning 538. lindsey graham, republican of south carolina, proposing tuesday a national abortion ban. we want to know how this impacts your vote in november. here is mike pence in an interview with real clear politics. he says that abortion bands are more important than short-term politics. the former vice president toasted the supreme court for overturning roe v. wade, celebrating the conservative supreme court majority behind the decision, telling those gathered for a gala hosted by the susan b. anthony group that

they had only reached what they call the end of the beginning. bob. logan, utah. democratic caller. bob, good morning. what do you think about this debate, the 15 week bands and the impact on it november? caller: i personally don't believe in late term abortions. but i also feel that life has to begin on conception. there's no other way. so all of these people with their nose up there about some poor woman getting abortion, when you struggle -- swallow a pill it aborts the life. i don't care if it's two seconds or 10 minute. you know? so after 15 months, there should be a question. the woman's life should be

saved. i guess that's all i want to say. host: joseph. according to yahoo! news, you're the type of voter republicans want in the november elections. an independent voter. how do you and to vote? does the abortion debate impact it? >> the abortion debate is pretty important. i am a christian. i don't want anyone to be killed. the issue about abortion is not aborting children. it is about women's right. women need to be respected. as men do. men have no business trying to determine the rights of women. it's it's about the political issue that has been brought in a long time ago so that the republicans can have some sort

of an advantage by trying to convince evangelicals and all other christians that kids are being killed. no, that's not the issue. the issue is about women's rights. i think that anyone who advocates for a woman's right should be on the side of saying let the family, let the woman decide. so, let's keep abortion away from politics and leave that to the family and to the woman. give women that respect. host: there are reactions to the dobbs decision. indiana abortion ban goes into effect despite ongoing lawsuits, replacing the previous ban. it went into effect thursday, limiting access in indiana. the first state to pass a ban

since the u.s. supreme court and this comes as the lawsuit filed by abortion providers challenged the legality of the law under the state's constitution. and then you also have this from upi. west virginia becomes the second state to pass near total abortion bands. both houses of the republican-controlled legislature passed a bill on tuesday with the house voting 77 to 17 in favor followed by a 22 to seven vote in the senate. now heads to the desktop the governor, jim justice, who has previously signed other abortion restrictions into law. west virginia will be the second state to institute such stringent directions on the procedure following the supreme court revoking of roe v. wade. rob in michigan. good morning to you. caller: thank you for taking my

call. if we look at the history of this nation, going back 200 and 50 years when a bunch of people said we deserve human rights to be recognized, there were some that disputed that. it was a poor thought and we achieved recognition. 100 years later they said these lights are not -- of rights are not only for white males, black people deserve the same rights. another war was fought because people disagreed on that. those rights occurred. throughout the decades, we didn't need a war but those rights were extended to women. extended to native americans. there were some that disagreed on that. right now there is a movement to extend rights to those awaiting birth. they've got a brain, they got a heart eat. they have a unique dna. they are individuals and there will be some that disputed the rights of those children to be born.

i think we will hopefully resolve that without a war. i'm sure that we will. have a good day. host: as an independent you are in agreement with the republicans on this? caller: i'm in agreement with anyone for all life. not just republicans. trying to create that division is an inaccurate trail. i am sure that there are lots of republicans, democrats, and independence who are for the right of those awaiting birth. host: good point. i guess i mean the nationwide ban. caller: i'm not sure that's consistent with the ruling. saying it belongs to the states. i'm not sure that federal law is the way to go. host: all right. rob, their, michigan. here's the leader of the democratic party and the senate, chuck schumer on the floor on wednesday reacting to senator graham possibility.

[video clip] >> one party gathered at the white house to celebrate the passage of our job reading agenda. the other party, the motto republicans spent their day introducing a nationwide ban on abortions. if the american people want to know what the difference is between the two parties, look no further. one party is focused on jobs. that's us. the other is focused on nationwide abortion bands. -- bans. that's the extreme motto republicans. one party wants to lower elation to help emily's make ends meet. to tackle the generational challenges we face -- lower inflation to help families make ends meet. the other party wants to eliminate women's autonomy over their own bodies. here's how you know the are dangerously out of touch.

sunset women's has their freedom of choice taken away by the mockup supreme court -- maga supreme court, this was their attempt to see more mainstream. more mainstream? heaven help us. host: what is your reaction to the leader on the floor there. what you heard from mitch mcconnell as well as these two parties prepare for the midterm elections in just a month and a half. at the same time, many people on this issue pointing to what happened in kansas when the state put it on the ballot in the primary there, the issue of abortion. here's from insight target. "there was much more at stake in that primary than a typical primary in kansas.

instead of deciding on which candidates to be on the ballots, they voted on a women's right to abortion. the nation's first vote on the issue since the supreme court handed down dobbs. among registered kansans, the day after the decision was announced, democrats had an eight point advantage. compare that with the overall gop advantage of 19 points among all registered voters in kansas. the landscape changed on june 24 and voters in kansas unified around a woman's right to choose . even more significant and perhaps more concerning for republicans heading into the midterms is the fact that 70% of kansans who register to vote after the dobbs decision were women. pam, how does this debate, their own publican proposal from lindsey graham for a 15 week national ban, how does that

impact your enthusiasm for voting in november? caller: i am totally voting. i am a democrat. i am making sure that anyone in my stay to espouse is anti- women's rights, human rights, will not be elected. host: ok. todd, martinsburg, west virginia. good morning to you. caller: i want to let you know, i greatly appreciate you. there is still a platform out here for open debate in we can agree to disagree in this nation . thank god. weighing in on what mr. schumer set on the senate floor. he should be ashamed of himself. seems like congress in the last

10 or 11 years, seems like we are all in high school again. who's got the biggest toy on the playground. it's all a popularity contest. it's a real sad day in our country. host: focusing on the issue of abortion. caller: they have to think why everybody is fearful of going out here in going down the back alley to get the coathanger procedure. there are still things call the day after pill and adoption as well, too. other than kentucky and west virginia, people as well adopt kids who are not able to have kids. host: are you in support of what passed in your state yesterday? caller: yeah, i am all for coming yeah, i am all for one's choice to yeah, either make a decision or to sway one side or the other.

yeah, i do agree with, yeah, everybody does have a right to do what they choose to do. host: the republican controlled house and senate in the state of west virginia passing a bill to ban abortions. this is now going to the governor's task. it bans all abortions from implantation with narrow exceptions put in place to terminate pregnancies as a result of rape and incensed and if the life of the pregnant person is at risk. the law stipulates that adults whose pregnancies are the result of rape or incest have eight weeks and a police report must be filed. that out of the state of west virginia this week, indiana passing similar legislation. we are asking you this morning on this idea of a federal nationwide abortion ban after 15 weeks, proposed by senator lindsey graham. bobby, texas, democratic caller. good morning. caller: this is bobby.

i think everyone should leave the decision up to the woman. flat out. just leave it up to the woman. everybody else needs to have but out. thank you. host: does this motivate you to vote in november? caller: well, i always vote, always. but i'm giving it a little extra emphasis this time. host: ok. bobby and hurst, texas, democratic caller. senator rubio is embracing the federal abortion ban according to politico. florida democrats now see an opening. senator marco rubio's decision to tie himself to the federal ban comes as he is also trying to draw attention to val demings 's stance on abortion. val demings, the congresswoman

running against him for that senate seat. the former miami police chief of the state of florida. if you are in florida, we want to know if this impacts your vote in november. independence, republicans, democrats, that's the conversation this morning. martinsburg, west virginia, independent-minded area hello. caller: i'm a supporter of human rights. it's a woman's choice. for republicans to act as if they had some sort of moral high ground when it comes to this, they don't. they don't have an agenda that supports the rights of people in this country. issues like this should not be put in the hands of amoral politicians. this is a moral issue, not a political issue. thank you. host: mary, pensacola, florida.

caller: hello. i believe in women's rights and all these women that want to do whatever they want to do is fine. the only biggest problem is they want us us the taxpayer to pay for their abortion. that cannot be. never. i got the money, they want to spend it, however. making the taxpayer pay for the abortion. that should be no, zero. host: ok, mary. how do you plan to vote in november? caller: as far as abortion is concerned i probably won't even mark it. i don't have an idea about it. all this is from that roe v. wade based on a let -- lie anyways, not even a real case.

host: will you be voting for marco rubio or val demings? caller: i don't think that's anybody's business. host: fair enough. caller: haven't thought about that far. i mean, you know. our votes are supposed to be private and unknown to anybody. and i know that's a lie. host: fair enough, you don't have to tell us. i just thought i would ask. luis, fredericksburg, virginia. good morning. caller: this is all very interesting. if a woman's rights are absolute she could murder somebody she wanted to. she could murder anybody. not just a baby. i mean, come on. there's birth control, contraceptives. the pillow. this is ridiculous. i personally think it should be

no longer than two months. host: ok. listen to the reaction from nancy pelosi. she held her weekly briefing yesterday with reporters. here is what she had to say. [video clip] >> the republicans know that they are digging a hole and they just keep digging it. i was telling members this morning about when i wasn't high school, along long time ago, there was a story, a short story called the revolt of mother. mother revolted about certain things that were expected of her. this is again a revolt of mother and others as well. women are not happy about this. they are making their views known. it's so unfortunate and as i say as a mother of 5, 6 years and one week, i respect everybody's view about how they decide to do

what they do and we should continue to respect their freedom to do so. but i think that what you are seeing there is a conflict within the republican party. there are those in the party that think that lights begin at the candlelight dinner the night before. these people are in defiance of that, right? they are in defiance of that because they are saying whatever they are saying about it. so that's what you are seeing there, but we are united in hours for a woman's right to choose. host: speaker of the house yesterday reacting to the bill proposed by lindsey graham. we are getting your reaction to that. does that impact your vote in just a few weeks time for the november 2022 elections bill --

elections. bill, texas. what do you think? caller: that was a great line of hers. this emboldens me to vote even more. host: how will you vote, which party because of this issue? caller: i see myself much more closely aligned with democrats than republicans. i'm definitely going to vote mcgrath. host: wilhelmina -- vote democrat. host: wilhelmina. good morning. caller: i want to know, all the men that are calling in and all of the senators, i want to know what they gave birth to any child.

when they get the answer to the american people, that's what i decide to vote for one of them. host: wilhelmina, democratic caller. quick conversation this morning, we have a member of congress coming up your next after a short rake. we will return to it. we are going to hear from two senior members of the ways and means committee about the economy. up first is representative adrian smith of nebraska. and later, blumenauer of oregon. ♪ >> there are a lot of places to get political information but only at c-span you get it straight from the source.

