1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,239 Speaker 1: All right, So, as I am sitting here right now, 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:06,920 Speaker 1: we are headed towards a government shutdown. Senator Cruz and 3 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:10,240 Speaker 1: I we're talking about this. At what point do we 4 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 1: do this podcast? When do we record it? Well, it's 5 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 1: well after midnight now, and we were trying to see 6 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 1: if a deal was going to get done at this 7 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:23,480 Speaker 1: point it has not gotten done yet. Now the question 8 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: is what should Republicans be fighting over. What should we 9 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 1: be asking for? What is a good deal, what is 10 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 1: a bad deal? How do you get to that magic 11 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 1: number two eighteen? And so, as I was sitting here 12 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:43,400 Speaker 1: with Sender Cruise a moment and I said, look, let's 13 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:47,840 Speaker 1: just have that conversation together. Let's talk it out, because 14 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: there's a lot of people online that are saying a 15 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: lot of things that are just not accurate about you know, 16 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: some people are wanting there to be less government spending 17 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 1: while also raising the debt ceiling, which doesn't make any 18 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 1: sense logically, if you want to cut government spending, then 19 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:04,479 Speaker 1: why would we get rid of the dead ceiling. It's 20 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:07,840 Speaker 1: a fair question to ask. So we're going to explain 21 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:11,319 Speaker 1: it all to you. And what's going on this is 22 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: I actually think one of the most important shows that 23 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:17,680 Speaker 1: I've ever been a part of, because look, whether you're 24 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:19,600 Speaker 1: dealing with the government shut down and you're dealing with 25 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 1: trillions of dollars in spending and you're dealing with a 26 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 1: lot of pork ball spending that we're trying to stop. Yes, 27 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:29,720 Speaker 1: this is really important because this is what I mean, 28 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:32,320 Speaker 1: the average Americans working what three and a half months 29 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:35,320 Speaker 1: four months a year to pay their taxes and they're 30 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 1: abusing your tax dollars the way that they are. So 31 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 1: this is a conversation that's important that we should have. 32 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:45,680 Speaker 1: So with that being said, here are four principles that 33 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 1: center Cruise and I came up with to talk about 34 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 1: what's going on now. Now, I want to be clear, 35 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 1: this is not going to be what you see from 36 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:54,600 Speaker 1: like online an X. Okay, this is a different conversation. 37 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 1: But first I want to talk to you real quick 38 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 1: about the USCCA. There are over eight hundred thousand Americans 39 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: that are members of the USCCA. Why Well, because of 40 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:10,000 Speaker 1: what you receive when you're a member. I've had to 41 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: carry a firearm and I've had to pull the trigger 42 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: and I had to save my life one night, and 43 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:16,799 Speaker 1: I'm so thankful that I was able to exercise my 44 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: Second Amendment right or I wouldn't be here talking to 45 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:21,240 Speaker 1: you right now. But what I will tell you that 46 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 1: is even more shocking than that is now our twisted 47 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 1: legal system, especially with activist das, are wanting to put 48 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:31,800 Speaker 1: law abiding citizens who exercise their Second Amendment rights just 49 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 1: like you behind bars because they cannot stand that so 50 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 1: many of us carry a firearm. Well, you've got to 51 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 1: protect yourself and protect your Second Amendment rights, and you 52 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:45,240 Speaker 1: don't want to lose everything because you actually had to 53 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:47,920 Speaker 1: save your own life or the life of someone in danger. 54 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 1: And that's why I want you to join the USCCA, 55 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 1: because not only do you get access to their Protector 56 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:57,640 Speaker 1: Academy where you learn vital skills like precision shooting and 57 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 1: how to fortify your home against criminals, but you also 58 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:04,080 Speaker 1: get access to the twenty four to seven Critical Response 59 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 1: Team and the included benefit of the Self Defense Liability 60 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 1: Insurance to make sure you and your family are prepared 61 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 1: for anything. Now, I also want to give you a 62 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 1: chance to win something amazing. 63 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 2: You can win. 64 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:23,799 Speaker 1: Right now any seventeen hundred dollars to buy any self 65 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: defense gear that you need before it's too late. 66 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 2: How do you do it? 67 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 1: Text the word America to eight seven two two two 68 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:33,800 Speaker 1: right now. It's text the word America to eight seven 69 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 1: two two two right now to get the uscca's free 70 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 1: Life Saving, Concealed Carry and Family Defense God and a 71 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 1: chance to win seventeen hundred dollars to buy any self 72 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: defense gear that you need before it's too late. So 73 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 1: text the word America eight seven two to two right now. 74 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 1: Now here are four principles the center Cruise and I 75 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 1: came up with talk about what's going on. Now. Now, 76 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 1: I want to be clear, this is not going to 77 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: be what you see from like online an X. Okay, 78 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 1: this is a different conversation because I want you to 79 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 1: understand the CR. I want you understand why it's happening. 80 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 1: I want you to understand all aspects of it. So 81 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: I want you to understand the CR. I want you 82 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:11,240 Speaker 1: understand why it's happening. I want you to understand all 83 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 1: aspects of it. So with that being said, here's my 84 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 1: conversation that Senator Cruise and I just had. All right, 85 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 1: so this is an interesting conversation center about what's happening 86 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 1: in Washington. 87 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 2: And look, there's. 88 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:29,279 Speaker 1: The politics of it that everybody's obsessed with and pointing fingers. 89 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 1: I love doing this show because I think we can 90 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:35,160 Speaker 1: look at it a little bit differently. I want people 91 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 1: to understand, starting off with what is actually being fought over, 92 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 1: and that is a CR. Can you explain in layman's 93 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 1: terms what a CR is? Why we keep having these 94 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 1: over Christmas time? And is this the normal way that 95 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:52,480 Speaker 1: government does work or is this abnormal? 