WEBVTT - House GOP Sets Up Senate Clash on TSA Funding 0:00:02.520 --> 0:00:10.160 Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, Radio News. Welcome to the Bloomberg 0:00:10.240 --> 0:00:15.920 This Weekend Podcast with David Gura, Christina Raffini, and Lisa Matteo. 0:00:17.680 --> 0:00:20.600 Thanks for joining us for today's selection of conversations from 0:00:20.600 --> 0:00:20.959 the show. 0:00:21.200 --> 0:00:23.479 You can listen to our favorite discussions right here on 0:00:23.520 --> 0:00:25.800 the podcast, but also make sure to join us live 0:00:25.960 --> 0:00:29.080 every Saturday and Sunday morning, starting at seven am Eastern. 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:32.760 We're on Bloomberg Television, Radio and the Bloomberg Business App, 0:00:33.040 --> 0:00:37.600 bringing you unique takes and in depth interviews on news, politics, 0:00:37.680 --> 0:00:39.120 lifestyle and culture. 0:00:41.960 --> 0:00:45.239 The two chambers of Congress at an impasse over how 0:00:45.280 --> 0:00:47.519 to fund the Department of Homeland Security. That's after a 0:00:47.640 --> 0:00:50.760 series two late night votes, no clear solution. Both the 0:00:50.800 --> 0:00:53.159 House and the Senate are now on easter recess. 0:00:53.400 --> 0:00:56.240 President Trump signed a memo to PAYTSA workers who have 0:00:56.360 --> 0:00:59.320 worked without pay for weeks now, of course, leading to 0:00:59.360 --> 0:01:02.800 those sprawling lines that you've seen at US air Force Airports. 0:01:03.080 --> 0:01:05.360 Joining us now from Washington, we have Bloomberg News Congression 0:01:05.360 --> 0:01:07.680 reporter Eric Wilson. Eric, I appreciate you getting up. I 0:01:07.720 --> 0:01:10.280 saw you sending notes very late last night. We did 0:01:10.280 --> 0:01:12.720 offer to send you coffee but you told us shockingly 0:01:12.800 --> 0:01:15.080 and very impressively that you've never used door dash or 0:01:15.160 --> 0:01:15.680 uber eats. 0:01:15.720 --> 0:01:17.160 I wanted to focus on that before. 0:01:16.959 --> 0:01:20.200 We get to Congress because it's so lovely one night. 0:01:20.240 --> 0:01:22.640 As you can see behind me, I print books, you know, 0:01:22.760 --> 0:01:23.920 so we make our own breakfast. 0:01:23.880 --> 0:01:24.160 All right. 0:01:24.720 --> 0:01:26.080 I do appreciate the offera guys. 0:01:26.080 --> 0:01:27.040 All right, we're very grateful. 0:01:27.040 --> 0:01:30.040 Nonetheless, can you walk us through where everything is at? 0:01:30.319 --> 0:01:33.000 You know, the Senate passed a version of this with 0:01:33.040 --> 0:01:34.880 an ice carve out. It went to the House and 0:01:34.920 --> 0:01:37.640 then it went nowhere. The House has done something that's 0:01:37.720 --> 0:01:40.120 doa in the Senate. Just please update us on what's 0:01:40.120 --> 0:01:41.320 going on into the use chambers. 0:01:41.400 --> 0:01:44.600 It's an extraordinary breach between House and Senate Republicans, you know. 0:01:44.680 --> 0:01:48.400 John Thune crafted this bill middle of the night, basically 0:01:48.400 --> 0:01:50.760 funding the full Department of Homeland Security for the rest 0:01:50.760 --> 0:01:54.320 of the physical year till October, except for border patrol 0:01:54.480 --> 0:01:58.440 and ice immigration enforcement activities. That passed unanimously on a 0:01:58.520 --> 0:02:00.800 voice vote. As soon as to the House, it was 0:02:00.880 --> 0:02:03.600 promptly rejected by the House Freedom Caucus and Speaker of 0:02:03.600 --> 0:02:05.960 Mike Johnson, who's always, you know, trying to shore up 0:02:06.000 --> 0:02:09.320 support with different parts of his conference went along with 0:02:09.360 --> 0:02:12.519 that Freedom Caucus demand to reject the Senate bill. Instead, 0:02:12.520 --> 0:02:16.280 they passed an eight week continuing resolution for the whole department, 0:02:16.320 --> 0:02:19.560 but that again funds ICE without any new reforms that 