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Speaker 1: Attorney General from twenty ten, the year before she took office,

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Speaker 1: to twenty eighteen, the last year she was in office, together,

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Speaker 1: Florida experienced a remarkable twenty six percent drop in overall crime,

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Speaker 1: including a nineteen point six percent drop in violent crime

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Speaker 1: and a twenty seven point four percent drop in property crime.

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Speaker 1: These aren't just numbers. These are tens of thousands of lives.

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Speaker 2: You're watching the war room.

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Speaker 3: We're going to be between the CIA today, the confirmation

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Speaker 3: hearing of Marco Rubio, and the confirmation here in pam Bondi.

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Speaker 3: We're we go back Senator Rick Scott talking about Pambondi

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Speaker 3: will be coming back and forth, and I'll be giving

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Speaker 3: context throughout the first.

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Speaker 1: Hour in this short introduction. As US Attorney General, Pambondi

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Speaker 1: will re shore law and order to the nation. She'll

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Speaker 1: put Americans interest first and make the nation a better

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Speaker 1: and safer place. I urge every single member of this

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Speaker 1: committee of support my friend Pambondy, and I look forward

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Speaker 1: to voting for her confirmation soon on the Center floor

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Speaker 1: and help her get to work for them. Can people,

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Speaker 1: thank you, Chairman, thank.

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Speaker 4: You, thank you, Miss Chairman.

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Speaker 5: Ranking Member Durban, and members of the Committee, it is

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Speaker 5: an honor for me and a privilege to introduce Pam Bondi,

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Speaker 5: President Trump's nominee to be the eighty seventh Attorney General

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Speaker 5: of the United States. I have known and worked closely

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Speaker 5: with Pam for years, and I'm glad to call her

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Speaker 5: a friend. When Pam was nominated by President Trump, my

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Speaker 5: reaction was, this is a home run, as many of

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Speaker 5: us are. I was only to be outdone by Senator Graham,

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Speaker 5: who described the nomination as a grand slam touchdown hole

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Speaker 5: in one ace hat trick slam dunk Olympic gold medal pick.

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Speaker 2: And He's right.

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Speaker 5: As the letter joined by more than one hundred former

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Speaker 5: Justice Department officials put it, quote, it's all too rare

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Speaker 5: for senior Justice Department officials, much less Attorneys General, to

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Speaker 5: have such a wealth of experience in the day to

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Speaker 5: day work of keeping our communities safe end quote. Pam

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Speaker 5: exemplifies and personifies the Department of Justice's mission to uphold

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Speaker 5: the rule of law, to keep our communities safe, and

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Speaker 5: to protect our rights and liberties as Americans. Pam has

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Speaker 5: distinguished herself in a career in public service that has

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Speaker 5: taken her from her small town upbringing in Temple Terrace.

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Speaker 3: Okay, ready to hearing before this. Okay, here's what we're

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Speaker 3: going to do today. This is flood the zone. Right,

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Speaker 3: this is what we recommended, and now we have to

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Speaker 3: juggle along with everybody else. The three major confirmation hearings

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Speaker 3: this morning. Senator Rubia for Secretary State, his opening statement

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Speaker 3: on Breitbart is kind of a complete reorientation to an American. First,

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Speaker 3: we're going to catch that Pam Bondy Durbin you saw

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Speaker 3: early in Real Americans Voice, Dick Durbin already read or

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Speaker 3: the Riot Act about her relationship with President Trump, and

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Speaker 3: they're going to drill down on her today. I don't

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Speaker 3: think it will be as intense as Pete Hexaths, but

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Speaker 3: it might be. So we're going to go back and

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Speaker 3: forth between Pam Bondy and Secretary State, and if John

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Speaker 3: Radcliffe is anything explodes, there will go this. I want

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Speaker 3: to reiterate to this audience, Pete Hexath is going to

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Speaker 3: be confirmed as Secretary Defense and that is because of Pete.

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Speaker 2: Two things.

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Speaker 3: Pete heexas tremendous, tremendous performance yesterday. Also this audience. The

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Speaker 3: numbers two zero two two two four three one two

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Speaker 3: one today, make sure you give support for Secretary or

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Speaker 3: Senator Rubio, Pam Bondy, and of course Congressman John Ratcliffe

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Speaker 3: at CIA going to be quite intense this morning. We're

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Speaker 3: going to try to jog what we'll go through, but

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Speaker 3: I want to make sure Jony Ernst last night said

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Speaker 3: that she's good with Pete Hexath. That means that Pete

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Speaker 3: Hexas is going to be through. We can get all

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Speaker 3: the President Trump's nominees if we continue to work and

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Speaker 3: to put pressure. We're going to let you try to

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Speaker 3: hear as much as possible, particularly Democrats going after President

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Speaker 3: Trump's nomination. Let's go back to Let's go back the

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Speaker 3: introductory remarks on Pam Bondi, and as soon as the

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Speaker 3: Secretary Rubio's Senator Ruby is up, will.

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Speaker 2: Go right to his opening statement. Let's go back.

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Speaker 5: She's incredibly generous in someone I could always count on.

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Speaker 5: She's truthful, she's tough, and she's a born leader. She

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Speaker 5: has charted her own course with the rare combination of

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Speaker 5: backbone and heart. The next Attorney General the United States

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Speaker 5: must restore trust by reversing the weaponization we've seen the

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Speaker 5: last four years and refocusing that Department to its core

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Speaker 5: mission administering justice. The next Attorney General must promote the

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Speaker 5: rule of law, take on violent crime, keep our communities safe,

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Speaker 5: and safeguard that God given rights that each American has

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Speaker 5: protected in our Constitution. I can think of no one,

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Speaker 5: no one more up to that task than Pambondy, a

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Speaker 5: career prosecutor and widely respected attorney general with the prudence, fortitude,

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Speaker 5: and temperance for this incredibly important job. Mister Chairman, it

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Speaker 5: is truly an honor for me to introduce Pambondi to

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Speaker 5: this committee, into our country here today and speak on

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Speaker 5: her her behalf, and it's my hope that her nomination

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Speaker 5: will be swiftly confirmed.

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Speaker 2: Thank you, Senator Schmid.

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Speaker 6: Now, Miss Bondi, would you please come forward, and before

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Speaker 6: you're seated, I'd like to administer oath. Would you please

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Speaker 6: raise your right hand and answer this question? Uh, do

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Speaker 6: you swear that the testimony you're about to give to

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Speaker 6: this committee will be the truth, the whole truth, and

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Speaker 6: nothing but the truth. So help you God. Please be

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Speaker 6: seated and go move ahead with your opening statement.

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Speaker 7: Thank you, Chairman Grassley, Ranking Member Durbin, and members of

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Speaker 7: the Senate Judiciary Committee, I've had the opportunity to meet

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Speaker 7: with almost all of you, and I greatly appreciate that.

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Speaker 7: I'm grateful to President Trump into this committee for your

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Speaker 7: consideration to be the eighty seventh Attorney General of the

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Speaker 7: United States. I would not be here without my family,

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Speaker 7: and if you can bear with me for just a moment,

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Speaker 7: a lot of them have made a very long trip,

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Speaker 7: and I wrote them all down, so I don't forget anyone.

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Speaker 7: My beautiful mother, I wouldn't be here a retired kindergarten teacher.

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Speaker 7: Would not be here without my mom. As of a

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Speaker 7: week ago, it was twelve years since we lost my

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Speaker 7: dad to leukemia. Feels like twelve days. My amazing husband,

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Speaker 7: John and his two incredible girls, Collins and Fimily. Collins

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Speaker 7: is a senior at University of Florida. And I think

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Speaker 7: all of you on this committee will be very happy

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Speaker 7: to know Finlely is in cybersecurity. There's a third who

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Speaker 7: is traveling abroad. I wish she could be here. My

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Speaker 7: amazing father in law, David Death, my brother in law

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Speaker 7: is home with my niece, my nephews. If you could

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Speaker 7: just raise your hand, Evan Jake and soon to be

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Speaker 7: niece Savannah, my brother Brad, a brilliant lawyer, my sister

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Speaker 7: in law Tndy, and my nephews Justin who just got

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Speaker 7: a four point zero at UVA Rex great College tennis

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Speaker 7: flair Brad great tennis flair is Rea, and my niece,

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Speaker 7: my beautiful niece Riha. And the little guy is in

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Speaker 7: school because he's ten. My friends Leslie, Kathy, Dina, Tiffany, Kim, Paula,

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Speaker 7: and so many.

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Speaker 3: Of my We're going to shift to Tom Cotton over

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Speaker 3: the over the CIA opening of John Recliff're going to

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Speaker 3: go back to Pam after her general introduct remarks, Let's

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Speaker 3: go to Tom Cotton at the CIA confirmation.

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Speaker 8: Hearing, celebrated and even known. Unlock our troops. No one

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Speaker 8: buys them beers in the airport. Sometimes their families don't

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Speaker 8: even know what they do. So let me say to

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Speaker 8: them today on behalf of this committee and a grateful nation,

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Speaker 8: we respect you, we appreciate you, and we thank you,

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Speaker 8: but we also need more from you. In these dangerous times,

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Speaker 8: our intelligence agencies haven't anticipated major events or detected impending attacks.

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Speaker 8: In just the last few weeks. The members of this committee,

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Speaker 8: and I presume the President had no forewarning of the

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Speaker 8: New Orleans terrorist attack or the collapse of the Assad

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Speaker 8: tyranny in Syria. The same goes for Hamasa's October seventh

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Speaker 8: atrocity against Israel in twenty twenty three. I could give

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Speaker 8: other examples, but suffice it to say we're too often

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Speaker 8: in the dark. While this goes for the entire intelligence community,

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Speaker 8: the problem is especially acute at the CIA, which remains,

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Speaker 8: after all, the central intelligence agency. The CIA needs to

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Speaker 8: get back to its roots, but must overcome several challenges

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Speaker 8: to do so. First, the CIA has neglected its core

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Speaker 8: mission collecting clandestine foreign intelligence. Put more simply, stealing secrets.

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Speaker 8: Intelligence collection is the main effort. Every other job is

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Speaker 8: a supporting effort. If you don't collect intelligence by say,

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Speaker 8: handling spies or hacking computers, you should ask yourself how

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Speaker 8: you support those who do, or how you harness and

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Speaker 8: use what they produce. I've seen way too many reports

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Speaker 8: over the years with phrases like according to based on

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Speaker 8: judging by followed only by diplomatic accounts and press reports,

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Speaker 8: in other words, not intelligence, and it's gotten worse over

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Speaker 8: the last four years. Those sources are not unimportant, but

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Speaker 8: without clandestine intelligence we might as well get briefed by

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Speaker 8: the State Department or a think tank, or just read

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Speaker 8: the newspaper. Second, the CIA has become too bureaucratic. Now

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Speaker 8: I realize that Alan Dulles probably had the same complaint

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Speaker 8: just five years after the CIA was created. But this

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Speaker 8: has also gotten worse in recent years, in no small

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Speaker 8: part thanks to former Director Brennan's so called modernization. Lines

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Speaker 8: of authority have grown, blurry. Talkers have replaced doers, managers

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Speaker 8: with no field experience have taken over operational roles, and more.

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Speaker 8: Much like our military, the tooth to tail ratio at

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Speaker 8: the CIA is badly out of balance. Third, the CIA's

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Speaker 8: analysis and priorities have been politicized. Intelligence analysis all too

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Speaker 8: often has aligned curiously with the Biden administration's policy preferences.

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Speaker 8: The Afghan army is strong and cohesive. Ukraine's army will

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Speaker 8: collapse within days of Russia's invasion. Israel can't possibly destroy

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Speaker 8: Hamas or hezbela Aron. Air defenses are mighty and fearsome.

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Speaker 2: Time.

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Speaker 8: At the end, the CIA has produced inaccurate analysis that

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Speaker 8: conveniently justifies President Biden's actions or as often his in action. Likewise,

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Speaker 8: the CIA is misplaced priorities have yielded too many reports

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Speaker 8: on matters like the prospects for gay rights legislation in

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Speaker 8: Africa or climate change. These topics may have their place

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Speaker 8: in government, but it's not at the CIA, and I

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Speaker 8: certainly hope to never again see another video, statement or

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Speaker 8: social media post from the CIA about diversity or equity

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Speaker 8: or inclusion. If you wonder why our intelligence agencies struggle

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Speaker 8: to collect intelligence, consider this fact the CIA offered to

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Speaker 8: pay diversity consultants three times as much as a new

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Speaker 8: case officer. I'm sorry, but if you feel like you

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Speaker 8: need a diversity consultant, or an affinity group, or your

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Speaker 8: pronouns in an email, maybe the CIA isn't for you.

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Speaker 8: This job is an about your identity or your feelings.

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Speaker 8: It's about our nation's security. Fourth, the CIA dabbles too

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Speaker 8: much in questions of political judgment, even as it neglects

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Speaker 8: its core coremission of intelligence collection. Some of the blame,

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Speaker 8: to be fair, lies with US. I hear questions from

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Speaker 8: this committee about, say, some nations will to fight, or

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Speaker 8: if we do this, that or the other thing, what

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Speaker 8: will Vladimir Putin r jijiin King do? In response, these

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Speaker 8: aren't really intelligence questions, but rather matters of statesmanship and

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Speaker 8: political judgment or prudence, the statesman's supreme virtue. I would

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Speaker 8: observe that Lincoln and Churchill didn't have our vast modern

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Speaker 8: intelligence apparatus, but they are pretty good wartime leaders because

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Speaker 8: they were great statesmen. It's a CIA's responsibility to provide

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Speaker 8: us and the President with timely relevant secrets, for example,

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Speaker 8: that Russia has mobilized multiple divisions on Ukraine's border at

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Speaker 8: Christmas time and sent perishable fresh blood supplies to the front.

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Speaker 8: It's our job to use that information to discern the

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Speaker 8: inherent logic of events, not to defer passively to the

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Speaker 8: intelligence community's judgment. That is a convenient conclusion that Putin

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Speaker 8: hadn't yet decided to invade just days before the obviously

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Speaker 8: impending invasion. Fifth, the CIA needs to become bolder and

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Speaker 8: more innovative in covert action. I've seen successful covert action programs.

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Speaker 8: I've seen debacles. The latter are usually caused by ill

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Speaker 8: advised constraints by political leaders, or when a president uses

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Speaker 8: covert action as a substitute for policy and not a

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Speaker 8: supplement for policy. I'll have to save more for our

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Speaker 8: closed session, of course, but for now to say that

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Speaker 8: the timid indecision that has characterized the Biden administration's overt

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Speaker 8: actions extends to its covert actions. Mister Ratcliffe, you have

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Speaker 8: a big job ahead of you. The nation needs a strong,

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Speaker 8: capable and aggressive CIA. I believe the men and women

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Speaker 8: you will lead want to serve in just that kind

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Speaker 8: of agency. They joined the CIA, after all, not a

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Speaker 8: church choir or a therapy session on a college campus.

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Speaker 8: They and the nation are counting on you to deliver

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Speaker 8: badly needed reforms, and on this committee to ensure you do.

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Speaker 8: I'll now recognize the Vice chairman for his opening remarks.

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Speaker 1: Chairman, and first of all, congratulations on becoming chair of

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Speaker 1: what I think is the most important committee in the Senate.

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Speaker 3: And okay, that is Tom Cotton. We're going to juggle

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Speaker 3: three this morning.

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Speaker 2: Folks.

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Speaker 3: It's important you see at John Ratcliffe before the Intelligence

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Speaker 3: Committee in the Senate. That's Mark Warner, the vice chair

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Speaker 3: or the ranking member. I guess talking Ratcliffe, we got

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Speaker 3: Pam Bondye, Pam Bindies.

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Speaker 2: But I think get lit up by Dick Derbin here

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Speaker 2: a second, we'll go to that.

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Speaker 3: We're going to focus principally on the Democrat of questioning

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Speaker 3: with think that's most helpful.

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Speaker 2: And two of these are gonna be put under intense

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Speaker 2: a scrutiny.

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Speaker 3: That will be Marco Rubio because Mark Ruby's opening statement

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Speaker 3: that you saw it up on Breitbart Matt bull in

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Speaker 3: the team head as an exclusive gives a very different

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Speaker 3: outlook than the Washington Consensus runs. It's really, I think

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Speaker 3: the most forward, you know, presentation of America. First, talking

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Speaker 3: about the post war international rules based order being over.

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Speaker 3: Do we have, let's go to let's go to judiciary,

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Speaker 3: Let's watch Pam Bondi handled Dick Durbin. As soon as

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Speaker 3: Marco Ruby starts talking, we'll cut back to that. So

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Speaker 3: we're juggling today. But I think it's important that people

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Speaker 3: see all three. Let's go ahead and go as they

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Speaker 3: want information. Will you commit to responding to my oversight

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Speaker 3: requests as well as the request of other members of

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Speaker 3: the committee.

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Speaker 7: Chairman, either I or my top staff will personally review

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Speaker 7: the letters and do everything you can to respond to you.

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Speaker 6: Your tenure as Florida Attorney General was impressive. You fought

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Speaker 6: against pill mills, human trafficking, You eliminated a backlog of

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Speaker 6: rape test kids in state labs. You fought against organized

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Speaker 6: retail theft, and you were known to stand for law

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Speaker 6: and order. With such achievements, it's easy to see why

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Speaker 6: the Peopleforda re elected you in twenty fourteen and why

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Speaker 6: President elect Trump nominated you to serve as the nation's

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Speaker 6: chief law enforcement officer. So this gives you a chance

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Speaker 6: to tell us on this committee and the people of

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Speaker 6: this country what you're proud of as your record as

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Speaker 6: Attorney General of Florida.

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Speaker 7: Thank you, Chairman Grassley. I was truly honored to serve

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Speaker 7: the people of the state of Florida for eight years.

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Speaker 7: But it was a team effort. I had great people

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Speaker 7: around me, many of whom are in this room today,

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Speaker 7: and we did a lot. We did a lot to

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Speaker 7: fight crime, and I've been reminiscing a lot since I

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Speaker 7: was asked to take this nomination. Opioids, as I talked about,

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Speaker 7: were a top priority right when I took office. When

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Speaker 7: I was running for office, I went through the entire

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Speaker 7: state of Florida. Parents were walking up to me handing

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Speaker 7: me pictures of their children who were deceased from opioid abuse.

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Speaker 7: After I was elected, I took those pictures and I

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Speaker 7: framed them in my office as a goal of stopping

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Speaker 7: that fight, which I talked about in my opening statement,

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Speaker 7: And if US Attorney General, I'll bring those pictures back

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Speaker 7: out and they will be there to inspire me on

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Speaker 7: the further drug abuse we're facing throughout this country. We

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Speaker 7: also learned that something else was happening. Pregnant women were

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Speaker 7: having babies as a result of being opioid dependent. We

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Speaker 7: called it neonatal abstinate syndrome. We fought to educate mothers.

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Speaker 7: We fought that issue as well. Fintanyl was wreaking havoc

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Speaker 7: in our country, but it was just getting started. I

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Speaker 7: actually fought my own party a bit on scheduling finanyl

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Speaker 7: because at that time, people thought it was something you

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Speaker 7: merely got in the hospital on a patch after surgery,

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Speaker 7: apples and oranges, And boy do we all know that

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Speaker 7: now the difference fittanyl is raging throughout our country and

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Speaker 7: I will do everything I can to fight that with

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Speaker 7: the agencies that fall under the Department of Justice. Human

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Speaker 7: trafficking became a top priority for me as Attorney General.