96 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:55,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, look, it's a very good question. 97 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:57,719 Speaker 3: People are very confused about it. And let me do 98 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:01,000 Speaker 3: my best to explain number one, what this fight is about, 99 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 3: and then some basic principles to think about it, because 100 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:06,920 Speaker 3: there are a lot of people who are right now yelling, 101 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:11,520 Speaker 3: but it's hard to understand what's going on. So for 102 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:15,799 Speaker 3: the federal government to operate, Congress has to appropriate funds. 103 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:21,360 Speaker 3: Appropriating funds is voting to spend money. Unless Congress appropriates funds, 104 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 3: money can't be spent. Now, there are three principal ways 105 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:29,839 Speaker 3: money gets appropriated. The first and the best one is 106 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:34,600 Speaker 3: Congress actually passing appropriation bills through the regular Order, through 107 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 3: the process of legislating. There are typically thirteen appropriations bills 108 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 3: for each of the major cabinet areas and subject matters, 109 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 3: and the way it should operate is Congress takes up 110 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 3: an appropriation bill, the House passes that, the Senate passes 111 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 3: at the President signs it. That's the way it normally works. 112 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 3: It almost never works that way anymore, especially when you 113 00:05:55,920 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 3: have what we have now, which is divided government. We 114 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:02,280 Speaker 3: have right now a Publican House barely a very very 115 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:05,680 Speaker 3: small Republican majority in the House. We have a Democrat 116 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:09,679 Speaker 3: Senate and Democrat President, and so as a result, appropriations 117 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:12,360 Speaker 3: bills will not pass, and they will not pass because 118 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:15,520 Speaker 3: the Republican House and the Democrats Senate fundamentally disagree on 119 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:18,760 Speaker 3: what should be in those appropriation bills. There's a second 120 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:21,560 Speaker 3: way you fund the government, and that's through what's called 121 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:24,920 Speaker 3: an omnibus, or sometimes you call it a minibus. Basically, 122 00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 3: what that is is a bunch of appropriation bills jammed together. 123 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:32,160 Speaker 3: So instead of thirteen separate bills you can get an 124 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 3: omnibus would be all thirteen. A minibus is sometimes say 125 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 3: four or five, six of them, but it is a 126 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 3: specific appropriation for a portion of government. That is frequently 127 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:45,560 Speaker 3: how things are done, all crammed together. Again, we can't 128 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 3: get agreement doing it in divided government is very difficult, 129 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:50,359 Speaker 3: and I will point out that Joe Biden and the 130 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:54,080 Speaker 3: Democrats are providing the zero leadership to do anything other 131 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:57,200 Speaker 3: than embracing radical positions that of course Republicans in the 132 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:00,120 Speaker 3: House aren't going to agree with. So the third way, 133 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 3: and there are really only three, is what's called a 134 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:07,200 Speaker 3: continuing resolution. So a continuing resolution typically does not specify 135 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 3: how how money will be appropriated. It simply says, what 136 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 3: we're doing now, let's continue going forward, and a continuing 137 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:21,040 Speaker 3: resolution is typically for a set period of time. Continuing 138 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 3: resolution is usually abbreviated a CR, and a CR basically said, 139 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 3: a continued resolution basically says what we're spending today, keep 140 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 3: spending tomorrow. And you sometimes will get a You can 141 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 3: get a long term CR, like you could get say 142 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 3: a year long CR that says for the next year, 143 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 3: we're just going to spend what we're spending right now. 144 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 3: You can get a short term CR. Sometimes crs are short, 145 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 3: as short as a day or two or a week 146 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 3: or more. Now, why is this fight happening? This fight 147 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 3: is happening because at midnight Friday night, funding for the 148 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 3: government expires, and that was set in the last funding battle. 149 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:02,200 Speaker 3: Congress funded it through mid night Friday night. That means 150 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 3: at twelve oh one am on Saturday, funding for the 151 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 3: government will expire. Now, if we get to twelve oh 152 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:10,120 Speaker 3: one am, and I got to say sitting here right now, 153 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:12,600 Speaker 3: that seems like a very likely outcome that we're going 154 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:14,720 Speaker 3: to get to twelve oh one without this being resolved. 155 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:19,200 Speaker 3: The result will be a quote unquote government shutdown. Now, 156 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 3: what does a government shutdown mean? Well, that phrase is 157 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:28,440 Speaker 3: overstated because much of government does not shut down. Number one, 158 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 3: mandatory spending. Mandatory spending is government spending that is written 159 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:34,839 Speaker 3: that is automatically spent, that doesn't need to be appropriated. 160 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 3: Mandatory spending is not affected. What does that mean. It 161 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 3: means so security checks will go out regardless. It means 162 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:43,760 Speaker 3: Medicare will go out regardless, It means Medicaid will go 163 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 3: out regardless. It means anything that is written as mandatory 164 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:53,079 Speaker 3: spending happens regardless, because you don't need appropriations. That's just 165 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 3: written to automatically be spent. What else does it mean, Well, 166 00:08:57,040 --> 00:09:01,120 Speaker 3: if you have a government shutdown, it is existing law 167 00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 3: that even in the case of a shutdown, when Congress 168 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:08,600 Speaker 3: has not appropriated funds, essential services continue. So for example, 169 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 3: if at twelve oh one am on Friday we have 170 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:15,640 Speaker 3: a government shutdown, the military is not going to suddenly 171 00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:18,839 Speaker 3: cease to operate. We have soldiers and sailors and airmen 172 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:23,359 Speaker 3: and marines who are deployed in harm's way. The military 173 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:27,040 Speaker 3: is the very definition of essential services, so they'll continue 174 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:30,679 Speaker 3: to defend this nation. It means that there are a 175 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:34,320 Speaker 3: host of positions throughout government that are deemed essential, and 176 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:38,000 Speaker 3: by the way, that's decided typically agency by agency. 