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Good morning, everyone.
Joining us to tell us more about where we are this morning on this Friday is Michael Schnell, congressional reporter with The Hill.
So, Michael Schnell, what is the likelihood of a government shutdown?
Yeah, hey Greg, good morning.
The likelihood of a shutdown is really increasing by the minute here, right?
You mentioned Speaker Johnson put his plan B for averting a government shutdown.
What is happening today, this morning, on Capitol Hill?
Yeah, so what we expect is that there will continue to be meetings in Speaker Johnson's office, as there have been for the past two days now.
I've been staking out his office for hours for the past two days and have seen top lawmakers of diverse ideological Republican group shuffle in and out to talk about different ideas, toss around different proposals,
and try to figure out how to get out of this mess.
So I expect that we'll...
There was reporting that the House Freedom Caucus asked for a meeting this morning with JD Vance and others in the Speaker's office.
Why the Freedom Caucus?
Well, this wouldn't be too much of a surprise.
A number of Freedom Caucus members voted against that Plan B that Johnson put on the floor yesterday, including Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris and Chip Roy, a prominent member of the group.
So...
Them wanting to meet with Johnson this morning suggests to me that they are looking for a way out of this mess, particularly in a way that appeases Donald Trump, but they want to toss around ideas with the speaker and his team, so it appears that they are going to be meeting this morning to discuss ideas,
and I'm interested to see if they're going to have any solutions there that, A, could pass the House, but again, we still have to pass the Senate here, and the Senate has that 60 vote filibuster, so any solution here, by nature, by definition, is going to have to be bipartisan.
There were reports last night that Speaker Johnson said behind closed doors.
If anybody can get to 218, God bless them.
What do you make of that?
I think it shows, you know, I would first note that not being in the room, you don't know if the comment was made in jest or seriously, but it shows that Johnson is acutely aware of the pressure he is facing with this speakership on the line.
Look, a number of conservative Republicans are watching closely to see.
How Johnson would handle this funding fight and how that would influence whether or not he can win the gavel on January 3rd.
Thus far, it has really upset and frustrated conservatives.
So that's a harrowing sign for his chances of keeping hold of the gavel on January 3rd.
From your colleague, Emily Brooks at The Hill, she tweeted out last night, asked Representative Ralph Norman, what's next?
There's no plan.
Trump wants this thing to shut down.
Michael Schnell, does the president -elect, is he calling for a shutdown?
Well, that is a big question here, right?
And, you know, President -elect Trump, excuse me for coughing, President -elect Trump demanded the inclusion of a debt limit increase in these government funding negotiations really at the 11th hour.
It was just two days ago when it looked like this government funding process was going to be wrapped up pretty quickly.
So this has hurled a massive curveball into the situation and into the deliberations.
And look, J .D. Vance said last night when he was leaving the Capitol that Democrats voted against this.
It looks like they're going to get the shutdown they wanted.
So it seems like he seems to be a bit complacent with the idea of a shutdown.
What Donald Trump and J .D. Vance actually want, though, that remains to be seen.
But again, it looks like we are headed in that direction.
The blame game started on the floor last night.
Who would be responsible?
For a shutdown before the vote was taken and then 38 Republicans voted against the plan on the floor.
Well, that's always going to be the question that's asked in this situation, and the answer is going to depend on who you ask.
Democrats are going to want to place the onus on Republicans for reneging on that bipartisan and bicameral deal that congressional negotiators struck earlier this week.
Republicans, however, are going to point to that vote last night and say, if some Democrats would have gotten on board with us, we could have funded the government in a bipartisan manner.
So whenever you have this blame game, particularly with government shutdowns, it's always going to depend on who you ask, and then it's going to be a war.
Senator Kennedy told Burgess Everett last night on the Hill, maybe it's time for Plan C, a pure three -week CR with nothing about the debt limit in it.
But I don't know if President -elect Trump will support that.
Michael Snow, what do we know?
Well, that's the wild card here.
It's what will President -elect Trump support.
Again, he hurled this curveball.
He hurled this curveball into the government funding negotiations with this demand that the debt limit be increased.
This was never being discussed at this moment.
It's not expected that Congress is going to have to deal with a debt limit until over the summer.
So if Trump is willing to renege on that demand, then there could be a bipartisan agreement here that can move forward to fund the government.
But really, the debt limit is the main sticking point here because...
We're good to go.
Michael Schnell, just talk about the parliamentary hurdles that Speaker Johnson faces right now at 7 a .m. here on the East Coast with a midnight deadline.
How does he get something to the floor quickly?
And then, when does the Senate take it up?
Right.
So whenever you deal with legislation, you can either go through the regular rules process or suspension of the rules.
The regular rules process is more of a procedural process.
It requires first going to the Rules Committee, having the Rules Committee report out a procedural rule which governs debate on legislation.
Then the House has to debate and approve that rule.
And then the House has to debate and approve the underlying legislation.
It's a multi -step process.
But...
Again.
But if you deal with the rules process, then you just need a majority vote on the House floor to approve legislation.
The problem with that, though, is that Republicans throughout this Congress have voted against rules as a way to boycott legislation and boycott leadership's play calls.
Now, suspension of the rules is the other option here, which you don't have to go through a procedural rule, you don't have to deal with those hurdles, but the catch is...
That requires two -thirds support in the chamber to pass, which means it has to be overwhelmingly bipartisan.
Those are the two issues that Johnson's weighing right now as he looks for a path forward.
He doesn't really have enough Republican support to get things done through the Rules Committee, and then you're going to have the issue in the Senate when you deal with the filibuster.
But a bipartisan deal is likely not going to be approved by President -elect Trump, and that's the pickle Johnson finds himself in right now.
Michael Schnell reporting for The Hill up on Capitol Hill.
We appreciate it as always.
Thank you for your time.
Thanks, Greta.
Thehill .com with the headline this morning, Republicans scramble for funding Plan C as shutdown deadline draws near.
Let's listen to the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, after his proposal on the floor last night failed.
Very disappointing to us that all but two Democrats voted against aid to farmers and ranchers, against disaster relief, against all these bipartisan measures that had already been negotiated and decided upon.
Again, the only difference on this legislation...
What's the next step?
A gaggle of reporters around Speaker Mike Johnson last night after the Plan B on the House floor failed.
38 Republicans rejecting it, along with 197 Democrats.
A midnight...
Deadline is facing Washington today, 7 a .m. here on the East Coast, and we're getting your take on what is happening here in the nation's capital.
I want to share another post with you on X.
This is from Steph Knight, who writes for Axios.
Senator Kramer tells me he expects a shutdown.
I don't really see how we can avoid it at this point.
He says, with 38 votes by Republicans against a Trump -backed plan.
Trump needs to send some emissaries up here to go eyeball to eyeball with some people.
Let's see if that can persuade.
Let's turn to all of you.
Anne, in Jamaica, New York, Democratic caller, your take on this government funding impasse here in Washington.
Hi, Anne.
Good morning, C -SPAN.
I just think it's ridiculous that it's a bunch of nothing but billionaires.
These people don't give a hoot about Why do you say,
Ann, it's for the millionaires?
They don't care about the middle class and the people like us.
I'm 83 years old.
They really don't care about us.
They're looking at Social Security.
What do they care about the average Jane or John Doe?
They really don't care.
They had a bill there.
They had cancer research in it, different things in it.
Why didn't they just pass that bill?
All right.
Helen, Greensboro, North Carolina, independent caller.
Helen, good morning to you.
All right.
