1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: Yesterday your traffic Acid there was a big traffic jam 2 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:08,600 Speaker 1: in Denver caused by a big accident. I wondered, was 3 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 1: he talking about the traffic or Michael show. You know, 4 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 1: just a big accident every day. 5 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:18,440 Speaker 2: I love accident. Got a big got a big accident 6 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 2: going on right here in this studio. Yes, I think 7 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 2: that's a great compliment. I've always perceived this program as 8 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:32,159 Speaker 2: being a big accident. Uh zero one, zero four Uber number. Michael, 9 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:35,520 Speaker 2: my dog trainer, as a Liamberger, very well behaved. 10 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 3: Well. I wish I could say that takes. 11 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 2: Him with me and my at times unruly Saint Bernard 12 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 2: named George. It's a great name for Saint Bernard and 13 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:49,839 Speaker 2: George on excursions to the park metals Mall. King is 14 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:52,960 Speaker 2: a great influence on George, shows him the ropes about 15 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 2: how to be a gentleman. Well, my two ladies, they're ladies. Well, 16 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 2: the old lady, he's a lady. The teenager is just 17 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 2: a wild ass girl. 18 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:03,959 Speaker 3: It's just. 19 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 2: Crazy, totally crazy. The Senate, the United States Senate, you know, 20 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 2: has often been described as what the world's greatest deliberative body, 21 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 2: right that conjures up images of you know, maybe not 22 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 2: really long speeches, but historical speeches, of careful arguments, of 23 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 2: senators wrestling openly with really difficult questions of the day. 24 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 2: But speaking of today, the United States Senate faces a 25 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 2: very simple problem. A bill with majority support just sits idle. 26 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 2: Nobody's doing anything a majority. This bill, the Safeguard American 27 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 2: voter Eligibility, a Senate Bill thirteen eighty three. It's commonly 28 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 2: called this Save Act. It has fifty Republican co sponsors. 29 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 2: You know what that means, All fifty Republican senators have 30 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 2: sponsored this piece of legislation. Yet there it sits on 31 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:20,079 Speaker 2: the Senate's desk, just awaiting on a vote. The poor 32 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 2: little bill sitting there all by itself. Papers aging under 33 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 2: the lights. You know, people are sneezing on it, people 34 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 2: are sitting their coffee cups on it. Sometimes it gets 35 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 2: knocked off and the papers get all strewn over the floor. 36 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 2: They have to pick them up and put them back 37 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:38,000 Speaker 2: in order. Or maybe it's in a three ring binder 38 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 2: and people keep flipping through it and the pages are 39 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 2: starting to you know, how to you know, you whole 40 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 2: punch your paper and starts to tear there. Or maybe 41 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 2: it's fallen off the desk and nobody knows where it is. 42 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 2: It's frozen because Majority Leader John Thune has singularly himself 43 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 2: chosen not to bring it to the floor. Now I 44 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 2: know he's He's probably consulted with all of his comrades 45 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:09,919 Speaker 2: about what to do, and they all say, well. 46 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 3: We support it, don't right to the block? No, no, no, 47 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 3: no no. 48 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 2: So we now have a situation that presents a question 49 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:22,280 Speaker 2: that is procedural in addition to being philosophical. What does 50 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:27,600 Speaker 2: the majority mean if the majority cannot vote? 51 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 3: This is why, Ted Cruz one of my first questions. 52 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 2: You see, the Constitution created the Senate as a deliberative chamber, 53 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 2: not as a chamber that is permanently paralyzed by its 54 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 2: own leadership. When a majority leader refuses to allow the 55 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 2: majority to govern, guess what, there's already a remedy for that. 56 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:58,119 Speaker 2: The majority can replace the leader. Now think about a 57 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 2: Let me give you an analogy. Imagine a board of 58 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 2: directors public company, private company. 59 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 3: I don't care. 60 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 2: They hire a chairman, you know, they elect a chairman 61 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 2: of the board to run meetings, schedule votes. You know, oversee, 62 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:15,600 Speaker 2: all the department heads do all of that, and then 63 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 2: think about that. There's a majority of the board. This 64 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 2: supports a resolution to do something. You know, maybe they 65 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 2: want to buy a piece of equipment, maybe they want 66 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 2: to hire me and Dragon. 