WEBVTT - Former Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry Talks US Strikes on Iran

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<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news.

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<v Speaker 2>We looked to voices of Washington who could provide not

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<v Speaker 2>only a perspective of a Battle of the Pentagon, but

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<v Speaker 2>of the politics of the moment. Patrick McHenry is steeped

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<v Speaker 2>in this of the tenth Congressional district in North Carolina.

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<v Speaker 2>He is absolutely typical of starting your political career young.

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<v Speaker 2>I think he was ten years old when he won

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<v Speaker 2>his first effort in the tenth Congressional district. He's gone

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<v Speaker 2>on to substantial Republican acclaim, including chairman of the House

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<v Speaker 2>Financial Services Committee. He is a Bloomberg committer, a contributor,

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<v Speaker 2>i should say, is a former chair of the House

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<v Speaker 2>Financial Finance Committee. Patrick McHenry, thank you so much for

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<v Speaker 2>joining us this morning. How divided is the Republican Party?

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<v Speaker 1>Not very The truth is the the President has executed

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<v Speaker 1>a limited, targeted effort here that is fifteen years in

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<v Speaker 1>the making, when the Obama administration entered into nuclear negotiations

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<v Speaker 1>with Iran in twenty twelve. The culmination of that of

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<v Speaker 1>those talks led to today, and in fact, the precipitating matter

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<v Speaker 1>here is a reigning proxies that have taken serious action

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<v Speaker 1>against American troops in Iraq and in the Gulf. They

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<v Speaker 1>were the funders and in many ways the designers of

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<v Speaker 1>the Hamas attack on our ally Israel, and the President

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<v Speaker 1>was patient and saw it a negotiated outcome in a

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<v Speaker 1>quite measured way, and without the reigning regime coming to

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<v Speaker 1>the table with a serious, serious counter So I think

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<v Speaker 1>the politics of this, you're going to have a few

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<v Speaker 1>very ideologically viewed, very ideologically opposed to any foreign intervention,

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<v Speaker 1>being overwhelmed by most Republicans who want a strong America.

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<v Speaker 1>And the way to ensure strong America is when it's necessary,

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<v Speaker 1>we will punch back with overwhelming force. And I think

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<v Speaker 1>that's what we just saw.

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<v Speaker 2>Patrick McHenry and returning to the folks in our four

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<v Speaker 2>hours of coverage this morning with the former Congressman Patrick McHenry,

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<v Speaker 2>I find what's absolutely fascinating here and benumbing is Russia

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<v Speaker 2>has lost a harbor essentially on the eastern Mediterranean. They've

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<v Speaker 2>lost Syria, maybe they're in the process of losing around

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<v Speaker 2>the Foreign Minister of Iran will travel to Moscow. I

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<v Speaker 2>guess explain where you said our relationships now after this

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<v Speaker 2>attack with Russia and with China.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, look, I think they're the ones that are taking

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<v Speaker 1>the greatest note of what happened here, which is not

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<v Speaker 1>that this president is against all foreign action, but that

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<v Speaker 1>he will be measured, will use force when necessary when

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<v Speaker 1>when negotiations end. I think the person that should be

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<v Speaker 1>most taking note here, as Vladimir Putin. This administration has

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<v Speaker 1>wanted and campaigned on a peaceful, negotiated a quote unquote

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<v Speaker 1>peaceful negotiated settlement in Ukraine if there is one, and

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<v Speaker 1>it is evident through open source that Russia has gotten

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<v Speaker 1>its drone technology that has been effective in the Ukrainian

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<v Speaker 1>battlefield from Iran. And that linkage here is quite evident

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<v Speaker 1>from that news you just you shared, which is the

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<v Speaker 1>Iran foreign minister is going directly to meet with Putin

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<v Speaker 1>the day after the United States strikes. There is a

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<v Speaker 1>concerted effort among our enemies here, and there's a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of connectivity between the president's action in the Middle East

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<v Speaker 1>and it's you know, it's the Sinews to the Ukrainian battlefield.

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<v Speaker 3>Patrick, what do you expect to see from a response

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<v Speaker 3>from the Democrats in Congress. There's concerned that a they

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<v Speaker 3>weren't consulted. Maybe maybe this was an action the President

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<v Speaker 3>exceeded as his authorizations. But it's tough to argue all

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<v Speaker 3>that stuff when it appears to be so successful. What

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<v Speaker 3>do you expect from the Democrats.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, look, both parties are divided on the authorization of

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<v Speaker 1>force in Congress. Both parties are have have divisions here

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<v Speaker 1>for the effort to review authorizations that date back to

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<v Speaker 1>the Gulf War, to nine to eleven, to our engagement

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<v Speaker 1>in Afghanistan. They've been utilized by both to take action

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<v Speaker 1>in very broad ways. There's been efforts in Congress to

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<v Speaker 1>have revisions to those authorizations of force, but have not

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<v Speaker 1>been successful in total. And so I think you'll see

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<v Speaker 1>that divide in both parties on this. But by and large,

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<v Speaker 1>stopping the Ukrainian i'm sorry, the Iranian nuclear program or

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<v Speaker 1>slowing it down is a global good. This is why

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<v Speaker 1>you see your Cure Stormer in the UK, a left

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<v Speaker 1>of center Prime Minister of the United Kingdom being supportive.

