1 00:00:01,760 --> 00:00:04,080 Speaker 1: This is Peter Schweitzer. I'm here with Eric Eggers. We 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: are filling in for Sean on the Sean Hannity radio show. 3 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:10,240 Speaker 1: He's getting some well deserved rest, and we are tracking 4 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: events on Capitol Hill where it is Christmas chaos in 5 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:17,799 Speaker 1: the Capitol. They are apparently right now getting ready to vote. 6 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: They may already have started to vote on the third 7 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: version of this bill. The first two, of course, were 8 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:26,080 Speaker 1: shot down. This is planed C and Eric, this third 9 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: version apparently is going to provide government funding through March, 10 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: is going to provide disaster relief and pharm assistance. It 11 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 1: is not going to get rid of the debt ceiling issue, 12 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: which was the problem with the previous bill. So we're 13 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:41,600 Speaker 1: going to track that and in a couple of minutes 14 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:43,879 Speaker 1: we're going to have on Senator Rand Paul, who is 15 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: in the middle of all of that chaos and craziness. 16 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:49,239 Speaker 2: You talk about Christmas chaos in the Capitol, which I 17 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 2: just want to point out. You know, you're a best 18 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 2: selling author and you and I host the podcast together 19 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 2: called The Drill Down with Peter Schweitzer, so you do 20 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 2: have some broadcast experience, but to drop the triple alliterative 21 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 2: on national radio Triple c An. It's impressive, and I 22 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 2: just want to acknowledge that in front of everybody. But 23 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 2: it is actually quite chaotic. You know, you're the one 24 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 2: that pointed out we're actually in a weird spot where 25 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 2: last night with the vote, you had Elizabeth Warren agreeing 26 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:16,640 Speaker 2: with Donald Trump. Yeah, you had thirty eight members of 27 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 2: the House disagree, and that's one of the reasons why 28 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 2: we're having a new vote. One of the members of 29 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,399 Speaker 2: Congress that disagreed Nancy Mace, we spoke to last hour, 30 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:27,120 Speaker 2: and she said that one of the problems that they 31 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 2: have is that they are actively lied to. Those are 32 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 2: her words about what the US Senate can and cannot 33 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:35,120 Speaker 2: do in terms of the House. Can they take up 34 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:38,319 Speaker 2: these single subject bills? She says, we are told that 35 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:40,679 Speaker 2: they cannot do that. So one thing we will ask 36 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 2: Rand Paul about is, hey, are you prepared to take 37 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 2: more than one vote to keep the government open if 38 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 2: it means that, you know, we don't have to pass 39 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 2: a bill that increases spending, no matter how many pages, 40 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 2: whether it's a fifteen hundred and forty seven or one 41 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 2: hundred and sixteen. Nancy Mace's point was the pages went down, 42 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 2: the spending stayed the same. Seems to be the sticking point. 43 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 2: What I want to know from you, Peter Schwatzer, You've 44 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 2: spent a career documenting the ways in which members of 45 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 2: Congress use positions of public power for personal financial gain. 46 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 2: Of all the things that were in that fifteen hundred 47 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 2: page bill, the thing that jumped out to both of 48 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:21,640 Speaker 2: us was the idea that Congress was trying to vote 49 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 2: itself a pay raise. What was your reaction to that? 50 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, it's not surprising. I mean, and this 51 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: is the problem. There are no incentives, really no incentives 52 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 1: for a member of Congress to limit the federal budget, 53 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:38,520 Speaker 1: federal spending, and there are very few incentives to avoid 54 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 1: trying to figure out creative ways to self and enrich. Now, 55 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:43,519 Speaker 1: they don't want to do it in public, they want 56 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 1: to try to hide it. They embed it, and they 57 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 1: do it in a way that is hard to track. 58 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:52,639 Speaker 1: So it's not going to necessarily say a forty percent 59 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: pay raise. What it's going to say is this law 60 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:59,920 Speaker 1: is this legislation is going to amend a previous issue 61 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 1: when it comes to how much members of Congress are 62 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 1: paid and that's how they get the pay raise, and 63 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 1: that is the inherent problem. So I applaud Nancy Mace, 64 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 1: I applaud Chip Roy and some of the other people 65 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:13,640 Speaker 1: who set on principle you know what, No, we have 66 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: to stop spending money. And this is going to be 67 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 1: the challenge, I think for Donald Trump, because every American president, 68 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 1: even Ronald Reagan, who was the president I grew up on, 69 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:27,639 Speaker 1: the president that I love very hard to get presidents 70 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 1: to stop spending money because it helps you look good, 71 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:34,639 Speaker 1: You're helping your constituency, you're helping the country, It sort 72 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 1: of helps the economy boom. The problem is you are 73 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 1: passing down debt for the next generation. So this is 74 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 1: going to be an early indication of how much progress 75 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 1: of any we're gonna make on that topic. 76 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 2: So it's interesting that you use that metaphor, because, yeah, 77 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 2: you've made the point, and we've made the point on 78 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 2: our podcast and elsewhere. That's spending, largely government spending, our money, 79 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 2: tax dollar spending is on autopilot, right And part of 80 00:03:56,840 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 2: the problem with that is there are very few incentives 81 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 2: to keep you from doing it, Like zero who's in 82 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 2: favor of you not spending money It's the example I 83 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:08,120 Speaker 2: like to use is if you decide to pay off 84 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 2: your house, ye what you know, no one makes more money. 