1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,440 Speaker 1: Welcome in his verdict with Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you, 2 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: I hope you had a fabulous Christmas with your family Center. 3 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:09,520 Speaker 1: I missed chatting with you over the last several weeks, 4 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:11,360 Speaker 1: and I know so many people have been reaching out 5 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:14,760 Speaker 1: to you. That's same with me, giving warm wishes and 6 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:18,599 Speaker 1: prayers for you and your family. I know you missed 7 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:21,000 Speaker 1: talking to the audience a lot, obviously, but you've been 8 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 1: spending it some great quality time with your family. Well, Ben, 9 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 1: I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. I hope everyone 10 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:32,720 Speaker 1: listening had a fantastic Christmas with their family. As everyone knows, 11 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: the podcast has not been airing for the last several weeks. 12 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:39,840 Speaker 1: I've been dealing with a family emergency here at home, 13 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:42,559 Speaker 1: and I just want to say thank you to all 14 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:45,280 Speaker 1: of you who've reached out with your prayers, with your support, 15 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:49,599 Speaker 1: with your encouragement. It means an enormous amount. Everyone's doing 16 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:52,479 Speaker 1: okay right now, and we're grateful for the love that 17 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: has been expressed. Heidi and I have spent the last 18 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: several weeks just here at home with our kids, and 19 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 1: we appreciate also folks respecting our families privacy, and so 20 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:07,280 Speaker 1: I don't intend to be talking uh publicly about what 21 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:09,759 Speaker 1: we're dealing with, other than just to say we appreciate 22 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 1: the prayers, the love and support uh and um and 23 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 1: and in this this holiday time, you know, Christmas is 24 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:20,679 Speaker 1: a wonderful time to be with your family, to hug 25 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:23,840 Speaker 1: your kids, to hug your parents, to to hold on 26 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 1: to the people you love and and it's uh, it's 27 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:30,840 Speaker 1: never more important, no no doubt, no doubt about that. 28 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: And I'm glad to get to spend some more time 29 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:35,560 Speaker 1: with you today. And so many people have been reaching out. Uh, 30 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:37,800 Speaker 1: we've seen all your tweets. I can promise you that, 31 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:41,040 Speaker 1: and I'll say it is just being around you. There 32 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:43,280 Speaker 1: have been so many people they've reached out and they've 33 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 1: been and you guys are wonderful they have done that. 34 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 1: So thank you. Thank you for for everyone that's done 35 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: that as well. Uh, it means the world, I know 36 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 1: when you see those messages. And there's some other breaking news. 37 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 1: You've also gotten older since the last time I talked 38 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 1: to you. Happy birthday a few days later late as well, 39 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 1: what well, thank you Eddie. Techicly we've all gotten older. 40 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 1: But yeah, but I gets just I gotta stick that 41 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 1: one in there, centor you know. So December twenty second, 42 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:11,079 Speaker 1: I turned fifty two. We had a nice, nice birthday 43 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 1: celebration at at home with a family, and and uh, 44 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:17,840 Speaker 1: yet another day. I'll tell you what I tell my mom. 45 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 1: My mom's eighty eight now, and every birthday she has 46 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:24,800 Speaker 1: I tell her, Okay, you're halfway there. She's she's groaning 47 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:27,679 Speaker 1: more and more as I say that on more recent birthdays. 48 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:30,919 Speaker 1: That's hilarious. Fifty two, congrats, happy birthday to that one. 49 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: There's been a lot that's happened in the last couple 50 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:37,080 Speaker 1: of weeks. And I do want to get your thoughts 51 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 1: center on this omnibus spinning bill. Right before Christmas. It 52 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:45,240 Speaker 1: was kind of a stick it to uh the American 53 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 1: people moment. People wanted to fly home. They wanted to 54 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: beat the storm that's affected so many Americans, especially uh 55 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:54,520 Speaker 1: you know that are east of Mississippi. There was a 56 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:56,960 Speaker 1: lot of centers that said, just get me home. I 57 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:00,520 Speaker 1: don't care what it costs. And it cost us quite 58 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 1: quite a lot of money, well over a trillion dollars 59 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 1: in this new budget instead of just passing a cr 60 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: How did this happen and why did so many Republicans 61 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 1: go along with this. Well, I have to tell you 62 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 1: this omnibus was absolutely disgraceful. That it is a massive bill. 63 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 1: It is four thousand, one hundred and fifty five pages, 64 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 1: it's one point seven trillion dollars of new government spending, 65 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:33,000 Speaker 1: and it is a massive spending bill on the way 66 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: out the door. It is a giant gift to Nancy 67 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 1: Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. In just a few days, we're 68 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 1: going to have a Republican House of Representatives in Washington. 69 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 1: Nancy Pelosi obviously doesn't want to enact the policy priorities 70 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:54,840 Speaker 1: of a Republican House of Representatives. So Pelosi and Schumer 71 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: decided a team up together and ram through this final 72 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:03,840 Speaker 1: omnibus bill, massive spending that funds the federal government through 73 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 1: most of next year, all the way through September thirtieth 74 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 1: of next year. Now, they could not do so without 75 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 1: the active assistance of Senate Republicans. And the reason for 76 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 1: that is in the Senate we have the filibuster, which 77 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 1: means it takes sixty votes to move this bill forward. 78 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: At the end of the day, they got sixty votes 79 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:34,000 Speaker 1: because a total of eighteen Republicans voted with Nancy Pelosi, 80 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:37,800 Speaker 1: voted with Chuck Schumer, and voted to fund the Pelosi 81 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 1: Schumer spending bill and simultaneously to pull the rug out 82 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 1: from the brand new incoming Republican majority in the House. 