President Trump Blasts COVID Stimulus Package, Wants More for the American People

Breaking news, President Trump blast the COVID relief package passed by Congress. He's even threatened to veto it. He wants more relief, economic relief for the American people and American families. We'll talk about that and more today on JSecula Live. That's 1-800-684-3110.

And now your host, Jordan Sekulow. Well, we talked yesterday about the COVID stimulus relief and again, I mean, I think you can make an argument that anything out of this divided Congress right now, which Nancy Pelosi refused to get anything done, of course, before the election. And I think Mitch McConnell was right to point that out yesterday. And I understand the Republicans and Democrats who voted for this, even if they wanted more money to American families, American individuals under those thresholds. Because I agree that Americans deserve more, not less than they got in the first stimulus when they're telling us that the pandemic and COVID is going to be raging these next few months, even while the vaccines are being distributed so that there's going to be more shutdowns for safety reasons, potential more job losses. And remember, a lot of these stimulus payments are so that the economy continues to function so that people are still spending money and also the PPP loans, which I think everybody's okay with how those were set up so that small businesses keep employees on the payroll.

So to get the loan, you have to keep your employees on the payroll. But we've seen bipartisan opposition to the stimulus bill early on. And one of those members of Congress will be joining us later, Tulsi Gabbard, Congresswoman Democrat from Hawaii, who just believes that this is a slap in the face of the American people because it doesn't provide enough money.

Well, so does President Trump. Let's hear from the President right now. Throughout the summer, Democrats cruelly blocked COVID relief legislation in an effort to advance their extreme left wing agenda and influence the election. Then a few months ago, Congress started negotiations on a new package to get urgently needed help to the American people. It's taken forever. However, the bill they are now planning to send back to my desk is much different than anticipated.

It really is a disgrace. So there you go. I mean, the present dad willing to potentially veto this and he's talking to them a bit earlier.

He can do this by pocket. The way it runs out because of the timing. It's not usual, but it's because there's also the funding of the government. And unfortunately, I think what happened here is they combined the government funding and all this money that goes to foreign countries and things that we would usually probably do, but they combined it into one piece of legislation. So it's not all focused on COVID relief to Americans and American businesses, which should be the number one priority, whether you're American first MAGA President supporter or a Democrat. Now, Nancy Pelosi fan has said she's willing to go to the House floor and do a voice vote on this and thinks they could get it up to 2000 quickly.

Could the Senate, have we heard anything about the Senate? Because there were also centers like Marsha Blackburn, Rand Paul, Ron Johnson, and others, Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, who thought this just was not enough for the American people and too much for foreign governments and also just programs in the US government that shouldn't be the priority right now. Yeah, the problem with that approach, Jordan, that Speaker Pelosi puts forward is it doesn't address the second half of what President Trump said, which is the hundreds of billions of dollars that are going overseas or to wasteful programs instead of to the American people. What the President rightly asked for was for Congress to prioritize their spending rather than send those hundreds of billions overseas, spend them to the people who are suffering right now during this pandemic. And Jordan, just quickly, I'd say this, you know, a lot of people said the President was conflating these two things.

No, he wasn't. It was the Congress who did what Congress does, combined all of this into one bill, took two votes in the Senate, sent it over in the House, sent it over to the Senate as one package. Jordan, they're the ones that are sending one bill, $2.3 trillion to the President's desk.

He can't do anything about the shenanigans that they pulled. Do you agree with the President? Do you agree with Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard? This is bipartisan opposition to this. Give us a call, 1-800-684-3110. Remember, that's a critical month to support the work of the ACLJ.

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You're live. We sure do have a lot of calls coming in. We're going to get some of those ready to go to take your calls, your questions. Whether you are watching on Facebook, on YouTube, on Periscope, of course, most of you who are listening on radio, Rumble, yep, later in the day, we get it up on Rumble. But also, you know, we always thank all of our radio listeners, all the radio stations, the thousands that carry our broadcast every single day, because that's where the majority of you are listening to this.

And of course, Sirius XM as well. There is a lot of opposition. We want to take your comments if you can put in comments online or questions. I think there's a lot of, it's not opposition, it's support for what the President has said, which is get me something better for the American people. You know, $2400 for a family of four, it's not nothing, but this didn't happen three months ago like it should have. That should have been the next stimulus round probably. Instead, we waited because of politics. That's clear. They didn't want anything done before the election.

Okay, we're past that now. Why not get more money into the hands of the American people so that they continue to spend the money at small businesses and the small businesses can get the PPP loans and keep people on their payrolls. And Dad, I'll tell you from conservative friends of mine, they agree. These are not big government spenders. They don't like bailing out people. They don't like stimulus bills, but they agree that if we're right that we're heading into more of a lockdown-type scenario. And yes, there's lots of exceptions, but not a lot for small businesses.

No, there's not. So the big box stores get accepted out and big grocery store chains and things like that. But even with the vaccine that they know to keep their people on staff, which they want to do into the new year, they need these loans.

They've all said it to me for the last three, four months. These were successful small businesses, but they were worried about keeping some of their staff on the payroll. With these loans, they do. So that part is okay, but we've got to get the money up. And so what we're looking at is $2,000 per individual if you're under those thresholds of $150,000 or $75,000 for individuals. And then I guess additional $2,000 per family member, that's dependent.

So you could be looking at instead of $2,400 for a family of four, then is it right to say that you would be looking at $8,000 for a family of four? If it went out for both adults and children, yes. It would depend on if it went to children as well, but yeah. So here's the thing. I mean, the question with this legislation... We know the people need it. Yeah, there's no question people need it.