85 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 2: If you decide to pay off your house, pay off 86 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 2: your mortgage. You know, the bank wants you to have 87 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 2: the loan, your financial advisor wants you to keep the 88 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 2: money in the market. So no one's making money if 89 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 2: you do that. And what's interesting now about this moment 90 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:27,159 Speaker 2: is the reaction on social media to what they try 91 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:30,040 Speaker 2: to do actually suggests that there might be an incentive 92 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 2: to rain down spending because for the first time the 93 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:35,359 Speaker 2: American people via social media channels, because of Elon Musk 94 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:37,839 Speaker 2: and because of the mandate that we now have with 95 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 2: him and Vivicrimswami, there is a political incentive to do 96 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:44,039 Speaker 2: it because that seems to be what the American people 97 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 2: are supporting. 98 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:47,160 Speaker 1: There is, there is, and look, I think dose is great. 99 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:50,760 Speaker 1: I think having two outsider smart businessmen who are running 100 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:52,919 Speaker 1: this is a great way to do it. Here's the 101 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:56,000 Speaker 1: fundamental problem, though, Eric, if you look at the numbers 102 00:04:56,080 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 1: of our federal budget, if you were to cut the 103 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: work of the federal government in half, which is probably 104 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 1: not going to happen, it's going to be more like 105 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:07,360 Speaker 1: ten to twenty percent. Even if you cut the federal 106 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 1: workforce in half, it's going to put a minor dent 107 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:15,240 Speaker 1: in the deficit. The vast majority of spending by our 108 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 1: federal government is on entitlement programs. It's fixed. And while 109 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 1: a lot of people, Donald Trump has come out in 110 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:25,120 Speaker 1: favor of it, Elizabeth Warren has come out in favor 111 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:27,360 Speaker 1: of getting rid of the debt ceiling. And it seems 112 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:30,039 Speaker 1: this ridiculous, archaic thing that every once in a while 113 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:32,160 Speaker 1: you have to vote to raise the debt ceiling. It's 114 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:36,919 Speaker 1: literally the only time members of Congress actually have to 115 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:40,160 Speaker 1: talk about federal spending. The rest of the time they don't. 116 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:42,800 Speaker 1: So I'm not in favor of getting rid of it. 117 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:44,920 Speaker 1: It seems ridiculous. It's just kind of is the government 118 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 1: going to shut down? Is it not going to shut down? 119 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 1: It's ridiculous, it seems, but it's the only time they 120 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:54,359 Speaker 1: actually have to address the fact that they are spending 121 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 1: us into oblivion. 122 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:58,799 Speaker 2: Are you concerned that Donald Trump seemed to support something 123 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 2: that would have suspend that discussion, that one kind of 124 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:04,479 Speaker 2: crux where you actually have to have a hard conversation 125 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 2: for the next two years and given his track record previously. Look, 126 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:10,599 Speaker 2: Donald Trump did a lot of things really well. You 127 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 2: and I were both very supportive of the idea of 128 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:16,760 Speaker 2: his reelection. But the reality is is that if there's 129 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 2: one thing that maybe wasn't great under Donald Trump, and 130 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:22,560 Speaker 2: it's consistent with every president, spending did not go down. 131 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 2: I mean that the deficit did not go down, the 132 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:26,960 Speaker 2: debt did not go down. This is a moment to 133 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 2: have a hard conversation with the American people. But what 134 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:32,919 Speaker 2: is positive is we seem to be having it together. 135 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:35,600 Speaker 2: And you know, you use the word chaos. We made 136 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:38,599 Speaker 2: the point in the first hour. Chaos is a good thing. 137 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:41,360 Speaker 2: This is a healthy thing. This is actually what democracy 138 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:44,040 Speaker 2: is supposed to look like. We were told that democracy 139 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 2: was on the ballot, and we vote for Joe, we 140 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:48,160 Speaker 2: vote for Donald Trump, and you know, that's the actual threat. 141 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:50,279 Speaker 2: Joe Biden is the one that was going to save democracy. 142 00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:52,839 Speaker 2: And then unfortunately he like had to take a nap, 143 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:54,560 Speaker 2: and so he went away, and then here comes Kamala 144 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 2: Harris and then somehow the person who received no primary 145 00:06:57,720 --> 00:06:59,840 Speaker 2: votes was the one that was going to defend democracy. 146 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:04,160 Speaker 2: And so unfortunately, right or actually fortunately, Donald Trump did 147 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:06,680 Speaker 2: win and as a result, we actually this is what 148 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:08,159 Speaker 2: democracy and action really looks like. 149 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, no, you're exactly right. And look, I mean I 150 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:13,080 Speaker 1: think Donald Trump wants to get rid of the debt 151 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:16,440 Speaker 1: ceiling because he's a businessman, and he says, this is inefficient. 152 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 1: Why do we need to do this? This is kind 153 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:21,440 Speaker 1: of a rote thing for us to be doing. But 154 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 1: I think that rote thing is absolutely necessary. I hope 155 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:27,440 Speaker 1: that he's going to reverse course because when he announced 156 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:31,160 Speaker 1: his support for that, Ye, those on the left, Elizabeth Warren, 157 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 1: the Americans Prospect, which is a very left wing publication, 158 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:39,680 Speaker 1: they said Trump is offering us the deal of a lifetime. 159 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 1: They have wanted to get out from under the debt 160 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 1: ceiling forever because they don't believe that debts and deficits matter, 161 00:07:47,080 --> 00:07:49,240 Speaker 1: and of course it does. All you have to do 162 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 1: is look at our federal budget. We are now going 163 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 1: to be get set next year to be spending more 164 00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 1: money as a federal government on paying interest on our 165 00:07:57,480 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: debt than we're paying on national. 