WEBVTT - Instant Reaction: House Passes Funding Bill 

0:00:02.400 --> 0:00:06.760
<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, Radio News.

0:00:07.080 --> 0:00:09.920
<v Speaker 2>We have just gotten the gavel. The House has officially

0:00:10.160 --> 0:00:13.080
<v Speaker 2>passed this stopgap funding measure that will keep the government

0:00:13.080 --> 0:00:16.680
<v Speaker 2>funded through March fourteenth of next year. The tally three

0:00:16.800 --> 0:00:20.160
<v Speaker 2>hundred and sixty six votes for this measure, only thirty

0:00:20.160 --> 0:00:22.840
<v Speaker 2>four against. Not a single one of those votes against

0:00:22.840 --> 0:00:26.160
<v Speaker 2>came from a Democrat. Ultimately, it was the Democrats who

0:00:26.200 --> 0:00:28.720
<v Speaker 2>provided more votes to get this over the finish line,

0:00:28.720 --> 0:00:32.000
<v Speaker 2>one hundred and ninety six Democratic members voting yes compared

0:00:32.040 --> 0:00:34.919
<v Speaker 2>to one hundred and seventy Republicans. I want to come

0:00:34.920 --> 0:00:38.000
<v Speaker 2>back to our political panel, Janie Shanzeno and Lester months

0:00:38.000 --> 0:00:41.240
<v Speaker 2>in here. Lester, there were thirty eight Republicans who last

0:00:41.320 --> 0:00:43.920
<v Speaker 2>night voted down the measure inclusive of the debt ceiling.

0:00:44.400 --> 0:00:47.960
<v Speaker 2>Thirty four Republicans voted down this today with the debt

0:00:48.000 --> 0:00:51.720
<v Speaker 2>ceiling taken out, it only changed four minds on that front.

0:00:51.920 --> 0:00:53.160
<v Speaker 2>What does that signal to you.

0:00:53.159 --> 0:00:55.280
<v Speaker 3>Well, it also changed the minds of all the Democrats.

0:00:55.440 --> 0:00:57.680
<v Speaker 2>Fair enough, Yes, right, And that's.

0:00:57.160 --> 0:01:01.360
<v Speaker 3>Really the key here. And so Democrats are clearly take

0:01:01.600 --> 0:01:05.319
<v Speaker 3>Genie's earlier points on this exact question to heart. Democrats

0:01:05.400 --> 0:01:07.840
<v Speaker 3>want to kind of force the votes next year and

0:01:07.959 --> 0:01:11.399
<v Speaker 3>maximize their leverage over these tax issues which they are

0:01:11.440 --> 0:01:13.959
<v Speaker 3>clearly going to be targeting. So you're starting to see

0:01:14.240 --> 0:01:18.400
<v Speaker 3>the Democrats marshal their forces behind an agenda, thinking coherently

0:01:18.400 --> 0:01:20.959
<v Speaker 3>about what that means, being willing to take some tough

0:01:21.040 --> 0:01:23.520
<v Speaker 3>votes to get that done. And you saw those I

0:01:23.560 --> 0:01:25.840
<v Speaker 3>think there was one present vote among the Democrats that

0:01:25.920 --> 0:01:28.080
<v Speaker 3>there's one one Democrat who didn't vote favor this thing.

0:01:28.280 --> 0:01:30.720
<v Speaker 3>So they have near total unanimity. They've they've got some

0:01:30.760 --> 0:01:33.479
<v Speaker 3>real leadership. The question is going to be I think

0:01:33.640 --> 0:01:37.720
<v Speaker 3>next year, can Senator Thun and Speaker Johnson do the

0:01:37.760 --> 0:01:41.240
<v Speaker 3>same thing that McConnell and Ryan did eight years ago

0:01:41.600 --> 0:01:45.640
<v Speaker 3>when they really guided the president's domestic agenda through Congress.