Helen, and plan B, which is what failed on the floor last night, that plan was backed by President -elect Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy.
It was a three -month extension of government funding at current levels, a two -year suspension of the debt limit to January 2027.
It extended the farm bill, and it had $110 billion in disaster relief, including $10 billion in aid.
For farmers.
This legislation, this Plan B, was slimmed down from Plan A, which was 1 ,500 pages.
The Plan A was rejected by first Elon Musk in over 150 posts on X.
Then President -elect Donald Trump also panned the idea of Plan A, the much larger piece of legislation.
House...
Republicans have abandoned that bipartisan agreement that we entered into in good faith.
A bill that House Republicans negotiated gave us your word that we were going to move forward together on behalf of the American people.
It was a Republican -drafted bill that was posted by House Republicans.
And then one or two puppet masters weigh in
And the extreme MAGA Republicans decide to do the bidding of the wealthy, the well -off, the well -connected, millionaires and billionaires, not working class people all across America.
The bill that is before us today is just part of an effort to shut down the government.
Unless we, as representatives of the American people, bend to the will of just a handful of millionaires and billionaires.
Because the provisions in this bill, Particularly as it relates to suspending the debt ceiling for two years, are designed to bring about a massive tax cut, unpaid for, for wealthy donors and for wealthy corporations.
For millionaires and billionaires who clearly some in this Congress are working for.
And this bill is validation for it.
Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat of New York, leader of the Democratic Party in the House, arguing against the legislation that was put on the floor, Plan B, by House Republicans.
As we said, Plan A, rejected by Elon Musk and President -elect Donald Trump from Axios.
They call them the winner.
The winners are those who control the flow of information to the largest numbers of people, or the right people, at the right moment, on the right...
Right now, Musk controls both for the incoming governing party.
This allowed Musk to tweetstorm 150 -plus posts the defeat of the federal spending bill while sharing some demonstrably false information, including the size of a proposed congressional pay raise now dropped from the bill.
The bill that was on the floor last night did not include that pay raise.
Musk also reposted a false claim that the bill included $3 billion for a new NFL stadium in D .C., but the provision...
Also, now stricken from the bill, merely transferred the site of the old RFK stadium from the federal government to the District of Columbia.
Musk said the original bill funded a bioweapons lab.
It didn't.
Musk reposted a claim the bill contained $60 billion for Ukraine, which it didn't appear to.
So when Musk tells ex -followers, you are the media, it's true, they're part of his media.
But that's different than declaring they're all reporters trying to validate information.
Hello, how are you doing?
Well, they're just going to have to deal with it.
You know, these Democrats, they want more money, more money, more money.
They're giving all the money to these foreign countries to fight and kill people.
It just don't, you know, they don't get it.
They do this.
They do this every time.
They wait till the very end, and they try to pass all this pork through so they can, you know, it's just the same thing.
All right, so Duke, Plan A, which was that 1 ,500 -plus page bill negotiated by Speaker Johnson with Democrats over two weeks.
Your thoughts on that plan, the first iteration of a year -end spending deal.
What did you think of it?
Well, I think they need to get rid of Johnson.
You think?
Go there.
Gary, swearing, that is.
Gary in Berlin, New Hampshire.
Democratic caller.
Hi, Gary.
Hi, good morning, Greta, and happy holidays to you.
Morning.
Hi.
This is a shame this is going on.
This should not be going on.
You know, these people in the House are holding us Americans hostage.
We have to.
To go back to why we're in the situation that we're in.
Number one, there are mainly two people here to blame for the situation that we are in.
Number one, Merrick Garland for taking so long to appoint a special counsel to investigate Trump.
He should have appointed a special counsel almost immediately.
Number two, Mitch McConnell.
Mitch McConnell should have voted to convict him in the Senate immediately.
Convict who?
Donald Trump in the impeachment trial in the United States Senate.
If Mitch McConnell grew a backbone...
Gary, you are tying the situation today, facing a midnight deadline to fund the government, to those events months, years ago.
Right.
It's shameful.
It should not be happening.
But, you know, this is classic Donald Trump, how he can control a party over how he can put politics over the people of this country.
All right, Gary, I'll leave it there.
John, in New York, Independent.
Yeah, thanks for taking my call.
Greta, the first 20 minutes of this program, the topic you brought up was all...
Democratic condemnation of the Republican Party.
There was nobody there to defend them.
This is like watching a trial, a kangaroo trial, where you have a defendant that has no defense.
And you have all these prosecutors saying this, that, and the other thing.
And, Greta, this is not unbiased.
This is not the unbiased way you claim that C -SPAN is supposed to be the unbiased view of our government.
You tell me where we were leaning too heavily on one side.
Don't criticize me.
You could criticize me all you want when I'm done, okay?
I did.
I was asking you to explain.
You said we were biased in the first 20 minutes, so explain.
I'm not going to explain nothing.
We'll move on.
Robert in Washington.
Democratic caller.
Hello?
Morning, Robert.
Oh, yes.
Hi.
Good morning.
Okay, so this is all so obvious.
Plan A was a bipartisan bill.
It was actually done.
It was actually signed.
So then they came up with Plan B.
What happened in reality is President -elect
We're good to go.
So I hope we don't get fooled again.
I think?
My opinion, throw all the bums out.
Robert, why refer to Elon Musk as President -elect Musk and President -elect Trump as Vice President -elect?
We heard that coming from Democrats as well.
What are you hoping to accomplish by saying that?
What I hope to accomplish by saying that is to open people's and open people's minds.
And perhaps eke out some intelligence.
I mean, when people tell you you do not see what your eyes actually see, that's called subliminal advertising,
which was banned in the movie -making industry because it's very powerful.
So I just want people to have some reasoning, some intelligence, Yeah,
from what I see what's going on, it's the same old thing with Trump.
They had a package that was ready to be all worked out, all ready to go through.
And just like in 2017 or whenever that last shutdown was, he pulled cold water on it at the end.
This is a good package, and all the other packages he's put in is going to benefit the rich by extending the debt ceiling.
You don't put a debt ceiling in for a government shutdown bill.
I mean, what are these people trying to do?
The orange toddler really needs to just grow up.
And, you know, if he says he wants to help all the people that elected him, then why is he helping the billionaires out so much?
That's what I don't understand.
All right.
Roy is a Democrat in Melbourne, Florida.
We'll go to Kathy, who's an independent in Bellingham, Washington.
Hi, Kathy.
Hi, good morning.
Morning.
I was calling because some of your callers have already touched on it, but it is a last -minute interruption.
By the president -elect and who works for him.
Two, number one, he loves causing chaos.
He has been quoted as, I am the storm.
This allows him to make up whatever publicity he wants about this on Fox News and his other allies in the media.
And he would love to have this, I'm sure, be a shutdown through the inauguration.
So that he can say when he comes to power on the 20th, he's going to fix it in a day.
Here we are when we already had a wonderful, nothing's perfect, but a bipartisan bill to keep our government funded.
Thank you.
All right.
Let's get a Republican in here.
Richard in Mechanicsville, Maryland.
Hello, Richard.
You're next.
Yes.
Hello.
Very spirited conversation this morning.
You know, this didn't happen overnight.
This has been going on for years now.
These bills, they come in at the last moment, and it's an ominous bill, and you're expected to vote on this crazy stuff.
But the root cause of the problem is the leadership that are doing these things is at the top there.
They dumped this 1 ,500 pages on these.
So Richard, are you blaming, as a Republican, are you blaming Speaker Mike Johnson for this?