166 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:01,640 Speaker 2: Defense, which is not a thing you hear. And that's 167 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 2: another thing that unfortunately the American people are lied to. 168 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 2: And that's another thing that we have spent time talking 169 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:10,120 Speaker 2: about in this program. There's reported in the Wall Street 170 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 2: Journal that showed how extensively the Biden administration efforted to 171 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 2: lie to us about how weak Joe Biden was. You 172 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 2: and I our last podcast episode, which you can find 173 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:23,240 Speaker 2: at the drill down dot com, was about Bill Clinton 174 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 2: and Bill Clinton's new memoir and the lies he's telling, 175 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:31,280 Speaker 2: Yeah in his book about kind of actually you because 176 00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:34,160 Speaker 2: some of your great reporting was in this book, Clinton Cash, 177 00:08:34,160 --> 00:08:36,520 Speaker 2: and it was about how much money Bill Clinton made 178 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:39,440 Speaker 2: and how much you know, how much money that don't 179 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:42,480 Speaker 2: the foundation raked in when Hillary was Secretary of State, 180 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:44,680 Speaker 2: And like there's a Washington Post review that says, oh no, 181 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:47,559 Speaker 2: there's all been debunked. And even though donations to the 182 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:51,559 Speaker 2: Clinton Foundation dropped ninety three percent after she stopped becoming 183 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:53,680 Speaker 2: to presidential candidate and was no longer secretary of State. 184 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:56,840 Speaker 2: So you know, we've been lied to on a regular basis, 185 00:08:56,920 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 2: and unfortunately, you know, that's actually the fight it needs 186 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:01,839 Speaker 2: to happen. It's not about the dead ceiling, it's not 187 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:04,559 Speaker 2: about spending. It's about can you continue to lie to 188 00:09:04,559 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 2: the American people. And that's where we have a brand 189 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:09,040 Speaker 2: new tool at our disposal. And I do think it 190 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:12,320 Speaker 2: is the new Trump administration with Elon Musk's support, because, 191 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 2: to quote him, the media is no longer the gatekeepers 192 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:18,000 Speaker 2: like everyone else at the media, and each lie gets 193 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:19,480 Speaker 2: called out for the falsehood that it is. 194 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:22,079 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, what do all these stories have in common? 195 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:25,160 Speaker 1: You know, the Clinton and the Clinton scandals, what happened 196 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:29,560 Speaker 1: with the Bidens, the issue of Joe Biden's cognitive ability 197 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 1: or lack thereof. In every single case, you had mainstream 198 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 1: media acting as gatekeepers, trying to prevent people from having actual, 199 00:09:38,679 --> 00:09:41,640 Speaker 1: real information that they have a right to know about, 200 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:44,319 Speaker 1: that they deserve to know about. And the news organizations 201 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 1: are supposed to report on those days I think are gone. 202 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:49,640 Speaker 1: You now have with Twitter acts. The debate over this 203 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:53,679 Speaker 1: budget is the one that is absolutely at the center 204 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:56,520 Speaker 1: point of the conversation. That's a Twitter acts. 205 00:09:56,600 --> 00:09:58,079 Speaker 2: So, Rand Paul, we thought we were going to have 206 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:00,840 Speaker 2: it five ten. It turns out there's an other debate happening, 207 00:10:00,880 --> 00:10:03,480 Speaker 2: not just on this program, but there's a debate happening 208 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:05,080 Speaker 2: on the Senate floor, and Rand Paul is actually in 209 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:05,959 Speaker 2: the middle of it right now. 210 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:08,120 Speaker 1: So he you mean, he's picking sitting on the Senate 211 00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:09,880 Speaker 1: floor to talking to me. I'm shocked. 212 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:13,080 Speaker 2: I often am shocked. Ironically, we talked about Clinton cash. 213 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:14,800 Speaker 2: I want to give Rand Paul a hard time for 214 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:17,559 Speaker 2: getting us in trouble by leaking some of those revelations. 215 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 2: In the meantime, we are talking about the federal spending 216 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:21,679 Speaker 2: and the efforts of Dog and we have a caller, 217 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:24,720 Speaker 2: a John, who wants to talk about what exactly that 218 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 2: could look like. John from Pittsburgh. 219 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:31,839 Speaker 3: There, Hey, fellows, I really hope when they're tankering the 220 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:35,559 Speaker 3: budget they're not going to take away those critical tax 221 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 3: deductions for our sex club sees. 222 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:43,000 Speaker 1: Okay, yeah, Well everybody's got their pet project, right. 223 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 2: Hey, it's the holiday season, John, you know, and everybody's 224 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:47,839 Speaker 2: got unwined a little bit. 225 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, exactly. I mean, but here's the thing when 226 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 1: it comes to all these debates, and this is the 227 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:57,319 Speaker 1: problem why cutting money is so difficult. It's cutting money 228 00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:01,240 Speaker 1: because everybody has a constituent, see right. And so when 229 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:03,439 Speaker 1: you say we're going to cut this program and it's 230 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:05,600 Speaker 1: going to be two point five billion dollars, whether it's 231 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:08,800 Speaker 1: what John wanted or something else, you are now going 232 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:12,000 Speaker 1: to have that industry rising up and all they have 233 00:11:12,040 --> 00:11:14,200 Speaker 1: to do is pick up a few powerful members of 234 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:18,360 Speaker 1: Congress to make that sort of go away. So the 235 00:11:18,440 --> 00:11:21,920 Speaker 1: exciting thing about the conversation with Doge, with the Veck 236 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:26,040 Speaker 1: and with Elon Musk is that we are having this 237 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:28,959 Speaker 1: conversation that going to come up with really smart ideas 238 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:33,280 Speaker 1: and smart solutions. The reality is they're very easy. There 239 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:38,680 Speaker 1: are very few easy solutions that can just take effect 240 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:41,080 Speaker 1: without Congress having to vote for it. So you're gonna 241 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:43,600 Speaker 1: have to get this through Congress. There's a razor thing 242 00:11:43,679 --> 00:11:47,400 Speaker 1: Republican majority, and we've already seen there's some Republicans that 243 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:50,840 Speaker 1: are willing to, you know, let's say, go off the reservation. 244 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:53,679 Speaker 1: So it's not going to be as easy as it sounds. 