67 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 3: To provide them, you know, entertainment or something. 68 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:33,919 Speaker 2: But the chairman refuses to put the item, the resolution 69 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 2: on the board agenda. The board does not accept paralysis. 70 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 2: What does the board do? The Board replaces the chairman. 71 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:49,839 Speaker 2: In Congress, there's what's called the conferences. There's the House 72 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 2: Republican Conference. There's the House Democrat Conference. In the Senate, 73 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:57,359 Speaker 2: there's the Senate Republican Conference. There's the Senate Democrat Conference. 74 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 2: The Senate Republican Conference faces the same institutional logic. Is 75 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 2: that one the directors I just told you about, and 76 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 2: Ted Cruz and all other Senators that are Republicans are 77 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:13,839 Speaker 2: members of the Senate Republican Conference. Now, the Save Act 78 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 2: itself is just straightforward. We you know, let me repeat 79 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 2: myself for the you know, the Brazilian time. This bill 80 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 2: simply requires documentary proof of US citizenship when you register 81 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:34,120 Speaker 2: to vote in a federal election, then it requires that 82 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:38,640 Speaker 2: you show an ID that is a valid government issued ID, 83 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 2: that you are who you are when you vote the 84 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:47,719 Speaker 2: Save Act passed the House. Public polling shows, you know, 85 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:52,680 Speaker 2: this support approaching eighty five percent in favor, maybe fifteen 86 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 2: percent at best are opposed. It's this is one of 87 00:05:56,360 --> 00:06:01,040 Speaker 2: the really rare issues in American politics or the electorate 88 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 2: were you and I who voted for these people to 89 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 2: represent us is overwhelmingly aligned Democrat, Republican, black and white, Hispanic. 90 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:13,880 Speaker 2: However you want to divide up the demographics. The public 91 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:18,919 Speaker 2: is aligned on this bill, but substance is not the 92 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 2: immediate issue. The issue is that the Senate majority has 93 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 2: been denied the opportunity to even vote on the bill. 94 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:31,799 Speaker 2: And I have a suggestion. 95 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:34,720 Speaker 4: I remember how all these people in the House of 96 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:38,720 Speaker 4: Representatives are screaming about release the Epstein files. We need 97 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 4: to know what Jeffrey Epstein did. Sexual misconduct is wrong. Well, 98 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:47,600 Speaker 4: the last night the House voted to whether or not 99 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:51,680 Speaker 4: to release the Congressional sexual misconduct and harassment reports, which 100 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 4: by the way, costs the taxpayers eighteen million dollars. That 101 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:59,400 Speaker 4: it was three fifty seven to sixty five. Huh, they 102 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:01,480 Speaker 4: don't really care care about sexual misconduct. 103 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's on my pos I need to dive into 104 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 2: that further. They refuse to release the report about the 105 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:15,559 Speaker 2: sexual misconduct of miss members of Congress. Well, yeah, release 106 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:21,080 Speaker 2: the Epstein files. So back to John Thune. Some of 107 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:23,560 Speaker 2: you may actually wonder whether the majority leader is really 108 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:29,280 Speaker 2: the obstacle because the Senate rules are very arcane, very complex, 109 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:33,640 Speaker 2: and maybe the rules make action impossible and that's why 110 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:36,880 Speaker 2: we can't get a vote on it. Well, let me 111 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:42,760 Speaker 2: absolve you of that worry. I simply examining the procedural roadblock. 112 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:47,360 Speaker 2: The sentence modern silent filibuster is not required by the constitution. 113 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:52,320 Speaker 2: That's a choice of the leadership. A determined majority leader 114 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 2: can require a real filibuster, the kind you know that 115 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 2: you learned about in your civics textbooks or your government textbooks. 