I mean, so here's the real question. Can we do better than what's been put forward? And the answer to that is pretty simple. The answer to can we do better is yes, we can do better. Then the question is, do we have the time to do better?

Well, the truth is we do have the time to do better. The Constitution says forth that the President has the authority to veto. He can veto it, and then there are not going to be the votes there to override that veto. Thus, I think this is what the key is for can we get a better bill put forward? And it sounds like to me, Harry, as from a law and economic standpoint, legally we know it can be done from an economic standpoint, more direct aid to the American families that are the ones really hurting through this. And especially as we come to what are going to be some tough months ahead.

I mean, we've got, you know, this month already almost over, but January, February could be really tough. Absolutely. So more direct aid to businesses, particularly small businesses and individuals is essential. It's a crucial aspect of any coronavirus relief bill. Instead, Congress has focused more and more of its attention on peripheral issues, including $85.5 million to Cambodia, $40 million to the Kennedy Center. Now Congress faces the prospect of working through Christmas. Why? Simply because Nancy Pelosi refused to work to help the American people during the summer.

There is insufficient relief for small businesses, including restaurants in the bill. And if Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats have to work during Christmas, there is poetic justice in all of that. Yes. So I mean, I think that the, you know, I think what Harry, what you said though is key, and that is this is going to require that they're working right up to the break here.

I mean, they have to. Let's go to Thanh. How would this actually come down if we were actually get agreement here? Well, this Congress goes until noon on January 3rd.

So really they have until then to accomplish it. There are a couple of hurdles in the way, Jay. One, government funding runs out on Monday.

Two, unemployment insurance runs out on Saturday. Look, where there's a will, there's a way. Congress could pass, you know, a one week extension. Hypothetically, the President could veto this measure and send it back to the Congress. Jay, I mean, just, just parliamentary, they can't amend this exact bill, but basically they could take this exact text and they could do what Harry just suggested. They could say, look, in a time of crisis, low budget priorities, like hundreds of millions of dollars to Cambodia and Burma, those are going to come out. We're going to shift those funds to direct payments to the American people, to small business payments and to unemployment insurance.

So Jay, you would probably have a stop gap measure in there. And then the new bill would have to pass both the House and the Senate and go back to the President. But look, the President, no doubt. I mean, the Congress has put him in a situation where he's got a difficult choice to make. Does he sign this and go back to Congress and ask for more assistance or work with Speaker Pelosi? Or does he veto it and make Congress go back to work? But Jay, there's, there's just no, nothing saying that Congress has to go home for Christmas. If they need to stay here and get this right, they can work all the way up to the end until January 3rd. And then, oh, by the way, nothing saying the new Congress can't come back to this as well. Yeah, we've got, call lines, phone lines are jammed, so let's go ahead.

I think we should, we don't normally do this, but I think we did this when we did the first stimulus, so people have questions we can help answer. Yeah, let's go to Jane in Hawaii on Line 1. Hey, Jane, welcome to JCECYOLive. Great.

I just want to say Merry Christmas to everybody, and thank you for having me on. I'm calling from the island of Kauai, and I just want to make a point, first of all, that Tulsi Gabbard is right on in saying that any kind of stimulus, other than, I like what they put forward, is just so bogus. It's a big insult to everybody in America, and I think the point is well taken. America's waking up. What exactly is our Congress and Senate doing for us, the people in America, our businesses?

We're going down, we're going under. Prioritizing the bill, or actually, the President should just veto it out and make them go back to work, make them start over and do something for the people. Well, that's what he's saying he's going to do, but let me play you a bite from him. Tulsi Gabbard, by the way, is going to be joining us in the last segment of the broadcast in the second half hour, so you're going to want to stay tuned for that.

It'd be great to have her on. Let's go ahead and play that bite from Congresswoman Gabbard. I'll tell you, in Hawaii, that in most cases won't even cover 25% of your rent. It is an insult and a slap in the face to every single American in this country who is struggling because of this COVID pandemic, who is concerned about not being able to pay the rent, about eviction, about whether you'll have enough to buy groceries or medicine for yourself or your loved ones.

So, I mean, this is, I mean, I think she hits the mark of exactly what it is. Harry, it goes back to what you said, and that is this is supposed to be relief for the Americans. The idea here, I say this before, is you get this money and you're spending it, and that gets it into the economy. So you're getting a relief in the sense that you now can buy things you need to be, whether it's paying for Christmas bills or whatever it might be, and that's getting money into the economy, which keeps people working. So there's a whole economic impact on this whole approach, so the more we can provide direct aid to the American people, the better it's going to be for the economy. I think that's precisely correct, and that is an alternative perspective rather than providing direct aid to lobbyists. And so if you look at the bill, it is bloated.

It combines two bills, an omnibus bill plus a COVID relief bill. And in reality, there is little coronavirus relief and a lot of money for lobbyist pet projects. There is no reason why we should be sending additional funds to Cambodia and Burma while the American people are suffering, and they're suffering disproportionately in blue states. Restaurants are closing, and churches are facing problems because governors refuse to reopen or allow churches to open just like Home Depot or Lowe's.

So many institutions need direct aid. They need it now. The lobbyists can wait. And I think that, well, the question is going to be what actually happens here.