245 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:56,040 Speaker 1: But you've got to keep fighting the fight because it's 246 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:56,640 Speaker 1: worth fighting for. 247 00:11:56,880 --> 00:12:02,079 Speaker 2: Is that another Elizabeth Warren reference? Just checking anyway, We're 248 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:05,199 Speaker 2: going to continue to have the difficult conversations, sometimes about 249 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:07,920 Speaker 2: topics like John Ray, sometimes about other people you know, 250 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:11,880 Speaker 2: and other compromising positions. Let's just say, but that's a 251 00:12:11,920 --> 00:12:14,680 Speaker 2: conversation we continue to like to have with you. Thank 252 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:17,160 Speaker 2: you for joining us on your Friday, the last Friday 253 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:19,960 Speaker 2: before the Christmas holiday, and we appreciate Sean giving us 254 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:21,800 Speaker 2: a chance to talk about the work we've done on 255 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:24,080 Speaker 2: our drill Down podcast. We'll be right back after this. 256 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:26,959 Speaker 2: He's Peter Schweitzer. I'm Eric Eggers. You can find our 257 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:29,240 Speaker 2: work at the drill Down dot com. And we're back 258 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:31,360 Speaker 2: on the Sean Handy Show after this break. 259 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:36,560 Speaker 1: This is Peter Schweizer. I'm here with Eric Eggers. We 260 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:38,960 Speaker 1: are filling in for Sean Hannity. We do the drill 261 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:41,840 Speaker 1: Down podcast. We would love for you to check it out. 262 00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 1: We are tracking a number of stories, including the vote 263 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:46,920 Speaker 1: on Capitol Hill. We're going to be joined by Senator 264 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:49,439 Speaker 1: rand Paul we hope at the bottom of the hour. 265 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:52,960 Speaker 1: He's actually on the Senate floor right now. Also tracking 266 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:56,440 Speaker 1: the story in Germany, this horrific story in maud dee 267 00:12:56,480 --> 00:13:00,640 Speaker 1: Burgh where apparently a car was driven through a Christmas market. 268 00:13:01,679 --> 00:13:05,559 Speaker 1: There are numerous fatalities, eighty people injured. It was an 269 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:09,800 Speaker 1: attack and they have now apparently arrested a Saudi man 270 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:13,720 Speaker 1: who is fifty years old. He's apparently a doctor who 271 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:18,959 Speaker 1: was there on a permanent residence permit and they believe 272 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:21,360 Speaker 1: that he is the individual that's behind this attack. They 273 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 1: are saying it is a loan attack. That's what they 274 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:24,840 Speaker 1: believe at this point. 275 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:27,480 Speaker 2: And to me, one of the startling things about this 276 00:13:27,559 --> 00:13:31,200 Speaker 2: story is apparently there was some disturbance yesterday. There was 277 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:34,400 Speaker 2: tension between people in the German market and a group 278 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:37,840 Speaker 2: of migrants, and there was you know, some a public 279 00:13:38,280 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 2: a fray if you like. And the point that people 280 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:43,520 Speaker 2: are making who are commenting on this tragedy, because you've 281 00:13:43,559 --> 00:13:46,199 Speaker 2: got anywhere from two to eleven people being reported dead, 282 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:49,920 Speaker 2: eighty people injured, as you noted, But while we in 283 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:53,520 Speaker 2: America can see videos of the car which is grotesque 284 00:13:53,559 --> 00:13:57,320 Speaker 2: and horrific, just careening through this crowd of people, people 285 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:00,640 Speaker 2: in Germany and in Europe could not share this same 286 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:04,080 Speaker 2: video wow, because of censorship laws in case it was 287 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:08,200 Speaker 2: presented or portrayed as something as being anti migrant. And 288 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:11,800 Speaker 2: we've seen other reports of censorship law keeping people from 289 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:14,800 Speaker 2: commenting and people are being held accountable for social media 290 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 2: posts in Europe. It's a very different experience there than 291 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:21,040 Speaker 2: it is for us in the United States, where you 292 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:23,400 Speaker 2: and I can sit here and host the program and 293 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:26,920 Speaker 2: criticize the President of the United States and talk about 294 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:30,000 Speaker 2: how many migrants might be deported. Moving forward, on Trump administration. 295 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:32,800 Speaker 2: Those are freedoms we enjoy still in this country that 296 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:34,160 Speaker 2: others in the world do not. 297 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:36,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, here's the other thing that strikes me in this 298 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:39,160 Speaker 1: And of course this is one individual. It's not indicative 299 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:42,920 Speaker 1: of everybody. But you know, apparently there was this issue 300 00:14:42,960 --> 00:14:45,240 Speaker 1: that happened yesterday and we don't know who started and 301 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 1: what happened, and it's terrible, but one individual decides that 302 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:51,000 Speaker 1: he's going to take it out on a bunch of 303 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:54,960 Speaker 1: other innocent people that were probably not even involved in 304 00:14:55,000 --> 00:15:00,800 Speaker 1: that confrontation. And it just speaks to what is evil. 305 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:03,840 Speaker 1: And you know, they are terrible things going on in 306 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:07,160 Speaker 1: the Middle East right now, innocent people that are dying. 307 00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:10,640 Speaker 1: But you look at what the Israelis do to They 308 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:13,880 Speaker 1: target the perpetrators, the individuals that are the terrorists, the 309 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:17,240 Speaker 1: people that are actually victimizing and killing people. They go 310 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:22,320 Speaker 1: to great lengths to avoid tangential casualties they do, unfortunately 311 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:26,440 Speaker 1: happen when these perpetrators hide behind innocent people. But in 312 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:29,680 Speaker 1: this case, the guy is looking to take out as 313 00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:31,960 Speaker 1: many innocent people as possible. It's terrible. 314 00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:35,840 Speaker 2: As an excellent point, it's an excellent point about horrific tragedy. 315 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:38,720 Speaker 2: And the loss of human life. Unfortunately, that is a 316 00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:42,120 Speaker 2: profound distinction that is oftentimes not made in the way 317 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:43,920 Speaker 2: those issues are covered by the media. We're going to 318 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:45,720 Speaker 2: continue to try to make more excellent points. In the 319 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:47,760 Speaker 2: last thirty minutes of the show. He's Peter Schweizer on 320 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:49,960 Speaker 2: Americ Eggers This Sean Handy Radio show'll be right back. 321 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:53,640 Speaker 2: Welcome back to the Sean Handy Radio Show. My name 322 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:56,280 Speaker 2: is Eric Eggers. I'm joined by author Peter Schweitzer. We 323 00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:59,200 Speaker 2: co host a podcast called The Drill Down with Peter Schweitzer. 