1 00:00:01,680 --> 00:00:04,720 Speaker 1: Remember back in January when Kevin McCarthy was running for 2 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 1: Speaker of the House. You might also remember the historic 3 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:11,560 Speaker 1: fifteen rounds of voting it took for McCarthy to secure 4 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:12,559 Speaker 1: the Speaker's gavel. 5 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:17,120 Speaker 2: You know, my father always told me, it's not how 6 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 2: you start, it's how you finish, and now we need 7 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 2: to finish strong for the American people. 8 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 1: Each time he fell short, McCarthy bargained more and more 9 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 1: away to a small but vocal minority led by the 10 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: House Freedom Caucus. These members are the furthest to the 11 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: right on social issues and government spending. They held McCarthy's 12 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:43,480 Speaker 1: speakership in their hands until he agreed to their concessions. 13 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:45,560 Speaker 3: Those of us who will not be voting for Kevin 14 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:49,559 Speaker 3: McCarthy today take no joy in this discomfort that this 15 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:53,360 Speaker 3: moment has brought. But if you want to drain the swamp, 16 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 3: you cannot put the biggest alligator in charge of the exercise. 17 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: Now McCarthy's deal making has come back to bite him, 18 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 1: and conservatives in the Freedom Caucus are creating headaches for 19 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:13,040 Speaker 1: both Republican moderates and Speaker McCarthy. I'm Craig Gordon in 20 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 1: for West Ksova today on the big take who really 21 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:19,600 Speaker 1: controls the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy or the Freedom 22 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 1: Caucus to give us more detail on just what's happening 23 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: within the House GOP factions. I'm joined by Bloomberg's Congressional 24 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: editor Megan Scully and House reporter Billy House. Megan, give 25 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:39,720 Speaker 1: me the big picture here, who are the key Republican 26 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 1: players in the House digging in on the Freedom Caucus side, 27 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 1: and who are the more centrist members they're buting heads with. 28 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 4: McCarthy is getting it from both sides of his party, 29 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:52,559 Speaker 4: but as Billy has said recently, the House Freedom Caucus, 30 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 4: which once worked as a forty vote block all in lockstep, 31 00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 4: now really has become more of a fractured entity where 32 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 4: there's about ten who are fighting back against McCarthy and 33 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 4: those who voted against his speakership all of those rounds 34 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 4: back in January. But that's enough votes to really wreak 35 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:18,520 Speaker 4: havoc in House majority where McCarthy only enjoys really a 36 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:22,240 Speaker 4: five seat advantage over Democrats, but he also has an 37 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 4: addition to the Freedom Caucus, he has these more pragmatic 38 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 4: moderate Republicans who are not really loving all the votes 39 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 4: that they're having to take on abortion and other social 40 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 4: issues that the House Freedom Caucus is really forcing their 41 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 4: hands on. So far, they haven't fought back, but we 42 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 4: could see that change the closer we get to the election. 43 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: Billy, from John Bainner to Paul Ryan. We have certainly 44 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 1: seen descent in the ranks among GOP factions in the past, 45 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:51,359 Speaker 1: but it feels like this is reaching a different level 46 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 1: of acrimony. Put this in perspective for us. You know 47 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:56,360 Speaker 1: how much trouble is Kevin McCarthy in right now. 48 00:02:56,880 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 5: The Freedom Caucus actually emerged around late twenty fourteen twenty 49 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 5: fifteen as a response to what they believed then Speaker 50 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 5: Bayner's harsh treatment of some of the right wing members, 51 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,800 Speaker 5: trying to remove them from committees, also his manipulation of 52 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:14,919 Speaker 5: what was then the conservative group that was most prominent, 53 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:18,600 Speaker 5: the Republican Study Committee. They felt he was talking moderates 54 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:22,359 Speaker 5: into joining that group and distorting their elections. About thirty members, 55 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:26,080 Speaker 5: led by Mark Meadows, Mick Mulvaaney, both who ended up 56 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 5: in the Trump White House, and current Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, 57 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 5: broke away and started their own group, and they created 58 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 5: a lot of mischief for John Bayner, including Meadows filed 59 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 5: ay and what has now been known as a motion 60 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 5: to remove the speaker, but he never acted on that, 61 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 5: but they created havoc with some votes for Bayner, so 62 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 5: much so that he eventually stepped down as Speaker. 