I'm blaming all of them.
Chuck Schumer, Johnson, those cats.
So do you think when Republicans retain the majority in the next Congress, do you think that your party should vote You know,
it all depends on how this turns out.
I don't know what's going to happen there.
But, I mean, there's other things in this bill, like the stadium thing here.
You know, with the RFK, I mean, it's 175 acres there that all the taxpayers in this country own, and they want to turn it over to the city.
I mean, that's extremely valuable property.
I mean, that's just one thing right there.
All right.
All right.
Richard in Maryland, a Republican.
This is from John Bresnahan, veteran reporter on Capitol Hill last night.
Kat Cammack, who was one of the Republicans who voted no, says Republicans will work through the night, come up with a government funding bill after voting no on the CR.
Cammack ducked a question whether Johnson can remain speaker.
Quote, no one is thinking about that right now, is what she had to say.
But Senator Mike Lee, who was on the Benny show yesterday, floating this idea.
How do we go forward then?
How do we do this?
First of all, we're going to need new leadership.
We've got new leadership in the Senate in the coming year.
And I believe that the writing's on the wall, unless I'm just mistaken.
It seems to me that new leadership in the House is almost inevitable.
If that's the case, I think we need to go outside the box.
I think we need to look to a different place.
Remember, neither the Constitution nor the House rules.
We're good to go.
Senator Mike Lee floating the idea of Elon Musk or Vivek Ramaswamy as Speaker of the House.
Senator Rand Paul last night
Senator Rand Paul this morning on that.
Government funding expires midnight tonight.
Last night, Plan B failed on the House floor.
Two Democrats voted for it.
38 Republicans voted against it, along with 197 Democrats.
John in Elmhurst, Illinois, independent.
John, you're next.
What's your message to Washington this morning?
I think both sides are wrong.
This is no way to run a multi -trillion dollar government.
It's hard on their troops.
It's hard on the...
Air traffic controllers and all the government employees and everybody else, it doesn't need to be this way.
Decades ago, not now, but decades ago, if they didn't reach an agreement, there was a presumption that down the road they would have it fixed and they would just continue to run the government.
There was no threats of government shutdowns.
The government continued.
And I'm not sure why, I don't know if they passed a law that they can't do that anymore.
All right.
John's thoughts on a potential government shutdown.
CNN and Wall Street Journal reporting 875 ,000 federal employees could be furloughed if there's a government shutdown.
And this morning we have a line for government federal workers.
So we want to hear your thoughts this morning as...
The government faces a midnight deadline.
Wall Street Journal, the effects of a shutdown would be widespread from their reporting.
To keep the government funded, a spending bill must pass both the House and the Senate and President Biden must sign it into law before Friday's midnight deadline.
The partial government shutdown would begin at 12 .01 Saturday morning.
What happens during a government shutdown?
In a shutdown, the government offices continue essential workers, but tasks deemed non -essential are put on ice.
Paychecks stopped and many workers are furloughed until Congress passes new funding.
The White House controls how agencies...
I don't know.
Government services that many Americans rely on in everyday life, such as Social Security payments and U .S. Postal Service mail delivery, would continue.
Other critical services, for example, work by the Energy Department to ensure nuclear reactors are safely maintained, would also continue, as would military and border control.
If that happens at midnight tonight.
You heard from Michael Schnell this morning, a congressional reporter with The Hill, that that is likely.
Here we are, 7 :30 a .m. on the East Coast this morning, as lawmakers are gathering up on Capitol Hill behind closed doors to determine what's next.
We know from reporting on the Hill that at 7 :45 a .m. Eastern Time, the House Freedom Caucus members have called for a meeting in Speaker Johnson's office with Yes,
ma 'am.
Good morning.
Morning.
First of all, I think that when you have a bipartisan bill that was agreed upon some time ago, and at the last second, I don't want to sound arrogant about this,
but a foreigner who's a U .S. citizen ...runs his mouth at the last second and then the Vice President Trump jumps on it.
Elon Musk thinks he can buy America and America's not for sale.
I do want to thank the Republican Party for the great Christmas gift they're giving America right now.
Hey, Stephen, you're in Florida.
What do you make of Cathy Castor, Democrat, one of the two Democrats who voted for it?
It's politics.
You're not going to get your bridge.
You're not going to get this.
You're not going to get that if you don't vote for us.
So she's had tremendous pressure.
Well, it did include disaster aid, hurricane disaster aid, and perhaps that's why she decided to vote for it.
How can you go from a bill that is bipartisan?
Which the business of America is doing the business of America.
It is not making sure that rich boys can dictate the will of America.
I think if there is a redo on the election right now, I think Ms. Harris would be the president of the United States.
Donald Trump loves chaos, and this is what we've got.
Passive resistance.
If I was a federal employee, I would walk.
All right.
Stephen's thoughts there.
A Democrat in Florida.
Will in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Independent.
Will, what do you say this morning?
Hey, good morning.
Thanks for taking my call.
It is a spirit of debate.
I want to shout out to Robert in Washington, D .C.
I love his comments.
He's right on.
The problem is money, as always.
It's not as complex as you think it is.
We all want disaster relief to go to North Carolina.
Georgia, Florida, all the states that were affected by that.
We all want to farm workers to get a subsidy to keep them above flood, to keep them solvent so they can keep on producing our food.
But it all comes down to one simple concept, the debt ceiling.
Trump wants the debt ceiling removed for the next two years.
Why?
So he can continue with his rampant spending.
When he was president from 16 to 20, he spent $7 .8 trillion.
Almost $8 trillion was spent.
More money was spent in his administration, four years, than any other president in the history of this country.
He wants the debt ceiling removed.
That is his point.
That's why he poo -pooed this bill at the last minute.
Because the Republicans kowtow and they want to remove the debt ceiling and then blame the Democrats.
Oh, they voted against it.
No, the Democrats voted against the wild spending for the next two to four years with Trump in office starting in January.
All right, well, and that was in Plan B, increasing the debt ceiling for the next two years.
As you said, President -elect Donald Trump called for that in Plan B.
Congressman Mario Diaz -Ballard tweeting out yesterday afternoon the old bill, which was that 1 ,500 -plus page bill, that was Plan A that Speaker Mike Johnson negotiated with Democrats,
the bipartisan agreement that was then shelved for new bill.
Take a look at that.
The length of it was significantly less.
I believe around 500 pages versus the 1 ,500 pages plus.
On the floor, Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole, Republican chair of the Appropriations Committee, had this to say about anyone voting against the bill.
What my friends want to do, and they actually favor the amounts and what have you, there's been no change in that regard, ends that.
This extends important protections for the American people.
So...
If a bill's got something in it, and you support everything that's in it, and we continue the debt ceiling that we've had the last two years, then I'm mystified as to how you can go home and explain that, as I wanted to keep the government open,
so I voted to shut it down.
It's amazing to me.
Republican of Oklahoma Tom Cole, who chairs the Appropriations Committee, arguing for
Well, I want to look at the facts here, without partisan stuff.
Plan A was 1 ,500 pages loaded with pork and bribes.
Oh, but it was bipartisan.
Yeah, bipartisan because they all had their hand out.
Now, Plan B was what?
500 pages?
It was pared down.
It was less money.
There were no bribes and pork stuck in it.
And it was a clean CR.
And the only thing that held it up...
Was, oh no, we can't vote to raise the debt ceiling.
You know what?
That debt ceiling thing was put in there to make them think before they appropriated money.
But you know what?
They don't.