0:01:45.640 --> 0:01:50.960
<v Speaker 3>Can these new leadership members do something like that next year?

0:01:51.000 --> 0:01:52.400
<v Speaker 3>It's going to be a real challenge for him.

0:01:52.520 --> 0:01:54.560
<v Speaker 2>Well, So, Genie, this is an excellent point that Lester

0:01:54.640 --> 0:01:56.560
<v Speaker 2>is making, this notion that by and large we do

0:01:56.600 --> 0:01:59.880
<v Speaker 2>see the Democrats sticking together and ultimately whatever Hawking Jeffrey

0:02:00.040 --> 0:02:03.240
<v Speaker 2>says is usually what goes. And I wonder if you

0:02:03.280 --> 0:02:05.160
<v Speaker 2>think that is going to be as easy to maintain

0:02:05.240 --> 0:02:08.040
<v Speaker 2>when they are being asked to take votes on things

0:02:08.080 --> 0:02:10.480
<v Speaker 2>like securing the border, something that was a weak spot

0:02:10.520 --> 0:02:13.959
<v Speaker 2>for Democrats, frontline Democrats especially, and the last election and

0:02:14.120 --> 0:02:15.760
<v Speaker 2>likely will be again in twenty twenty six.

0:02:16.680 --> 0:02:20.040
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I think we've seen Hakim Jeffries emerge as a

0:02:20.160 --> 0:02:24.560
<v Speaker 1>very strong leader, following you know, the suit of Nancy Pelosi,

0:02:24.639 --> 0:02:27.560
<v Speaker 1>who's also you know, one of the best that we've had.

0:02:28.680 --> 0:02:31.600
<v Speaker 1>And you know, the reality is is that he does

0:02:31.800 --> 0:02:34.880
<v Speaker 1>have the respect of his caucus, and we've seen over

0:02:34.960 --> 0:02:38.120
<v Speaker 1>and over again, in almost lockstep to Lester's point, that

0:02:38.200 --> 0:02:41.320
<v Speaker 1>they do listen to his advice and that votes very

0:02:41.320 --> 0:02:43.920
<v Speaker 1>well for him. It's not going to be easy, but

0:02:44.000 --> 0:02:47.040
<v Speaker 1>I will say it is easier obviously to be in

0:02:47.080 --> 0:02:49.960
<v Speaker 1>the minority than it is to be in the majority.

0:02:50.080 --> 0:02:52.440
<v Speaker 1>So you know, it may be a different story if

0:02:52.480 --> 0:02:55.960
<v Speaker 1>they took over the majority, But because they're in the minority,

0:02:56.000 --> 0:02:58.560
<v Speaker 1>I think they will stick together next year. And the

0:02:58.639 --> 0:03:01.000
<v Speaker 1>reality is is that it is going to be so

0:03:01.160 --> 0:03:04.040
<v Speaker 1>close next year that Mike Johnson is going to need

0:03:04.120 --> 0:03:07.640
<v Speaker 1>them again and that's not going to sit well with

0:03:07.960 --> 0:03:11.359
<v Speaker 1>people like Andy Biggs and Chip Roy and many others

0:03:11.400 --> 0:03:14.640
<v Speaker 1>on the Republican side. And the question is how does

0:03:14.680 --> 0:03:18.919
<v Speaker 1>Donald Trump handle this particularly? How does he handle it

0:03:19.120 --> 0:03:23.720
<v Speaker 1>when somebody like Elon Musk is controlling the largest megaphone

0:03:24.080 --> 0:03:27.080
<v Speaker 1>maybe we have out there in terms of the Republican media,

0:03:27.400 --> 0:03:30.840
<v Speaker 1>and when he shouts, everybody listens. That's going to be

0:03:30.960 --> 0:03:34.640
<v Speaker 1>really fascinating to watch. Well.