63 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 6: It's become clear to me that this prolonged leadership turmoil 64 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 6: would do irreparable harm to the institution. So this morning 65 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 6: I informed my colleagues that I would resign from the 66 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 6: speakership and resign from Congress at the end of October. 67 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 5: The next Speaker, Paul Ryan, who had been a vice 68 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 5: presidential candidate, had to kind of cowtow to this group 69 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 5: even before getting their backing to become speaker, and it 70 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 5: seemed almost immediately that Ryan hated the job. He felt 71 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 5: diminished by having to placate this group at thirty and 72 00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 5: he never had a happy relationship with them. They blocked 73 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:30,920 Speaker 5: even his attempt to undo Obamacare, and they also at 74 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:34,280 Speaker 5: the time were fighting with Trump. But there came a 75 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 5: relationship with Trump during his first impeachment when in many 76 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:41,240 Speaker 5: of these Meadows and others Freedom Caucus members were some 77 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 5: of his biggest backers, and so they became a relationship there. 78 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 5: This new group is different. Some of the original members 79 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 5: are gone. Jim Jordan is still there, but they have 80 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 5: something the previous versions never had a five vote swing 81 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:59,160 Speaker 5: in the House that they have the numbers to block 82 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:02,200 Speaker 5: on almost everything they choose to do. So they also 83 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:05,119 Speaker 5: have that motion to vacate the way to force another 84 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 5: vote to remove the speaker, but they've kind of set 85 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:10,640 Speaker 5: that on the back burner. Realized they can just mess 86 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 5: things up on the floor for Kevin McCarthy if he 87 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:15,560 Speaker 5: doesn't cave in on what they want to do, and 88 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 5: so that's what they've been doing so far. They haven't 89 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:22,599 Speaker 5: really submarined anything because they've gotten McCarthy to keep making 90 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 5: promises to get their votes here and there. But those 91 00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:28,760 Speaker 5: promises are adding up, and on these spending bills that 92 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 5: are coming up, they're going to be almost impossible to keep. 93 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 1: So, Billy, you talk about the difficulties that Kevin McCarthy faces, Now, 94 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:38,640 Speaker 1: how much of this including on the dead ceiling. Did 95 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:40,799 Speaker 1: you know? Maybe he won the battle, but he's about 96 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:41,479 Speaker 1: to lose the war. 97 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 5: It's kind of gravy for Kevin McCarthy, who tried to 98 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:47,760 Speaker 5: be speaker once before. And was blocked, and then he 99 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:50,080 Speaker 5: ran this time and was almost blocked. So he had 100 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:53,239 Speaker 5: to make a lot of promises and he became speaker barely, 101 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 5: and he loves it. He spends the day walking around 102 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 5: the Capitol, shaking hands with tourists, showing them where Abraham 103 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 5: Lincoln sat. He has a great time. So on one level, 104 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:05,159 Speaker 5: you know, he's achieved what he wanted to be he's 105 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:07,479 Speaker 5: a speaker now. On a different level, sure, he's a 106 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:09,839 Speaker 5: political animal and he wants to stay speaker, and that's 107 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:12,840 Speaker 5: certainly true, and he's fought very hard to do so. 108 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:15,359 Speaker 5: He brags that he's one that the media wakes up 109 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:17,279 Speaker 5: every week and tells him he has a challenge that 110 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 5: he can't meet, and he's met everyone so far. That's 111 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:23,680 Speaker 5: absolutely true. To achieve the agreement with Biden on the 112 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 5: government spending limits and the deficit, he had to make promises. 