Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) defends President Trump’s economic agenda, highlighting $6T global investment commitments to counter BRICS doubts about the U.S. dollar’s stability. He stresses tariffs’ national security role while supporting a $12B farmer aid package amid labor shortages, proposing Social Security-linked legal work reforms over Bush-era ICE crackdowns. On expiring ACA subsidies affecting 20M enrollees, Sessions outlines a 40% employer subsidy plan to cut family costs to ~$1K/month but admits it won’t pass before the deadline. Addressing Caribbean boat strikes, he argues for intelligence committee review and controlled transparency, contrasting Trump’s approach with past administrations’ secrecy. The episode underscores Sessions’ push for policy accountability amid partisan tensions. [Automatically generated summary]
Well, I think that there are several factors here.
And by the way, I appreciated what Jim Costa said here just before you.
Jim is a sound mind in not just his conference, but trying to move us forward economically.
I think it's important that we remember that the president first saw the dangers against the American economy, which is why he spent several months trying to gain assurances from countries around the world that they would invest in America.
As you know, BRICS, which is this combination of other countries around the world that decided that the American dollar was in trouble, that we could not pay our bills, that we were not a sound investment for not only their future, but for our own.
And the president has rallied up what amounts to, he would have the better number than I, but about $6 trillion of guarantees of people who will invest in America.
They're invested in America because we have a brighter future and a better way to not only lead the world to better outcomes, but in essence, it has translated itself into a stock market, into an investment opportunity for all Americans, not just their 401ks, but our future.
And the President spent a great deal of time on that side of this equation.
The equation that he's now engaged in and that we are, quite honestly, having to look at, and that is the cost of goods, the cost of goods.
So he's taken care of, by and large, a strong employment opportunity.
Now we have to shift our focus economically to the cost of goods and services.
And Congressman, there was just a $12 billion aid package to farmers announced on Monday, specifically as a result of the president's tariffs and the harms that have befallen farmers for that.
Do you think that the president should just reverse some of those tariff policies instead of trying to bail out farmers after the fact?
And what do you think is the solution, Congressman, on those agriculture workers that we do need for the industry, as opposed to balancing that with not wanting illegal immigrants working in this country?
President Bush dealt with this issue many, many, many years ago, and we came up with a good solution for what was known as ICE, and that would be that they would understand what our attempts would be to tackle the issue.
I believe that a worker in this country is important, and a worker as opposed to someone that is drawing government benefits, not going to work, someone who is a criminal, the background checks is important for this administration to focus on.
Focus on the worker.
And we have plenty of people who've come to this country in the last three or four years, not this year, but who are here and they're undocumented and they need to be focused on.
But the worker who is at many of these agricultural sites, the government needs to come in and Republicans need to be smart enough, including Secretary Noam, to recognize we have to have a way to keep our workers in the system and yet give them the opportunity as a worker for Social Security to still be a part of that equation and the worker so that we're not taking advantage of them.
These are things we're attempting to work with the administration and I think we will.
We need to focus ICE on the activities of those who've come here in the last few years, not upon a worker that is working hard every day trying to make our economy go.
And regarding the Affordable Care Act subsidies, the enhanced subsidies set to expire at the end of this month, do you support any extension of those subsidies?
I support that my party still, after all these years, needs to come up with a plan as a member of Congress and people who work for an employer that have employer provided health care receive a subsidy also.
That subsidy comes in the form of receiving their health care on a pre-tax basis.
We do worry about the 20 million people on the Affordable Care Act, but we also care about the other 120 million Americans that need an opportunity to receive similar benefits, and that is to receive their health care on a pre-tax basis.
So the question is about the ACA.
I spent seven years on, quote, the Affordable Care Act.
During that period of time, my contribution and the cost was about $28,000.
And I never used my actual insurance plan because my deductible was $7,000.
We need to make sure that there is an option for people that would see going to a similar model as employer-provided health care where the health care provider would be reimbursed almost double, which would allow these families, instead of sitting at an office all day or going to a hospital, which is the most expensive, to receive their health care,
they could actually have the benefits like someone who works for the largest companies in America.
And it would require that they, to have this, would receive the benefit of a subsidy that would equal about 40%, and it would give them an opportunity to pay in the other 60.
That would be about $1,000 a month for a family of four.
Now, you'd say, Pete, where does that come from?
It comes from their ability to make sure that they join into the American dream.
I am worried about this.
We are going to find an answer, and that is exactly what House Republicans switch in the middle.
And finally, Congressman Sessions, on those boat strikes in the Caribbean, do you think the Pentagon should release the full video of that controversial double-tap attack?
The Biden administration, the Obama administration did same or similar attacks against boats.
They just did not let people really know about it.
The Trump administration wants to put them all out where people can see this.
This has meant that the intelligence committee that has known this has been going on for a number of years, it is now front and center on them.
I think there should be full disclosure by this administration to the intelligence committee to where on a bipartisan basis they feel comfortable about not just about the rules of engagement, but the knowledge of what is happening.