What they do is they wait till the last minute, and then they load up a big thing of pork like they did before, that 1 ,500 -page thing.
Then they shove it down our throats and raise the debt ceiling.
Another bunch of stuff.
The debt ceiling deal has not saved us a penny.
Tell me, do you think that that debt ceiling has kept our debt down?
Yes or no?
John, you say no.
And so we're getting your thoughts on it this morning.
So what do you think then of Congressman Chip Roy, Republican of Texas, who is one of those 38 that voted no?
And he was vehemently opposed to raising the debt ceiling.
You know what I honestly think of him?
I think that he's stupid.
I think he's hanging on to something that don't work anymore.
It's been corrupted.
It's used now by the Democrats to wheedle more bribes and more pork out of every appropriations bill, this debt ceiling deal.
You answer me.
Has the debt ceiling...
All right, John, I'm moderating the conversation this morning.
You can pose that question to our viewers and others who are going to call in and weigh in this morning on this midnight deadline that lawmakers face here in Washington on this Friday, December 20th.
Let's go back to the floor last night.
Now, as we said.
Congressman Chip Roy, Republican of Texas, he was one of the 38 opposed to Plan B that was put on the floor by Speaker Mike Johnson yesterday.
It seemed Republicans would not give him time to speak against the bill from their allotted amount of time.
So he was given time by Democrats, and this is what he had to say.
What we're doing right now is to continue to double down on the things that are destroying the republic.
We are going to increase the debt ceiling.
Not just $4 trillion.
That's false.
We have spent $4 .7 trillion in additional debt in the last 19 months.
We're going to increase the debt by $5 trillion.
That's what's going to happen right here by Republicans increasing the debt $5 trillion.
And what are you doing in the same bill?
$110 billion unpaid for.
Because you never have any ounce of self -respect to go out and campaign saying you're going to balance the budget and then you come in here and pass $110 billion unpaid for on top of the $200 billion you did for WEP.
You guys won't agree with that.
But the fact of the matter is $330 billion.
Congratulations.
You've added to the debt since you were given the majority again on November 5th.
It's embarrassing.
It's shameful.
Yes, I think this bill is better than it was yesterday on certain respects, but to take this bill, to take this bill yesterday and congratulate yourself because it's shorter in pages but increases the debt by $5 trillion is asinine.
And that's precisely what Republicans are doing.
I am absolutely sickened by a party that campaigns on fiscal responsibility and has the temerity to go forward to the American people and say, you think this is fiscally responsible.
It is absolutely ridiculous.
Republican of Texas, Chip Roy, on the floor last night, arguing against Speaker Johnson's Plan B, backed by President -elect Donald Trump.
Now, before this came to the floor, President -elect Donald Trump, in a statement, called for Chip Roy to be primaried for his opposition to Plan B.
Congressman Chip Roy responding on X, My position is simple.
I am not going to raise or suspend the debt ceiling, racking up more debt without significant and real...
We're good to go.
We're good to go.
Yes, good morning.
My thoughts?
Shambolic incompetence.
I'm a federal contractor.
My wife is a federal contractor.
There's no workplace protections for us.
We're not going to get back pay.
Why wouldn't you get...
Oh, because you're a contractor.
You wouldn't get back pay.
What's that?
Is it because you're a contractor that that's why you wouldn't get back pay?
Yes, exactly.
There's no one to bill.
Because we're not putting in the hours.
So where's that money going to come from?
But my corporate CEOs, they're going to pull their full salaries.
And then we hear a lot of fancy speeches on the Hill about people being furloughed and how this is going to affect us.
I know how it's going to affect us.
I know exactly how it's going to affect me.
And I'm confused.
I'm not sure if they know.
All right.
So, Daniel, do you think Democrats should have voted for Plan B last night?
Just to avoid a government shutdown?
They make enough mischief themselves.
They don't need to give in to somebody else's.
But there are practical considerations as well.
People paying their bills.
This is Christmas.
And now people are looking at, oh, can I even afford it?
So, Daniel, it sounds like yes.
It sounds like yes.
You wish they had voted for this bill on the floor.
My knee -jerk reaction is looking at my mortgage, looking at my HOA dues, looking at all my utilities.
Yeah.
I do.
Good morning.
Good morning.
That's what he's trying to do now.
And they don't want it done.
It's like taking a bottle away from a baby.
And people don't want to be cut back, but that's what he's going to have to do.
He's not in there to win a popularity contest like Biden was.
I mean, that's all Biden and Harris tried to do.
Alright, Lloyd.
Lloyd in West Virginia.
We have some news here this morning.
Michael Schnell, who joined us this morning, congressional reporter with The Hill, just put this out.
7 .39 this morning.
New.
Speaker Johnson just told her colleague, Real Mike Lillis, at the Capitol that there's a plan to avert a government shutdown and the House will vote this morning.
He didn't divulge specifics.
Quote, we have a plan.
We're expecting votes this morning.
So you all stay tuned.
We got a plan, he says.
The House expected to gavel in at 9 a .m. Eastern Time.
Whether or not they stay in and go directly to this plan being reported right now, we'll have to wait and see.
Here in the Washington Journal, leading up to that 9 a .m. gavel, we are letting you tell Washington your take on this funding proposal, this impasse, and what do you think that these lawmakers should do?
Let's go to Mark in Boynton Beach, Florida.
Independent.
Mark, your turn.
Good morning.
Good morning.
Former Republican, now independent.
I think they, and I'm hoping what happens is he takes Plan A, strips out the increases to salary, strips out the bridge in Maryland, and then puts something to that on the floor so nobody can gripe,
address the concerns that...
Mark, you didn't address the debt ceiling increase.
Should that be in this Plan C?
All right.
Why are you an independent now?
You said you were a Republican.
What made you switch to being independent?
So when was it?
When was it that you switched from Republican to Independent?
Over this?
This debate?
No, that happened when Trump was running the first time.
Okay.
Mark in Boynton Beach.
Let me go to Kenneth, who's in Watsontown, Pennsylvania.
Republican.
Kenneth, good morning to you.
Good morning.
I really think they ought to scrap both A and B, and maybe it's time we shut the government down.
And when we have it shut down, all these congressmen and representatives, they don't get back pay.
Maybe it's time they learned to live like the rest of us do.
Tennis thoughts there.
Republican in Watsontown, Pennsylvania.
As we said, two Democrats voted for this Plan B that was on the floor last night.
The two Democrats were Congresswoman Glusenkamp -Perez, who represents the 3rd District in Washington state.
Very tough re -election battle.
She won the first time around two years ago in the previous election by a narrow margin.
This time again, and she voted yes with the Republicans.
The other Democrat who voted yes was Congresswoman Cathy Castor.
of Florida.
And before this vote took place, when Democrats gathered behind closed doors yesterday morning, she talked to reporters about scrapping Plan A, Republicans scrapping Plan A.
This is what she said at that point.
This is early yesterday morning, before the House voted last night.
I have thousands of neighbors who are waiting for disaster aid, who are waiting for their small business administration loan.
Those are the loans that help people repair their homes.
Those are the loans that help small businesses get back on their feet.
If you remember, the Republicans did not replenish those funds when they did the last CR.
People have been left out in the lurch, and every day matters.
Every day there's a small business that fails and goes under because they don't have the funds to get back on their feet.
And there are people living in homes with no drywall, or they can't live there, they're still in a shelter.
So I just wanted to point out that this kind of chaos and dysfunction has real -world impacts on hardworking people.
Kathy Castor there.