0:02:19.600 --> 0:02:22.960 Democrats have demanded, and Chuck Schumer said that's da, So 0:02:23.000 --> 0:02:27.160 the standoff continues. Importantly, Trump has signed this memo paying 0:02:27.200 --> 0:02:29.880 TSA agents as soon as Monday, so that should alleviate 0:02:29.919 --> 0:02:31.720 the lines. But it's important to point out there are 0:02:31.760 --> 0:02:34.280 other members of the Department, whether your secret Service worker, 0:02:34.639 --> 0:02:38.400 you know, human trafficking, people in the Secretary's office, you know, 0:02:38.480 --> 0:02:40.799 people who are doing communications. You know, there are a 0:02:40.800 --> 0:02:42.520 lot of people who are not going to get paid, 0:02:42.520 --> 0:02:44.280 continue to not get paid. It's it's going to become 0:02:44.280 --> 0:02:47.560 a difficult thing. This is over forty days now, you know, 0:02:47.560 --> 0:02:49.239 and they're going to be held hostage. I don't see 0:02:49.240 --> 0:02:51.720 the Senate and House coming back during this two week recess. 0:02:52.000 --> 0:02:54.760 I don't really see a solution anytime soon. The main 0:02:54.760 --> 0:02:57.080 thing they're going to try to do is budget reconciliation 0:02:57.240 --> 0:03:01.079 bill and a massive package of the Trump tax bill, 0:03:01.080 --> 0:03:03.520 where they did put some immigration enforcement money, but they 0:03:03.520 --> 0:03:06.280 need all Republicans to unite. Everyone wants to throw their 0:03:06.320 --> 0:03:08.240 things in. I talked to a member of the New 0:03:08.320 --> 0:03:11.320 York delegation who wants the salt deduction of all things 0:03:11.360 --> 0:03:13.560 extended again. So this is going to become a massive 0:03:13.600 --> 0:03:16.640 food fight and these workers are going to be held hostage. 0:03:16.639 --> 0:03:19.639 Now that President could try an extraordinary measure to try 0:03:19.639 --> 0:03:23.359 to potentially illegally pay those other DHS workers from this 0:03:23.760 --> 0:03:26.400 fund for border security. But you know, I don't see 0:03:26.400 --> 0:03:28.360 a solution anytime soon that's really permanent. 0:03:28.400 --> 0:03:29.960 You bring up the President, and I want to play 0:03:29.960 --> 0:03:31.600 a little bit of sound here of the President in 0:03:31.600 --> 0:03:35.040 Miami last night speaking of that FII conference, addressing what's 0:03:35.080 --> 0:03:37.680 transpired here and also his relationship with the leadership in 0:03:37.720 --> 0:03:38.160 the Congress. 0:03:38.160 --> 0:03:38.720 To take a listen. 0:03:39.280 --> 0:03:45.520 I understand John Tune, and I understand Mike Johnson. They 0:03:45.600 --> 0:03:48.160 want to be sure that people aren't coming into our 0:03:48.200 --> 0:03:50.680 country like they have for the last four years. 0:03:51.680 --> 0:03:54.080 I don't want to say they've ruined it. They made 0:03:54.160 --> 0:03:55.360 my job a lot harder. 0:03:55.680 --> 0:03:57.400 They made my job a lot harder. The President, they're 0:03:57.400 --> 0:03:59.920 on the tarmac traveling to that conference. I'm Eric Watson. 0:04:00.440 --> 0:04:03.280 Talk a bit about the presence engagement not with this 0:04:03.400 --> 0:04:06.200 memo finding a way to pay these TSA workers, but 0:04:06.240 --> 0:04:08.600 with this issue more broadly, and what that says about 0:04:08.840 --> 0:04:10.600 even more broadly than that, the way that he's been 0:04:10.640 --> 0:04:12.800 interacting with this Congress and with congressional leadership. 