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[video clip] look at we -- >> look at what we accomplish together. jobs are up. people are back to work. since i came to office we have created nearly 10 million jobs, a record for any presidency after this link. 3.7% unemployment. nearly a 50 year low in this country. more small businesses created them before in our history. american manufacturers, coming back. where is it written that says that america cannot lead in manufacturing? where is that written? and guess what? for all the criticism i got and the help that you gave me for gas prices, they are down more than a dollar $.30. i gallon. since the start of the summer. we are making progress. we are getting other prices down

as well. we have more to do. we are getting there. we passed a once in a generation infrastructure law that will modernize roads, bridges, ports, airports. delivering clean water to every community. eliminating every leadpipe in every home and school. host: congressman, your reaction to his touting of the economy? caller: at -- guest: at that very moment, a report came out that inflation is high. as some colleagues of mine has said, this is the gas and groceries election. gas is more expensive than it was, 33% more than when the president took office. groceries are more expensive and it's very painful to most of the american people. host: how do you bring inflation down? what is the administration doing that you disagree with? guest: they are pushing all of

this money into the economy and they want to do is more with student loan forgiveness and i think that is a mistake. the president was actually warned by some respected economists like larry summers that those policies can trigger inflation and they dismissed that. the president did it anyway and i think it has been very danger into the economy. host: what would republicans do to curb inflation? guest: when you look at covid in the priority of keeping people in a job, 2020 at the beginning of covid when unemployment spiked and the gdp dipped, congress got involved on a temporary basis. by the end of 2020, gdp was back to about even and we should have left well enough alone. i think republicans would have. president biden was new in office and he wanted to push the money out there and that was a mistake. host: we want to invite viewers to join in the conversation. the economy, what is it likely you live?

adrian smith of nebraska sits on the tax and trade ways and means committee and he's the top republican on the subcommittee. it was announced by the white house labor secretary this morning that they have come to a tentative deal with the unions for freight rail. this is what he wrote at 508 a.m., moments ago following more than 20 consecutive hours of negotiations the rail companies and union negotiators came to a tentative agreement that balances the needs of workers and businesses in the national economy. if there had been a strike, could you talk about what it means for trade? guest: it would have been devastating. the fact that there is a tentative agreement is welcome news but not everything resolved makes me nervous. i have been talking to agricultural producers who told me that they have already had disruptions in terms of feed to coming in for their operations and perhaps getting other products to market. rail is a vital part of the

national economy. especially during the supply chain that we had. a strike is the last thing we need. host: these farmers in your district, how much do they rely on freight rail versus trucking? guest: both, both. the union pacific railroad has the largest rail yard in the world based right in the middle of my district. it's very busy. it has diverse traffic. part of that has been on the decline, but we know that rail is very important and what's great about it is it is so efficient that you can haul a lot of freight along ways for a very efficient amount. that leads to other things. i think opportunities like challenges as well. host: what are farmers telling you about high food prices? are they seeing more money

because of high food prices? guest: it's so volatile. farmers not getting to set their own prices for the products that they produce, we talk about that. commodity markets are very volatile. we will have a lot of discussion on that farm bill. there's a lot of frustration, say, with beef. beef producers on the ranches across the country, those prices, when they tend to be down and consumers pay more, that's very frustrating. it speaks to several other issues involved here. the workforce shortage is a huge part of this as well. host: explain for the people that don't know how it works for farmers with prices. is it futures? is the price set long before they put the feet in the ground? how does it work?

guest: futures are involved. there are a lot of contracts out there were a farmer agrees to deliver a product to say a co-op or a processor months down the road, even longer, perhaps. sometimes there is spot market. on the spot being able to sell products but a lot of times is forward contracted in a way that allows producers to hedge a part of their risk. and for processors as well. host: we have got calls lined up for you. democratic caller, pennsylvania. caller: hello, how are you doing? normally i wouldn't even be up at this time. but -- [laughter] and usually i wouldn't be watching your show but i would -- do record it every day. a lot of times i put it on, you seem so right-leaning. i happen to catch it today. i am extremely furious at graham.

you know, they wanted the supreme court to throw it to the states. now they want them to throw it back to the feds again. they have no clue what they are doing, you know? it shows all the time. he doesn't have a good plan. i hope the democrats don't go along with it. the thing is, they don't want to work together but now they want to work together? wrong. they are trying to take away the rights of women. i had an aunt, years ago in the 60's -- guest: we have a -- host: we have a limited time with the congressman. what's your position on senator grampa's nationwide ban on abortion after 15 weeks. guest: i'm pro-life, i support pro-life legislation. the fact that the courts handed it down to the state is important. we should focus on that. that's what the litigation was about. there will be debate across the house and the senate.

this is good. this is something that we should not shy away from. as we have discussions we want it to be civilized. we want to share ideas and ultimately come together to share policy. in this case it's the states that should address this, as the supreme court allows. host: so you would be in favor of a nationwide ban? guest: i would support a reasonable ban overall. because i am pro-life. optimally, handing it to the states to decide the best way to go. host: is the lindsey graham proposal reasonable? guest: i haven't read all of the details, yet. also, i think discussions and debates are what we should sue. -- should pursue. host: james in tennessee. independent, good morning.

james, go ahead. you have to mute your television, please. caller: ok. listen to these republicans. you cannot believe nothing they say. why would you want to take a woman's rights away. why do people of color? round and black? they're coming through. they want to move it back to the 30's and the 40's with voting rights. they do it every chance they get. i don't care what this man safe. he's lying like the rest of them . all they do is get on tv, go on fox news, claim joe biden committed all kinds of atrocities. what about trunk? how you going to have all of this in your house? thank you. guest: what about a woman's rights and we will move on to the next call, that was the issue he brought up. guest: again, lifelong pro-life position.

i think that as we debate the issues, let's have civilized bait. there will be disagreement. our country was founded on a disagreement. yet we still came together to get a various policy that we still enjoy today through the constitution. let's have the discussion. host: the federal reserve chair said they would keep raising interest rates until the job is done, the job being bringing down inflation. do you support that strategy? guest: i hesitate to say that raising interest rates is the solution. what the feds cannot do is control spending in congress. we need to reduce spending in congress and avoid the huge injections of cash to the economy that the president has been pushing so readily. to me that's the biggest trigger . it happened more quickly than we are going to be able to undo that.

but i think that the better policies of reducing wasteful washington spending is the better way to go. host: clifford, birmingham, democratic caller. caller: i'm listening to this guy here and it really upsets me. he acts like this inflation thing is just something only americans are dealing with. this is a global deal, here. the whole economy shutdown. when it came back online, if we hadn't put money in people's pockets this would have been worse. in my opinion the republicans want it bad. they don't want the economy to come around. they want to be able to blame joe biden in the democrats for everything. host: taking your point, it's not just america, it's global and if the democrats had not money into the economy it would be worse. guest: reasonable economists

told the president not to do this because the spending would trigger inflation and sure enough it has. we are the leading economy in the world. a lot of economies follow suit. when we look at the president wanting student loan forgiveness done at the executive level without debating it in congress especially after the speaker, speaker pelosi and leader schumer specifically said it cannot be done without a vote of congress, these are just issue examples of pushing money into the economy that have been dangerous and have led to higher prices and higher cost-of-living. we will see college students facing even higher tuition rates. host: darrell, north carolina, cameron, independent. caller: i would like to speak to

the guest about the inflation in the sources of money that he's it's on. the administration being the primary source. actually, the beginning of money being inflated into the economy started with the checks under the trump administration. as well as the tax breaks. use within congress. trickle-down economics. we don't really hear that phrase anymore because if we did, for the folks that understand it, that policy failed. as an independent i look at things from both sides. democrats do spend too much money but at this time it's a necessity because trickle-down economics failed. caller: let's take that argument. -- host: let's take that argument. guest: the 2017 tax relief it resulted an increase of revenue to the government because of the growing economy. one huge focus, it's important to point to is the fact that we wanted to improve and increase productivity through the tax

code of encouraging businesses to invest in more production and higher wages so that they could expense all of that. that is key. it worked. the data shows this up and down the line. it worries me that the president wants this worldwide minimum corporate tax and that actually discourages companies from becoming more productive. i'm very concerned about that. host: that's one of the tax provisions in the so-called inflation reduction act. one of the others is dropping carried interest income and the 1% tax on stock buyback. enhancing tax enforcement efforts at the irs. doubling the agency size. extending expanded health insurance tax credits and credits for purchasing electric and hydrogen vehicles in making energy-efficient home improvements and credits for companies that build new sources of emission free. guest: many of these were not

appropriately vetted. looking at the focus on electric vehicles, i'm glad that innovation is leading to electric vehicles. there is a time and a place for that. for the government to pick these winners so to speak, the infrastructure isn't prepared for that. california is a great example. not having enough electricity, they had to prohibit their own citizens from plugging in their electric vehicles at their homes. that is just one example of the problem that all of these policies were thrown together, thrown in there, voted on quickly. there are many issues here that i'm sure we will have more debate about that there should have been deliberation before the bill was passed. host: tim, democratic caller, talking with congressman adrian smith. go ahead.