324 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:02,040 Speaker 2: We're talking about lots of different stories, the things that 325 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:05,040 Speaker 2: are happening right now, and we're very excited right now 326 00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:07,920 Speaker 2: to be joined by US Senator Rand Paul, who just 327 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:10,680 Speaker 2: came from i think, giving a speech on the Senate floor. 328 00:16:10,880 --> 00:16:13,000 Speaker 2: Senator Paul, can you give us the latest in this 329 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:16,440 Speaker 2: ongoing discussion over whether or not and how we should 330 00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:18,040 Speaker 2: continue to fund the United States government? 331 00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:21,520 Speaker 4: Well, you know, you know, I was proud of conservatives 332 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:24,000 Speaker 4: yesterday stood up in the House and said that an 333 00:16:24,120 --> 00:16:27,520 Speaker 4: unlimited debt ceiling where you can spend as much as 334 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:30,520 Speaker 4: you want with no dollar limit for two years. So 335 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:33,400 Speaker 4: that's just not fiscally conservatives. So most of these guys 336 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:35,680 Speaker 4: and men and women were in the Freedom Caucus, but 337 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:38,560 Speaker 4: they stood up, they were fiscally conservative and said we 338 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:41,280 Speaker 4: won't vote for that. So they voted down the unlimited 339 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 4: debt ceiling idea. But today there's still another vote going 340 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:46,680 Speaker 4: on and it'll be coming over to the Senate soon 341 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:49,840 Speaker 4: and it'll be a continuing resolution that means we will 342 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:51,880 Speaker 4: continue to spend money at the same rate as we 343 00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:54,560 Speaker 4: have been all year. But that same rate has led 344 00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:57,720 Speaker 4: to a two trillion dollar deficit this last year. So 345 00:16:57,960 --> 00:17:00,720 Speaker 4: I think continuing spending at the same rate without reducing 346 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:03,600 Speaker 4: spending it's a terrible idea. But it's worse than that. 347 00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:06,560 Speaker 4: They added one hundred billion dollars that they will borrow 348 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:09,800 Speaker 4: for disaster. They added another thirty billion they're going to 349 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:14,639 Speaker 4: borrow for farmer subsidies. And then they also this week 350 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:17,360 Speaker 4: in the Senate voted for an expansion of Social Security 351 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:20,520 Speaker 4: by two hundred billion dollars, even though so Security is 352 00:17:20,520 --> 00:17:23,680 Speaker 4: on its way to bankruptcy and actually currently spends more 353 00:17:23,680 --> 00:17:25,960 Speaker 4: than it takes in. So it isn't a good week 354 00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:29,199 Speaker 4: to be for fiscal conservativesm Yes, conservatives are standing up 355 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:32,280 Speaker 4: and fighting, but we're losing. The swamp is winning the 356 00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:34,960 Speaker 4: big government, Republicans are spending and borrow more money, and 357 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:37,800 Speaker 4: the Democrats are happily going along with all of it. 358 00:17:38,960 --> 00:17:40,879 Speaker 1: Well, that's the thing, Senator for Paul that I've always 359 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:44,320 Speaker 1: appreciated about you, which is what you say is what 360 00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:46,400 Speaker 1: you vote. And the problem is there are a lot 361 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:49,680 Speaker 1: of people in the Republican Party who talk like they 362 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:53,880 Speaker 1: are fiscal conservatives, but they don't actually end up doing that. 363 00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:58,320 Speaker 1: Is this going to get easier when we have a 364 00:17:59,359 --> 00:18:03,040 Speaker 1: Republican House and a Republican Senate and Donald Trump is 365 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:05,320 Speaker 1: the presidency or are we going to have this continued 366 00:18:05,359 --> 00:18:09,320 Speaker 1: problem with Republicans failing to actually live up to what 367 00:18:09,359 --> 00:18:12,240 Speaker 1: they promised the American people they would do. 368 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:14,240 Speaker 4: You know, in many ways, we've met the enemy, and 369 00:18:15,280 --> 00:18:17,440 Speaker 4: it's to us. I mean it's within the Republican Party. 370 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:20,359 Speaker 4: The Democrats are of no value. They will not lie 371 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:21,960 Speaker 4: to you. Though they don't care about the debt. They 372 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:24,480 Speaker 4: believe in this modern monetary theory that you can just 373 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:26,800 Speaker 4: print money at the Fed forever and buy whatever you want. 374 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:29,800 Speaker 4: Republicans go home to the Rotary and the Chamber of 375 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:32,920 Speaker 4: Commerce and Lions Club, and they tell you how they 376 00:18:33,119 --> 00:18:35,959 Speaker 4: hate big government and they want to balance the budget, 377 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:39,040 Speaker 4: and they vote for all the spendings. So it's about split. 378 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:41,720 Speaker 4: This week we had to vote on expanding soial Security, 379 00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:45,359 Speaker 4: but SOID Security this year lost forty billion. So you know, 380 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 4: all the payroll taxes we pay, and we pay a 381 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:51,240 Speaker 4: ton of payroll taxes, we spent forty billion more giving 382 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:54,159 Speaker 4: soci security benefits than we brought in in taxes. So 383 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 4: what we did is this bill. Not me, I voted 384 00:18:56,640 --> 00:18:59,240 Speaker 4: against it, but about half of the Republicans. I think 385 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:03,159 Speaker 4: twenty four of us voted against No. Twenty five of 386 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:05,760 Speaker 4: us actually voted against us. In twenty four voted for him. 387 00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:09,280 Speaker 4: But by expanding so security by two hundred billion, that 388 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:12,119 Speaker 4: means the deficit yer this year, instead of being forty billion, 389 00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:14,960 Speaker 4: will be sixty. So they've increased the social security and 390 00:19:14,960 --> 00:19:18,720 Speaker 4: deficit by fifty percent, and it's running out of money 391 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:20,600 Speaker 4: and we'll be out of money by twenty thirty three. 392 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:24,399 Speaker 4: So it's a perpetual fight, and it really is people 393 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:27,200 Speaker 4: need to identify, and in Republican states they need to say, 394 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:30,720 Speaker 4: you know, is my senator, is my congressman conservative? Or 395 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:33,159 Speaker 4: is he really part of this wall. 396 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:35,239 Speaker 2: You mentioned that it's not been a good week to 397 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:37,720 Speaker 2: be a fiscal conservative, and I say this sort of 398 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:39,920 Speaker 2: tongue in cheek, but sort of seriously, is it ever 399 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:41,760 Speaker 2: a good week to be a fiscal conservative? I mean, 400 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:45,720 Speaker 2: Mitt Romney ran on this platform to you know, to 401 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:49,080 Speaker 2: bring back fiscal restraint in twenty twelve, and he lost soundly, 402 00:19:49,119 --> 00:19:51,040 Speaker 2: and it doesn't seem like we've kind of taken that 403 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:55,840 Speaker 2: issue seriously since then. It is this something that you 404 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:58,479 Speaker 2: think we have given up on as a country or actually, 405 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:00,560 Speaker 2: do you feel like the fact that in the last 406 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:03,200 Speaker 2: week people started to point out some of the ridiculous 407 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:05,600 Speaker 2: spending measures that were in that original bill, that fifteen 408 00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:07,919 Speaker 2: hundred and forty seven page bill, and they highlighted how 409 00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:09,680 Speaker 2: bad that was. Did that give you any hope at all? 410 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:13,000 Speaker 4: Well, you know, Vivek and Elon had brought a lot 411 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 4: of attention to government waste. I've been talking about it 412 00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:19,200 Speaker 4: for a decade and it's easy to find the waste. 