0:04:13.720 --> 0:04:15.600 It was an extraordinary comment because it almost like Trump 0:04:15.680 --> 0:04:20.279 was playing peacemaker between feuding House and Senate Republican leaders, 0:04:20.279 --> 0:04:23.080 which I'm sure a role that he would enjoy. He 0:04:23.160 --> 0:04:27.000 is still questing after that Nobel Peace Prize AfterAll, you know, 0:04:27.040 --> 0:04:29.440 but he's trying to, I think, in that case, smooth 0:04:29.440 --> 0:04:33.240 over differences. It's extraordinary that that, you know, Speaker doesn't 0:04:33.240 --> 0:04:37.200 called what Fune did a joke ridiculousness. We asked him 0:04:37.200 --> 0:04:39.359 about it, he tried to sort of sidestep in and 0:04:39.360 --> 0:04:41.599 say that that was Chuck Schumer who really engineered this. 0:04:41.760 --> 0:04:44.560 But we're trying to see what kind of long term 0:04:44.839 --> 0:04:47.800 consequences of this rift will be. Can they do this 0:04:47.839 --> 0:04:50.120 new tax and spending bill? Are they able to unite 0:04:50.120 --> 0:04:52.920 in a midterm message? Certainly the tension between the two 0:04:53.000 --> 0:04:57.080 chambers is extraordinary, you know. But the immigration issue was 0:04:57.320 --> 0:05:00.000 historically one of Trump's strong suits. I think the American 0:05:00.040 --> 0:05:04.080 public generally want stronger borders. But then what happened in 0:05:04.120 --> 0:05:07.919 Minnesota with the ICE enforcement, the sort of chaos and 0:05:08.000 --> 0:05:10.880 the practices sort of weakened his popularity on that gave 0:05:10.920 --> 0:05:13.160 Democrats and opening to demand these changes. 0:05:13.480 --> 0:05:14.240 That was very interesting. 0:05:14.279 --> 0:05:17.359 Last night there was a small press conference barely attended 0:05:17.400 --> 0:05:21.719 by media of Brian Fitzpatrick and Tom Swasey, two members 0:05:21.760 --> 0:05:23.960 of the Problem Solvers Caucus, and they have a very 0:05:23.960 --> 0:05:27.880 intriguing idea to sort of pass some of these reforms. 0:05:28.600 --> 0:05:30.960 You know, a Congress that's more open to conference would 0:05:30.960 --> 0:05:33.560 probably embrace something like that, but such a long shot. 0:05:33.600 --> 0:05:35.800 They're even talking about a discharge petition, a really long 0:05:35.839 --> 0:05:38.880 shot petition to try to get this done. But Congress 0:05:38.880 --> 0:05:40.880 is nowhere near grappling with this. But I think if 0:05:41.040 --> 0:05:43.360 the public were to be consulted, they would want to 0:05:43.360 --> 0:05:46.240 see some kind of changes to ICE behavior, maybe not 0:05:46.320 --> 0:05:49.000 having masked agents, you know, being able to go willy 0:05:49.040 --> 0:05:50.080 nearly into people's homes. 0:05:51.040 --> 0:05:52.920 Eric Watson, thank you very much again, appreciate you joining 0:05:52.960 --> 0:05:54.320 us here on the Saturday morning earlier. 0:05:54.360 --> 0:05:57.000 We want to bring in Jill Degenevitch. She's a TSA 0:05:57.000 --> 0:06:00.400 worker in Las Vegas and the Nevada union representative Jill. 0:06:00.440 --> 0:06:01.799 First of all, I just want to check. 0:06:01.600 --> 0:06:02.160 In on you. 0:06:02.600 --> 0:06:04.880 How are you doing. I know you've got kids. I 0:06:04.920 --> 0:06:07.320 know I can't imagine how tough this has been. Missing 0:06:07.320 --> 0:06:09.120 a paycheck. Just bring us up to date about how 0:06:09.160 --> 0:06:10.760 you're doing and what your frustrations are. 0:06:12.880 --> 0:06:17.000 Well, yeah, definitely, very very frustrated. We are incredibly thankful 0:06:17.160 --> 0:06:19.760 that Trump did put out the executive order that we 0:06:19.880 --> 0:06:23.280 supposedly start to be paid on Monday. We're supposed to 0:06:23.279 --> 0:06:26.960 get our back pay, only nothing continuing on. So it's 0:06:27.240 --> 0:06:29.640 while we are thankful and we're grateful that we will 0:06:29.839 --> 0:06:32.960 supposedly be getting that, it's really just a temporary band 0:06:33.000 --> 0:06:34.760 aid because we're not going to be paid from here 0:06:34.800 --> 0:06:37.839 on out. It's just our back pay, so essentially we're 0:06:37.880 --> 0:06:39.040 just resetting the clock. 0:06:39.839 --> 0:06:42.359 What has the conversation been like among you and your 0:06:42.440 --> 0:06:44.320 colleagues as all of this is unfolded. We've seen the 0:06:44.360 --> 0:06:46.680 numbers of those who have left, decided to quit, or 0:06:46.680 --> 0:06:48.839 haven't gone to work because they have been getting paychecks. 