I mean, what do you think happens here? Well, I think, listen, there's pressure now, these kind of two pressure points. You have the President of the United States, you have Democrats on board with this, and Republicans on board with this. The question is, is the time there to get this done? We're still waiting to hear from Majority Leader McConnell, who has been very frustrated by dealing with Nancy Pelosi on this, rightfully so, and to figure out if he believes he's got the time to do this before the government runs out. So we're going to continue to take your calls, comments on Facebook as well. Lisa on YouTube wrote in, I'm guessing Congress, since they throw us pennies, will shut up and go away.

And I think that was a part of this here. Now, the other part of this was they're running out of time because of what Nancy Pelosi did, blocking all of this until after the election. Another comment on YouTube from Susan, so much going to foreign places and other unnecessary items like Smithsonian and things like that, that money should be going to American small businesses and American families. Right now, instead of the Kennedy Center, which I appreciate, getting it to small businesses at this very moment. No one can use the Kennedy Center right now.

These are buildings that are not open right now. So again, support the work of the ACLJ at ACLJ.org. As you see, leading right up until Christmas Eve, we are working hard to get the best for you, the American people. Donate online at ACLJ.org. Be part of our matching challenge.

We'll be right back. It's called Mission Life. It will show you how you are personally impacting the pro-life battle through your support. And the publication includes a look at all major ACLJ pro-life cases, how we're fighting for the rights of pro-life activists, the ramifications of Roe v. Wade 40 years later, a play on parenthood's role in the abortion industry and what Obamacare means to the pro-life movement. Discover the many ways your membership with the ACLJ is empowering the right to life. Request your free copy of Mission Life today online at ACLJ.org slash gift. At the American Center for Law and Justice, we're engaged in critical issues at home and abroad, whether it's defending religious freedom, protecting those who are persecuted for their faith, uncovering corruption in the Washington bureaucracy and fighting to protect life in the courts and in Congress, the ACLJ would not be able to do any of this without your support.

For that, we are grateful. Now there's an opportunity for you to help in a unique way. For a limited time, you can participate in the ACLJ's matching challenge. For every dollar you donate, it will be matched. A $10 gift becomes $20.

A $50 gift becomes $100. This is a critical time for the ACLJ. The work we do simply would not occur without your generous support. Take part in our matching challenge today. You can make a difference in the work we do, protecting the constitutional and religious freedoms that are most important to you and your family. Give a gift today online at ACLJ.org. We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings come. By the way, that's our band's Christmas album called Hope of Jerusalem.

It's available wherever you get your music. I want to take a little break here from talking about the stimulus. We're going to get back to that in a moment. I texted a good friend of ours the other day and asked him to come on. Dan Wheeler, of course, has been on this program many times. You know him, former co-host or host of QVC, also one of the founders of a great ministry called Fearless Faith.

We'll give you information about that at the end of the interview. But I wanted Dan to come on. There's a lot of consternation right now. A lot of people are tense, both politically and just this time of year.

And COVID, of course, on top of all of this. And Dan, I want to offer some hope here to people that, you know, we serve a great God and God's in control of the universe. That includes the affairs of the United States and that we just have got to keep a focus. But I wanted you to share a little bit about that.

That's why I asked you to come on. Well, Jay, there's so much political and social unrest, chaos, and violence in our world, very similar to the world that Christ was born into 2,000 years ago. But he came to bring light into the world. And I thought it was fascinating that Monday of this week, December 21st, the winter solstice, the longest, darkest night of the year, that this Christmas star appeared.

Saturn and Jupiter, the two largest planets in our solar system, came so close that it looked like one giant, bright, brilliant star in the sky. And I think that's a sign from God. It's very similar to the star that the Wiseman followed. But, you know, the Wiseman, when they found Jesus, before they went on their trip, Herod called them in and said, look, when you find the Christ child, let me know.

I want to come and worship him. And Herod didn't want to worship him. Herod was lying.

We've heard a lot of lies lately, and we see all the craziness in our world. And the Wiseman didn't return to Herod, and he was so upset when he found out that they didn't come back that he had all the children under two in Bethlehem and in the coast killed. So it was a dark world. But Jesus was the light, just like the star. You know, the light pierces darkness. And even more amazing, Jay, than the Christmas star is the fact that Isaiah, 700 years before Christ came to the world, he predicted his birth. In Isaiah chapter 9, verse 2, he said, the people that walked in darkness saw great light. And then four verses down in verse 6, he says, unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be on his shoulders.

That's interesting. No matter who's running our government, Jesus is our King, and his name will be called Wonderful, Counselor of the Mighty God, Prince of Peace. So it's really interesting that when Christ's birth was announced, it was announced to the shepherds, the humble, the lowly of society. And it said, the glory of the Lord shone round about them. But then the angel said, fear not, for I bring you great tidings, good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.

So Christ's message is for all of us, and at this Christmastime, Jay, there is so much hope. You know, that's what I say, too, and I know people are going to say, oh, it's so discouraging with the election results, and that now there's another election in Georgia, and we've got all of this going on, and, you know, how do you deal with all of this? And you've got to put it in perspective.

I mean, put it into real perspective. We had a situation here in our own office with one of our senior people who's been here. We asked people to pray for him, and the surgery went well, but he faced a major health challenge on Monday. I mean, a younger guy, Jordan's age, and they've been friends since, I think, eighth grade, had major surgery that came up suddenly. And that puts everything in perspective, I hope, for everybody else, including people that we work with.