83 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:53,600 Speaker 1: I gotta tell you, I am furious. I'm flabbergasted. There 84 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 1: are things I've seen in Washington. They're spending bills that 85 00:04:56,360 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 1: are indefensible. But it's one thing when Democrats act like socialists. 86 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:09,520 Speaker 1: It's at other things when Republicans actively facilitated and it 87 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 1: was a galling and horrific thing to watch. You know, 88 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:16,039 Speaker 1: so many Americans right now center are struggling, and we've 89 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:20,840 Speaker 1: seen what's happened with inflation, with interest rates. There's been 90 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 1: a lot of wealth that's been lost over the last year. 91 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 1: People in their four one K retirement funds, those that invest, 92 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:31,400 Speaker 1: and when you're spending this type of money now, it 93 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 1: costs you a lot more because this is money we 94 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:36,720 Speaker 1: don't have. We're gonna borrow this money, and it puts 95 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: us into even more debt at a much higher interest rate. 96 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:43,200 Speaker 1: And that's where many economists have been saying, hey, you 97 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 1: guys don't understand that the day of reckoning is going 98 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 1: to come for the United States of America. You guys 99 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 1: have spent this next generation into oblivion. I mean, you've 100 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:56,560 Speaker 1: got so much government waste. Rand Paul came out with 101 00:05:56,560 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 1: his annual Festivals Report, four hundred and eighty two billion 102 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 1: dollars in government waste. There are some idiotic items in there. 103 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 1: Three million to watch Hamster's fight on steroids, two point 104 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:10,160 Speaker 1: one million to tell Ethiopians to wear shoes. I mean, 105 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:12,480 Speaker 1: these are some of the things that your tax dollars 106 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:16,280 Speaker 1: actually went for. And this is just another year of 107 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 1: wasteful government spending that has happened, and now it's going 108 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 1: to cost even more to bar this money. Well, look, 109 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 1: the spending is massive, the debt goes up, it locks 110 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:33,360 Speaker 1: in Democrat priorities, and it also defangs the incoming Republican majority, 111 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:37,560 Speaker 1: which is what Senate Republican leadership wanted. If you look 112 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 1: at the eighteen Republicans who voted for it, You've got 113 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:43,560 Speaker 1: Roy Blunt from Missouri. He's retiring, he's not going to 114 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:46,679 Speaker 1: be there next year. You've got John Boseman from Arkansas. 115 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:48,840 Speaker 1: He was just reelected, so he has six years till 116 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 1: he faces the voters. You've got Shelley Moore Capital from 117 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:55,720 Speaker 1: West Virginia. You've got Susan Collins from Maine. You've got 118 00:06:55,839 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 1: John Cornyn from Texas. You've got Tom Cotton from Arkansas. 119 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:03,480 Speaker 1: You've got Lindsay Graham from South Carolina. You've got Jim 120 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 1: Inhoff from Oklahoma. Jim Inhoff is retiring as well. He's 121 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 1: not going to be there next year. You've got Mitch McConnell, 122 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 1: the Senate Republican leader who helped Chuck Schumer and Nancy 123 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 1: Pelosi pass this massive funding bill. You've got Jerry Moran 124 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 1: from Kansas. You've got Lisa Murkowski from Alaska who was 125 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 1: just elected in November. You've got Rob Portman from Ohio 126 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 1: who's retiring. You've got Mitt Romney from Utah. You've got 127 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:37,480 Speaker 1: Mike Browns from South Dakota. You've got Richard Shelby from 128 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:42,440 Speaker 1: Alabama who's retiring. You've got John Thune from South Dakota 129 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 1: who was just elected in November. You've got Roger Wicker 130 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:49,800 Speaker 1: from Mississippi. And you've got Todd Young from Indiana who 131 00:07:49,880 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 1: was just elected in November. And I got to say, 132 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 1: and there were a couple of others. Marco Rubio voted 133 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:57,120 Speaker 1: initially to move this bill forward. He didn't vote for 134 00:07:57,160 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 1: it at the end of the day, but he refused 135 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:03,280 Speaker 1: to vote against cloture at the outset to stop it. 136 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 1: I gotta tell you, Ben, I cannot tell you why 137 00:08:06,880 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 1: these Republicans voted for it. There is no explanation that 138 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:14,320 Speaker 1: I think makes any sense. I can tell you what 139 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 1: they were telling Republicans privately in the lunches. They were saying, Okay, 140 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 1: there are a variety of different talking points. One they say, 141 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:23,520 Speaker 1: we need to get our work done. I don't even 142 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:26,640 Speaker 1: know what that means. Our work done doesn't mean passing 143 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:30,480 Speaker 1: the Schumer Pelosi priorities. That's not, in fact the work 144 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 1: that the voters elected us to do. They also said 145 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:36,559 Speaker 1: it was interesting. One of the arguments they made is 146 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:40,480 Speaker 1: they said, well, this is doing a favor to Kevin 147 00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 1: McCarthy and the House Republicans because if they have to 148 00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:50,720 Speaker 1: come in and actually vote vote for government funding, they'll 149 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:52,280 Speaker 1: be a big fight, and they don't want to have 150 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 1: a big fight. So if we just take this off 151 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:57,120 Speaker 1: the table, clear the decks is what they call it. 152 00:08:57,200 --> 00:09:01,360 Speaker 1: That's Washington speak, it'll be good for them. I'll tell 153 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 1: you who disagreed with that, really strongly was Kevin McCarthy. 154 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:10,520 Speaker 1: And and actually the House Republicans were loudly and repeatedly saying, 155 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 1: do not do this, do not pass this bill, do 156 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:20,239 Speaker 1: not enable the Democrats to roll our incoming Republican majority. 157 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:22,520 Speaker 1: And yet I'll tell you a number of those folks retiring, 158 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:25,679 Speaker 1: it will not surprise anyone to see them opening up 159 00:09:25,679 --> 00:09:29,160 Speaker 1: a lobby shop. And that thing was filled with earmarks, 160 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:32,800 Speaker 1: it was filled with pork, it was filled with wasteful spending. 