177 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 2: It is up to. 178 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:45,040 Speaker 3: Each agency to decide how many which ones of their 179 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:49,120 Speaker 3: employees are essential. At some cabinet departments, you take it 180 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:53,680 Speaker 3: to a cabinet department like the Commerce department. Historically you 181 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:55,959 Speaker 3: have seventy percent or more of the employees that are 182 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:58,520 Speaker 3: deemed non essential. If you're deemed non essential, when there's 183 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:00,440 Speaker 3: a government shut down, you stay home, you don't go 184 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:04,439 Speaker 3: to work, you don't do anything. And by the way, 185 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:09,199 Speaker 3: typically all government employees stopped being paid. So one of 186 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:12,080 Speaker 3: the consequences of a shutdown is if you're a federal 187 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:17,600 Speaker 3: government employee, your paycheck doesn't come Now. Sometimes Congress will 188 00:10:17,640 --> 00:10:22,200 Speaker 3: make exceptions so for example and pass shutdowns. We have 189 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:25,800 Speaker 3: made exceptions with some frequency for active duty military, but 190 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:28,320 Speaker 3: that actually takes Congress moving in and legislating and saying, 191 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:31,240 Speaker 3: you know what, We're going to pay our soldiers, sailors, airmen, 192 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:35,520 Speaker 3: and marines. But if Congress doesn't act, they don't get paid. 193 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:39,679 Speaker 3: In the last big shutdown we had when Trump was president, 194 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:42,200 Speaker 3: I went to the Senate floor and fought to pay 195 00:10:42,559 --> 00:10:46,840 Speaker 3: coast guardsmen. Look, the Coastguard was saving people who were drowning, 196 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:49,880 Speaker 3: they were guarding our border, they were working, and yet 197 00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:52,200 Speaker 3: they weren't being paid. And the Democrats stood up and 198 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:56,400 Speaker 3: objected to paying coast guardsmen during the shutdown. So the 199 00:10:56,480 --> 00:11:01,800 Speaker 3: basic principle is the vast majority of federal government employees 200 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:05,920 Speaker 3: don't get paid during a shutdown. And by the way, 201 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:08,080 Speaker 3: if you're a young enlisted man, I mean you might 202 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:12,560 Speaker 3: need like your paycheck to pay your rent next month. 203 00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:15,480 Speaker 3: You might need your paycheck to pay your food. Like 204 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:18,240 Speaker 3: many of these these government employees are not wealthy and 205 00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:21,440 Speaker 3: they are living paycheck to paycheck, So having the paycheck 206 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:25,480 Speaker 3: stop puts real burdens, particularly on the load to median 207 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:30,640 Speaker 3: income federal workers. On top of that, when the shutdown ends, 208 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:34,319 Speaker 3: the federal workers all get paid. They get paid back pay. 209 00:11:34,480 --> 00:11:37,600 Speaker 3: So what we end up doing is having a significant 210 00:11:37,679 --> 00:11:40,040 Speaker 3: chunk of federal workers not work for a period of time, 211 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:43,360 Speaker 3: and then they don't get paid during that period of time, 212 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:44,800 Speaker 3: and then after the fact they get paid on the 213 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:47,360 Speaker 3: back end. So we waste a bunch of government money. 214 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:51,440 Speaker 3: That's what's at stake. Now, how do we think through 215 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:54,080 Speaker 3: this fight? What does it mean? I'm going to suggest 216 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 3: four key principles that are important. I want to start 217 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:02,000 Speaker 3: with one that that almost no one talking about this 218 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:05,800 Speaker 3: is talking about. But it's a very simple one count 219 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:11,000 Speaker 3: to eighteen. I want to repeat that ben count to eighteen. 220 00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:14,520 Speaker 3: To eighteen is a majority of the House of Representatives. 221 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:17,160 Speaker 3: The House Representatives has four hundred and thirty five representatives. 222 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:20,520 Speaker 3: Two hundred eighteen is half of it. Unless you have 223 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 3: absences or vacancies. Nothing can pass the House without two 224 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:28,920 Speaker 3: hundred and eighteen votes. So we have seen there have 225 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:33,280 Speaker 3: been two different attempts so far by House leadership to 226 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:37,640 Speaker 3: pass a CR continuing resolution. The first attempt was a 227 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:40,920 Speaker 3: continuing resolution that extended until the middle of March, and 228 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:44,640 Speaker 3: it included a variety of different programs. Now, I want 229 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:47,480 Speaker 3: you to understand I want you to imagine for a second, Ben, 230 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:51,040 Speaker 3: that you wake up tomorrow morning and your name is 231 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:53,720 Speaker 3: Mike Johnson, You're the Speaker of the House. I want 232 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:55,599 Speaker 3: you to engage in some simple math. You need to 233 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:56,360 Speaker 3: get to eighteen. 234 00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:59,280 Speaker 1: Okay, if you don't get to two eighteen, my life. 235 00:12:59,559 --> 00:13:01,240 Speaker 1: I don't think want to get to that name in 236 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:03,400 Speaker 1: the morning, because I know how stressful that job's got 237 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:03,600 Speaker 1: to be. 238 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:07,560 Speaker 3: So I want to walk through just the simple reality 239 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 3: that Mike is facing. 240 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:09,319 Speaker 2: He needs to eighteen. 241 00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:16,080 Speaker 3: Now, a continuing resolution continues funding. The current discussion is 242 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:20,080 Speaker 3: through mid March. On top of that, you've got a 243 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:23,480 Speaker 3: significant number of House members who are insisting at least 244 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:27,960 Speaker 3: two things be included in the continuing resolution. Number one 245 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:31,360 Speaker 3: is one hundred and ten billion dollars in funding for 246 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:34,439 Speaker 3: farmers and ranchers and ag that have just been hammered 247 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:37,959 Speaker 3: across this country. So if you don't add that money 248 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:42,600 Speaker 3: for farmers and ranchers and ags, you lose dozens of Republicans, 249 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:44,880 Speaker 3: you lose a ton of votes if you. 250 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 2: Don't have AG there. 251 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:48,719 Speaker 3: So you're sitting there going, Okay, we need to take 252 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 3: care of our farmers and ranchers. 253 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:51,319 Speaker 2: We need to have that money. 