0:06:49.920 --> 0:06:51.720 What have you been talking about with your colleagues about 0:06:51.720 --> 0:06:53.200 how this has gone and what it says just about 0:06:53.240 --> 0:06:55.440 the the state of the government, the state of the agency. 0:06:57.279 --> 0:07:00.440 It's frustrating because this is the third ten that this 0:07:00.480 --> 0:07:03.560 has happened in five months, and because it keeps happening, 0:07:03.960 --> 0:07:06.520 We're just wondering what that means for the future of 0:07:06.560 --> 0:07:09.280 our agency. You know, privatization has been thrown out there 0:07:09.360 --> 0:07:11.640 a lot, it's been being talked about a lot more, 0:07:11.880 --> 0:07:13.960 and the fact that they're so easily able to shut 0:07:14.040 --> 0:07:16.640 us down, we are frankly just worried about our jobs 0:07:16.680 --> 0:07:17.240 in the future. 0:07:18.240 --> 0:07:22.280 Is there any concern about this impacting the safety of 0:07:22.320 --> 0:07:24.320 the flying public. I know that the workers who are 0:07:24.320 --> 0:07:26.760 on the job are doing their absolute best, but you know, 0:07:27.200 --> 0:07:29.520 about forty percent of workers have called and stick across 0:07:29.520 --> 0:07:31.880 the country. According to the AP, there's about five hundred 0:07:31.920 --> 0:07:34.240 TSA workers who reportedly have quit due to lack of 0:07:34.240 --> 0:07:36.880 payment and frustration. At some point, is this going to 0:07:36.920 --> 0:07:39.160 start impacting safety or are we there already? 0:07:40.760 --> 0:07:40.840 No? 0:07:40.960 --> 0:07:41.560 I don't think. 0:07:41.400 --> 0:07:44.280 Safety is going to be affected because we still do 0:07:44.360 --> 0:07:46.680 have our very dedicated officers that are on the job 0:07:46.800 --> 0:07:50.240 serving the public. However, those lines will continue to go 0:07:50.480 --> 0:07:53.040 up the more that we lose officers and the more 0:07:53.040 --> 0:07:55.240 that people called out, so it'll just take a lot 0:07:55.280 --> 0:07:57.240 longer and people will end up missing their flights more 0:07:57.240 --> 0:07:57.800 because of it. 0:07:58.200 --> 0:08:01.120 Jill, what's it been like having ICE agents deployed in 0:08:01.160 --> 0:08:02.840 the airports? I think when that was first and Nounce, 0:08:02.880 --> 0:08:04.400 something that we were talking about on the show is 0:08:04.440 --> 0:08:06.360 what would that look like? Would they be doing some 0:08:06.440 --> 0:08:08.760 of the work that you and your colleagues do. Are 0:08:08.760 --> 0:08:11.240 they working alongside you or with you? Just on a 0:08:11.320 --> 0:08:13.800 very granular level. What has it been like having them 0:08:13.800 --> 0:08:14.640 in the airports. 0:08:16.160 --> 0:08:18.480 Well, we haven't actually had them deployed in Las Vegas 0:08:18.480 --> 0:08:21.760 because our lines haven't been that long. However, because they 0:08:21.760 --> 0:08:23.960 aren't trained to do our jobs, I don't know how 0:08:24.000 --> 0:08:27.360 much help they would actually be. Essentially, they would be 0:08:27.480 --> 0:08:31.160 delegated to roles serving out into queue, moving traffic, pushing 0:08:31.200 --> 0:08:36.240 it around, helping passengers divest items from their bags. Essentially, 0:08:36.360 --> 0:08:38.520 I don't know how helpful that would be to us, 0:08:38.600 --> 0:08:41.760 because again, they aren't trained to do our jobs like 0:08:41.880 --> 0:08:44.920 we are, so they aren't properly able to help passengers 0:08:44.920 --> 0:08:47.360 divest items from their bags, thus leading to more bag 0:08:47.480 --> 0:08:50.280 checks on our end while we are actually screening those 0:08:50.480 --> 0:08:51.160 that luggage. 