caller: i would like to ask you, the costs of corn, beans, they are now double due to the trump trade embargo, the trade tariffs with china. so, the farmers out in western wisconsin where i live are very happy about that commodity prices. other prices are sky high. that's price gouging and it doesn't seem like anybody on the republican side wants to take it on because 10 years ago diesel was the first thing out of the refineries and was cheaper. as far as there were kind of egos, these red states have the lowest standard of living and the republicans have been running it for 40 years. i don't see where they've got a foot to stand on as far as helping the average person out. therefore when they retire they

get very little in social security and so on because the wages have been suppressed for so long because of the antiunion and big business policies. i would like you to explain some of that to me, please. guest: one of the biggest issues these days is the costs of energy and the president darted today one boasting about the fact that he wanted to shut down domestic production of fossil fuels. that was his priority. we are paying for the results of those policies and it hits everyone. when we talk about wages, you know, we saw an increase in wages following the tax reform in 2017 with a lower inflation rate. workers were getting ahead. now with all of the inflation we have now, the cost-of-living, even though wages have gone up, it's overshadowed and undermined by higher prices. whether it is a grocery store, the gas pump, looking for a new house.

it's a situation where at any price some things are not available. host: louisiana, georgia, democratic caller. caller: good morning. my question is for mr. adrian smith, i would like to know why we are not saying that there is a food shortage? quit using the word inflation when looking at the bird flu, the dead chickens in the industry. fields slaughtered with rain and drought. why are we not talking about that situation? just the united states -- not just the united states but globally. host: and on top of that the russia ukraine conflict. guest: russia invading ukraine has complicated everything.

ukraine is considered the bread basket of europe. commodities really are a worldwide issue. i have to say that even amidst the challenges, the fact that food is still available, yes it's more expensive but we are helping feed the world. america helping feed the world, we are in a strong position for that. the caller does raise i think a very valid point that there are some shelves that are empty. folks are not able to see the variety at the three stores they would like and without variety there's less competition. these are dynamics that are not consumer friendly. i hope we can get this i change on track. -- supply chain back on track. the public sector, the private sector, these job vacancies exist. you mentioned earlier the doubling of the irs workers, the

budgets, i think that's a mistake. i think we will see a lot more audits of small businesses and the american people who have already paid their taxes. that's a mistake host: dave, north carolina, independent. caller: good morning. did you play with the royals at one time? guest: caller: caller: not me. not you? ok. [laughter] guest: i play a pickup game once in a while. caller: i believe the inflation is created by greed. i know you guys want to trade or switch the presidency. that's why all these prices and all of these crises are happening. what do you think about that? greed being the problem here?

host: we want consumers to have options in the marketplace. we want them to be able to select from among product they find affordable. just the various details that they are interested in. that's empowering consumers. as things become short on the shelves, they don't have those choices. it's it also leads to higher prices but this is literally painful for everyone across the economy. this has been very painful and i hope that we in address the supply chain shortage by getting folks back into the workforce. we have a workforce today that as a percentage is smaller than what it was in the fall of 2008. you know, the president, president biden's boasting about the unemployment rate. yet that's only part of the picture. the bigger more accurate picture is to follow the workforce participation rate and we are

not in a very good spot right now. host: terry, illinois, democratic caller. caller: good morning, greta. i think he is doing america a disservice when he tries to push the republican agenda all the time. wake up, you quote "washington post," "wall street journal," you go back and you show us all the comments that the republican senators are making. now we get this guy as a guest. i guess he's going to be, if the republican wins, he wants to be the chairman of the house and weigh this committee. the only thing i hear is disgruntled. this is not who america is four and i know that's not your agenda but it hurts our country. if you want to put that guy out there, why not put his screen up there in show a democrat? thank you, have a great day.

host: stay with the program, we will be talking to earl blumenauer, democratic senator, and we have to take the network as a whole and we certainly take a balance very seriously as a part of our mission and try to do it every day when we make decisions about what we are covering and the guests we have on here. congressman, if you want to address what he had to say there. guest: i was kind of think that "washington post" is left-leaning in their editorial content. maybe if you talk about the post and the journal all at the same time. that's pretty balanced. host: and we do that, certainly. mike, texas, hello there. good morning. caller: hello, i'm here. host: we are listening to you. go ahead. caller: someone was just saying that before we got this present

administration, the present administration in their, we had a pretty good economy? i think that once they are voted out we will be fine again. host: congressman? guest: the house has two year terms so that the american people can drastically change the election of the house. not as much the senate, but i think the founders were onto something when they set up that system with two houses with the opportunity for voters to participate on such a regular basis. that measured approach has worked well. it's not perfect but i think it has worked well and we want to encourage people to participate. host: do you and how would you be different? chair and the committee will we have a majority. communicating with my colleagues as we speak about why i want to

be chair, what i have to offer and i am the one who can get the most done. that is my focus. also explaining what we need to do in the next two years. we need to actually plan farther down the road. tex reform was huge, it was great but it didn't happen overnight. >> what would be the first piece of legislation you would have a hearing on or bring to the committee? >> making permanent the middle-class tax wallace e. they didn't -- the permanence didn't survive. host: we thank you very much for your time. we will take a break. at the bottom of the hour we will be joined by democratic

member earl blumenauer. first, we are going to return after this break back to the conversation from earlier. your reaction to senator lindsey graham's proposal for a 15 week abortion ban. phone numbers are the same, start diving and. -- start dialing in. >> sunday on q&a how brand shares his book danger zone. the idea that china is going to emerge of the superpower doesn't strike us as formidable. china will be poised to challenge the united states and its allies in particular areas. china has geographic advantages

because it is close and we are far or carve out a sphere of influence. china's incentive to do this to behave in a more risk prone to depression will grow as chinese leaders realize that china doesn't have all the time in the world to accomplish its objective. >> sunday night on q&a. you can listen to all of our podcasts on our free c-span now app. >> c-span campaign 2022 coverage is your front row seat to the midterm election. watch it as it happens on the campaign trail.

don't miss a single election moment because you can take us with you on the go with c-span now our free mobile video app and speak -- he's been.org/campaign2012 to. track results from every primary c-span campaign 2022 your unfiltered view of politics. >> "washington journal" continues. host: we are back. returning to our conversation we had at the top of the program this morning. lindsey graham's proposal to ban abortion nationwide after 15 weeks. it creates turmoil for gop's midterm strategy. this is what they show in this graph right here. since the supreme court decision overturning the to abortion

about 30% of democratic campaign ads have mentioned the issue compared to 5% for republicans. from the article was senator lindsey graham's proposal has jolted the republican strategy for dealing with the contentious social issue and guess democrats in of attack less than two months before the midterm election. since this is prime court overturned roe v. wade many republicans have been trying to straddle the cap between the core voting base and independent voters who polls show are in favor of abortion rights and whose support will be key to the outcomes in several -- several battlegrounds. here is senator lindsey graham yesterday, last night defending the legislation. [video clip] >> yesterday wasn't the day to do that. yesterday was the day they lost all momentum with this inflation

thing. you gave them an out. a lot of people don't like that. you could have done it any other day just like you could have delayed the whole press conference. just like to should have delayed the stupid already. >> i don't think there is a bad day to stand up for the unborn. what am i trying to say, that america has to be a civilized nation. it would bother me if a baby is aborted at 38 weeks. at 15 weeks when the baby can feel pain you provide anastasia to save its life it should be protected from being dismembered by an abortionist. that puts us in line with france, germany, great britain. they all have abortion pins below 15 weeks. >> i understand. you are right, -- >> don't ever apologize for standing up for the unborn. you know what, it's not the offense of here. host: senate of and see graham

defending the nationwide ban. we want to know your reaction to the debate and if it impacts your vote. this article features polling by 538 democrats are now favored to win the senate. let's hear from james in washington, d.c., republican. good morning. caller: good morning. one issue that is never discussed is the effect of abortion on a disabled person. disabled people once an in vitro scan is subject -- then. disability is not a popular topic as a whole but it is something that should be discussed there is a bias against disabled persons and it's really sad. people seem to be ok with that. that's all.

host: warren, -- sam in indiana. caller: on this lindsey graham deal in indiana, our representatives are the only ones that can bring it up for a vote, put it on the ballot. one of our representatives brought it up to bring it to the ballot and it was turned down by the republicans. on the whole deal about the economy, this is controlled by businesses. we are being price gouged. oil companies, -- host: before you go, what is your reaction about the abortion

band that goes into effect despite ongoing lawsuits? are you in favor of the bands? caller: no, because it should be a woman's right. i would not want someone controlling my body as a man, i think a woman should have the right to choose the republicans for years and years, they have been on this bandwagon and when the kids are born they are not taken care of. the futures of the mothers are nothing because they have no childcare. let's put that in the law where the man takes care of the kid. host: does this impact your vote in the coming weeks in the

november midterm elections? as an independent what party do you vote for? caller: i tend to choose the best person but i will not vote for any republican in this go around. of back to the economy, i was watching the fuss senator or representative that you had and he is saying the economy, while trump handed out checks with his name on them. host: rink the issues for you. economy, abortion where do they rank? caller: i think they are 50-50. host: more on this legislation in indiana. the ban would make it a felony to provide abortions. it replaces a former 22 week

band. it follows west virginia the republican-controlled house and senate passed legislation yesterday for a complete ban in that state as well. here is the headline west virginia becomes second state to pass a near-total abortion ban. let's hear from mary in colorado. caller: i am against the ban. the republicans, i want to remind them they are the people that like smaller government so how about they shrink down small enough to stop being in the business of making people's personal decisions. get out of our personal lives and stay within the law. they are outside of the law within -- themselves anyway.