You heard her early yesterday morning before the vote took place getting emotional talking about the hurricane relief aid.
Now that was included in Plan B.
She voted yes last night.
Here's her statement.
Speaker Johnson, Republicans need to get serious.
Stop.
We're good to go.
We're good to go.
Despite that criticism, she voted yes.
Marcy Kaptur, Ohio Democrat.
Longest serving.
Congresswoman in U .S. history, congressperson in U .S. history, was re -elected this last time around in a very tough battle as well, and she voted present last night on the floor.
38 Republicans voted with 197 Democrats to oppose the legislation.
Alicia, St. Paul, Minnesota, Democratic caller.
Good morning to you, Alicia.
Welcome to the conversation.
Thank you, Greta.
Good morning.
Morning.
I'm calling because I'm wondering how it is that, first of all, Donald Trump is able to wield so much power when he's not the president yet, that his policies for the Doge and that kind of thing,
that's all great, but Joe Biden is still president.
And so the fact that Donald Trump has so much control over The Congress is something I don't think I've ever seen, and I'm 68 years old.
The other question I have is how do the congressional members that are looking for a raise, how do they feel that raise is justified?
Well, that was taken out of Plan B, what failed on the floor.
It was in Plan A, a congressional raise, but then it was, because people objected, Elon Musk, Vivek Ronsami, House Republicans, there was an uproar of that, so it was taken out.
Great, that's good, because my belief is that in the working world, where I worked and where most Americans work, if you're not getting your job done, there are consequences.
And I really feel that if our Congress can't figure out how to do their job, which is to fund the government and write 12 appropriations bills, I think that's their baseline job.
And if they can't do that within the schedule that they have for working, I don't think that they should be entitled to any raise, and I don't think that they should be entitled to any promotions to any higher levels.
That's how long it's been.
And I get it.
I get that.
Our government budget is tight.
I don't like the continuing resolutions.
I don't like the lifting of the debt limit.
I know, but would you support a pay raise for them if they could do it?
Yes, I would.
I would definitely because then they're doing their job.
But the way that they drag their feet on things and wait until the last minute and then give us stress because they're not doing what they've been elected and are being paid to do.
It's just not right.
It wouldn't happen in the working world.
They would lose their jobs.
And I just don't understand how people can keep voting time after time after time for the same people who don't resolve their differences to the point where they could actually do some good for the American people.
The people that are paying the taxes that support everything else.
All right.
I want to read from the Georgia Recorder, georgiarecorder .com, about this debate over congressional pay raise.
A 1989 law created automatic annual cost of living adjustments for Congress, but every spending bill since 2009 has included a provision blocking the raises from going into effect.
The 1 ,500 -page bill, Plan A, to fund the government through mid -March, released Tuesday evening.
We're good to go.
I think?
When accounting for inflation, according to the Congressional Research Service, members of Congress earn salaries of at least $174 ,000.
With more allocated for some leadership positions, a cost of living increase is calculated based on private sector wages.
The maximum allowed for next year is 3 .8%, which would bring the base salary to $180 ,000.
Now, members of Congress argue...
Good morning.
Thank you for receiving my call.
At this time I would just like to For us to maybe pause and reconsider the Constitution and the bones of the Constitution, because our kids don't get any civic classes,
and it seems to me that it's very important to know that at the core of the Constitution, the foundation of the Constitution, is that all men are created equal, endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights.
This is a republic, meaning there is a government by and for men and women that came in agreement.
To establish an institution to best serve them.
And now, talking about Congress, Congress passes, has been passing laws, and by unanimous consent, they forego the House rules, which means that they don't tell the representatives, who they represent, what they're passing.
And they pass it.
In an afternoon, they may pass several laws that have fundamentally changed even the constitutional essence of how this republic should work, and people don't even get it.
All right.
Rick there in Laredo, Texas.
We are taking your calls this morning.
It's 8 a .m. here on the East Coast.
And the government here in Washington facing a deadline by midnight tonight to fund the government.
Or the government will go into a partial shutdown at 12 .01 a .m. Saturday morning.
Plan B failed on the floor last night, as we've been talking about here on The Washington Journal.
We'll continue getting your take on what happened here in Washington.
The latest from Michael Schnell and her colleague Mike Lillis on the Hill.
Speaker Johnson on his way in this morning told reporters...
At the Capitol, that there is a plan to avert a government shutdown and the House will vote this morning.
He didn't divulge specifics.
Quote, we have a plan.
We're expecting votes this morning.
So you all stay tuned.
We got a plan.
is what he said.
House slated to gavel in at 9 a .m. Eastern time.
We'll see if they remain in session or do they gavel out subject to call of the chair, meaning more negotiations are happening and they will come back to the floor with, if they do, have a plan,
according to Speaker Mike Johnson.
On the floor last night, A heated debate between Republicans and Democrats over Plan B put forth by Speaker Mike Johnson, backed by President -elect Donald Trump.
Here is a glimpse of what Republicans and Democrats had to say on the floor.
Yesterday, a multi -billionaire with apparently no working knowledge of government Mr. Speaker,
now North Carolina needs our help.
They need the help of this body.
I'm sure some folks are going to speak against this bill.
I urge you to think about the disasters that you may have experienced and what you've seen in the news and what you're hearing from me about the need in Western North Carolina.
There was a Republican drafted bill that was posted by House Republicans.
And then one or two puppet masters weigh in and the extreme MAGA Republicans decide to do the bidding of the wealthy, the well -off,
Can you imagine what the next two years are going to be like if every time the Congress works its will and then there's a tweet or from an individual who has no official portfolio who threatens members on the Republican side with a primary and they succumb?
We will not be going back to the table.
This deal stands as it is to let you go back home on Christmas and explain to your people why you shut down the government, because we won't be doing it.
Mr. Speaker, I yield three minutes to the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Roy.
To take this bill yesterday and congratulate yourself because it's shorter in pages but increases the debt by $5 trillion is asinine.
And that's precisely what Republicans are doing.
I'm absolutely sickened by a party that campaigns on fiscal responsibility and has the temerity to go forward to the American people and say, you think this is fiscally responsible.
The debate from the House floor last night before Plan B failed.
38 Republicans, 197 Democrats voting against Speaker Mike Johnson's plan.
We are getting your thoughts this morning on this debate here in Washington as lawmakers face a looming government funding deadline midnight tonight.
Speaker Johnson entering the Capitol moments ago.
Here's what he had to say.
Is there going to be a different bill on the floor today?
Are you going to vote today?
Yeah, we're expecting votes this morning, so y 'all stay tuned.
We've got a plan.
You've reached a new agreement?
We'll see.
Speaker Johnson.
Hi, Ed.
Ed, you're with us.
All right, Naomi in Maryland, independent.
Hi, Naomi.
Are you ready?
Hi, Greta.
Good morning.
Good morning.
Well, it's a hazard to say good morning.
This is just a glimpse of what we can expect to see over the next two years until people's eyes are opened and Congress shifts back to Democratic control.
I'm an independent.
I look at each person on their merits.
What has happened is astonishing.
Well, I shouldn't say that because I saw Trump increase the deficit by $7 .8 trillion.
The Republicans are entirely responsible for this debt.
And the Democrats come in time and time again and fix it.
Biden decreased the deficit.
By one point something, trillion dollars, enacted plans that would see the economy grow, supply chains corrected so that we can be sufficient and not have to rely on other countries for things that we desperately need, and there was a bipartisan plan that was agreed to and signed.
What do you mean signed?
What do you mean signed?