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<v Speaker 1>I think this is an action that the world is

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<v Speaker 1>relieved that we have taken. And I think you'll see

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<v Speaker 1>that similarly play out with a by and large the

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<v Speaker 1>supermajority of the United States House and Senate, but divisions

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<v Speaker 1>within both parties for sure.

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<v Speaker 3>Patrick. Do you see the US military doing follow up

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<v Speaker 3>actions here absent any retaliation or are they kind of

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<v Speaker 3>in a waiting do you think at this.

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<v Speaker 1>Point, I think there was a waiting CIMO. We see

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<v Speaker 1>Israel taking action right after our strikes. There's further work

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<v Speaker 1>to be done, obviously to restrain the ringing capabilities for

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<v Speaker 1>retaliation against American troops and American assets in the Middle

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<v Speaker 1>East and our allies, and so I think I think

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<v Speaker 1>the coordination will continue, and there's evidence that there's coordination

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<v Speaker 1>between US and Israel that there is real and more

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<v Speaker 1>effective for both of us.

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<v Speaker 2>Frankly, with this event, Congressman Henry, and this goes back

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<v Speaker 2>to House Financial Services Committee and frankly Appropriations Committee as well.

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<v Speaker 2>What's your experience of funding to the Pentagon after an

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<v Speaker 2>event like this? Is this acutely aware need to budget

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<v Speaker 2>the Navy with their reach in the Orens in the

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<v Speaker 2>Gulf of Aman, or how does the budgeting work after

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<v Speaker 2>an event like this?

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<v Speaker 1>Weld Look, I mean the Pentagon budget is massive. It

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<v Speaker 1>is a massive budget, so they have broad authorities with ordinance,

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<v Speaker 1>with munitions, and the President does have broad say here

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<v Speaker 1>we heard the Secretary of Defense say that they did

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<v Speaker 1>comply with the War Powers Act on informing Congress of

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<v Speaker 1>this action. I think we'll hear that from Congressional leaders.

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<v Speaker 1>They'll be pressed on whether or not they were given

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<v Speaker 1>the heads up on this in conformance with the law,

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<v Speaker 1>and if they were, I don't think you'll see congressional

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<v Speaker 1>action to limit the presence further ability to take action.

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<v Speaker 1>So it's an important balance between the between the branches. Yes,

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<v Speaker 1>but the presidential authorities that they're using here are not new,

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<v Speaker 1>not novel, and do have some level of controversy, yes,

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<v Speaker 1>but have been utilized by both parties of the last

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<v Speaker 1>twenty years.

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<v Speaker 2>Patrick mccenry, one final question, if we could in your

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<v Speaker 2>Washington and you're a student there, I made a joke

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<v Speaker 2>about it earlier, folks, of his tour of duty. This

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<v Speaker 2>is public service, truly across the span of his adult life.

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<v Speaker 2>Patrick mhag henry in the Washington here, I believe in wars,

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<v Speaker 2>Democrats and Republicans come together. Can I wish that at

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<v Speaker 2>this moment?

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<v Speaker 1>No, because where we are in this process, you have

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<v Speaker 1>a partisan reconciliation bill moving through the Senate this week.

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<v Speaker 1>You've had mainly partisan fights outside of one piece of

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<v Speaker 1>legislation on digital asseids cryptocurrency. But this week is going

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<v Speaker 1>to be a rather partisan week in Washington based off

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<v Speaker 1>of what is on the Senate floor and what is

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<v Speaker 1>on that House floor. And so I don't think there'll

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<v Speaker 1>be a Kumba moment. I don't think that's where the

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<v Speaker 1>Democratic base is. But I think what you'll see is

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<v Speaker 1>the MAGA based rally to President Trump's cause here almost totality.

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<v Speaker 1>And so in one respect, the antagonism from the left

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<v Speaker 1>towards a MAGA right on their statements in the election

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<v Speaker 1>that President Trump would bring this great veil of peace

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<v Speaker 1>to the world just by his election was grandiose, outsized,

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<v Speaker 1>and in fact a fiction. But also you're going to

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<v Speaker 1>see the left make those MAGA loyalists eat their words

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<v Speaker 1>in the election, and that is so typical of Washington,

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<v Speaker 1>so typical of our politics right now, and that won't

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<v Speaker 1>stop just because of the international action here, unfortunately.

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<v Speaker 2>Patrick McK henry, thank you so much. Bloomberg contribute to

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<v Speaker 2>the former chair of the House Finance Services Committee for

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<v Speaker 2>the Republican Party