116 00:07:58,960 --> 00:08:01,040 Speaker 2: Senators that you know end up and hold the floor 117 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:03,440 Speaker 2: and they speak until they're just exhausted. They have the 118 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:08,280 Speaker 2: inability to continue. The Senate rules already permit that approach, 119 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 2: that is Rule nineteen and through the leader's control over 120 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:18,880 Speaker 2: scheduling and unanimous consent agreements. Now, if Dune chose to 121 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:21,640 Speaker 2: do so, he could bring the save back to the 122 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:28,240 Speaker 2: floor tomorrow. He could refuse to track the bill. He 123 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:31,760 Speaker 2: could require the minority to maintain a continuous speaking presence, 124 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 2: and under the two speech rule, a senator could speak 125 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:38,440 Speaker 2: twice on the same legislative question in a legislative day, 126 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:42,120 Speaker 2: so the majority could hold the legislative day open through 127 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:45,319 Speaker 2: continuous session. In other words, the day would carry over 128 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:48,120 Speaker 2: from Monday to Tuesday to Wednesdays, also on and so on, 129 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:53,679 Speaker 2: and eventually the minority would exhaust itself of speakers or 130 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:56,720 Speaker 2: they would just get worn out, and then a vote 131 00:08:56,760 --> 00:09:01,720 Speaker 2: would have to follow. That's trying to doesn't abolish the filibuster. 132 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 2: It simply restores it to its historical form. So there's 133 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 2: one thing, So don't let you don't don't think that 134 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 2: the rules are preventing this. But there's also a more 135 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:18,679 Speaker 2: aggressive path, and of course I kind of like it. 136 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:24,760 Speaker 2: The sentence already demonstrated that presidents governing cloture shutting down 137 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:28,240 Speaker 2: debate can be changed by just a simple majority vote. 138 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:33,439 Speaker 2: Back in thirteen, the Democrat majority created a new precedent 139 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 2: that allowed executive branch nominations to proceed with majority cloture. 140 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:45,040 Speaker 2: In twenty seventeen, the Republican majority extended the same rule 141 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:48,680 Speaker 2: to Supreme Court nominations. Billward's all it would take to 142 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:52,360 Speaker 2: get a vote on a nomination for Executive branch nominations 143 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:55,840 Speaker 2: or Supreme Court nominations is just a simple majority. The 144 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:59,199 Speaker 2: mechanism's pretty simple. A Senator raises a point of order 145 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:02,600 Speaker 2: asserting that CLO requires only a majority. So then the 146 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:06,439 Speaker 2: presiding Officer rules against the point. The Senate then overturns 147 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:09,880 Speaker 2: the ruling by majority vote. The new president becomes the 148 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:16,079 Speaker 2: Senate's operative rule. Now, you don't need you don't need 149 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:20,840 Speaker 2: not endorse this step to see that it exists. The 150 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:25,120 Speaker 2: point is that the Senate majority is not helpless. The 151 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:31,120 Speaker 2: ever repeat that the Senate majority the other Republicans are 152 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:36,240 Speaker 2: not helpless. They possess tools. If the leader refuses to 153 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:41,960 Speaker 2: use those tools, then the Republican Conference must ask itself, 154 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:46,160 Speaker 2: do we have the right leader that leads naturally to 155 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:50,840 Speaker 2: the institutional question? How does the Senate conference replace its leader? 156 00:10:51,800 --> 00:10:55,480 Speaker 2: It's not very mysterious. Senate party leaders are not chosen 157 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:57,280 Speaker 2: by the Constitution or by the full Senate. They are 158 00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:01,680 Speaker 2: chosen by their party conferences. The Republican Conference has the 159 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:05,000 Speaker 2: authority to elect a new leader. Withever a majority of 160 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:09,440 Speaker 2: Republican Senators Senators decide to do so. And the internal 161 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:14,160 Speaker 2: rules of that Conference of the Republicans have some thresholds. 162 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:20,320 Speaker 2: Five senators can submit a written request requiring the Conference 163 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:25,320 Speaker 2: chair to call a conference meeting. It's mandatory language. The 164 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:27,040 Speaker 2: chair shall call the meeting. 165 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:28,560 Speaker 3: Now. 166 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:31,040 Speaker 2: At that meeting, the senators can debate leadership, and they 167 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:34,280 Speaker 2: can hold an election if the Conference so chooses. The 168 00:11:34,400 --> 00:11:39,440 Speaker 2: leadership elections are secret ballots, and I think that matters. 169 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:44,440 Speaker 2: Secret ballots protect senators from any sort of retaliation. It 170 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:46,760 Speaker 2: allows them to vote according to their judgment of the 171 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:51,680 Speaker 2: conference's needs. So a simple majority the conference decides the outcome. 172 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 2: With fifty three Republican senators, you only need twenty seven votes. 173 00:11:56,960 --> 00:11:58,120 Speaker 2: There is symmetry in that. 174 00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:02,120 Speaker 5: Hey, Dragon, this morning, buddy, you sound very fresh. 