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Speaker 7: I had the opportunity on a bipartisan trip to go

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Speaker 7: to Mexico and the one thing I found out there,

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Speaker 7: they were doing better than we were. They had safe houses.

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Speaker 7: I saw things I never dreamed I would see. And

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Speaker 7: all of these things in my past have formed the

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Speaker 7: person I am right now sitting here before you. I

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Speaker 7: came back to Florida. We started a human trafficking council,

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Speaker 7: and we partnered with others, and we expanded and added

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Speaker 7: safe houses in the state of Florida. I don't know

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Speaker 7: how many are in this country right now, but I

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Speaker 7: would like to partner with both sides, if confirmed, to

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Speaker 7: continue those efforts.

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Speaker 6: I'd like to interrupt you, yes, sir, and go to

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Speaker 6: another question, and I'll have another round so you can

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Speaker 6: finish on that point. I'd like to ask you about

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Speaker 6: something that's central to fighting government waste and fraud, the

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Speaker 6: False Slams Act. I want to want you to know

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Speaker 6: that Attorney General Garland calls me once a year. He

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Speaker 6: called me yesterday to tell me the success of old

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Speaker 6: Slams Act since nineteen eighty six when I got it.

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Speaker 3: This is why, this is why. That's Chairman Grassley. Judiciary.

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Speaker 3: We have Judiciary with Pam BONDI wants to Attorney General

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Speaker 3: of the United States President Trump's pick, You've got intelligence

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Speaker 3: with John Ratcliffe, President Trump's pick to not just go

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Speaker 3: to the CIA, but to basically restructure the CIA. And

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Speaker 3: you have Marco Rubio, Senator Marco Rubio, who's going to

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Speaker 3: be a Secretary of State. This is all with the

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Speaker 3: Ukraine War, everything going on, Senator Rubio. If you go

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Speaker 3: to Breitbart, I think I actually put it up last

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Speaker 3: night on my Getter. He became an exclusive to Bripbart.

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Speaker 3: His opening statement, which is a pretty definitive walkthrough of

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Speaker 3: the intellectual framework of America.

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Speaker 2: First, really trashes the post war.

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Speaker 3: International rules based order has been gained by the Chinese

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Speaker 3: Commanist Party.

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Speaker 2: The reason is the point we're trying to get you

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Speaker 2: to all three yesterday.

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Speaker 3: This audience was a major factor, a major factor in

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Speaker 3: making sure that Pete Hexath got over the top, a

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Speaker 3: particular with folks like Senator Joni Ernst and others. And

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Speaker 3: remember back four weeks ago, you guys went to fixed

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Speaker 3: band NEETs and kept Pete hex At Pete Hext would

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Speaker 3: have been traded out for Ron Desantas within an hour

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Speaker 3: of when we really got to hard work there on

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Speaker 3: that Thursday, what about a month or so ago. This

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Speaker 3: audience is quite important to make sure we're putting pressure

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Speaker 3: on the Senate to approve these candids, and particularly all

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Speaker 3: we need to do is hold together. The Republicans are

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Speaker 3: fifty three Republicans and obviously next to Monday J D.

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Speaker 2: Vansel will break any ties.

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Speaker 3: But he'll be vice president on Monday. It's critical to

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Speaker 3: do so we're going to try to juggle all three.

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Speaker 3: I particularly want to go to Rubio's opening statement. We're

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Speaker 3: going to dip into some of the Democrats questioning Radcliffe

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Speaker 3: and particularly Democrats coming after Pam A Bondi. So it

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Speaker 3: may be jumping around a little bit today Real America's Voice.

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Speaker 3: We're going to try to skip commercial breaks in the

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Speaker 3: first hour. It's so important that you guys are up

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Speaker 3: to speed on what's going on yesterday.

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Speaker 2: Magnificent performance.

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Speaker 3: Like I said, Pete Hegsath, Senator Jony Ernst said last night,

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Speaker 3: she's comfortable she's going to vote for him. I think

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Speaker 3: that should put it to bed unless anything else pops

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Speaker 3: up between now and the time of the committee vote.

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Speaker 3: And I think the committee vote they're going to try

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Speaker 3: to get that. I believe there's day or Friday the

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Speaker 3: Committe vote will before then the general House vote or

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Speaker 3: the whole Senate vote, hopefully on Monday or Sunday. If

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Speaker 3: they can do that. People really want to swear in

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Speaker 3: Pete Hegsath as Secretary of Defense right after President Trump

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Speaker 3: takes the oath of office.

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Speaker 2: Let's go back to Pam BONDI.

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Speaker 3: Let's hear Pam Bondi the question of Pam BONDI will

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Speaker 3: be jumping back and forth. I'll be coming in to

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Speaker 3: put context, maybe just sometimes my voice, maybe sometimes with

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Speaker 3: my lovely visage.

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Speaker 2: Okay, let's go back.

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Speaker 4: To my knowledge. Donald Trump has never acknowledged the legal

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Speaker 4: results of the twenty twenty election. Are you prepared to

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Speaker 4: say today under oath without reservation, that Donald Trump lost

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Speaker 4: the presidential contest to Joe Biden in twenty twenty.

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Speaker 7: Ranking Member Derwin. President Biden is the President of the

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Speaker 7: United States. He was duly sworn in, and he is

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Speaker 7: the President of the United States. There was a peaceful

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Speaker 7: transition of power. President Trump left office and was overwhelmingly

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Speaker 7: elected in twenty twenty four.

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Speaker 4: Do you have any doubts that Joe Biden had the

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Speaker 4: majority of votes electoral votes necessary to be elected president

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Speaker 4: in twenty twenty.

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Speaker 7: You know, Senator, all I can tell you as a

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Speaker 7: prosecutor is from my first hand experience, and I accept

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Speaker 7: the results. I accept, of course, that Joe Biden as

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Speaker 7: President of the United States. But what I can tell

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Speaker 7: you is what I saw first hand when I went

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Speaker 7: to Pennsylvania as an advocate for the campaign. I was

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Speaker 7: an advocate for the campaign, and I was on the

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Speaker 7: ground in Pennsylvania, and I saw many things there. But

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Speaker 7: do I accept the results, of course I do. Do

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Speaker 7: I agree with what happened, and I saw so much.

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Speaker 7: No one from either side of the aisle should want

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Speaker 7: there to be any issues with election integrity in our country.

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Speaker 7: We should all want our elections to be free and fair,

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Speaker 7: and the rules and the laws to be followed.

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Speaker 4: I think that question deserved a yes or no, and

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Speaker 4: I think the length of your answer is an indication

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Speaker 4: that you weren't prepared to answer yes. Have you heard

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Speaker 4: the recording of President Trump on January two, twenty twenty one,

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Speaker 4: when he urged the Secretary of State of Georgia to

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Speaker 4: quote find eleven seven hundred and eighty votes and declare

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Speaker 4: him the winner of that state.

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Speaker 7: No, I've heard about it through clips, But no, Senator,

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Speaker 7: I've not heard it.

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Speaker 4: What was your reaction to the President Trump making that call?

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Speaker 7: I have I would have to listen to the tape. Senator, Well,

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Speaker 7: the quote that I give you is exact.

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Speaker 4: He said to the Georgia Secretary of State, find eleven

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Speaker 4: in seven and eighty votes.

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Speaker 7: Do you have the entire context at that call? I

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Speaker 7: feel like it was longer, much longer than that, and

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Speaker 7: maybe out of it was an hour long.

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Speaker 4: And you can certainly listen to it. I hope you will.

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Speaker 4: Every American should. As a former prosecutors. Are you not

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Speaker 4: concerned that the President of the United States called a

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Speaker 4: state election official and asked him to find enough votes

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Speaker 4: to change the results of the election?

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Speaker 7: Senator, I have not listened to the hour long conversation,

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Speaker 7: but it's my understanding that is not what he asked

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Speaker 7: him to.

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Speaker 4: Do you need to listen to it? I asked the

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Speaker 4: third question, do you believe that the January sixth rioters

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Speaker 4: who've been convicted of violent assaults on police officers should

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Speaker 4: be pardoned?

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Speaker 7: Senator? If confirmed as Attorney General of the United States,

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Speaker 7: the pardons, of course fall under the president, but if

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Speaker 7: asked to look at those cases. I will look at

436
00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:05,080
Speaker 7: each case and advise on a case by case basis,

437
00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:09,680
Speaker 7: just as I did my entire career as a prosecutor.

438
00:26:12,359 --> 00:26:14,800
Speaker 4: You also advise the President of pardons as part of

439
00:26:14,800 --> 00:26:18,120
Speaker 4: your responsibility as Attorney General, and so I'm asking you,

440
00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:21,680
Speaker 4: do you believe that those who've been convicted of the

441
00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:25,800
Speaker 4: January sixth riot violent assaults on our police officers should

442
00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:27,840
Speaker 4: be pardoned. That's a simple question.

443
00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:31,480
Speaker 7: So, Senator, I have not seen any of those files.

444
00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:35,440
Speaker 7: Of course, if confirmed and if asked to advise the President,

445
00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:38,480
Speaker 7: I will look at each and every file. But let

446
00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:41,880
Speaker 7: me be very clear in speaking to you, I condemn

447
00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:45,800
Speaker 7: any violence on a law enforcement officer in this country.

448
00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:50,000
Speaker 4: Let me ask you about your work as a lobbyist

449
00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:54,280
Speaker 4: for Ballard Partners. You did not list your current position

450
00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:56,720
Speaker 4: as a partner at the lobbying firm. No, the work

451
00:26:56,760 --> 00:27:00,840
Speaker 4: you've done for you Ballard Partner clients, lobbying for the

452
00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:04,400
Speaker 4: country of Katar for one hundred and fifteen thousand dollars

453
00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:08,200
Speaker 4: a month, and for corporate giants Amazon and Uber. When

454
00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:11,800
Speaker 4: you're asked about conflicts of interest, why do you believe

455
00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:14,880
Speaker 4: your work as a lobbyist does not constitute potential conflicts

456
00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:15,359
Speaker 4: of interest.

457
00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:19,679
Speaker 7: Well, Senator, First, that was the amount my firm received.

458
00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:24,520
Speaker 7: I believe multiple people represented the country of Cutter within

459
00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:28,199
Speaker 7: my firm my role, and I am very proud of

460
00:27:28,280 --> 00:27:29,880
Speaker 7: the work that I did. It was a short time,

461
00:27:29,920 --> 00:27:32,080
Speaker 7: and I wish it had been longer. For Cutter was

462
00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:36,320
Speaker 7: anti human trafficking efforts leading into the World Cup, which

463
00:27:36,359 --> 00:27:39,040
Speaker 7: is something I'd like to talk about later too. I

464
00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:43,040
Speaker 7: was registered as far along with many members of my firm.

465
00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:48,679
Speaker 7: That was the sole portion of my representation for Cutter. Now,

466
00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:52,520
Speaker 7: if there are any conflicts with anyone I presented in

467
00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:57,520
Speaker 7: private practice, I would consult with the career ethics officials

468
00:27:57,880 --> 00:28:02,760
Speaker 7: within the department and make the appropriate decision. I would

469
00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:05,000
Speaker 7: also like to point out to you, I don't believe

470
00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:08,440
Speaker 7: that I would be the first Attorney General who has

471
00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:14,439
Speaker 7: represented and advocated for businesses in their past, of course not.

472
00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:17,960
Speaker 4: The question is whether you will recuse yourself from any

473
00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:22,760
Speaker 4: case involving your Ballard clients. One of those clients was

474
00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:23,879
Speaker 4: the Geo Group.

475
00:28:24,280 --> 00:28:25,760
Speaker 7: Was it not Goo?

476
00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:29,640
Speaker 4: Yes, a private prison company you lobbied for. It manages

477
00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:34,960
Speaker 4: correctional institutions and detention facilities. The Geogroup has faced criticism

478
00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:38,560
Speaker 4: for safety violations and adequate health care and poor management.

479
00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:42,479
Speaker 4: The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is geo's largest source

480
00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:46,440
Speaker 4: of revenue. Under the Trump administration, GEO stands earned hundreds

481
00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:49,320
Speaker 4: of millions of dollars by detaining immigrants. If there is

482
00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:53,360
Speaker 4: this mass deportation, would you sense any conflict of interest?

483
00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:58,680
Speaker 4: If you're asked to judge the performance of this government contractor, Senator.

484
00:28:58,360 --> 00:29:02,360
Speaker 7: I will consult with the core rear ethics officials within

485
00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:05,520
Speaker 7: the Department of Justice and make the appropriate decision.

486
00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:07,200
Speaker 4: Thank you, Miss Trump.

487
00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:12,120
Speaker 9: Senator Graham, thank you, congratulations. Thank you forgot to say

488
00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:14,440
Speaker 9: that John's family was from South Caroland.

489
00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:17,920
Speaker 7: The Upstate. I'm sorry, give.

490
00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:19,800
Speaker 10: You a pass on that. Manderson.

491
00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:23,600
Speaker 9: By the way, so listen, President Trump asked a bunch

492
00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:25,480
Speaker 9: of us who would you pick for attorney general?

493
00:29:25,960 --> 00:29:27,040
Speaker 10: How many of you got to ask that?

494
00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:31,959
Speaker 3: Okay, not that we wouldn't want to watch, Lindsey Graham.

495
00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:35,080
Speaker 3: I got to come back war room. The war room

496
00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:40,360
Speaker 3: position on this is Trump won, Biden's illegitimate, and I

497
00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:43,040
Speaker 3: realize that Pam Bondy's got to get confirmed. And this

498
00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:45,600
Speaker 3: is that you see the eggshell she's walking on right there.

499
00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:51,320
Speaker 3: But the appropriate answer, Pam. And Pam's a good person.

500
00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:55,080
Speaker 3: I know her very well. Pam Bondy Trump won the

501
00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:59,480
Speaker 3: twenty twenty election. Biden's illegitimate, and we need to adjudicate that.

502
00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:00,360
Speaker 10: Feeland.

503
00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:02,360
Speaker 3: Now we need a special prosecutor more and more, and

504
00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:04,400
Speaker 3: maybe that special prosecutor has got to report up to

505
00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:07,880
Speaker 3: the White House in the you know, the the unified

506
00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:12,080
Speaker 3: theory of the executive the president Trump's it's the chief executive.

507
00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:14,920
Speaker 2: He is the commander in chief of the armed forces.

508
00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:18,640
Speaker 3: And he's chief magistrate and chief law enforcement officer, not

509
00:30:18,680 --> 00:30:19,400
Speaker 3: the attorney general.

510
00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:20,960
Speaker 2: That's what they've been trying to run on us since

511
00:30:21,160 --> 00:30:21,880
Speaker 2: since Watergate.

512
00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:24,200
Speaker 3: Do we have Let's go Marco Ruby, I thinks giving

513
00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:26,280
Speaker 3: his opening statement, I think they're trying to bang bang

514
00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:30,080
Speaker 3: him up. Lindsey Graham's questioning Pam BONDI will come back

515
00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:32,560
Speaker 3: when we get a Democrat to try to chop her up.

516
00:30:32,560 --> 00:30:34,400
Speaker 2: And you see her action. Let's go to Marco Ruby

517
00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:35,320
Speaker 2: for a second.

518
00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:41,840
Speaker 10: Back order, all right.

519
00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:47,280
Speaker 9: So, while America too often prioritize the global order above

520
00:30:47,320 --> 00:30:50,000
Speaker 9: our core national interest, other nations continued to act the

521
00:30:50,040 --> 00:30:53,720
Speaker 9: way nations have always acted and always will. And what

522
00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:57,000
Speaker 9: they perceive to be their best interest, and instead of

523
00:30:57,040 --> 00:31:00,320
Speaker 9: folding into the post Cold War global order, they have

524
00:31:00,400 --> 00:31:04,440
Speaker 9: manipulated it to serve their interests at the expense of ours.

525
00:31:05,480 --> 00:31:08,240
Speaker 9: We welcomed the Chinese Communist Party into the global order,

526
00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:12,040
Speaker 9: and they took advantage of all of its benefits, and

527
00:31:12,080 --> 00:31:16,800
Speaker 9: they ignored all of its obligations and responsibilities. Instead, they

528
00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:21,000
Speaker 9: have repressed and lied, and cheated and hacked and stolen

529
00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:25,120
Speaker 9: their way into global superpower status. And they have done

530
00:31:25,120 --> 00:31:28,480
Speaker 9: so at our expense and at the expense of the

531
00:31:28,480 --> 00:31:32,320
Speaker 9: people of their own country. In our very own hemisphere,

532
00:31:33,720 --> 00:31:37,000
Speaker 9: Narco terrorists and dictators and despots take advantage of open

533
00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:40,719
Speaker 9: borders to drive mass migration, to traffic in women and children,

534
00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:44,360
Speaker 9: and to flood our communities with deadly fentanyl and violent

535
00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:51,400
Speaker 9: criminals in Moscow, in Tehran and Pyongyang. Dictators rogue states

536
00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:56,560
Speaker 9: natural constability and align with and they fund radical terror groups,

537
00:31:57,280 --> 00:31:59,360
Speaker 9: and then they hide behind their veto power at the

538
00:31:59,400 --> 00:32:02,920
Speaker 9: United Nations Security Council or the threats of nuclear war.

539
00:32:04,240 --> 00:32:09,440
Speaker 9: The post war global order is not just obsolete, it

540
00:32:09,520 --> 00:32:13,760
Speaker 9: is now a weapon being used against us. And all

541
00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:15,440
Speaker 9: this has led to a moment in which we must

542
00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:19,800
Speaker 9: now confront the single greatest risk of geopolitical instability and

543
00:32:19,880 --> 00:32:24,200
Speaker 9: of generational global crisis in the lifetime of anyone alive.

544
00:32:24,240 --> 00:32:29,400
Speaker 9: And in this room today, eight decades later, we are

545
00:32:29,440 --> 00:32:31,720
Speaker 9: once again called to create a free world out of

546
00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:36,080
Speaker 9: the chaos. And this will not be easy, and it

547
00:32:36,080 --> 00:32:39,680
Speaker 9: will be impossible without a strong and a confident in

548
00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:43,400
Speaker 9: America that engages in the world, putting our core national

549
00:32:43,440 --> 00:32:48,200
Speaker 9: interests once again above all else. Just four years ago,

550
00:32:48,240 --> 00:32:51,640
Speaker 9: I believe we began to see what that would look like.

551
00:32:51,800 --> 00:32:55,440
Speaker 9: During President Trump's first term, America strength was a deterrent

552
00:32:55,440 --> 00:33:00,080
Speaker 9: to our adversaries, and it gave us leverage and diplomacy.

553
00:33:00,320 --> 00:33:05,400
Speaker 9: Wars Isis was eviscerated, so Lamani was dead. The historic

554
00:33:05,480 --> 00:33:09,360
Speaker 9: Abraham Accords were born, and Americans were safer as a result.

