The Daily Signal - Rep. Ralph Norman Says China Paramount Threat

Episode Date: March 5, 2021

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., says that China will only continue to be a growing threat as President Joe Biden's administration continues. With regard to what China has "done to this country with the coronavirus, there's no repercussions under this administration … to hold them accountable," Norman says. What is the proper framework to combat China?  Norman joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss that and how school closures in South Carolina have impacted the children and families of South Carolina.  We also cover these stories:  Biden praises the House of Representatives for passing HR 1.  The National Guard may be staying at the U.S. Capitol longer. Biden says it was "Neanderthal thinking” for some states to lift mask mandates.  Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the Daily Signal podcast for Friday, March 5th. I'm Virginia Allen. And I'm Rachel Del Judas. Congressman Ralph Norman of South Carolina joins me on the podcast today during a conversation we had at CPAC, the largest annual gathering of conservative activists, to talk about the threat of China to the U.S. And don't forget, if you're enjoying this podcast, please be sure to leave a review or a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts and encourage others to subscribe. Now on to our top news. President Joe Biden praised the House of Representatives for passing the election reform bill known as HR1.

In a statement Thursday, Biden said the bill will rein in the outrageous gerrymandering that distorts our democracy. It will empower the Justice Department to crack down on laws that curtail voting rights along racial lines. It will reform our campaign finance system to amplify the voices of the people, not the powerful. and it will modernize and secure our future elections against all manner of threats. Biden said he looks forward to signing the legislation into law after it passes through the legislative process. Many GOP leaders have spoken out in opposition of the bill, such as Representative Rodney Davis of Illinois, who said the bill isn't for the people, it's for the politicians. If passed into law, HR1 will expand early voting and mail-in voting, will create automatic

voter registration across America and institute a new public financing system for presidential and congressional campaigns. On Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters that the National Guard will be at the U.S. Capitol as long as they are needed. We have to do what we need when we need and the numbers we need, Pelosi said, but that's a security decision. This comes following a request by the Capitol Police that the National Guard stay at the Capitol for another two months. The Pentagon has confirmed the request for the extension of the National Guard at the Capitol, the Washington Examiner reported. The National Guard have been stationed at the Capitol since the January 6th breaching of the Capitol that left five people dead. President Joe Biden said Wednesday that it was

Neanderthal thinking for some states to lift their mask mandates. Texas is one of the states to whom Biden was referring. Texas Governor Greg Abbott joined Fox and Friends on Thursday to address why the president was wrong to accuse him of Neanderthal thinking. Let's take a listen to what Governor Abbott had to say per Fox News. With regard to masks, the change in Texas really wasn't all that much different from where we were before for a couple of reasons. First, we are still strongly advocating that every Texan follow the best practice. Where we are today is completely different from where we were this time last year when Texans and Americans didn't know how to deal with this. For an entire year, Texans have learned the best practice, and that is to wear a mask,

and we still strongly recommend that people do wear a mask. But Brian know this, that I know you folks know, and that is when we saw the spikes in cases after Christmas and New Year's, we saw that most of those spikes, they didn't occur in businesses or in schools or in other locations like that, like retail centers. Most of those transmissions occurred in the home setting where people we're not wearing a mask in the first place. And so the mask requirement being eliminated isn't going to make that big of a change in the state of Texas. Also, people in Texas will continue to wear a mask, even though there's not a state mandate. We're just at a situation now where government mandates are not needed because Texas do know the best practices. Governors in Alabama, Mississippi,

Montana, and Iowa have also lifted mass mandates in their states. The Mississippi House of Representatives has voted to keep transgender athletes off female sports teams. The governor of Mississippi, Tate Reeves, a Republican, is expected to sign the bill into law in the next few days. Republican Mississippi Representative Becky Curry said via USA Today that girls deserve to compete on a level playing field. Allowing males to compete in girls' sports destroys fair competition and women's athletic opportunities. Mississippi is one of over 20 states where lawmakers are asking for restrictions on athletics or gender-conforming health care for transgender minors this year, per USA Today.

Now stay tuned for my conversation with Congressman Ralph Norman at CPAC. Americans use firearms to defend themselves between 500,000 and 2 million times every year. But God forbid that my mother has ever faced with a scenario where she has to stop a threat to her life. But if she is, I hope politicians protected by professional armed security didn't strip her of the right to use the firearms she can handle most competently. To watch the rest of Heritage expert Amy Swearer's testimony on assault weapons before the House Judiciary Committee head to the Heritage Foundation YouTube channel. There you'll find talks, events, and documentaries, backed with the reputation of the nation's

most broadly supported Public Policy Research Institute. Start watching now at heritage.org slash YouTube. And don't forget to subscribe and share. I'm joined today on the Daily Signal podcast by Congressman Ralph Norman of South Carolina. Congressman Norman, it's great to have you on the Daily Signal podcast. Glad to be here, Rachel. Thank you for having me. Well, something that you've been vocal on Twitter about is how China is exploiting American innovation. And you've said that we need the proper framework to protect our homeland from such adversaries.

