'Hannity' on bipartisan infrastructure bill, COVID-positive migrants
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This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," August 10, 2021. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: And welcome to HANNITY.
And tonight, the reckless spending on Capitol Hill, it continues -- yeah, the RINO Republicans, you just heard as inflation is skyrocketing all across the country, we're literally stealing money from our own children and grandchildren and there are Republicans that are helping to enable this.
Now, a one trillion dollar down payment on the Green New Deal just passed the Senate with Republican support. Senator John Kennedy said the bill was full of stupid stuff.
Now keep in mind, the one trillion is in addition to the $600 billion already spent on top of the $3.5 trillion the Democrats, they will use the reconciliation process to shove that down America's throat. That's coming up next. Senator Kennedy has all the details. He will join us in a moment.
Plus, the great one tonight, Mark Levin, he will react to Joe Biden's puzzling behavior, Cuomo and much more.
Today, upon his return from an extended weekend in Delaware -- well, a very frail, weak, cognitively struggling Joe seemingly had trouble finding the door to the White House. My name is Joe Biden -- something he's put in his pocket -- I live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C. That's it. I go in what door? Anyway, slowly as he manders -- meanders across the yard.
But, first, we start with tonight's top story. Obviously, they're not really a surprise but in some ways it is.
Andrew Cuomo's days as governor of New York are officially numbered after a bombshell investigation by the New York state attorney general determined that Andrew Cuomo was a serial sexual abuser who violated state and federal law. Cuomo saw the writing on the wall, officially announced his resignation effective two weeks from today.
And during a speech that "The New York Post" editorial referred to as insulting and only self-serving, Cuomo proclaimed that he accepts full responsibility before listing all the reasons why he's not responsible for anything. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D), NEW YORK: I take full responsibility for my actions. I have been too familiar with people. My sense of humor can be insensitive and off-putting. I do hug and kiss people casually, women and men. I have done it all my life. It's who I've been since I can remember. In my mind, I've never crossed the line with anyone, but I didn't realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: According to reports, Cuomo stepping down because he had no other options walls were closing in. The governor was almost completely abandoned by his friends and political allies. I have questions if he even had any as he made enemies of many, many people.
In the Washington swamp, at least one person was deeply concerned by today's news. Despite calling on him to resign just last week, Joe Biden complained that this was all so sad, sad because Cuomo he done a hell of a job. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: How would you assess his ten and a half years as governor of the state?
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In terms of his personal behavior or what he's done as a governor?
REPORTER: What he's done as a governor?
BIDEN: Well, he's done a hell of a job. But he's done a hell of a job and -- I mean, both on everything from access to voting to infrastructure, the whole range of things. That's why it's so sad.
REPORTER: Can you really say that he has done, quote, hell of a job if he's accused of sexually harassing --
BIDEN: Look, you asked two different questions.
The question is, did he do a good job on infrastructure? That was the question, he did.
REPORTER: The question is as far as he do as a governor?
BIDEN: No, the question was correct me, if I'm wrong --
REPORTER: How was he as a governor generally?
BIDEN: Well, the governor generally, obviously --
REPORTER: Outside of his personal behavior.
BIDEN: Outside of his personal behavior, okay?
REPORTER: Can you separate the two --
BIDEN: No, I was asked a specific question.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Actually, Kaitlan Collins was right. Hell of a job, what about the thousands of seniors who are now dead because of Cuomo's insane executive order decision that put COVID patients in nursing homes while leaving the COVID hospitals that Donald Trump built for him 80 percent empty? The biggest hospital ever built at the Javits Center, and, of course, the hospital navy ship.
What about the ensuing cover-up when Cuomo allegedly tried to hide the true number of nursing home deaths, according to a whistleblower, to keep that information from the Department of Justice? What about the fact that New York state is home to the second highest COVID-19 death rate in the entire country? What about his crushing taxes? What about the crumbling infrastructure, the rampant public corruption?
Apparently, it's just the allegations of sexual misconduct that trouble Joe Biden. Well, that's pretty incredible considering that Joe Biden himself -- he's been credibly accused of sexual misconduct. One former congressional aide, Tara Reid, claiming that Biden violently sexually assaulted her on Capitol Hill in the 1990s.