161 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:36,720 Speaker 1: And this was the Swamp in all of its hideous glory. 162 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:41,520 Speaker 1: It's it's one thing to see the Democrats do this. 163 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:44,960 Speaker 1: You expect it when you see the Republicans do this. 164 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:48,559 Speaker 1: And and if you just need to see how excited 165 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:51,520 Speaker 1: Democrats were, all you had to do is look at 166 00:09:51,559 --> 00:09:55,640 Speaker 1: Chuck Schumer and Nancy Post's reaction. They touted this and 167 00:09:55,800 --> 00:10:00,439 Speaker 1: the White House if a massive policy victory, a policy 168 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 1: victory that they could not accomplish without Republicans joining them. 169 00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:08,120 Speaker 1: You mentioned some of the reasons why, but how much 170 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 1: of this just came down to give me what I 171 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:14,679 Speaker 1: want for my stake, give me my share for the 172 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:16,720 Speaker 1: people that are lobbying me. That I need them to 173 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:19,960 Speaker 1: take care of me in the future and then you 174 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:21,679 Speaker 1: can get my vote. I mean, there were some people 175 00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 1: on that list that you just mentioned that I think 176 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 1: shocked a lot of people in a concerned a movement. 177 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:27,880 Speaker 1: Tom Cotton, for example, was one of those where there 178 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:29,599 Speaker 1: was a lot of fodder. I saw people going, I 179 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:32,800 Speaker 1: understand some of these others, right, I get I get Alaska, 180 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:35,600 Speaker 1: I get Murkowski and others like that, but that one 181 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:39,720 Speaker 1: was shocking. Look, I have no explanation. You're gonna have 182 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 1: to ask Tom. There's some Republicans who pointed to, well, 183 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:45,120 Speaker 1: there was more defense spending in this you know what, 184 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:48,240 Speaker 1: we could have done that next year. I don't think 185 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:52,559 Speaker 1: that remotely justifies voting for Schumer and Pelosi's budget, and 186 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:58,080 Speaker 1: that's what they did here. Listen, Washington is a town 187 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:01,880 Speaker 1: that is inherently corrupted. And one aspect of this that 188 00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:07,520 Speaker 1: hasn't been fully understood is the important role that earmarks 189 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:10,439 Speaker 1: played in making this pass. So earmarks of the provision 190 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:13,360 Speaker 1: where a member of the House, for a member of 191 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:18,280 Speaker 1: the Senate can specially designate spending in their district for 192 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:24,360 Speaker 1: something they want, and it is the grease that turns 193 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:27,680 Speaker 1: the wheels of big government. And when we had the 194 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:31,080 Speaker 1: Republican takeover in twenty ten of the House of Representatives, 195 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:34,360 Speaker 1: one of the big reforms, one of the great conservative victories, 196 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:40,040 Speaker 1: was ending the policy of earmarks for Republicans, and so 197 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:43,720 Speaker 1: we had a decade where we didn't do earmarks. Well, unfortunately, 198 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:47,520 Speaker 1: Republican leadership didn't like that, because earbarks are how you 199 00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:51,200 Speaker 1: buy off a problematic member. If someone's going to vote 200 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:54,400 Speaker 1: against you, if someone's talking too loud, if they're objecting 201 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:56,280 Speaker 1: to what you're trying to do, you just shovel a 202 00:11:56,320 --> 00:11:58,480 Speaker 1: little bit of cash in their district and they shut up. 203 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:03,840 Speaker 1: It's the gay way drug to the rest of big 204 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:10,440 Speaker 1: government spending. Well, unfortunately in this earmarks are back and 205 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:19,920 Speaker 1: are back in incredible force, and that that has included spending. 206 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 1: So Pat Lahey, the chairman of the Appropriations Committee from Vermont, 207 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:28,600 Speaker 1: he's retiring. He named a huge program up in Vermont, 208 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 1: the Pat Lahey Program. Richard Shelby, the leading Republican from 209 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:37,720 Speaker 1: Alabama on appropriations, he's retiring. Also, he named a bunch 210 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:43,720 Speaker 1: of things after himself, the Richard Shelby. I gotta say, Ben, 211 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:48,160 Speaker 1: I think it is fundamentally corrupt for any member of 212 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:52,439 Speaker 1: Congress to name a damn thing after themselves. And I 213 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:54,559 Speaker 1: don't think anything should be named after a member of 214 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:58,080 Speaker 1: Congress as long as they're still alive. If someone kicks 215 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 1: the bucket, you want to name something after him. Eight 216 00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:03,880 Speaker 1: But my view, if you want the Ben Ferguson building, 217 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:05,800 Speaker 1: you got a real simple way to do it. Pull 218 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:07,760 Speaker 1: out your checkbook and write a check for it. But 219 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:10,600 Speaker 1: when you're in Congress, you're not spending your money, you're 220 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:14,640 Speaker 1: spending the taxpayer money. And the idea that you have 221 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:17,360 Speaker 1: members of Congress stick in their name on it, I 222 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:23,000 Speaker 1: think is just on its face, corrupting and a corrupt practice. 223 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:25,920 Speaker 1: There was an interesting threat that was made by the 224 00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:29,760 Speaker 1: House many House members, and I want to know your 225 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:32,920 Speaker 1: thoughts on do you believe this is just political theater 226 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:35,959 Speaker 1: or is this going to actually be backed up? Where 227 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:39,720 Speaker 1: there were Republicans, including some of the new leadership, who said, 228 00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:42,800 Speaker 1: for any of these Republicans that vote with the Democrats 229 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:44,880 Speaker 1: on the sound of a spending bill when they could 230 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:46,800 Speaker 1: have done a cr they could have said no, they 231 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:48,640 Speaker 1: could have allowed the next Congress to do a better 232 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:52,040 Speaker 1: spending bill with some accountability in it. They said you 233 00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:57,480 Speaker 1: can kiss your initiatives and this new Congress, goodbye, your bills, goodbye. 