0:08:51.200 --> 0:08:53.440 And that's kind of what we're seeing for audio listeners 0:08:53.480 --> 0:08:55.520 is ICE agents they are on the airport, but even 0:08:55.559 --> 0:08:57.920 in the video we're watching right now, they're mostly ushering 0:08:57.960 --> 0:08:59.679 traffic through those I don't know what they're called, those 0:08:59.679 --> 0:09:02.520 like dizzy world style rope lines that we all have 0:09:02.559 --> 0:09:04.720 to go through so much of our lives. I someone 0:09:04.760 --> 0:09:07.000 to ask you, I don't tell us how long you've 0:09:07.000 --> 0:09:09.559 been with TSA, And look, it's a tough job. People 0:09:09.559 --> 0:09:11.680 at airports are cranky. I always try to be nice. 0:09:11.760 --> 0:09:12.480 Not everyone tries. 0:09:12.679 --> 0:09:16.760 Sure I can be nice, just not to you. I 0:09:16.800 --> 0:09:18.640 love my TSA agents that am nice to you. 0:09:19.480 --> 0:09:21.000 But it's a tough job. 0:09:21.480 --> 0:09:24.800 It takes skill, and it takes patience, and it has 0:09:24.880 --> 0:09:27.280 to be stressful. And I would imagine adding this kind 0:09:27.320 --> 0:09:29.920 of stress and uncertainty to a job that people probably 0:09:29.920 --> 0:09:33.200 went to looking for security and sustainability in their lives 0:09:33.480 --> 0:09:36.600 has to undercut the desire to do this job and 0:09:36.679 --> 0:09:39.320 for recruitment. Do you have any concerns long term about 0:09:39.520 --> 0:09:42.000 people wanting to be or stay TSA agents? 0:09:43.720 --> 0:09:47.079 Definitely. I have been with TSA for almost three years now, 0:09:47.200 --> 0:09:50.080 and so this is my first real experience going through this. 0:09:50.280 --> 0:09:52.440 It is just like we are living in a twilight 0:09:52.520 --> 0:09:54.439 zone right now. It is crazy to me that this 0:09:54.520 --> 0:09:57.199 is happening. I did not expect that this would happen 0:09:57.240 --> 0:09:59.840 when I initially signed on to federal service three years ago. 0:10:00.360 --> 0:10:03.400 I believe that this would be a nice, safe, secure 0:10:03.480 --> 0:10:05.360 career job for me. I thought it was a great 0:10:05.360 --> 0:10:09.920 opportunity with recruitment. I believe that people will be coming 0:10:09.960 --> 0:10:13.200 in and they will be cognizant of the fact that, yes, 0:10:13.280 --> 0:10:17.120 this is an agency that can be shut down very easily, 0:10:17.520 --> 0:10:19.120 and so I don't know that we would get the 0:10:19.200 --> 0:10:21.880 highest quality of people that we normally would have because 0:10:21.920 --> 0:10:22.160 of that. 0:10:22.480 --> 0:10:23.840 Jill, I want to ask you where all this is headed. 0:10:23.880 --> 0:10:26.560 You brought up the specter of privatization a moment ago, 0:10:26.600 --> 0:10:29.840 and I've noticed, I'm sure you have editorials and newspapers 0:10:29.960 --> 0:10:33.040 articles being written about how at some airports that do 0:10:33.080 --> 0:10:35.800 have private security, there haven't been these lines. There's an 0:10:35.800 --> 0:10:37.680 effort here to make it seem like that might be 0:10:37.720 --> 0:10:41.079 the solution going forward. I'm very curious sort of how 0:10:41.120 --> 0:10:43.760 worried that makes you, and you, being a representative of 0:10:43.800 --> 0:10:45.800 your union, sort of what you're doing to make the 0:10:45.840 --> 0:10:47.240 case that that should not be the route that this 0:10:47.280 --> 0:10:48.040 country goes. 0:10:47.880 --> 0:10:52.520 Down with privatization. That is going to be a for 0:10:52.679 --> 0:10:56.000 profit model. I don't believe that aviation security should ever 0:10:56.040 --> 0:10:59.440 be a pro for profit model. The beauty of it 0:10:59.520 --> 0:11:02.200 being a federal program is that you're not there to 0:11:02.280 --> 0:11:05.439 make money. You're there to screen passengers and share the 0:11:05.520 --> 0:11:08.440 highest levels of security. That is my biggest fear with 0:11:08.520 --> 0:11:11.920 going private, that these private screening companies would come in 0:11:12.120 --> 0:11:14.480 and they would cut costs wherever they can, whether that 0:11:14.559 --> 0:11:16.960 be with training, whether that be with background checks, whether 0:11:17.000 --> 0:11:21.679 that would be with hiring and implementing new equipment and programs. 