413 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 4: But they're drawing good attention to it. But that the 414 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:23,679 Speaker 4: battle's just getting started, so we have to get rid 415 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:26,600 Speaker 4: of it. And I'll give you another example. So a 416 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:30,440 Speaker 4: lot of the science way, so called science. Let's say 417 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:34,359 Speaker 4: a million dollars spent studying Japanese quail to see if 418 00:20:34,359 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 4: you give them cocaine, are they more sexually promiscuous on cocaine. 419 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:41,000 Speaker 4: That usually draws laughter because people said, that's ridiculous. You 420 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:42,800 Speaker 4: had to make that up. Now it was a million dollars. 421 00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:45,679 Speaker 4: It came to the National Science Foundation. Well about a 422 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:48,600 Speaker 4: year ago, big government Republicans passed a bill called the 423 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:52,840 Speaker 4: Chip Sacked, which subsidizes big chip manufacturers like Intel. So 424 00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:56,040 Speaker 4: Intel's a probably nearly a trillion dollar company and it's 425 00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:59,280 Speaker 4: getting government subsidies. But it also doubled the size of 426 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:02,920 Speaker 4: the National Sizence Foundation that has studies on the Panamanian 427 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:05,480 Speaker 4: frog to see if the country frogs have a maten 428 00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:08,600 Speaker 4: called in the you know, the city frogs. I mean 429 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:11,040 Speaker 4: it goes on and on. I mean, it's it's just 430 00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:14,199 Speaker 4: insane that a million point five spent on If you 431 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:17,800 Speaker 4: take a selfie of yourself while smiling and then look 432 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:20,880 Speaker 4: at it later in the day, will that make you happy? 433 00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:23,880 Speaker 4: My favorite one is from a while back where they 434 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:26,800 Speaker 4: wanted to find out what makes you more aggressive tequila 435 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:31,119 Speaker 4: or gin? And you all know the answer. Come on. 436 00:21:32,359 --> 00:21:35,840 Speaker 4: But they had an experiment and they said codfish gin 437 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:39,359 Speaker 4: and they said the other half of the codfish tequila. Now, 438 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:41,600 Speaker 4: I don't know how you get a codfish to drink tea. 439 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:43,320 Speaker 4: They did. 440 00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:45,119 Speaker 2: It happen very carefully. 441 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:50,200 Speaker 4: And you are right at tequila tequilax ressive than people too. 442 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:53,440 Speaker 4: But you know it's just that insanity. But then Republicans 443 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:56,760 Speaker 4: go along with doubling the size of that. That's the downside. 444 00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:59,880 Speaker 4: You want to hear the plus side, We do lower taxes. 445 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:03,960 Speaker 4: We agree on this regulation. We most of us appreciate 446 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:08,800 Speaker 4: of the power of capitalism and appreciate the wealth and 447 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:12,719 Speaker 4: prosperity that is dragging everybody up. I mean, the statistics 448 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:16,600 Speaker 4: are amazing. How even despite the inflation of the last 449 00:22:16,600 --> 00:22:19,879 Speaker 4: three or four years, the overall historical trend is that 450 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:22,640 Speaker 4: the middle class is moving up and moving up even 451 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:24,920 Speaker 4: into the upper class. So there is good news about 452 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:28,119 Speaker 4: capitalism that we need to talk about. But there's some 453 00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:30,639 Speaker 4: you know, we have to keep our eyes open and 454 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:32,880 Speaker 4: not take her eye off the ball as far as 455 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:33,760 Speaker 4: the spending goes. 456 00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:36,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, no, I agree with you on that. We want 457 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:39,520 Speaker 1: to play a clip for you. We had Nancy Mason 458 00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:43,159 Speaker 1: earlier and this is what she was told by the 459 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:46,159 Speaker 1: leadership in the House as far as what the Senate 460 00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:51,040 Speaker 1: could or couldn't do involving the spending legislation that's coming 461 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 1: for Just listen to Nancy Mace and give us your 462 00:22:53,359 --> 00:22:56,160 Speaker 1: thoughts whether this is true or not true. 463 00:22:56,840 --> 00:22:59,960 Speaker 5: I said in Eating Sick with groups of every public 464 00:23:00,680 --> 00:23:03,679 Speaker 5: where the lie was stated that if we do single 465 00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:06,840 Speaker 5: subject bills tonight, do a clean CR, do a separate 466 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:10,320 Speaker 5: a disaster relief fill in, a separate farm extension or 467 00:23:10,359 --> 00:23:13,880 Speaker 5: farm type bill, that the Senate could only take up 468 00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:17,760 Speaker 5: one bill. That is a lie. There is nothing limiting 469 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:20,399 Speaker 5: the Senate from taking up three bills. We also as 470 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:23,720 Speaker 5: a House could do three separate single subject bills and 471 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:26,840 Speaker 5: then do what's called a mervh a erv. And what 472 00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:28,600 Speaker 5: the merv would do is we would do this three 473 00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:31,399 Speaker 5: separate voats and then combine the bills together as they 474 00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:32,960 Speaker 5: were sent over to the Senate, so they only have 475 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:38,080 Speaker 5: one vote. So like, there are many options in vehicles 476 00:23:38,119 --> 00:23:40,240 Speaker 5: in ways that we can go about this. But again 477 00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:42,600 Speaker 5: Republicans are lied to. Because they were lied to, they 478 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:44,320 Speaker 5: got scared, and so it sounds like we're going to 479 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:48,840 Speaker 5: do the CR again. The cr that we did last night, 480 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:52,000 Speaker 5: but no debt ceiling. So it's just the same thing 481 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:53,560 Speaker 5: a different year. 482 00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:58,000 Speaker 1: So Senator Paul, is that true? The Senate can only 483 00:23:58,000 --> 00:23:59,439 Speaker 1: handle one bill at a time. 484 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:04,280 Speaker 4: The rules in the Senate are are Caine byzantine and 485 00:24:05,359 --> 00:24:09,159 Speaker 4: hard to understand. But without consent, and I'm one of 486 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:11,840 Speaker 4: the ones who is flying the ointment off often. If 487 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:14,520 Speaker 4: I don't consent to let them bring up three bills tonight, 488 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:16,680 Speaker 4: they can't because it takes a while, you have to 489 00:24:16,720 --> 00:24:19,720 Speaker 4: go through several votes, procedural votes. It slows things down, 490 00:24:20,240 --> 00:24:22,399 Speaker 4: and that can be good if you're preventing bad stuff, 491 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:25,440 Speaker 4: and most of the stuff where they're passing is bad. 492 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:28,080 Speaker 4: But there's a chance I will give them consent tonight. 