555
00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:15,160
Speaker 9: Now President Trump returns to office with an unmistakable mandate

556
00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:19,400
Speaker 9: from the voters. They want a strong America, a strong

557
00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:24,640
Speaker 9: America engagement guided by a clear objective to promote peace

558
00:33:24,680 --> 00:33:29,600
Speaker 9: abroad and security and prosperity here at home. That is

559
00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:32,680
Speaker 9: the promise that President Trump was elected to keep, and

560
00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:36,760
Speaker 9: if I am confirmed, keeping that promise will be the

561
00:33:36,800 --> 00:33:41,840
Speaker 9: core mission of the United States Department of State now tragically,

562
00:33:42,520 --> 00:33:46,440
Speaker 9: horrifying atrocities and unimaginable human suffering can be found on

563
00:33:46,560 --> 00:33:49,840
Speaker 9: virtually every continent. And I am certain that today I

564
00:33:49,880 --> 00:33:51,840
Speaker 9: will be asked about the array of programs and the

565
00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:54,960
Speaker 9: activities the Department of State carries out to address them.

566
00:33:56,080 --> 00:33:58,360
Speaker 9: We are a nation who was founded on the revolutionary

567
00:33:58,400 --> 00:34:01,239
Speaker 9: truth that all men are created eco and that our

568
00:34:01,320 --> 00:34:04,040
Speaker 9: rights come not from man or from government, but from God.

569
00:34:04,760 --> 00:34:08,239
Speaker 9: And so we will never be indifferent to the suffering

570
00:34:08,280 --> 00:34:12,880
Speaker 9: of our fellow man. But ultimately, under President Trump, the

571
00:34:12,960 --> 00:34:16,839
Speaker 9: top priority of the United States Department of State will

572
00:34:16,880 --> 00:34:20,560
Speaker 9: be the United States. The direction he has given for

573
00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:24,360
Speaker 9: the conduct of our foreign policy is clear. Every dollar

574
00:34:24,400 --> 00:34:28,719
Speaker 9: we spend, every program we fund, every policy we pursue,

575
00:34:29,560 --> 00:34:32,400
Speaker 9: must be justified by the answer to one of three questions.

576
00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:37,240
Speaker 9: Does it make America safer, does it make America stronger?

577
00:34:38,120 --> 00:34:41,840
Speaker 9: Or does it make America more prosperous. Under President Trump,

578
00:34:42,280 --> 00:34:45,480
Speaker 9: the dollars of hard working American taxpayers will always be

579
00:34:45,560 --> 00:34:49,320
Speaker 9: spent wisely, and our power will always be yielded prudently

580
00:34:50,200 --> 00:34:54,000
Speaker 9: and towards what is best for America and Americans before

581
00:34:54,040 --> 00:34:58,600
Speaker 9: anything and everything else. Prudence in the conduct of foreign

582
00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:01,680
Speaker 9: policy is not in abandonment of our values.

583
00:35:02,440 --> 00:35:03,640
Speaker 10: It is the common sense.

584
00:35:03,520 --> 00:35:06,839
Speaker 9: Understanding that while we remain the wealthiest and the most

585
00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:10,839
Speaker 9: powerful nation on the earth, our wealth has never been

586
00:35:10,920 --> 00:35:15,760
Speaker 9: unlimited and our power has never been infinite. And placing

587
00:35:15,800 --> 00:35:20,000
Speaker 9: our core national interest above all else is not isolationism.

588
00:35:20,800 --> 00:35:26,160
Speaker 9: It is the common sense realization that a foreign policy

589
00:35:26,239 --> 00:35:29,880
Speaker 9: centered in our national interests is not some outdated relic

590
00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:33,560
Speaker 9: since the emergence of the modern nation stayed over two

591
00:35:33,560 --> 00:35:37,200
Speaker 9: centuries ago, countries acting based on what they perceive to

592
00:35:37,239 --> 00:35:39,920
Speaker 9: be their core national interest. That has been the norm,

593
00:35:40,440 --> 00:35:44,440
Speaker 9: not the exception. And for our country, placing the interest

594
00:35:44,520 --> 00:35:47,759
Speaker 9: of America and Americans above all else has never been

595
00:35:47,760 --> 00:35:51,840
Speaker 9: more relevant or more necessary than it is right now.

596
00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:56,800
Speaker 9: For in the end, how America? How can America promote

597
00:35:56,800 --> 00:35:59,279
Speaker 9: the cause of peace on earth if it is not

598
00:35:59,360 --> 00:36:02,879
Speaker 9: first safe home home? What good is America to our

599
00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:06,840
Speaker 9: allies if it is not strong? And how can America

600
00:36:06,880 --> 00:36:09,400
Speaker 9: help end the suffering of God's children across the world

601
00:36:10,360 --> 00:36:14,120
Speaker 9: if it is not first prosperous here at home? I

602
00:36:14,160 --> 00:36:16,840
Speaker 9: thank you, and I hope I can earn your support,

603
00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:18,960
Speaker 9: whether it's because you believe I would do a good job,

604
00:36:19,080 --> 00:36:20,239
Speaker 9: or because you want to get rid of.

605
00:36:20,200 --> 00:36:24,160
Speaker 3: Me, bring to me either way of the reasons. Okay,

606
00:36:25,840 --> 00:36:27,960
Speaker 3: by the way, shouldn't be lost in anybody. We have

607
00:36:28,040 --> 00:36:32,000
Speaker 3: two University of Florida grads. The Gators are representing today.

608
00:36:32,160 --> 00:36:34,799
Speaker 3: We're going to go back to Pam A. BONDI would

609
00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:37,279
Speaker 3: big question I think by Democrats. That was Mark Ruby,

610
00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:40,520
Speaker 3: a pretty impressive opening statement America first by Senator Rubia.

611
00:36:40,600 --> 00:36:43,240
Speaker 2: Let's go back and hear the grilling of Pam Bondy.

612
00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:46,839
Speaker 7: Senator, the Attorney General's office in Florida is the third

613
00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:51,920
Speaker 7: largest in the state, approximately fourteen hundred employees and approximately

614
00:36:52,000 --> 00:36:58,560
Speaker 7: four hundred lawyers. Only California and Texas are our bigger offices.

615
00:36:58,600 --> 00:37:01,800
Speaker 11: If you are responsible for hiring into that office, swallow,

616
00:37:01,840 --> 00:37:05,239
Speaker 11: your Attorney General. Would you have hired someone into the

617
00:37:05,239 --> 00:37:09,640
Speaker 11: Florida Attorney General's Office who you knew had an enemy's list?

618
00:37:11,600 --> 00:37:14,480
Speaker 7: Senator, to cut to the chase, you're clearly talking about

619
00:37:14,560 --> 00:37:17,640
Speaker 7: cash Battel. I don't believe he has an enemy's list.

620
00:37:17,680 --> 00:37:20,280
Speaker 7: He made a quote on TV which I have not heard.

621
00:37:20,920 --> 00:37:24,760
Speaker 7: I saw your sign or Senator Durvin sign about cash,

622
00:37:25,200 --> 00:37:30,120
Speaker 7: but I know that cash Battel has had sixty jury

623
00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:36,000
Speaker 7: trials as a public defender, as a prosecutor. He has

624
00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:41,960
Speaker 7: great experience in the Intel Department, Department of Defense. I

625
00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:45,960
Speaker 7: have known Cash, and I believe that Cash is the

626
00:37:46,080 --> 00:37:49,040
Speaker 7: right person at this time for this job. You'll have

627
00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:51,879
Speaker 7: the ability to question mister Patel, and.

628
00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:54,319
Speaker 11: I'm questioning you right the day about whether you will

629
00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:57,520
Speaker 11: enforce an enemy's list that he announced publicly on television.

630
00:37:57,600 --> 00:37:59,960
Speaker 7: Oh, Senator, I'm sorry. There will never be an enemy

631
00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:01,840
Speaker 7: list within the Department of Justice.

632
00:38:02,120 --> 00:38:07,640
Speaker 11: Thank you. The FBI's what is the FBI's role in

633
00:38:07,719 --> 00:38:09,560
Speaker 11: national security and counter terrorism?

634
00:38:09,600 --> 00:38:11,600
Speaker 2: And how important is that role?

635
00:38:12,160 --> 00:38:16,680
Speaker 7: You know, Senator, I believe now more than ever counter

636
00:38:16,800 --> 00:38:21,200
Speaker 7: terrorism is so important and vital in our country. We

637
00:38:21,280 --> 00:38:26,960
Speaker 7: are facing such incredible threats here and abroad. If I'm

638
00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:31,320
Speaker 7: sure many of you saw FBI former FBI Director Rai's

639
00:38:31,560 --> 00:38:36,880
Speaker 7: interview on sixty Minutes, he talked about the threats that Frankly,

640
00:38:36,920 --> 00:38:39,600
Speaker 7: again I don't have my security clearance, but the threats

641
00:38:39,719 --> 00:38:43,600
Speaker 7: facing as senator from China, from China right now, that

642
00:38:43,719 --> 00:38:48,480
Speaker 7: are so great, given sleeper cells within our country.

643
00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:53,000
Speaker 11: Given that importance, is it responsible to call for shutting

644
00:38:53,040 --> 00:38:56,799
Speaker 11: down the FBI's counter terrorism and national security work. And

645
00:38:56,920 --> 00:39:00,960
Speaker 11: will you, as Attorney General in Pe, do or shut

646
00:39:01,040 --> 00:39:05,240
Speaker 11: down the FBI's counter terrorism and national security work, Senator.

647
00:39:05,880 --> 00:39:10,040
Speaker 7: Senator, I believe that national security is vital right now

648
00:39:10,080 --> 00:39:12,719
Speaker 7: for our country on so many fronts. I could continue

649
00:39:12,719 --> 00:39:15,960
Speaker 7: to discuss any other role. And the FBI plays a

650
00:39:16,080 --> 00:39:18,960
Speaker 7: vital role in counter terrorism.

651
00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:20,359
Speaker 2: Which will or will not shut down?

652
00:39:20,760 --> 00:39:23,520
Speaker 7: I will look at each agency. I have no intention

653
00:39:23,640 --> 00:39:26,759
Speaker 7: of shutting anything down right now, Senator, I am not

654
00:39:26,960 --> 00:39:30,200
Speaker 7: in that office yet, and if confirmed, I will look

655
00:39:30,200 --> 00:39:34,800
Speaker 7: at each individual agency and how it should be managed.

656
00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:37,320
Speaker 7: But counter terrorism right now in our world is vital.

657
00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:43,719
Speaker 11: You have said that Department of Justice prosecutors will be

658
00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:51,040
Speaker 11: prosecuted in the Trump administration. What Department of Justice prosecutors

659
00:39:51,680 --> 00:39:53,920
Speaker 11: will be prosecuted and why.

660
00:39:55,480 --> 00:39:59,520
Speaker 7: I said that? On TV? I said prosecutors will be prosecuted.

661
00:39:59,520 --> 00:40:04,680
Speaker 7: To finish the quote, if bad investigators will be investigated.

662
00:40:05,800 --> 00:40:08,360
Speaker 7: You know, we all take an oath, Senator, to uphold

663
00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:11,480
Speaker 7: the law. None of us are above the law. Let

664
00:40:11,560 --> 00:40:14,279
Speaker 7: me give you a really good example of a bad

665
00:40:14,360 --> 00:40:17,440
Speaker 7: lawyer within the Justice Department. A guy named Cline Smith

666
00:40:17,840 --> 00:40:21,239
Speaker 7: who altered a FEISA warrant one of the most important

667
00:40:21,239 --> 00:40:24,680
Speaker 7: things we can do in this country. So will everyone

668
00:40:24,800 --> 00:40:30,400
Speaker 7: be held to an equal, equal, fair system of justice

669
00:40:30,640 --> 00:40:34,560
Speaker 7: if I am the next Attorney general, Absolutely, and no

670
00:40:34,640 --> 00:40:36,680
Speaker 7: one is above the law.

671
00:40:37,640 --> 00:40:43,719
Speaker 11: Under what circumstances will you prosecute journalists for what they write.

672
00:40:45,600 --> 00:40:49,680
Speaker 7: I believe in the freedom of speech only if anyone

673
00:40:49,920 --> 00:40:54,279
Speaker 7: commits a crime. It's pretty basic, Senator, with anything with

674
00:40:54,719 --> 00:40:57,680
Speaker 7: any victim. And this goes back to my entire career.

675
00:40:58,040 --> 00:41:00,880
Speaker 7: For eighteen years as a prosecutor than eight years as

676
00:41:00,880 --> 00:41:05,800
Speaker 7: flored as attorney general. You find the facts of the case,

677
00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:11,840
Speaker 7: you apply the law in good faith, and you treat

678
00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:13,200
Speaker 7: everyone fairly.

679
00:41:16,360 --> 00:41:22,440
Speaker 11: And it would not be appropriate for a prosecutor to

680
00:41:22,520 --> 00:41:27,520
Speaker 11: start with a name and look for a crime. It's

681
00:41:27,560 --> 00:41:31,040
Speaker 11: a prosecutor's job to start with a crime and look

682
00:41:31,080 --> 00:41:31,800
Speaker 11: for a name.

683
00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:37,440
Speaker 7: Correct, Senator. I think that is the whole problem with

684
00:41:37,480 --> 00:41:40,040
Speaker 7: the weaponization that we have seen the last four years

685
00:41:40,080 --> 00:41:44,200
Speaker 7: and what's been happening to Donald Trump. They targeted Donald Trump,

686
00:41:44,640 --> 00:41:48,640
Speaker 7: they went after him actually starting back in twenty sixteen,

687
00:41:48,840 --> 00:41:54,440
Speaker 7: they targeted his campaign. They have launched countless investigations against him.

688
00:41:54,840 --> 00:41:58,000
Speaker 7: That will not be the case if I am Attorney General.

689
00:41:58,120 --> 00:42:01,640
Speaker 7: I will not politicize that office. I will not target

690
00:42:01,800 --> 00:42:06,680
Speaker 7: people simply because of their political affiliation. Justice will be

691
00:42:06,880 --> 00:42:11,880
Speaker 7: administered even handedly throughout this country. Senator, We've got to

692
00:42:11,880 --> 00:42:14,680
Speaker 7: bring this country back together. We've got to move forward,

693
00:42:14,840 --> 00:42:16,160
Speaker 7: or we're going to lose our country.

694
00:42:16,480 --> 00:42:16,680
Speaker 12: Yeah.

695
00:42:16,680 --> 00:42:21,360
Speaker 11: I think the concern is that weaponization of the Justice

696
00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:25,200
Speaker 11: Department may well occur under your tenure, and we want

697
00:42:25,239 --> 00:42:27,239
Speaker 11: to make sure that that's not the case. That you

698
00:42:27,360 --> 00:42:31,000
Speaker 11: remain independent, that you remain able to and willing to

699
00:42:31,120 --> 00:42:34,600
Speaker 11: tell the President know when that's necessary to protect the

700
00:42:34,640 --> 00:42:37,640
Speaker 11: Constitution and the integrity of the department. So that's where

701
00:42:37,680 --> 00:42:46,200
Speaker 11: I'm asking these questions. We talked in the meeting about

702
00:42:46,200 --> 00:42:50,760
Speaker 11: the contacts policy that has prevailed really since Senator Hatch

703
00:42:51,440 --> 00:42:54,400
Speaker 11: sat in that chair and demanded it of the Clinton

704
00:42:55,040 --> 00:42:58,400
Speaker 11: Justice Department through all the administration since then, with the

705
00:42:58,440 --> 00:43:02,160
Speaker 11: exception of a brief period under Ttorney General Gonzalez, which

706
00:43:02,160 --> 00:43:05,560
Speaker 11: he corrected and which did not end well for him,

707
00:43:05,960 --> 00:43:09,200
Speaker 11: there has been a contact policy that limits contacts between

708
00:43:09,239 --> 00:43:11,799
Speaker 11: the White House and the Department of Justice to a

709
00:43:11,920 --> 00:43:16,040
Speaker 11: very few senior officials on each side. In your role

710
00:43:16,080 --> 00:43:20,120
Speaker 11: as Attorney General, if you are confirmed, Will you maintain, defend,

711
00:43:20,320 --> 00:43:24,440
Speaker 11: and enforce that long standing contacts policy.

712
00:43:25,239 --> 00:43:27,600
Speaker 7: Senator Yes, I will meet with White House Counsel and

713
00:43:27,680 --> 00:43:32,120
Speaker 7: I will meet with the appropriate officials and follow the

714
00:43:32,200 --> 00:43:33,960
Speaker 7: contacts policy.

715
00:43:34,120 --> 00:43:35,920
Speaker 11: My time has expired. Thank you, Miss Bondy.

716
00:43:36,120 --> 00:43:42,520
Speaker 13: Senator Cornyn, Miss Bondi, your testimony is music to my ears.

717
00:43:42,760 --> 00:43:43,160
Speaker 7: Thank you.

718
00:43:44,080 --> 00:43:46,560
Speaker 13: One of the things that I have been most concerned

719
00:43:46,560 --> 00:43:49,239
Speaker 13: about over the last certainly the last four years, in

720
00:43:49,360 --> 00:43:54,440
Speaker 13: extending back during President Trump's administration, is weaponization and politicalization

721
00:43:55,080 --> 00:43:58,720
Speaker 13: of the Department of Justice, which, together with the FBAI,

722
00:43:58,920 --> 00:44:03,440
Speaker 13: is one of the most important institutions in this country.

723
00:44:04,239 --> 00:44:10,160
Speaker 13: If people don't trust that their elected officials will faithfully

724
00:44:10,320 --> 00:44:15,680
Speaker 13: enforce the law or administer equal justice under the law,

725
00:44:16,480 --> 00:44:18,120
Speaker 13: they've lost faith in America.

726
00:44:20,040 --> 00:44:20,319
Speaker 10: And that.

727
00:44:22,239 --> 00:44:24,560
Speaker 13: Disturbs me greatly, and I know it does you too,

728
00:44:24,640 --> 00:44:28,680
Speaker 13: based on what you said. So I'm delighted to hear

729
00:44:28,719 --> 00:44:31,879
Speaker 13: you say what you have said. But I want to

730
00:44:32,000 --> 00:44:33,840
Speaker 13: talk about some specific topics.

731
00:44:34,280 --> 00:44:38,160
Speaker 2: Time is short. First, the border. I believe.

732
00:44:39,320 --> 00:44:43,719
Speaker 13: President Biden and Vice President Harris had presided over one

733
00:44:43,719 --> 00:44:48,800
Speaker 13: of the biggest humanitarian and public safety disasters in American history.

734
00:44:49,560 --> 00:44:52,240
Speaker 13: Senator Cruz and I represent a state with twelve hundred

735
00:44:52,280 --> 00:44:55,280
Speaker 13: miles of common border with America. But as you pointed

736
00:44:55,320 --> 00:44:59,040
Speaker 13: about out with fentanyl, what happens is the border doesn't

737
00:44:59,120 --> 00:45:04,600
Speaker 13: stay at the border. FENTONYL poisoning is the most common

738
00:45:04,680 --> 00:45:07,520
Speaker 13: cause of death of young people between the age of

739
00:45:07,600 --> 00:45:10,280
Speaker 13: eighteen and forty five. We know where it comes from.

740
00:45:10,719 --> 00:45:13,400
Speaker 13: The precursors come from China. They go to the cartels,

741
00:45:13,440 --> 00:45:17,760
Speaker 13: they mix them up, make them look like innocuous pills,

742
00:45:18,040 --> 00:45:21,799
Speaker 13: and young people take them and die. It's just that

743
00:45:22,239 --> 00:45:27,040
Speaker 13: simple and that tragic. So there's just so much that

744
00:45:27,120 --> 00:45:29,279
Speaker 13: we could talk about with regard to the border. But

745
00:45:30,719 --> 00:45:32,279
Speaker 13: you know, a lot of I know people.