it does affect my vote. host: how so? are you more enthusiastic or what? caller: i am more enthusiastic period. the last few years i just never would have believed i would have seen anything like this. i am appalled at the way america has been going. i am energized. host: ok, mary. caller: and i'm disabled but i'm going to make it to the polls. host: politico with the headline americans say politicians are not informed enough to set abortion policy. majority of both democrats and republicans don't have confidence in politicians to set abortion policy. kathy in gainesville, new york. hi, kathy. caller: good morning to you.

i am against what lindsey graham said because i think it is unconstitutional. i think this decision was correct that it should be in the hands of the state. people need to rally around what they are looking for. i don't have a personal opinion on it it's more about i think he is wrong because we just had a ruling. it should be out of their hands. host: you are echoing the republican leader of the senate, mitch mcconnell here is what we he had to say. [video clip] >> if you take this up will you put this on the floor for a vote or will you commit to leaving this issue to the states? >> you will have to ask him about it. in terms of scheduling, i think most of the members of my conference prefer that this be dealt with at the state level. >> with regards to the abortion

issue, are republicans, do you feel republicans are doing enough? it seems democrats are controlling the issue with saying your grandmother had more rights than you. do you feel like republicans need to do a better job? >> i think every republican senator running this year in these contested races has an answer as to how they feel about the issues and it may be different in different states. so i leave it up to our candidates who are quite capable of handling this issue and determine for them what their responses. host: mitch mcconnell saying it is up to the candidates. one of those candidates marco rubio who is being challenged by val demings. from politicos reporting they

say the decision comes as he is also trying to draw attention to demings'stance on abortion. even though she has that she supports restrictions after the moment of viability. lindsey graham tweeting out as usual, marco rubio is spot on the media will never expose the fact that democrats want no restrictions on abortion and would allow it up until the moment of birth making our country like china, north korea. thanks for the strong leadership. dial in and tell us how this impacts your vote in the coming weeks. surely in new york, independent. good morning to you. go ahead. caller: good morning, how are you doing? i want to tell you that i believe a woman does have a right to her body, the government should never tell

anybody stuff like that because to me that is like a communist way of going up on things. as far as abortion goes, i believe, yes, a woman does have a right to have an abortion especially if it is incest or rape. what i have a hard time with and if a baby, if a woman is pregnant up to 6, 7, eight months and they decide to have an abortion that is not really ok the way i see it morally because like somebody said it wants a couple of months ago and they were spot on. they said if a pregnant woman gets shot and killed, the person is charged with a double murder. for killing two humans. like i said, i am pro-abortion up to an extent. i believe up until the baby has

a heartbeat. i am sure people are going to disagree with that too, but as far as changing my way of feeling about abortion and my way of voting, i believe if it was just the abortion issue yes i would vote totally against it. i did vote for biden but to be honest with you right now the way i see things happening, i see a little bit more than abortion going into this country which is where we are now. i will vote republican on that but as far as he pushing goes -- abortion goes i believe once the baby has a heartbeat to me that's another person. host: congresswoman tweeting out when the gop applauded the

overturning of roe they said it was a state issue they don't care about women's health care they just want to take our rights away. this is the debate here in washington after senator lindsey graham proposed a 15 week national abortion ban rather than leaving it up to the states as many republicans are arguing to do. does this impact your vote or enthusiasm for voting in november and what are your thoughts on the debate that is happening here in washington? matt in falls church, virginia. caller: will it affect my enthusiasm to vote? possibly not. i am represented by all democrats so i don't have any ability to vote against anyone who might be opposing me politically. i would just say in terms of abortion number one, it is a medical issue.

we treat it like a political issue but it is a medical issue. women, when they are pregnant have a multitude of possibilities of what will happen with the fetus. in louisiana a woman had a fetus who had no skull. liability was negligible. they forced her to carry that baby and possibly number one, damage her health, number two, make it so that she could not have another child and, number three, give birth to a dead child. is that what this law is going to do? we don't know. it is a medical issue and yet the government wants to get in the way. republicans used to say oh, government shouldn't be so big to force itself on you, the individual but now it's like unless our religion wants to tell you what to do. then our religion gets to tell

you what to do and you have to do that. medical decisions be dammed, our religion trumps your medical decisions. what happened to the libertarian republican party? it is not the big religion, big government republican party. host: matt is referring to this story from the story. a louisiana woman forced to travel to new york for abortion. vicki from florida. caller: think you, c-span for taking my call and having a program like this. also this is my first call on the republican line. i used to be a democrat and the reason i changed my party was because of this issue, abortion. it just broke the camel. i have been a long life democrat but when it came to the abortion

issue i had a charge -- i had to change party. i cannot be with the party that will take an end a life and kill a fetus. host: thank you. reba in maryland. caller: hi, on abortion i am absolutely pro-choice and i am against forced birth. i have the radical notion that women are the best people, not the government and not a bunch of strangers and not anybody, to make decisions about their own health. the thing i most radically changed about over the course of decades is the end of pregnancy abortion. that is when i started hearing the stories of women who have those abortions.

these were women who wanted their babies. they did not get to 7, 8, 9 months because they didn't want a baby. they desperately wanted a baby. something horribly went wrong either with the child where there was potential for pain, at setter -- etc. or for the woman herself. we can't, as a government, put down every single possibility. yeah, you can do it then, you can do it then. let the women, in conjunction with their family and their own spiritual advisors decide. for me this isn't only a health issue it is a freedom issue. as far as people who think a heartbeat matters the heart is

just an organ. that is all it is. life starts at conception when the cells multiply but a heart is just an organ. it does not give consciousness and it doesn't really be at six weeks. it just has a twitch but there is no chambers. so all of that is just justification, a lot of propaganda thrown out there. let women decide. otherwise, we are going to have a lot of deaths from ectopic pregnancies, a lot of women getting sepsis when they are forced to keep the baby inside them that needs to be born that has died inside them. we are already seeing these instances we need to stop this nonsense. host: when this issue was put forward to voters during the primary they voted against abortion bans. there was much more at stake in

that primary than any typical primary for voters in kansas. instead of just deciding candidates kansas was voting on the woman's right to abortion. since the supreme court handed down the decision, the author goes on to write among kansans who register to vote on or after june 24 democrats had an eight point advantage. compare that with the gop's overall advantage of 19 points among all registered voters in kansas. the landscape changed on june 24 and voters, a conservative state in every state of the word codified a woman's right to choose. what's more concerning for republicans is many register to vote after the decision was released and most were women. miriam, good morning to you.

what do you think about the proposal by lindsey graham? caller: the ban is for 15 weeks. 10% of all abortions are done after the 15th week. so i think this is putting it back on the democrats to really reflect on where they stand because it seems to me that the democrats are very radical just like that one woman was saying she is all for women's rights while i am too. what about our little girls that are being killed in the womb? where are their rates? you want the ability to choose well, we didn't have the right to choose to take the vaccine what happen to those rights? you know, europeans, they are so progressive will they have all stopped abortions after the 15th

week. they are right up there with china. we are right up there with her korea do we want to stand in that line? i have been a republican all my life and the reason why i vote republican is because of this abortion issue it is huge for me. i am pro-life. host: joe in new york caller:. good morning, greta. love the show. my wife and i were having this discussion yesterday and she brought up a very good point. if pregnancy is such a miracle maybe they should ban viagra. this concept. host: ok. bill in massachusetts. i look up oh my goodness. i think it is 14 weeks in europe but what i thought with lindsey

graham last night and before that is that he was saying maintaining a woman's life, if she was raped she can have an abortion. at first, i just want to say when this occurred they wanted to go back to the states. this it anybody in the country abortion was not -- host: i apologize you are going

for as you are going in and out it's difficult to keep up. charlotte in pennsylvania. democratic color. caller: what happens to children who get pregnant not of their own volition, they need to get an abortion so they can continue, what about the 10-year-old girl that was raped by her family? the united states has never had it so you can get an abortion up to nine months. there must've been something wrong and the doctor decided there was something wrong with the child or the mother's health or anything to go beyond i think it was never more than six months. the republicans don't want to take care of the children after they are born. when they are born, and i just think they are wrong. how do you know what medications they have been on and what the

medication might do to the child if they have been on medication? if men want to rule women, they are all crazy. host: i am wondering about how this impacts your vote? caller: i would never vote for anybody who isn't going to let the women have the right to choose their own body. host: if this issue had not come up, how enthusiastic would you have been to make sure that you vote in november? caller: i always vote. host: no matter what? caller: no matter what. host: yahoo! reporting, at least one dozen states have bans and more are considering restrictions. grams proposal with the exception of rape and incest or to protect a woman's life has

brought this back to the congressional campaign. port charlotte florida, republican, fred good morning to you. caller: thank you for taking my call. i am a big fan of rbuio. --rubio . i believe after it was sent to the states it should not be a democrat or republican issue it should be a referendum on the ballot in each state so allow the state to make its own and let the people make the decision. let's take it away from the democrats this has nothing to do with democrats or republicans. it should be a referendum so people in each state can vote. i have always been pro-choice until i started hearing some of the abortions at nine months.