0:03:34.680 --> 0:03:38.080
<v Speaker 2>Elon Musk's counterpart and in leading this new government Department

0:03:38.120 --> 0:03:41.120
<v Speaker 2>of Government Efficiency, has just posted his thoughts on x

0:03:41.280 --> 0:03:44.960
<v Speaker 2>vik Ramaswami, saying, quote, the last seventy two hours highlighted

0:03:44.960 --> 0:03:47.880
<v Speaker 2>the positive impact that DOGE can have, but it also

0:03:48.040 --> 0:03:52.560
<v Speaker 2>laid bare the massive lift ahead next year. We're ready

0:03:52.600 --> 0:03:55.520
<v Speaker 2>for it, Lester, Both of Ake and Elon Musk aren't

0:03:55.520 --> 0:03:58.600
<v Speaker 2>exactly ultra familiar with Washington. Do you really think they

0:03:58.640 --> 0:03:59.760
<v Speaker 2>are ready for it?

0:04:00.160 --> 0:04:00.240
<v Speaker 1>No?

0:04:01.200 --> 0:04:03.280
<v Speaker 3>But I do like the way everyone is kind of

0:04:03.320 --> 0:04:06.480
<v Speaker 3>dumping their hopes and dreams into the DOGE. Right. Oh,

0:04:06.520 --> 0:04:08.920
<v Speaker 3>this problem will be fixed next year with DOGE. Oh,

0:04:09.000 --> 0:04:11.800
<v Speaker 3>DOGE has a huge opportunity. DOGE has already affected things.

0:04:11.960 --> 0:04:15.040
<v Speaker 3>DOSEH isn't really even a thing yet, it does certainly

0:04:15.040 --> 0:04:18.520
<v Speaker 3>have some potential. Their real work won't be done for

0:04:18.560 --> 0:04:21.000
<v Speaker 3>a year and a half. Will this still matter then?

0:04:21.240 --> 0:04:24.200
<v Speaker 3>Will President Trump still have the same relationship with those two.

0:04:24.440 --> 0:04:28.080
<v Speaker 3>That's a big question. So I think it's mostly hopes

0:04:28.080 --> 0:04:30.560
<v Speaker 3>and dreams right now, but it certainly could become reality

0:04:30.680 --> 0:04:33.440
<v Speaker 3>if people actually sit down look at it. Interestingly, there

0:04:33.480 --> 0:04:35.359
<v Speaker 3>was a Tom Cole article on the Wall Street Journal

0:04:35.360 --> 0:04:37.480
<v Speaker 3>this morning talking about they're going to have to look

0:04:37.480 --> 0:04:39.880
<v Speaker 3>at entitlements if they really want to get close to

0:04:39.880 --> 0:04:43.120
<v Speaker 3>a balanced budget. There's real truth in that, and that's

0:04:43.160 --> 0:04:45.080
<v Speaker 3>not really something Republicans want to tackle yet.

0:04:45.120 --> 0:04:47.320
<v Speaker 2>Well, when I was speaking with Congressman Beth Van Dyne

0:04:47.360 --> 0:04:49.880
<v Speaker 2>just a moment ago, she was talking about how they said, yes,

0:04:49.920 --> 0:04:51.360
<v Speaker 2>we're going to raise the debt ceiling, but we're going

0:04:51.400 --> 0:04:53.800
<v Speaker 2>to cut two and a half trillion dollars in spending

0:04:53.839 --> 0:04:56.400
<v Speaker 2>in order to offset that, and Megan schullly mathematically that

0:04:56.440 --> 0:04:58.479
<v Speaker 2>probably doesn't work if you're going to not be touching

0:04:58.520 --> 0:05:01.479
<v Speaker 2>Social Security and Medica, and as does not two point

0:05:01.480 --> 0:05:04.240
<v Speaker 2>five trillion is more than the federal discussion your budget

0:05:04.279 --> 0:05:07.080
<v Speaker 2>on an annual basis. So to put it in perspective,