Because it wasn't signed by the president, President Biden.
It had to be passed by the House, passed by the Senate, and then signed into law.
But not signed into law.
Signed by the Democrats and the Republicans.
In other words, they had agreed to it, agreed, this is our plan, let's move forward.
Okay.
All right.
Understood.
Naomi there in Maryland.
I want to share with you what the president -elect has said about 12 minutes ago on Truth Social.
If there's going to be a shutdown of government, let it begin now, under the Biden administration, not after January 20th under, quote, Trump.
This is a Biden problem to solve, but if Republicans can help solve it, they will.
From the president -elect, Donald Trump, this morning.
That is his statement.
Your reaction to what you're hearing from the president -elect.
Carl in Chicago.
Democratic caller.
Yes, good morning.
How you doing, Greta?
Morning.
Yes, I was watching the debate before the vote, everything, and then suddenly your feed was cut right before they came to conclusion or announced what the outcome of the vote was.
I know you don't control the cameras, so that was done by Republican leadership.
The problem that we got here, though, Greta, is this.
The public is constantly told things that they don't have any understanding about what's going on.
The Republicans have controlled the House for the last two years.
They're supposed to write bills, and the bills are supposed to be sent over to the Senate, and then the Senate do their part.
These two, they go to where they meet together to work out the differences.
Sometimes that can be did in that time frame, and they expect things.
The point is, though, is that, well, Americans need to understand something.
We are here all together.
I don't agree with everything that you want.
You don't agree with everything I want.
But somehow or another, they make things work.
You have to have some kind of process of working together.
Republicans don't want to work together.
The bill that they put out yesterday had no impact from Democrats.
What he's offering today, the Democrats ain't been a part of that.
The thing is, if you don't have the votes, you have to do what you need to do to get the votes.
You can't say, oh, I'm going to make you do what you don't want to do.
You ain't got no choice and blame you, which is what they're trying to do now.
All right, Carl, Speaker Johnson tried that.
He didn't have the vote, so he negotiated with Democrats.
That was plan A.
Jan is a Republican in Frankfort, Kentucky.
Jan?
Hi, Greta.
Morning.
Hi, Greta.
Yes, this is pretty exciting.
It's really President -elect Trump's first major interaction with Congress.
What I see playing out looks pretty brilliant to me.
I could be totally wrong.
But he put in that debt ceiling knowing that the Freedom Caucus would reject it.
And I think he was upset with Rep. Chip Roy because I don't think Rep. Roy understood what was going on.
So I think what's going to happen is last night, after all this, and Speaker Johnson took his punches, the debt ceiling was taken off the table.
And now this morning, sure enough, he's meeting behind closed doors with Freedom Caucus, and he has sent in VP -elect J .D. Vance to carry Trump's message.
I think this will pass with all Republican votes on board, and I think they'll even pick up more than two Democrat votes.
Anyway, those are my thoughts.
All right, Jan.
Well, you must be watching Capitol Hill closely because you're right.
Vice President -elect J .D. Vance is up there right now behind closed doors in Speaker Mike Johnson's office, according to reports up there, meeting with members of the Freedom Caucus.
They called for the meeting.
We'll see what comes out of that.
And if Mike Johnson has a plan, he says he does when he entered the Capitol this morning, what will it look like?
Richard, in... Alaska in Independent.
Good morning to you.
Oops, wrong button here.
Let me go to...
Oh, is that Richard?
You with us, Richard, in Alaska, Independent?
All right, Jim in Berlin, Maryland, Independent.
Hi, Jim.
Hi, Greta.
Morning.
I really think that these debt stillings should really be separate from the continuing resolution.
Do what you can now.
Okay.
So what does this continuing resolution look like then?
You don't have the debt ceiling?
Do you have everything else that was negotiated with Democrats?
Or are you saying, don't do that as well?
Just keep the government open?
Okay.
Brad in Pennsylvania.
Let's go to you, Brad.
Good morning, a Republican.
Yeah, I'm a Republican.
I spent most of my life in Texas, but now that I'm retired, I moved to Pennsylvania.
But I wanted to tell you, I'm behind Chip Roy 100%.
He is the voice of the Republican Party.
He is not the voice of the American people.
He's the voice of the Republican Party.
I've been a Republican my whole life.
I've voted Republican my whole life.
And I just got to tell you right now what I'm seeing.
If I could do over again, I would vote for Camila.
Because of this?
Because of what you're seeing right now in Washington this week?
Because of President -elect Trump?
I got to tell you, when I saw that chaos with the Speaker of the House amongst my fellow Republicans, I was so embarrassed.
I could not even show my face.
Amongst my friends and family and workers.
And after being a Republican for 40 years, what is going...
Listen, it is easier to burn it down than it is to build it up.
And that is why, as a Republican, and I made a lot of money, I don't need Social Security.
I have been in the 2 % income earners in this country, but now that I'm retired, I'm in the 10%.
I don't need it, but I am so embarrassed.
I have to apologize to the American people, and I will think about what I do next time around.
That's all.
Thank you very much.
So, Brad, it sounds like you voted in November for President -elect Donald Trump.
No, I voted for the Republicans.
I vote Don Ticket, Republican.
I have done that my entire life.
But I had to because he was on the ballot.
But here we go again.
Listen to me, people.
It is easier to burn it down than it is to build it up.
And what do we see?
Listen, Chip, he is my hero.
Of course, I'm from Texas, but that's all I've got to say.
All right, Brad there behind Chip Roy and his argument against Plan B that failed on the floor last night.
Put there by Speaker Mike Johnson, backed by President -elect Donald Trump.
Jake Sherman of Punchbowl News.
We're good to go.
We're good to go.
As lawmakers turn on their TVs in their offices here in Washington, they are listening to you.
What is your message to them about what happens next?
Lori in Cleveland, Ohio, Democratic caller.
Hi, Lori.
Hi, thank you for taking my call.
First of all, I've never seen anything like this in my life.
Donald Trump is a president -elect ever since he left office.
He is down at Mar -a -Lago with his fake podium, acting like he's president, and now he has President Musk with him, too.
I don't understand.
The only reason he wants to raise the debt ceiling is so he can spend trillions and trillions and trillions of dollars when he gets in there.
I don't know why he has any say right now in anything.
His fake podium, he probably has a Scooby -Doo lunchbox and an Easy -Bake oven down there.
It's a joke.
And as far as this pay raise, I'm on Social Security, I'm getting 2%, and they're getting 4%.
I don't understand it.
It's a joke.
It is a joke.
And Lori, that was, the congressional pay raise was going to be blocked in Plan B.
So they did remove that.
Hi, Steve.
You know, I mean, they want to hold everybody, the Democrats have done it to themselves.
They played this little liberal crap for the past four years and accomplished nothing but division.
So, hey, I say shut her down.
So, Steve, if you shut down the government until President -elect Donald Trump takes over on January 20th, what do you think should happen With the speaker post,
the new Congress opening day is January 3rd at the beginning of next month.
Right away they will vote for the Speaker of the House.
Who do you think it should be after what you've seen in Washington this week?
I think it ought to be the Speaker now.
Mike Johnson should keep his job.
I think Mike Johnson should keep his job.
He's doing what he needs to do to get things done.
And the Democrats just block everything.
Block, All right.
I say shut her down.
Steve, what do you make of Republicans who are not happy with Speaker Mike Johnson?
What he negotiated first, Plan A, that 1 ,500 -page -plus bill, and now putting Plan B on the floor and it not...
Well, it's all game to him.
It's all a big game.