175 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:04,400 Speaker 3: I'm Michael. Hey. 176 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:06,319 Speaker 5: I wanted to just let you know, man, I've been 177 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:10,000 Speaker 5: working on some computer issues today and I've got you 178 00:12:10,040 --> 00:12:12,480 Speaker 5: in my ear mike that I haven't really been. 179 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:27,720 Speaker 3: Yes and talk to me. 180 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 5: What listening to a word you said? So I feel 181 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:34,960 Speaker 5: bad about that. I just wanted to let you know 182 00:12:35,559 --> 00:12:38,120 Speaker 5: I might or might not agree with anything you said, 183 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:40,000 Speaker 5: but I really want you to have a good day. 184 00:12:40,679 --> 00:12:44,680 Speaker 3: Because she was Dragon, don't get them buddy, I don't 185 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:47,240 Speaker 3: know what happened there, just just quit playing. I don't know. 186 00:12:48,559 --> 00:12:51,000 Speaker 3: Did you put the quarter a quarterback in the slot? 187 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:52,120 Speaker 3: Do you do that? 188 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:56,080 Speaker 2: Or we have who am I kidding? We don't have 189 00:12:56,200 --> 00:13:01,600 Speaker 2: quarter sluts. We have nickel sluts. We got Nicholson. I 190 00:13:01,679 --> 00:13:05,319 Speaker 2: was just listening to Rob's news about the whole U, 191 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 2: the typical Washington d C kerfuffle about Christine Nome. She 192 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:17,160 Speaker 2: should be replaced of when you think about that cabinet 193 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:25,400 Speaker 2: and think about how Ruvio and Chris Wright and Scott 194 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:29,720 Speaker 2: Bessen and all think of that trio right there, and 195 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 2: then even Doug Bergham and all the rest of them, 196 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:34,439 Speaker 2: and then you kind of get down to the others. 197 00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:36,880 Speaker 2: But down over here in the corner is Christy Nome, 198 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:42,400 Speaker 2: who is now. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a 199 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:45,080 Speaker 2: supporter of the Department of Homeland Security. I think it's 200 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:46,960 Speaker 2: a big cluster, and I think it needs to be 201 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:50,640 Speaker 2: kind of dismantled, and these legacy groups need to be 202 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:53,400 Speaker 2: put back into their own little silos and let them 203 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:56,440 Speaker 2: go do their jobs. They as they were doing quite well. 204 00:13:57,040 --> 00:13:59,319 Speaker 2: But because post nine to eleven, everybody thought, oh we've 205 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:02,079 Speaker 2: got to be seen doing something. You know, Congress skan, Oh, 206 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:06,280 Speaker 2: we gotta go. You rearrange the chairs on the Titanic. Well, no, 207 00:14:06,559 --> 00:14:09,800 Speaker 2: you did, and you are sinking it even further. And 208 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:13,480 Speaker 2: you have been for the past twenty some years. And 209 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:18,199 Speaker 2: other than I, and I mean this sincerely, other than 210 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:22,280 Speaker 2: the first Secretary of Homeland Security, former Governor Tom Ridge 211 00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:27,480 Speaker 2: from Pennsylvania, who actually understood that all of the different 212 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:32,480 Speaker 2: components within DHS don't want that they have different cultures 213 00:14:32,880 --> 00:14:35,040 Speaker 2: and they ought to be allowed to operate on their own. 214 00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:39,480 Speaker 2: And Ridge let me operate on my own because he 215 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 2: knew as a governor kind of how FEMA operated, so 216 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:46,120 Speaker 2: he was very good at that. But every secretary since then, 217 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:57,080 Speaker 2: Michael Cherdoff total disaster, Janet Napolitano total disaster, may Orca's 218 00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:04,000 Speaker 2: total disaster. CHRISTI known total disaster. And I think Trump 219 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:07,120 Speaker 2: would be well served, And don't don't. I don't think 220 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:10,560 Speaker 2: that Tom Homan is the answer. He has a singular 221 00:15:10,600 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 2: focus on border issues, so not him. But there really 222 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:19,280 Speaker 2: does need to be a replacement. You know, she's living 223 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:22,600 Speaker 2: in the in the Commandant's headquarters down on the wharf. 224 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 2: Her security costs are stupid expensive, she's buying these new jets. 225 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:33,480 Speaker 2: You know, I don't know which Democrat senator it was 226 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:36,480 Speaker 2: that had a picture of the bedroom on the plane. Now, 227 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 2: let's be honest, most of these planes have bedrooms. Even 228 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:45,760 Speaker 2: the Gulf Streams might have a small sleeping quarters. But 229 00:15:46,040 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 2: this was just absurd. She she can do with you know, 230 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:54,760 Speaker 2: go go buy an old golfs stream use goals Stream five. Uh, 231 00:15:54,880 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 2: that's good enough for her, but her inability. See and 232 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:06,640 Speaker 2: Corey Lewandowski, who used to work for the president is 233 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:10,600 Speaker 2: now there is a special government employee. And yes he's 234 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:14,840 Speaker 2: pretty special because well they do that special thing together. 