113 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 5: Then he had to make promises to get a rule 114 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:33,359 Speaker 5: passed to even do another bill, and he keeps making 115 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 5: promises and they're piling up, and they're going to pile 116 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:37,599 Speaker 5: up on these spending bills. So on one hand, yeah, 117 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 5: he's loving it he's speaker. On the other hand, he's 118 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:43,279 Speaker 5: got to know that clock's ticking perhaps, and he's not 119 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:45,560 Speaker 5: going to be able to solve everything on this particular 120 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:50,240 Speaker 5: battleground that's spending, and so the upshot is a potential 121 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 5: government shut down, and he's still sort of whistling past 122 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:57,360 Speaker 5: the cemetery. But his promises are going to come do 123 00:06:57,520 --> 00:06:57,839 Speaker 5: on this. 124 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 1: So, Billy, you talked about the whole pile of promises 125 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 1: that Kevin McCarthy has made in concessions he made to 126 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:05,520 Speaker 1: both win the speakership and to win some of these 127 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:08,040 Speaker 1: key votes. Tell us what some of the checks he's 128 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 1: written that are going to come do here? 129 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:12,320 Speaker 5: Well, even the spending level on the depsit Reduction bill, 130 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 5: he made a promise for two years on capping the spending, 131 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 5: which Democrats helped pass but were never on board with really, 132 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 5: and even some of the moderates in his own conference 133 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:27,000 Speaker 5: don't believe are doable. He's promised to go through certain 134 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:31,040 Speaker 5: procedures that involve a House Freedom Caucus members sitting on 135 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 5: committees approving things before they go to the floor. He's 136 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:38,920 Speaker 5: placed Marjorie Taylor Green in fact, on a conference committee 137 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 5: to hammer out a final agreement with the Senate on 138 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 5: a defense authorization Bill. 139 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:45,920 Speaker 1: Marjorie Taylor Green, of course, being one of the most 140 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 1: conservative sort of House members there, someone who is in 141 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 1: headline is quite a lot for her very conservative positions. 142 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 1: Didn't he also essentially give them an easier way to 143 00:07:56,560 --> 00:07:58,520 Speaker 1: fire him as speaker if they so choose. 144 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:02,040 Speaker 5: Down the road, was that motion to vacate that? Nancy 145 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:05,880 Speaker 5: Pelosi fearing such a thing that she became speaker again 146 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:09,239 Speaker 5: and immediately changed the rules to three to five members 147 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:12,120 Speaker 5: had to sign on on a motion to force a 148 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 5: floor vote on whether a speaker can stand the job. 149 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:18,600 Speaker 5: She changed it back to five members now. McCarthy, in 150 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 5: discussing how to become speaker with the right wingers, promised 151 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 5: them that only one member could force a vote on that. 152 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:28,320 Speaker 5: The thing is, that's a promise that they haven't seized 153 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:28,880 Speaker 5: upon yet. 154 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 1: We're not at that point. 155 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 5: They seem to be getting more of what they want 156 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:36,480 Speaker 5: with a speaker like McCarthy than they would with trying 157 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:37,479 Speaker 5: to find a replacement. 158 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:42,160 Speaker 1: When we come back, we dive into the issues dividing 159 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 1: Republicans on the Hill. Let's talk about some of the 160 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:54,600 Speaker 1: very specific issues at play here, a lot of which 161 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 1: do have to do with the question of spending in 162 00:08:56,679 --> 00:08:59,719 Speaker 1: the federal debt and the federal deficit megan. Everyone was 163 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:02,440 Speaker 1: kind of cheering the Infrastructure Plan when it went through 164 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:04,199 Speaker 1: a couple of years ago because it sent a lot 165 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 1: of projects to House districts for both Republicans and Democrats. 