746
00:45:32,000 --> 00:45:35,440
Speaker 3: Will you see with the Democrats. You see what the

747
00:45:35,440 --> 00:45:37,359
Speaker 3: Democrats are trying to do. And I just wanted to

748
00:45:37,440 --> 00:45:42,040
Speaker 3: reiterate the engine room is informing me, which I knew,

749
00:45:42,160 --> 00:45:46,759
Speaker 3: but I will repeat this. Your efforts yesterday during and

750
00:45:46,800 --> 00:45:52,120
Speaker 3: after the Pete Hegseth confirmation hearing in front of the

751
00:45:52,160 --> 00:45:55,880
Speaker 3: Senate Armed Services Committee, really I think made sure that

752
00:45:55,960 --> 00:45:59,520
Speaker 3: Joni Ernst understood that everybody's on watch here and others.

753
00:46:00,200 --> 00:46:03,360
Speaker 3: Jonny Ertz came out on a talk show in Iowa

754
00:46:03,520 --> 00:46:05,720
Speaker 3: yesterday and said she's all good with Pete Hexath.

755
00:46:05,760 --> 00:46:07,880
Speaker 2: She's going to vote. That changed the total dynamics.

756
00:46:07,920 --> 00:46:11,120
Speaker 3: You can see the air last night on MSNBC go

757
00:46:11,280 --> 00:46:15,000
Speaker 3: out of the of the propaganda apparatus over there as

758
00:46:15,040 --> 00:46:17,319
Speaker 3: they face the reality that Pete Hexath is going to

759
00:46:17,320 --> 00:46:20,439
Speaker 3: be Secretary of Defense. That is because this audience had

760
00:46:20,440 --> 00:46:24,359
Speaker 3: his back from the very beginning today Pam Bondi and look,

761
00:46:24,760 --> 00:46:26,920
Speaker 3: we'd love Pam Bondi and Pam Bondi's going to be

762
00:46:26,960 --> 00:46:29,200
Speaker 3: the attorney general we need is the attorney general right now.

763
00:46:29,239 --> 00:46:32,040
Speaker 3: She's not mad Gates, but then you know how many

764
00:46:32,120 --> 00:46:34,040
Speaker 3: Mad gates is are there. There is a lesson here

765
00:46:34,120 --> 00:46:39,640
Speaker 3: though they were very close to letting Hexeth go. If

766
00:46:40,000 --> 00:46:42,560
Speaker 3: this audience we had Gates is back, the lesson we

767
00:46:42,600 --> 00:46:46,640
Speaker 3: should take is never given to the Democrats whatsoever. They're

768
00:46:46,680 --> 00:46:48,920
Speaker 3: never going to treat your fairly. You saw Hexseth yesterday.

769
00:46:48,960 --> 00:46:50,840
Speaker 3: They came up with the personal text. When you go

770
00:46:50,920 --> 00:46:55,880
Speaker 3: back and see Rubio and Pam here, Pam Bondy, the

771
00:46:55,920 --> 00:46:58,359
Speaker 3: Democrats will be coming with every snarky comment they could

772
00:46:58,360 --> 00:47:00,640
Speaker 3: make to try to chop her up, try to him up.

773
00:47:01,520 --> 00:47:05,080
Speaker 3: You know, two very decent people that have tremendous track records. Right,

774
00:47:05,120 --> 00:47:07,600
Speaker 3: I realized that, you know, maybe Pam is not Gates

775
00:47:07,600 --> 00:47:10,440
Speaker 3: and not as hard as as as you know the

776
00:47:10,440 --> 00:47:12,680
Speaker 3: war and posse and particularly some of the elements over

777
00:47:12,680 --> 00:47:17,720
Speaker 3: and rumble. You you savages want and I agree that

778
00:47:17,760 --> 00:47:19,719
Speaker 3: we wanted Matt Gates. We didn't get Mat Gates. There's

779
00:47:19,719 --> 00:47:21,720
Speaker 3: a lesson why we don't have Matt Gates here today

780
00:47:22,280 --> 00:47:25,719
Speaker 3: because people blinked, right, people blinked, and we could have

781
00:47:25,760 --> 00:47:28,080
Speaker 3: gotten Matt Gates through. It had been very messy, it

782
00:47:28,120 --> 00:47:30,000
Speaker 3: had been contentious the day's hearing. It would have been

783
00:47:30,000 --> 00:47:32,719
Speaker 3: ten x pete hexas. But guess what everybody else would

784
00:47:32,719 --> 00:47:36,319
Speaker 3: have gotten through with a with flying colors. Let's go

785
00:47:36,400 --> 00:47:38,040
Speaker 3: back to I want to go to Mark or Rubier.

786
00:47:38,120 --> 00:47:39,799
Speaker 3: Right now, we'll come back to Pam Bonnie a second,

787
00:47:39,840 --> 00:47:40,800
Speaker 3: let's go to Mark Rubia.

788
00:47:41,280 --> 00:47:43,800
Speaker 9: I think the United States should be very concerned because

789
00:47:43,880 --> 00:47:45,920
Speaker 9: I believe this is a test run for applying it

790
00:47:46,120 --> 00:47:48,720
Speaker 9: to American service member and American leaders in the future.

791
00:47:49,239 --> 00:47:52,200
Speaker 14: Well said, I couldn't agree with you more. And certainly

792
00:47:52,960 --> 00:47:56,120
Speaker 14: the court has badly damaged its reputation and it's going

793
00:47:56,160 --> 00:47:59,840
Speaker 14: to have a long ways to go to recover from that.

794
00:48:00,120 --> 00:48:01,959
Speaker 2: So with that, Senator Sheheen.

795
00:48:02,080 --> 00:48:05,120
Speaker 15: Thank you, mister Chairman, Senator Rubio. As I said in

796
00:48:05,160 --> 00:48:07,640
Speaker 15: my opening statement, I hope that this committee can better

797
00:48:07,680 --> 00:48:12,000
Speaker 15: collaborate to swiftly confirm career foreign service officers. These are

798
00:48:12,000 --> 00:48:16,560
Speaker 15: patriotic Americans who have served under both Democratic and Republican administrations,

799
00:48:16,960 --> 00:48:21,000
Speaker 15: and they work to advance US national security interests. Delays

800
00:48:21,040 --> 00:48:22,400
Speaker 15: and vacant posts.

801
00:48:22,200 --> 00:48:23,560
Speaker 7: Hurt America's interest.

802
00:48:23,680 --> 00:48:27,040
Speaker 15: I know you agree with that because we've had that conversation,

803
00:48:27,560 --> 00:48:30,000
Speaker 15: But will you commit to working with Chairman Rish and

804
00:48:30,040 --> 00:48:33,520
Speaker 15: me to prioritize the advancement and confirmation of career State

805
00:48:33,560 --> 00:48:34,480
Speaker 15: Department officials.

806
00:48:36,760 --> 00:48:38,000
Speaker 10: Well, the answer to that is yes.

807
00:48:38,040 --> 00:48:40,239
Speaker 9: But I would also point to this fact that I

808
00:48:40,239 --> 00:48:42,400
Speaker 9: think we're going to begin by prioritizing. We're going to

809
00:48:42,480 --> 00:48:44,000
Speaker 9: look at what are the key issues in the world.

810
00:48:44,040 --> 00:48:45,920
Speaker 9: There are Obviously every post in the world is important

811
00:48:46,000 --> 00:48:48,359
Speaker 9: or it shouldn't exist. And then the question is which

812
00:48:48,360 --> 00:48:49,960
Speaker 9: are the ones we bring to you first? And those

813
00:48:50,000 --> 00:48:52,200
Speaker 9: are the ones that I think are most critical. So

814
00:48:52,280 --> 00:48:54,680
Speaker 9: obviously I think you'll see our nominees or the deputy

815
00:48:54,680 --> 00:48:58,080
Speaker 9: posts which are critically important, all the undersecretaries as well,

816
00:48:58,200 --> 00:49:00,120
Speaker 9: and what I've endeavored to do is we interview and

817
00:49:00,239 --> 00:49:03,480
Speaker 9: identify people, and I believe I've met with and interviewed

818
00:49:03,480 --> 00:49:05,880
Speaker 9: most of the candidates for those top posts. Is I

819
00:49:05,880 --> 00:49:07,759
Speaker 9: want to bring you people that are three things. Number One,

820
00:49:07,800 --> 00:49:10,280
Speaker 9: are aligned to the mission. I think that's critically important,

821
00:49:10,320 --> 00:49:12,960
Speaker 9: whether they be foreign service officers. I'm not talking about

822
00:49:13,000 --> 00:49:15,320
Speaker 9: political alignment. I'm talking about alignment with a mission that

823
00:49:15,400 --> 00:49:19,120
Speaker 9: we've outlined for American foreign policy. Which is one of

824
00:49:19,120 --> 00:49:21,600
Speaker 9: the things that I think has hurt the State Department

825
00:49:21,920 --> 00:49:25,640
Speaker 9: under numerous administrations is sometimes the mission or what it

826
00:49:25,680 --> 00:49:27,520
Speaker 9: is the core mission of the Department has not been

827
00:49:27,600 --> 00:49:31,000
Speaker 9: well defined. That's on us, and it's our obligation to

828
00:49:31,000 --> 00:49:33,520
Speaker 9: define that. It's number one, aligned to the mission. Number two,

829
00:49:33,560 --> 00:49:36,319
Speaker 9: the capability to do the job. And I can tell

830
00:49:36,320 --> 00:49:39,680
Speaker 9: you now that entire in my entire service on this committee,

831
00:49:39,960 --> 00:49:43,400
Speaker 9: which spans fourteen years, we always had fellows from the

832
00:49:43,440 --> 00:49:45,840
Speaker 9: Department State. I believe, all of whom are still in

833
00:49:45,840 --> 00:49:48,880
Speaker 9: the service of our country, and I intend because I

834
00:49:48,920 --> 00:49:51,080
Speaker 9: know them and I've worked for them to utilize their

835
00:49:51,080 --> 00:49:56,120
Speaker 9: skill sets in the Department, and in fact, a couple

836
00:49:56,120 --> 00:49:58,720
Speaker 9: who we hope will be returning home soon from foreign

837
00:49:58,760 --> 00:50:01,600
Speaker 9: postings to work with us the State Department closer to

838
00:50:01,719 --> 00:50:02,360
Speaker 9: my office.

839
00:50:02,520 --> 00:50:03,319
Speaker 10: But the point is.

840
00:50:03,280 --> 00:50:05,799
Speaker 9: That we want out people that are highly capable, both

841
00:50:05,880 --> 00:50:08,759
Speaker 9: those who we bring from what they call political appointees,

842
00:50:08,800 --> 00:50:11,800
Speaker 9: but also those that are promoted from within the Foreign Service.

843
00:50:12,080 --> 00:50:14,799
Speaker 9: And then the third are people that we can get

844
00:50:14,800 --> 00:50:17,359
Speaker 9: through the committee because time is of the essence. Now

845
00:50:17,440 --> 00:50:19,879
Speaker 9: you may not agree with all their views, whether they

846
00:50:19,920 --> 00:50:22,759
Speaker 9: be Foreign Service officers or whether they be political, but

847
00:50:22,800 --> 00:50:24,440
Speaker 9: I think it's important for it and we're not going

848
00:50:24,480 --> 00:50:26,879
Speaker 9: to exclude someone just because we think that maybe they're

849
00:50:26,920 --> 00:50:29,480
Speaker 9: going to have a rougher confirmation process than someone else.

850
00:50:29,760 --> 00:50:31,719
Speaker 9: But I do think it's important that we have people

851
00:50:31,800 --> 00:50:34,560
Speaker 9: in these positions as quickly as possible. And having served

852
00:50:34,600 --> 00:50:37,440
Speaker 9: for fourteen years on that side of this room, I

853
00:50:37,560 --> 00:50:39,200
Speaker 9: understand that one of the things we can do to

854
00:50:39,239 --> 00:50:41,279
Speaker 9: help expedite that is to bring you people that will

855
00:50:41,280 --> 00:50:44,200
Speaker 9: do a good job, who are qualified for the job

856
00:50:44,280 --> 00:50:47,600
Speaker 9: or mission aligned, but also that can move through this

857
00:50:47,680 --> 00:50:50,040
Speaker 9: process quickly enough so that they can be at posts

858
00:50:50,080 --> 00:50:50,680
Speaker 9: and begin.

859
00:50:50,520 --> 00:50:51,520
Speaker 10: To fulfill their duties.

860
00:50:51,640 --> 00:50:52,920
Speaker 9: But I have to wait a year to get them

861
00:50:52,920 --> 00:50:55,960
Speaker 9: in place. Well, I'm not sure on some of these

862
00:50:56,000 --> 00:50:56,920
Speaker 9: issues we face today.

863
00:50:56,920 --> 00:50:57,840
Speaker 10: We have a year to wait.

864
00:50:59,040 --> 00:51:01,440
Speaker 15: I certainly agree with that, and I appreciate your focus

865
00:51:01,520 --> 00:51:06,040
Speaker 15: on mission and qualifications because I think the Committee will

866
00:51:06,040 --> 00:51:09,759
Speaker 15: be looking closely at that. I want to go now

867
00:51:09,840 --> 00:51:14,200
Speaker 15: to NATO because in twenty twenty three, Congress overwhelmingly passed

868
00:51:14,239 --> 00:51:19,400
Speaker 15: the bipartisan Kin Rubio Provision prohibiting any president from withdrawing

869
00:51:19,440 --> 00:51:22,239
Speaker 15: the United States from NATO without Senate approval or an

870
00:51:22,280 --> 00:51:25,640
Speaker 15: Act of Congress. Will you commit to adhering to Senate

871
00:51:25,640 --> 00:51:28,279
Speaker 15: approval or an Act of Congress as required under that

872
00:51:28,480 --> 00:51:32,080
Speaker 15: law that you authored if President Trump attempts to withdraw

873
00:51:32,120 --> 00:51:33,000
Speaker 15: the US from NATO.

874
00:51:33,520 --> 00:51:36,040
Speaker 9: Well, first, let me say that President Trump has appointed

875
00:51:36,440 --> 00:51:40,719
Speaker 9: an ambassador nominee for NATO, which clearly indicates his role

876
00:51:40,760 --> 00:51:43,640
Speaker 9: to engage in that second, is the law is what

877
00:51:43,719 --> 00:51:45,840
Speaker 9: it is. I obviously, as you've mentioned, I was a

878
00:51:45,920 --> 00:51:47,680
Speaker 9: co sponsor of the law, and so it's tough to

879
00:51:47,719 --> 00:51:49,319
Speaker 9: say I'm not in supportive of law that I hope

880
00:51:49,320 --> 00:51:50,960
Speaker 9: to pass, and that I think it's an important role

881
00:51:51,000 --> 00:51:53,400
Speaker 9: for Congress to play because frankly, it's not just about

882
00:51:53,400 --> 00:51:55,799
Speaker 9: the withdraw piece of it. It's the contributions you make

883
00:51:55,840 --> 00:51:59,000
Speaker 9: towards the power of the person still resides with the Congress.

884
00:52:01,120 --> 00:52:04,680
Speaker 9: As if confirming moving towards the executive branch, I'll become

885
00:52:05,400 --> 00:52:07,480
Speaker 9: I'll forget that lesson a little bit, I hope not.

886
00:52:07,600 --> 00:52:10,439
Speaker 9: But ultimately I still recognize and understand that the power

887
00:52:10,440 --> 00:52:13,360
Speaker 9: of the persons with Congress, and it's an incredibly important power.

888
00:52:13,920 --> 00:52:15,600
Speaker 9: Let me point on NATO one thing. I think there's

889
00:52:15,640 --> 00:52:19,040
Speaker 9: a misunderstanding about it. The NATO Alliance is very important alliance.

890
00:52:19,360 --> 00:52:19,960
Speaker 10: I believe that.

891
00:52:20,200 --> 00:52:22,400
Speaker 9: I believe alliances can be and has been very useful.

892
00:52:22,440 --> 00:52:24,560
Speaker 9: Without the NATO Alliance, there is no end of the

893
00:52:24,560 --> 00:52:27,200
Speaker 9: Cold War. In fact, without the NATO Alliance, it's quite

894
00:52:27,280 --> 00:52:30,640
Speaker 9: possible that much of what today, at the time today

895
00:52:30,640 --> 00:52:35,640
Speaker 9: we know is the europe would have fallen victim to aggression.

896
00:52:36,440 --> 00:52:38,319
Speaker 9: But what's important for the United States is not just

897
00:52:38,320 --> 00:52:41,200
Speaker 9: to have defense allies. It's to have capable defense allies,

898
00:52:41,440 --> 00:52:44,600
Speaker 9: allies who are capable of defending their region. And I

899
00:52:44,600 --> 00:52:46,400
Speaker 9: think there is a question to be asked. I'm not

900
00:52:46,440 --> 00:52:49,360
Speaker 9: stating a public policy position. I'm stating a question to

901
00:52:49,400 --> 00:52:51,440
Speaker 9: be asked, and that is, should the role of the

902
00:52:51,520 --> 00:52:53,960
Speaker 9: United States and NATO in the twenty first century be

903
00:52:54,040 --> 00:52:57,200
Speaker 9: the primary defense role or as a backstop to aggression,

904
00:52:57,840 --> 00:53:00,600
Speaker 9: with countries in the region assuming more of that responsibility

905
00:53:00,640 --> 00:53:03,359
Speaker 9: by contributing more. Now, look in fairness, and I think

906
00:53:03,360 --> 00:53:05,399
Speaker 9: the further east you move in Europe, the more money

907
00:53:05,440 --> 00:53:08,200
Speaker 9: you see spent on the military as a percentage of GDP.

908
00:53:08,600 --> 00:53:11,880
Speaker 9: But I think there's been broad acknowledgment across Europe and

909
00:53:11,920 --> 00:53:16,720
Speaker 9: across multiple administrations, both Republican and Democrat, that are NATO partners.

910
00:53:16,719 --> 00:53:20,080
Speaker 9: These are rich, advanced economies need to contribute more to

911
00:53:20,120 --> 00:53:23,680
Speaker 9: their own defense and ultimately to the NATO partnership as well.

912
00:53:23,840 --> 00:53:26,240
Speaker 9: And that's a demand that's been made by multiple presidents

913
00:53:26,239 --> 00:53:29,840
Speaker 9: across the years. And the fact that that is true

914
00:53:30,080 --> 00:53:33,680
Speaker 9: has been revealed by what's happened with Ukraine. Look at

915
00:53:33,719 --> 00:53:36,400
Speaker 9: the ramp up in defense spending and the industrial capacity

916
00:53:36,440 --> 00:53:38,560
Speaker 9: of multiple countries in Europe as a result of an

917
00:53:38,680 --> 00:53:42,000
Speaker 9: armed conflict. Imagine if that capacity had been there before,

918
00:53:42,120 --> 00:53:44,719
Speaker 9: it quite possibly might have had a deterrent effect as well.

919
00:53:45,120 --> 00:53:47,239
Speaker 9: So I think it's important that we have alliances, but

920
00:53:47,320 --> 00:53:49,920
Speaker 9: we have to have alliances with strong and capable partners,

921
00:53:50,400 --> 00:53:54,000
Speaker 9: and not those who sort have viewed the US and

922
00:53:54,040 --> 00:53:57,200
Speaker 9: the NATO Defense Agreement as an excuse to spend less

923
00:53:57,239 --> 00:53:59,239
Speaker 9: on defense and more on some domestic needs.

