Senator Marshall: Our Bipartisan Credit Card Bill Will Drive Down the Cost of Gas

Senator Marshall Joins KCMO Radio, Pete Mundo

Washington - U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined KCMO Radio's Pete Mundoto discuss his top priorities, including two of his key cost-lowering proposals, the Credit Card Competition Act and fertilizer legislative package aimed at reducing input costs for farmers.

On a lighter note, the two discussed last night's NFL Draft selections by the Kansas City Chiefs, with Marshall weighing in on the team's defensive additions and roster needs moving forward.

Click HERE or on the image above for Senator Marshall's full interview.

On the Kansas City Chiefs' NFL Draft picks:

"Pete, it was, I was on pins and needles. This is the most consequential draft to the chief since 1963 when they drafted Bobby Bell, Buck Buchanan, and Leonard Dawson. 2017 with Patrick is certainly the most important draft from modern-day times as well. So, you know, two first round drafts filling up the holes in the defense. We did need to improve our defense. I don't have any complaints. We got the best cornerback in the draft. We got arguably the best defensive lineman in the draft. I know he was the second one drafted. The kid out of Miami went ahead of him, but boy, the upside of this guy is really good as well. So, I'm all in. A+ rating for the chiefs. Two first-round draft picks, welcome to Chiefs Kingdom, Peter Woods and Monsieur Delaine."

On top priorities:

"Every day when I wake up, I think about your family's safety, their prosperity, and their security. So certainly, Iran is front of mind as well. On the other hand, we haven't funded ICE and border patrol yet either. That funding is going to run out soon, so kind of keeping one eye on what's going to go on over in the house in regards to this reconciliation bill. Democrats refuse to fund ICE and border toll. So, we're doing this with Republican only votes. We had an all-nighter on Wednesday night. Got back into Kansas City late last night. We've got some site visits - I call them house calls, as a doctor - but will make some house calls today here in Kansas City. But watching the safety of American families is always front and center for me, and then we need to get on to the cost of living. We have a significant number of Americans that are still struggling with the cost of living. And even though wages are outgrowing or growing faster than inflation, inflation is cumulative. Joe Biden left us with 50% inflation on housing, health care, and childcare. So, we're trying to figure out ways, and I think we've got the ways now. We just need to get them across the finish line in the Senate."

On his fertilizer bill package:

"You nailed it. It's the cost of fertilizer, seeds, tractors, and chemicals-again, all of these went up over 50% under Joe Biden. It really started when Russia invaded Ukraine, as a large amount of fertilizer comes out of that region through the Black Sea, and even the Strait of Hormuz as well. So this has been a long-term problem. We saw a record drop in net farm income under Joe Biden last year. Net farm income is up 80% for Kansas farmers. We're expecting exports to grow in corn and ethanol-some 25%. We're going to visit an ethanol plant later today as well. But back to fertilizers: for four years now, ever since Russia invaded Ukraine, I've been working on a fertilizer package to bring down the cost of those fertilizers. We've got that package together. We're expecting some type of hearing in the Ag Committee to help bring down the price of fertilizer. And I'm also expecting President Trump to take some of the tariff money and give relief to American farmers on the fertilizer front. Maybe an announcement today. Maybe it'll be next week."

On the Credit Card Competition Act:

"Yeah, well, the Wall Street lobbies are, of course, very, very, very strong. But just to emphasize that, if we passed our credit card competition bill today, it would bring down the cost of gasoline a dime a gallon. A dime a gallon. Americans are paying seven times more every time they use their credit cards than our friends in the European Union are. There are two credit card companies and a handful of Wall Street banks that control 85% of the industry. They act as a monopoly, driving up the cost of those fees. So, if you go to any type of small business in town, a convenience store, a grocery store, after the cost of labor, they're paying more in swipe fees than anything else. They're paying more in swipe fees for their employees' health insurance, for their utilities, and they pass on that expense to the American consumer. So, our credit card competition bill forces each credit card, the bank when they issue a credit card, to give you a second choice. Give the retailer a second choice. So, it'll drive down the cost of gasoline, 10 cents a gallon, and it'll put another $100, $200 in a hard-working American's pocket."

On his Current Focuses:

"So, I, of course, have not read the article, and I won't look. I'm locked in on bringing down the cost of health care, the cost of housing, the cost of childcare, growing our economy, and keeping American families safe. And whoever the Democrats run against us, they run against us. We've worked hard for this day. We're on our, actually, seventh tour of every county in Kansas. We did one before we got elected, and then one every year since. So, we've worked hard out here. I feel like we've done a good job. I'd be honored to represent the state of Kansas for another term as well. And just don't pay too much attention to what the Democrats have going on right now."

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