[Blitzer:] We heard President Obama just a few moments ago, setting up his economic agenda for what he is now calling his year of action, this year, 2014. Let's discuss what we just heard from the president and more with Newt Gingrich. He's one of the hosts of CNN's "Crossfire." Mr. Speaker, thank you very much for coming in. Let's talk a little bit about this year of action. What do you make of the president's new proposals that he just outlined to create jobs, create new businesses, to make sure the United States remains at the top, the cutting edge of new technology?
[Newt Gingrich, Co-host, Crossfire & Former Speaker Of The House:] Well, look, I think the general idea is right. The rhetoric is right. The particular hubs he is setting up may actually have a positive impact. But the fact is that the amount of red tape, the amount of regulations, the amount of taxation that are hitting small businesses has really dramatically changed the rate at which we're creating new jobs. And I think until we have a small business liberation act and people understand how much all of this bureaucracy is crippling small business, Obamacare is a piece of it. But there are layer upon layer from the Environmental Protection Agency to the Department of Labor, go down the list. And I just talked to an expert this morning who pointed out that we used to have 100,000 new small businesses annually that survived. We have created about 500,000, about 400,000 would disappear. We now actually have a net loss of small businesses, about 100,000 a year. That's very worrisome about the future of job creation. Unfortunately, from the president's side, he believes in bureaucracy, he believes in red tape, and he believes in higher taxes. All of those kill job creation at the small-business level. And that's a real problem for America.
[Blitzer:] He also made it clear that he believes, though, in extending the unemployment benefits for 1.3 million Americans right now, Americans who have maybe another two or three million kids or other dependents who rely on this money. It would cost, what, about $5 or $6 billion to extend those benefits for three months, $25 billion for the year. What's wrong with that, during these tough economic times, to help these folks, all of whom used to work, they paid into the system, and they paid into that into those unemployment benefit insurance programs that supposedly would help them during these emergencies?
[Gingrich:] Well, no, look, there is nothing wrong, as a general principle, if you just add in two pieces. I think any extended unemployment compensation ought to come attached with a learning apprenticeship, online education component. If people can't find a job in the initial 26 weeks, then anything beyond 26 weeks, they certainly should be signed up for job training to have new and better skills. I hope the Republicans in the House and Senate will insist on attaching a job training component. That turns it into the largest labor training program in the U.S. That's a good thing. Second, there's no reason that we can't find offsets. Senator Ayotte of New Hampshire had a perfectly intelligent offset that both paid for the unemployment compensation and paid for restoring military pensions. And all it did was require that we eliminate people who are frauds, who are illegal, from getting certain benefits by simply requiring them to identify who they are. Why the Senate Democrats object to us stopping crooks from taking money from the American people is beyond me. You literally would save enough to both restore the military pension, which should be done, and to pay for the unemployment compensation. She had a very good amendment. They ought to Harry Reid ought to make it an order. I think it will pass and I think it meets all of the core standards, those two things. Pay for it and turn it into a training program for workers. I would totally and enthusiastically endorse.
[Blitzer:] Let me get to your quick thought on Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey. You believe him?
[Gingrich:] Yeah, sure, I'm inclined to believe him. He's a smart guy. Look, if another shoe drops and turns out he knew this, then I think he's toast. But if, in fact, he had some overzealous staff who did a stupid thing he has been a lot tougher than Barack Obama. Let's be clear here. Chris Christie fired several people who are very, very close to him. Despite Obamacare, despite Benghazi, despite all these other things, not a single person in the White House has suffered anything for having failed the people of the United States. This is a huge contrast between Chris Christie's toughness with his own people and the president's unwillingness to discipline people when there are grotesque failures. And I would suggest the Obamacare website and the Benghazi disaster are both much bigger than the bridge problem in New Jersey. And yet, neither has led to the kind of cleaning house that should have occurred.
[Blitzer:] You ran for the Republican presidential nomination. By all accounts, Chris Christie would like to do the same thing you did. What does he need to do to fix this situation
[Gingrich:] I think Chris Christie wants to do more like Mitt Romney and win the nomination, which I didn't get to do, as you know, Wolf. Look, I think he has to focus and realize, as Jake Tapper said, and I think very wisely yesterday, this is an endurance contest. This is not going to go away in a week. It will eventually go away. It will be embarrassing. But he's got a long year to heal things up. He's got a great position as head of the Republican governors. His job is to run New Jersey really well, and to go out and help elect Republican governors around the country. He certainly will be one of the key contenders. Barring something new coming out that we don't know about right now, Chris Christie will be one of four or five leading contenders. I think we're going to have several more governors, Scott Walker, John Kasich, Rick Perry, Bobby Jindal, at least two U.S. Senators in Ted Cruz and Rand Paul. It will be a lively race. But there is no reason Christie at this moment should be counted out. He's a serious person and has a pretty powerful, compelling story to tell.
[Blitzer:] What about Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor?
[Gingrich:] Well, if Jeb wants to run, Jeb is automatically a formidable national figure. He is one of the most creative figures in the last 30 years. I really admire him. I think he is the best politician in the Bush family. Although George P., his son, may come along pretty rapidly and rival that. But Jeb is a great talent. If he decides he wants to win the race, he would add an enormous amount. That would expand my point, a bunch of very effective Republicans running. Meanwhile, the Democrats have this challenge, they have an overwhelming front runner for whom there is no enthusiasm. And I think it will be interesting to see how Secretary Clinton overcomes that dilemma that she has been around since she was a field person in 1972. Pretty tricky in this day and age to be on the scene 42 years and be a new face.
[Blitzer:] Why do you say there is no enthusiasm? I've seen a lot of enthusiasm among Democrats for Hillary Clinton.
[Gingrich:] Well, I was just reporting on, for example, an article out of Iowa yesterday in which everybody, they the activists they talked and said, well, I could be for Hillary, but I'm not all that excited about it.
[Blitzer:] There may be some like that. That was Peter Hamby, excellent article on CNN.com. But I can assure you, there's plenty of enthusiasm for Hillary Clinton, among Democrats. And the notion that she could possibly be the first woman elected president of the United States, that would be a pretty enthusiastic message out there for a lot of her supporters out there. But that's just me. We're going to see you in "Crossfire" later today, right?
[Gingrich:] Right. I look forward to any chance to chat with you and exchange views.
[Blitzer:] We will do that. 6:30 p.m. eastern, right after "The Situation Room," Newt Gingrich will be on "Crossfire." Thanks very much. Still ahead, your Internet provider may start charging more for popular services such as Netflix, iTunes, or block them out completely. What is going on? We're going to explain when we come back.