235 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:17,600 Speaker 2: They don't need Rocky Mountain Inn's clinic. They just do 236 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:21,040 Speaker 2: it themselves. I just think it is this totally inappropriate, 237 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 2: wholly inappropriate. So she needs to go and they need 238 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:31,760 Speaker 2: someone in there to really kind of not even crack heads, 239 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:36,320 Speaker 2: just empower people to do their jobs and then go 240 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:39,080 Speaker 2: do those jobs and then't do your job. Your job 241 00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:40,920 Speaker 2: is not to spend two hundred million dollars on an 242 00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 2: ad campaign that shows you riding a horse around somewhere. 243 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:48,320 Speaker 2: You're not going to be able to use the position 244 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:52,760 Speaker 2: as Secretary of Homeland Security to further your political career. 245 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:56,000 Speaker 2: You might be able to use it to further your 246 00:16:56,720 --> 00:16:59,120 Speaker 2: you know, being on the board of some you know, 247 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:04,800 Speaker 2: high flute and publicly traded company or a consulting business 248 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:07,720 Speaker 2: or whatever. But no, you're not going to use it 249 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:10,280 Speaker 2: to further your political career. And if you don't believe me, 250 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:14,840 Speaker 2: look at all the previous ones. Not a single one 251 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:18,000 Speaker 2: has gone to do anything. Jan Napolitano, I think, went 252 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 2: on to become the head of the University of California 253 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:24,200 Speaker 2: Higher Ed System may or because I have no clue 254 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:28,080 Speaker 2: what he's doing. Michael Chertoff runs some little company that 255 00:17:28,520 --> 00:17:32,160 Speaker 2: thanks to him, you now have full body scanners at TSA. 256 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:36,240 Speaker 2: So no, but none of them, even Ridge, who really 257 00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:39,959 Speaker 2: thought he might be able to parlay that into a 258 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:42,920 Speaker 2: Senate position, which I don't know why you'd be governor 259 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:45,560 Speaker 2: and then want to be a senator, or maybe parlayed 260 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:48,119 Speaker 2: it into a VP slot or through a presidential slot. 261 00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:50,720 Speaker 2: Didn't work out for him, and of course his health 262 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:55,160 Speaker 2: has deteriorated since. But Christinom is just using the position, 263 00:17:56,040 --> 00:17:58,040 Speaker 2: and quite frankly, I just don't think she's any good. 264 00:17:58,440 --> 00:17:59,720 Speaker 3: She needs to go. 265 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:02,400 Speaker 2: I was talking about John Thune and I was talking 266 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:06,760 Speaker 2: about the symmetry because Thoon. Everybody says that Thoon, and 267 00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:08,840 Speaker 2: he is He's the one that's blocking the Save Act 268 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:11,200 Speaker 2: from coming to the floor. But I want to talk 269 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:17,159 Speaker 2: about the Senate leadership structure and the Senate Republican Conference. 270 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:22,800 Speaker 2: Here's the symmetry. I was talking about. The same majority 271 00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:28,679 Speaker 2: that can pass bills can also select the leader. And 272 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:33,560 Speaker 2: so the leadership structure of the Senate remains anchored in 273 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 2: democratic control. And I don't mean democrat, but democratic control 274 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:43,120 Speaker 2: within the conference itself. So if the leader commands majority confidence, 275 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:47,639 Speaker 2: then he remains the leader. If he doesn't, the Senate Conference, 276 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:51,840 Speaker 2: the Senate Republican Conference, can choose another leader, and historically 277 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:55,879 Speaker 2: that's the mechanism that has been used when the Senators 278 00:18:55,880 --> 00:19:00,520 Speaker 2: conclude that a different style of leadership is required. I 279 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:03,919 Speaker 2: was there in two thousand and two when the Republican 280 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:05,440 Speaker 2: Senate Leader Trent. 281 00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:09,080 Speaker 3: Lott, who I had lots of arguments. 282 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:13,560 Speaker 2: With, stepped aside after controversy surrounding remarks about strom Thurman's 283 00:19:13,640 --> 00:19:17,679 Speaker 2: nineteen forty eight presidential campaign. In fact, I was with 284 00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:21,160 Speaker 2: the president when he made those remarks, and the President 285 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:25,239 Speaker 2: was on his way to ironically Philadelphia to give a 286 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:27,200 Speaker 2: speech and I was on the air force. 287 00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:28,080 Speaker 3: One the thing that he. 288 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:31,440 Speaker 2: Made changes to the speech, which essentially said Trent Lot 289 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:37,240 Speaker 2: needs to go. And the conference quickly elected Tennessee Senator 290 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:40,600 Speaker 2: Bill Frist as the new leader, which was great for 291 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:44,320 Speaker 2: me because Bill Frist became a big supporter of mine. 292 00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:47,800 Speaker 2: So it was pretty good. And that transition occurred in days, 293 00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:52,040 Speaker 2: literally days, not months. And guess what, the Senate continued 294 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:56,280 Speaker 2: to function. There was no institutional trauma. It functioned just fine. 295 00:19:57,000 --> 00:20:01,600 Speaker 2: There's another example when Bob Dole resigned his leadership position 296 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:06,120 Speaker 2: in nineteen ninety six to run for the presidency. That's 297 00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:09,359 Speaker 2: when the Republican Conference elected Trent Lott as their leader 298 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:11,680 Speaker 2: to guide the Senate through the remainder of that Congress. 