254 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:55,959 Speaker 3: Secondly, you've got disaster relief, and in particular two states 255 00:13:56,000 --> 00:14:00,280 Speaker 3: that have been just hammered by disasters recently, Florida and 256 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:03,840 Speaker 3: North Carolina. Now the Florida and North Carolina members are saying, 257 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:06,040 Speaker 3: if you do not have disaster relief in this bill, 258 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:11,040 Speaker 3: I'm voting no. So here's the challenge. The first version, 259 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:15,240 Speaker 3: Mike Johnson sits down, he extends government funding, he puts 260 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:18,000 Speaker 3: funding for farmers and ranchers in there, he puts disaster 261 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 3: relief in there. Now, there are a significant number of 262 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:26,560 Speaker 3: Republicans who is a matter of principles, say they will never, 263 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:30,320 Speaker 3: ever ever vote for a continuing resolution. So if you're 264 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:34,120 Speaker 3: only looking to Republicans, you can't get to too eighteen 265 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:36,560 Speaker 3: because they're a bunch of them. They're going to vote no, 266 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:39,640 Speaker 3: no matter what. They're just like no, no, no, I 267 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:40,760 Speaker 3: will not vote yes. 268 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:41,240 Speaker 2: I'm a no. 269 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:43,560 Speaker 3: So you're Mike Johnson, You've got to get to get 270 00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:46,000 Speaker 3: to eighteen. You look at Republicans. There are not two 271 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:50,320 Speaker 3: hundred and eighteen Republicans who will vote yes. Your only 272 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 3: choice is to get Democrat votes. If you've got to 273 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:56,880 Speaker 3: get to to eighteen, where you'd like to start is 274 00:14:56,880 --> 00:14:58,400 Speaker 3: give me two hundred and eighteen Republicans. 275 00:14:59,320 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 2: There are not. 276 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:02,000 Speaker 3: I don't believe they're two hundred and eighteen Republicans who 277 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:06,160 Speaker 3: will vote vote for any CR. That means you must 278 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:11,960 Speaker 3: get Democrats. Now, Democrats, let's look at something like relief 279 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 3: for farmers and ranchers. Most Democrats today, the Democrats by 280 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:18,640 Speaker 3: and large don't care about farmers and ranchers. So the 281 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:20,600 Speaker 3: Democrats are like, I'm not going to vote for aid 282 00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:22,960 Speaker 3: for farmers and ranchers. Why would I do that? And 283 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:26,120 Speaker 3: Florida and North Carolina are both Republican states, so most 284 00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 3: of the Democrats are like, why would I give disaster 285 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:30,320 Speaker 3: relief to Florida and North Carolina. I'm not from there. 286 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 3: I'm a liberal New Yorker. Why would I help out Florida? 287 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:39,480 Speaker 3: And so what happens is the Democrats say, Okay, if 288 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:42,880 Speaker 3: you want my vote, I need X, Y, and Z. 289 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:47,200 Speaker 3: Now these are demands made by Democrat members of Congress. 290 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 3: So they're bad, they're bad policies, they're terrible. And so 291 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:56,000 Speaker 3: the first bill that Mike Johnson rolled out had some 292 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:59,760 Speaker 3: elements in it that were really bad. Now I don't 293 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:05,040 Speaker 3: like elements that are bad. But what is Mike Johnson 294 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:07,400 Speaker 3: supposed to do? If there were two hundred and eighteen 295 00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:11,240 Speaker 3: Republican votes there, he would not have to agree to 296 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 3: really bad Democrat provisions. There are a bunch of Republicans 297 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:17,400 Speaker 3: who are like, hell, no, no matter what, I won't 298 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:22,600 Speaker 3: vote for you. So Mike Johnson, on the first version, 299 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:25,400 Speaker 3: I think, felt he had no choice but get the 300 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:26,440 Speaker 3: Democrat votes. 301 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:26,680 Speaker 2: To pass it. 302 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:31,280 Speaker 3: Now, when he rolled it out, Twitter went crazy and 303 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:33,400 Speaker 3: a whole bunch of people criticized it, and they said, 304 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:37,040 Speaker 3: there are Democrat provisions in here that are terrible. Now, 305 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:41,160 Speaker 3: mind you just remember the very simple principal, count to 306 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 3: two eighteen. If you can get to two eighteen and 307 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:46,360 Speaker 3: a better bill, awesome. And by the way, two eighteen 308 00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:48,280 Speaker 3: doesn't even get it done because you've also got to 309 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:50,720 Speaker 3: get it to pass the Senate, which Chuck Schumer and 310 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:52,960 Speaker 3: the Democrats control. But let's just focus on the House. 311 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:57,080 Speaker 3: If you can't get to two eighteen, nothing will pass. 312 00:16:57,560 --> 00:16:59,400 Speaker 3: All right, let me talk about a second principle. I've 313 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:01,160 Speaker 3: got four principle that I want to lay out. Number 314 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:04,120 Speaker 3: one is count to eighteen. And just remember this, because 315 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:08,359 Speaker 3: almost all of the commentary is ignoring the fact that 316 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:11,240 Speaker 3: nothing will pass unless you can get to to eighteen. 317 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:18,479 Speaker 3: And by the way, so the first bill Johnson had 318 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:23,720 Speaker 3: a cr through mid March, had far made, had disaster relief, 319 00:17:24,600 --> 00:17:26,080 Speaker 3: and had a bunch of gives he had to give 320 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:28,399 Speaker 3: to Democrats because he had to get Democrat votes to 321 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:33,040 Speaker 3: get it to pass. Twitter went crazy, blasted him, you 322 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:38,480 Speaker 3: terrible rhino. How could you possibly propose? Democrat asks, Well, 323 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:40,119 Speaker 3: the answer would be because he's got to get to 324 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:44,440 Speaker 3: eighteen and so the first one crashed and burned. Then 325 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:48,480 Speaker 3: Trump wants to raise the debt ceiling. Now what's the 326 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:51,840 Speaker 3: death ceiling. Let's talk about that, because there's sort of 327 00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:55,080 Speaker 3: two elements in these battles. One is funding the government. 328 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:58,720 Speaker 3: The other is the debt ceiling, which is a cap 329 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:03,960 Speaker 3: on how much the federal government can borrow. Now every 330 00:18:04,119 --> 00:18:10,200 Speaker 3: president hates the death ceiling. When Trump is president, he's 331 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:13,480 Speaker 3: got to raise the debt ceiling because if he doesn't 332 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 3: raise the death ceiling, we will run into the death ceiling. 333 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:20,720 Speaker 3: And if we did not actually raise it, the United 334 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:23,480 Speaker 3: States would default on its debt, which would be disastrous 335 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:28,359 Speaker 3: for this country. So Trump wants to raise the death ceiling. 336 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:32,160 Speaker 3: Now Trump is also angry with Kevin McCarthy, the former 337 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:34,440 Speaker 3: Speaker of the House, because he extended the dead ceiling. 338 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 3: The death ceiling is scheduled to expire next summer. I 339 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:38,840 Speaker 3: think June or July, I don't remember, but next summer. 340 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:43,480 Speaker 3: So six months into the Trump presidency the dead ceilings 341 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:47,400 Speaker 3: scheduled to hit, and Trump is very focused on He's 342 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:52,240 Speaker 3: mad at McCarthy, very mad at McCarthy. That's six months 343 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:54,200 Speaker 3: into his presidency. He's going to hit the death ceiling 344 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:57,439 Speaker 3: because he's got to raise it. And that's true of 345 00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:00,680 Speaker 3: every president. And so Trump is demanding, he says, part 346 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:04,399 Speaker 3: of this continuing the resolution raising the debt ceiling. 