And today, she called on a real investigation into Joe Biden, of course, a serious investigation from America's so-called media mob and independent fact checkers, not likely. Joe Biden, the candidate was in the candidate protection program. Now, he's in the media mob, big tech mobs, presidential protection program.
National Democrats are just determined to protect Joe Biden at all costs. Now, needless to say, Cuomo is not currently enjoying those same protections and with Trump out of office and allegations swirling, Cuomo's value to the Democratic Party, if there ever really was any is now diminished. He is no longer the savior of the left, the fawning coverage is gone. And soon, Cuomo might even face criminal charges.
Now, Cuomo joins the last two New York Democratic governors that left office in disgrace. The question tonight is, will Andrew Cuomo face state or federal charges?
Here with reaction from the -- well, legal side of things, is FOX News legal analyst, Gregg Jarrett. This is something you have researched extensively and to me, it was not a question, if he'd stay or go. I thought it was inevitable he'd go. Now, the question is, on the legal side of it.
And what do you say if you have to try each case individually? Now, we're talking about 13 women. If you got the civil side of it, but I'm talking more about the legal side.
And this executive assistant number one that gave CBS the interview, I think, you know, just came off as incredibly credible to me. So, my question is, if the law is broken and a woman tells her story and they don't allow testimony of these other cases, does that then become the quintessential he said/she said?
GREGG JARRETT, FOX NEWS LEGAL ANALYST: It does, but a competent and credible accuser is sufficient by itself to bring a case and to win a case. Two words, Harvey Weinstein.
Look, his resignation today, Andrew Cuomo's resignation changes nothing legally. There is nothing in the state Constitution that prohibits the legislature from proceeding with an impeachment trial and today when he announced his resignation, a cheer went up in the state assembly. There are lawmakers on record who said they want to continue with an impeachment trial for no other reason that upon conviction, it would prevent him from holding future office.
But, you know, handy Andy has bigger legal woes than that. There are five district attorneys who have conducted -- who are conducting criminal investigations in their jurisdiction related to Andy Cuomo. And the most serious accusation is in Albany, where as you pointed out, his chief accuser says he molested, he fondled, and groped her, he lifted her blouse against her will and fondled her breast. So the D.A. there will be looking at forcible touching, sexual assault and battery, as well as criminal harassment.
But beyond the cascading sex scandal, there are other investigations that are criminal. There's a federal investigation into whether we cook the books and lied about those nursing home deaths you were talking about in order to prevent a Department of Justice probe. Using deception to thwart a pending federal investigation is called obstruction of justice. It could also be false statements. It could also be perjury.
Beyond that, Sean, there is a state investigation into whether he secretly exploited government workers for his own use to write and edit a book for which he was paid $5 million. The conversion of government resources for personal financial gain is called corruption. It's a crime on the street, it's known as theft.
And finally, let's not forget about all 11 accusers who are eligible to file lawsuits for money damages against Cuomo in the state of New York for all of the reasons, sex, harassment, retaliation, hostile workplace identified by the state attorney general in the 165-page report, which she said is evidence that Cuomo violated state and federal laws egregiously.
So the reign of terror by Andrew Cuomo may be over, but his legal problems are just beginning.
HANNITY: Let me go to the DOJ on the nursing home issue in particular, because they decided to give New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan a pass in terms of the executive action putting positive COVID patients in nursing homes resulting in tens and tens of thousands of innocent people needlessly dying, and then, while some I guess the attorney general is busy, Merrick Garland because he is out there going after Georgia's election law. You know, the one that allows accessibility while ignoring the law in Delaware where there's little accessibility to voting.
Seems like the Department of Justice under Joe Biden is now politicized, am I wrong?
JARRETT: I think it's the most politicized DOJ I have seen in decades. And Merrick Garland, by the way, is not going to win those lawsuits against states over their new voting rules, because they mimic the rules in blue states. But as to dropping the civil rights cases against the governors, including Cuomo for the nursing home deaths, that is only as to the executive decision. It does not pertain to the cover-up and lying to the government and cooking the books about the true numbers of nursing home deaths. As I say, that could well be obstruction of justice that is a crime.
HANNITY: Well, a whistleblower actually said that was the reason they didn't give out the numbers. Instead of admitting when they now when they knew just two months later this is a bad policy, it's not working, and doing the right thing and adjusting and changing the policy -- no, they just decided to cover it up and then get a book deal.