come on. the ability to say oh you're going to have a beautiful baby boy, what i don't want a boy aborted. things like that. those are just terrible. let it go back to the states just like the supreme court said. make it a referendum for the people not a democrat or republican issue. why should i have to vote for a republican or democrat to try to get my voice about abortion? host: got it. taking a quick break. when we come back we will be joined by congressman earl blumenauer senior member of the means and ways committee. we will pick up our conversation on the inflation and the economy. later we will get an update on a deal struck between the union and the freight rail company. a tentative deal announced by the white house earlier this morning. esther fung will join us for

that conversation. we will be right back. ♪ >> but tv. every sunday on c-span two teachers leading authors discussing their latest on fiction books. john o'neill talks about the soviet union and development of bioweapon's. at a 10:00 p.m. dallas mavericks ceo shares her memoir you have been chosen about her life and career about the first black female ceo in the nba. she is interviewed by michael louis. watch book tv on sunday on seeps ban to -- c-span2. >> on monday, written says goodbye to the longest-serving monarch as the funeral for queen

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with current nonfiction book releases. trends through insider interviews. you can find us on c-span now or whatever you get your podcasts. >> "washington journal" continues. host: joining us this morning is congressman earl blumenauer a democrat from oregon and a member of the ways and means committee. let's begin with inflation. the latest numbers show that prices rose 8.3% from august a year earlier. why is this happening and what are democrats doing about it? guest: as you know this has been playing out for several months in terms of the supply chain issues. it has driven up prices.

we have had a tremendous shock with what is going on with ukraine and energy. there is a series of events that have taken place. it is not unique to us. i am very pleased with what the democrats have done with our agenda. it has been a very momentous several months. we have taken steps to increase the opportunities for energy protection especially as it relates to renewables. we have seen the administration working to increase supply of petroleum that was disrupted. we have moved forward with a wide array of things that will enable consumers to be able to control what we are doing with legislation.

that's been one of the drivers in terms of health care. last but not least the legislation provided life support for troubled areas in health care. subsidies, some of the rural hospitals. it was a broad-based effort, it is going to take a while to work the supply chain issues. i am encouraged about the legislation that we passed. host: earlier we had adrian smith and he said this is the president's fault and democrats who have controlled both the house and the senate because the president signed into law stimulus. he warned the president back in may not to keep pumping money

into the economy because there would be inflation. your response? guest: i wonder what adriance would -- response would be if we didn't try to stimulate the economy. the biggest reduction in child poverty in history. if we had allowed the ripple effects to the economy, remember what we were facing at the beginning of the pandemic and much of that was inflation was bipartisan. we stabilize the economy, my legislation provided support for 100,000 restaurant owners that were closing their doors and throwing out workers and disrupting the supply chain. we were in a terrible situation. the legislation we passed helped stabilize the economy, reduced child poverty and set the stage

for future progress. host: the federal preserve chairs that they will continue to raise interest rates in order to curb inflation. is that the right strategy? guest: i think the federal reserve has a reasonable approach. there is not one simple solution but that is an important role. they need to send signals about the economy. host: i want to get your news to news from the white house. falling more than 20 consecutive hours of negotiation the real companies and union negotiators came to a tentative agreement. guest: i think it is welcomed news. i met with the major railroads, i met with the union's. the situation the workers face was intolerable.

people worked days at a time, they didn't have certainty that they could plan family events, health care and it was significant. these are not easy jobs. even if they pay $100,000 a year or more they have difficulty filling them. my legislation will do research to deal with the shortcomings in terms of the supply chain. people do not qualify for the jobs because they use marijuana sometimes in the last six weeks. it doesn't affect their ability to do their job but it places them out of the consideration. there are things we can do to improve the supply chain, get the workers there. this is a welcome development

because going forward it would have been disastrous. it would have further accelerated inflation. it is a good sign that the administration, the union, and the companies were able to work this out. host: you said it would be disastrous this is a tentative deal, why would it be disastrous? guest: this is one of the manager -- major drivers for inflation. the concept of just-in-time delivery exposes how fragile our supply chains are an disruption over here could have catastrophic effects throughout the economy. laces were dumping food on the ground because we couldn't get it. the just-in-time concept made it

impossible to have goods. for example the chip shortage, run-of-the-mill $.25 chips that allow trucks and microwaves to work. a disruption to the supply chain would have been extraordinarily difficult. this is one of the things we are working through now and i think we are going to, as a result of the last couple years we have people working to make sure that the supply chain that we are able to adapt and respond and people can cooperate to strengthen the supply chain. not put it at risk. host: let's hear from jerry in kentucky. caller: i was wondering if you could talk about the top 20% wealth. host: can you say that again? caller: i was wondering if the

gentleman knows how much wealth without any percent has in this country? guest: the top 20% it is wildly disproportionate. even the top 2%. wealth in this country is not equitably distributed. it is one of the things i am hopeful will be changed as a result of the infrastructure deal the legislation we have going it will enable greater encouragement of people working in terms of the infrastructure, guaranteeing that the manufacturing is in the united states. union jobs that pay more, dealing with the disparity. it could go on forever in terms of talking about the housing structure, moderate low income

walked americans from being able to purchase homes and generate wealth. there is a range of things that need to be addressed. i am hopeful we are starting to see americans realize that having greater participation in generating wealth and access to good paying jobs. having a minimum corporate backing. a minimum tax on the corporations some of them paying nothing at all. host: i'm curious why you asked the question caller: i agree with most of what you are saying. at least 14% can be spread out over 80% of the population. i know somebody's bread is not

going to be better. we have one of the most powerful politicians but we rank number one for cancer, we like education, we lack the life expectancy. the list goes on. the problem in this country is in the politicians it is the voters that keep voting them back in there. this man has been in office since i was a young man and i'm an old man now. thank you for your time and you have a great day. guest: i appreciate the observation. it is time to make sure that we enable part of what we are doing in this proposal is have more people dedicated to make sure that those who owe taxes pay taxes. the compliance on the part of the wealthiest 2% is abominable.

they are not paying the taxes that are already owed. this gap results and hundreds of billions of dollars that should be paid that are not collected. that is part of what we have done to strengthen the ra -- the irs. so the top 2% that owes her continued to pay. host: from florida, democratic caller. caller: thank you for taking my call. i have been a big fan of the representative ever since i started watching c-span. one small correction to your earlier val demings, she believes she is in orlando. host: you are right.

caller: the thing that bothers me about the republican representative and all of the advertisements that i'm watching right now regarding the upcoming elections is that the republicans are making the case that if they are allowed to take full control of both houses that all of a sudden, just like in a storybook, they are going to pass over with a magic wand and the economy will be a-ok again and interest rates will go down, and prices will fall back to previous days. now, in 1980's when i bought my

home here in florida, it was 14.5%. yes we paid a little bit more for services. the only thing i can say right now is, yes, the train is on the right track because of waita minute my family worked on the railroad. we need to keep moving forward, not backwards. host: ok thank you. congressman? guest: our agenda -- the republican colleagues agenda is very narrow. it was undermining health care security. they were seeing this up close and personal and i am seeing the

pacific northwest with droughts and forest fires. we tried to deal with these crises in a way that makes a difference for american families. i am proud of the record we have going forward. my friends on the others of the aisle, they have no agenda to deal with the climate crisis, to deal with the supply chain. they provided no vote, not a single vote, for example allowing the federal government to negotiate prescription drug prices. which is a standard practice in the private sector. but they made it illegal. we are changing that. one small example, it's going to reduce costs to the american public and tell people who needed the most. host: mike in iowa, independent. caller: i watch your show, how

can you sit here i was looking at everything. is he out of touch? we are sitting here watching this president two days ago till how things are getting better but when the inflation rate comes out, it is higher and the dow drops what? 1200 points. and this guy here he is smiling and this that and the other. host: let's hear a reaction to the points that you made. inflation is up, the dow dropped, is it better? guest: the most recent indication, yes, there was a one-day drop. but there were five days in a row of very significant increases in the dell. --the dow.

these things are significant but what we have done we put 568 billion dollars in two infrastructure. all of the republicans voted against it but they are claiming credit for the projects. i am proud of the work that we have done to be able to provide resources for the american public, for health care, for rural hospitals, for infrastructure. and we have done it without any help from republicans. host: jack in ohio. it had. caller: i have watched over the years. host: we are listening.

oh, we lost you. caller: timothy in georgia, independent caller. caller: i have a question. in the spending bill, how much money did you allocate towards independent truckers? guest: it isn't broken down in terms of specific categories. there are broad areas of investment. the trucking industry which we strongly support, what we did to be able to them -- help them move forward is make improvements. this is something that is going to make a difference for the trucking industry, it's going to make a difference for changing the water system. so children are not poisoned by drinking water. these are things that are

desperately needed across the country that we are going to be able to access. of the resources that have been allocated go through state and local governments. they are going to have an opportunity to uset the the resources. and make the most impact locally. there is a lot of local control which i am happy about. things like broadband access. is not specific to the trucking industry or agriculture or manufacturing. it is broad categories that are available to state and local governments to be able to make investments. host: congressman, i want you to react to the republican of louisiana on the abortion debate. we have been talking to our viewers this morning after senator lindsey graham introduced that 15 week's ban,

here is the gop leader at a press conference responding to a question about how the gop will react to legislation if they win the house in november. [video clip] >> first we need to see what our majority looks like but we are a party that defense life, we stand up for life. we have been trying to bring it to the floor. every republican is a cosponsor. the baby should not be able to be called -- murdered and called an abortion but states like new york do that today. the democrats won't bring a bill like that up. i will tell you this, if they want to try to thwart this issue every day, they don't want to talk about the fact that their party has gotten so extreme that they went from a party that used to say that they wanted abortions to be rare, today they want to mandate a portion of the way up to the birth of the

child. that is not where america is. we defended life not just inside the womb, which we are proud to do, but we also defend life in communities. for you see crime overtake so many cities and as nicole talked about, democrats want to let the criminals back out. they funded the police -- they have defended the police and many cities. but they want no cash bail. let them out after being charged with violent crime. they don't respect life there, they don't respect life in our communities where urc 100,000 kids being killed by fentanyl overdoses that are coming across over the southern border. they would be working with us to ask these problems, but they won't because they just don't care. i think they are going to pay for it on november 8 at the polls. host: can you respond to his

arguing there that democrats are for abortions up to nine months and that taxpayers would pay for them? guest: you know, he is being outrageous and unreasonable. it's not true. first of all, there are circumstances,rare, rare, one in 100,000 where there are consequences to the health of the mother where there is, what he's talking about. that is not the fast majority. they want to restrict women's health. we have seen example after example where there is extreme legislation preventing mothers who have suffered a miscarriage and the healthful providers are reluctant to be able to take the procedure it would save her life.