You know, I say, hey, shut the damn government down.
They're a bunch of lowlifes anyway, Republicans and Democrats.
I don't think you'll be paid to go on to be in Congress or Senate.
Okay.
Okay, Steve, your reaction to Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican.
I'd be open to supporting Elon Musk for Speaker of the House.
Hey, I'd go for that.
The guy knows how to cut a lot of stuff out.
I mean, that's why he's a super billionaire.
I mean, you know, he knows how to trim the fat.
And I just see Congress on both sides.
I just see Congress and the Senate.
They're just up there.
They're just playing a little game with each other back and forth and back and forth.
And then they go off and have dinner together and laugh about it.
That's the way I really see our government.
Alright, Steve's perception there in Indianapolis.
Hugh, Oakland, California, Democratic caller.
Hugh, what do you say to these decision makers here in Washington?
Yeah, I want to remind your listeners that Elon Musk is the one who torpedoed the agreement.
He's unelected.
They had an agreement, Democrats and Republicans, to keep the government open.
So I don't know what planet the last caller is living on.
So, the first agreement that has been torpedoed by the House Speaker among legislators that would add no additional government.
Before this, torpedoed a lend -lease to Ukraine in which Ukraine would have been able to keep on fighting its We're good to go.
All right, Hugh.
The role that Elon Musk has played this week in Washington, Democrats highlighted it frequently yesterday.
Here is Richard Neal on the floor, Democrat of Washington and top Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee.
Your currency in this institution is your word.
We reached an agreement.
We came to modest achievements.
And a tweet?
Changed all of it?
Can you imagine what the next two years are going to be like if every time the Congress works its will and then there's a tweet or from an individual who has no official portfolio who threatens members on the Republican side with a primary and they succumb?
This institution has a separate responsibility based upon the separation of powers.
Members of Congress don't serve under presidents of the United States.
It's called the national principle.
I'm in favor of aid to North Carolina.
I'm in support of aid to the farmers in Missouri.
We come to the aid of the American family at moments like this, but you walked away from your word.
You walked away from an agreement.
That's what we're bothered by.
A simple suggestion from the president -elect?
That you ought to abandon that principle?
And this is what this is about.
This is trying to raise the debt ceiling to disguise a big tax cut that they want to offer later on.
Richard Neal, Democrat of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee on the floor last night before that vote took place on Plan B.
It failed.
As many of you know, 38 Republicans rejected to Speaker Mike Johnson's proposal, and they joined 197 Democrats.
Now, you heard that Richard Neal there talk about Elon Musk and the role that he's played.
Democrats have been calling him President -elect Elon Musk and giving him credit for what happened.
Elon Musk yesterday Tweeted out video put out by C -SPAN of Hakeem Jeffries doing the same thing, and he reacted to it saying this.
First of all, I'm not the author of this proposal.
He says credit goes to President -elect Donald Trump and J .D. Vance and Speaker Johnson.
Second, this is a much better bill that is closer to being a real continuing resolution, not an omnibus masquerading as a CR, but with support for hurricane victims and farmers, etc.
That was included in Plan B.
Republicans who voted for it, they were on the floor arguing that anybody who voted against it was voting to shut down the government.
Listen to Congresswoman Ana Paulina Luna of Florida and her argument and how Democrats reacted on the floor last night.
Mr. Speaker, I've never actually voted for a CR, but I'm here today because I realize that the plan that's on the table currently to keep our government open,
but also the promise from the only president in my lifetime who's ever followed through on all of his campaign promises to the American people.
Excuse me, I'm not done talking.
Give me the same respect we give you guys.
The House will come to order.
My colleagues are reminded.
The gentlewoman has the floor.
She has the right to be heard.
The gentlewoman has the right to be heard.
And the gentlewoman would be reminded to direct her comments.
From the only president in my lifetime who's fulfilled all of his campaign promises to the American people, has promised to cut hundreds of billion dollars in reconciliation, you want to talk about shutting down the government?
The deal that was negotiated was largely rejected by the American people, which to Speaker Johnson's credit, pulled it from the floor, which is why we are here today.
The deal on the table will keep the government open for the American people, and if you guys so choose...
Florida Republican Ana Paulina Luna on the floor arguing of no vote against Plan B was a vote to shut down the government.
Do you agree with her or disagree?
We're letting you be part of the conversation, the debate here in Washington.
According to Michael Schnell of The Hill and her colleague Mike Lillis, Speaker Johnson entered the Capitol this morning and says there is a plan to avert a government shutdown at midnight tonight and the House will vote this morning.
He told reporters as they surrounded him, no specifics from him, but he said, stay tuned.
House expected to gavel in in 30 minutes, 9 a .m. Eastern time.
We will bring you to the floor then and we'll see what happens.
We may come back here on the Washington Journal and continue our conversation with all of you if they immediately recess, subject to call of the chair, meaning more negotiations are happening behind.
Oh, how you doing?
Good morning.
Good morning.
There's two bridges which made it not to be the worst Congress ever, okay?
It's all because of the House.
The Senate always helps them out, always gets them out of trouble.
Next, Musk, an unelected civil servant, billionaire, millionaire, whatever you want to call him, Gilbert there in Ohio.
Michael Smithfield, North Carolina Republican.
Michael, what do you say?
Yeah, why do you have confidence?
Because we normally do get it done this late in the year, and I don't think it's ever been quite this late.
I don't think last year was, but I remember last year how it went down, and it seemed like every year we're always in a budget crisis and a lot of disagreement.
So we've got to get together.
We've got to get the president shouldn't be involved that much until the final package is done.
Alright, Michael, what do you think about folks that are saying, shut it down?
We heard from President -elect Donald Trump on Truth Social this morning.
If there's going to be a shutdown, let it start now.
That's horrible because you're going to furlough our military during the holidays.
I mean, that's ridiculous.
How can Republicans do that?
Or Democrats?
So you say they need to do something.
They cannot let the government shut down.
Well, if it happens...
It's not going to be the end of the world, but let's not let our ladies and gentlemen be furloughed during the holidays, people.
It's the holidays, for God's sake.
So, Michael, should Speaker Johnson put something on the floor that can give votes from Democrats?
Should he go back to Plan A?
Yes, and leadership when Trump becomes president.
That's what's going to happen.
He's going to have to do it for us, the people, and not Trump and not Biden or no one else, not the Democrats or Republicans.
This has to be done for everyone right now, today.
We're almost at Christmas.
We cannot spend Christmas Eve in the Rotunda.
They're not going to allow it.
It's just like, you know, if you were to give this to a bunch of people in school, they would get it done.
If you were to tell high school students whether they believed in Christ or not, hey, you can't go home for Christmas unless you get a deal done in high school that everyone can agree to.
It would get passed whether you believed in Christ or not.
You would want to go home for Christmas.
All right, Michael.
So your message to Speaker Johnson is...
Avert a government shutdown even if it means you risk losing the gavel.
He's going to lose that thing, yes ma 'am.
Alright, Richard.
In Alaska, independent caller.
Good morning to you.
Thank you very much.
And I appreciate your show.
I initially was going to talk about how I'm almost 78 years old and I was going to speak about My generation who are going to suffer under Social Security and disability.
But now I'm going to switch it to the budget shutdown.
I want to say, first off, as an independent, I do vote Republican and Democrat.
I voted for Lisa Murkowski here in Alaska.
I voted for Patella here in Alaska.
I vote for who is proper and qualified.
This crisis is surfacing.
I am proud of the 38 Republicans that voted with the Democrats.