234 00:13:57,520 --> 00:14:00,440 Speaker 1: We're gonna hold you accountable for this vote right before 235 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:03,320 Speaker 1: everybody just wanted to get out of town. Do you 236 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:07,200 Speaker 1: believe there's going to be some real accountability in that 237 00:14:07,280 --> 00:14:09,520 Speaker 1: way from the House or was that more just political 238 00:14:09,559 --> 00:14:11,920 Speaker 1: theater to get the headline out there that you're standing 239 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 1: up to the senators on the Republican side that basically 240 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:17,839 Speaker 1: sold us out. Well, look, I hope there's real accountability. 241 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 1: The congressman who led that effort is Chip Roy. Chip 242 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:24,800 Speaker 1: Roy as a congressman from Texas. Chip is a very 243 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:26,720 Speaker 1: good friend of mine. I know Chip very very well. 244 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:29,880 Speaker 1: Chip was by very first tim huh. We did a 245 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:32,480 Speaker 1: bus tour stop with him. In fact, we did, and 246 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:36,800 Speaker 1: and Chip was my very first chief of staff when 247 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:39,280 Speaker 1: I was newly elected in twenty twelve, arrived at the 248 00:14:39,280 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 1: Senate in twenty thirteen. Chips started with me on day 249 00:14:42,560 --> 00:14:45,240 Speaker 1: one as my chief of staff. And Chip as a warrior. 250 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 1: He's a conservative warrior. The battle against Obamacare that that 251 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:53,480 Speaker 1: resulted in a shutdown, but that also resulted in the 252 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:56,920 Speaker 1: biggest Republican victory in decades of the twenty fourteen election. 253 00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:00,040 Speaker 1: Chip was my chief of staff throughout that Chips the 254 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:02,760 Speaker 1: one who who leveled this threat, and a number of 255 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:06,720 Speaker 1: other House Republicans joined him. I don't know if they'll 256 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:11,680 Speaker 1: be able to carry through on it. It It will 257 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:15,800 Speaker 1: prove difficult given that among the people supporting this omnibus 258 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:19,360 Speaker 1: are all of the members of Republican leadership, and so 259 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:21,280 Speaker 1: for a House member to say we're going to block 260 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 1: anything they support, the threat is significant, but at the 261 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:32,320 Speaker 1: end of the day, blocking anything Republican leadership supports, at 262 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:35,760 Speaker 1: a minimum may prove difficult to execute. Senator, I want 263 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:37,880 Speaker 1: to go back, just before we move on from this, 264 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:40,560 Speaker 1: to the price tag on this omnibus spinning book bill. 265 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:43,000 Speaker 1: How did we get to a point where we could 266 00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:46,400 Speaker 1: even imagine enough stuff to spend money on that is 267 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:51,160 Speaker 1: almost two trillion dollars. Well, look, the Democrats today have 268 00:15:51,480 --> 00:15:56,440 Speaker 1: handed their agenda over to the radical extremes. That many 269 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:59,320 Speaker 1: of the Democrats in the House and Senator are openly 270 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:03,200 Speaker 1: embracing socialism. They're happy to spend all the money they can, 271 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:07,880 Speaker 1: and far too many Republicans are eager to be complicit 272 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:11,600 Speaker 1: in it. And that you roll this all together to 273 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 1: buy up votes. The earmarks help you buy votes. But 274 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:18,480 Speaker 1: there are all sorts of provisions of this bill that 275 00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:22,600 Speaker 1: reflect the fact that it was written by Nancy Pelosi 276 00:16:22,640 --> 00:16:26,680 Speaker 1: and Chuck Schumer. So, for example, the funding for Customs 277 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:32,440 Speaker 1: and Border patrol explicitly prohibits that funding from being used 278 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:35,040 Speaker 1: to improve border security. Let me read you the language. 279 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:38,720 Speaker 1: None of the funds provided in this subsections shall be 280 00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:46,960 Speaker 1: used to acquire, maintain, or extend border security technology and capabilities, 281 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 1: except for technology and capabilities to improve border patrol processing. 282 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:57,440 Speaker 1: In other words, you can use this money to let 283 00:16:57,480 --> 00:17:01,400 Speaker 1: illegal aliens go more quickly, but you can't actually use 284 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:03,760 Speaker 1: it to secure the border and stop them from entering. 285 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:08,600 Speaker 1: By the way, that same budget allocates four hundred and 286 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:16,120 Speaker 1: ten million dollars towards border security for Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, 287 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:21,520 Speaker 1: and Oman. It's really striking. So we're funding border security 288 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:27,080 Speaker 1: in other countries but not here in the United States, 289 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:29,359 Speaker 1: and they're writing into law of prohibition on the money 290 00:17:29,359 --> 00:17:33,120 Speaker 1: being used to improve border security. There's one point five 291 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:39,040 Speaker 1: billion for membership in global organizations, including the United Nations. 292 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:41,520 Speaker 1: All right, you want to know how you buy all votes. 293 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:46,960 Speaker 1: Here's an interesting thing. Pick a really random word that 294 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:49,760 Speaker 1: you would not think appeared in this bill much less 295 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:56,639 Speaker 1: appears forty eight times. Take a guess, right, I'm thinking 296 00:17:56,680 --> 00:17:59,160 Speaker 1: of the worst people in the Congress writing this thing. 297 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:02,000 Speaker 1: So is it hand out? Is at government aide? I mean, 298 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:05,400 Speaker 1: what's their favorite word when they're more parochial than that? 299 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:10,119 Speaker 1: The word salmon as a really okay I was in 300 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:14,520 Speaker 1: a totally different world, appears forty eight times in the bill. 301 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:18,440 Speaker 1: What else is there? There's three million dollars for bee 302 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:21,920 Speaker 1: friendly highways. That's important. I know, I know that was 303 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:24,359 Speaker 1: one of your top agenda items when you were running 304 00:18:24,359 --> 00:18:27,920 Speaker 1: for the Senate, right, you know, you gotta take care 305 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:30,480 Speaker 1: of the bees, and and and and this is the 306 00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:32,159 Speaker 1: birds of the bees, because I got to tell you 307 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 1: the taxpayers are getting screwed that this this is a 308 00:18:34,840 --> 00:18:38,920 Speaker 1: lesson in Washington birds and bees. You mentioned the border. 