299 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:18,000 Speaker 2: So the leadership changed, Senate procedure continued normally. These transitions 300 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:22,359 Speaker 2: ought to remind us that party leadership is really just 301 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:26,840 Speaker 2: an internal matter of political judgment, is not a constitutional crisis. 302 00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:31,840 Speaker 2: So the most realistic path toward replacement would begin quietly. 303 00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:36,200 Speaker 2: I would ask Ted Cruz about this. Senators concerned about 304 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:39,600 Speaker 2: the Save Act ought to conduct a private whip count 305 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:42,239 Speaker 2: to determine whether a majority of the conference wants new 306 00:20:42,320 --> 00:20:46,240 Speaker 2: leadership going public without the votes, that would be futile, 307 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:50,000 Speaker 2: it would be stupid. But if they find a coalition 308 00:20:50,080 --> 00:20:56,080 Speaker 2: approaching even thirty senators, you could conclude right there the 309 00:20:56,119 --> 00:20:59,640 Speaker 2: conference needs a different leader, and then that process would 310 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:04,480 Speaker 2: move very quickly. Once five senators request the conference meeting, 311 00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:10,400 Speaker 2: that starts the institutional machinery moving and turning. The senators 312 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:13,960 Speaker 2: gather behind closed doors. There are arguments. They'll be yelling 313 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:19,000 Speaker 2: and screaming, potential successors are discussed. These are just Republican centator. 314 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:24,520 Speaker 2: This is the Senate Republican Conference. So it's just Republicans 315 00:21:24,560 --> 00:21:27,720 Speaker 2: in a conference room on this, either in in the 316 00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:30,439 Speaker 2: Capitol building itself, most likely, or it could be in 317 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:39,439 Speaker 2: one of the Senate office buildings. They would discuss among themselves, 318 00:21:39,920 --> 00:21:42,560 Speaker 2: you know, they have they'd have snacks brought in, maybe 319 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:44,760 Speaker 2: have a catered lunch brought in. They'd have coffee and 320 00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:47,040 Speaker 2: dyke cokes and everything else. And they have big, you know, 321 00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:49,760 Speaker 2: a big conference room around the circle, and they would 322 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:52,760 Speaker 2: all everybody whispering, talking in little clicks here and there. 323 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:55,639 Speaker 2: They'd all walk around and talk among themselves, you know, 324 00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:58,239 Speaker 2: and somebody might say, well, you know, I don't really 325 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:00,560 Speaker 2: want to be the Senate leader. But maybe cru would. 326 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:03,080 Speaker 2: You know, we keep picking on Ted Cruz today, maybe 327 00:22:03,119 --> 00:22:05,520 Speaker 2: Ted Cruz would step up and say I'd be willing 328 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:07,680 Speaker 2: to serve as you guys wanted me to serve, meaning 329 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:09,440 Speaker 2: I really would I really would like it. 330 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:14,480 Speaker 3: And maybe that starts talking talking in the room. 331 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:18,880 Speaker 2: Other names might pop up, and pretty soon as these 332 00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:21,040 Speaker 2: little groups can, these little cliques move around and talk 333 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:27,719 Speaker 2: to each other, somebody's going to emerge. Potential successors get discussed, 334 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:31,600 Speaker 2: and then finally the ballots are cast, and if twenty 335 00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:33,920 Speaker 2: seven senators choose a new leader. 336 00:22:34,119 --> 00:22:36,400 Speaker 3: It takes effect immediately. 337 00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:41,919 Speaker 2: Now, who might serve as a successor is a political question, 338 00:22:42,359 --> 00:22:46,080 Speaker 2: it's not a procedural one. And I think several current 339 00:22:46,119 --> 00:22:50,560 Speaker 2: Republican leaders possess the experience and the credibility necessary to 340 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:57,240 Speaker 2: assume the role the majority whip. John Brosso of Wyoming, 341 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:01,119 Speaker 2: he has good relationship within the conference. 342 00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:02,640 Speaker 3: He might be a choice. 343 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:07,680 Speaker 2: Tom Cotton might be my preferred choice because he's built 344 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:11,959 Speaker 2: a reputation for very aggressive floor strategies and he's been 345 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:15,680 Speaker 2: a strong advocate on election law. But any of those 346 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:19,440 Speaker 2: I don't care. Anybody that would move the bill. Any 347 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:22,440 Speaker 2: of those figures could plausibly assemble the support required to 348 00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:27,120 Speaker 2: lead the conference. But the identity of the successor don't 349 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:30,760 Speaker 2: get hung up on That is less important than the 350 00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:34,560 Speaker 2: principle that guides the choice. The next leader must be 351 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:38,320 Speaker 2: willing to allow the Senate majority to vote. That means 352 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:41,560 Speaker 2: bringing the Save Act to the floor and permitting the 353 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:47,399 Speaker 2: institutional confrontation that Senate procedure just sometimes mandates. It's just 354 00:23:47,480 --> 00:23:52,600 Speaker 2: required by Senate procedural rules. Now, if you're a skeptic, 355 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:57,440 Speaker 2: you might raise an objection. Would replacing the leader over 356 00:23:57,480 --> 00:24:02,359 Speaker 2: a single bill destabilized the Senate or destabilize even the conference? 