493 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:31,119 Speaker 4: And the leverage I have of blocking these bills is 494 00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:34,520 Speaker 4: that I have two amendments that they'll defeat me on, 495 00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:36,560 Speaker 4: but I will bring forward the American people will know 496 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:39,080 Speaker 4: that we care some of us. I will put forward 497 00:24:39,119 --> 00:24:42,240 Speaker 4: something called the Government shut Down Prevention Act, and if 498 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:44,080 Speaker 4: I get a vote on that, and they let them 499 00:24:44,119 --> 00:24:46,040 Speaker 4: bring all the bills up tonight, even though I will 500 00:24:46,119 --> 00:24:49,240 Speaker 4: vote against the bills. The Government shut Down Prevention Act 501 00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:52,480 Speaker 4: says when there's not an agreement. When there's an impass 502 00:24:52,560 --> 00:24:55,480 Speaker 4: and government's going to shut down, it doesn't shut down. 503 00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:58,399 Speaker 4: It just continued funding, but with six percent less funding. 504 00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:02,359 Speaker 4: And that's a pretty significan and cut and would probably 505 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:05,160 Speaker 4: draw people back to the negotiating table because they don't 506 00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:07,199 Speaker 4: like the idea of cutting. For me, it would be 507 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 4: great because we're at impasse all the time, and I 508 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:12,359 Speaker 4: think cutting six percent would be a good idea, which 509 00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:14,639 Speaker 4: is consistent with my penny plan, which would balance the 510 00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:18,159 Speaker 4: budget in five years. I have another bill that says, 511 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:20,920 Speaker 4: for this two hundred billion dollar expansion of Social Security, 512 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:23,600 Speaker 4: that you could pay for it by gradually raising the 513 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:26,840 Speaker 4: age of eligibility three months per year for twelve years, 514 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:28,800 Speaker 4: so by the time you get to twenty thirty six, 515 00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:32,080 Speaker 4: it would be it would go from sixty seven to seventy. 516 00:25:32,119 --> 00:25:33,879 Speaker 4: And people like, oh, you don't like old people too. 517 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:36,520 Speaker 4: It's like, no, I aspire to be an old person. 518 00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:38,320 Speaker 4: I want to save it for what I am there. 519 00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:40,480 Speaker 4: I want to save it for all the rest of 520 00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:43,040 Speaker 4: the next generation. And you can't save it if you 521 00:25:43,040 --> 00:25:45,960 Speaker 4: don't fix it, and you can't just keep adding expenses. 522 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:48,240 Speaker 4: So this will be the first time if we get 523 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:50,640 Speaker 4: this vote tonight on raising the age that this will 524 00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:54,520 Speaker 4: have been offered maybe ever on the Senate floor, maybe 525 00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:56,719 Speaker 4: since nineteen eighty three and eighty three. I think they 526 00:25:56,760 --> 00:25:59,720 Speaker 4: did it too legislation, so it must have come up 527 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:01,680 Speaker 4: in a This may be the first time we voted 528 00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:04,439 Speaker 4: on it since eighty three, and I will lose, but 529 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:09,600 Speaker 4: it'll be it'll presage or give for notice to the 530 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:12,400 Speaker 4: people what's coming into this vote will have to happen again. 531 00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:15,080 Speaker 4: Eventually we'll have to be done well. 532 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:16,919 Speaker 1: This is one of the things I appreciate about you, 533 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:21,879 Speaker 1: Senator Paul. You really come up with some amazing policy ideas. 534 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:25,120 Speaker 1: So instead of doing the same thing over and over 535 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:28,080 Speaker 1: again and expecting a different result, you come up with 536 00:26:28,119 --> 00:26:31,520 Speaker 1: some amazing reform ideas. I know you're a supporter of 537 00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:35,040 Speaker 1: the idea of single subject bills, so you don't get 538 00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:38,720 Speaker 1: these monstrous trains that kind of go through the legislative 539 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:40,760 Speaker 1: process where they add a lot of pork. Another great 540 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:43,760 Speaker 1: idea that I don't know if you actually introduced legislation, 541 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:46,800 Speaker 1: but you talked about the fact of having transparency if 542 00:26:46,840 --> 00:26:50,639 Speaker 1: an amendment is offered to a bill, actually have some 543 00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:54,520 Speaker 1: explanation of who actually wrote the bill? Was that a lobbyist? 544 00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:57,800 Speaker 1: Who was it that actually wrote that regislation? And that 545 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:00,080 Speaker 1: to me seems to be the path we have to 546 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:04,000 Speaker 1: go forward to in a Trump term, where you have 547 00:27:04,080 --> 00:27:08,600 Speaker 1: the House and Senate actual structural reform, because if we 548 00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:12,320 Speaker 1: keep doing the same thing, the Democrats at some point 549 00:27:12,359 --> 00:27:14,080 Speaker 1: are probably going to come to power again and we're 550 00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:16,760 Speaker 1: going to keep having these same problems over and over again. 551 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:21,000 Speaker 1: How optimistic are you with the new administration, with the 552 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:23,520 Speaker 1: new House and Senate, that we're actually going to get 553 00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:27,480 Speaker 1: changes to the manner in which we do things, not 554 00:27:27,640 --> 00:27:29,760 Speaker 1: just the cuts, which of course are important as well. 555 00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:32,360 Speaker 4: Well. I think you bring out a good point as 556 00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:34,720 Speaker 4: far as that the process makes a difference in what 557 00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:39,080 Speaker 4: ultimately the result is. For example, our founders intended that 558 00:27:39,119 --> 00:27:42,920 Speaker 4: they're in history suggests that there would be individual appropriation bills. 559 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:46,320 Speaker 4: There's twelve different departments of government, there's twelve different spending bills. 