347 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:06,040 Speaker 2: So he demanded that. 348 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:09,639 Speaker 3: Well, Mike Johnson came back as a second version, and 349 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:13,200 Speaker 3: he came back with what was called a skinny cr 350 00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:18,119 Speaker 3: So it included funding for the government through mid March. 351 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:22,560 Speaker 3: It included farm relief, and it included disaster relief. So 352 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:27,119 Speaker 3: those are the asks principally a Republicans. And because Trump 353 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:31,280 Speaker 3: demanded it, it suspended the debt ceiling for two years. 354 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:33,879 Speaker 3: So it gave two of the four years of the 355 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:36,320 Speaker 3: Trump presidency no debt ceiling, which is what Trump is 356 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:41,560 Speaker 3: insisting being this bill. So this second bill was by 357 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:45,600 Speaker 3: and large the bill that was being demanded by Republicans. Well, 358 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:46,560 Speaker 3: we had a vote tonight. 359 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:51,359 Speaker 2: What was the vote result? Then it didn't pass. 360 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:54,879 Speaker 3: Okay, As I said, rule number one is count to 361 00:19:54,920 --> 00:19:58,960 Speaker 3: two eighteen. The vote was one hundred and seventy four 362 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:03,080 Speaker 3: to two hundred and thirty five. Now I'm going to 363 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:05,280 Speaker 3: make a simple observation. One hundred and seventy four is 364 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:07,359 Speaker 3: not to eighteen. One hundred and seventy four of the 365 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:10,400 Speaker 3: s is two thirty five of the No's the breakdown. 366 00:20:12,080 --> 00:20:17,520 Speaker 3: Every Democrat but two voted no. Look, the Democrats want 367 00:20:17,520 --> 00:20:19,280 Speaker 3: Trump to fail, so they're all happy to vote no. 368 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:23,920 Speaker 3: There were only two Democrats who voted yes. Now we 369 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:28,240 Speaker 3: still had the Republican votes to pass it. Well, what happened. 370 00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:35,320 Speaker 3: Thirty eight Republicans voted no. You cannot get to eighteen 371 00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:38,919 Speaker 3: in this narrow congress. If thirty eight Republicans vote no, 372 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:40,400 Speaker 3: you end up with one hundred and seventy four, which 373 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:44,399 Speaker 3: is where we were. So as we're sitting here tonight, 374 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:47,119 Speaker 3: I don't know what the hell's going to happen, but 375 00:20:48,119 --> 00:20:51,159 Speaker 3: on the death Sailing. To be clear, this skinny proposal 376 00:20:51,440 --> 00:20:55,880 Speaker 3: was almost exactly what President Trump demanded. He put out 377 00:20:55,880 --> 00:20:58,520 Speaker 3: a statement urging every Republican vote for this now. He 378 00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:03,040 Speaker 3: was unequivocal, I'll vote for it now because it had 379 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:07,720 Speaker 3: almost entirely what was asked for by Republicans, and it 380 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:10,480 Speaker 3: had very few of the things asked for by Democrats. 381 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:11,640 Speaker 3: And it didn't just fail. 382 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:12,240 Speaker 2: It failed. 383 00:21:13,119 --> 00:21:16,000 Speaker 3: One hundred and seventy four is way way way below 384 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:18,680 Speaker 3: two eighteen. And to be clear, it failed because thirty 385 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:26,160 Speaker 3: eight Republicans voted no. So what's next. Let me move 386 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:27,880 Speaker 3: to the second principle. I told you I got four 387 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:33,159 Speaker 3: principles to think through this. Here's the second principle. Funding 388 00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:37,920 Speaker 3: should be about leverage. Listen, we're living in a time 389 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:40,520 Speaker 3: right now. You spent a lot of time on Twitter. 390 00:21:40,560 --> 00:21:44,200 Speaker 3: I spent a lot of time on Twitter. I get 391 00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:47,359 Speaker 3: that sense. You're frustrated with Washington. Washington's the swamp. You 392 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:54,040 Speaker 3: don't like government, just shut it down raw in my view, Now, listen, 393 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:57,920 Speaker 3: there are some Republicans. There are swampy Republicans Mitch McConnell 394 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:00,440 Speaker 3: who are terrified of a government shutdown, who on every 395 00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:03,120 Speaker 3: battle over government spending, they want to surrender on everything 396 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:05,880 Speaker 3: because they think the government shutting down is the end 397 00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:08,960 Speaker 3: of the universe. That view is wrong. The government shutting 398 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:14,159 Speaker 3: down is not the end of the universe. However, I 399 00:22:14,280 --> 00:22:18,720 Speaker 3: think you should use battles over government funding as leverage 400 00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:22,879 Speaker 3: to get something. So if you think back to twelve 401 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:24,959 Speaker 3: years ago when I was a brand new baby senator 402 00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:28,639 Speaker 3: and I led a filibuster against Obamacare, and we had 403 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:31,600 Speaker 3: a government shutdown, and I was painted by the media 404 00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:35,639 Speaker 3: as the point of the government shutdown. To be clear, 405 00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:41,560 Speaker 3: my position was not shut the government down, raar. My 406 00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:44,800 Speaker 3: position was we should fund the entirety of the federal government, 407 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:48,000 Speaker 3: but don't fund Obamacare. That we should use funding as leverage, 408 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,080 Speaker 3: and I had a very detailed and laid out plan 409 00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:54,240 Speaker 3: to get to victory. Now, we failed in twenty thirteen 410 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:58,840 Speaker 3: with that objective, in significant part because Republican leadership Mitch 411 00:22:58,880 --> 00:23:02,200 Speaker 3: McConnell and John Bayner waged war against me. They joined 412 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:04,480 Speaker 3: with the Democrats and said, nope, we want to fund 413 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:05,320 Speaker 3: all of Obamacare. 414 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:05,800 Speaker 2: To hell with you. 415 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:11,040 Speaker 3: And when you're fighting the Democrats and leadership in your 416 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:16,359 Speaker 3: own party, you lose. But I will say to everyone 417 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:18,920 Speaker 3: tweeting shut it down, shut it down, shut it down. 418 00:23:20,560 --> 00:23:22,840 Speaker 3: I get you're on your phone. That feels good. Why 419 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:26,040 Speaker 3: do I care shut it down? Well, let me tell 420 00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:27,879 Speaker 3: you when you have a shutdown. Number one, if you 421 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:31,280 Speaker 3: have a bunch of soldiers stationed abroad who are not 422 00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:34,400 Speaker 3: getting paid, who are not able to feed their families. 423 00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:34,960 Speaker 2: That ain't good. 424 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:39,919 Speaker 3: By the way, it is also important to recognize so 425 00:23:39,960 --> 00:23:42,280 Speaker 3: the last big shutdown we had was when Trump was president. 426 00:23:43,119 --> 00:23:45,399 Speaker 3: So when Trump's president, if you have a shutdown and 427 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:48,080 Speaker 3: you want to navigate through it, And by the way, 428 00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:51,600 Speaker 3: Chuck Schumer forced the last shutdown when Trump was president. 429 00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:54,600 Speaker 3: His administration was able to mitigate the harms of the 430 00:23:54,600 --> 00:23:57,720 Speaker 3: shutdown because they wanted to. If we have a shutdown 431 00:23:57,760 --> 00:24:00,320 Speaker 3: twenty four hours from now, Joe Biden, the Democrat, will 432 00:24:00,359 --> 00:24:03,360 Speaker 3: do everything they can to make it as painful as possible. 