up closer seg 1 march 17 2019

This is eyewitness news, a place he's, a former fighter pilot, a former prosecutor, a mother of four and a member of the blue wave. Freshman class in Congress rebecca michelle cheryl. But you might know her as congresswoman mikey cheryl, a New Jersey, issues two and a half months into the new job so how are things going in this deeply divided Washington. We talked to the new Congress of this morning plus the increasing popularity of something called telemedicine. No office visit. If you can talk now to your Through your computer or your smart phone get a diagnosis and a prescription, if you need one it's convenient but what are the advantages and is there a downside. We talk to a doctor and also the ceo of a company that helps doctors set up this new service and good morning everyone welcome to up close I'm bill ritter. We don't usually measure things on this program on the cool factor, but if one candidate had the coolest ads in last fall's midterm elections, politics aside, it might be our next guest mikey cheryl. She was in a helicopter and she was walking on the runway using her resume as a campaign ad a wartime vet who's, a mother who wanted to be a cop Women, like cheryl joins us this morning um they were cool ads. You know they helped get you elected. I mean your personality and your politics aside, those ads were very effective. Don't you think I thought they were really effective, but I had to laugh because there was one when I was flying a helicopter and I thought I was seeing some some really good things about taxes, but I don't think anyone remembered what I was saying about the dress because it was all the opposite of that helicopter and that's sort of the problem with this medium right, which this show doesn't, do we're just sitting here talking having a conversation and and you're, not gonna be in a hell of So we're just talking and hopefully they'll focus on words, but it is a problem. Optics instead of substance do you have any of that in Washington. Well, it's difficult, because we have a lot of complicated issues that we have to handle and yet it's really hard to garner attention or engagement on those issues. If you can't explain them clearly and concisely and quickly right or if you're too busy tweeting or posting on facebook or whatever it is right, but people that's the kind of society we live in, so there is this kind of schizophrenia The American people, we'd, like those kind of sound bite things we as a people and we like people who just tweets something clever and when it gets down into wonky stuff a lot of people just you know it's a contradiction. It's interesting though, when we started off the election cycle after 20 16, I think a lot of us as Democrats felt, like we were gonna take back suburban well educated districts because districts like mine people are very engaged on the issues and they delve a little bit deeper than that the quick tweet or facebook comment. They really do go into this issue so I held a town Hall and people called it very boring It was very policy oriented where people you know throughout the district came over 500 people and ask some really uh really key questions. I've got some really interesting questions, but before we get into the weeds on some of the some of the questions in the wonky issues that other people find boring, but you find stimulus, I do um uh and I'm embracing that I like that uh what's, it, like is it what you thought it would be. It is interesting as you thought it would be, is it worse than you thought it would be better. You know it's a lot of what I thought it would be, which is kind of surprising because it's certainly a very unique experience, a very different experience but I think uh a lot of us felt That Congress was not focusing on the right stuff that people were working together. That there were more people focused on partisan issues than the real issues that matter to people in New Jersey. So to get down to Congress. You see a lot of that, but then I also thought and and we also thought of the eleventh district that we could have a whole group of new freshman Congress, people that were gonna focus on some critical issues, issues that are critical to our country, a lot of them have served our country before his veterans like myself, some of been Cia agents, so it's been very exciting to serve again um with that group of people in our Congress um and Some people get a lot of attention. Some of the new people in your freshman class um and other people not so much it was an interesting story and I'm sure you read it. Several times. Certainly, staff to in political recently says that you know a moderate like you is more the face of the Democratic party than some of the more outspoken progressives uh that we we. We know well um how do you feel that do you feel, like you know you might not get the attention but that that you're you're in the front the front lines are well. we Certainly have the largest caucus so the new dems has over a hundred people and that's a kind of them. Women many of the women, um and that's a caucus of people in a kind of coalition of people that are focused not just on great issues like climate change in the environment, but also on key issues about jobs and the economy because we see a growing wealth gap. We know that we're in a society where work is changing where a is taking over and a lot of areas. How are we going to protect people in the new economy. How we're gonna make sure they have great health care and can put away for retirement and make sure their kids get the education And those are a lot of the issues we've been focusing on that, like I said it's the largest caucus in the Democratic party, you also have a situation where, in the economy in general, politics, aside, we have a dwindling Middle class and you have the very well to do certainly see in the try state and who are being hit hard by this. This uh. This state and local income tax lack of deduction. I want to talk about about that, but they're getting hit hard and then you have people who just are doing without end before, when we were growing up there was always sort of a source solid Middle class that What they felt they could have a House get a buick take care of the basics in a little more and go on vacation once a year and now that number is to imply it really is and we see it just across the board and we see it in New Jersey and something that I think is critical about the state and local tax deduction cap. Some of my colleagues think that that is just uh when I tried to get rid of it that's just for wealthy people but I'll tell you, you know, we have teachers in my district who are getting hit hard by this cap um who maybe Property taxes are 10000 dollars a year and then there's state and local income tax or 20000 so that's well beyond the 10000 dollar cap and these are teachers. These aren't people, making millions if they