560 00:27:46,600 --> 00:27:49,600 Speaker 4: If you pass eleven of them and then the twelfth 561 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:51,520 Speaker 4: one is the Treasury, and you say, I don't want 562 00:27:51,560 --> 00:27:55,600 Speaker 4: eighty thousand new RS agents. We control the House of Representatives, 563 00:27:55,800 --> 00:27:58,399 Speaker 4: why wouldn't they pass ten or eleven of these? That 564 00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:01,480 Speaker 4: way ten to twelve of government is still open, and 565 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:04,560 Speaker 4: say to the Department of Treasury, you can rot in 566 00:28:04,640 --> 00:28:06,600 Speaker 4: hell if you don't get rid of these IRS agents 567 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:09,199 Speaker 4: are people for this, and we're going to fund you 568 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:11,920 Speaker 4: at eighty percent of the level. We're going to retrench 569 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:14,000 Speaker 4: all that money for RS agents and we're not going 570 00:28:14,040 --> 00:28:16,200 Speaker 4: to do it. Pick some one item you're going to 571 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:20,400 Speaker 4: win on instead. That never happens. We never win, We 572 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:23,320 Speaker 4: never exert the power of the purse because what happens 573 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:26,119 Speaker 4: is the Democrats the Republicans will put something forward of 574 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:28,520 Speaker 4: the Democrats will say we don't like that, and then 575 00:28:28,560 --> 00:28:30,480 Speaker 4: the Democrats say, you shut down the government, and the 576 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:33,280 Speaker 4: repuman say, we're afraid to do that. But the thing is, 577 00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:36,240 Speaker 4: you don't have this big sort of cataclysmic shutdown of 578 00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:39,560 Speaker 4: government if you can pass some of the spending bills, 579 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:42,520 Speaker 4: get them off the table. So what you're discussing is 580 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:45,480 Speaker 4: one twelfth of the government coming to a halt for 581 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:48,640 Speaker 4: a while while we forced to compromise. But the way 582 00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:51,400 Speaker 4: I perceive what happens is even when we take over 583 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:53,479 Speaker 4: the House, like right now we have the House, how 584 00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:55,680 Speaker 4: much what percentage of the power of the person we're 585 00:28:55,720 --> 00:28:59,640 Speaker 4: using zero, not ten percent. We're not getting fifty percent 586 00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:02,160 Speaker 4: of it want so the bill that put forward this 587 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:07,320 Speaker 4: continued resolution one hundred billion for disasters, thirty billion for farmers, 588 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:09,680 Speaker 4: and another two hundred billion for SOB security. That's not 589 00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:13,440 Speaker 4: a compromise. They've already sold themselves out before we even 590 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:15,440 Speaker 4: get to the Senate. So it's not like they're waiting 591 00:29:15,440 --> 00:29:18,320 Speaker 4: in the Senate wants something worse. They've already produced something 592 00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:21,360 Speaker 4: so bad, so big in spending and so much debt, 593 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:23,680 Speaker 4: that the Senate's going to pick it up in overpass 594 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:26,959 Speaker 4: it tonight. Also, not me, the Democrats and the big 595 00:29:27,040 --> 00:29:28,200 Speaker 4: government Republicans will. 596 00:29:29,800 --> 00:29:31,840 Speaker 2: It's really fun to hear you, Senator Paul, because you 597 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:33,640 Speaker 2: know you're just coming off the Senate floor. You're talking 598 00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:35,640 Speaker 2: to the American people. You're telling them what votes are 599 00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:37,240 Speaker 2: going to happen. You're saying we're going to lose. But 600 00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:39,320 Speaker 2: here's why we're doing it. I think, to be honest, 601 00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:42,760 Speaker 2: this is exactly the kind of transparency and invitation to 602 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:45,280 Speaker 2: the American public into the process that I do think 603 00:29:45,280 --> 00:29:48,240 Speaker 2: our founding fathers wanted in our country is better because 604 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:49,560 Speaker 2: of it. So thank you for taking the time to 605 00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:52,360 Speaker 2: join us and giving people some insight into the process, 606 00:29:52,440 --> 00:29:54,920 Speaker 2: not just today but moving forward. Thank you very much 607 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:58,719 Speaker 2: for the time today, sir, Thank you as Senator Ran 608 00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:02,280 Speaker 2: Paul he is author Peter Sweitzer, I am Eric Eggers. 609 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:04,520 Speaker 2: Together we host the podcast called The Drill Down, which 610 00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:06,200 Speaker 2: you can find at the drill down dot com. And 611 00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:08,440 Speaker 2: we'll be right back on the Sean Handity Radio Show 612 00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 2: right after this. 613 00:30:09,400 --> 00:30:12,120 Speaker 1: And Eric Eggers, we've been covering for Sean Hannity on 614 00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:15,280 Speaker 1: the Seawan Handerity Radio Show. We thank you Sean for 615 00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:18,080 Speaker 1: giving us the opportunity to sit in front of this 616 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:20,400 Speaker 1: microphone and talk to your audience. We hope you're having 617 00:30:20,400 --> 00:30:23,040 Speaker 1: a RESTful time over the holidays. And thank you Linda, 618 00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:26,240 Speaker 1: producer Linda for guiding us every step of the way. 619 00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:29,120 Speaker 1: We have done this, I think now five times, and 620 00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:31,680 Speaker 1: we appreciate it every single time we have a chance 621 00:30:31,720 --> 00:30:31,880 Speaker 1: to do. 622 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:34,479 Speaker 2: Yeah, farbait for me to correct you my boss here 623 00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:36,360 Speaker 2: at the Government Accountability Institute, But this is actually our 624 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:38,680 Speaker 2: sixth time doing it, and each and every time we 625 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:41,719 Speaker 2: really cherish the opportunity to speak directly to the American 626 00:30:41,720 --> 00:30:44,440 Speaker 2: people about like really important issues. And today we talked 627 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:47,959 Speaker 2: about this pending fight over how to fund the government. 628 00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:50,080 Speaker 2: We also talked about the way that the government's gotten 629 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:51,920 Speaker 2: used to being able to lie to us, the American people. 630 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:54,520 Speaker 2: One point to make in all the discussion about hey, hey, 631 00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:56,280 Speaker 2: what's the House doing, what's the Senate doing? And we 632 00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:58,080 Speaker 2: know what Donald Trump supports, you know who, we haven't 633 00:30:58,120 --> 00:30:59,640 Speaker 2: heard from who Joe Biden. 634 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:00,200 Speaker 4: No. 635 00:31:00,280 --> 00:31:02,600 Speaker 2: And that's just the real thing. And that's because we 636 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:05,040 Speaker 2: don't know what he's doing where he is, and that 637 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:07,880 Speaker 2: continues to be a massive scandal American history, one that 638 00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:09,920 Speaker 2: we were happy to be able to experience with you, 639 00:31:10,040 --> 00:31:11,280 Speaker 2: with the American people today. 640 00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:11,840 Speaker 5: That's right. 641 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:14,880 Speaker 1: Well, Merry Christmas, Happy Hontike and everybody. We appreciate you 642 00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:17,760 Speaker 1: taking the time to listen to us. God bless and 643 00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:18,640 Speaker 1: happy New Year. 644 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:24,240 Speaker 2: Merry Christmas, America. Thanks again, Sean Handy Show is over.