All right. Gregg, thank you.
JARRETT: Right.
HANNITY: Also tonight, while many on the left are suddenly eager to denounce Andrew Cuomo, others just can't shake their deep affection for the New York embattled governor today, likely teary-eyed Alec Baldwin bravely tweeting: Regardless of what you think of Cuomo, this is a tragic day. Party politics in this country draw ambitious but ultimately isolated, even socially maladjusted men and women who given the current cancer culture will likely have their shortcomings exposed and magnified.
I wonder if Alec Baldwin would offer a similar level of compassion for Donald Trump or any Republican. Just asking a question.
Now, meanwhile, don't call it a comeback. We have NBC's Chuck Todd is already plotting Governor Cuomo's return to public life. He thinks it can happen. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHUCK TODD, NBC NEWS HOST: Part of the punishment if he was convicted in an impeachment trial would have been no longer be able to serve in office in the state of New York and -- you know, I think a Cuomo believes you can go and live another day. His career was either permanently over or almost permanently over, and he chose the path of almost permanently over, right? The resignation gives him -- you know, we know the way our world works, it's amazing the people we've seen make political comebacks, you know, you can't ever rule it out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: I think Eliot Spitzer, didn't get a job on fake news CNN? I don't remember.
Anyway, not to be outdone, the face of "The Washington Post", Jennifer Rubin, sidestepped Cuomo's resignation completely, exclaiming that New York is about to have its first woman governor ever. Now, her name is Kathy Hochul. Now, her name is Kathy Hochul, New York's lieutenant governor, and she will take over for Cuomo in two weeks.
Here with reaction, FOX News senior meteorologist, Janice Dean. She is tirelessly as all of you know work to hold Andrew Cuomo accountable, ever since her own in-laws, that's right, father and mother-in-law, died from COVID-19 in this nursing home scandal, along with FOX News contributor Joe Concha, FOX News contributor, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.
Janice, we'll start with you. You were surprised, then you actually made the comment that you never thought this day would happen. You were in a state of shock and you thought he was -- he was -- it was some divine intervention and he was going to blame everybody else again today.
JANICE DEAN, FOX NEWS SENIOR METEOROLOGIST: I really did. I thought he was going to follow his own playbook which is blame, blame, blame. "The New York Post" and FOX News and God, mother nature, the women -- not him, of course. Just a misunderstanding from these women who he groped.
But that's what I thought he was going to do today. And then he started to say, well, you know, I want New Yorkers to be tough and I love New Yorkers and I love this state. So I think instead of an impeachment, I'm going to resign and I was shocked.
But I'll tell you this -- yesterday, we had a memorial for my in-laws. Finally, after a year and a half of not being able to have a wake or a funeral or last rites or to see them before they died, and we had it at Sean's father's firehouse, 323, for 23 years he was a firefighter.
And my husband said to me, you know, wouldn't it be interesting if the governor resigned today and you know we thought about it and it happened today. But I'm grateful. You know why? Because yesterday it was about my in-laws and I didn't want it to be on about Andrew Cuomo.
HANNITY: Interesting points.
Governor, as you look at this from not just a political standpoint, but the legal case that Gregg Jarrett very articulately laid out on a whole series of issues. That to me is the vulnerability now of Andrew Cuomo. I knew it was pretty inevitable when every Democrat in New York condemned him and walked away from him, I'm told that pretty much he didn't have any friends by the end of this, but he didn't have many friends for years apparently.
The question is, do you do you see the Department of Justice doing their job? Do you think the people in New York are capable of equal justice and application of our laws?
MIKE HUCKABEE, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Let me, first of all, just say to Janice. I'm so glad that there has been at least a piece of justice, not full justice, but a piece of it. Even though it has not been adjudicated yet about the nursing home deaths and the cover-up of the nursing home deaths, thank God for Janice Dean and her relentless pursuit of the truth, and without her, I don't think this day would have happened.
It's really --
HANNITY: By the way, Governor, let me -- let me just add to that. I want to -- I want to say I agree with you. But I will tell you, this -- we have to get to the nursing home issue. We have -- this has to be gotten to the bottom of. So I take this portion (ph).