924
00:53:59,280 --> 00:54:00,439
Speaker 10: We have domestic needs too.

925
00:54:01,360 --> 00:54:04,720
Speaker 9: These advanced rich countries in Western Europe have enormous safety

926
00:54:04,760 --> 00:54:08,360
Speaker 9: nets programs that they fund. We have domestic needs as well,

927
00:54:08,640 --> 00:54:11,560
Speaker 9: but they've been able to divert or grow those programs

928
00:54:11,680 --> 00:54:13,600
Speaker 9: because they don't have to spend as much on defense

929
00:54:13,600 --> 00:54:15,880
Speaker 9: as we do as a percentage of our overall economy.

930
00:54:16,000 --> 00:54:18,120
Speaker 9: And that dynamic needs to change, and I expect the

931
00:54:18,120 --> 00:54:21,120
Speaker 9: President Trump will continue to forcefully make that point.

932
00:54:21,480 --> 00:54:25,080
Speaker 15: And as you know, this committee and the Senate NATO

933
00:54:25,120 --> 00:54:28,799
Speaker 15: Observer Group, which I co chair, has made that point repeatedly.

934
00:54:28,880 --> 00:54:30,520
Speaker 15: And we are now up to twenty three of the

935
00:54:30,560 --> 00:54:33,840
Speaker 15: thirty two NATO nations who are meeting there two percent

936
00:54:33,880 --> 00:54:36,040
Speaker 15: of GDP, and we have a number of them who

937
00:54:36,040 --> 00:54:37,279
Speaker 15: are going beyond that.

938
00:54:37,560 --> 00:54:39,440
Speaker 7: And it's appropriate we're.

939
00:54:39,280 --> 00:54:39,840
Speaker 2: Going to shift.

940
00:54:40,280 --> 00:54:42,480
Speaker 3: We're going to shift back to justice and Pam Bondi

941
00:54:42,880 --> 00:54:45,960
Speaker 3: amy Klobacher's question, and let's go to it will be.

942
00:54:46,400 --> 00:54:51,239
Speaker 7: My job, if confirmed as Attorney General, to make those decisions.

943
00:54:51,320 --> 00:54:55,680
Speaker 7: Politics will not play a part. I've demonstrated that my

944
00:54:55,960 --> 00:55:00,239
Speaker 7: entire career as a prosecutor, as attorney General and I

945
00:55:00,280 --> 00:55:03,239
Speaker 7: will continue to do that if you confirm me as

946
00:55:03,239 --> 00:55:06,720
Speaker 7: the eighty seventh Attorney General of the United States of America.

947
00:55:06,760 --> 00:55:10,680
Speaker 16: And in earlier question, some of my colleagues talked about

948
00:55:10,800 --> 00:55:14,680
Speaker 16: China and the risk. Yet you have a nominee from

949
00:55:15,080 --> 00:55:19,440
Speaker 16: this incoming administration, Cash Patel, the pick tohead the FBI.

950
00:55:19,600 --> 00:55:23,160
Speaker 16: Have serious concerns about him. Has referred to the FBI's

951
00:55:23,239 --> 00:55:27,440
Speaker 16: Intel Division, which is responsible for protecting us from foreign

952
00:55:27,520 --> 00:55:32,680
Speaker 16: adversaries like China, as quote the biggest problem the FBI

953
00:55:32,760 --> 00:55:35,400
Speaker 16: has had, and he said that he wants to quote

954
00:55:35,440 --> 00:55:37,960
Speaker 16: break that component out of the FBI.

955
00:55:38,440 --> 00:55:39,360
Speaker 10: Do you agree.

956
00:55:40,040 --> 00:55:43,200
Speaker 7: I have not seen those comments from mister Patel. I

957
00:55:43,200 --> 00:55:46,400
Speaker 7: would review them, but we have to do everything we

958
00:55:46,440 --> 00:55:49,720
Speaker 7: can to protect our country. Again, mister Patel would fall

959
00:55:49,880 --> 00:55:53,359
Speaker 7: under me and the Department of Justice, and I will

960
00:55:53,440 --> 00:55:55,960
Speaker 7: ensure that all laws are followed, and so will he.

961
00:55:56,719 --> 00:56:01,680
Speaker 16: Okay, there are many decision made by the FBI director,

962
00:56:01,800 --> 00:56:04,239
Speaker 16: having seen a number of them do their work, that

963
00:56:04,600 --> 00:56:06,960
Speaker 16: can be made. While I agree you would be the

964
00:56:07,000 --> 00:56:10,040
Speaker 16: boss of Cash Betel, I'm not sure that you would

965
00:56:10,040 --> 00:56:12,480
Speaker 16: be able to intervene with every decision or position that

966
00:56:12,520 --> 00:56:15,000
Speaker 16: he had or know what he's doing, so let's continue.

967
00:56:15,040 --> 00:56:16,920
Speaker 16: Do you agree it is the duty of the Justice

968
00:56:16,960 --> 00:56:20,440
Speaker 16: Department to defend the law's Congress passes, and will you

969
00:56:20,480 --> 00:56:23,880
Speaker 16: commit to do even when the President may disagree with

970
00:56:23,960 --> 00:56:28,120
Speaker 16: an act, campaigned against its passage or called it's for

971
00:56:28,239 --> 00:56:33,440
Speaker 16: its repeal. President Reagan's ag William French Smith, said the

972
00:56:33,480 --> 00:56:36,560
Speaker 16: Department policy was the Department as the duty to defend

973
00:56:36,560 --> 00:56:39,920
Speaker 16: an Act of Congress whenever a reasonable argument can be

974
00:56:39,960 --> 00:56:42,879
Speaker 16: made in its support. So I am specifically referring to

975
00:56:43,239 --> 00:56:45,680
Speaker 16: the twenty twenty two law that I long led, that

976
00:56:45,719 --> 00:56:49,680
Speaker 16: we passed to empower Medicare to negotiate drug prices major

977
00:56:49,760 --> 00:56:52,839
Speaker 16: savings for seniors. Will you commit to defend the law

978
00:56:52,920 --> 00:56:55,080
Speaker 16: against the lawsuits from big pharma?

979
00:56:57,080 --> 00:56:59,799
Speaker 7: Senator, I was involved in big pharma cases when I

980
00:56:59,800 --> 00:57:03,040
Speaker 7: was Attorney General of the State of Florida, and I

981
00:57:03,080 --> 00:57:07,000
Speaker 7: will commit to protect the laws of the United States

982
00:57:07,040 --> 00:57:08,560
Speaker 7: of America. Okay, thank you.

983
00:57:09,000 --> 00:57:12,880
Speaker 16: That would also same question with the Supreme Court is

984
00:57:12,880 --> 00:57:15,239
Speaker 16: going to be hearing a challenge to the Affordable Care

985
00:57:15,280 --> 00:57:20,560
Speaker 16: Acts coverage of preventative services. And despite the fact that

986
00:57:20,600 --> 00:57:23,560
Speaker 16: you twice joined suits to have the entire Affordable Care

987
00:57:23,600 --> 00:57:27,280
Speaker 16: Act invalidated. Will you commit to defending this law?

988
00:57:27,640 --> 00:57:31,280
Speaker 7: Yeah, I believe this is very different. It's a very isolated.

989
00:57:31,600 --> 00:57:34,920
Speaker 7: It's different. It's not the entire Affordable Care Act, but

990
00:57:35,200 --> 00:57:39,000
Speaker 7: I will It's pending litigation, of course, within the Department.

991
00:57:39,760 --> 00:57:42,920
Speaker 16: Since the nineteen nineties, the Freedom of Access to Clinic

992
00:57:43,200 --> 00:57:47,880
Speaker 16: Entrances Act has protected patients, providers, and facilities that provide

993
00:57:47,920 --> 00:57:52,840
Speaker 16: reproductive health services. Will you commit to continuing to enforce

994
00:57:52,920 --> 00:57:56,080
Speaker 16: the FACE Act to address violence and threats against those

995
00:57:56,160 --> 00:57:58,600
Speaker 16: providing reproductive healthcare services?

996
00:57:58,920 --> 00:58:05,000
Speaker 7: Senator? The FACE Act not only protects abortion clinics, but

997
00:58:05,080 --> 00:58:09,560
Speaker 7: it also protects pregnancy centers and people going for counseling.

998
00:58:09,680 --> 00:58:11,880
Speaker 7: The law should be applied even handedly.

999
00:58:12,240 --> 00:58:15,520
Speaker 16: Yes, Senator, So you'll uphold the enforcement of that law.

1000
00:58:15,560 --> 00:58:18,680
Speaker 7: I'll uphold the enforcement of the law, Senator.

1001
00:58:18,800 --> 00:58:21,840
Speaker 16: Okay, and I will ask my anti trust questions in

1002
00:58:21,880 --> 00:58:22,600
Speaker 16: the next round.

1003
00:58:22,680 --> 00:58:24,080
Speaker 7: We had a good discussion.

1004
00:58:24,880 --> 00:58:26,880
Speaker 2: We're going to go back to Rubio talking about Ukraine.

1005
00:58:26,960 --> 00:58:27,560
Speaker 2: Let's hit it.

1006
00:58:29,640 --> 00:58:31,440
Speaker 10: Unless both sides have leverage.

1007
00:58:31,640 --> 00:58:34,360
Speaker 9: Putin's goal now is to have maximum leverage so that

1008
00:58:34,440 --> 00:58:38,160
Speaker 9: he can basically impose neutrality on Ukraine retrofit and come

1009
00:58:38,160 --> 00:58:40,040
Speaker 9: back and do this again. In four or five years,

1010
00:58:40,360 --> 00:58:42,000
Speaker 9: and that's not an outcome I think any of US

1011
00:58:42,000 --> 00:58:45,000
Speaker 9: would favor. By the same token, I think it's important

1012
00:58:45,000 --> 00:58:47,440
Speaker 9: that the Ukrainians have leverage, but they also will have

1013
00:58:47,480 --> 00:58:49,200
Speaker 9: to make concessions to reach disagreement.

1014
00:58:49,280 --> 00:58:51,360
Speaker 10: It's going to be very difficult. This will not be easy.

1015
00:58:51,560 --> 00:58:55,280
Speaker 9: Conflicts of this nature that have historical underpinnings to it

1016
00:58:55,480 --> 00:58:57,560
Speaker 9: are going to require a lot of hard diplomacy and

1017
00:58:57,640 --> 00:59:00,520
Speaker 9: tough work. But that's something that needs to happen. This

1018
00:59:00,640 --> 00:59:01,680
Speaker 9: conflict needs to end.

1019
00:59:02,520 --> 00:59:02,760
Speaker 2: Well.

1020
00:59:02,800 --> 00:59:06,480
Speaker 15: I'm out of time, but I appreciate your last comment

1021
00:59:06,600 --> 00:59:09,520
Speaker 15: about the importance of leverage, and it's important for the

1022
00:59:09,600 --> 00:59:12,760
Speaker 15: United States to do what we can to help provide

1023
00:59:12,760 --> 00:59:15,360
Speaker 15: that leverage to Ukraine so that they can be in

1024
00:59:15,400 --> 00:59:18,120
Speaker 15: the best negotiating position possible with Russia.

1025
00:59:18,200 --> 00:59:19,880
Speaker 7: Thank you very much, Thank.

1026
00:59:19,760 --> 00:59:22,560
Speaker 14: You, Sinner Shaheen, Sina Ricketts, thank.

1027
00:59:22,440 --> 00:59:23,000
Speaker 2: You mis Chairman.

1028
00:59:23,720 --> 00:59:23,919
Speaker 11: Well.

1029
00:59:24,000 --> 00:59:27,520
Speaker 12: Senator Rubio, congratulations on your nomination to this very very

1030
00:59:27,560 --> 00:59:30,280
Speaker 12: difficult job. I want to thank you for your previous

1031
00:59:30,320 --> 00:59:33,000
Speaker 12: service in the US Senate and your willingness to take

1032
00:59:33,040 --> 00:59:35,959
Speaker 12: on this job should you be confirmed. And I also

1033
00:59:36,000 --> 00:59:39,720
Speaker 12: want to thank your family as well for.

1034
00:59:39,760 --> 00:59:41,120
Speaker 2: Their support for you.

1035
00:59:41,160 --> 00:59:43,160
Speaker 12: To be able to be a US Senator and to

1036
00:59:43,200 --> 00:59:46,560
Speaker 12: apply for this job as Secretary of State. And I

1037
00:59:46,640 --> 00:59:51,000
Speaker 12: want also to express my gratitude to all the members

1038
00:59:51,040 --> 00:59:53,520
Speaker 12: of the State Department. We have a lot of people

1039
00:59:53,520 --> 00:59:57,120
Speaker 12: who choose to serve our country overseas, spend time away

1040
00:59:57,120 --> 00:59:58,880
Speaker 12: from their friends and family, and I can't think of

1041
00:59:58,920 --> 01:00:02,240
Speaker 12: a more noble calling taking over a department.

1042
01:00:01,840 --> 01:00:03,640
Speaker 2: That's very, very important to us.

1043
01:00:04,480 --> 01:00:10,240
Speaker 12: On Sunday, Jake Sullivan, the President Biden's national security advisor, said, quote,

1044
01:00:10,720 --> 01:00:13,320
Speaker 12: the American people are safer and the country is better

1045
01:00:13,360 --> 01:00:17,280
Speaker 12: off than we were four years ago. Let me repeat,

1046
01:00:17,320 --> 01:00:19,560
Speaker 12: the American people are safer and the country is better

1047
01:00:19,600 --> 01:00:20,680
Speaker 12: off than four years ago.

1048
01:00:22,040 --> 01:00:26,000
Speaker 2: I don't know who believes that. I don't believe that.

1049
01:00:27,960 --> 01:00:30,800
Speaker 12: I think the election results demonstrate the vast majority of

1050
01:00:30,880 --> 01:00:35,640
Speaker 12: Americans don't believe that. We don't believe it. At home,

1051
01:00:36,520 --> 01:00:43,080
Speaker 12: inflation has hurt average Americans pocketbooks, open war policies have

1052
01:00:43,120 --> 01:00:47,960
Speaker 12: put Americans at risk, and I don't believe we see

1053
01:00:47,960 --> 01:00:54,080
Speaker 12: it overseas. In fact, Sara Rubio, should you be confirmed

1054
01:00:55,440 --> 01:00:58,640
Speaker 12: you're being handed a job at a time when this

1055
01:00:58,840 --> 01:01:02,480
Speaker 12: country is in the most danger we've been in since

1056
01:01:02,520 --> 01:01:07,000
Speaker 12: World War II, It's a very dangerous time in the world.

1057
01:01:07,520 --> 01:01:12,080
Speaker 12: Your opening remarks demonstrate did you know that we're not

1058
01:01:12,160 --> 01:01:18,200
Speaker 12: better off and we're not safer? President Biden started this

1059
01:01:18,640 --> 01:01:25,480
Speaker 12: with a disaster withdrawal from Afghanistan that projected weakness and

1060
01:01:25,520 --> 01:01:28,840
Speaker 12: an incomprehension of what it means to have a policy

1061
01:01:28,880 --> 01:01:33,760
Speaker 12: of deterrence. Vladir and Putin invaded Ukraine and started the

1062
01:01:33,880 --> 01:01:37,760
Speaker 12: largest war in Europe since World War Two after that withdrawal,

1063
01:01:38,000 --> 01:01:41,800
Speaker 12: I believe is because he saw weakness in this Biden administration.

1064
01:01:43,960 --> 01:01:48,560
Speaker 12: It's been the president's fear of helping Ukraine that has

1065
01:01:48,880 --> 01:01:51,760
Speaker 12: contributed to putting him the intenable position they are today.

1066
01:01:52,560 --> 01:01:56,400
Speaker 12: By slow rolling the weapons that the Ukraine's needs to

1067
01:01:56,400 --> 01:02:01,080
Speaker 12: be able to defend themselves, his incomprehensible and coherent policy

1068
01:02:01,480 --> 01:02:05,720
Speaker 12: has caused them to handcuff American liquid natural gas exports

1069
01:02:06,280 --> 01:02:09,480
Speaker 12: while delaying tough sanctions on the Russian oil and gas industry,

1070
01:02:09,480 --> 01:02:12,160
Speaker 12: which as you know, is the lifeblood of the Russian

1071
01:02:12,160 --> 01:02:17,120
Speaker 12: war machine. The Middle East is equally disastrous. Instead of

1072
01:02:17,240 --> 01:02:21,280
Speaker 12: enforcing sanctions on Iran, Biden naively tried to resurrect the

1073
01:02:21,280 --> 01:02:24,400
Speaker 12: Iran nuclear Deal, enabling the regime to generate one hundred

1074
01:02:24,440 --> 01:02:28,800
Speaker 12: billion dollars in oil revenue. And I want to point

1075
01:02:28,800 --> 01:02:33,000
Speaker 12: out that during the Trump administration, because of sanctions, Iran's

1076
01:02:33,040 --> 01:02:35,680
Speaker 12: foreign reserves fell from one hundred and twenty two billion

1077
01:02:35,720 --> 01:02:40,000
Speaker 12: dollars to less than fourteen billion dollars. That hampered their

1078
01:02:40,040 --> 01:02:43,120
Speaker 12: ability to be able to fund terrorist groups like Hamas

1079
01:02:43,160 --> 01:02:48,080
Speaker 12: and has Blah and the Houthis. What the Biden administration

1080
01:02:48,160 --> 01:02:51,320
Speaker 12: has done has allowed the Iranian regime to enrich enough

1081
01:02:51,360 --> 01:02:54,760
Speaker 12: weapons grade uranium to be a week or two away

1082
01:02:54,840 --> 01:03:02,440
Speaker 12: from having a nuclear weapon. And since October seven, President

1083
01:03:02,440 --> 01:03:05,080
Speaker 12: Biden has not supported Israel in the way he's needed

1084
01:03:05,440 --> 01:03:07,920
Speaker 12: and because of the previous mentioned money that he's allowed

1085
01:03:08,040 --> 01:03:11,640
Speaker 12: the Iranians to have. That is fun of the terrorist

1086
01:03:11,680 --> 01:03:15,040
Speaker 12: groups like Hamas and has Belah, our allies like Israel

1087
01:03:15,280 --> 01:03:20,000
Speaker 12: have been attacked and we've been attacked directly. Thankfully, Israel

1088
01:03:20,040 --> 01:03:22,760
Speaker 12: has had the courage to stand up to these terrorists

1089
01:03:22,800 --> 01:03:25,160
Speaker 12: and take matters into its own hand and it's led

1090
01:03:25,200 --> 01:03:26,520
Speaker 12: to the destination of.

1091
01:03:28,440 --> 01:03:29,680
Speaker 17: But no amount of rus.

1092
01:03:29,720 --> 01:03:30,840
Speaker 2: Okay, here we go. That was.

1093
01:03:32,760 --> 01:03:36,640
Speaker 3: Interesting speech by Pete Rickards. Don't Rickets don't know exactly

1094
01:03:36,640 --> 01:03:39,600
Speaker 3: what I'm supposed to ask questions we want to hear

1095
01:03:39,640 --> 01:03:42,000
Speaker 3: from Rubio, Senator.

1096
01:03:43,040 --> 01:03:46,600
Speaker 2: Whatever, We're gonna go to Pam Bondi. We also have

1097
01:03:46,720 --> 01:03:47,840
Speaker 2: I am going to cut into this.