0:05:07.600 --> 0:05:10.599
<v Speaker 2>the Defense Department is, you know, creeping up to a

0:05:10.640 --> 0:05:14.839
<v Speaker 2>trillion when you factor in emergency spending, and everything else

0:05:15.080 --> 0:05:20.080
<v Speaker 2>is dwarfed in comparison. So finding that means digging deep

0:05:20.160 --> 0:05:23.839
<v Speaker 2>into entitlements. And that's when I think you're going to see,

0:05:23.960 --> 0:05:27.279
<v Speaker 2>particularly House members and senators who are up for election

0:05:27.480 --> 0:05:32.200
<v Speaker 2>in twenty six really getting nervous because that Social Security

0:05:32.640 --> 0:05:35.360
<v Speaker 2>is the third rail, and there are a lot of

0:05:35.839 --> 0:05:38.960
<v Speaker 2>weird rules about how we can legislate on Social Security

0:05:38.960 --> 0:05:40.680
<v Speaker 2>and whether or not it can be part of this

0:05:41.040 --> 0:05:44.040
<v Speaker 2>budget deal, whether it has to be dealt with separately,

0:05:44.920 --> 0:05:48.320
<v Speaker 2>but it is. You know, when you're talking about entitlements,

0:05:48.320 --> 0:05:51.280
<v Speaker 2>you're not just talking about Social Security, You're talking about Medicare,

0:05:51.520 --> 0:05:54.440
<v Speaker 2>you're talking about Medicaid, and you're talking about veterans benefits,

0:05:54.480 --> 0:05:59.640
<v Speaker 2>which is something that lawmakers are very loath to you know,

0:06:00.080 --> 0:06:03.440
<v Speaker 2>send well. But that doesn't mean that Ramaswami and Musk

0:06:03.560 --> 0:06:05.640
<v Speaker 2>might not recommend it. But at the end of the day,

0:06:05.640 --> 0:06:07.600
<v Speaker 2>and Lester was alluding to this, they are not elected

0:06:07.640 --> 0:06:11.560
<v Speaker 2>members of the US government. They can only do recommendations. Technically.

0:06:11.960 --> 0:06:14.039
<v Speaker 2>Have we not learned this week though, that their words

0:06:14.120 --> 0:06:18.480
<v Speaker 2>ultimately can matter to legislation even before they've made their

0:06:18.520 --> 0:06:19.680
<v Speaker 2>doge recommendations.

0:06:20.160 --> 0:06:24.479
<v Speaker 4>Yes and no. Right, so Musk has talted you know,

0:06:24.560 --> 0:06:27.839
<v Speaker 4>look at the you know, fifteen hundred page bill. You know,

0:06:27.920 --> 0:06:30.479
<v Speaker 4>versus this one hundred and forty or however many page

0:06:30.480 --> 0:06:33.200
<v Speaker 4>bill it is, and looking at the differences between the size,

0:06:33.400 --> 0:06:35.200
<v Speaker 4>the fact of the matter is the majority of that

0:06:35.279 --> 0:06:37.479
<v Speaker 4>spending is still in there. And if that is what

0:06:37.720 --> 0:06:40.480
<v Speaker 4>DOGE is going after that one hundred and ten billion

0:06:40.560 --> 0:06:44.000
<v Speaker 4>for farmers and for disaster aid, you know, tells you

0:06:44.040 --> 0:06:46.919
<v Speaker 4>something that lawmakers were not going to cut that because

0:06:46.920 --> 0:06:50.400
<v Speaker 4>that affects people's lives in their districts and in their states.