309 00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:40,560 Speaker 1: I just I have to get back to that for 310 00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:44,760 Speaker 1: a sec We're securing the border in other countries. You 311 00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:47,400 Speaker 1: had Zelenski that flew in and got you know, was 312 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:51,359 Speaker 1: the rock star of of Congress's past week, you know, 313 00:18:51,480 --> 00:18:55,600 Speaker 1: kissing with Nancy Pelosi. We're giving him money literally to 314 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:58,639 Speaker 1: secure his border instead of sending that money down to 315 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:02,000 Speaker 1: secure our own border. Did that frustrate you at all 316 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:04,640 Speaker 1: that they're like advocating and how much do you need 317 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:08,440 Speaker 1: you got to secure your border? Sir, ours is wide open. 318 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:11,399 Speaker 1: We know there's a thousand and two thousand, five thousand, 319 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:14,840 Speaker 1: ten thousand coming across the border. Can't wait for you know, 320 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:17,000 Speaker 1: tile forty three to end and then they're gonna all 321 00:19:17,040 --> 00:19:21,280 Speaker 1: come rushing across. And even the Democrats accidentally slipped this 322 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:24,000 Speaker 1: last week saying, well, they admit there is a crisis 323 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:28,639 Speaker 1: at the border, but we're quote handling it. It is 324 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:32,639 Speaker 1: absolutely insane, and I will say the adulation for Zelenski 325 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:36,960 Speaker 1: was bizarre. I think the Democrats it's become almost cult 326 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:40,679 Speaker 1: like and at the same time a complete refusal to 327 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:43,640 Speaker 1: have any meaningful accountability as to the money that's being 328 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:47,679 Speaker 1: spent there. Listen. I'm someone that believes it is important 329 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:51,399 Speaker 1: for our national security interest for Russia to lose, for 330 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:55,040 Speaker 1: Putin to lose, and so I've been an active advocate 331 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:59,080 Speaker 1: of supporting Ukraine. But for the Democrats it's a blank check. 332 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:03,119 Speaker 1: And it's a blank check not just for military weapons 333 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:07,200 Speaker 1: to defeat Russian soldiers, but for just billions of dollars 334 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:10,600 Speaker 1: that get poured into rat holes, and our subject corruption, 335 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:15,439 Speaker 1: our subject to embezzlement, and and and it. It is bizarre. 336 00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:18,120 Speaker 1: But you also asked me how do we get there? 337 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:23,719 Speaker 1: In the debate over this bill, one of the strangest 338 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:26,000 Speaker 1: things that was said is is Mitch McConnell at a 339 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:30,080 Speaker 1: press conference said, I think the number one priority for 340 00:20:30,160 --> 00:20:37,080 Speaker 1: most Republicans is funding Ukraine. Now, Ben that that is strange. 341 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:42,080 Speaker 1: I don't get the mindset that says that. I believe 342 00:20:42,119 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 1: defeating Russia is important. But I don't know anyone in 343 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:48,879 Speaker 1: real America. I don't know any Texans. I don't think 344 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:52,119 Speaker 1: I've ever encountered anyone who says, you know, the number 345 00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:55,919 Speaker 1: one priority for me for America right now is funding Ukraine. 346 00:20:56,280 --> 00:21:00,440 Speaker 1: Just that that's the Republican leadership right now. When he 347 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:03,280 Speaker 1: said it, it was something that went viral quickly in 348 00:21:03,359 --> 00:21:07,800 Speaker 1: Republican circles, conservative circles online. But but he meant it. 349 00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:11,640 Speaker 1: It wasn't It wasn't a slip from McConnell. He genuinely 350 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:14,720 Speaker 1: was saying, this is the number one priority, not you, 351 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:18,640 Speaker 1: not your safety, not your country, but Ukraine. And if 352 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:21,280 Speaker 1: you're not with us, then then you're on the side 353 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:24,000 Speaker 1: of Vladimir Putin. I didn't like the way how in 354 00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:26,800 Speaker 1: the last several weeks this has been. This framing is 355 00:21:26,840 --> 00:21:29,240 Speaker 1: if I ask any questions, oh, you're with Putin. I 356 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:31,600 Speaker 1: got yelled at on TV the other day for this 357 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:34,040 Speaker 1: center where I was like, look, I'm in favor of 358 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:38,159 Speaker 1: stopping Russia aggression. I'm not in favor of us funding 359 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:40,800 Speaker 1: the entire thing. I'm not in favor of us being 360 00:21:40,800 --> 00:21:43,000 Speaker 1: the one that's right in the check with no accountability 361 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:46,320 Speaker 1: or with no out auditing, no accounting of where the 362 00:21:46,359 --> 00:21:49,280 Speaker 1: money is actually going. And the rest of the world, 363 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:51,840 Speaker 1: especially in Europe. And I said this, they claimed they 364 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:55,360 Speaker 1: were going to get involved. We're overwhelmingly funding this, this 365 00:21:55,640 --> 00:21:58,800 Speaker 1: Ukrainian war. They're not stepping up to the plate either. 366 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:01,080 Speaker 1: And I'm tired of America always being the first one 367 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:04,080 Speaker 1: to say, here, the American taxpayers will write you a 368 00:22:04,119 --> 00:22:07,159 Speaker 1: fifty billion dollar check. And then you look at all 369 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:10,080 Speaker 1: the countries in Europe, who, by the way, are buying 370 00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:14,439 Speaker 1: oil from from Vladimir Putin for decades, keeping him in power. 371 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:17,280 Speaker 1: When we warned them, Donald Trump warned you know that, 372 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:19,280 Speaker 1: He warned Europe, you guys need to stop doing this. 373 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:21,360 Speaker 1: You're gonna make him powerful. He's going to be able 374 00:22:21,359 --> 00:22:24,080 Speaker 1: to control you. And now they're putting hardly any money 375 00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:26,760 Speaker 1: into this fight against against Russia and they're doing nothing 376 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:31,840 Speaker 1: really to help Ukraine. Yeah, listen, it is bizarre. The 377 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:36,879 Speaker 1: cult like support Democrats are showing, the complete unwillingness to 378 00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:40,359 Speaker 1: have any accountability, the desire to just have a write 379 00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:44,440 Speaker 1: a blank check, the unwillingness to hold Europe to account 380 00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:46,800 Speaker 1: for them to pay their fair share of if the 381 00:22:46,800 --> 00:22:49,880 Speaker 1: Democrats don't believe it. And of course the utter irony 382 00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:51,720 Speaker 1: of this whole thing is it was Joe Biden that 383 00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:53,760 Speaker 1: caused the Damn War in the first place, and we've 384 00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:57,320 Speaker 1: talked about that at length, how the Nordstream two pipeline, 385 00:22:57,359 --> 00:23:01,440 Speaker 1: the sanctions that I authored had stopped us from invading Ukraine, 386 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:04,399 Speaker 1: and then Joe Biden waived the sanctions on Russian Putin 387 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:07,440 Speaker 1: and caused this war. And now they're trying to cover 388 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:11,440 Speaker 1: up for their clean up on Aisle six, the mess 389 00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:17,080 Speaker 1: that they made by just shoveling cash. Um, it really 390 00:23:17,119 --> 00:23:20,040 Speaker 1: makes no sense at all. I do think it's important 391 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:25,119 Speaker 1: that people here and this is again in WASHINGTONC Mitch 392 00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:28,160 Speaker 1: McConnell making it clear that he's going to spend your 393 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:31,840 Speaker 1: money on his top top priority is here. He is, 394 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:36,560 Speaker 1: in his own words, providing assistance for the Ukrainians to 395 00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:41,040 Speaker 1: defeat the Russians. That's the number one priority for the 396 00:23:41,119 --> 00:23:45,720 Speaker 1: United States right now, according to most Republicans. That's sort 397 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:51,000 Speaker 1: of how we see the challenges confronting the country at 398 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:54,000 Speaker 1: the moment. There's a lot of things that are that 399 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:58,480 Speaker 1: are that are right now, uh, you know, confronting this country. 