I mean, that's what, you know, so praying for him and his family and trying to help them, help that family during this time is what it's about. And by nature, people want to try to do that, but the angst level, and Lord knows I've lived it from the last four years, is really tense. And people are at a heightened level, just based on texts from people I haven't heard from in many years, all of a sudden, you know, it's as if the whole republic's going to fall, and the whole republic's not going to fall, okay? You're not going to like the policies, you're going to have to fight those policies, but God is in control of this. This is not some surprise.

And while I think there was a lot of, you know, issues that developed during this election season, the fact is, it is what it is. And I just want people, as we go into the holiday here, to have that joy, that hope. And you've got a great ministry called Fearless Faith, and this is kind of that moment, I think, for a lot of people. Tell us about that. Well, I formed it with two of my best friends, Brian Roland and Terry Steen. Brian, in fact, is good friends with Ray Vaca, who works for you.

I talked to Ray before the show. And these guys I've known for 40-some years. After my wife passed, I took them out to lunch.

I said, guys, God's dealing on my heart, and I feel like he's leading me into something new, you know, away from QVC. And so I went into full-time ministry, and we formed Fearless Faith. Today we're on Facebook at FFM60. We're on Instagram.

Terry's wife, Karen, does a great job with that. All under Fearless Faith. We have a logo.

It's three flames. Just like I talked about the light of the world, we want to spread Christ's light to everyone. And the big news for us, Jay, is in early January, we're launching a podcast called Finish Strong with Fearless Faith.

And you can find it on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, wherever podcasts are. So we're excited about that. Spreading a light, Christ threw us, and when we let him shine, he pierces the darkness.

The darkness cannot contain the light. So the organization Fearless Faith, Pam and I are donors. Those of you listening, it's a great ministry to support. It's ffaith.org. That's ffaith.org. And on Facebook, it's FFM60, Fearless Faith Ministries 60.

So FFM60. So I'm going to tell you that this is a ministry worthy of your support, and we encourage you to do that. Dan, last, we're running out of time here, but I want to again end with this, and that is going into the season, we're dealing with a pandemic. Like I said, we're dealing with political upheaval. We're dealing with a lot of tension, economic impact. We've been talking about that on the broadcast.

I'm coming back up in the next half hour. We're going to talk about it more in the stimulus package. But the hope of hopes is found in Jesus Christ. Absolutely. In Matthew 123, it said, the virgin shall be with child, and she shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel. God with us. The creator of the universe is with us. If you're feeling isolated due to the pandemic, God is with you.

You are not alone. And that is our message. There is great hope. Christ is the hope of the world. And in Colossians, we read that it says Christ in you, the hope of glory. So let Christ shine. I hope you'll join us at Fearless Faith on our Facebook page at FFM60. And then with our podcast coming up. Jay, thank you.

It's so great to be with you and to see you again. You know, when I was with you last time, you said, we were talking about what I went through with Beth and how God intervened in our lives. And you said, God intervenes in the affairs of man. It's what he does. I think 2021 is going to be a great year. He's getting ready to do something big.

No, hey, listen, I fully believe that God does intervene with the affairs of mankind, and you just have to be able to, you know, go with it. Again, the organization is Fearless Faith Ministries. You can get great info on their website at ffaith.org. And their Facebook page is great because they post almost every day a new inspirational moment.

And that's at facebook.com forward slash FFM60. Dan Wheeler, thanks for being with us. Always appreciate it, Dan. Thank you, Jay. God bless. Have a Merry Christmas. You too.

You know, folks, again, it's great to remember that as we approach Christmas Eve tomorrow. We're going to get right back to the stimulus talks. We're going to have Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard joining us in the final segment of the broadcast live.

So you want to check that out, too? Congresswoman from Hawaii, a Democrat, because she, along with many Republicans, just thinks this is a slap in the face. She said, you know, it only pays about a quarter of most Hawaiians rent for a month because it's pretty expensive when you live on islands.

Things cost more. So again, it just put a slap in the face to everybody. The President agrees. A lot of Republicans agree. We're going to talk through how do we get to this? How could we get the funding to the American people increased, which the President wants, Democrats want, many Republicans want. As well, I think you want, too.

We're going to take your calls when we come back. Support the work of the ACLJ, our matching challenge, ACLJ.org. At the American Center for Law and Justice, we're engaged in critical issues at home and abroad. For a limited time, you can participate in the ACLJ's matching challenge. For every dollar you donate, it will be matched. A $10 gift becomes $20.

A $50 gift becomes $100. You can make a difference in the work we do, protecting the constitutional and religious freedoms that are most important to you and your family. Give a gift today online at ACLJ.org. Live from Washington, D.C., Jay Sekulow Live. And now, your host, Jordan Sekulow.

All right, folks, welcome to the second half hour of Jay Sekulow Live. This is a packed show today for you as we head into Christmas Eve tomorrow. And of course, I know it's going to look different for a lot of people. Just remember that it's great to always gather with family.

It's great to be able to travel, but if you can't because of COVID or your work or you've got a pre-existing condition that makes it more dangerous for you to travel. Remember, it's Christmas. It's not really about all of that. It's about the birth of our Savior. And so, maybe on this holiday when it can be stressful.

I know if you have kids and getting everything together. But when we are a little bit more localized, if you will, at home, just to remember that at the end of the day, it's about teaching your family about that. It's about remembering that yourself too. But yet, it's also about Congress getting the job done. And a lot of people are saying, Congress, you know, we talked about the stimulus bill yesterday.

Now, we've heard directly from the President and members of the Republican Party and Democrat Party that this is just not enough for the American people. It's way too much spending that isn't necessary right now. We talked about the Kennedy Center. You can't go to an event at the Kennedy Center right now.