DEAN: Yeah.
HUCKABEE: Well -- and I think there's more than the nursing home issue. There's also, did his staff help write that book for which he was paid over $5 million. That's a major scandal. There's a lot of things and I don't think the National Department of Justice at the Washington level will do anything. I just don't think Joe Biden's DOJ is going to pursue him.
But here's what I think might happen. It may happen in New York between the legislature and the attorney general. And here's why Andrew Cuomo has spent years making enemies. They were afraid to fight back. But he pretty much just rained on everybody's parade. He was a bully and that's why he got away with this with women so long if in fact everything they said is true because they were afraid -- afraid of him.
Well, they're not anymore and nobody is. None of the legislators are afraid of him, the other officials. And this idea that he may come back, that's nonsense. There's a silver bullet in him, a stake in the heart. This is a vampire that will not come back out at night.
And I think there could be some serious repercussions that will happen in New York, but not at the federal level, unfortunately.
HANNITY: Joe what's your take on it?
Well, let me first commend (ph) Janice Dean as well. She was a lone vessel a year ago, more than a year ago, in the spring of 2020, talking about the nursing home scandal when very few in media would.
And I'm old enough to remember a spokesperson for Andrew Cuomo going after Janice Dean directly somebody who lost her in-laws, saying that, oh, stick, to the weather, please? Well, guess who's getting the last laugh now. So, Janice, great job in sticking with that when very few in this business would do that and standing up for your principles and knowing what was right.
As for Chuck Todd -- you know, who's only the political director of NBC News and the moderator of "Meet the Press", how could he make this statement, you know, sober? Quote: Cuomo eventually did something that maybe over time will at least give him an opening to maybe not be a full pariah, say, in three, four or five years, and perhaps he can make a comeback.
An opening where exactly? As president of the raccoon lodge, the governor of the nipple rings for seniors association? Because to the governor's quote -- point before, Andrew Cuomo pre-2020, very few political allies in the first place. There's still an ongoing investigation to the nursing home scandal that we talked about, and sexual harassment allegations from 11 women just don't vanish. They're quite sticky.
But Chuck Todd says a comeback could happen? That sound you just heard, Sean, that's the great Tim Russert rolling over in his grave again. You're not going to see Andrew Cuomo running and winning anything ever again. It just can't happen given everything that we just laid out. He very well be charged criminally by the time this is all done.
HANNITY: Janice, I think it's appropriate we give you the last word and I do strong -- I like what the governor said and Joe said. It's -- you still lost your in-laws, you know, you know? And what you went through even this week sounds awful.
My question is what was your reaction to Joe Biden saying hell of a job he did? Because that kind of came out of nowhere to me.
DEAN: I thought it was a tape from last year when he was, you know, wanting Cuomo to be his AG. I couldn't believe that it was from today.
So I would like President Joe Biden or Jen Psaki to give me a call, and I'll give them a rundown of all the things this governor did wrong and that led to the deaths of thousands of seniors and maybe if they listen to that, they might have a different opinion.
HANNITY: Tens of thousands, when we look at the four states that followed his lead, he was first. Then you have Pennsylvania and New Jersey and Michigan. People died needlessly, including your in-laws.
Thank you all.
When we come back, more reckless spending inside the swamp. The great one, Mark Levin, weighs in on all of it as we continue this edition of HANNITY. Thank you for being with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: Now, the weak, the frail, the ever struggling Joe Biden continues to talk about -- well, pretty much everything except the super-spreader event at the southern border, COVID rules for thee, but not for him. Anyway -- or me, as the saying goes, or the migrants that seem to be Biden and Harris' agenda.
They want your kids all masked up. We have mask mandates. We have vaccine mandates. They want you masked up indoors, even if you're vaccinated.
The NIH director even saying last week, he wants moms and dads wearing masks at home. And they want you to show your papers if you want to go to work or eat at a restaurant or a sporting event or pretty much anywhere.
Look at your screen. Even Joe Biden, see him right there, oh, he's not even following his own White House mask rules.
So I'll ask it again, you need vaccine proof to eat at a New York City restaurant, but not to cross into our country illegally. Let that sink in for a second. Wow, you can come in illegally, no vaccine mandate, no mask mandate, no mandate whatsoever.