400 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:01,640 Speaker 1: And when you go to Washington Center you sit around, 401 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:04,280 Speaker 1: is this truly how out of touchs they are with 402 00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:07,960 Speaker 1: the reality of the American family who's dealing with inflation. 403 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:10,919 Speaker 1: I mean, USA to Ukraine. You have forty five billion 404 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:14,720 Speaker 1: within the omnoist bill, you had one point eight billion, 405 00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:18,520 Speaker 1: and and and another package and sixty eight billion has 406 00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:21,600 Speaker 1: already been sent. And he says this is the number 407 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:26,120 Speaker 1: one priority of the GOP is focused on this. That 408 00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:29,880 Speaker 1: is a hell of a lot of money that we're borrowing. Again, 409 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:31,720 Speaker 1: we don't have this money. We're gonna have to borrow it, 410 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:35,000 Speaker 1: and we're gonna have to pay interest on it. Well, Ben, 411 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:37,200 Speaker 1: look that that's a big part of the reason why 412 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:41,640 Speaker 1: I helped lead the leadership challenge to Mitch McConnell just 413 00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:44,640 Speaker 1: a few weeks ago, because our leadership is fundamentally out 414 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:48,160 Speaker 1: of touch, that doesn't reflect the priorities of the American people, 415 00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:50,280 Speaker 1: and I think that's an enormous problem. You look at 416 00:24:50,320 --> 00:24:52,400 Speaker 1: some of the elements of this bill beyond that, there's 417 00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:56,439 Speaker 1: sixty five million for two programs name for Senator Pat Lahey. 418 00:24:57,040 --> 00:25:01,320 Speaker 1: There's a federal building name for Nancy Pelosi. There's three 419 00:25:01,359 --> 00:25:06,080 Speaker 1: point six million dollars for the Michelle Obama Trail. There's 420 00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:09,320 Speaker 1: four hundred and seventy seven thousand dollars for quote anti 421 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:13,400 Speaker 1: racist training from the Equity Institute. There's three million dollars 422 00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:18,160 Speaker 1: for the LGBTQ Plus Museum in New York. There's one 423 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:22,359 Speaker 1: point two million dollars for services for DACA recipients. There's 424 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:27,400 Speaker 1: four point one million in career programs for Fairfax County, Virginia, 425 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:31,680 Speaker 1: one of the richest counties in the country. It renames 426 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:35,080 Speaker 1: twenty five post offices. There's five hundred and twenty four 427 00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:40,920 Speaker 1: million for a di and Structural Racism subdivision of the 428 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:45,240 Speaker 1: National Institute of Health. There's three hundred thousand dollars per 429 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:53,960 Speaker 1: year for the continuous Plankton Recorder. This is Washington corruption, 430 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:58,679 Speaker 1: plain and simple, and and it is a result. We 431 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:01,680 Speaker 1: expect democrat to be a train wreck, We expect them 432 00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:05,480 Speaker 1: to be socialist. What we should be willing to expect 433 00:26:05,640 --> 00:26:13,120 Speaker 1: is for Republicans not And the maddening thing is this 434 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:16,560 Speaker 1: didn't take anything particularly complicated or difficult to stop it. 435 00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:19,760 Speaker 1: All we had to do was a forty one Republicans 436 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:23,080 Speaker 1: stand up and say no. The last four times there 437 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:25,119 Speaker 1: was a shift in control of one of the houses 438 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:30,720 Speaker 1: of representation, the Congress, each of the last four times 439 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:35,879 Speaker 1: did not pass an omnibus funding bill. The incoming party 440 00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:42,320 Speaker 1: who was getting control had enough cajonas to stand up 441 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:44,720 Speaker 1: and say, hell no, we just won an election. We're 442 00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:48,640 Speaker 1: going to set the spending priorities. Now. Look, there's reference 443 00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:53,680 Speaker 1: to the uniparty. I gotta say, for the Republicans who 444 00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:57,480 Speaker 1: supported this, I get the ones who were retiring why 445 00:26:57,520 --> 00:26:59,440 Speaker 1: they did, although it makes you wonder what the hell 446 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:03,000 Speaker 1: they were doing previously. But I don't understand anyone who 447 00:27:03,040 --> 00:27:06,080 Speaker 1: cast cast a vote for this, And I think I 448 00:27:06,119 --> 00:27:08,119 Speaker 1: think a lot of the voters are pissed off, and 449 00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:09,680 Speaker 1: I think they have good reason. To be pissed off. 450 00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:11,480 Speaker 1: How much of this is an age thing? And I 451 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:14,200 Speaker 1: say that because you look at Nancy Pelosi at her age, 452 00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:15,959 Speaker 1: you look at Mitch McConnell at his age, you look 453 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:18,600 Speaker 1: at Joe Biden at his age, and you and you 454 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 1: look at Chuck Schumert his age. They know that when 455 00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:26,119 Speaker 1: the you know what hits the fan, Senator, they're probably 456 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:28,240 Speaker 1: not going to be around to have to deal with it. 457 00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:32,960 Speaker 1: There is going to be a catastrophic event economically within 458 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:36,919 Speaker 1: our government, within this country to pay back this debt 459 00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:40,359 Speaker 1: at some point. And it's part of the reason why 460 00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:42,439 Speaker 1: they just can do this so easily is just the 461 00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:45,879 Speaker 1: fact they say, it ain't my problem. Literally, this is 462 00:27:45,920 --> 00:27:47,879 Speaker 1: not going to hit the fan when I'm in office, 463 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:51,240 Speaker 1: much less I may not even be alive by then. Yes, 464 00:27:51,280 --> 00:27:54,199 Speaker 1: it's going to affect my grandkids, right or even my kids, 465 00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:58,120 Speaker 1: but not me, so screw it. I'll go with it. Yeah, 466 00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:00,760 Speaker 1: it's it's it's not just age. I mean, the people 467 00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:03,800 Speaker 1: that voted for this ran the gamut of the age. Look, 468 00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:06,119 Speaker 1: there are people in the Senator or one hundred and 469 00:28:06,119 --> 00:28:08,480 Speaker 