357 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:08,520 Speaker 2: How that deserves some attention. Leadership stability does matter, But 358 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:12,760 Speaker 2: stability cannot mean paralysis. And that's what we have right now. 359 00:24:13,680 --> 00:24:17,520 Speaker 2: If the majority believes that a central legislative priority is 360 00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:21,560 Speaker 2: being indefinitely blocked by its own leader, then the institution 361 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:27,119 Speaker 2: already if not, is dysfunctional. Replacing leadership becomes the method 362 00:24:27,119 --> 00:24:31,880 Speaker 2: of restoring normal governance. Now another objection would be the precedent. 363 00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:34,960 Speaker 2: I know a lot of Senators fear that removing the 364 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:37,800 Speaker 2: leader that could encourage these constant revotes like we see 365 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:40,080 Speaker 2: over in the House, although I have to give you've 366 00:24:40,119 --> 00:24:43,560 Speaker 2: got to give the Speaker Mike Johnson some credit. He's 367 00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:45,760 Speaker 2: got a very thin majority and somehow he's managed to 368 00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:51,159 Speaker 2: hold on. But I think the Senate's own history suggests otherwise. 369 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:57,240 Speaker 2: Leadership challenges are rare, precisely because it requires the consensus 370 00:24:57,280 --> 00:25:02,320 Speaker 2: of the majority. The difficult of the difficulty of trying 371 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:06,920 Speaker 2: to get twenty seven votes ensures that changing leadership occurs 372 00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:11,400 Speaker 2: only when there is dissatisfaction that is broad and it 373 00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:17,000 Speaker 2: is sustained. But there's a deeper issue, the meaning of 374 00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:23,520 Speaker 2: electoral mandates. Republicans currently have thirty three Senates Senate seats. 375 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:27,360 Speaker 2: Now voters put them in the majority with the expectation 376 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:32,919 Speaker 2: that they would pursue the policies that they promised. So 377 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:35,879 Speaker 2: when you have a bill like the Save Act that 378 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:44,000 Speaker 2: has majority support not just among Senators but among their constituents, 379 00:25:44,040 --> 00:25:47,480 Speaker 2: and even among those and when I say constituents, I 380 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:51,760 Speaker 2: mean that in the broadest sense, constituents that aren't even 381 00:25:51,800 --> 00:25:55,840 Speaker 2: in their party, constituents that normally don't even agree with 382 00:25:55,840 --> 00:26:01,560 Speaker 2: what they otherwise do. So voters in their stay by 383 00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:04,880 Speaker 2: a margin of eighty five to fifteen support the passage 384 00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:09,199 Speaker 2: to this bill. When a bill with that kind of 385 00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:13,720 Speaker 2: majority support never gets even a vote, then you should 386 00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:23,640 Speaker 2: question whether the Senate majority truly governs. R is are 387 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:28,840 Speaker 2: those that we elected Forget Colorado, Bennett Hickelooper. Two dufices 388 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:32,400 Speaker 2: doesn't make any difference. I'm talking about Republican senators in 389 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:35,040 Speaker 2: those states that have either both or at least one 390 00:26:35,080 --> 00:26:40,359 Speaker 2: Republican senator. When a bill with majority support never gets 391 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:45,119 Speaker 2: a vote, then voters have an absolute right to question 392 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:50,320 Speaker 2: whether the Senate majority truly is governing. A functioning majority 393 00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:57,040 Speaker 2: doesn't guarantee a legislative victory. The minority retains powerful tools. 394 00:26:57,119 --> 00:27:00,159 Speaker 2: A filibuster, well, I don't think it would succeed. A 395 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:05,479 Speaker 2: filibuster could succeed, and during that filibuster, public opinion actually 396 00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:08,800 Speaker 2: could shift. But the minority should not be able to 397 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:14,800 Speaker 2: prevent the majority from even attempting to legislate. The design 398 00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:20,560 Speaker 2: of the Senate presupposes that any sort of conflict following 399 00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:24,120 Speaker 2: any sort of decision, people will be mad, people will 400 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:29,639 Speaker 2: be upset, some people will be happy. So that reason 401 00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:35,480 Speaker 2: right there, The present moment presents a test of institutional will, 402 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:39,720 Speaker 2: and John Thune retains the option to resolve the situation 403 00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:43,359 Speaker 2: without any leadership drama at all. If you're concerned about drama, 404 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:46,760 Speaker 2: then yes, you'll write back to John Thune. He could 405 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:49,159 Speaker 2: bring this say back to the floor. He can insist 406 00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:52,280 Speaker 2: upon a genuine talking filibuster. He can allow us in 407 00:27:52,359 --> 00:27:55,399 Speaker 2: it to deliberate publicly and vote. Let us see it, 408 00:27:55,480 --> 00:27:58,879 Speaker 2: let us watch it. Might tune into c Span for once. 409 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:05,199 Speaker 2: Doing that would preserve his leadership and demonstrate that the 410 00:28:05,240 --> 00:28:09,639 Speaker 2: Senate majority intends to govern. And what better time to 411 00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:14,439 Speaker 2: do that than do it in advance of the midterm elections. 