166 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 1: But all of a sudden, House Republicans are proposing a 167 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 1: new infrastructure spending limits that are far below what had 168 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: been agreed upon before, would really cut deep into some 169 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 1: of these popular projects. Talk to us a little bit 170 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:21,920 Speaker 1: about what they are trying to accomplish with that bill. 171 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:26,200 Speaker 4: So what we saw in the deal between McCarthy and 172 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:30,240 Speaker 4: with President Biden on the debt limit and suspending that 173 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:33,960 Speaker 4: for two years was an agreement to cut some spending, 174 00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:38,280 Speaker 4: to cut domestic spending in particular, not as deep as 175 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:43,240 Speaker 4: these conservative Republicans, these ultra conservatives wanted to go. And 176 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:47,559 Speaker 4: now there's concern among this group of hardliners that not 177 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:50,959 Speaker 4: only did the bill not meet their expectations, but that 178 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:54,880 Speaker 4: there are efforts underway to undo these cuts or to 179 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:59,000 Speaker 4: get around these cuts, to be able to pad these 180 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 4: bills with these homegrown projects that people have learned to love. 181 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:07,079 Speaker 4: It gets into the whole everything is pork right unless 182 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 4: it's in your backyard. What these lawmakers are saying is 183 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:15,000 Speaker 4: these domestic programs, whether it be transportation or infrastructure programs 184 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:18,720 Speaker 4: or social programs, they want to see them get these 185 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:21,720 Speaker 4: deep cuts. They want to see them be targeted for 186 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 4: deficit reduction. And they're not trusting that the bills as 187 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:28,360 Speaker 4: they come out of the appropriation's committees are doing that. 188 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:31,680 Speaker 1: Are there any signature projects that have become sort of 189 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:34,480 Speaker 1: the poster trials for this fight. It's kind of hard 190 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:35,200 Speaker 1: to tell. At this point. 191 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:38,880 Speaker 5: Not all the twelve annual spending bills have even been 192 00:10:38,920 --> 00:10:41,880 Speaker 5: written yet or unveiled. What we do know is that 193 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 5: the deficit reduction deal between McCarthy and the president capped 194 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:51,160 Speaker 5: the spending at about one point five trillion, and the 195 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:54,440 Speaker 5: Freedom Caucus and some other conservatives want to go below that, 196 00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:57,800 Speaker 5: and so only the first couple of bills have trickled 197 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:01,240 Speaker 5: out most recently. Freedom Caucus members are saying they want 198 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:04,920 Speaker 5: to see all twelve bills first before they announce what 199 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:08,800 Speaker 5: they want, their game plan, their blueprint, and so that's 200 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:11,400 Speaker 5: where things stand now, but they are promising that they 201 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:13,800 Speaker 5: will fight for they see that the agreement of one 202 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:17,960 Speaker 5: point five trillion is a ceiling, so they're going to 203 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:20,800 Speaker 5: be fighting on that level, just the overall spending levels, 204 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:23,560 Speaker 5: but also on all these individual programs that they don't like. 205 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:27,360 Speaker 4: And what we're seeing a little bit is McCarthy dipping 206 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:30,200 Speaker 4: his toe in the water here with some bills that 207 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:35,120 Speaker 4: usually get broad bipartisan support, such as military construction and 208 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:39,680 Speaker 4: agriculture appropriations, but there's been even food fights on those bills. 209 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:43,680 Speaker 4: The big ones that we expect probably after the August 210 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:47,280 Speaker 4: recess is the Labor, Health, and Human Services Bill, where 211 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:51,960 Speaker 4: we see conservatives really wanting to make deep cuts, and 212 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:55,040 Speaker 4: also to education programs as well. 213 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:57,680 Speaker 1: Megan, We've talked a lot about domestic issues here, but 214 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 1: certainly there's a very big foreign policy is you that's 215 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:03,840 Speaker 1: also kind of roiling the House Republican caucus, and that 216 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:06,440 Speaker 1: is the funding for the war in Ukraine. There's a 217 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:09,080 Speaker 1: small but hardy group that is trying to lock that 218 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:10,360 Speaker 1: and tell us a little bit about that. 219 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:14,440 Speaker 4: Sure, well, you mentioned Marjorie Taylor Green earlier. She's certainly 220 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:18,400 Speaker 4: one of the hardline conservatives who don't want to be 221 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 4: funding anymore weaponry to Ukraine. 