1098
01:03:47,920 --> 01:03:50,880
Speaker 3: We have the situation down in western North Carolina and Tennessee,

1099
01:03:51,360 --> 01:03:53,360
Speaker 3: and I'm going to cut away in a moment and

1100
01:03:53,440 --> 01:03:58,160
Speaker 3: go to and go to Ben Burkwan. But let's go

1101
01:03:58,160 --> 01:03:59,920
Speaker 3: back to Pam Bondi. Could we go to Pam Bondy.

1102
01:04:00,320 --> 01:04:02,240
Speaker 3: I'd like to aid a question out of Rubio, But hey,

1103
01:04:02,240 --> 01:04:04,400
Speaker 3: if Pete Riggs is going to give a speech ve filibuster,

1104
01:04:04,440 --> 01:04:05,320
Speaker 3: we'll go to Pambondy.

1105
01:04:05,600 --> 01:04:10,840
Speaker 18: Private communications that have been intercepted and stored through incidental collection,

1106
01:04:11,000 --> 01:04:15,720
Speaker 18: have been searched without those safeguards being met, including instances

1107
01:04:15,760 --> 01:04:20,040
Speaker 18: where people just wanted to check on to cite, one example,

1108
01:04:20,520 --> 01:04:23,680
Speaker 18: whether his father was cheating on his mother, or in

1109
01:04:23,720 --> 01:04:27,520
Speaker 18: other instances, doing background checks on someone looking to lease

1110
01:04:27,600 --> 01:04:30,240
Speaker 18: an apartment that he owned and was looking to rent out.

1111
01:04:30,680 --> 01:04:33,560
Speaker 18: This is unacceptable and we've got to fix it. Speaking

1112
01:04:33,600 --> 01:04:38,600
Speaker 18: of unacceptable, we have seen over the last few years

1113
01:04:38,640 --> 01:04:42,480
Speaker 18: the weaponization of government, specifically within the Department of Justice,

1114
01:04:42,880 --> 01:04:46,680
Speaker 18: against law abiding Americans, law abiding Americans whose offense was

1115
01:04:47,280 --> 01:04:50,800
Speaker 18: something along the lines of them exercising their constitutional rights,

1116
01:04:51,440 --> 01:04:56,880
Speaker 18: ranging from Catholics attempting to practice their faith to parents

1117
01:04:56,880 --> 01:05:01,040
Speaker 18: showing up the school board meetings to people showing up

1118
01:05:01,080 --> 01:05:04,840
Speaker 18: to engage in peaceful protesting outside of abortion clinics. As

1119
01:05:04,880 --> 01:05:08,240
Speaker 18: Attorney General, how will you prevent the weaponization of the

1120
01:05:08,280 --> 01:05:10,520
Speaker 18: Department of Justice against Americans?

1121
01:05:11,080 --> 01:05:14,520
Speaker 7: And Senator, you just gave the classic example of what's

1122
01:05:14,560 --> 01:05:19,760
Speaker 7: been happening regarding the weaponization. I'm going after parents at

1123
01:05:19,760 --> 01:05:23,640
Speaker 7: a school board meeting has got to stop. For practicing

1124
01:05:23,680 --> 01:05:30,120
Speaker 7: your religion. Sending informance in to Catholic churches must stop.

1125
01:05:30,760 --> 01:05:33,760
Speaker 18: What about branding parents as domestic terrorists or trying to

1126
01:05:33,800 --> 01:05:36,680
Speaker 18: incarcerate one's political opponent as a sitting president of the

1127
01:05:36,720 --> 01:05:37,320
Speaker 18: United States?

1128
01:05:37,800 --> 01:05:40,880
Speaker 7: Will stop? Must stop, your Senator.

1129
01:05:41,640 --> 01:05:44,640
Speaker 18: It is exactly a sort of answer I was hoping

1130
01:05:44,640 --> 01:05:46,920
Speaker 18: and expecting to receive from you, and I look forward

1131
01:05:47,000 --> 01:05:49,400
Speaker 18: to doing everything I can to help get you confirmed.

1132
01:05:49,400 --> 01:05:52,640
Speaker 18: I've been pleased with your answers thus far. I've enjoyed

1133
01:05:53,680 --> 01:05:55,760
Speaker 18: knowing you, considering you a friend for many years, and

1134
01:05:55,760 --> 01:05:57,800
Speaker 18: look forward to the great things you will do as

1135
01:05:57,800 --> 01:06:00,600
Speaker 18: Attorney General of the United States. You have my emphatic

1136
01:06:00,640 --> 01:06:02,040
Speaker 18: support and my vote.

1137
01:06:02,600 --> 01:06:06,640
Speaker 7: Thank you, Senator, Senator Coins, thank you, mister Chairman.

1138
01:06:06,920 --> 01:06:10,280
Speaker 19: Welcome Attorney General body, and to your family and supporters.

1139
01:06:10,680 --> 01:06:12,800
Speaker 19: Thank you for your service, and I look forward to

1140
01:06:12,800 --> 01:06:15,880
Speaker 19: our conversation today. I have a simple three factor test

1141
01:06:15,920 --> 01:06:19,160
Speaker 19: when considering the executive branch nominees before us. Do you

1142
01:06:19,160 --> 01:06:22,440
Speaker 19: have the qualifications and experience to do the job, policy

1143
01:06:22,520 --> 01:06:24,160
Speaker 19: views to do the job, and the best interest of

1144
01:06:24,160 --> 01:06:27,400
Speaker 19: the American people, and the character and integrity to conduct

1145
01:06:27,520 --> 01:06:30,960
Speaker 19: your job and yours in particular with the independence that

1146
01:06:31,000 --> 01:06:34,680
Speaker 19: the role requires. You demonstrably have the relevant experience. I

1147
01:06:34,760 --> 01:06:37,280
Speaker 19: understand we will not see eye to eye on some

1148
01:06:37,520 --> 01:06:40,560
Speaker 19: or even many policies, but we add a constructive conversation

1149
01:06:40,680 --> 01:06:44,320
Speaker 19: last week about our shared interest in fighting the opioid epidemic,

1150
01:06:44,560 --> 01:06:48,640
Speaker 19: countering human trafficking, criminal justice reform, and supporting law enforcement.

1151
01:06:49,120 --> 01:06:51,560
Speaker 19: But I need to know that you share a core

1152
01:06:51,800 --> 01:06:55,640
Speaker 19: value ensuring the Department of Justice remains free from partisan

1153
01:06:55,720 --> 01:06:58,840
Speaker 19: or political influence, in particular by the White House. So

1154
01:06:58,880 --> 01:07:02,040
Speaker 19: I look forward to our discussion about that today. As

1155
01:07:02,040 --> 01:07:04,720
Speaker 19: Attorney General, if confirmed, who would be your client?

1156
01:07:06,920 --> 01:07:10,200
Speaker 7: My oath would be to support and defend the Constitution

1157
01:07:10,480 --> 01:07:14,080
Speaker 7: of the United States of America. The people of America

1158
01:07:14,280 --> 01:07:17,280
Speaker 7: would be my client. Ned is also my job to

1159
01:07:17,560 --> 01:07:22,960
Speaker 7: advise the president. My client are the people of America.

1160
01:07:23,480 --> 01:07:27,960
Speaker 19: A simple question of constitutional interpretation. Is President elect Trump

1161
01:07:28,120 --> 01:07:31,200
Speaker 19: eligible to run for another term as president in twenty

1162
01:07:31,240 --> 01:07:31,720
Speaker 19: twenty eight?

1163
01:07:33,960 --> 01:07:36,960
Speaker 7: No, Senator, not unless they change the constitution.

1164
01:07:37,400 --> 01:07:37,760
Speaker 2: Thank you.

1165
01:07:39,040 --> 01:07:41,920
Speaker 19: One of the concerns I've raised with you is safeguarding

1166
01:07:42,040 --> 01:07:45,120
Speaker 19: the Department of Justice's independence in the face of some

1167
01:07:45,920 --> 01:07:49,360
Speaker 19: promises on the campaign trail by then candidate Trump that

1168
01:07:49,440 --> 01:07:52,760
Speaker 19: he would use the Department to target his political adversaries

1169
01:07:53,840 --> 01:07:57,640
Speaker 19: or that he might interfere with prosecution. What would you

1170
01:07:57,720 --> 01:08:01,280
Speaker 19: do if your career DOJ prosecutors came to you with

1171
01:08:01,360 --> 01:08:04,160
Speaker 19: a case to prosecute grounded in the facts and law,

1172
01:08:04,600 --> 01:08:06,040
Speaker 19: but the White House directs you to.

1173
01:08:06,040 --> 01:08:06,680
Speaker 2: Drop the case.

1174
01:08:08,440 --> 01:08:11,360
Speaker 7: Senator, if I thought that would happen, I would not

1175
01:08:11,560 --> 01:08:17,320
Speaker 7: be sitting here today. That will not happen. Will not happen.

1176
01:08:19,000 --> 01:08:23,559
Speaker 7: Every case will be prosecuted based on the facts and

1177
01:08:23,640 --> 01:08:25,480
Speaker 7: the law that is applied.

1178
01:08:25,960 --> 01:08:28,400
Speaker 2: In Okay, let's go back to Marco Rubia.

1179
01:08:30,320 --> 01:08:30,920
Speaker 10: Against Wiger.

1180
01:08:31,000 --> 01:08:33,120
Speaker 9: Muslims is an example one of the most horrifying things

1181
01:08:33,120 --> 01:08:35,840
Speaker 9: happening on the planet and for years no one talked

1182
01:08:35,880 --> 01:08:37,760
Speaker 9: about it, which, by the way, not just has a

1183
01:08:37,800 --> 01:08:40,240
Speaker 9: human rights component to it, it allows them to use

1184
01:08:40,240 --> 01:08:44,360
Speaker 9: slave labor to produce goods at the expense of the

1185
01:08:44,400 --> 01:08:46,000
Speaker 9: rest of the world. Talk about it not just a

1186
01:08:46,000 --> 01:08:49,880
Speaker 9: horrific humanitarian crisis, but an unfair trade practice as well.

1187
01:08:49,960 --> 01:08:51,719
Speaker 9: We've allowed them to get away with things, and frankly,

1188
01:08:51,760 --> 01:08:54,519
Speaker 9: the Chinese did what any country in the world would

1189
01:08:54,520 --> 01:08:55,720
Speaker 9: do given these opportunities.

1190
01:08:55,720 --> 01:08:56,760
Speaker 10: They took advantage of it.

1191
01:08:57,120 --> 01:08:59,800
Speaker 9: And so I think now we're dealing with the ramifications

1192
01:08:59,840 --> 01:09:01,880
Speaker 9: of I agree one hundred percent of what you said,

1193
01:09:02,000 --> 01:09:03,719
Speaker 9: but I remind you, and I mind everyone.

1194
01:09:03,720 --> 01:09:04,679
Speaker 10: I guess I want to make.

1195
01:09:04,520 --> 01:09:06,519
Speaker 9: This point that much of what we need to do

1196
01:09:06,640 --> 01:09:09,719
Speaker 9: to confront China is here at home. It's not just abroad,

1197
01:09:09,760 --> 01:09:11,599
Speaker 9: it's also here at home. We have to rebuild our

1198
01:09:11,640 --> 01:09:14,280
Speaker 9: domestic industrial capacity, and we have to make sure that

1199
01:09:14,280 --> 01:09:16,599
Speaker 9: the United States is not reliant on any single other

1200
01:09:16,720 --> 01:09:19,240
Speaker 9: nation for any of our critical supply chains.

1201
01:09:19,680 --> 01:09:22,880
Speaker 12: And with four seconds left, how are you going to

1202
01:09:22,880 --> 01:09:25,320
Speaker 12: explain that to your average American that we need this

1203
01:09:25,400 --> 01:09:27,760
Speaker 12: all sizes of society approach, and your point exactly that

1204
01:09:28,120 --> 01:09:31,719
Speaker 12: it needs to begin here at home. So that people

1205
01:09:31,720 --> 01:09:34,639
Speaker 12: from my state in Nebraska will understand and get on board.

1206
01:09:34,960 --> 01:09:36,719
Speaker 9: If we stay on the road we're on right now,

1207
01:09:37,600 --> 01:09:40,560
Speaker 9: in less than ten years, virtually everything that matters to

1208
01:09:40,640 --> 01:09:42,639
Speaker 9: us in life will depend on whether China will allow

1209
01:09:42,680 --> 01:09:45,040
Speaker 9: us to have it or not. Everything from the blood

1210
01:09:45,040 --> 01:09:48,400
Speaker 9: pressure medicine we take, to what movies we get to watch,

1211
01:09:48,560 --> 01:09:51,320
Speaker 9: and everything in between, we will depend on China. Ford

1212
01:09:51,600 --> 01:09:55,640
Speaker 9: they have come to dominate the critical mineral industry supplies

1213
01:09:55,680 --> 01:09:56,559
Speaker 9: throughout the world.

1214
01:09:56,720 --> 01:09:59,280
Speaker 10: Everywhere in the world. They've now established critical mineral rights.

1215
01:09:59,560 --> 01:10:01,559
Speaker 9: Even though who want to see more electric cars no

1216
01:10:01,600 --> 01:10:04,280
Speaker 9: matter where you make them, those batteries are almost entirely

1217
01:10:04,320 --> 01:10:07,360
Speaker 9: dependent on the ability of the Chinese and the willingness

1218
01:10:07,360 --> 01:10:09,719
Speaker 9: of the Chinese Communist Party to produce it and export

1219
01:10:09,760 --> 01:10:12,360
Speaker 9: it to you. So if we don't change course, we

1220
01:10:12,400 --> 01:10:14,000
Speaker 9: are going to live in a world where much of

1221
01:10:14,040 --> 01:10:16,400
Speaker 9: what matters to us on a daily basis, from our

1222
01:10:16,439 --> 01:10:19,800
Speaker 9: security to our health, will be dependent on whether the

1223
01:10:19,880 --> 01:10:21,640
Speaker 9: Chinese allow us to have it or not. That's an

1224
01:10:21,720 --> 01:10:22,719
Speaker 9: unacceptable outcome.

1225
01:10:23,120 --> 01:10:32,800
Speaker 20: Thank you, Senator Rubio, Thank you mister Chair, and thank

1226
01:10:32,840 --> 01:10:33,679
Speaker 20: you Senator Rubio.

1227
01:10:33,760 --> 01:10:36,439
Speaker 21: And I've enjoyed working with you on the Congressional Executive

1228
01:10:36,520 --> 01:10:40,400
Speaker 21: Commission on China, which engages in many issues related to

1229
01:10:40,479 --> 01:10:44,479
Speaker 21: their treatment of folks, from the Tibetans to the Wiggers,

1230
01:10:45,439 --> 01:10:49,719
Speaker 21: to their position regarding Hong Kong and Taiwan.

1231
01:10:50,240 --> 01:10:51,599
Speaker 2: But let's talk about Taiwan.

1232
01:10:51,640 --> 01:10:53,920
Speaker 21: I had the chance to go to Taiwan in twenty

1233
01:10:54,200 --> 01:10:56,520
Speaker 21: well the year two thousand. It was the second presidential

1234
01:10:56,560 --> 01:10:58,240
Speaker 21: election there, and it was the first one where people

1235
01:10:58,240 --> 01:11:00,640
Speaker 21: were becoming convinced that they actually might be able to

1236
01:11:00,680 --> 01:11:04,400
Speaker 21: hold a democracy. I believe they've earned the right to

1237
01:11:04,439 --> 01:11:07,719
Speaker 21: have a voice in international affairs, and I also believe

1238
01:11:08,600 --> 01:11:10,880
Speaker 21: that they are a great risk right now with the

1239
01:11:11,080 --> 01:11:15,920
Speaker 21: mainland China, she's planned to be aggressive militarily towards them.

1240
01:11:15,960 --> 01:11:21,120
Speaker 21: As my colleague Center Ricketts just noted, will you support

1241
01:11:21,160 --> 01:11:24,640
Speaker 21: your role of Secretary of State Taiwan's right to have

1242
01:11:24,680 --> 01:11:29,320
Speaker 21: a voice in international affairs, participate in international forums, and

1243
01:11:29,360 --> 01:11:35,400
Speaker 21: will you support the Porcupine strategy provided providing that we

1244
01:11:35,479 --> 01:11:40,600
Speaker 21: will supply them with defense articles and defense services in

1245
01:11:40,680 --> 01:11:44,200
Speaker 21: such quantity as maybe necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain

1246
01:11:44,240 --> 01:11:47,120
Speaker 21: a sufficient self defense capability. By the way, that phrase

1247
01:11:47,160 --> 01:11:49,800
Speaker 21: is from the nineteen seventy nine Taiwan Relations Act, it's

1248
01:11:49,800 --> 01:11:50,880
Speaker 21: in our current law.

1249
01:11:51,680 --> 01:11:51,920
Speaker 4: Yeah.

1250
01:11:52,360 --> 01:11:54,519
Speaker 9: Let me just point out then, on the Taiwan Relation Act,

1251
01:11:54,720 --> 01:11:56,720
Speaker 9: and I believe that the year twenty sixteen, I was

1252
01:11:56,760 --> 01:12:00,679
Speaker 9: the lead Republican sponsor in reauthorizing and reinvigorating. I think

1253
01:12:00,680 --> 01:12:07,000
Speaker 9: that the multiple consecutive presidential administrations of both parties are

1254
01:12:07,000 --> 01:12:09,920
Speaker 9: made clear that the policy of the United States Taiwan

1255
01:12:10,040 --> 01:12:12,439
Speaker 9: is encapsulated not just in the Taiwan Relations Act, but

1256
01:12:12,439 --> 01:12:15,840
Speaker 9: in the six Assurances that multiple administrations, including the Trump

1257
01:12:15,840 --> 01:12:18,280
Speaker 9: administration and now the Biden administration, have made clear our

1258
01:12:18,320 --> 01:12:22,479
Speaker 9: policies with regards to your second point about international forms.

1259
01:12:22,840 --> 01:12:24,880
Speaker 9: Assion is a great example of one in which that's

1260
01:12:24,920 --> 01:12:31,240
Speaker 9: being tested. That last year at their conference, the Chinese

1261
01:12:31,280 --> 01:12:38,720
Speaker 9: were able to prevent participation by the Taiwan any mention

1262
01:12:38,800 --> 01:12:41,240
Speaker 9: of Taiwan and the memorandum, and then this year they're

1263
01:12:41,280 --> 01:12:43,200
Speaker 9: working very hard to make sure that no one associated

1264
01:12:43,200 --> 01:12:45,360
Speaker 9: with Tanos and anywhere near it. So it's just one

1265
01:12:45,360 --> 01:12:47,639
Speaker 9: more example of how they're being excluded. I would also

1266
01:12:47,680 --> 01:12:49,840
Speaker 9: point to the Western Hemisphere. I know that sounds like

1267
01:12:50,040 --> 01:12:52,000
Speaker 9: half a world away, but you understand this issue. The

1268
01:12:52,040 --> 01:12:54,760
Speaker 9: majority of nations on Earth that continue to recognize and

1269
01:12:54,760 --> 01:12:57,120
Speaker 9: have relations with Taiwan. The vast bulk of them, or

1270
01:12:57,160 --> 01:13:00,200
Speaker 9: the plurality, are within the Western Hemisphere. They've undertake in

1271
01:13:00,240 --> 01:13:02,639
Speaker 9: a very aggressive action in just the last seven eight

1272
01:13:02,720 --> 01:13:05,720
Speaker 9: years to get these countries to flip. They got Panama

1273
01:13:05,840 --> 01:13:07,960
Speaker 9: to flip, and they got Panama to convince the Dominican

1274
01:13:08,000 --> 01:13:11,880
Speaker 9: Republic to flip. They've targeted multiple other nations and Nicaragua

1275
01:13:11,960 --> 01:13:15,200
Speaker 9: most recently to flip. So I think that's an important

1276
01:13:15,200 --> 01:13:17,120
Speaker 9: thing for us to keep in mind and make a priority.