433 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:06,720 Speaker 3: So it means a crap tout of federal workers will 434 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:09,680 Speaker 3: not get paid going into Christmas. That doesn't make him thrilled. 435 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:11,760 Speaker 3: And by the way, it's not just federal workers that 436 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:15,479 Speaker 3: we're not big fans of. It's not bureaucrats that are 437 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:18,800 Speaker 3: regulating the hell out of business and destroying jobs. They're 438 00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:24,119 Speaker 3: among them, but it's also prosecutors. It is also border 439 00:24:24,119 --> 00:24:28,080 Speaker 3: patrol agents. It is also Marines, I mean is it's 440 00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:30,960 Speaker 3: coast guardsmen. It's a lot of people who are good 441 00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:33,520 Speaker 3: people doing great work who get their pay cut off. 442 00:24:34,359 --> 00:24:38,320 Speaker 3: But Biden will also implement the policies in ways. So 443 00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:40,360 Speaker 3: for example, what will they do. They'll shut down every 444 00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:44,240 Speaker 3: national park in America. So maybe you and your family 445 00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:48,080 Speaker 3: over Christmas break, we're planning to go see a national park. 446 00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:50,399 Speaker 3: Maybe you're planning to go see the Smithsonian. Now Christmas 447 00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:54,359 Speaker 3: is not a huge time for that, but shutting down 448 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:57,560 Speaker 3: the museums, shutting down the national parks, it is one 449 00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:02,040 Speaker 3: hundred percent Biden will do that, and that is done 450 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:07,720 Speaker 3: to inflict maximum pain. Let's say you're taking your family 451 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:12,000 Speaker 3: on vacation and you want your passport processed. Well, you 452 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:14,359 Speaker 3: know what, Biden's going to shut that down. You're not 453 00:25:14,359 --> 00:25:15,880 Speaker 3: going to get your passport processed. 454 00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:21,800 Speaker 1: Every consumer face, make it hurt, is what they're saying. 455 00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:23,879 Speaker 1: They want to make it hurt, and they want you 456 00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:26,200 Speaker 1: to blame Republicans, and they want you to say this 457 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:29,080 Speaker 1: is what they did, this is their fault, and it's 458 00:25:29,119 --> 00:25:29,800 Speaker 1: a blame game. 459 00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:31,840 Speaker 3: It is a blame game, and they want to make 460 00:25:31,880 --> 00:25:34,480 Speaker 3: it painful and they want to blame Republicans. So I 461 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:36,840 Speaker 3: will just say to everyone, and look, I'm reading Twitter, 462 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:38,520 Speaker 3: I'm reading people that I like it, agree with the 463 00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:40,120 Speaker 3: or just like shut it down, shut it down, shut 464 00:25:40,119 --> 00:25:40,440 Speaker 3: it down. 465 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:44,440 Speaker 2: That I get. 466 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:46,760 Speaker 3: There's a lot about government that frustrates the heck out 467 00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:49,480 Speaker 3: of me. But let me just ask, Okay, what's. 468 00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:50,160 Speaker 2: The end game. 469 00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:54,200 Speaker 3: Do you really think if we have a government shutdown 470 00:25:54,680 --> 00:25:59,320 Speaker 3: for the next month and Trump arrives on January twentieth 471 00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:02,520 Speaker 3: with the government shut down for a month, that that 472 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:06,080 Speaker 3: helps Trump? Do you really think that helps the incoming administration? 473 00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:09,000 Speaker 3: By the way, come January twentieth, it stays shut down, 474 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:13,159 Speaker 3: you still got to get to two eighteen. There are 475 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:15,040 Speaker 3: people around Trump will say, well, no, no, no, everyone will 476 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:17,439 Speaker 3: blame the shutdown on Joe Biden. I promise you they 477 00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:24,240 Speaker 3: won't in significant part because when it's Republicans screaming we 478 00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:29,359 Speaker 3: want to shut down, it's actually not ridiculous of Democrats 479 00:26:29,359 --> 00:26:31,880 Speaker 3: to say, well, if the Republicans want to shut down, 480 00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:34,159 Speaker 3: then it's the Republican shutdown. I mean, that's not an 481 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:35,879 Speaker 3: insane thing to say. The media will say it, the 482 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:41,320 Speaker 3: Democrats will say it. And when you have Republicans screaming 483 00:26:41,359 --> 00:26:44,560 Speaker 3: I want to shut down, that becomes not a very 484 00:26:44,600 --> 00:26:49,160 Speaker 3: difficult narrative to tell. So if you're arguing, who cares 485 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:51,240 Speaker 3: about the shutdown, let's shut it down, let me just 486 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:53,920 Speaker 3: ask what are you trying to accomplish with that, what's 487 00:26:53,960 --> 00:26:57,440 Speaker 3: the leverage you're trying to get, and what's the endgame? 488 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:00,440 Speaker 3: When does the shutdown end? Or do you think we 489 00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:03,720 Speaker 3: should never pay our active duty military again? And I 490 00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:06,560 Speaker 3: don't think there are many people And that's one of 491 00:27:06,560 --> 00:27:09,040 Speaker 3: the dangers of people just yelling when they don't actually 492 00:27:09,119 --> 00:27:10,520 Speaker 3: look at well, what does this mean? 493 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:13,760 Speaker 2: And let me be clear, I have been. 494 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:18,080 Speaker 3: Vigorous in saying we should use funding as leverage, but 495 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:23,200 Speaker 3: leverage for an achievable, concrete, discrete outcome. I'm not hearing 496 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:25,200 Speaker 3: anyone who's saying shut it down, shut it down. 497 00:27:25,320 --> 00:27:25,439 Speaker 2: Now. 498 00:27:25,520 --> 00:27:28,399 Speaker 3: Some people are saying, all right, here's what we should 499 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:32,240 Speaker 3: get leverage for. We should get leverage for Trump's demand 500 00:27:32,920 --> 00:27:36,880 Speaker 3: that we suspend the debt ceiling. And here's the third principle. 501 00:27:36,920 --> 00:27:37,520 Speaker 3: I want to say. 502 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:38,800 Speaker 2: There are some. 503 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:42,960 Speaker 3: People arguing for eliminating the debt ceiling permanently altogether, just 504 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:45,159 Speaker 3: getting rid of the death ceiling. Never again having to 505 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:46,439 Speaker 3: worry about it. And by the way, one of the 506 00:27:46,440 --> 00:27:49,520 Speaker 3: plans that's discussed is, well, the Democrats have always wanted 507 00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:51,520 Speaker 3: to eliminate the death ceiling, so let's just do that, 508 00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:54,600 Speaker 3: and that's how we get out of this. I pray 509 00:27:55,320 --> 00:27:58,640 Speaker 3: that is not the end game here. Eliminating the debt 510 00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:01,159 Speaker 3: ceiling would be the single world first step we could 511 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:06,640 Speaker 3: possibly take if you care about spending or deficits or debt. 512 00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:08,320 Speaker 2: Now, why is that? 513 00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:13,560 Speaker 3: Okay, let's do a little history. Historically, the debt ceiling 514 00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:18,359 Speaker 3: has been the single greatest leverage Republicans have had to 515 00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:23,320 Speaker 3: force spending restraint. Now, this has only happened and it's 516 00:28:23,320 --> 00:28:25,960 Speaker 3: only worked against the opposing party. So one of the 517 00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:29,679 Speaker 3: challenges with the debt ceiling is when your own party 518 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:31,760 Speaker 3: is in power. Trump wants the dead ceiling raised. Every 519 00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:37,000 Speaker 3: president wants the dead ceiling raised. Republicans, as a general matter, 