222 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:27,000 Speaker 7: To be against funding for war is not pro Russia, 223 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:31,880 Speaker 7: it's pro America and pro Americans and pro our own 224 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:33,000 Speaker 7: American border. 225 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:38,359 Speaker 4: And this is causing some headaches, some more headaches for McCarthy. 226 00:12:38,679 --> 00:12:41,200 Speaker 4: It's generally the same people that he's trying to keep 227 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:44,320 Speaker 4: happy to get these appropriations bills to the floor, So 228 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:49,160 Speaker 4: it's just another area where they could attempt to extract compromises. Now, 229 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:53,360 Speaker 4: if a Ukraine spending bill came to the floor on 230 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:57,320 Speaker 4: its own, it would likely get wide bipartisan support in 231 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:01,240 Speaker 4: both the House and the Senate. The issue, though, is 232 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:04,760 Speaker 4: angering this right flank that we keep talking about and 233 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:07,319 Speaker 4: needing to keep them in the fold to get all 234 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:11,079 Speaker 4: of his other legislative priorities through. So it's this delicate 235 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:13,880 Speaker 4: dance that he needs to continue to do on nearly 236 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:14,880 Speaker 4: every issue. 237 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:18,280 Speaker 1: Why does this group of pose further assistance to Ukraine? 238 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:22,800 Speaker 4: Several of them have talked about concerns about how Ukraine 239 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 4: is spending the money, several have talked about our involvement 240 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:31,760 Speaker 4: in the war, and others have reached for their fiscal 241 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:35,120 Speaker 4: conservative routs, saying we shouldn't be spending these billions of 242 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:39,200 Speaker 4: dollars on weaponry for a country that is thousands of 243 00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 4: miles from here. Hearkening back to the basically America First 244 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:45,319 Speaker 4: roots of the Freedom Caucus. 245 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:50,800 Speaker 1: There's even now some talk about possibly expunging the record 246 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 1: of one or both of Trump's impeachment votes in the House. 247 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:56,960 Speaker 1: Can you even expunge a vote like that? 248 00:13:57,480 --> 00:14:00,040 Speaker 4: It's important to remember that while Trump was in I 249 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:03,840 Speaker 4: peached twice by the House, he was never convicted by 250 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 4: the Senate, so he hasn't suffered any consequences. So essentially 251 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:13,040 Speaker 4: he's a twice impeached president, but that doesn't impede him from, 252 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:16,240 Speaker 4: for instance, as we're seeing now run for office again. 253 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:19,480 Speaker 4: This would certainly be the first time that we ever 254 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:23,320 Speaker 4: encountered this, and sure it's something that McCarthy can make 255 00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:28,120 Speaker 4: up and send to the floor. You can't unimpeach the president. 256 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:32,040 Speaker 4: We all saw him get impeached not once but twice. 257 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:37,320 Speaker 4: But this would essentially be a asterix without really any teeth. 258 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:42,280 Speaker 1: Billy, speaking of impeachments speaking, McCarthy has talked about bringing 259 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:46,440 Speaker 1: an impeachment investigation against the sitting president. Joe Biden tell 260 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:49,320 Speaker 1: us what charges he is looking at and what concerns 261 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:50,720 Speaker 1: he wants to investigate. 262 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:55,520 Speaker 5: McCarthy himself hasn't been overly specific on charges, but His 263 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:59,680 Speaker 5: banter about that comes after several members have already put 264 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:01,760 Speaker 5: forward impeachment resolutions. 265 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:05,400 Speaker 8: We've only followed where the information has taken us, but 266 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:10,680 Speaker 8: it is rising to the level of impeachment inquiry, which 267 00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:15,040 Speaker 8: provides Congress the strongest power to get the rest of 268 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:17,240 Speaker 8: the knowledge and information needed. 