Most of our large venues in America are closed. That can be handled later on. You know, it's not bad to support that and to clean it up and to keep it functioning in our nation's capital. But this isn't the time to do it because right now it's basically just probably at bare minimum staff.

You know, keeping it clean, keeping some lights on. That's about it. So, we need to, again, move forward and help the American people.

You know, I want to say something. I'm not against helping the Kennedy Center. It's a national treasure. And it probably needs work. I mean, we know it needs work. But does it need work? The Smithsonian needs work, too. Does it need it today?

No. Because the American people need it today. And small businesses, especially, need it today.

That's right. So, I want to get to the phone calls and start taking more of your calls and comments right off the bat. I want to go to Bill in Ohio on Line 3. Hey, Bill, welcome to JCECO Live. Hey.

All right. So, first off, Merry Christmas. And, man, how refreshing it is to hear a radio program that's actually sharing the story about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It just warms my heart listening to that. So, thank you for that, first off.

Well, Dan Wheeler is a good friend of ours and we've known for years. And I will tell you this. We felt like in the middle of all of this, and I know because tensions are high, that we just needed to kind of simmer the tensions down a little bit. And I think remembering what this is like Jordan just said, remembering what this is all about simmers those tensions down. Yes, go ahead, though, Bill. Sure.

Proverbs 3, verses 5 and 6 is to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding and in all ways acknowledge him and he will direct our paths. So, thank you for that. So, my comment is this. I think this is the best thing that could happen for President Trump right now because he's been quiet.

I don't think he's been real relevant right now because of all the confusion. But this is by far the one thing that he's warned us of is that on both sides, for the most part, there's a lot of things that the American people don't trust. And this bill shows that. I mean, thank God to those that have exposed all the pork that's actually in this.

And again, if it's part of our budget, I get that. But right now is not the time to do that. Right now, there are so many people hurting.

Right now, we need – I'm thankful right now that the Lord has protected me and my family, but there's a lot of people in need. Business is closing down, and yet we've now conceded. It's transparent. And because it's transparent, it's time now – I think politics are popular again. People are now getting involved.

We see what's going on. And unfortunately, people don't realize how good this was for the President to come out. Yeah, well, look, I'm glad the President engaged this. The fact of the matter is I was glad that they passed the relief bill, period.

I mean, because I – fan, I was worried for a while there. There was going to be nothing passed. I thought it should be more direct aid. I think there's much of this that can be directed to the American people. It's better for the country. Yeah, they failed to prioritize, Jay. I mean, look, and regardless of what the President decides, maybe he'll sign it, maybe he'll veto it, but there is a huge value in highlighting how Congress goes about this.

Jay, just one quick anecdote. They literally wheeled this bill in on a flatbed cart to the House of Representatives. That's how big it was, and they didn't give members an opportunity to read it before they voted on it. So a lot of the members, in fairness, Jay, the ones that voted for it, they didn't even know this stuff was in there when they cast that vote.

Don't worry, Harry wrote it. I get that people thought, you know, if this is all we can get, I've got to get something to my constituents. So I don't fault those who voted for it either because this has been delayed so long.

I want to make that clear. I just think that if we've got the President and Democrats and some Republicans ready to go on this, let's make it happen. We'll be joined in the final segment with Tulsi Gabbard, congressman from Hawaii, a Democrat, who wants to make it happen too.

Call this a slap in the face. We'll be right back. Take your calls and comments on Jay Sekio Live. At the American Center for Law and Justice, we're engaged in critical issues at home and abroad. Whether it's defending religious freedom, protecting those who are persecuted for their faith, uncovering corruption in the Washington bureaucracy, and fighting to protect life in the courts and in Congress, the ACLJ would not be able to do any of this without your support.

For that, we are grateful. Now there's an opportunity for you to help in a unique way. For a limited time, you can participate in the ACLJ's Matching Challenge. For every dollar you donate, it will be matched. A $10 gift becomes $20.

A $50 gift becomes $100. This is a critical time for the ACLJ. The work we do simply would not occur without your generous support.

Take part in our Matching Challenge today. You can make a difference in the work we do, protecting the constitutional and religious freedoms that are most important to you and your family. Give a gift today online at ACLJ.org. Only when a society can agree that the most vulnerable and voiceless deserve to be protected is there any hope for that culture to survive. And that's exactly what you are saying when you stand with the American Center for Law and Justice to defend the right to life. We've created a free, powerful publication offering a panoramic view of the ACLJ's battle for the unborn.

It's called Mission Life. It will show you how you are personally impacting the pro-life battle through your support. And the publication includes a look at all major ACLJ pro-life cases, how we're fighting for the rights of pro-life activists, the ramifications of Roe v. Wade 40 years later, the Planned Parenthood's role in the abortion industry, and what Obamacare means to the pro-life movement. Discover the many ways your membership with the ACLJ is empowering the right to life.

Request your free copy of Mission Life today online at ACLJ.org. And that's unfortunate for a lot of the kids and also the older school groups that make their trips to Washington, D.C. So how about we push that funding towards the families? I'm not against new Smithsonians and updating the Smithsonian. It's important because all major superpowers have those buildings and it's important to fund. But you don't do it at a time when you're facing a pandemic and people can't even utilize those buildings.