0:11:22.040 --> 0:11:24.160 So that is my biggest concern with that is that 0:11:24.200 --> 0:11:26.880 they would be here to make money rather than to 0:11:27.000 --> 0:11:29.320 actually do the job that we're here to put forth, 0:11:29.720 --> 0:11:32.640 which is to screen passengers and luggage and keep America safe. 0:11:32.760 --> 0:11:35.040 All right, Jesse Janovitch, thank you so much for joining us, 0:11:35.040 --> 0:11:36.520 and I promise I will be very nice if I 0:11:36.679 --> 0:11:37.360 see you in Vegas. 0:11:37.400 --> 0:11:38.120 We really appreciate it. 0:11:38.120 --> 0:11:40.920 Well, it's funny the lines haven't been that long at 0:11:40.920 --> 0:11:42.360 some Emerorks they have at others in New York, and 0:11:42.400 --> 0:11:43.880 there's like four four and a half hours, and just 0:11:43.920 --> 0:11:46.160 getting a grip on that throughout all of this, and 0:11:46.200 --> 0:11:47.120 it's unpredictable too. 0:11:47.120 --> 0:11:49.120 I think people are also getting to the airport's earlier, 0:11:49.160 --> 0:11:51.120 which you know they have usual peak times, they may 0:11:51.160 --> 0:11:53.719 not be used to because people are panicking. So is 0:11:53.760 --> 0:11:55.480 I my friend just want the JFCN. It was ninety 0:11:55.480 --> 0:11:57.800 minutes minutes, great but not terrible. It's workable. 0:12:00.080 --> 0:12:03.000 Stay with us for more on Bloomberg this weekend. Right 0:12:03.040 --> 0:12:03.560 after this. 0:12:15.080 --> 0:12:17.040 All right, a little while ago, we spoke to Senators 0:12:17.080 --> 0:12:20.240 Todd Young, a Republican from Indiana, and Alyssa Slotkin, a 0:12:20.320 --> 0:12:23.400 Democrat from Michigan. That was just hours before the Senate 0:12:23.440 --> 0:12:26.280 passed a DHS funding package, which, as we just mentioned, 0:12:26.320 --> 0:12:29.760 the House rejected a new funding package, of course, is 0:12:29.800 --> 0:12:30.920 now stalled on the hip. 0:12:31.960 --> 0:12:34.520 We're focused so much on funding for the Department of 0:12:34.559 --> 0:12:37.000 Homeland Security and know that there's a standoff there between 0:12:37.000 --> 0:12:38.800 these two parties. Let me start with you first, sent 0:12:38.880 --> 0:12:41.439 or Young, Where are we in this process? How much 0:12:41.440 --> 0:12:43.560 closer are we to any kind of resolution to this 0:12:43.640 --> 0:12:45.559 partial shutdown that stretched on longer than a month? 0:12:46.400 --> 0:12:49.880 Well, I know I speak in a broadly bipartisan way. 0:12:50.440 --> 0:12:53.160 I know Centator Slotkin agrees with me. Where we are 0:12:53.360 --> 0:12:56.000 is exhausted with this issue. We want to come to 0:12:56.120 --> 0:12:59.319 terms in a bipartisan way. We want to fund TSA 0:13:00.040 --> 0:13:03.400 on our homeland to be more secure and listen, there 0:13:03.400 --> 0:13:07.640 have been some principal disagreements about ICE and how they 0:13:07.640 --> 0:13:11.200 are to operate, and other important public policy issues that 0:13:11.240 --> 0:13:13.600 have been in play, But I think we're all getting 0:13:13.679 --> 0:13:17.440 much closer to a meeting of minds on these issues. 0:13:17.480 --> 0:13:18.280 That's my sense. 0:13:18.760 --> 0:13:23.000 Our leaders are now talking somewhat sometimes through intermediaries, and 0:13:23.200 --> 0:13:25.360 I think there's a sense of urgency that I feel 0:13:25.360 --> 0:13:28.480 here in the halls of Congress to finally get this 0:13:28.600 --> 0:13:30.360 result for the American people, your. 0:13:30.200 --> 0:13:33.280 Sense, as well as sentator slackin Yeah, I mean, I think, look, 0:13:33.320 --> 0:13:35.800 we're about to We're supposed to be going on two 0:13:35.800 --> 0:13:39.120 weeks of you know, home leave, and I don't think 0:13:39.200 --> 0:13:41.200 anyone feels that we should be leaving, at least I 0:13:41.200 --> 0:13:42.800 don't until we figure this out. 0:13:42.880 --> 0:13:43.040 Right. 