269 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:22,640 Speaker 5: McCarthy has now embraced this sentiment by at least expressing 270 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:27,840 Speaker 5: that perhaps congressional impeachment inquiry is the apex of the 271 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:30,520 Speaker 5: congressional power to investigate, and maybe that's the way to 272 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 5: go to look into things such as the Biden families 273 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:37,800 Speaker 5: overseas business interests, the involvement if there was any or 274 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:42,640 Speaker 5: knowledge of the then Vice president at that time, who benefited, 275 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:47,040 Speaker 5: whether the then Vice president lied about his knowledge of 276 00:15:47,080 --> 00:15:50,720 Speaker 5: what his son, Hunter Biden was doing overseas. They go 277 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:54,080 Speaker 5: down to the investigation of Hunter Biden by the IRS, 278 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:58,240 Speaker 5: and whether there was Justice Department pressure to slow walk 279 00:15:58,320 --> 00:16:02,800 Speaker 5: or alter the results. That now, an impeachment by the 280 00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:07,480 Speaker 5: US House of Joe Biden might pacify the right wing 281 00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:13,200 Speaker 5: members in non competitive districts like I said in Arizona, Texas, Indiana, 282 00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 5: but for moderate members such as in New York, just 283 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 5: in the suburban New York City districts and in other 284 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:21,760 Speaker 5: places in New York, it would seem that an impeachment 285 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:25,680 Speaker 5: vote against Joe Biden would be really troublesome. So that's 286 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:30,560 Speaker 5: what macarthy's really got to contemplate and why he seems 287 00:16:30,560 --> 00:16:34,240 Speaker 5: to vacillate on saying, yeah, that impeachment inquiry would be 288 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:36,960 Speaker 5: very the best way to do this, But he hasn't 289 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 5: gone all the way to say we would impeach, So 290 00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 5: he's kind of like trying to play both sides on 291 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:42,880 Speaker 5: that one within his caucus. 292 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 1: But you're pointing out a really important point here, which 293 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:50,560 Speaker 1: is that there's political divides inside the party, there's geographic 294 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:53,520 Speaker 1: device inside the party, and kem McCarthy's trying to stand 295 00:16:53,520 --> 00:16:55,880 Speaker 1: astride all of it. Magan, I want to come back 296 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:58,760 Speaker 1: to one other bill that is getting some attention from 297 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:02,280 Speaker 1: these very conservative and that's known in the parlance as 298 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:06,320 Speaker 1: the NDAA, the National Defense Authorization Act, essentially defense spending. 299 00:17:06,840 --> 00:17:09,000 Speaker 1: Some of the members of the House passed a version 300 00:17:09,040 --> 00:17:11,760 Speaker 1: of the bill that includes some restrictions on related to 301 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:15,760 Speaker 1: abortion in the military. Help us understand what they did there. 302 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:19,880 Speaker 4: So right now, due to abortion restrictions throughout the country, 303 00:17:20,320 --> 00:17:24,439 Speaker 4: the military will pay and provide leave for women in 304 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:28,080 Speaker 4: the military who choose to seek an abortion. This would 305 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:33,120 Speaker 4: essentially roll that back, and it was a difficult vote 306 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:36,440 Speaker 4: for many of these Republicans who Billy just mentioned, including 307 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:38,919 Speaker 4: those in the Hudson Valley and north and west of 308 00:17:38,960 --> 00:17:41,639 Speaker 4: there in New York and in other districts like in 309 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:46,080 Speaker 4: southern California where the voters aren't as driven by these 310 00:17:46,119 --> 00:17:49,720 Speaker 4: social issues. But the amendment did make it through and 311 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:54,040 Speaker 4: it is included in the House version of the bill. Now, 312 00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:57,240 Speaker 4: the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats, has its own 313 00:17:57,320 --> 00:18:00,920 Speaker 4: version of the measure, and the two chambers need to 314 00:18:01,119 --> 00:18:06,159 Speaker 4: negotiate a final bill. And this bill touches basically every 315 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:09,240 Speaker 4: policy area of the Pentagon, So this is a very 316 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 4: narrow issue in a much much broader bill. And the 317 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:18,440 Speaker 4: bill itself has been enacted every year for sixty plus years. 318 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:22,160 Speaker 4: It's really the only non spending bill to have that claim, 319 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:25,760 Speaker 4: and it gives the Armed Services committees a tremendous amount 320 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:29,440 Speaker 4: of oversight of the Pentagon. So there's a lot of 321 00:18:30,040 --> 00:18:32,359 Speaker 4: push to get this bill done before the end of 322 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:36,399 Speaker 4: the year, but something like this abortion amendment could be 323 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:39,359 Speaker 4: enough to really gum up the works at the last 324 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:42,879 Speaker 4: minute and potentially sideline it. I think some of these 325 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:48,439 Speaker 4: moderate House Republicans who went along with this amendment and 326 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 4: voted for the bill passage did so banking