1: forty two, so there are definitely some folks who are 470 00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:11,720 Speaker 1: long in the tooth. But you know, Tom Cotton is 471 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:13,600 Speaker 1: one of the youngest members of the Senate. He voted 472 00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:15,920 Speaker 1: for this. Todd Young is a relatively young member of 473 00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:20,240 Speaker 1: the Senate. He voted for this. Marco Rubio voted to 474 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:23,200 Speaker 1: take this up initially. He's younger than I am, one 475 00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:25,080 Speaker 1: of the youngest members of the Senate. So it's it's 476 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:30,320 Speaker 1: not just an age thing. But I'm going to let 477 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:34,879 Speaker 1: them speak for themselves that they can explain why this 478 00:28:35,080 --> 00:28:38,800 Speaker 1: spending bill was better than a spending bill that was 479 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:43,240 Speaker 1: passed with a Republican majority in the House. I promise 480 00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:46,640 Speaker 1: you a House Republican majority is not going to write 481 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:48,920 Speaker 1: into the bill the funds in this bill cannot be 482 00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:52,200 Speaker 1: used to secure the border. That's something Pelosi and Schumer do. 483 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:57,520 Speaker 1: But for Republicans, they're willing to, at least some of 484 00:28:57,520 --> 00:29:00,000 Speaker 1: them are willing to roll over and allow it to happen. 485 00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:03,400 Speaker 1: How much does the national debt keep you up? I mean, 486 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:05,040 Speaker 1: I know there's a lot of issues you have to 487 00:29:05,040 --> 00:29:08,160 Speaker 1: deal with, you have to vote on, But I sit 488 00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:10,440 Speaker 1: here right now and I look at it, and it 489 00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:15,800 Speaker 1: really is now becoming more of a constant kind of 490 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:20,440 Speaker 1: thought process for me of realizing that we are not 491 00:29:20,520 --> 00:29:22,880 Speaker 1: as strong as we need to be as a nation, 492 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:27,840 Speaker 1: specifically economically. And I am concerned now that we've gotten 493 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:31,680 Speaker 1: so far into debt that for many of these people 494 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:33,920 Speaker 1: in the left it could be on purpose, just because 495 00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:36,920 Speaker 1: they know that when the American people are hurting, they're 496 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:39,480 Speaker 1: more dependent on them. And that's how they gain power 497 00:29:39,520 --> 00:29:42,280 Speaker 1: and control over you, is that when they can be 498 00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:46,680 Speaker 1: your god, your savior financially, every thirty days, you're going 499 00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:49,560 Speaker 1: to vote for them. That's the thing that I worry 500 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:53,959 Speaker 1: the most about this is if we go into some serious, hard, 501 00:29:54,320 --> 00:29:57,880 Speaker 1: tough economic times, it is only going to, I think, 502 00:29:57,920 --> 00:30:00,200 Speaker 1: help the Democrats in that moment go well, hey, hey, 503 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:02,200 Speaker 1: we can turn this more into kind of a you know, 504 00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:05,200 Speaker 1: a socialist country, and we'll take care of you. Granted 505 00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:07,320 Speaker 1: your wife is going to be terrible, but at least 506 00:30:07,360 --> 00:30:14,040 Speaker 1: you're living. Look, I think for the Democrats, they don't care. 507 00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:19,520 Speaker 1: I think the Democrats their solution at the end of 508 00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:22,560 Speaker 1: the day, we're seeing it right now. Their solution at 509 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:24,720 Speaker 1: the end of the day is inflate their way out 510 00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:28,400 Speaker 1: of it. Just print so much money, have hyper inflation 511 00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:32,360 Speaker 1: that the debt as a percentage of as the value 512 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:34,840 Speaker 1: the dollar goes down, the debt becomes less relevant, and 513 00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:38,360 Speaker 1: for them it's about power. Look, we've seen socialist governments 514 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:42,040 Speaker 1: do this all over the country, all over the world. 515 00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:45,560 Speaker 1: Rather and and and I think that's on the left 516 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:52,120 Speaker 1: where it comes from for Republicans. Listen, I think most 517 00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:56,520 Speaker 1: Republicans in the Senate, if you ask them, they are 518 00:30:56,600 --> 00:31:01,120 Speaker 1: concerned about the debt, but they're more concerned about being criticized. 519 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:03,960 Speaker 1: They're more concerned about the media saying something mean about them. 520 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:10,400 Speaker 1: They're more concerned about not having not being reelected, and 521 00:31:10,760 --> 00:31:13,160 Speaker 1: spending a bunch of cash is a great way to 522 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:16,880 Speaker 1: buy votes and and try to get reelected. And so 523 00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:25,600 Speaker 1: it is. This is I've been in the Senate ten years. 524 00:31:25,640 --> 00:31:36,000 Speaker 1: I've never seen it this bad with with Republicans literally 525 00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:39,760 Speaker 1: undermining the ability of Republicans to pass a Republican budget. 526 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:43,960 Speaker 1: That's what they just did. Yeah, it's it's truly incredible, 527 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:46,800 Speaker 1: and it's gonna it's gonna hurt this country, I think, 528 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:50,480 Speaker 1: in so many different ways, including protecting in this nation 529 00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:55,280 Speaker 1: in general from adversaries foreign and domestic. I do want 530 00:31:55,280 --> 00:31:57,040 Speaker 1: to end this year on a on a on a 531 00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:00,880 Speaker 1: I would say, an incredible note and it's something that 532 00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:06,200 Speaker 1: you led on center, and this was the vaccine military mandate. 533 00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:08,680 Speaker 1: This happened. A lot of good men and women in 534 00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:13,120 Speaker 1: uniform were discharged from our military because they refused to 535 00:32:13,160 --> 00:32:15,120 Speaker 1: get vaccinated. There were many of them that were not 536 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:18,760 Speaker 1: given religious exemptions, and pretty much they were laughed at 537 00:32:18,800 --> 00:32:22,040 Speaker 1: when they tried to go that route. And now we 538 00:32:22,160 --> 00:32:26,200 Speaker 1: have some we have a victory for those men and women. 