And so does a fun tune that was, again, I go back to the message of what Congressman Gabbard said, the slap in the face. It's the American people. And the more and more I think about it and you realize that this is less money than before, and at a time when we're being told by the scientific experts, regardless of who is taking the oath on January 20th, that this is going to get worse and they're surging in different places before it gets better, until enough vaccines are out there where there's kind of herd immunity. And this is not just conspiracy talk. The U.K. is shut off from the world right now. It might be shut off from the U.S. very soon, but it's been shut off from Europe.

That is something major. We were all criticized early on for shutting down countries' travel to the U.S. Now you see what France is doing. You see the trucks lined up at the border when they've said no.

You've got the surge going on. Because people need help. Now Congress is going to get another chance to get it better.

I think the standard for this should be, can we do better? Let's go ahead and take a call. I know Susan was holding on earlier.

I think she dropped. She called back in. Hey, Susan, call in on Line 1. Welcome to JCEC, you're alive. I'm here. Thank you.

Send you both shalom, shalom, and Merry Christmas, so thank you. I want to ask, are they using the COVID bill, which would be a domestic bill, I would think, as an excuse to pass an illegal budget? That's one of the questions I had. Yeah, why was it combined with the funding of the U.S. government? Thanh, that was, I think, an issue here that has caused a lot of trouble.

They try to say, oh, well, don't point to that. That's because we combined two bills. But you didn't have to do it that way. They could have voted on both separately. Oh, and they absolutely should have. They used it as political cover.

I mean, it wasn't illegal, but it's actually even worse than what Susan is saying. What they did is they combined the COVID stimulus bill with the $1.4 trillion funding for the next year. Then, Jordan, in the House, what they did is they divided that bill in two so that some Democrats could vote against the defense portion and then put the COVID package with the rest of the appropriations. So everybody could kind of vote against what they wanted to, but both would pass. And then what they did, Jordan, is they, through a parliamentary procedure, they combined those two and sent them over to the Senate as one.

So look, they're just trying to hide the ball in all sorts of manners. And that's why, to be honest with you, when I woke up and some people were saying, well, the President is conflating the budget with the COVID stimulus bill. No, he's not. That's exactly what's being sent to his desk. He's being sent to his desk.

One bill that has all of that in there. Is it legal? No. Is it a political game? Absolutely. I wanted to ask this to Harry because I tend to agree that what they've done here is tactically a bad move. I understand why you've got to have continuing resolutions, you've got to have budgets, you've got to be able to have government operate. But the American people right now are looking for a specific. They're looking for a specific aid package for the American people. And while the first attempt was something, which is better than nothing, you still want to get them something.

Harry? Absolutely. So Pelosi and House Democrats are masters of duplicity. And so essentially what they've done is that they've engaged in a massive and quite public sleight of hand maneuver. And so essentially what they've done is that they have used the coronavirus bill to hide aid, selective aid to pet projects. For example, four billion dollars to New York's metro transit system, 15 billion dollars earmarked toward grant programs for live entertainment venues such as Broadway. Seven billion dollars toward expanding broadband access.

Money for the Smithsonian, money for the Kennedy Center, money for Cambodia, money for Burma. And so what they have not done, they have not prioritized the American people and the American people are finally getting a chance to see what is actually in the bill. Keep in mind that the bill contains five thousand five hundred pages. And so only a fan has been able to read the entire bill. But the rest of us are still working our way through the first few hundred pages.

And so in some respects, this whole process has been a massive monstrosity and the American people are right to be upset. All right, folks, I want to take more of your phone calls. 1-800-684-3110. Also, if you're watching on YouTube right now, I encourage you, we are very close to getting to three hundred thousand subscribers just on our YouTube page, which we really just opened up in the last few weeks. And if you're on there, make sure you click that subscribe button and the bell next to it. The subscribe button just takes a minute. Then you're, you know, you're subscribed to our page.

It comes up when you go on YouTube and you're signed in. But also the bell, make sure you get the notification when we go live on the air for our radio broadcast or if we have to come back into the studio because of breaking news. And so click the bell as well. Facebook, you know how to do that as well. Liking the page. Signing up for notifications as well.

But I want to encourage you to do that. Let's go right to the phones. People that have been holding on, I'm going to go in order. Mary Beth in Missouri on Line 6. Mary Beth, welcome to Jay Sekio Live. Hey, Mary Beth, are you there?

Actually, it's Mary Beth in Maryland, Frederick, Maryland. I think you're talking to me. Yep, I am.

OK, great. So when I originally called in, I told your call screener that I was really, really angry with Pelosi and Mitch McConnell. And I do understand it's not it's not exactly McConnell's fault. He feels responsible for getting the bill passed. But I think they just they just feel like they can pull the wool over the American people's eyes.

We are not a family who's hurting, but there are so many people who are hurting. And it just it angers me. I can't tell you how much it angers me that we are sending money overseas when there are people that need help here.

And I think it's just ridiculous. The whole point that the stimulus package is combined with with next year's budget is even ridiculous. I thought the stimulus package was going to was going to help people and stimulate the economy.

Well, I think I think you've you've touched on exactly what Congressman Gabbard, who will be joining us next segment, the broadcast and how the President, why we're all in agreement, doesn't matter what side of the aisle you're on. People wanted more to those who need it. And there's two important parts to that. One is so that those who are in a decent economic situation but still need the relief spend money, which helps small businesses. And then those who are in really tough situations are able to provide basics, the basics for their family that they need. And then you get the PPP loan.

I think that part of it worked OK, because you've got to keep people on payroll to keep to get the loan ultimately forgiven. But but then this is obviously it has triggered something on both sides of the aisle. And I think it's just an American.