on the 327 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:56,919 Speaker 4: fact that Senate Democrats would never agree to including it 328 00:18:57,080 --> 00:19:00,000 Speaker 4: in the final bill. The problem we're going to see, though, 329 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:03,960 Speaker 4: is as these votes pile up as abortion votes on 330 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:07,440 Speaker 4: other appropriations bills. And it's not just abortion. You're talking 331 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:11,320 Speaker 4: about transgender rights and book bands and all of the 332 00:19:11,359 --> 00:19:15,440 Speaker 4: areas that the conservative right has targeted in their races 333 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:20,520 Speaker 4: that are really difficult votes for these pragmatic Republicans. You 334 00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:23,000 Speaker 4: take one of these votes and maybe no one notices. 335 00:19:23,320 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 4: You take six or seven of these votes, and it 336 00:19:25,560 --> 00:19:28,760 Speaker 4: really starts to become a trend and potentially a problem 337 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:29,720 Speaker 4: in these districts. 338 00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:33,800 Speaker 1: With a twenty twenty four election just around the corner, 339 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:37,080 Speaker 1: how are Americans feeling about the Republican infighting in Congress? 340 00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:49,800 Speaker 1: That's after the break. Looking forward, Congress is about to 341 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:52,440 Speaker 1: go on a recess and they will be back in 342 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:55,800 Speaker 1: the fall. In September, we have a presidential election not 343 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:59,040 Speaker 1: that far over the horizon. So Billy, looking to the fall, 344 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:02,359 Speaker 1: all of these bills with all these contentious provisions in 345 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:04,960 Speaker 1: them that might survive the House and not survive the 346 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:08,520 Speaker 1: Senate could lead to a partial government shut down when 347 00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:11,639 Speaker 1: the federal budget year ends on September thirtieth. How likely 348 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:15,360 Speaker 1: is that scenario if the House conservatives really do dig 349 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:17,840 Speaker 1: in on some of these provisions and vote no on 350 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:20,240 Speaker 1: a lot of things that again probably would not pass. 351 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:21,520 Speaker 1: Muster in the Senate. 352 00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:27,040 Speaker 5: Looks very possible, especially since some of the same far 353 00:20:27,119 --> 00:20:30,960 Speaker 5: right or conservative members forcing these issues also say they 354 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:35,320 Speaker 5: would not back a continuing resolution or a temporary spending bill. Again, 355 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:38,080 Speaker 5: McCarthy says, well, you guys have said I can't solve 356 00:20:38,119 --> 00:20:40,399 Speaker 5: things before, and I've sold everything before, so he at 357 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:43,600 Speaker 5: least puts on a public happy face. Also, keep in 358 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:46,359 Speaker 5: mind that it is part of the deficit reduction agreement. 359 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:49,479 Speaker 5: If they go to a continuing resolution, which is an 360 00:20:49,560 --> 00:20:52,760 Speaker 5: agreement to do a temporary extension of current funding levels 361 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:55,840 Speaker 5: for whatever period come next to April, they've agreed that 362 00:20:55,880 --> 00:20:57,880 Speaker 5: as a result of that, there would be an additional 363 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:02,080 Speaker 5: one percent cut in funding. So things are looking very 364 00:21:02,119 --> 00:21:05,959 Speaker 5: bleak right now, and it's hard to see how lawmakers 365 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:09,040 Speaker 5: going home for August is going to help speed up. 366 00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:13,680 Speaker 1: A solution, Megan, Are there any other upcoming issues that 367 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:16,760 Speaker 1: are coming before Congress that may further show the divides 368 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:18,040 Speaker 1: inside the Republican Party. 369 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:21,639 Speaker 4: I think in September it's going to be focused primarily 370 00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:25,560 Speaker 4: on appropriations. But one thing that we're going to be 371 00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:28,480 Speaker 4: seeing as we get closer to the election is looking 372 00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:33,120 Speaker 4: at primaries and whether some of these Republicans, particularly the moderates, 373 00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:36,919 Speaker 4: are going to be primaried from the right, and whether 374 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:41,040 Speaker 4: the party itself is going to continue its evolution into 375 00:21:41,080 --> 00:21:44,880 Speaker 4: a much more ultra conservative party focused on social issues. 376 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:47,879 Speaker 4: So that's something we're going to be certainly on the 377 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:52,280 Speaker 4: lookout for beyond September and going through you know, the 378 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:55,520 Speaker 4: primaries into twenty twenty four, and then certainly ahead of 379 00:21:55,560 --> 00:21:56,480 Speaker 4: the election itself. 380 00:21:57,240 --> 00:22:00,439 Speaker 1: Billy, we've talked a lot about the twenty twenty four election. 