1277
01:13:17,200 --> 01:13:20,400
Speaker 9: And I also think it's important to recognize allies in

1278
01:13:20,439 --> 01:13:22,960
Speaker 9: the region like Paraguay that have not flipped and others

1279
01:13:23,000 --> 01:13:26,160
Speaker 9: who have stayed strong in that regard. On the Porcupine strategy,

1280
01:13:26,320 --> 01:13:28,080
Speaker 9: because I know it may sound weird to people. Are

1281
01:13:28,120 --> 01:13:31,439
Speaker 9: if anyone's watching this, I know what the ratings are,

1282
01:13:31,479 --> 01:13:34,320
Speaker 9: but hopefully not high. But let me just say that

1283
01:13:34,400 --> 01:13:37,920
Speaker 9: when the Porcupine strategy, what it really means is you

1284
01:13:38,000 --> 01:13:41,479
Speaker 9: want to make the cost of invading Taiwan higher than

1285
01:13:41,520 --> 01:13:45,720
Speaker 9: the benefit. We want to discourage that by the Chinese

1286
01:13:46,479 --> 01:13:49,479
Speaker 9: believing that, yes, could they ultimately win an invasion to Taiwan,

1287
01:13:49,520 --> 01:13:51,200
Speaker 9: but the price would be too high to pay.

1288
01:13:51,400 --> 01:13:52,559
Speaker 10: It's basically de.

1289
01:13:52,640 --> 01:13:55,679
Speaker 9: Terns, and I think that's critical not just to defending Taiwan,

1290
01:13:56,040 --> 01:14:01,880
Speaker 9: to preventing a cataclysmic military intervention in the Indo Pacific, and.

1291
01:14:01,800 --> 01:14:02,519
Speaker 10: That's what it would be.

1292
01:14:03,080 --> 01:14:04,880
Speaker 9: And I would make one more point, and again I

1293
01:14:05,200 --> 01:14:08,160
Speaker 9: don't mean to want to be alarmist about it, but

1294
01:14:08,200 --> 01:14:10,600
Speaker 9: if you listen to Jijingping, and it's important when you

1295
01:14:10,640 --> 01:14:13,800
Speaker 9: listen to him, and I say listen, read, don't read

1296
01:14:13,840 --> 01:14:15,960
Speaker 9: the English translation that they put out, because the English

1297
01:14:15,960 --> 01:14:18,240
Speaker 9: translation is never right. You have to read the real

1298
01:14:18,320 --> 01:14:22,800
Speaker 9: translation on how what they actually said in their native tongue.

1299
01:14:23,560 --> 01:14:26,920
Speaker 9: What they're basically saying is that this is a foundational

1300
01:14:27,000 --> 01:14:30,719
Speaker 9: and definitional issue for Jipink personally. And as a result,

1301
01:14:30,800 --> 01:14:32,320
Speaker 9: I think we need to wrap our head around the

1302
01:14:32,320 --> 01:14:37,720
Speaker 9: fact that unless something dramatic changes, like an equilibrium where

1303
01:14:37,720 --> 01:14:40,400
Speaker 9: they conclude that the costs of intervening in Taiwan are

1304
01:14:40,400 --> 01:14:42,760
Speaker 9: too high, we're going to have to deal with this

1305
01:14:42,800 --> 01:14:44,040
Speaker 9: before the end of this decade.

1306
01:14:44,160 --> 01:14:47,519
Speaker 21: And so strongly support for the porcupine strategy.

1307
01:14:48,960 --> 01:14:49,240
Speaker 2: Thank you.

1308
01:14:49,280 --> 01:14:50,960
Speaker 21: And I know people in Taiwan.

1309
01:14:50,640 --> 01:14:53,639
Speaker 10: I just don't like saying porcupine, but yes, you.

1310
01:14:53,520 --> 01:14:56,960
Speaker 21: Know, when I went to Taiwan in November and I

1311
01:14:57,080 --> 01:15:00,320
Speaker 21: met with the President and other leaders. They we are

1312
01:15:00,640 --> 01:15:03,080
Speaker 21: extremely nervous right now, and part of the reason they're

1313
01:15:03,080 --> 01:15:08,120
Speaker 21: nervous is they're concerned about how things play out in

1314
01:15:08,240 --> 01:15:13,479
Speaker 21: Ukraine as possibly creating an incentive for China. And I

1315
01:15:13,560 --> 01:15:16,400
Speaker 21: take your point about the current stalemate and the fact

1316
01:15:16,439 --> 01:15:18,639
Speaker 21: that there is a range of objectives that are out

1317
01:15:18,640 --> 01:15:22,280
Speaker 21: of reach for other side. But I do feel like

1318
01:15:22,439 --> 01:15:26,800
Speaker 21: our partnership with NATO and our continued supply of war

1319
01:15:26,920 --> 01:15:30,760
Speaker 21: material that enable Ukrainians to keep fighting until that resolution

1320
01:15:31,120 --> 01:15:37,920
Speaker 21: is done is extremely important because if Ukraine collapses, it

1321
01:15:37,960 --> 01:15:41,400
Speaker 21: will say a lot to China about whether we will

1322
01:15:41,760 --> 01:15:46,160
Speaker 21: stay the course in assisting Taiwan. Not to mention, it

1323
01:15:46,200 --> 01:15:49,680
Speaker 21: will be a catastrophe for democracy in a catastrophe for

1324
01:15:49,720 --> 01:15:50,480
Speaker 21: the Ukrainians.

1325
01:15:50,760 --> 01:15:52,920
Speaker 2: I don't know if you share that view well.

1326
01:15:53,000 --> 01:15:55,799
Speaker 9: I think, first of all, to our goal, as President

1327
01:15:55,840 --> 01:15:57,800
Speaker 9: Trump has stated as he wants to dying to stop.

1328
01:15:57,800 --> 01:15:59,000
Speaker 10: He wants the killing to stop.

1329
01:15:59,120 --> 01:16:02,240
Speaker 9: So it's very difficult to reach an accord or an

1330
01:16:02,280 --> 01:16:04,360
Speaker 9: agreement that begins with the ceasefire and ends with the

1331
01:16:04,400 --> 01:16:07,920
Speaker 9: peace under agreement unless both sides have some leverage. Now

1332
01:16:07,960 --> 01:16:11,160
Speaker 9: there are some leverage that exists beyond military capabilities as well.

1333
01:16:11,400 --> 01:16:14,320
Speaker 9: We have a significant number of sanctions on the Russian

1334
01:16:14,320 --> 01:16:17,880
Speaker 9: Federation and they continue to grow and expand, and other

1335
01:16:18,000 --> 01:16:19,880
Speaker 9: nations do as well, and that will have to be

1336
01:16:19,960 --> 01:16:22,479
Speaker 9: part of this conversation in terms of bringing about a

1337
01:16:22,520 --> 01:16:25,200
Speaker 9: peaceful resolution. And then there's the question of the long

1338
01:16:25,320 --> 01:16:30,519
Speaker 9: term security and stability of Ukraine beyond even if the

1339
01:16:30,560 --> 01:16:34,639
Speaker 9: conflict were to end, there needs to be the capability.

1340
01:16:34,000 --> 01:16:35,240
Speaker 10: Of Ukraine to defend itself.

1341
01:16:35,280 --> 01:16:36,599
Speaker 9: And it's a point that I made back as far

1342
01:16:36,640 --> 01:16:39,320
Speaker 9: as twenty fourteen when the United States under the Obama

1343
01:16:39,320 --> 01:16:44,280
Speaker 9: administration chose not to provide weapon capabilities, and I think

1344
01:16:44,320 --> 01:16:45,320
Speaker 9: we lost to turn.

1345
01:16:45,320 --> 01:16:47,200
Speaker 21: Thank you, and that I want to keep I'm going

1346
01:16:47,240 --> 01:16:50,320
Speaker 21: to keep rolling here for a few other questions. One

1347
01:16:50,320 --> 01:16:52,680
Speaker 21: of the things China is doing is deeply engaged in

1348
01:16:52,720 --> 01:16:56,479
Speaker 21: transnational repression, which means threatening people here in the United

1349
01:16:56,479 --> 01:17:00,599
Speaker 21: States that they will disappear or kill or harm their

1350
01:17:00,640 --> 01:17:03,400
Speaker 21: family members back in China if they exercise their free

1351
01:17:03,479 --> 01:17:06,439
Speaker 21: rights here in our country. And also they're seeking to

1352
01:17:06,479 --> 01:17:10,760
Speaker 21: repatriate Wiggers who have escaped China, and right now there

1353
01:17:10,800 --> 01:17:16,080
Speaker 21: are forty eight wigres that are in Thailand and Thailand

1354
01:17:16,120 --> 01:17:19,759
Speaker 21: is on the verge of repatriating them back to China.

1355
01:17:20,320 --> 01:17:25,799
Speaker 21: Will you lobby for Thailand to not send these wiggers

1356
01:17:26,000 --> 01:17:30,919
Speaker 21: back to the horror they will face if they're returned.

1357
01:17:31,240 --> 01:17:31,439
Speaker 10: Yes.

1358
01:17:31,520 --> 01:17:33,479
Speaker 9: And the good news is that Thailand is actually a

1359
01:17:33,520 --> 01:17:36,880
Speaker 9: very strong US partners, strong historical ally as well, And

1360
01:17:36,920 --> 01:17:39,840
Speaker 9: so that is an area where I think diplomacy could

1361
01:17:39,880 --> 01:17:42,680
Speaker 9: really achieve results because of how important that relationship and

1362
01:17:42,720 --> 01:17:44,760
Speaker 9: how close it is. I think it's also one more

1363
01:17:44,760 --> 01:17:47,080
Speaker 9: opportunity for us to remind the world of what exactly

1364
01:17:47,120 --> 01:17:49,280
Speaker 9: we're talking about here. This is not some obscure issue.

1365
01:17:49,360 --> 01:17:52,000
Speaker 9: These are people who are basically being rounded up because

1366
01:17:52,040 --> 01:17:54,599
Speaker 9: of their ethnicity and religion, and they are being put

1367
01:17:54,680 --> 01:17:57,880
Speaker 9: into camps. They're being put into what they call re

1368
01:17:58,040 --> 01:18:00,720
Speaker 9: education centers. They're being stripped of their eye identity, the

1369
01:18:00,840 --> 01:18:02,360
Speaker 9: children's names are being changed.

1370
01:18:02,760 --> 01:18:02,880
Speaker 3: Uh.

1371
01:18:03,439 --> 01:18:05,400
Speaker 9: It's one of the most horrifying things that's ever happened.

1372
01:18:05,400 --> 01:18:07,920
Speaker 9: And they're me and they're being being put into forced

1373
01:18:07,960 --> 01:18:09,840
Speaker 9: labor literally slave labor.

1374
01:18:10,120 --> 01:18:12,320
Speaker 21: And will say, our work together on the Forced Labor

1375
01:18:12,320 --> 01:18:16,439
Speaker 21: Prevention Act WI or force Labor was okay, Venders, thank

1376
01:18:16,479 --> 01:18:17,519
Speaker 21: you for that.

1377
01:18:17,800 --> 01:18:20,559
Speaker 3: We have a we have a situation in you know,

1378
01:18:20,560 --> 01:18:24,439
Speaker 3: people talking about Los Angeles and in the debacle out

1379
01:18:24,439 --> 01:18:26,720
Speaker 3: there with the criminal negligence of the government officials.

1380
01:18:26,720 --> 01:18:28,440
Speaker 2: We have a very serious.

1381
01:18:28,080 --> 01:18:31,760
Speaker 3: Problem in western North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee, Ben Berkwam.

1382
01:18:32,200 --> 01:18:34,960
Speaker 3: But breaking into this coverage, Ben Berkwam, tell me what

1383
01:18:35,000 --> 01:18:36,479
Speaker 3: you got so was quite disturbing.

1384
01:18:36,560 --> 01:18:39,040
Speaker 2: Last night. Members of the audience were.

1385
01:18:38,920 --> 01:18:42,639
Speaker 3: Very upset about how people in Appalachia, in these states,

1386
01:18:43,120 --> 01:18:45,360
Speaker 3: the backbone of the MAGA movement, have been forgotten.

1387
01:18:45,520 --> 01:18:49,679
Speaker 22: What do you got sir, Yeah, Steve, So we're coming

1388
01:18:49,680 --> 01:18:51,960
Speaker 22: to you. We've got four different groups that are impacted

1389
01:18:51,960 --> 01:18:55,439
Speaker 22: by this. The geographic area of this disaster that happened

1390
01:18:55,439 --> 01:18:58,800
Speaker 22: almost four months ago is really hard to quantify. It's

1391
01:18:58,840 --> 01:19:01,120
Speaker 22: it's really hard to really wrap your brain around until

1392
01:19:01,120 --> 01:19:03,559
Speaker 22: you get down here. And I'm telling you, Steve, it

1393
01:19:03,640 --> 01:19:05,320
Speaker 22: is shocking. We were driving I was just down here.

1394
01:19:05,439 --> 01:19:11,880
Speaker 22: I'm here with Tyler Berlson. He runs M and T Imports.

1395
01:19:11,880 --> 01:19:14,960
Speaker 22: He's a small business owner down here and who's created this.

1396
01:19:15,040 --> 01:19:16,400
Speaker 2: He's basically, for the last.

1397
01:19:16,160 --> 01:19:19,599
Speaker 22: Four months, has turned his business into helping the people

1398
01:19:19,640 --> 01:19:24,080
Speaker 22: of his community here in Erwin, Tennessee. Now we've got

1399
01:19:24,160 --> 01:19:26,840
Speaker 22: Erwin Tennessee. We've got where we were at last night

1400
01:19:27,160 --> 01:19:29,560
Speaker 22: in Waynesville, North Carolina.

1401
01:19:29,640 --> 01:19:32,680
Speaker 2: We've got a couple other groups. There are groups like this, hubs.

1402
01:19:32,400 --> 01:19:35,040
Speaker 22: Like this all over down here that have been completely

1403
01:19:35,120 --> 01:19:39,439
Speaker 22: abandoned by Joe Biden, by FEMA, by this administration. I

1404
01:19:39,479 --> 01:19:41,360
Speaker 22: just want to hand it over to Tyler and then

1405
01:19:41,400 --> 01:19:43,600
Speaker 22: the others. Steve, I'll let you take it with the

1406
01:19:43,640 --> 01:19:45,719
Speaker 22: other We got Mandy and Jason's out.

1407
01:19:45,560 --> 01:19:46,920
Speaker 2: There, Tyler.

1408
01:19:47,840 --> 01:19:52,080
Speaker 23: So, like he said, four months into this, it still

1409
01:19:52,080 --> 01:19:54,920
Speaker 23: looks like the flood happened yesterday. You know, we don't

1410
01:19:54,920 --> 01:19:58,880
Speaker 23: have any assistance from any federal government, any entity at all,

1411
01:19:59,320 --> 01:20:00,920
Speaker 23: and it's just kind of the left up to us

1412
01:20:00,960 --> 01:20:04,080
Speaker 23: to fend for ourselves and help our communities. You know,

1413
01:20:04,120 --> 01:20:07,960
Speaker 23: we're doing everything that we can, from toiletries to food

1414
01:20:08,120 --> 01:20:10,840
Speaker 23: and trying to put people on campers and get their

1415
01:20:10,840 --> 01:20:13,160
Speaker 23: houses repaired and every other thing that you can think

1416
01:20:13,200 --> 01:20:16,960
Speaker 23: of with cars, and it's it's a left up to us.

1417
01:20:17,280 --> 01:20:20,920
Speaker 23: No no administration has helped us, no government, local government

1418
01:20:20,920 --> 01:20:24,040
Speaker 23: has helped It's just they're they're just fending for ourselves.

1419
01:20:24,120 --> 01:20:26,440
Speaker 17: So that's it's.

1420
01:20:26,479 --> 01:20:30,000
Speaker 3: Hang on, hey Ben, Ben Ben, hang on, second, Bet,

1421
01:20:30,560 --> 01:20:32,200
Speaker 3: hang on a second. Here's what I don't understand. I

1422
01:20:32,200 --> 01:20:35,560
Speaker 3: think the audience is confused too. We can understand or

1423
01:20:35,600 --> 01:20:39,360
Speaker 3: we can't understand. But it's reprehensible that the Biden regime

1424
01:20:40,200 --> 01:20:43,200
Speaker 3: hasn't done what they should do, the basic stuff with

1425
01:20:43,200 --> 01:20:43,800
Speaker 3: the FEMA.

1426
01:20:44,200 --> 01:20:45,400
Speaker 2: That's unforgivable.

1427
01:20:45,880 --> 01:20:48,679
Speaker 3: But what's confusing is that this part, the parts of Georgia,

1428
01:20:48,960 --> 01:20:53,200
Speaker 3: North Carolina, and Tennessee are MAGA strongholds, and we would

1429
01:20:53,240 --> 01:20:57,880
Speaker 3: assume that local officials, county officials, state officials would be

1430
01:20:57,960 --> 01:21:00,519
Speaker 3: all over this. Why is why is the even at

1431
01:21:00,520 --> 01:21:03,280
Speaker 3: the local level? Because President Trump will take care of

1432
01:21:03,320 --> 01:21:05,839
Speaker 3: the federal and he's gonna, I believe, move very quickly.

1433
01:21:06,240 --> 01:21:07,920
Speaker 3: But what about the rest of the chain of command?

1434
01:21:08,000 --> 01:21:10,120
Speaker 3: Why has there been no movement there when there's obviously

1435
01:21:10,160 --> 01:21:11,400
Speaker 3: these massive problems.

1436
01:21:13,439 --> 01:21:14,760
Speaker 17: Your guess is as good as mine.

1437
01:21:14,800 --> 01:21:19,080
Speaker 23: I mean, we're the only place in Irwin right now

1438
01:21:19,120 --> 01:21:22,840
Speaker 23: that that's still open for distribution for families to come

1439
01:21:22,840 --> 01:21:25,080
Speaker 23: in and get what they need. You know, there's there's

1440
01:21:25,120 --> 01:21:27,800
Speaker 23: not any other organization down here doing what we're doing,

1441
01:21:28,280 --> 01:21:30,719
Speaker 23: So your guess is as good as mine. I don't

1442
01:21:30,760 --> 01:21:34,200
Speaker 23: know why the local government's not helping. They're not doing

1443
01:21:34,200 --> 01:21:37,120
Speaker 23: more than what they should. I mean, there were places

1444
01:21:37,439 --> 01:21:39,800
Speaker 23: right down the road where they came in, you know,

1445
01:21:39,880 --> 01:21:42,160
Speaker 23: two three weeks later and said, we're not doing any

1446
01:21:42,160 --> 01:21:44,040
Speaker 23: more air drops if you want to get out, you know,

1447
01:21:44,080 --> 01:21:46,400
Speaker 23: because their roads were cut off, they couldn't get you know,

1448
01:21:46,439 --> 01:21:48,240
Speaker 23: they couldn't access the rest of the world.