What do you think this proper framework should look like? Rachel, what China is doing that started back under the Trump administration, he held him accountable. He did it with the tariffs. He stopped, as example, the dumping of steel. He encouraged companies to come back to America, and he did it through tax incentives. He did it through less regulations. And, you know, for us to be dependent on China, particularly with what they've done to this country with the coronavirus, there's no repercussions under this administration that I know of that is going to be taking place to hold them accountable. But we've got to be independent. we have to be so that our supply change are made in America. And it's part of the theme that he had Make America Great Again. And it's changing now that this president is doing just the opposite, just to be opposed to what this president stands for. Well, something else you've been vocal about on Twitter especially

is why it's so important for schools to reopen. Why is it so important? Well, first of all, you know, look at the Democrats said, follow the science. Well, the science will tell you that children are not as acceptable to getting the virus. If they do, it's a quick recovery. We're January of 20, over a year ago, is when we first became aware of this. We've got a vaccine now. We've learned more about the prevention. Look at the mask that are there. And for the unions to basically control the education of our children is unacceptable. It's outrageous for them to do that. And I'm encouraging everybody, every person in

every city to get with their local school boards and say, open up. The teachers are still getting a paycheck. The labor union bosses are still getting the paycheck. That mom and dad who is having to either stay at home or to hire a nanny to keep the children while they're trying to make a living, they ought to be outraged. But you can't recover the year from a child. that is not in a classroom, look at the social benefits of it. Suicides are up. Mental illness is up. And we've got to simply demand better.

Well, more specifically, when it comes to the children of South Carolina, you've talked about some of the repercussions of these schools being closed, but more specifically, how have these school closures impacted the children and families of South Carolina? Well, it's impacted the child because, as it's been shown, the Zoom meetings have not worked. A lot of children are not doing the school work. And what are the, how do you, how has it accountable? The ones I feel the, the most pain for is those who are disabled, those children who depend on the interaction with other children and the abuse that's taking place now that's, that is, is documented. So, and it's not just limited to South Carolina, look at any state in this

country. Now, I think it has the private schools to those that can afford it, are, they're getting their children educated, but how about those that can't afford it? Virtual learning is good for some, but not for others. And to have one size fits all and to keep them out of school is not right. And then they're getting stimulus money when they've been closed and they're still getting a paycheck. How does that work? Well, moving on to the agenda of President Joe Biden's administration, you had talked on Twitter about how, and this was a little while ago, but you said one month in, and Dems have already stripped the rights of the minority party in the House,

kicked a Republican offer committees for words she said before holding office and are rushing the impeachment of a private citizen without due process, which they again impeached former President Trump. What are your concerns about the Democrats' agenda long term? The Democrats are this radical agenda under this being led by Omar, it's led by AOC, Rashida Taleb, is intent on one thing, power. They want power to control everything they do. And they're dismantling our Constitution. they're dismantling our way of life, our government. And it's such a double standard.

You mentioned Marjorie Taylor Green, took her off all the committees. She was voted in by a large majority than I was. 75% of the people voted her in office. The words they claim she said was well before the election. So her people in her district have confidence center. And they kicked her off committees. Now, as an example, Eric Swalwell purported to have a, interactions with the foreign spy. And he's on Intel Committee. Intel Committee gets information

that we don't get. And it's a outrage that he's still on the committee. And the press has no interest in pursuing. Take the Biden, the money that came to his son, Hunter Biden, and the big guy for the president. Where's the media on that? You can't make those allegations without backing them up. The money trail can be spotted. They're not doing it. So it's up to we the people to get back involved and shout it from the room tops. It's because of people like that are willing to do that, we're willing to have a CPAC and have the many people here. This could be five times bigger if the COVID virus hadn't stopped the numbers. Well, you mentioned the situation with Eric's Wellwell. Would you say given what is happening there and the fact that he's still on the committee

and people have been kicked off Republican committees, do you think there's a double standard that is becoming more and more prevalent right now in politics? It is. It is. It is. but what we've got to disadvantage, the media, they've got every media outlet that chooses to suppress it. Look at what Andrew Cuomo, I mean, the governor that involve lives, they're not reporting it. Now, we've got to change that and use whatever means we can, but we're being banned. Look at what big tech's doing. I was banned with the frontline doctors on hydroxychloroquine, and it just shouldn't happen. But we've got to get loud, we've got to have our voice back, and we've got to we the people get involved.

Well, another agenda of the Biden administration that I know you've talked about and have concerns over is the Biden administration's plan to give amnesty to 11 million illegal immigrants. Why is this a problem? Can you impact this for us? Amnesty and it's more than 11 million is probably 15 to 20. We've got the worst pandemic in this country. And I'm on Homeland Security and asked the question of the Biden administration. what with those who are illegally coming across the country, come across the border into our country, what are you doing about COVID? Are you testing them?