381 00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:03,119 Speaker 1: Of course, we all know there's a presidential election, but 382 00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 1: all four hundred and thirty five members of the House 383 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:07,760 Speaker 1: Representatives will be on a ballot as well. Could these 384 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:11,840 Speaker 1: fights and this internal squabbling among the Republicans lead to 385 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:14,920 Speaker 1: losses on the Republican side, as some of these members 386 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:17,040 Speaker 1: that have taken tough votes that Megan was talking about 387 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:19,800 Speaker 1: now faced voters who really don't want to talk about 388 00:22:19,840 --> 00:22:23,160 Speaker 1: abortion and relation to military policy, or could you see, 389 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:25,680 Speaker 1: you know, the Republicans be strengthened by the fact more 390 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:29,080 Speaker 1: conservative members come forward voters in certain districts like that. 391 00:22:29,359 --> 00:22:31,199 Speaker 1: How do you see this playing out in terms of 392 00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:33,560 Speaker 1: control of the House, which, as you say, is, you know, 393 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:36,119 Speaker 1: hangs on a balance of just five votes right now. 394 00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:39,520 Speaker 5: Well, I'll tell you how the strategists for both parties 395 00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:42,480 Speaker 5: see it, and that's that these are very harmful potentially 396 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:47,600 Speaker 5: for those moderate Republicans and those moderate Republicans in important 397 00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:51,720 Speaker 5: swing districts that could very well decide who controls the 398 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:55,880 Speaker 5: House majority in areas. For instance, in New York, there 399 00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:59,199 Speaker 5: are six freshmen Republicans holding seats that Biden won in 400 00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:02,920 Speaker 5: twenty twenty. Already, the d Triple C, which is essentially 401 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:08,879 Speaker 5: top Democratic leader Jefferson's political arm, has been attacking these 402 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:13,600 Speaker 5: six Republicans endlessly on every single vote almost that the 403 00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:17,480 Speaker 5: House has taken that they could spin as far right 404 00:23:17,720 --> 00:23:20,520 Speaker 5: or even extremists, and that will continue to occur and 405 00:23:20,560 --> 00:23:23,639 Speaker 5: only rev up as the spinning bills raise more issues 406 00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:27,199 Speaker 5: for these lawmakers. Those lawmakers and I did visit some 407 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:30,160 Speaker 5: of them in their districts are trying not to even 408 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:33,199 Speaker 5: mention some of these hot button issues. They're trying to 409 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:37,600 Speaker 5: focus on local constituent desires needs Once it's going to 410 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:41,080 Speaker 5: be hard, though, once the airwaves start heating up to 411 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:45,040 Speaker 5: totally ignore this. Recently, one of those lawmakers, Mike Lawler, 412 00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:47,520 Speaker 5: for instance, was asked by a bunch of reporters at 413 00:23:47,560 --> 00:23:51,639 Speaker 5: the Capitol his response to McCarthy's suggesting impeachment could occur, 414 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:55,399 Speaker 5: and he just walked by and didn't even acknowledge they 415 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:57,719 Speaker 5: were asking him. And that's kind of how he's been 416 00:23:57,760 --> 00:24:01,879 Speaker 5: handling things back in the district. Constituents haven't been raising 417 00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:05,600 Speaker 5: these issues as much, but again, the airwaves and the 418 00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:08,440 Speaker 5: Democratic full court press on these issues hasn't really hit 419 00:24:08,480 --> 00:24:09,840 Speaker 5: locally as much as they will. 420 00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:15,119 Speaker 1: Billy House, Bloomberg's Congress reporter, and Megan Scully, Bloomber's Congress editor. 421 00:24:15,119 --> 00:24:17,479 Speaker 1: We thank you so much for joining us today. Happy 422 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:21,239 Speaker 1: to be here, Craig, Thanks thanks for listening to us 423 00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:24,200 Speaker 1: here at the Big Take, a daily podcast from Bloomberg 424 00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:28,720 Speaker 1: and iHeartRadio. For more shows from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio 425 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:32,760 Speaker 1: app Apple podcasts or wherever you listen, and we'd love 426 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:35,720 Speaker 1: to hear from you. Email us questions or comments at 427 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:40,280 Speaker 1: Big Take at Bloomberg dot Net. Our supervising producer is 428 00:24:40,359 --> 00:24:44,640 Speaker 1: Vicky Vergalina. Our senior producer is Katherine Fink. Our producer 429 00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:49,040 Speaker 1: is Rebecca Shassan. Our associate producer is Sam Gebauer. Hilde 430 00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:53,160 Speaker 1: Garcia is our engineer. Original music by Leo Sidrin. I'm 431 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:56,200 Speaker 1: Craig Gordon in today for West Kosova. We'll be back 432 00:24:56,200 --> 00:25:04,400 Speaker 1: tomorrow with another Big Take. Do Do Do, Dre