cost of living in New Jersey and if, on April fifteenth they owe five thousand extra dollars that they didn't know in two thousand 17 that's a lot of money it's a lot of money and it's money that you know helps you and then it makes like healthcare back breaking it makes their retirement savings back in the mix trying to send their kids to College background me. These are all the things that Getting added on to New Jersey so how do you get that reverse because a lot of the Republicans and a lot of a lot of Republicans in this area as you know, voted against that tax bill. But with the people in other States. Uh said hey you know it's up to you, then have to tell you, governor not to tax people in New Jersey, tell the governor in New York and Connecticut, not to tax people so much it's not that I know well. I tell people look New Jersey has one of the best school systems in the nation um and we're exporting a lot of those people to jobs across the nation because, for example, in oklahoma we have kids only going to school four days a week in some areas we have kids across the country who don't have gym class uh. We have a whole popular People are 70 percent of the people can't pass the fitness test to get into the armed forces so these are things that were handling very well in New Jersey. But we don't need to be undercut because not only that New Jersey is get less back for their federal taxes. That almost anyone else, so when we go across the nation and we're looking at who's funding roads and bridges and schools, it's New Jersey ance. What are the chances in your Congress this term to uh to, to get that back to bring detection hard and, as you mentioned, it is not a partisan issue It is a regional issue. Every member that I know of of the New Jersey and New York delegation is fighting hard to get rid of the state and local tax deduction. Cap. Um we've been talking about that and we also just had a great delegation meeting combined with the New York and New Jersey delegation which I'm proud to say uh. It was quite a large delegation now New Jersey now has 11 members of the delegation in the Democratic caucus. You for gateway tunnel. You are a way that was not funded in the president's new budget by the way right so what's gonna happen with that so, Congress has already set aside 275 million and Secretary chao was supposed to release that money. This month I've written her a letter signed by the rest of the delegation That she go ahead and do that. We know the portal bridge, the first stage of that gateway tunnel project is funded. Transportation just needs to release the money Congress appropriated 600 and 50 million more dollars towards the northeast rail corridor in the last bill in February um and now the President just put out a transportation bill that woefully underfunded our transportation is your first term in Congress. All along with all the other people in your caucus that the freshman and fresh women um what's, it like being there uh in the 10 years of a President who, who are This is most unusual present better and it is incredibly exciting. I tell people that when you're on the floor of the House, it feels like New Jersey so I kind of love. I tell new yorkers so maybe we won't come to Congress either, but uh. It is exciting. It is innovative um. It feels like the future. You look around the caucus and you see tomorrow's leaders, you really do and that's a very exciting place to be um so what are the other subjects that you like the issues that you're you're you're fighting for it. Well right now, something that's critical in our area is getting the victims compensation fund for our nine 11 first responders funded uh, as you probably know, that Money is running out so we're fighting hard to get that done um we're working to get healthcare costs down across the region. I've already mentioned the gateway tunnel, uh I've already mentioned salt, which is kind of our incessant fight. Um and then we want to work on some environmental legislation. We are interviewing you uh on the heels of this terrible massacre in new Zealand, where uh a White supremacist goes into to a couple of moss and shoes, a lot of people, four dozen people uh and he mentions the President as sort of an inspiration words matter um. What you're saying on Camera matters do you think about that when you're, when you're in Washington, what's your reaction to all this. I think about this. All the time I was talking to community members from our Muslim community. This morning. They're devastated they're scared and many of them are going to their Masters to pray today uh they've already called the local police force which I'm proud to report many of our police forces and our sheriffs have been very responsive to protecting our mosque um, but you know they say the same thing, words matter the divisive language matters um. I spoke out very strongly after charlottesville um I've continued to After tree of life synagogue, I've been talking about the massacres in new Zealand people have to understand that when you're, a leader when you're the President or when you're a member of Congress or member of the Senate, you are talking about the values of our country when you speak and those words do matter tremendously by I should end the interview because it was a profound thing you just said, but I will want to talk about politics for about 30 seconds 24 25 people I lost count now have in your party now running for President in the primaries um, which is not While yet uh two Congress people in New York had already endorsed a candidate for President, they do art um is there any pressure for you to endorse the cory booker from New Jersey. We've. All endorsed cory booker so um our doors already done that we've done that um yeah. I didn't write them and I am actually worked with him when he was not senator booker, but mayor booker and newark um of newark on criminal dash Justice issues and he has had a big effect on that legislation. One more quick answer. You voted against Nancy pelosi at first you said you would you campaign for that, are you behind them now. Certainly I have been very Very impressed with how she's handled um different things that our caucus has come up against I'm I am happy to support her when she supporting New Jersey's agenda and right now uh when I see what we're moving forward on is with respect to transportation infrastructure funding with respect to um making sure we drive down health care costs. I think that's a great focus for New Jersey congressman mica cheryl. Anyone call you rebecca uh woman someone's man that's great meal and uh thanks a lot. Thank you and here's to many other business on up close, I think there's, a when we come back giving Meeting the concept of a House call literally about meeting your doctor up close and personal in a teleconference and they're ready to give a diagnosis. Everything you wanna know about telemedicine that's next