Here with reaction, author of still the number one "New York Times" number one bestseller, it's number one on Amazon right now. It's been number one for weeks on end now.
It's on pace to sell well over a million copies in just four weeks. He's the host of "Life, Liberty and Levin" here at the FOX News Channel. He's also a nationally syndicated radio host. He's also one of my best friends. I've been calling him the great one forever.
Mark Levin is with us.
Oh great one, I'm going to tell you why your book is doing so well, I'm going to tell you as an outsider and a friend. This is a book -- this is a call to your fellow patriots, we choose liberty. We're at a tipping point. This country is at a tipping point and the best chapter I think you've written in your life and you're an incredible writer is the last chapter of this book and that is the road map back, how do we win? We choose liberty. It's in that book "American Marxism".
Congratulations, Mark Levin. I know you got a lot to say tonight.
MARK LEVIN, FOX NEWS HOST, "LIFE, LIBERY & LEVIN": Thank you and we choose liberty but the 19 Republicans in the Senate chose tyranny. Biden chooses tyranny and every single Democrat lockstep is for tyranny. How many people know what's in that 2,700 page document that just passed today, with the 19 Republicans?
We have more media than ever before in this country. We have more Internet, social media, independent journalists and you really have to dig to find out.
Government by omnibus, massive bills, massive spending, massive deficits, massive expansion of the welfare is tyranny. This isn't a representative republic anymore. You want to go in and see your congressman and senator? Good luck.
You want to call them about this bill? What are you going to say? Since it wasn't released to you. We had 19 Republicans who supported it before the Democrat staffers even finished writing it. The congressional budget office that works for Congress said there's at least a quarter of a trillion dollars in this that's not paid for.
If you were in the private sector running a company and you conducted your accounting business this way you'd go to prison for life. This wouldn't be a joke. No matter how righteous you sounded.
These Republican senators -- I blame them. They are the Madoffs of the Republican Party. These are McConnell Republicans. They think they're doing something for the people, they are destroying our currency, they are destroying our finances, they are destroying our economy.
Twenty-three percent of this bill was for hard infrastructure. There's all kinds of junk in this bill and they drag up the -- they push up the debt. Every household in America owes the federal government almost a quarter of a billion dollars with this additional infrastructure bill, almost -- every household in America.
They've got all kinds of crucially important things in here. They're creating a new department that promotes female truck drivers. They have a Digital Equity Act, internet access for prisoners.
What else? Federal funding of local projects called Traffic Calming. Ever hear traffic calming and road diets? It is the intentional creation of traffic jams by Buttigieg so you'll take public transportation. They've got all sorts of stuff in here.
The bill doesn't directly impose a federal miles travel tax on cars, right, Heritage? It does provide $125 million to encourage states and localities to tax every mile that you drive. It goes on and on and on.
It undermines our notion of Republicanism. It is fiscally, utterly irresponsible. And those 19 Republicans who voted for it led by McConnell. on it undermines our notion of Republicanism it is fiscally utterly irresponsible and those Republicans who voted for it led by McConnell -- these are McConnell Republicans, 19, 30 voted against, 19 of them.
You know what they did? They laid the foundation for what they say is a $3.5 trillion bill coming next. It's $5.5 trillion.
You know what's in there? I'll tell you. There's free daycare, free pre- kindergarten, free community college, student loan forgiveness. What else? Making permanent the $300 weekly, what was temporary bonus unemployment payment.
You know what else is in there? They're going to expand Medicare and Medicaid covering dental care, vision care, hearing care and Medicare is supposed to go broke. Medicare is supposed to go broke, according to the trustees if not by 2024, no later than 2026. They're going to push it over the cliff. It's already in deficit long term $55 trillion.
They're destroying our constitutional system. They're destroying our border. They are destroying our economic system. They're destroying our classrooms. They're destroying everything they touch.
And I'll say it again and I've said it before Joe Biden is a human pandemic his party is as radical as it gets.
Now, let me tell you something else. You brought up the book. These various American Marxist movements, whether it's critical race theory, whether it is the degrowth movement dressed up as climate change, whether it's the LatCrit movement, the open borders -- do you know in the next bill that comes forward they want to give a pathway to citizenship to 13 million illegal aliens.