520 00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:40,760 Speaker 3: are not willing to exert massive leverage on their own 521 00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:44,840 Speaker 3: parties president and force spending restraints. So when Trump was 522 00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:47,760 Speaker 3: president the first time, the debt ceiling was not leverage 523 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:50,360 Speaker 3: against Trump because Republicans didn't want to do that. 524 00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:51,560 Speaker 2: I understand that. 525 00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:56,479 Speaker 3: But when Democrats are in the White House Republicans, the 526 00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:59,680 Speaker 3: debt ceiling is the single most effective lever point that 527 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:03,880 Speaker 3: has been used against Democrats to force spending restraints. And 528 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:05,880 Speaker 3: I want to point to a couple of examples. Number one, 529 00:29:06,640 --> 00:29:12,040 Speaker 3: Graham Rudman Hollings. Graham Rudman Hollings, passed decades ago, remains 530 00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:15,840 Speaker 3: the single most effective spending restraint that has ever been 531 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:18,440 Speaker 3: passed into law. Phil Graham, former Senator from Texas, was 532 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:21,200 Speaker 3: the lead author. How did that get passed? It got 533 00:29:21,240 --> 00:29:24,680 Speaker 3: passed because of the debt ceiling. Got passed because Republicans 534 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:27,600 Speaker 3: forced it and said, we won't raise the debt ceiling 535 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:31,560 Speaker 3: unless you pass meaningful structural reform to. 536 00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:35,120 Speaker 2: Reign in spending. And Graham Hollings. 537 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:39,560 Speaker 3: Was in effect for many years and had a very 538 00:29:39,760 --> 00:29:42,640 Speaker 3: positive effect reigning in the growth of spending. I'll point 539 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:46,000 Speaker 3: to a second example twenty ten, the Budget Control Act. 540 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:50,720 Speaker 3: Twenty ten, Barack Obama was president and Republicans used the 541 00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:55,600 Speaker 3: debt ceiling to force Barack Obama to agree to something 542 00:29:55,640 --> 00:29:58,920 Speaker 3: called the Budget Control Act. The Budget Control Act again 543 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:04,840 Speaker 3: significant constrain the growth of federal spending. It was only 544 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:10,680 Speaker 3: through the debt ceiling we got that. Now the argument. 545 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:13,800 Speaker 3: And by the way, today we the Republican senators, we 546 00:30:13,880 --> 00:30:14,600 Speaker 3: all had lunch. 547 00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:18,760 Speaker 2: JD. Vance came to express his views. To the lunch. 548 00:30:20,120 --> 00:30:22,320 Speaker 3: There were a number of Republicans saying, well, we should 549 00:30:22,360 --> 00:30:25,200 Speaker 3: just get rid of the debt ceiling now. And I'll 550 00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:27,280 Speaker 3: tell you I expressed my views. If we get rid 551 00:30:27,320 --> 00:30:30,000 Speaker 3: of the debt ceiling, it would be utterly disastrous. If 552 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:33,320 Speaker 3: you care remotely about government spending, eliminate the debt ceiling 553 00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:35,960 Speaker 3: would be a massive mistake. 554 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:36,880 Speaker 2: And I just put it up. 555 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:39,680 Speaker 3: If we get rid of the dead ceiling, there will 556 00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:43,120 Speaker 3: come another Democrat president. I get the urge to live 557 00:30:43,160 --> 00:30:44,640 Speaker 3: in the moment of we're in charge. 558 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:45,120 Speaker 2: Wuha. 559 00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:49,920 Speaker 3: But unfortunately, there will come another time when the American 560 00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:53,040 Speaker 3: people elect a Democrat. And for anyone who has an 561 00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:57,800 Speaker 3: attention span beyond twelve seconds, you recognize throughout history that 562 00:30:57,880 --> 00:30:59,840 Speaker 3: politics has been a pendulum and it goes from one 563 00:31:00,280 --> 00:31:02,280 Speaker 3: to the other. So we will get another Democrat president. 564 00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:04,200 Speaker 3: And I told my colleagues today at lunch, I said, 565 00:31:04,200 --> 00:31:07,320 Speaker 3: all right, you get rid of the death ceiling, get 566 00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:10,960 Speaker 3: ready for President Elizabeth Warren. And if you don't like 567 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:13,320 Speaker 3: a thirty six trillion dollar debt, get ready for a 568 00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:19,000 Speaker 3: fifty trillion dollar debt because the Democrats Elizabeth Warren wants 569 00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:22,120 Speaker 3: to eliminate the dead ceiling, AOC wants to eliminate the 570 00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:25,280 Speaker 3: death ceiling. Chuck Schumer wants to eliminate the dead ceiling 571 00:31:25,320 --> 00:31:27,440 Speaker 3: because they want to spend us into oblivion. 572 00:31:27,960 --> 00:31:30,920 Speaker 2: So I will say one potential way out of. 573 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:35,080 Speaker 3: This is to cut an absolute deal with the Democrats 574 00:31:35,080 --> 00:31:38,320 Speaker 3: that gets rid of the debt ceiling forever. We will 575 00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:40,719 Speaker 3: have given away what history has proven. And by the way, 576 00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:44,000 Speaker 3: I'll go back. I'll go back to about a decade. 577 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:45,800 Speaker 3: I don't have the most recent stats, but about a 578 00:31:45,840 --> 00:31:49,000 Speaker 3: decade ago, it was the case that of the previous 579 00:31:49,080 --> 00:31:53,480 Speaker 3: fifty one times Congress had raised the debt ceiling, twenty 580 00:31:53,520 --> 00:31:56,600 Speaker 3: eight of those times that had attached meaningful conditions to 581 00:31:56,640 --> 00:31:59,400 Speaker 3: the debt ceiling. So it's leverage. Remember my principal number two, 582 00:31:59,400 --> 00:32:03,000 Speaker 3: as you spending for leverage, this is related on principle 583 00:32:03,080 --> 00:32:06,880 Speaker 3: number three. The debt ceiling is about getting leverage for concessions. 584 00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:10,920 Speaker 3: Now here's the problem I mentioned to you. There are 585 00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:12,720 Speaker 3: a bunch of Republicans in the House who say they'll 586 00:32:12,760 --> 00:32:16,160 Speaker 3: never vote for continued resolution. There are also a bunch 587 00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:18,080 Speaker 3: of Republicans in the House who say they will never 588 00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:19,840 Speaker 3: ever ever vote to raise the debt ceiling. 589 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:22,800 Speaker 2: I got to tell you, I don't think that makes 590 00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:23,240 Speaker 2: any sense. 591 00:32:23,280 --> 00:32:26,239 Speaker 3: I've never said it, and I consider myself very much 592 00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:30,880 Speaker 3: a fiscal conservative. But forty percent of every dollar the 593 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:33,760 Speaker 3: federal government spends is borrowed unless you're prepared to slash 594 00:32:33,800 --> 00:32:36,600 Speaker 3: the federal government budget by forty percent tomorrow. And by 595 00:32:36,600 --> 00:32:39,920 Speaker 3: the way, there is literally no serious person on planet 596 00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:41,680 Speaker 3: Earth who is prepared to do that and is able 597 00:32:41,720 --> 00:32:43,920 Speaker 3: to do that. Even if you would with a magic 598 00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:46,440 Speaker 3: wand do that, there's no way to make that happen. 