republicans are all over the map on this. they are running away from what they have said in extreme positions. they are denying what they said just a few months ago, including lindsey graham by the way. this is such an amazing effort to try to disguise what they have done. they helped wage a war against reproductive health. the american public does not agree with them. you saw the results in kansas where the extreme position was rejected. kansas voters, they said we are very much in terms of what being able to allow women, their families, their doctors to do what is in their best interest. these wild confessions are just not true.

this is a cartoon that he has created. the republican talking points, that's not where these responsible men and women who serve in the senate are involved with. there is no relationship to reality and viewers who know the men and women and what they are trying to do understand it is salacious, outrageous, and a lie. host: let's hear from steven in lexington, kentucky. caller: good morning, thank you for taking my call. by the way, i love the merchandise. i have the sweatshirt and i'm going to buy my wife a mug. i love the representative, he is a great guy. i think highly of him because he is just realistic. i wish he was my representative.

i have andy barr, gross. so my question for you, the fight for the legalization of marijuana i want to know where that's going and is it possible to get it done? before the elections or, i just want to hear the process of that. guest: i have been working on reforming drug laws and other politicians in the country. we started in oregon back in 73. we tossed it through the house seven times working a broad reform across the board. we are looking at legislation that is being developed in the senate. one of the things i'm most excited about is instead of what happens when your senator, mitch mcconnell was in charge every

cannabis reform piece of legislation was dead on arrival. current senate leadership, chuck schumer, has produced a comprehensive piece of legislation that he is moving forward with. they are embracing reform. it looks like we have a piece of legislation that could be on the continuing resolution. it would enable us to get the safe banking legislation passed along with some things that deal with legalization. we have a crisis in this country because the people have decided on the state level, several states already that the federal government is out of touch. it doesn't permit access to banking services so these states legal businesses are sitting ducks for crooks.

they see violence with dispensaries across the country. they don't have access to banking. we have legislation, i think we are getting to the position where we may be able to get it across the finish line work mitch mcconnell can't strangle that. host: eileen in connecticut, independent. caller: thank you very much for taking my call. it is around the same topic about cannabis legislation. i won't repeat some of the questions because it was already nicely answered by the representative. inc. you very much for your effort. i am a medical cannabis patient and we have passed legalization and to things i want to say. first of all the social justice issue really is a big deal.

here in connecticut, maybe that started off with the best of it has become complicated by money. it is kind of discouraging as far as that part of it goes, but my concern about cannabis production is the environmental consequences are big. we are not pay much attention to that. if this goes for, i am concerned by a lot, but the main thing is plastic pollution involved with disposable vaped devices. that's not only cannabis, but nicotine and tobacco. these devices are plastic, and you throw them away when you're done rated their material that is a big concern. thank you.

guest: i appreciate the sentiment. i've been trying to make it easier for medical cannabis to be available. i think it may pass again, dealing with veteran access. our veterans are not able to work with their own doctors. i've been in the facilities, and i have staff members say that medical cannabis saves people's lives, but they need to provide access. countless people i've worked with indicate that this has made a difference for veterans with posttraumatic stress with chronic pain and traumatic brain injuries, we passed opioids to veterans in the past like tictac's when the performance

was worse when we deny them opportunities for medical cannabis, which is less addictive and more effective and cheaper. we will get across the finish line, and the reason i am is because the americans are with us. it is been hard to get through this with the senate, but circumstances are changing, and people are trying to drive not just the politicians. host: tim from florida. the morning. caller: good morning. i've a question. you're the head of the ways and means committee. it suggested that you should tax people on future capital gains. are you also going to allow us to be able to take tax breaks on

boxes? i can go back to 1976. first off, when you invested, long-term capital gains used to be 40 bucks. then it went to a year. you talk about businesses. i've worked for family-run businesses. i have a daughter who runs a family run business. what you guys don't seem to understand is all of the regulations that the government seems to want to impose on small businesses, which is what this was built on, which was small businesses, but they end up to be corporations. you put more regulations on them. host: congressman. guest: your friend miss --

mixing apples and oranges. these are things for public health. we have serious problems where we are eroding that, and time doesn't permit me to go into that from when trump appointed someone who is an executive or workers died as a result of failures. regulation, should it should be in place to protect workers. in the reagan administration, the capital gains rate was the same as ordinary income. this goes up and down. there is a question about whether we should tax money that is generated as a result of investments. a higher rate or lower rate than what we get from people who work

with this. i am of the opinion that we shouldn't reward both overwork. if this goes up and down, we should be responsible moving forward. we have worked to establish and it -- attacks. there are many corporations that have paid zero. any look at the tax code will reveal that there are far more breaks for businesses and wealthy people there are for people who work and get a regular paycheck. the last thing i mentioned is that the rate of tax evasion for the wealthiest is far greater the further up you go on the income scale. they get to declare their income, and that is another thing we are going to change by providing the irs the ability to

work with extraordinarily wealthy people to remember the income they had should be paying taxes. there is no shortage of opportunities that have been given to the special interests, in terms of tax breaks and codes. i am hopeful we will continue the progress in changing that. host: thank you for the conversation. we appreciate it. guest: always a pleasure. host: we learn from the white house labor secretary that a deal was struck between rail companies and union negotiators. it was tweeted out that the steel came and balanced the need of workers in our nation's economy. we will dig into the deal with the rail companies and de and negotiators next with esther

song of the wall street journal. we will be right back read ♪ --. ♪

>> washington journal continues. host: joining us from new york is esther song. she is following the story of freight rail companies and the union negotiations, and at the front, you've been up early because there was breaking news of a tentative deal area tell us about it. guest: right now, the railroads and unions have managed a tentative agreement, and that has prevented a strike from happening on friday morning. they prevented that at book sites they managed to get consensus. the strike has been averted. they said that they were able to get concessions with regards to

attendance policy but they really wanted. host: tell us about the details. these workers will get better pay, improved working conditions, and peace of mind around their health air, all hard earned. it is a victory for railway companies who will be able to recruit more workers for an industry that will continue to be part of the american economy for decades to come. >> yes. workers will be able to get a rage -- wage rate. but they wanted improved working conditions, and that included the ability to take unscheduled time off, with railroad workers with their family members being sick, and being able to take an

unscheduled day off so that can take care of themselves or their family members without adding analyze. the railroads have been trying to improve attendance and because they have been reducing their workforce, the existing railroad workers feel burdened -- overburdened when they have to be called into work for covering a coworker's absence, and that eats into their rest time, and they want a change. host: esther is here to take your questions and comments about a tentative deal. the impact of the freight rail industry on the overall economy. these workers wanted better pay.

what was their pay on average, and do you have details of what it improved to? it is a broad payment. their contracts are negotiated on a sliding basis. in the previous five-year. in 2019, the wage increase was about 13%. this time, the five-year. which is retroactive to 2019 and 2024, it increases 24%, and there is also some witnesses included. they've worked through the pandemic without any fees, and

they are really needing these increases to go through this. of high inflation. host: what about this health care cost? the president mentioned that as well. >> i don't have details regarding health care right now. host: we understand this is eight developing story. -- a developing story. are there details that have been put out yet? guest: it has, but there are some details. the union talked about how there would be an immediate wage increase of 40%. also, with health care, the union said they were able to reach an agreement for their health care contributions.

there will be no additional increases that will apply to their contributions. host: what do the rail companies want in this negotiation? guest: the railroad workers rectifying this agreement. they would like the workers to keep working. the railroad companies are also trying to hire more employees. hopefully, this deal helps to clear out uncertainties that could draw more people to the railroads. host: the labor secretary said, following more than so many hours negotiation that these

talks have been going on for years. give us the history. guest: these talks started in 2019, and the unions in the railroads weren't able to come to an agreement back then. it dragged on. according to the railway labor act, mediators had to come in. they did. in the summer, they were still not able to come to an agreement, in july. that is when president biden indicated he would bring in a federal panel called the emergency act to come and take a look at this dispute, and to provide recommendations on how it could be resolved in dispute. host: joe is in nashville.

independent. you're talking to esther from the wall street journal. hello. caller: i wanted to ask, how much of this crisis was exacerbated by the covid shutdown, and it was an issue before then, but how much of it, how much did increase when we had the bottlenecks and everything opening back up. my second question is, what is the average salary compared to -- what are they making. compared to similar professions in, and if you can comment on that. host: the first question was about the covid impact on this for workers, and did covid

exacerbate the issues for workers. guest: just as how it impacted all workers, it impacted railway workers. i heard from other workers that many of their colleagues, when they were sick, they were called in to work for longer hours or four more days. as for the average salary, railroad workers -- there different types of workers. their conductors, yard masters, and the average salary is quite a broad range.