You know what else nobody's talking about? Once they get citizenship, there's something called chain migration. And then we're going to have another round of amnesty with all the people Biden's bringing in right now. This is a colossal disaster.
And let me say this: I can sit here and whine about it we all can. We need to galvanize. We need to rally. We need to understand what's going on.
Republicans who sellout, who don't get what's swirling around for a few bridges and tunnels need to go. And every Republican primary write down those 19 Republicans, assuming some of them are going to run for reelection.
But we have to have a new Tea Party movement, Reagan revolution, Trump revolution, Gingrich revolution. We need to rally. We need to galvanize. That's the point of the book "American Marxism".
If we don't at the grassroots, in our neighborhoods and communities stand up for own liberty and embrace some of these strategies and tactics in my book or that you may have, we're gone. They win, with a 50-50 Senate, no mandate. With a four or five vote majority in the House, no mandate. They win.
So we better wake the hell up. I'm done.
HANNITY: "American Marxism", Amazon.com, hannity.com, bookstores everywhere. Great one Mark Levin, "Life, Liberty and Levin" every Sunday night, 8:00 p.m., right here on the FOX News Channel.
After the break, you won't believe what is in the new infrastructure bill that Mark was just talking about. Senator John Kennedy has a full breakdown. That's straight ahead, as we continue.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: Now, unfortunately, tonight the Democrats' Green New Deal socialist fantasies, they're one step closer to reality. Yep, as we've been telling you, 19 Senate Republicans pretty much got suckered made a bad deal. They joined Democrats to pass more than one trillion dollars, far left spending spree under the guise of so-called infrastructure and bipartisanship.
Now, the bipartisanship is Democrats didn't have to give in on anything because they're just going to put it in the reconciliation bill that is to follow that will not be bipartisan which will be $3.5 trillion. So, basically, they give them a phony appearance that they are bipartisan when they are not.
Infrastructure used to mean roads and bridges and tunnels. Now, they want the new definition of infrastructure, new Green Deal socialism, human infrastructure. But what's actually in the bill? For example, the bill would create a pilot program to study a federal vehicle miles fee.
OK, meaning if actually implemented, you'd be taxed for more for getting behind the wheel, as if the gas taxes aren't enough? Oh, and are truckers going to get taxed too? Because what do you think is going to happen to the price of goods and services that we pay for, everything you buy in every store that's delivered by a truck.
How much more inflation can they possibly create? Human infrastructure -- well, that's dishing out billions of so-called renewable energy initiatives. You know, electric -- electric car chargers, electric school buses, tens of billions more for climate change mitigation. It includes billions for, quote, a digital equity program, whatever the hell that means? There's so much underneath the hood that has nothing to do with building better airports, roads, bridges, tunnels but it will add hundreds of billions of dollars, frankly trillions to the budget deficit.
And don't forget progressives in the House, they've already said they won't take up the bill unless the Senate passes the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package, which is expected to include amnesty.
Here to break all of it down and add all of it up is Louisiana Senator John Kennedy.
So, we have the $600 billion already spent, we got the $1.2 trillion bipartisan, the $3.5 trillion that will be rammed down of America's throats unless Joe Manchin or Senator Sinema of Arizona step up and all 50 Republicans hold the line, it seems like a fait accompli unfortunately -- but maybe I'm just too pessimistic, Senator.
SEN. JOHN KENNEDY (D-LA): Sean, I'm -- I am disappointed. In my opinion, we -- we Republicans in the Senate keep finding new ways to lose -- to lose on policy and to lose on politics.
Opposing President Biden's infrastructure bill should have been a fat guy layup. It would take me two hours to outline its deficiency. I mean, from the bottom of my heart -- I mean, it's real swamp stuff.
They told us that -- they told us it was about real infrastructure. It wasn't. Calling this bill and infrastructure bill is like -- it's like calling Anthony Weiner a saint. There's more Green New Deal and welfare in this bill than infrastructure.
They told us the bill was paid for. It isn't. They told us the bill wouldn't raise taxes, it does. They told us the bill wouldn't contribute to inflation and higher prices, it will.
They told us that it would -- this bill -- if we pass the infrastructure bill, would make it harder to pass President Biden's companion bill, the $4 trillion to $5 trillion tax and spending binge reconciliation act that we're debating right now. It will make it easier to pass that act.