0:13:43.040 --> 0:13:45.080 We also are the ones who travel through the airports 0:13:45.120 --> 0:13:48.520 twice a week and have to face the TSA officers 0:13:48.559 --> 0:13:50.920 who are keeping us safe while also not being paid. 0:13:51.000 --> 0:13:53.400 So I think it's coming to a head as it should. 0:13:54.360 --> 0:13:56.480 And I think, look, you know, personally, I think we're 0:13:56.520 --> 0:13:59.840 having a big cultural conversation on the roll of ICE 0:14:00.040 --> 0:14:02.960 and law enforcement in our streets. But the missions of 0:14:02.960 --> 0:14:06.000 all the other parts of homeland security. As a former 0:14:06.040 --> 0:14:09.640 CIA officer, I worked alongside those offices my entire career. 0:14:09.800 --> 0:14:12.160 I would fund them today, So I think there's actually 0:14:12.200 --> 0:14:14.520 a lot of overlap. We just need people to kind 0:14:14.520 --> 0:14:17.760 of buckle down, sit down, shut out the news media, 0:14:17.840 --> 0:14:20.280 no offense, and just get it done so we can 0:14:20.760 --> 0:14:22.480 go on with our lives. And then I think there's 0:14:22.480 --> 0:14:25.240 a bigger question about like we're the only country I 0:14:25.280 --> 0:14:27.960 know in the world that just constantly lives in these 0:14:27.960 --> 0:14:32.040 government shutdowns and allows people who are protecting us to 0:14:32.080 --> 0:14:35.400 be kind of at the mercy of these political conversations. 0:14:35.440 --> 0:14:38.360 I would be personally in full support of just not 0:14:38.640 --> 0:14:41.680 having this happen three times in a calendar year for 0:14:41.760 --> 0:14:45.600 these folks. So I think there's bigger reforms that we need, 0:14:45.640 --> 0:14:47.680 but at this point, just get or done. We all 0:14:47.720 --> 0:14:49.320 know what we need to do, and just sit in 0:14:49.320 --> 0:14:50.880 a room until you get it done. 0:14:51.080 --> 0:14:53.440 It does seem like dejevu all over again is happening 0:14:53.600 --> 0:14:55.680 again and again and again much sooner than it used to. 0:14:56.520 --> 0:14:59.440 At the risk of causing a rift in this lovely 0:14:59.680 --> 0:15:02.320 bi partisan tableau we have going on, I do want 0:15:02.360 --> 0:15:05.120 to ask both of you some questions about what's going 0:15:05.160 --> 0:15:06.920 on in Iran. Sana Sloka, and I'm starting with you 0:15:07.400 --> 0:15:10.320 four weeks and do you feel like the administration has 0:15:10.320 --> 0:15:11.760 a clear strategy in Iran? 0:15:13.120 --> 0:15:15.600 Well, look, I mean I serve three tours in Iraq 0:15:15.640 --> 0:15:19.800 alongside the military as a CIA officer, and you know, 0:15:19.840 --> 0:15:22.360 I know it is harder to get in to get 0:15:22.400 --> 0:15:23.880 out of a war that it is to get into 0:15:23.880 --> 0:15:26.520 a war. On the Armed Services Committee, so they've been 0:15:26.560 --> 0:15:30.200 briefing us. You know, I think it was hard to 0:15:30.360 --> 0:15:32.720 understand what the clear objectives are. So it's hard to 0:15:32.800 --> 0:15:35.800 understand exactly how we're doing. I have no love lost 0:15:35.880 --> 0:15:38.360 for the Iranian government. I watch them and the Iranian 0:15:38.360 --> 0:15:42.000 back militias kill friends of mine in Iraq. But until 0:15:42.040 --> 0:15:44.120 and unless we can have ships move through the state 0:15:44.120 --> 0:15:46.800 of Hormuz, until and unless you know, the average person 0:15:46.800 --> 0:15:50.120 in Michigan is actually not paying for this war through 0:15:50.160 --> 0:15:53.160 the pump, I think it's hard to say it's resolved. 