539 00:32:26,720 --> 00:32:29,400 Speaker 1: Is it a little bit too late for some of them? 540 00:32:29,480 --> 00:32:30,760 Speaker 1: Are we going to be able to get some of 541 00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:32,840 Speaker 1: them back in the workplace again and back in the 542 00:32:32,840 --> 00:32:36,720 Speaker 1: military doing their jobs, getting back to their careers. Well, look, 543 00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:39,240 Speaker 1: I'm glad we're ending this pod with a note of 544 00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:41,959 Speaker 1: optimism and a note of good news. And we do 545 00:32:42,040 --> 00:32:45,959 Speaker 1: have some good news, which which is the military vaccine 546 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:50,360 Speaker 1: mandate has ended. And that is a fight. I've been 547 00:32:50,480 --> 00:32:54,080 Speaker 1: leading the fight against the vaccine mandate from the very beginning, 548 00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:57,440 Speaker 1: from when they was first imposed. I think the vaccine 549 00:32:57,440 --> 00:33:00,760 Speaker 1: mandate was wrong on day one. It's been wrong every 550 00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:04,120 Speaker 1: day that it's continued, and in the military in particular, 551 00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:10,040 Speaker 1: it's been horrific. I've spoken, I've visited with multiple soldiers 552 00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:14,920 Speaker 1: and sailors and airmen and Marines who were discharged because 553 00:33:14,960 --> 00:33:17,840 Speaker 1: they made the choice not to get the COVID vaccine, 554 00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:20,480 Speaker 1: and I think that was fundamentally wrong. It was abusive, 555 00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:23,920 Speaker 1: it was stupid. I visited with Navy seals who spent 556 00:33:24,080 --> 00:33:27,520 Speaker 1: years training, who fought to defend this nation, who Joe 557 00:33:27,560 --> 00:33:32,480 Speaker 1: Biden has fired. And so Congress took up at the 558 00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:36,120 Speaker 1: end of the year the NDAA, the National Defense Authorization Act, 559 00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:39,280 Speaker 1: and I joined with several other senators. We drew a 560 00:33:39,320 --> 00:33:42,920 Speaker 1: line in the ground and said we should stand together 561 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:46,719 Speaker 1: and say we will not pass this bill unless you 562 00:33:46,920 --> 00:33:49,840 Speaker 1: end the vaccine mandated. The Democrats beat their chest and 563 00:33:49,880 --> 00:33:52,400 Speaker 1: said we'll never do it, We'll never do it, and 564 00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:57,680 Speaker 1: wonder of wonders, Republicans actually held the line and the 565 00:33:57,760 --> 00:34:01,440 Speaker 1: Democrats caved, and so Joe Biden signed in the law 566 00:34:01,480 --> 00:34:05,040 Speaker 1: of the bill ending the military vaccine mandate. That is 567 00:34:05,080 --> 00:34:09,640 Speaker 1: a terrific victory and one that we should celebrate because 568 00:34:09,719 --> 00:34:14,440 Speaker 1: it's the right thing to do. Now, while we're celebrating, 569 00:34:14,440 --> 00:34:17,719 Speaker 1: I think our celebrations need to be tempered because you 570 00:34:17,800 --> 00:34:22,600 Speaker 1: asked the right question, Ben, It's right. Going forward, the 571 00:34:22,719 --> 00:34:26,719 Speaker 1: Biden military will not fire people because they didn't get 572 00:34:26,719 --> 00:34:31,319 Speaker 1: a COVID vaccine. Unfortunately, this bill is prospective only. It 573 00:34:31,360 --> 00:34:37,200 Speaker 1: does nothing retrospective. I've had legislation I introduced that would 574 00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:39,719 Speaker 1: allow every one of the servicemen and women who were 575 00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:43,920 Speaker 1: dismissed because of not getting the COVID vaccine to be 576 00:34:44,120 --> 00:34:47,640 Speaker 1: reinstated in the military if they so desired, if they 577 00:34:47,680 --> 00:34:50,399 Speaker 1: made the choice, if they'd be if they'd been kicked 578 00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:51,919 Speaker 1: out and they wanted to go back in, it would 579 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:55,480 Speaker 1: let them back in. It would also change their status. 580 00:34:55,520 --> 00:34:58,200 Speaker 1: There were a number of people who were exited from 581 00:34:58,200 --> 00:35:01,560 Speaker 1: the military with a less than honor discharge. That has 582 00:35:01,680 --> 00:35:07,400 Speaker 1: enormous consequences for retirement, for healthcare benefits, for veteran status, 583 00:35:07,400 --> 00:35:11,120 Speaker 1: and so my bill corrected that to ensure that those 584 00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:15,080 Speaker 1: who were fired because they didn't get the COVID vaccine 585 00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:17,560 Speaker 1: and who would choose they didn't want to go back 586 00:35:17,600 --> 00:35:22,560 Speaker 1: now that they would at a minimum be deemed honorably discharged, 587 00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:24,720 Speaker 1: so they would get full credit for their time served. 588 00:35:25,280 --> 00:35:27,759 Speaker 1: That's a matter of justice, it's a matter of fairness. 589 00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:31,799 Speaker 1: I had an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. 590 00:35:31,840 --> 00:35:34,640 Speaker 1: I did it with Ron Johnson from Wisconsin, and we 591 00:35:34,680 --> 00:35:36,760 Speaker 1: had a vote on the Senate floor on my amendment, 592 00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:42,719 Speaker 1: and the amendment unfortunately was voted down. The vote was 593 00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:46,799 Speaker 1: forty to fifty four, so fifty four voted no. There 594 00:35:46,800 --> 00:35:50,440 Speaker 1: were some who weren't there. The Democrats all voted no, 595 00:35:51,480 --> 00:35:56,040 Speaker 1: and there were four Republicans who voted no. Bill Cassidy 596 00:35:56,080 --> 00:36:00,320 Speaker 1: from Louisiana, Susan Collins remain Meant Romney from Utah, and 597 00:36:00,800 --> 00:36:05,360 Speaker 1: Mike Rounds from North Dakota. I gotta tell you again, 598 00:36:05,480 --> 00:36:09,160 Speaker 1: I don't have a good explanation. You got a Navy 599 00:36:09,200 --> 00:36:12,200 Speaker 1: seal who spent ten, twelve, fifteen years fighting to defend 600 00:36:12,239 --> 00:36:17,040 Speaker 1: this country. He gets fired because Joe Biden decides to 601 00:36:17,040 --> 00:36:19,320 Speaker 1: throw him out because he didn't get the vaccine mandate. 602 00:36:19,960 --> 00:36:24,960 Speaker 1: I don't know how to articulate why even one Senator 603 00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:28,560 Speaker 1: would vote to say, nope, we're not letting that navy 604 00:36:28,600 --> 00:36:31,279 Speaker 1: seal back in. I don't care that we have a 605 00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:33,919 Speaker 1: recruiting shortage. I don't care that we don't have enough 606 00:36:34,320 --> 00:36:36,840 Speaker 1: men and women to defend our nation. I don't care 607 00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:40,879 Speaker 1: that we're no longer firing people for doing this. That 608 00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:48,439 Speaker 1: guy is out of luck. It was infuriating that that 609 00:36:48,520 --> 00:36:51,160 Speaker 1: particular amendment didn't pass. So the people that it is 610 00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:53,840 Speaker 1: a minimum thousands, and it may be an excess of 611 00:36:53,920 --> 00:36:56,680 Speaker 1: ten thousand. We have not been able to get an actual, 612 00:36:57,080 --> 00:37:00,759 Speaker 1: accurate and fair accounting of just how men, any servicemen 613 00:37:00,760 --> 00:37:03,799 Speaker 1: and women have been forcibly discharged. So as we go 614 00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:10,040 Speaker 1: into the new year, let's celebrate the military vaccine mandate 615 00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:14,719 Speaker 1: has been ended. It's been ended because millions of Americans 616 00:37:14,760 --> 00:37:18,040 Speaker 1: stood up alongside me many others and fought to end it. 617 00:37:18,120 --> 00:37:21,680 Speaker 1: That's a victory, but the victory should have been much broader, 618 00:37:21,719 --> 00:37:26,279 Speaker 1: and I hope we use that as encouragement than to 619 00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:30,560 Speaker 1: lean in and redouble the fight in the new year 620 00:37:30,600 --> 00:37:33,120 Speaker 1: coming forward, no doubt about it, Senator, I know you're 621 00:37:33,120 --> 00:37:35,239 Speaker 1: going to take a week with your family. You guys 622 00:37:35,280 --> 00:37:36,880 Speaker 1: are going to get to enjoy each other through the 623 00:37:36,920 --> 00:37:39,960 Speaker 1: new year, and I know you're looking forward to that. 624 00:37:40,120 --> 00:37:42,200 Speaker 1: So for everybody, just so you know, we're going to 625 00:37:42,280 --> 00:37:46,600 Speaker 1: get back to a normal schedule on Wednesday the fourth, 626 00:37:46,640 --> 00:37:48,560 Speaker 1: and you we'll get back to our three shows a 627 00:37:48,560 --> 00:37:51,399 Speaker 1: week starting on Wednesday the fourth. But I know you're 628 00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:53,919 Speaker 1: gonna get to spend some time with your family through 629 00:37:53,920 --> 00:37:55,799 Speaker 1: the New year break as well. So many people get 630 00:37:55,840 --> 00:37:57,319 Speaker 1: to do that with their families, and I know you're 631 00:37:57,320 --> 00:38:01,719 Speaker 1: excited about it. Absolutely. I hope every one has a wonderful, 632 00:38:02,320 --> 00:38:06,840 Speaker 1: blessed new year. Have fun on New Year's Eve, stay safe, 633 00:38:07,120 --> 00:38:11,360 Speaker 1: hug your family, and next year, I hope twenty twenty 634 00:38:11,360 --> 00:38:14,439 Speaker 1: three is an incredible year for this this incredible nation. 635 00:38:14,880 --> 00:38:18,280 Speaker 1: Happy New Year's Senator and uh and again to everybody listing, 636 00:38:18,480 --> 00:38:20,840 Speaker 1: we will see you on January the fourth. Have a 637 00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:23,279 Speaker 1: safe and happy new Year, and we'll see you back here. 638 00:38:23,320 --> 00:38:24,640 Speaker 1: We'll get back to it on the fourth