It's triggered America. We want if we're going to spend American money, we want to help out hurting Americans and hurting American businesses. And Jordan, look, I think the blame for this lies at the feet of both parties.

I really do. I mean, there's no excuse for in a time like this at the end of the Congress for not taking the package that you just talked about, the direct stimulus, the help for small businesses, the unemployment insurance and Jordan moving it on its own. And you know what? If they moved it on its own, I have no doubt that the President's request for more assistance to the American people would have been in there, because individual members of Congress, like Congresswoman Gabbard, could have brought her amendment to the floor. And I have no doubt that it would have passed. But both parties, Jordan, do this. They get in a small room with just a handful of leaders and they negotiate a package that nobody else gets to read. And then they rush it through at the last minute and they put a bill on the President's desk and his only option is to sign it or veto it.

Jordan, for any President, no matter who it is, that's a false choice. Folks, if you are from Hawaii and Congressman Gabbard, and we're on in Hawaii live right now, will be joining us. We'd love to hear from you at 1-800-684-3110.

Maybe you want to talk to the Congresswoman as well about her opposition to the current amount of money. So if you're in Hawaii, give us a call at 1-800-684-3110. I do want to take one final call. Ben in Oregon, before we go into this next break. Ben's been holding on. You're on the air, Ben.

Well, thanks. I am confused with this bill. Number one, my nephew lives across the street and when all this stuff came out in the summertime, oh, we need corona relief. He bought a boat, quit his job, and spent the summer on the river having a great time and had plenty of money. And went to the gas station to fill up my car and he goes, oh, yeah, we're having a little short shift here because we can't hire anybody. Because we can't pay enough to compensate for the stimulus bill and so people say, I don't want to go back to work.

Well, there's two different parts. You're talking about the unemployment relief, which is separate from working families who make $150,000 or less, the stimulus check to them. You're talking about unemployment relief. That was extended, not as much, but it was extended so that people who are unemployed have money to spend. Yes, there's bad actors out there, but eventually, Ben, as you said, kind of karma comes around for those who quit their jobs and thought they could just party on it because you don't ever want to rely on government to pay your bills. And I think this stimulus bill speaks to that. We're going to be talking to Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii, a Democrat, who also shares that same position when we come back for our final segment of the show. Support the work of the ACLJ. It's such an important month for us. Donate online.

Double your impact. MatchingChallengeACLJ.org. Only when a society can agree that the most vulnerable and voiceless deserve to be protected is there any hope for that culture to survive. And that's exactly what you are saying when you stand with the American Center for Law and Justice to defend the right to life. We've created a free, powerful publication offering a panoramic view of the ACLJ's battle for the unborn.

It's called Mission Life. It will show you how you are personally impacting the pro-life battle through your support. And the publication includes a look at all major ACLJ pro-life cases, how we're fighting for the rights of pro-life activists, the ramifications of Roe v. Wade 40 years later, play on parenthood's role in the abortion industry, and what Obamacare means to the pro-life movement. Discover the many ways your membership with the ACLJ is empowering the right to life. Request your free copy of Mission Life today online at ACLJ.org slash gift. At the American Center for Law and Justice, we're engaged in critical issues at home and abroad. But whether it's defending religious freedom, protecting those who are persecuted for their faith, uncovering corruption in the Washington bureaucracy, and fighting to protect life in the courts and in Congress, the ACLJ would not be able to do any of this without your support.

For that, we are grateful. Now there's an opportunity for you to help in a unique way. For a limited time, you can participate in the ACLJ's Matching Challenge. For every dollar you donate, it will be matched. A $10 gift becomes $20.

A $50 gift becomes $100. This is a critical time for the ACLJ. The work we do simply would not occur without your generous support. Take part in our Matching Challenge today. You can make a difference in the work we do, protecting the constitutional and religious freedoms that are most important to you and your family.

Give a gift today online at ACLJ.org. Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing. O come, let us adore Him.

O come, let us adore Him. Welcome back to Jay Sekio Live. We're trying to connect with Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. I think we have right now Congresswoman from Hawaii, a Democrat, who shares a lot of our same feelings about the stimulus like the President who says this is just not enough for the American people. Congresswoman Gabbard is joining us now.

Yeah, Congresswoman, it's Jay Sekio. Great to have you. Thanks for being with us. We appreciated your stand on a lot of issues. This one in particular, and thanks for calling us.

I know you're working today. You called this a slap in the face to the American people. We've said the initial plan was not enough direct aid.

There was a lot of other stuff in there, but not enough direct aid. Let us know your thoughts on this because obviously you're a very important member. Aloha, Jay. Thanks.

Thanks so much for reaching out. And I just I couldn't agree more. You know, when you look at the hundreds of billions of dollars in this bill that are going to just about everything, not only in America, but in the world, except for providing that direct relief and assistance to Americans who need it the most. It points to how disgraceful this bill really is. And it points to the really messed up sense of priorities that leaders in Washington have right now. The reality is that if those sitting at that negotiating table felt it was a priority to provide this direct assistance into the hands of the American people who are struggling the most, then we would have had a very different result. Instead, what we have is hundreds of billions of dollars going to special interest corporations, other countries and other areas with with literally mere crumbs being left for the American people, expecting them to say thank you very much. Give me a break. It's ridiculous. Let me ask you this, because you've been very outspoken on this and you made a statement that really resonated with us, and that is the relief that has been proposed in this bill for your constituents in Hawaii would not pay 25 percent of their rent.

That's right. I mean, we've got a high cost of living state in Hawaii. Obviously, we're in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, which means just about everything that people consume from food to energy and other things has to be shipped in limited land mass.