0:15:53.760 --> 0:15:54.560 And I you know, I. 0:15:56.320 --> 0:15:59.800 Hope that we're figuring out quickly at the White House 0:16:00.000 --> 0:16:02.760 exactly how we're going to bring this to resolution. But 0:16:03.320 --> 0:16:05.280 right now, I think it's too soon to tell whether 0:16:05.360 --> 0:16:07.960 we're we can call ourselves winning, and certainly until the 0:16:08.000 --> 0:16:09.080 straits are open, we're not. 0:16:09.600 --> 0:16:11.680 Senator Young, same question to you, and do you have 0:16:11.720 --> 0:16:14.440 any idea what those two marine expeditionary units and the 0:16:14.440 --> 0:16:16.840 eighty second Airborne are planning to do once they arrive 0:16:16.880 --> 0:16:18.880 in the least Is that clear to you? 0:16:18.960 --> 0:16:21.480 No, I don't have great clarity on that. 0:16:21.480 --> 0:16:24.360 That's an operational matter, and I do believe that Congress 0:16:24.400 --> 0:16:28.880 has an important oversight role to play on such questions. 0:16:28.960 --> 0:16:32.440 I think that's the prerogative the Armed Services Committee and 0:16:32.480 --> 0:16:36.440 the Foreign Relations Committee, and I've indicated very publicly in 0:16:36.480 --> 0:16:38.280 the past that I think we needed to hold more 0:16:38.280 --> 0:16:42.400 hearings where possible, more public hearings before we get into 0:16:42.440 --> 0:16:45.960 major engagements. But that said, I know that President is 0:16:46.040 --> 0:16:51.240 determined to degrade any nuclear weapons development capabilities of the 0:16:51.280 --> 0:16:54.920 Islamic Republic of Iran. I know that he's determined to 0:16:54.960 --> 0:16:59.160 make sure that the Iranian proxies of this largest state 0:16:59.200 --> 0:17:00.680 sponsor of TAOR in the. 0:17:00.560 --> 0:17:02.440 World are degraded as well. 0:17:02.760 --> 0:17:05.560 We're making some good progress on that, and then the 0:17:05.560 --> 0:17:10.880 missile capabilities of this terroristic regime are also being degraded. 0:17:10.960 --> 0:17:13.520 So on all those fronts. We've made some positive progress. 0:17:14.280 --> 0:17:18.440 I think so many of us, the American people, back 0:17:18.840 --> 0:17:23.159 my Hoosier constituents and all across the country, want us 0:17:23.200 --> 0:17:27.280 to bring this to as quick of a close as possible. 0:17:26.800 --> 0:17:27.320 If we can. 0:17:27.960 --> 0:17:31.080 If we can indicate that across those three measures that 0:17:31.119 --> 0:17:34.240 I laid out, we've made some real progress and come 0:17:34.320 --> 0:17:38.639 up with a negotiated diplomatic solution to open up the 0:17:38.640 --> 0:17:42.800 Strait of Hormuz on an ongoing basis, then I think 0:17:43.280 --> 0:17:47.520 the President can rightly declare a victory, and the American 0:17:47.560 --> 0:17:50.879 people can resume their economic activity and ways of life, 0:17:50.960 --> 0:17:53.879 and our men and women in uniform who are performing 0:17:53.920 --> 0:17:58.239 so nobly and heroically can be safe and secure and 0:17:58.280 --> 0:17:59.320 proud of their mission. 0:18:00.200 --> 0:18:01.879 For each of you, just about that two hundred billion 0:18:01.920 --> 0:18:04.680 dollar supplemental that's being floated by it by the Pentagon. 0:18:05.640 --> 0:18:07.600 Is it something you support? What would it take for 0:18:07.640 --> 0:18:09.520 you to support it? I'll start with you, Senator Slockin. 0:18:10.760 --> 0:18:11.000 Yeah. 0:18:11.040 --> 0:18:12.960 I mean, look, we've seen it floated. We haven't seen 0:18:12.960 --> 0:18:15.320 anything in black and white. And something I always commit 0:18:15.359 --> 0:18:18.240 to my constituents in Michigan is I read everything. I'm 0:18:18.240 --> 0:18:22.080 going to look at everything objectively, but I will say, 0:18:22.160 --> 0:18:23.920 you know, at the height of the wars in Iraq, 0:18:23.960 --> 0:18:27.160 in Afghanistan, when we had hundreds of thousands of troop deployed, 0:18:27.560 --> 0:18:29.800 things worn't going well in places like a rock. The 0:18:29.800 --> 0:18:32.600 biggest supplemental we ever approved through this body was one 0:18:32.640 --> 0:18:35.440