Are you giving a mask? They're going to be in our society. Are you doing vaccinating them? They want to circle back with us, which means that don't have a plan. How safe is that for you and I? Not very safe. So the president of President Trump had the right plan.

There is a we want immigration, but legal immigration, and that's not happening. He's doing it for power to get votes because they want to register these people, give them driver's license, and let them vote, which will secure their power. It's un-American, it's not right, and it should be stopped. Well, the House just passed the Equality Act,

and among many things in this legislation, it's going to allow things as, you know, biological men being allowed in women's restrooms, biological boys being allowed in locker rooms to dress with girls. and so what are your concerns about this piece of legislation and how you foresee in impacting the country on a whole? Well, I ask that mom, that mom or father, when your daughter or granddaughter goes in a restroom, is it fair for a man to pretend to be a woman and go in? And I guess it's going to take the rapes and the murders to maybe wake this country up.

But that's what they're intended to do. Look at sports. They want men claiming to be able to. women to compete against women in sports. How many scholarships? Is that deserving young lady going to lose? I mean, it's ludicrous. It's outlandish, and we ought to be in an outrage over it.

And we are. But again, they've got the outlets, they've got the news media predominantly, and it's up to us to use whatever we can and try to change that narrative. Well, circling back to immigration briefly, how do you think the immigration system should be reformed? I mean, there's a lot to do, and there is a Democrat, you know, House and White House. But where do you see places where reform could happen when there's the opportunity for it?

First of all, we've got to finish the wall. This president billed over 400 walls. And the very Democrats that say that tell you walls don't work, look what they put up around the capital, a wall. If it doesn't work, how does it work for them? We've got to build the wall. We've got to have merit-based immigration. We can't be, take everybody anytime they want to come over here. Look at the drug cartels, which are controlling a lot of the groups that are coming into this country.

I just had a sheriff last night at CPAC mentioned the fentanyl that's coming unfettered across this country. It can kill, it's potent, it can kill us 100 times more potent than heroin. So all of it just doesn't make sense. All of it is, again, an attempt to get power. They want to do it legitimately through elections. They want to force it on us, and that's what we've got to fight. Well, big picture, what are some of the biggest challenges and also opportunities you see in Congress? You know, we talked about some of the opportunities with immigration,

but big picture, what are some opportunities and challenges you see despite the Democrat House Senate and White House? Well, as you're listening as know, Ms. Pelosi controls all the committees. They have a five-vote margin for us. and give you some perspective. When I came into Congress in 2016, the Democrats were 227. We were 196. Now it's five-vote difference. So we've got to use that.

We've got to have involvement at every level. We've got to circumvent a media that will not report the horrible things that are going on. Policies that the Equality Act, H.R. 1 is going to control elections through the federal government. We have to express outrage on that. And we're going to vote against it. But they've got the votes now. And hope and pray the Senate will stop it. And now's not the time for the Senate to cross the aisle.

You say no and send it back. And hopefully the Joe Manchins and others will come through. Well, as we wrap up, I did want to ask you about this concept of canceled culture. We've seen really rampant lately in society that most people will know of, for example, President Trump being banned off of Twitter. And then more recently, there's been a bunch of different organizations, some even nonpartisan, that have banned from Twitter. And so what's your perspective of cancel culture and how do you think it should be combated?

Well, you combat it is what I'm doing as an example. I'm a developer. We built Marriott's for years. Marriott has taken the opposite view of we the people and free enterprise. And they're part of the world culture. I'm writing the president and I'm right in the president. and I'm right in the board of directors. They turned down our Freedom Caucus at their hotel,

and that's income because we were conservative. If that's not outlandish, but we're going to let the directors know, and as a customer, I'm letting them know that we do not accept that, and that's fine if that's what they want to do. I'm just not going to be a part of it, both from a building of the Marriots and going to their hotels. because if they're going to turn us down because of our views,

we didn't go there to tear the hotel up. We went there to give them business, and the stockholders ought to know that. That's how we combat it. I'll just give you one example. World culture, sports. The NBA siding with communist China, I'm not going to an NBA game.

I'm only one person, but I'm not going to their games. The NFL, not standing for the American flag. I'm not going to football games. Now, it's small, but it's a, it's a, something that I can do. And I urge everybody to examine what is important to them because we're going to lose our republic if it keeps going the way it is. Well, sober note but wise words, good notes to end on. Congressman Norman, thank you for joining us on the Daily Signal podcast. My pleasure. Thank you so much.

And that'll do it for today's episode. Thanks for listening to the Daily Signal podcast. You can find the Daily Signal podcast on Google Play, Apple Podcast, Spotify, and IHeartRadio. please be sure to leave us the review and a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts and encourage others to subscribe. Thanks again for listening and we'll be back with you all on Monday. The Daily Signal podcast is brought to you by more than half a million members of the Heritage Foundation. It is executive produced by Kate Trinko and Rachel Del Judas, sound design by Lauren Evans, Mark Geinney, and John Pop. For more information, visit DailySignal.com.