So cost of renting an apartment on average is about two thousand dollars a month, maybe for a one bedroom apartment. So when you're looking at the kind of predicament that people in my home state are facing, but really people across the country to say, hey, here's six hundred bucks, a one time payment to help you in this time of great hardship and need is absolutely offensive and frankly, grossly out of touch with the struggles and the suffering that the American people are facing. You know, you ran for President of the United States and were very impressive in the debates and in your positions that you were advocating and how you articulated it.

So let me put you in this position. If you were the President of the United States right now and this was coming to your desk, what would you do? I would tell Congress to do better. I would have I would have made sure that I made my position known from the outset in putting the American people first. I would carry out what I put in place back in March. I introduced a resolution saying that for the duration of this emergency pandemic, knowing the impact it would have on people, we should have at least twelve hundred a month in direct direct payments to the American people so that you provide that certainty. Much as as many other countries have done instead of what what has happened, which is funneling billions, trillions of dollars through dysfunctional governmental agencies that by the time the so-called help gets to the American people, all they're getting is leftovers. The unemployment program is a perfect example of this, where a ton of money has been pushed into unemployment insurance.

I can tell you from my district, we're still getting calls from people who applied back in March, April, May, and they have not gotten a penny. And they're they're on the verge of being put out on the street. People are saying, just so you know, I just looked at some of the comments. Tell them, Kelsey, like it is. And you are, which we appreciate.

Jordan, you have a question. Yeah, Congressman Gabbard, you know, also during the holidays, I mean, Hawaii is a place all the islands, which, you know, even though it's got a dynamic economy, relies a lot on tourism. And this has now gone on for a couple of different seasons, including a holiday season. A lot of West Coasters, that's their place to go.

And that's not happening this year. So people, wherever you are, it's whether in the beautiful islands of Hawaii or in the tougher northeast with the snow, and people are just hurting. And I think this message is resonating with everybody. Congressman Gabbard, it doesn't matter if you're a Republican or Democrat, or a Trump supporter, or Nancy Pelosi, they figured out that we've got to do more for our fellow Americans who are hurting. Absolutely. And I felt that's why it was important to take that stand and vote against this bill.

Some people say, well, you know, 600 bucks is better than nothing. But as long as members of Congress capitulate to this, basically reward this kind of behavior from congressional leaders, the more it will continue and the greater the American people will be left behind. Somebody's got to take a stand for them. I saw President Trump's speech yesterday.

He called the bill a disgrace. I agree with him. And Congress should come back in and increase the amount of money that the American people are getting and actually honor the sacrifice and struggles that they're facing. You know, one of the things I said earlier in the broadcast today, I think that the standard for always look for tests when you're looking at a legal case, but what's the test here would be, can we do better than this? And I think that the truth of the matter is not only can we do better than this, Tulsi, we have to do better than this for the American people. We exactly we have to do better.

It's not an option. And and the thing that I thought of as I was looking through this over five thousand five hundred page bill that we really had only a few hours to look at before they put it on the floor for a vote, which is a whole other issue that you got members of Congress voting on something. They don't have any idea what's in there. But the thing that I thought is like, my gosh, these people are acting as though this is business as usual and we're just going to continue throwing taxpayer dollars all over the place and, you know, again, provide people with just a little bit of help as though it's actually going to make a difference for them. These are these are not ordinary times. These are extraordinary times that require strong leadership from Democrats and Republicans to stand together and say, you know what, we hear you, we feel your pain and we will do all that is necessary to help you, the American people during your time of need. You know, Congressman Gabbard, one thing I want to do this, Jordan, I want to thank you, too, for putting forward that legislation for children born alive, not being afraid to do that as a Democrat, taking that stand you did in the Democrat debates. You know, I know there's a lot of people listening right now. They're proud of that, that one, that we can work in bipartisan ways.

I think they're sad to see you go in Washington, D.C., but interested, too, in what your future may hold as well. But I just want to say thank you. I don't I want to make sure our audience knew. I know I put it out on social media that you had done that, but I want to make sure our audience knew that you had done that as well and really followed up on what you did in the debates and actually put forward that legislation, which most of your party disagrees with. So thank you for doing that. I appreciate that, Jordan, and for sharing that, and that's exactly why I did it. I made my position known during those debates and wanted to be sure that the congressional record reflected those same views and frankly showing that this should not be an issue that tears us apart. I appreciate it. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii, she's done a great job.

I thought she won the debates, frankly, on the Democratic side, watched every one of them. She did a great job, and I'm thrilled that you came on the broadcast today. Thank you for your comments. Thank you for standing up for the American people, especially on this issue. And as we go to end the broadcast, again, Congressman Gabbard, thank you for your stand on this.

Very, very important. Thank you. Thank you for your work, and I wish you both and your families, your loved ones, a very Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays to your family as well. All right, folks, that was joining us live.

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, sad to see her go in Washington, D.C. What a shame that is, actually. Support the work of the ACLJ at ACLJ.org. We're going to keep fighting on this issue on the stimulus. We'll keep you updated online.

We'll talk to you tomorrow. At the American Center for Law and Justice, we're engaged in critical issues at home and abroad. For a limited time, you can participate in the ACLJ's Matching Challenge. For every dollar you donate, it will be matched. A $10 gift becomes $20. A $50 gift becomes $100. You can make a difference in the work we do, protecting the constitutional and religious freedoms that are most important to you and your family. Give a gift today online at ACLJ.org.