‘Let Me Just Finish!’ Fox News’ Bill Hemmer and Juan Williams Clash Over Covid Relief Bill in Heated Segment
Fox News’ Bill Hemmer and Juan Williams locked horns on Wednesday while discussing President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief bill.
Hemmer’s co-host Dana Perino kicked off the heated segment by mocking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) for scrapping two infrastructure projects in the bill — noting that they were never related to Covid-19 relief to begin with.
“In this bill, it’s something called enhanced time off, but it’s not for everybody,” she added. “It is a $570 million. The provision sets aside money for a leave program that would allow any federal worker — federal government worker — not working for the military, to take up to 15 weeks of paid leave and collect up to $21,000. $1400 a week for hardships during the pandemic.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) former Chief of Staff Josh Holmes — a guest on Wednesday’s segment — agreed with Perino’s take, calling the bill “fraud.”
Hemmer later asked Williams for his thoughts, after noting that some aspects of bill have “nothing to do with Covid or the pandemic.”
“I think it’s a great bill,” Williams replied. “I look at it and I think to myself it’s hard for the critics to argue with the heart of a bill given the 500,000 deaths, given the slow down in our economy, the high unemployment rate. People on the verge of losing unemployment benefits in the middle of this month –”
Hemmer then cut in, exclaiming that “no one is taking exception to direct payments,” before Williams pleaded to finish his thought.
“Hang on, let me finish! Let me finish a second, Bill,” Williams yelled over Hemmer. “You can see it in terms of the American people. Hang on, Bill. Let me just finish.”
“In terms of the American people right now 60 percent of Republicans support this bill,” Williams said, finally getting to share his opinion.
“I don’t disagree,” Hemmer replied. “I just want to make it clear no one here is objecting to direct payments. This has been going on for months and it hasn’t been gotten done yet.”
Holmes later claimed that Democrats have been secretly wanting to run the country the same way it has been operating amid a pandemic.
“They tell you when to go to work, whether your kids can go to school. They deem who is essential, who is not. Ultimately they send you a couple bucks for your troubles at the end of the day so you rely upon them in the end,” he said.
Perino then cracked that “we need people to go back to work so we can increase tax revenue because we have a lot to pay for when this bill gets back.”
Hemmer again insisted nobody is objecting to direct payments, adding, “What we’re suggesting is that, why you don’t spend 90 percent of this money next year and the year after and year 2028.”
“We were talking earlier about school spending and what money has already been allotted and money to come,” Williams responded. “Much of that money gets spent going into 2028 and beyond. Why? Because you have kids who have to make up for their learning, you have kids who have been off track in terms of some of their preparations for things that are to come.”
Williams attempted to finish his point while Holmes and Hemmer laughed over him, implying it was ridiculous to insist that children will still be experiencing the negative impacts of the pandemic in seven years.
Watch above, via Fox News.