companies say that workers are paid well, but the workers say they could get more. host: how much of the economy, give us the context of the rail industry and the overall system in the u.s. economy. if there had not been a deal, what with the ramifications have been? guest: the association of american railroads had estimated that if there had been a strike, the u.s. economy would be reduced by two -- i think -- i am sorry. host: you can find the answer.

i'm going to go to nick in pennsylvania. you find the answer and i will write on the question. go ahead. caller: i wanted to make a few comments on the rail strike itself. i'm not a railway worker, but i am in solidarity with those who are and their fight for actual paid sick leave. right now, the deal was very tentative. it is very tentative. it puts one paid sick days. that is disgusting. these workers, if i'm not mistaken, they are fighting for paid sick days. it should be the standard across the united states for so many workers. these are people who, if you don't know, they are working day after day. they don't have regular weekends like so many 9-to-5 americans. people need to get that through

their heads that these are people who are being worked to the bone, and these problems that are given through this deal, from what i've seen on workers facebook pages, and comments, that the people who are workers who are making this, they are demanding way more. don't expect this deal will go through. we should be on the side of working america. we should be on the side of the unions. i asked this reporter, what are you doing to make sure people know that these workers deserve more, and what are the current conditions, because they are working weekends. if they take a weekend, they are working for weeks in a row. munson wrote. that is the fate of these workers. host: do you want to go ahead? guest: these workers feel they are overworked. they have to work work -- weekends and holidays.

they feel they are not recognize for the sacrifices they make it it's true. while unions have been securing an agreement, the workers are able to approve these agreements. yesterday, one of the unions representing machinists and other workers had already voted not to ratify the agreement. so, these agreements, while the representatives have secure these agreements, the railroad still have a long way to fix the resentment that has built among the rank-and-file members. they need to hire more people, they need to be able to improve

management of staff, and it is not -- it has been mentioned that the problems are there around service, and it could resurface. host: were you able to find the answer or give us an idea of the intentional strike of the economy? guest: if there had been a strike, the association of american railroads would estimate that economic output in the united states would be reduced by $2 billion a day. the railroads. commodities that are very important. grain and food and gas and petrol. these things are needed to --

for everyday life. we also, my colleagues have spoken with water treatment companies, and they mentioned that chlorine is important to her if i water, and it could also have an impact if there had been a strike. it shows how essential railroad workers are in our economy. how important this is for sites to be able to fix it and not just put band-aids on. host: let's go to anna in virginia. guest: i was just calling to say i am involved with the railroad. i am a spouse of a worker.

for those of us who have family members in the industry, these associations are huge. i've been very alarmed hearing the things going through congress. forcing recommendations on these workers. especially given the carriers and the disregard for their workers that seems apparent because they have stated they believe all of the profits have been entirely due to management. there is a quote that they say that labor has played no part in the profits of the railroads. that is not true. attendance is a huge issue. i have been a part of this for 15 years, and you don't get weekends off. you are on call 20 47. you can't plan things. i have to plan to do things and

assume that my husband is not going to be there because we don't have those luxuries. that is fine. they are willing to do this job, but to do it, they need to know that they are appreciated, and they are getting comp or sated -- compensated for a difficult job. i hope that the health care cap is true did we do have good health care, but part of the reason is, not everyone will do this job. i hope the intendants -- attendance policy is true. if you missed any days, you're brought up on charges for attendance policies. that is just -- that is just not ok to be in that situation. they did vote down a deal that was voted down -- that was made. transportation workers will come to a vote, and depending, they may vote on that too.

i think my strongest urges just for members of congress to consider that if it does come back to a strike, if they put this down, i hope they will listen to the workers and go talk to the workers and railroaders and see that it makes sure that it may not be able to be around if they don't maintain good policies. >> what does your husband say? does he support this deal? he hasn't heard yet. but he may not supported. guest: yes. i agree with what she said. that is what i've been hearing from other railroad workers as well.

some workers that i talked to said they do need to build details of the tentative agreement and there is that. host: you can follow the reporting. thank you for your time. we'll take a short break. we come back, open forum. dial in, and we will get to those thoughts in just a minute. ♪

>> washington journal continues. host: we are back and open forum for the last 30 minutes of the washington journal. any policy that is on your mind,

call and tell us about that. let's begin with president biden. he is traveling to detroit for the auto show. the headline is that biden pledges to electrify the road trip, and yesterday, he gave a test drive. he said this at the auto show. >> i'm pleased to announce funding for the first 35 states, including michigan to provide infrastructure for the states. you can be a part of a network of 500,000 charging stations. 500,000. across the country. installed by the ibew.

special thanks for the last election. look at you know, the great american road trip is going to be fully electrified. when you're driving coast along i 10, or i-75 in michigan, charging states will be as easy to find us gas stations. were going to invest $7 billion to make american car companies have the batteries and other materials they need. the auto companies, i'm still inclined to say chrysler, and my dad worked for them for a while. they are all partners here. they make commitments investing billions of dollars to go electric. were lucky to have the most skilled autoworkers in the world, and that is not a hyperbole. the single most skilled workers are right here today. uaw. host: that was that detroit auto

show yesterday. we were in open forum with public policy issues, and i will begin with another headline. this is from the latest poll that shows president biden approval rating rising sharply ahead of the midterm. it is up nine points. the new york times is reporting this morning on this investigation. the headline is starting to wind down. katie benner, along with charlie savage reporting that mr. durham appears to be winding down his three year investigation without anything close to the developments that mr. trump was seeking. the grand jury heard evidence, and while there are currently no plans, there are teams looking for the end of the year, and one of the lead prosecutors on the team is angling for a job with a prominent law firm.

that is from the new york times. there is also this from the washington times. a piece about the pennsylvania senate race. this is from washington times, and according to watchdogs, they failed to disclose eight properties from seven hundred and 1500. a democrat in pennsylvania as with any cover failed to report numerous aspects with accountability and civic trust, with a complaint from the senate ethics committee. he owns eight properties with a combined total of $20,000. all of them are located in pennsylvania, and the ethics complaint that was submitted follows his attacks on the republican opponent dr. oz on properties. those are some of the headlines

in the papers this morning. we'll go to bill in illinois. a republican with the republican policy issues. good morning. caller: good morning. hello? i'm calling because i have to say, everyone is saying don't watch fox news, but i'm a democrat. only because of the union. i've been a union person all my life. and that's why vote for democrats. the lying the democrats do is unbelievable. they make it sound like the states. with the impeachment of trump, i watched the mainstream media, make trump look like he was guilty. i'm no trump fan, but what they do to this guy, and the lying they do is unbelievable. they're going the way of brainwashing people.

you've got a watch fox and then other new stories. host: ok. democrat caller. good morning. caller: good morning. i want to speak to the world about turning this nation brown. we are divorcing our nation as quick as we can, and were killing ourselves. if the democrats want to win any election, they will take this and make it and make america green again. we may all live longer. better lives. host: tampa florida, independent it what's on your mind this morning? caller: they're counting so much. the president, about the solar panels, you get discounts if you

buy this, and were worried about our economy. who is going to buy these cars for common people that are not millionaires who make a lot of money? press secretaries are saying they will give you this if you do solar panels. what will you do for the people who can't afford to buy groceries or pay electric those? that was a response. i need to understand that. how will they pay for that? this is 10 years down the road. putting in charging stations and so forth smart are you going to buy me an electric car? thank you. host: vaccine in michigan, independent. hello. caller: good morning. i don't have a topic other than a crisis. i have been following the queen's funeral, and i watched the procession come down from third world countries, and i noticed their highways. i didn't see one crack or one

pothole in all of those highways. even through countries you wouldn't expect. i look at michigan, and our roads. we have a governor who campaigned to fix the roads, and i don't see any improvement, whatsoever. i see them working, but i don't see improvement on the roads. then i watched a car show, and all of these crises are hiking the cars up $60,000. who in their right mind would spend $60,000 on a car on a highway. you've got to be out of your mind. that's all i've got to say. i hope everyone has a good day. host: we have been showing you the president at an auto show with a test drive, talking about

reporters. you can find our coverage of the president's remarks it if you are interested in the website, c-span.org. let's hear from frank in delaware. hello. caller: good morning. i have to say, this president, and i go back to john kennedy, this is the lying mr. president i've ever seen. all i hear his lies and lies and more lies. and more lies. these people, you've got to wake up. all the things they are doing to you is lying to you. everything that comes out of their mouth is a lie. green new deal. this is lying. there is a lot of money, and

date do what they want because of this money. it's a green new deal. this is an climate change. were climate chumps. you have to wake up. these people are liars. host: lonnie, democratic caller. caller: top of the morning. wow. did you hear that gentleman saying that biden lies? we know that trump did over 30,000 lies and he got a lot of pinocchio's and every time right there, i want to let the republican women, i don't know if they are mega women or just gop women. i do know this. every old white man, republican, they cannot even make a baby anymore, but they are trying to tell you not to have any babies

that they cannot even make. they won't even take care of them. is not about the babies. it is about your rights, because after your rights are taken, they go after everyone else. i appreciate you, the way you run this thing. i enjoy watching you, and the way you give everyone an opportunity to get their words through, but i do love the show, and i want to think you all for the republicans like lindsey graham coming out telling everyone that they are went to make sure it's a federal law for 15 weeks. isn't that something? don't have a chance. host: where an open forum for the next 20 minutes. i want to show you what happens on capitol hill federal officials in charge of the spots to the monkeypox disease are testifying before a senate committee. dr. fauci and other officials are testifying before the senate health committee.

at the hearing, rand paul of kentucky, republican, accused dr. fauci of contradicting himself on messaging pertain to vaccines. you will see here, rand paul opening up with a clip of dr. fauci and the washington journal. >> she had the flu for 14 days. should she get a shot? if she has the new, she is as affected as anyone can be. the best vaccination is to get infected yourself. she should not get it. >> if she has the flu, if she has the flu, she definitely doesn't need flu vaccines. if she has the flu. >> she doesn't need it. it's the most potent vaccination. getting infected. >> this is an ongoing question, and we have ever evolving opinions from you, and antibodies show that 80% of children have had covid.

there are no guidelines coming from you or anyone in the government to take into account the natural required -- acquired immunity. you seem to contradict yourself in 2004, but there is less certainty in 2022 area one of the things we know after looking at this for two to three years, is that the mortality from covid is very similar, if not less, than influenza. so when we look at this, we wonder, why do you seem to embrace immunology in 2004, and why you seem to reject it now. >> i don't reject basic immunology. i have never denied that there is importance in the protection following infection, however as we have said many times, and as it has been validated by the

authorization of the fda through their committee and the recommendation of the cdc, vaccination following infection gives an added boost, and that bill you showed has really been taken out of context. that was when somebody called in who had a reaction to a vaccine, and asked me through a telephone if they should get vaccinated again. if it is in the context of someone who had a reaction, as a matter of fact, reuters fact-check and looked at that instead found she that dr. fauci's contacts does not contradict. >> if you look at the words behind me, we can go down them a little bit at a time. she doesn't need it because the most potent vaccination is getting infected herself.