412 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:20,080 Speaker 2: Look what's going on in Texas. If again, I don't 413 00:28:20,119 --> 00:28:22,199 Speaker 2: care about the I mean I do care, so I 414 00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:24,119 Speaker 2: want a Republican to win in Texas. I don't want 415 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:26,919 Speaker 2: Tallerreco to win. But think about what that would do 416 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:30,800 Speaker 2: to that Texas election, in that runoff, whether you like 417 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:34,080 Speaker 2: Cornyn or not, if Cornan stood up and said yes, 418 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:38,800 Speaker 2: I think it's time for a change in leadership, then 419 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:42,760 Speaker 2: you would see the dynamics of that race change and 420 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:45,200 Speaker 2: it might even guarantee Corny will win again. Now, some 421 00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:47,560 Speaker 2: people may not like that, but I'm just saying that's 422 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:50,400 Speaker 2: the kind of dynamics that's playing out within the Senate 423 00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:53,680 Speaker 2: Republican conference right now. And I know I've heard the 424 00:28:53,720 --> 00:28:56,960 Speaker 2: stories too that John Thune is holding this waiting for 425 00:28:57,040 --> 00:29:00,520 Speaker 2: Donald Trump to decide whether or not he's going to 426 00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:05,760 Speaker 2: give his endorsement to John Cornyan. That's a dangerous game 427 00:29:05,760 --> 00:29:10,320 Speaker 2: to play, a very dangerous game. Think about it from 428 00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:13,800 Speaker 2: John Thune's point of view. He thinks he's holding the cards. 429 00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:23,120 Speaker 2: But what if what if Trump does endorse Cornyn and 430 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:25,520 Speaker 2: then John Thune decides, Okay, now we'll bring it to 431 00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:30,760 Speaker 2: the floor. That tells us that John Thune was playing 432 00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:35,000 Speaker 2: politics with a bill that the majority of American support, 433 00:29:35,040 --> 00:29:38,280 Speaker 2: and he was trying to get something selfishly for himself 434 00:29:38,960 --> 00:29:42,400 Speaker 2: as opposed to what you and I as constituents, as 435 00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:48,520 Speaker 2: voters have demanded eighty five percent. What if Donald Trump 436 00:29:48,600 --> 00:29:53,640 Speaker 2: endorses Ken Paxton, What's John Thune going to do? Then, 437 00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:57,560 Speaker 2: once again, it exposes him of being willing to play 438 00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:01,760 Speaker 2: politics and keep a bill from the floor that a 439 00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:07,400 Speaker 2: majority of Americans want. He has destroyed his leadership credibility. 440 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:11,920 Speaker 2: He's playing with fire, and he doesn't realize that fire 441 00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:17,440 Speaker 2: either way is when you come back and burn him. Now, 442 00:30:17,480 --> 00:30:20,640 Speaker 2: if John Thune declines to do any of this. The 443 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:26,120 Speaker 2: responsibility then shifts to the conference itself. The Republican majority 444 00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:32,200 Speaker 2: cannot permanently delegate authority and its votes and its ability 445 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:35,880 Speaker 2: to vote to a leader who refuses to exercise it, 446 00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:40,880 Speaker 2: who refuses to give them the opportunity to vote, because remember, 447 00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:43,840 Speaker 2: many of those senators are up for re election too, 448 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:46,680 Speaker 2: and they might be wanting to get this vote on 449 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:50,280 Speaker 2: record because they need it, because their constituents support it. 450 00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:55,080 Speaker 2: So the rules provide the mechanism and the history provides 451 00:30:55,120 --> 00:31:00,880 Speaker 2: the precedent. The majority's got to decide whether to use that. Now, 452 00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:04,960 Speaker 2: there's not merely a single bill at stake here, but 453 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:07,920 Speaker 2: what's at stake is the meaning of majority rule in 454 00:31:07,960 --> 00:31:11,680 Speaker 2: the Senate. A majority that cannot vote, you're not a majority. 455 00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:15,600 Speaker 2: You might as well be Democrats. The Senate Republican Conference 456 00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:19,480 Speaker 2: therefore faces a choice between just being passive and actually 457 00:31:19,520 --> 00:31:23,160 Speaker 2: engaging in self government. The Constitution supplies the Chamber with 458 00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:28,000 Speaker 2: those tools of governance. The question is whether the Senators 459 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:32,720 Speaker 2: will actually use them. And what's the roadblock right now? Well, 460 00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:36,880 Speaker 2: it's not just John thun, it's those other or at 461 00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:40,920 Speaker 2: least twenty seven Republican senators. But it's the fifty three 462 00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:44,280 Speaker 2: senators that sit there in that conference right now that 463 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:46,240 Speaker 2: could demand a change in leadership.