1449
01:21:48,280 --> 01:21:50,559
Speaker 17: They were just isolated. So they said.

1450
01:21:53,280 --> 01:21:56,120
Speaker 23: Drops anymore. We're not gonna drop any more food. We're

1451
01:21:56,120 --> 01:21:57,280
Speaker 23: not going to pick you up. If you want to

1452
01:21:57,280 --> 01:21:59,559
Speaker 23: get out, get out now. This is your last chance.

1453
01:21:59,840 --> 01:22:02,000
Speaker 23: You're kind of left up the creek without a paddle.

1454
01:22:02,120 --> 01:22:04,160
Speaker 23: It's gonna be two years before you get water. It's

1455
01:22:04,160 --> 01:22:06,479
Speaker 23: gonna be two years before you get a road. You know,

1456
01:22:06,560 --> 01:22:10,200
Speaker 23: it's there. I can't tell you why why they're not

1457
01:22:10,280 --> 01:22:14,400
Speaker 23: helping we we are we're not a democratic state, we're

1458
01:22:14,400 --> 01:22:18,920
Speaker 23: a republican state. But it's we really don't know why

1459
01:22:18,920 --> 01:22:20,800
Speaker 23: they're not helping, why they're not sticking their neck out

1460
01:22:20,840 --> 01:22:22,800
Speaker 23: for us, And it's it's people like us that are

1461
01:22:22,800 --> 01:22:25,080
Speaker 23: sticking our necks out and trying to help as many

1462
01:22:25,080 --> 01:22:25,920
Speaker 23: people as we can.

1463
01:22:27,880 --> 01:22:30,880
Speaker 3: Can you can you describe for the audience, because we

1464
01:22:30,960 --> 01:22:34,120
Speaker 3: have a both obviously nationwide and a global audience. Just

1465
01:22:34,160 --> 01:22:37,720
Speaker 3: give us exactly what happened and what's the current status

1466
01:22:38,200 --> 01:22:39,600
Speaker 3: of your community.

1467
01:22:41,880 --> 01:22:45,240
Speaker 23: Current status that still looks like it and feels like

1468
01:22:45,320 --> 01:22:51,080
Speaker 23: it happened yesterday. I mean, nothing's really changed since it happened.

1469
01:22:53,160 --> 01:22:56,120
Speaker 24: Other than just individuals coming in to help assist clear debris.

1470
01:22:56,880 --> 01:23:01,000
Speaker 24: Other than individual churches, smaller organizations coming in to help.

1471
01:23:01,120 --> 01:23:02,960
Speaker 24: You know, the families clear their property so that they

1472
01:23:02,960 --> 01:23:05,320
Speaker 24: can possibly get their permits for their septic permits and

1473
01:23:05,360 --> 01:23:07,559
Speaker 24: their septic letters that they have to have before they

1474
01:23:07,560 --> 01:23:09,719
Speaker 24: can even do any rebuilding. You know, if the water

1475
01:23:09,800 --> 01:23:12,120
Speaker 24: came in and even touched an electrical outlet, they've got

1476
01:23:12,120 --> 01:23:14,360
Speaker 24: to have an inspection completed before they can move forward.

1477
01:23:14,400 --> 01:23:16,439
Speaker 24: And there's been individuals on the ground doing that. It's

1478
01:23:16,479 --> 01:23:18,120
Speaker 24: not been large organizations.

1479
01:23:21,439 --> 01:23:23,400
Speaker 22: And Steve, by the way, just so you know we're standing.

1480
01:23:23,439 --> 01:23:26,679
Speaker 22: This was this was a showroom for high end vehicles.

1481
01:23:26,720 --> 01:23:28,400
Speaker 22: I just want to show you what this is. This

1482
01:23:28,520 --> 01:23:32,000
Speaker 22: one one company here, Tyler and his team. This was

1483
01:23:32,040 --> 01:23:35,639
Speaker 22: a showroom with Ferraris and Lambeaus and high end vehicles

1484
01:23:35,760 --> 01:23:40,240
Speaker 22: that now has diapers and toiletries and clothing because the

1485
01:23:40,280 --> 01:23:43,679
Speaker 22: federal government wouldn't do its job. And just like here,

1486
01:23:43,720 --> 01:23:46,800
Speaker 22: we've got Mandy down there with Haven on the Hill,

1487
01:23:46,840 --> 01:23:49,000
Speaker 22: and we've got Jason Ward, and we've got Jason Sidell,

1488
01:23:49,040 --> 01:23:51,479
Speaker 22: and we've got all these groups like this that have

1489
01:23:51,520 --> 01:23:54,800
Speaker 22: come together American citizens because the federal government will not

1490
01:23:54,960 --> 01:23:55,639
Speaker 22: do their job.

1491
01:24:00,000 --> 01:24:01,559
Speaker 3: This doesn't seem like the federal g I mean, FEMA

1492
01:24:01,600 --> 01:24:03,320
Speaker 3: should be taking lead here, but it seems like any

1493
01:24:03,600 --> 01:24:05,880
Speaker 3: local I mean with shocking is that in these in

1494
01:24:05,920 --> 01:24:08,400
Speaker 3: these Republican states, you don't have the governor all over

1495
01:24:08,479 --> 01:24:12,280
Speaker 3: at the state. They have state disaster coordinators, it seems.

1496
01:24:12,800 --> 01:24:15,200
Speaker 3: But this is why do you think they've abandoned you?

1497
01:24:15,240 --> 01:24:16,800
Speaker 3: I mean, it has to be. There has to be

1498
01:24:16,840 --> 01:24:20,240
Speaker 3: some reason. There's there's not enough economic growth there. They've

1499
01:24:20,280 --> 01:24:22,200
Speaker 3: just forgotten about you guys. It has to be some

1500
01:24:22,280 --> 01:24:25,320
Speaker 3: reason that even the local officials are not down there.

1501
01:24:27,200 --> 01:24:30,320
Speaker 23: Well, FEMA came in and they said they didn't have

1502
01:24:30,320 --> 01:24:33,040
Speaker 23: any money to give us. They had, we can offer

1503
01:24:33,040 --> 01:24:34,240
Speaker 23: you seven hundred and fifty bucks.

1504
01:24:34,320 --> 01:24:36,080
Speaker 17: You know, they didn't. That's all they offered.

1505
01:24:36,600 --> 01:24:40,479
Speaker 23: So they spent all their money elsewhere legal immigrants or

1506
01:24:40,520 --> 01:24:42,439
Speaker 23: whatever you want. Whatever they spent their money on, who

1507
01:24:42,439 --> 01:24:44,960
Speaker 23: knows because we haven't audited them yet, So you know

1508
01:24:45,000 --> 01:24:47,439
Speaker 23: who knows where that money went, and they sent a

1509
01:24:47,520 --> 01:24:51,120
Speaker 23: National Guard down here to help out. They rescued some

1510
01:24:51,160 --> 01:24:55,240
Speaker 23: people during the flood, but they didn't really do anything else.

1511
01:24:55,320 --> 01:24:58,720
Speaker 23: You know, they had equipment down here, but they just

1512
01:24:58,800 --> 01:25:02,080
Speaker 23: kind of sat idle people would the soldiers were sitting

1513
01:25:02,080 --> 01:25:04,800
Speaker 23: in the machines just you know, ilum fuel away and

1514
01:25:04,880 --> 01:25:07,840
Speaker 23: not doing anything, not getting any work done because they

1515
01:25:07,840 --> 01:25:11,000
Speaker 23: were waiting on orders from their higher ups, you know,

1516
01:25:11,120 --> 01:25:12,080
Speaker 23: to tell them what to do.

1517
01:25:12,120 --> 01:25:13,200
Speaker 17: When they know what to do.

1518
01:25:13,280 --> 01:25:15,759
Speaker 23: You can kind of look around and it's the National Guard,

1519
01:25:15,760 --> 01:25:18,960
Speaker 23: the Army Corps of Engineers. You know, we've got bridges down,

1520
01:25:19,000 --> 01:25:21,760
Speaker 23: we've got debris everywhere. It's kind of common sense that

1521
01:25:21,840 --> 01:25:25,000
Speaker 23: you when you're trained to do things like this, you

1522
01:25:25,000 --> 01:25:26,400
Speaker 23: should know what to do when you come in. You

1523
01:25:26,400 --> 01:25:29,360
Speaker 23: shouldn't have to wait on higher ups to come in

1524
01:25:29,400 --> 01:25:31,320
Speaker 23: and say, hey, this is what you've got to do,

1525
01:25:31,840 --> 01:25:34,920
Speaker 23: you know, start cleaning up. So they've just kind of

1526
01:25:36,479 --> 01:25:38,120
Speaker 23: they act like they don't know what they're doing.

1527
01:25:38,200 --> 01:25:41,599
Speaker 22: So any other reason you think why even the locals wouldn't.

1528
01:25:41,640 --> 01:25:43,479
Speaker 22: I mean, I know there's you were saying that idle

1529
01:25:43,520 --> 01:25:46,559
Speaker 22: minds give you lots of thoughts, Any any reason why

1530
01:25:46,600 --> 01:25:48,760
Speaker 22: you guys think even the locals that should be on

1531
01:25:48,800 --> 01:25:49,680
Speaker 22: your side aren't doing it.

1532
01:25:50,640 --> 01:25:50,800
Speaker 10: Well.

1533
01:25:50,800 --> 01:25:52,479
Speaker 24: I want to say something on the FEMA thing like

1534
01:25:52,560 --> 01:25:54,519
Speaker 24: we have had. We had a meeting last week with

1535
01:25:54,600 --> 01:25:57,600
Speaker 24: FEMA here locally and I sat down and was like,

1536
01:25:57,600 --> 01:25:59,600
Speaker 24: what is your process, you know, if somebody wants to

1537
01:25:59,640 --> 01:26:03,719
Speaker 24: get rental assistance or they want to get you displacement coverage,

1538
01:26:03,800 --> 01:26:06,080
Speaker 24: or what are the steps? And the first thing they

1539
01:26:06,080 --> 01:26:07,920
Speaker 24: said was they had to submit an application and then

1540
01:26:07,920 --> 01:26:10,200
Speaker 24: they had to have an inspector come out and actually

1541
01:26:10,280 --> 01:26:12,479
Speaker 24: inspect their property, and then within seven attend days they

1542
01:26:12,479 --> 01:26:16,200
Speaker 24: should have their benefits. We have people hand over fist

1543
01:26:16,439 --> 01:26:18,240
Speaker 24: that have done all the steps that they've asked them

1544
01:26:18,280 --> 01:26:20,559
Speaker 24: to do and they've never heard back from anybody. We

1545
01:26:20,600 --> 01:26:22,680
Speaker 24: have a gentleman that came in her earlier that has

1546
01:26:22,720 --> 01:26:24,320
Speaker 24: done everything you can possibly do. He's been to the

1547
01:26:24,320 --> 01:26:27,800
Speaker 24: FEMA office multiple times and he has a legitimate A

1548
01:26:27,840 --> 01:26:29,360
Speaker 24: tree fell in the middle of his house, split his

1549
01:26:29,400 --> 01:26:31,599
Speaker 24: house into He's done all the steps, he's sent all

1550
01:26:31,600 --> 01:26:34,120
Speaker 24: the pictures, he's done everything he's supposed to do. The

1551
01:26:34,160 --> 01:26:36,599
Speaker 24: inspector came out and inspected and then he's heard nothing

1552
01:26:36,840 --> 01:26:39,280
Speaker 24: nothing from them after that. We have FEMA trailers on

1553
01:26:39,320 --> 01:26:41,639
Speaker 24: the Bristol Highway over here sitting at a car lot,

1554
01:26:41,920 --> 01:26:44,360
Speaker 24: not being placed on people's properties. We have people done

1555
01:26:44,360 --> 01:26:46,360
Speaker 24: in Bumpus Cove right now that were eligible for the

1556
01:26:46,840 --> 01:26:49,960
Speaker 24: longer term FEMA housing and haven't gotten it. And so

1557
01:26:50,280 --> 01:26:53,280
Speaker 24: I can't really answer why they're not helping. Every single

1558
01:26:53,280 --> 01:26:55,360
Speaker 24: thing that's been done on the Tennessee side I can

1559
01:26:55,360 --> 01:26:58,680
Speaker 24: speak for, and that has been from churches, from organizations

1560
01:26:58,680 --> 01:27:00,840
Speaker 24: from all over the country that have came. It's been

1561
01:27:00,880 --> 01:27:03,200
Speaker 24: from mom and pops. It's been from neighbors helping neighbors,

1562
01:27:03,240 --> 01:27:05,519
Speaker 24: Neighbors rolling up their sleeve and saying, Okay, we're going

1563
01:27:05,560 --> 01:27:07,280
Speaker 24: to clear my house today. We're going to clear your

1564
01:27:07,280 --> 01:27:10,040
Speaker 24: house tomorrow. That is what's made the biggest difference. For

1565
01:27:10,080 --> 01:27:12,280
Speaker 24: as far as the debris, even down in Bumpus Cove,

1566
01:27:13,000 --> 01:27:15,120
Speaker 24: the debris that was cleared out there, the county gave

1567
01:27:15,120 --> 01:27:16,840
Speaker 24: them a certain amount of time to get that debris

1568
01:27:16,920 --> 01:27:19,559
Speaker 24: cleared or they were going to start charging them. So

1569
01:27:19,720 --> 01:27:22,160
Speaker 24: when you take away somebody's home, you take away their income,

1570
01:27:22,200 --> 01:27:24,479
Speaker 24: you take away their vehicle, you take away the ability

1571
01:27:24,520 --> 01:27:27,200
Speaker 24: to help themselves. They have to run the equipment, they

1572
01:27:27,200 --> 01:27:28,720
Speaker 24: have to have fuel, they have to have money to

1573
01:27:28,760 --> 01:27:31,320
Speaker 24: run that equipment. They don't have anything. And then you've

1574
01:27:31,320 --> 01:27:34,280
Speaker 24: got county officials saying we're going to clear the debris now,

1575
01:27:34,320 --> 01:27:35,640
Speaker 24: but we don't know how long we can clear it

1576
01:27:35,640 --> 01:27:39,080
Speaker 24: for you for free. I mean, I don't know how

1577
01:27:39,120 --> 01:27:41,600
Speaker 24: to respond to that. I don't know why that is

1578
01:27:41,640 --> 01:27:43,679
Speaker 24: the way that it is. What I was saying before

1579
01:27:43,760 --> 01:27:47,200
Speaker 24: is like, you know, we have, for example, the California

1580
01:27:47,240 --> 01:27:51,040
Speaker 24: fires right now, and we have people that are desperately

1581
01:27:51,080 --> 01:27:53,040
Speaker 24: needing aid and needing care, and we're seeing that on

1582
01:27:53,080 --> 01:27:55,559
Speaker 24: the news every single day, and those people need that

1583
01:27:55,640 --> 01:27:58,240
Speaker 24: help and our prayers go out to them. But we

1584
01:27:58,280 --> 01:28:01,559
Speaker 24: needed that same recognition in Tennessee. Here in North Carolina,

1585
01:28:01,560 --> 01:28:03,599
Speaker 24: here in the flood area, we needed that same media

1586
01:28:03,640 --> 01:28:05,519
Speaker 24: coverage so that we could get the support that we

1587
01:28:05,600 --> 01:28:08,439
Speaker 24: needed here. And I don't know why our government has

1588
01:28:08,479 --> 01:28:10,720
Speaker 24: it stepped into our area, but I will tell you

1589
01:28:10,720 --> 01:28:13,080
Speaker 24: that there's some ulterior motives that we think are happening

1590
01:28:13,160 --> 01:28:15,839
Speaker 24: behind the scenes. We have land that's valuable, we have uranium,

1591
01:28:15,920 --> 01:28:19,720
Speaker 24: We have all kinds of mineral lithium sources here. And

1592
01:28:20,000 --> 01:28:23,160
Speaker 24: even if that's not the case, because we've had no

1593
01:28:23,320 --> 01:28:26,479
Speaker 24: response and no help and no answers to the questions

1594
01:28:26,479 --> 01:28:28,439
Speaker 24: that we've asked. We want to know why they're not helping.

1595
01:28:28,640 --> 01:28:30,840
Speaker 24: But because they've not answered those questions, it leaves a

1596
01:28:30,840 --> 01:28:33,439
Speaker 24: lot open for interpretation. It leaves a lot for your

1597
01:28:33,439 --> 01:28:36,360
Speaker 24: imagination to run with a story and say, well, maybe

1598
01:28:36,520 --> 01:28:38,760
Speaker 24: maybe they are trying to land grab. Maybe they are

1599
01:28:38,800 --> 01:28:41,120
Speaker 24: trying to take advantage of our situation because we're a

1600
01:28:41,160 --> 01:28:45,840
Speaker 24: lower income community or a lower income area. We don't know,

1601
01:28:46,400 --> 01:28:47,080
Speaker 24: We really don't.

1602
01:28:50,479 --> 01:28:52,000
Speaker 2: He Hey, Ben, hang on for one second.

1603
01:28:52,040 --> 01:28:53,759
Speaker 3: What we're going to do is go to commercial break

1604
01:28:53,880 --> 01:28:55,760
Speaker 3: and then I'm to come back and we'll come back

1605
01:28:55,760 --> 01:28:57,800
Speaker 3: to you. And also we'll go to the North Carolina

1606
01:28:58,160 --> 01:28:59,720
Speaker 3: having on the Hill and the others that we have.

1607
01:29:00,800 --> 01:29:02,120
Speaker 2: I mean, that's the reality. You see that.

1608
01:29:02,280 --> 01:29:06,640
Speaker 3: You see the hearings, and you see people getting getting confirmed,

1609
01:29:06,720 --> 01:29:09,320
Speaker 3: and you see the Imperial the Imperial Capital.

1610
01:29:09,640 --> 01:29:14,599
Speaker 2: Then you see the reality in this California situation.

1611
01:29:15,600 --> 01:29:21,280
Speaker 3: You know, Newsom's got money set aside for illegal aliens.

1612
01:29:21,320 --> 01:29:23,439
Speaker 3: He's got a big fund he set aside to fight

1613
01:29:23,520 --> 01:29:27,080
Speaker 3: the sanctuary cities. Hey, not just strings attached. It's gotta

1614
01:29:27,120 --> 01:29:31,000
Speaker 3: be we gotta we gotta get things right there. About

1615
01:29:31,120 --> 01:29:33,040
Speaker 3: what what this deal is going to be going forward

1616
01:29:33,080 --> 01:29:36,840
Speaker 3: before they should get a penny of federal funds. You

1617
01:29:36,880 --> 01:29:40,960
Speaker 3: see those people in North Carolina, in Georgia and Tennessee,

1618
01:29:42,160 --> 01:29:46,360
Speaker 3: that's what they think of MAGA. You're deplorables, You're just garbage,

1619
01:29:46,479 --> 01:29:48,160
Speaker 3: just trash, can be just thrown out.

1620
01:29:48,439 --> 01:29:50,400
Speaker 2: Cast aside with that's not the case.

1621
01:29:51,120 --> 01:29:54,000
Speaker 3: You're the biggest political power in this nation right now,

1622
01:29:54,040 --> 01:29:54,960
Speaker 3: not the tech bros.

1623
01:29:55,000 --> 01:29:57,360
Speaker 2: You short commercial break back in the moment