As you pointed out, president or rather Speaker Pelosi is so excited about the passage of the infrastructure bill, she's thinking about merging the two bills in the House.
I'm telling you, the Democrats desperately wanted this infrastructure bill. They wanted it like an axe wants a turkey. They wanted it like Ben wants J. Lo, and that's just the fact and we just got out-maneuvered. Intelligence was chasing us and we got beat.
And we've got --
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: They beat themselves, Senator. I mean, Republicans -- Chuck Schumer didn't hide his agenda.
KENNEDY: What's what I'm saying.
HANNITY: He said he's going to follow it up with the reconciliation $3.5 trillion. He didn't hide it. He was outspoken, upfront about it for once.
KENNEDY: Let me give you one example quickly. Louisiana gets about $110 million for real infrastructure and new money in this bill. We also have to pay a hundred and thirty million dollars a year in new taxes on our petrochemical industry. We're going backwards here.
And Chuck Schumer gets $12 billion for one single project in addition to everything else, one single tunnel in New York. So Chuck gets 10 times more money for one project than my people get over 10 years. It's a dumpster fire.
And -- and one other point, we're right now fighting with Schumer, Senator Schumer, over raising the debt limit. And our position is, look, it's your debt, Chuck. You raise the debt limit.
But by passing this bill which created at least $250 million -- maybe $400 million worth of debt and passing the American Frontier Act which I've talked about with you before, that means that Republicans voted for between $600 million and $800 million dollars worth of new debt, and Chuck's going to throw that right back in our face. I mean, he's a shrewd politician.
So I just don't see the win on this bill, policy-wise or politically.
HANNITY: So my question is I guess going forward is this -- is there -- is there any signs of hope?
Now, Pelosi's got her own problems because we only need three Democrats to switch and Republicans could stop it in the House, but usually, House Republicans don't buck the leadership here. Now you've got the squad that's been really leading the effort behind the scenes.
Do you see all 50 Republicans standing together to stop this reconciliation bill? Now, that means Lisa Murkowski.
KENNEDY: I do.
HANNITY: That means the 19 that we mentioned. That means Mitt Romney. That means Ben Sasse.
Are they going to -- are they going to support this bill? Are they going to -- or they're going to hold strong? And will any Democrat jump over?
KENNEDY: Well, maybe I'm naive but I do believe that we will hold together on the reconciliation bill. I do. I mean, I -- if I come back, if I'm wrong, I'll come back and apologize for making that prediction. We better - - we better, because that is --
HANNITY: Okay, the next question then.
KENNEDY: Sure.
HANNITY: Will the 50 Democrats -- will they stay united?
KENNEDY: Oh yes, oh yes.
HANNITY: Right, so we lose -- so we lose in the Senate?
KENNEDY: Yes, yes.
HANNITY: America loses.
KENNEDY: Senator Schumer -- let's just face it -- the Democrats stick together much better than the Republicans did. On this infrastructure -- I mean, if Senator Schumer told most of my Democratic friends to join the Taliban, they would say, where's the line? They'll be together.
HANNITY: All right. Senator Kennedy of Louisiana, thank you for being with us. We appreciate it.
When we come right back -- all right, we've got an exclusive shocking report. Sarah Carter at the border and Dana Loesch weigh in on what's really happening and the lies that are told every day about what they say is not happening at the border when it is. We'll give you the truth the media mob will never give you, straight ahead.
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HANNITY: Another day, another complete disaster overwhelming authorities at the Biden-Harris super spreader event that is our southern border. COVID-infected illegal immigrants are now being released into the interior of the country. According to some border officials, the infection rate of illegal immigrants is as high as 20 percent.
And get this -- one member of a Catholic charity told CBS News that the number of illegal immigrants testing positive for COVID is overwhelming. There's not even enough room for them in actual buildings.
Now all of this Biden-Harris budget border neglect has residents in South Texas and all across the southern border at their breaking point, they spoke out to our investigative reporter. We have been down there the entire time pretty much, Sara Carter.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What scared the death out of me is that you know as a unassuming citizen, you hear the narrative that they're going to quarantine these people. They're going to be wearing PPE. They're going to be guarded in some way. They're not. It's a lie because I watched it being broken constantly. And it was just me popping in for 15 minutes on a random day.