599 00:32:46,520 --> 00:32:49,720 Speaker 3: Unless you're prepared to do that, the debt ceiling will 600 00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:53,360 Speaker 3: have to be raised. My position has always been I'm 601 00:32:53,400 --> 00:32:56,560 Speaker 3: willing to vote to raise the debt ceiling if we 602 00:32:56,600 --> 00:32:59,000 Speaker 3: are getting concessions that are raining in the out of 603 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:04,760 Speaker 3: control spending that's bankrupting our country. However, in the House 604 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:06,680 Speaker 3: there are a bunch of Republicans who simply say, I 605 00:33:06,720 --> 00:33:08,640 Speaker 3: will never ever ever vote to raise the debt ceiling 606 00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:11,120 Speaker 3: no matter what, it doesn't matter what we get. My 607 00:33:11,200 --> 00:33:16,960 Speaker 3: answer is no, that is a real problem. Let me 608 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:21,800 Speaker 3: make one final principle, Mike Johnson, who's the Speaker of 609 00:33:21,800 --> 00:33:24,440 Speaker 3: the House. There are a bunch of voices on TV, 610 00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:26,400 Speaker 3: a bunch of voices on talk radio, a bunch of 611 00:33:26,480 --> 00:33:28,720 Speaker 3: voices on Twitter saying get rid of Mike Johnson, throw 612 00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:31,440 Speaker 3: them overboard. I'm going to tell you something that I 613 00:33:31,480 --> 00:33:37,040 Speaker 3: believe is an absolute fact. Mike Johnson is the single 614 00:33:37,120 --> 00:33:40,040 Speaker 3: most conservative Speaker of the House that will ever be 615 00:33:40,160 --> 00:33:44,280 Speaker 3: Speaker of the House in our lifetime. He is undoubtedly 616 00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:47,080 Speaker 3: the most conservative Speaker of the House we have ever 617 00:33:47,160 --> 00:33:49,560 Speaker 3: had in our lifetime. It's not even close, it's not 618 00:33:49,640 --> 00:33:54,480 Speaker 3: even arguable. And I'm here to tell you listen, Mike 619 00:33:54,560 --> 00:33:56,640 Speaker 3: Johnson may lose his job over this. He has a 620 00:33:56,800 --> 00:34:00,240 Speaker 3: very perilous It's a tiny majority in the House. You've 621 00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:01,800 Speaker 3: got a bunch of House members saying I'm going to 622 00:34:01,880 --> 00:34:05,040 Speaker 3: vote against him. I will tell you this, If Mike 623 00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:07,040 Speaker 3: Johnson has toppled a Speaker of the House, and he 624 00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:11,120 Speaker 3: might be Kevin McCarthy was, Mike Johnson is orders of 625 00:34:11,160 --> 00:34:14,560 Speaker 3: magnitude more conservative than Kevin McCarthy. It's not even close. 626 00:34:16,239 --> 00:34:19,120 Speaker 3: If Mike Johnson is toppled as Speaker of the House, 627 00:34:20,280 --> 00:34:22,240 Speaker 3: we will end up with a Speaker of the House 628 00:34:22,239 --> 00:34:28,040 Speaker 3: who is much much more liberal than Mike Johnson. I 629 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:32,319 Speaker 3: think that is indisputable. I know Mike Well, he's a 630 00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:35,800 Speaker 3: good man. He's a decent man, he's a strong Christian, 631 00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:38,680 Speaker 3: he is a man of humility. And everyone on Twitter 632 00:34:38,719 --> 00:34:43,919 Speaker 3: is saying, but he gave the Democrats concessions. I want 633 00:34:43,960 --> 00:34:47,480 Speaker 3: to go back to the first principle. I said, count 634 00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:53,320 Speaker 3: to two eighteen. If Mike Johnson could draft a bill 635 00:34:53,719 --> 00:34:55,600 Speaker 3: that makes it out of the House with two hundred 636 00:34:55,600 --> 00:34:59,759 Speaker 3: and eighteen Republicans, he would I don't believe that is 637 00:34:59,760 --> 00:35:03,600 Speaker 3: p possible. There's certainly nothing to indicate it as possible 638 00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:07,239 Speaker 3: right now. If you cannot get to two eighteen with 639 00:35:07,360 --> 00:35:10,680 Speaker 3: Republicans because a bunch of Republicans say I will not 640 00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:16,040 Speaker 3: vote for anything you propose, no matter what, then Mike 641 00:35:16,120 --> 00:35:19,800 Speaker 3: Johnson is forced to get Democrat votes. To get Democrat votes, 642 00:35:20,480 --> 00:35:25,840 Speaker 3: he must give Democrats things they want. And so I 643 00:35:25,880 --> 00:35:28,600 Speaker 3: don't know what will happen. I think there's a reasonable 644 00:35:28,680 --> 00:35:33,640 Speaker 3: chance somehow out of this we get some very short 645 00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:38,200 Speaker 3: term cr a week or two or three, and then 646 00:35:38,360 --> 00:35:40,440 Speaker 3: in mid January we're back in the middle of this 647 00:35:40,560 --> 00:35:42,640 Speaker 3: mess again. That's possible. I'll tell you, in the state, 648 00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:44,360 Speaker 3: we're all sitting there. We have no idea what's going 649 00:35:44,440 --> 00:35:47,880 Speaker 3: to happen. I got to tell you I feel for 650 00:35:47,920 --> 00:35:50,120 Speaker 3: Mike Johnson. I think he is trying with all his might, 651 00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:55,720 Speaker 3: and I would just encourage you to focus on listen. 652 00:35:55,760 --> 00:36:00,600 Speaker 3: I think we need people to be serious about changing 653 00:36:00,680 --> 00:36:05,759 Speaker 3: the direction of the battleship of government, and to do so, 654 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:11,800 Speaker 3: you actually need a strategy that can get the votes 655 00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:16,800 Speaker 3: to prevail. If you can't get the votes, it's easy 656 00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:19,480 Speaker 3: to tweet about it. I mean that's from the cheap seats. 657 00:36:20,600 --> 00:36:25,439 Speaker 3: Thirty eight Republicans voted No. One hundred and seventy four 658 00:36:25,600 --> 00:36:29,319 Speaker 3: is not to eighteen, and so I don't know what 659 00:36:29,360 --> 00:36:34,000 Speaker 3: the result is here. I think it is chaotic. We 660 00:36:34,040 --> 00:36:37,919 Speaker 3: will get through this one way or another. But the 661 00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:41,080 Speaker 3: fundamental structural dynamics, and it's one of the things look 662 00:36:41,160 --> 00:36:43,719 Speaker 3: going forward into the next year. I'm really optimistic about 663 00:36:43,719 --> 00:36:47,880 Speaker 3: the Trump presidency. I'm really optimistic about a Republican Senate 664 00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:50,080 Speaker 3: in the House. But I'll tell you the Senate's going 665 00:36:50,160 --> 00:36:52,839 Speaker 3: to be a lot easier. We've got fifty three Republicans 666 00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:54,600 Speaker 3: coming in next year. By the way, we still have 667 00:36:54,640 --> 00:36:57,200 Speaker 3: a Democrat Senate today, so I haven't even this whole 668 00:36:57,239 --> 00:36:59,000 Speaker 3: discussion has ignored the fact that you've got to get 669 00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:01,160 Speaker 3: Chuck Schumer and the Democrat to agree with whatever you do, 670 00:37:01,400 --> 00:37:05,000 Speaker 3: which is even harder. But next year we'll have fifty 671 00:37:05,040 --> 00:37:07,480 Speaker 3: three Republicans in the Senate. Fifty three is a big 672 00:37:07,560 --> 00:37:10,120 Speaker 3: enough majority that we can lose three votes and still 673 00:37:10,160 --> 00:37:11,840 Speaker 3: get things done. So I think the Senate will be 674 00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:17,120 Speaker 3: able to pass pretty good legislation, not fantastic, not wonderful, 675 00:37:17,160 --> 00:37:23,359 Speaker 3: but surprisingly good. The House worries me enormously next year 676 00:37:23,400 --> 00:37:28,640 Speaker 3: because the majority is so excruciatingly small that if you 677 00:37:28,800 --> 00:37:33,240 Speaker 3: lose a handful of votes, you cannot get to too eighteen. 678 00:37:33,440 --> 00:37:37,319 Speaker 3: And so I think Mike Johnson is trying to work 679 00:37:37,400 --> 00:37:41,960 Speaker 3: miracles right now. But the single hardest challenge of the 680 00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:44,799 Speaker 3: next two years in terms of passing good legislation is 681 00:37:44,880 --> 00:37:47,160 Speaker 3: going to be getting to two eighteen in the House. 682 00:37:47,840 --> 00:37:49,279 Speaker 2: And I don't know what the answer is to that. 683 00:37:50,320 --> 00:37:51,880 Speaker 1: I want to take a moment and talk to you 684 00:37:51,960 --> 00:37:56,360 Speaker 1: about IFCJ the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, wants 685 00:37:56,360 --> 00:37:59,120 Speaker 1: to wish you a blessed beginning of the holiday season 686 00:37:59,160 --> 00:38:02,880 Speaker 1: as you gather with your families, grateful for the blessings 687 00:38:02,880 --> 00:38:06,880 Speaker 1: that God has given us all. But let's also remember 688 00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:12,040 Speaker 1: those who are facing unbelievable hardship in need of food, fellowship, 689 00:38:12,200 --> 00:38:15,640 Speaker 1: and hope. That includes the people of Israel, who are 690 00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:19,680 Speaker 1: threatened daily by attacks from enemies on all sides. And 691 00:38:19,760 --> 00:38:23,799 Speaker 1: during these hard times, Israelis are thankful for the fellowship, 692 00:38:23,840 --> 00:38:27,759 Speaker 1: for food and basic assistance, truly life saving aid, when 693 00:38:27,800 --> 00:38:29,480 Speaker 1: the rest of the world seems to have turned its 694 00:38:29,520 --> 00:38:33,520 Speaker 1: back on them. Your gift of twenty five dollars will 695 00:38:33,520 --> 00:38:36,680 Speaker 1: help provide a food box to an elderly Jew or 696 00:38:36,719 --> 00:38:40,680 Speaker 1: a Jewish family who are suffering and in desperate need. 697 00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:43,560 Speaker 1: A gift of one hundred dollars will help provide four 698 00:38:43,600 --> 00:38:47,800 Speaker 1: of these life saving food boxes this holiday season. Please 699 00:38:47,840 --> 00:38:51,080 Speaker 1: consider standing with Israel and the Jewish people. You can 700 00:38:51,120 --> 00:38:57,879 Speaker 1: go to SUPPORTIFCJ dot org. That's support IFCJ dot org. 701 00:38:57,960 --> 00:39:02,160 Speaker 1: To make a gift now, that's SUPPORTIFCJ dot org. Or 702 00:39:02,160 --> 00:39:05,520 Speaker 1: you can call to give at eighty eight for eight 703 00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:10,239 Speaker 1: eight I f CJ. That's eight eight eight four eight 704 00:39:10,239 --> 00:39:14,680 Speaker 1: eight four three two five all right. Make sure you 705 00:39:14,719 --> 00:39:18,600 Speaker 1: share this podcast as well. That helps tremendously, Get out 706 00:39:18,640 --> 00:39:21,440 Speaker 1: all this information to everybody that's out there, and I 707 00:39:21,440 --> 00:39:23,040 Speaker 1: will see you back here tomorrow