>> it is true. it is a potent way to protect. host: that was an exchange on capitol hill from rand paul and dr. fauci. if you missed that and want to see more, with the issue of monkeypox, and this exchange, you can go to our website at c-span.org. we are an open forum until the top of the hour. any public policy issue on your mind, including same-sex marriage, and that is a wall street journal headline. the gop senators spoke. the backer of a bill to codify same-sex marriage intellect. pass the measure after weeks of lobbying. potentially delaying plans to hold a vote on this proposal. parties are advocating for this legislation, and expected to turn to this bill on thursday with the first procedure voted

after changes were made to the text, but the legislation needs 60 votes to invent that role, and there not 10 republicans on board to join the democratic caucus. it sees -- says here that in the reporting, three republicans firmly backed the bill. a handful of others could support. in las vegas, independent. what policy issue do you have? caller: i am pro-choice. when it becomes a fetus, they should not aborted. unless you are at risk,. caller: bobby san diego, democratic caller. caller: hello. i am a second time caller. i called about information dissemination for the biggest problem in the united states.

this time i'm calling about unions. i was a union member for 32 years. i retired. during the retirement, or the negotiations, like railroad workers, i was concerned. our negotiations in my business, our company stole our social security numbers and in our places, they were caught. they had to pay fines, and people can google it. we were out on strike. we lost $500 a month in retirement, per month. the companies paid a $65 million fine for racketeering and various other felonies. they made over $1 billion on contracts. the only remedy was -- the reason they remedied it was the

person that was doing the sitting and for the government, they had other aspirations and they became secretary of state area they sold us out. i hope these workers fight for every penny they deserve. if their schedules are up in the air, if they don't have a stable environment, they're giving it to holidays, just like we did. i pray that everything works out for them. i also say, mr. biden, please don't intervene, because we will lose the democrats by strong-arming the enemy. we need to back the unions. host: ron is a republican in texas. good morning. caller: good morning to you. this morning, i have a couple questions, and comments.

first, the fbi. i'm all most 85 years old, and it's been a long time. i respect them. are you there? host: were listening. the fbi. caller: i am an 85-year-old man, but i've been thinking the fbi is the greatest organization in the world it today, i have as much respect for the kgb is the fbi. i don't say that because -- are you there? were listening. keep talking. thank you. the fbi, donald trump, and all the people, this is terrible. it's terrible. this is america. were like china and russia. what is wrong with our government?

never in america has anyone gone after a president. what is going on? washington, d.c. should be a shining light to every country in the world and say were the greatest country in the world. now, they are laughing at us. they're saying look what they do to each other. it is terrible? thank you for the talk. host: the story today is of a trump ally. the fbi seized a phone, from a colorado -- it was handed -- they seized a cell phone and it was handed to a grand jury well he was in a parking lot in minnesota. other reporting on student loans that we want to share. canceled plans to forgive of student loan. the gop is urging president biden to withdraw student loan

forgiveness. in the letter, 22 governors wrote they fundamentally opposed a plan to force american taxpayers to pay off debt of an elite few. they are the governors on your screen. they say that the plan would harm low income families, writing that workers will pay off salaries and reward the rich and punish the poor. celebrating today, 40 years of publication. this is the front page. 40 years of usa today. that is the 40's anniversary today. c-span was asked at the one-year anniversary, and we were inside the newsroom in washington dc. all day that day.

we talked to reporters, and of course on youtube, you are part of the conversation as well. you can find that in our archives if you go to c-span.org or you go to our video library you can find a one-year anniversary of usa today as a mark 40 years, today. susan and south dakota. democratic caller. good morning. caller: the morning. it seems like every time i call it's you that's there. what a coincidence. as i'm listening, i just get more riled up. where does one begin? i think mike governor, kristi, she is going get student loans. i guess we can find republicans going against everything. we start thinking about that, we need help. we have jamie smith running as a democrat and south dakota.

we have major integrity issues, including following trump around with south dakota money, and many other things. we have just a bad situation. we are one of the states with a trigger lock. how about that? it's more than that it we have a judge that should not be involved in any decision, or pushing the doj around on this trump thing. a trump appointed judge who oks everything that cannot be right. we have all of these republicans. i won't use the reference that apparently they hate. i don't understand that, but we have major issues, integrity and moral issues. these politicians need to bring it back. there is an oath of office needed. we the people. not themselves or the greedy pocketbooks of all of these rich politicians. these white supremacists that

are just killing our country. god bless joe biden after the nightmare we have had with trump. put this guy away. it's over. thank you. host: dana in little rock, arkansas, independent. your turn. caller: i'm so glad i got to go after that beautiful young lady. some of the words put insight into what i want to say. i am dana. i just turned 40 years old yesterday. congratulations. usa today, not us. go ahead. >> thank. i've never done this before, but i was flipping through the channels and i am a disabled veteran. i've been home schooling them since the pandemic. we have been covid free. thank jesus. i don't have a centralized topic because everything in this world

is on the wrong side of the planet right now. everyone knows something is not right. all of the full who want to be bad are being bad. all of people who want to be good cannot be good because fat is so strong it we need to look inside of ourselves and our hearts, think about who we believe. i hope it's jesus. i hope it's the holy spirit, but if you don't believe that, find what you believe it they're coming for you soon. stop looking at everything and relax. life will get better soon. there is a big change coming. only god knows what that is. i love america and my country, and i love journalism. i did television and radio, i did newspaper, i did all of those things. i am educated with two masters degrees. i worked on by doctorate degree but i didn't have enough money. my student loans were forgiven because i'm a disabled veteran. that put me in a difficult spot. like i say, i was flipping through channels, and i don't know. i'm happy.

i love my country, and i hope something good happens for every human who loves god. thank you. have a good day. host: jay, florida. republican. caller: good morning. host: go ahead with your thoughts. caller: i've been listening to what's been going on, and i tell you what i noticed. i'm 64 years old. my father was in politics. i stayed away from it, but i've been listening to everyone calling in. here's what i understand. there are two differences between -- the difference between a democrat and republican. a republican will fight for your right to say what you want to say and what you believe it but a democrat, they will fight for what they want you to believe. it's ridiculous. everything i hear is absolutely abhorrent.

let's lock them up. when that was going on with hillary, i didn't hear anyone saying oh my goodness, that's horrible. i heard democrats want to hang the republicans. it was constant. host: jennifer, ann arbor, michigan. caller: thank you for taking my call. i live in a liberal area, and i grew up in a town that was very conservative. i am independent, and i tend to be democrat. i am open to republicans, but i have to say, republicans who are trump people, you need to come to your senses. you're being diluted. you need to ask yourself why you are following this. why you are supporting this. this is never ending it is unethical. lying, and he told prudent he believed what he said. then, he supported an

insurrection. now he took documents. why are you following this. you have to follow the crowd. asked why you are following this and are dancing with a devil you are going to get burned. democracy is getting burned it i like george w. bush, and even though i tend to be democrat. this guy is hurting democracy. ok? look at this, and look at all the judges. all of the secretary of state, and there was no election issue. there were minor little things, but there was no stolen election. it's time to stop this. it's time to get over this. we need to get rid of the trump whatever it's called. thank you. host: have a great day. thank you for calling. i didn't mean to cut you off. jim in west virginia, democratic caller. caller: the morning. hello.

like other callers, i called -- i listened to your representative. she's out there speaking, and i listen. i listened with interest to what your opinions are. i want to respond to a couple of them. i just called -- a guy just called, and he said that he was saying the democrats are trying to control what you say what you think it what people say, and what people think, the matter. it can be very important. not shouting fire in a crowded theater. perhaps a president like trump saying to rise up against democratic governors. we saw what happened up in michigan. they come with an ar-15 to take a statement. come on. or you don't have to get vaccinated. you don't need to wear a mask. what people say matters. truth is important.

human decency, consideration is important. so, for republicans to constantly be screaming freedom to light, to pretend like the election was stolen when it wasn't, and in fact, we find out that trump and all of these guys following are the ones trying to seal the election. it's like the 85-year-old gentleman, he was worried about -- oh, our f.b.i., it's terrible. why? you know, the f.b.i. is trying to follow the truth. if you love donald trump for whatever reasons and he's doing things that are wrong, bad, illegal, unethical, disqualifying, then why should the f.b.i. ignore him? host: ok. i'll get in cindy who's in jacksonville, florida. independent. caller: good morning. host: good morning,