SARA CARTER, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Especially during COVID --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
CARTER: -- it seems like a very risky game --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
CARTER: -- to leave the border wide open.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wide open and exposing all of us. And like I said, you know, we have compassion. We're not saying that that we don't. But at the same time, this is in our backyard, what about our children? What about our families?
CARTER: What would you say to the president?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would say to the president -- we are now in the biggest super spreader event of COVID in this world, right here on the border. It's a huge super spreader event. We're dying, please help us. You're doing this to us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Sara Carter, investigative reporter, joins us now, along with nationally syndicated radio host Dana Loesch.
Sara, let's start with -- okay, we're being told that Americans vaccine mandates, mask mandates, indoor mask mandates -- even if you're vaccinated mandates. But yet, they're not even testing people. Now, they're making a claim in the administration that they are testing people. That's not true, is it?
CARTER: No, it's not, Sean. I've been talking to not only to residents but Border Patrol agents, as well as others here on the ground, other officials here in McAllen, Texas, as well as Mission.
And what they're telling me is that a majority of people aren't being tested at all. They're being put on buses. We just watched over the last hour, seven busloads, seven busloads of migrants. These are large buses, taking migrants from the border, just roughly two miles from where I'm standing off to being processed.
Many of these migrants are being left at Catholic charities. They're being dropped off at bus stops. They're being housed in motels in the area.
Residents are frustrated. They're angry, Sean. They say they've been abandoned by the administration, and they say this is a non-partisan issue. This is an issue that Democrats and Republicans all have to get behind because it's the American people, the residents here that are being exposed to COVID and whose national security is at stake.
HANNITY: Now with the CDC, Dana, last week said that even fully vaccinated people can -- are not protected against getting this variant the delta variant. Okay, that's the game changer. If you run the numbers, if those 20 percent numbers are correct, we could expect anywhere to 400,000 to 500,000 people crossing the border illegally with COVID, then they're dispersed to the rest of the country. Exponentially, people are going to get sick and die, aren't they?
DANA LOESCH, NATIONALLY SYNDICATED RADIO HOST OF "THE DANA SHOW": Yeah, and Sean, what's -- what's more with this, and Sara's done such a great job reporting on this issue.
One of the things that I've been hearing from an affiliate KURV in McAllen is that the numbers for those illegal entrants that are coming across the border, if those individuals test positive, Texas Department of Health wasn't exactly forthcoming with me about this when we reached out to them, but apparently it's been it's being questioned as to whether or not those numbers are being added to the overall county totals.
Now, Sean, remember, when we talk about transmission -- increase in transmission rate, you have to think that elsewhere in the country and in Texas, Democrats are fighting to push mass mandates on kids in schools, lockdowns, economic lockdowns, business lockdowns based on those sorts of numbers.
So I think that the Texas Department of Health as well as other counties in and around the United States need to be really forthcoming about the numbers and about the totals that they have because if we're going to be penalized for an increase in transmission rate based on individuals illegally crossing the border who are testing positive, I think that we have a right to know that, especially if we're going to suffer the consequences of it.
HANNITY: Yeah, I think so.
Sara, in a few seconds we have left -- you've seen up close and personal -- are people being tested? And how many people have you even been helping in the course that you pretty much know they have COVID?
CARTER: Well, yeah, you're right, Sean. I mean, when you're out here in the elements, I -- there's no other choice but to help people especially when they're struggling and when they're sick. I mean, you have to put yourself second. You have to put them first.
There's a lot of people out here being exposed. I can tell you border patrol agents are being exposed every single day and first responders. You know, the government needs to do something. They need to pay attention to the people here in McAllen.
HANNITY: And then they're dispersed to the rest of the country.
All right. Thank you, Sara. Thank you, Dana.
CARTER: Right.
HANNITY: When we come back, you won't believe what a member of the squad was caught doing over the weekend. We got the video.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: Hypocrite of the day, squad member Congresswoman Tlaib's spotted maskless at a large crowd indoor gathering over the weekend in a CDC COVID- 19 orange zone.
The video comes the same day that she was critical of Senator Rand Paul for speaking out against new CDC guidelines, the same one she's not adhering.
Let not your heart be troubled. Laura Ingraham killing it, takes over. Hi.
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