0:06:50.640 --> 0:06:53.960
<v Speaker 2>Absolutely, And Genie, we just have about a minute or

0:06:54.000 --> 0:06:57.200
<v Speaker 2>two left here, but considering this is our last evening

0:06:57.200 --> 0:06:59.520
<v Speaker 2>addition of balance and power of the year twenty twenty four,

0:06:59.560 --> 0:07:01.560
<v Speaker 2>and we are it like this with a down to

0:07:01.640 --> 0:07:04.719
<v Speaker 2>the wire vote basically trying to avert a government shutdown

0:07:04.720 --> 0:07:07.680
<v Speaker 2>that the Senate has to still act on. Given everything

0:07:07.720 --> 0:07:10.560
<v Speaker 2>that has gone down in this year, does this surprise

0:07:10.640 --> 0:07:12.880
<v Speaker 2>you in the slightest that we ended up in this

0:07:12.960 --> 0:07:14.000
<v Speaker 2>moment at the very end.

0:07:14.000 --> 0:07:17.640
<v Speaker 1>Of it, not at all, Although I am through that

0:07:17.720 --> 0:07:20.360
<v Speaker 1>they did pass the government. It keeps it open. People

0:07:20.360 --> 0:07:22.880
<v Speaker 1>can go home for the holidays, including you, Kaylee, who

0:07:22.880 --> 0:07:25.720
<v Speaker 1>deserves a holiday and arrest. But you know, this is

0:07:25.760 --> 0:07:27.840
<v Speaker 1>the one hundred and eighteenth That's how it's been from

0:07:27.840 --> 0:07:31.360
<v Speaker 1>the very very start, and it has continued this way.

0:07:31.720 --> 0:07:33.680
<v Speaker 1>I would say I want to be optimistic and say

0:07:33.680 --> 0:07:35.800
<v Speaker 1>the one hundred and nineteenth is going to be different,

0:07:36.160 --> 0:07:38.960
<v Speaker 1>but mathematically, and this is a game of numbers, can't

0:07:39.000 --> 0:07:41.480
<v Speaker 1>imagine how it could be that much different.

0:07:43.000 --> 0:07:45.160
<v Speaker 2>All right, final question to all three of you, Genie,

0:07:45.320 --> 0:07:48.880
<v Speaker 2>will the Senate be able to pass this measure by midnight? Yes?

0:07:49.000 --> 0:07:51.200
<v Speaker 1>They will. Meghan just explained it.

0:07:51.200 --> 0:07:54.360
<v Speaker 2>Thank you Meghan, and Meghan your answer is still yes.

0:07:54.400 --> 0:07:57.640
<v Speaker 2>I'm assuming I hope, so we all hope.

0:07:57.640 --> 0:07:57.720
<v Speaker 3>So.

0:07:57.800 --> 0:07:58.480
<v Speaker 2>Lester mumpson.

0:07:58.720 --> 0:08:01.080
<v Speaker 3>Final word to you, also yes, but there's going to

0:08:01.120 --> 0:08:03.960
<v Speaker 3>be some votes on Lee and or Ram Paul amendments.

0:08:04.120 --> 0:08:07.280
<v Speaker 2>Megan predicted that one as well. Thank you so much

0:08:07.320 --> 0:08:09.320
<v Speaker 2>to all three of you for joining me as we

0:08:09.400 --> 0:08:12.000
<v Speaker 2>have worked through this breaking news in Congress as we

0:08:12.040 --> 0:08:14.360
<v Speaker 2>work to avert a government shutdown. Megan Scully, who leads

0:08:14.360 --> 0:08:17.960
<v Speaker 2>our capital influence team here in Washington, Genie Shanzeno, and

0:08:18.040 --> 0:08:20.280
<v Speaker 2>Lester months in my political panel this evening, Thank you

0:08:20.360 --> 0:08:22.960
<v Speaker 2>so much again. The stopgap funding measure to keep the

0:08:22.960 --> 0:08:26.880
<v Speaker 2>government funded through March fourteenth of next year has passed

0:08:26.920 --> 0:08:29.960
<v Speaker 2>the House by a wide bipartisan margin, more Democrats putting

0:08:30.000 --> 0:08:30.600
<v Speaker 2>up votes for it,