And now I'm going to say this.
We have become a country that is allowing non -elected oligarchs regulate and start to regulate
All right.
Thank you.
Yep, Richard, I'm going to move on to Diego, who is a federal worker in Springfield, Virginia.
Diego, we are just hours away from a potential government shutdown.
What are you doing?
I mean, what are your thoughts right now, and how are you preparing?
Well, I'm prepared to potentially, you know, have the government shutdown currently.
But, you know, more importantly, I think we need to highlight that there was a bipartisan deal.
That was agreed upon.
Six or seven weeks it was worked on and now we're in a position where it's back and forth, blaming back and forth, when the reality is we have one person who sent a tweet, who it should have no impact whatsoever on the, on the bill that's being proposed, and he has full power over what's going on, and I think that we're in a position right now that's uh, it's kind of scary.
It's a little scary to know that There's someone who should have no impact.
Diego, hang on.
Diego, hang on the line.
I want to read for you from Chad Pergram, Fox News producer on Capitol Hill.
In anticipation of a potential government shutdown, Fox is told that many federal agencies have instructed their employees to fill out their timesheets next week as furlough for each day.
Fox is also told that at least one agency, that includes Christmas Day, a federal holiday, it is unclear how they would handle giving back that day If there is a shutdown.
As to when a shutdown could impact federal workers, they are good for now.
The official federal pay date for this period is December 26th.
Paychecks were distributed on December 23rd, or paper checks were distributed on December 23rd.
But the first official pay day for 2025 is January 9th.
Paper checks would be cut on January 6th.
So a potential shutdown could impact the next pay cycle if there is a Well, you know,
that's the thing.
That's going to impact a lot of people.
They might get their pay back, but the thing is that a lot of Americans, sometimes they can't afford to not have the paychecks that they need every week.
Yes, I did.
And I understand that.
One thing I think it's...
Kind of really sad that each and every year, it's like Groundhog Day, we're back in the same position where government employees, federal employees are held hostage over these budget negotiations.
And I think one thing to remember is it used to be where folks would think, well, nobody would dare shut down the government for an extended period of time.
I would remind folks when President Trump was last in office in 2018 and 19, there was a federal government shutdown that lasted 35 days.
Yes, federal employees do get paid retroactively in the event of a shutdown, but how many federal employees or Americans in general can afford to go without a paycheck?
You know, you've heard that saying, no matter how much you make, you live week to week, right?
Paycheck to paycheck.
Right before the holidays, last time, a lot of my fellow colleagues were forced to get unemployment insurance, apply for loans they couldn't afford, incur debt.
in addition there's i think there's a real impact folks don't understand and maybe it's part of some in congress's plan you really start thinking twice about do you want to work for the federal government and work for the american people is it worth this you're in this position over and over again you're constantly disparaged it starts to take a toll on you and you start thinking you know is the private sector a better option and particularly I heard a number of the callers said,
you know, let's just shut it down with no recognition of a lot of the important services that the federal government provides.
Would they, is it okay not to process disability checks, inspect our food?
We're coming up on the start of a new filing season.
Do you want the IRS to be able to answer your calls and issue refunds?
These are things that have real life consequences of a shutdown.
And I think people need to be a little bit more thoughtful about The impact.
You know, shutting down the government should never be an option, but unfortunately, it seems like it's always kind of a bargaining chip in these budget negotiations.
And as a federal employee, somebody who's decided, you know, dedicate myself to working for the federal government, it's really dispiriting.
And, you know, particularly right at the holidays, you know, I should be thinking about the holidays and spending time with family.
And I'm wondering, you know, whether or not I'm going to get furloughed and if I'm going to miss a paycheck.
And Matt, does Fox News have it right that the paycheck you would miss would be when?
Not January?
Yes, the next paycheck would be cut in January.
After that, though, it would be the following paycheck.
But, you know, again, I might be able to count on that one, but I have holiday expenses I've already incurred.
So if I'm unsure about that next one, that's something of real concern to me.
And some agencies don't all get paid on the same pay period.
They are somewhat staggered.
So there is a difference where some could be in the middle of a pay period, and an agency would have to figure out how they're going to do that, whether that payment would be delayed for some of those federal employees.
There's over 800 ,000 that were impacted by the shutdown.
So this is a real huge problem.
It's really sad.
Yeah.
And Matt, how long does it take to get that back pay?
Once the government reopens, if a shutdown occurs?
It's usually at least over a pay period, a pay period and a half.
Depends on the size of the agency, generally.
You know, you have some of the agencies that are hundreds of thousands of employees and some are a lot smaller.
But it's an administrative nightmare.
I can tell you also for the agency, instead of spending time on...
The entire leadership team of the former, well, former Republicans, because they're not Republicans anymore, in the House should immediately resign.
Mike Johnson is not a speaker, just like Trump is not a president.
He's a con man, an artist.
He sticks his nose in, and it always comes out in the end.
I don't want to be blamed for what I did.
Blame this one, that one, and everyone else.
Lies, cheating, fraud, everything.
Sexual assault, hey, that's the M .O. People voted for this.
And as far as Musk, Trump is the one who put him in.
Bought and sold.
Yes, I'd like to say one thing.
First of all, good morning.
I really feel that the American people have suffered enough in the last four years of the increase of living Food and everything.
The American people can't afford to live as it is.
And we're giving our money away to bridge changes, to wars, to things that the American people need the money back.
And it's just out of the clear blue sky that the Democrats want to give themselves a raise.
What the heck with the American people?
So, Ed, where are you then?
What do you support?
Did you support Plan B that was put on the floor yesterday and failed, backed by President -elect Donald Trump?
I feel this way.
I feel no matter what, the American people are going to suffer with the government shutdown.
We're already suffering.
We're trying to live.
So what should your party do, Ed?
At 8 :42 here a .m. on the East Coast, what should your party do?
I think they should really stop and think about what should be really going on about the American people and start caring about the American people.
And it's a shame that they got to do a shutdown.
But if that's all everybody's way of living, just shut this down so everybody else can suffer.
Get together.
Work together.
Okay, Ed's thoughts there.
Republican in New York.
Let's listen to Speaker Mike Johnson entering the Capitol just before 8 a .m. Eastern Time this morning, surrounded by reporters.
Here's what he had to say.
Is there going to be a different bill on the floor today?
Are you going to vote today?
Yeah, we're expecting votes this morning, so y 'all stay tuned.
We've got a plan.
You've reached a new agreement?
We'll see.
Ryan Noble's video there.
Reporters on Capitol Hill gathering around this speaker as he goes behind closed doors.
There is a meeting scheduled between the Freedom Caucus.
Those are the conservative wing of the Republican Party, many of them voting no on his Plan B option yesterday.
Meeting behind closed doors with J .D. Vance, vice president -elect this morning.
The speaker and others to pave a way forward.
Republicans need 218 votes if they can get all the Republicans to support Plan C, whatever that is.
You heard Mike Johnson say he has a plan.
They will vote this morning.
They're expected to gavel in in 15 minutes.
Or they bring it up as a suspension rule, which requires two -thirds of the House to vote in favor of it to pass.
That would require Democrats to get on board.
President -elect Donald Trump this morning also posting this, putting his finger on the scale here.
If there's going to be a shutdown of government, let it begin now under the Biden administration, not after January 20th under, quote, Trump.
This is a Biden problem to solve, but if Republicans can help solve it, they will.
Daniel in Chesapeake Beach, Maryland.
Daniel, what do you say to these lawmakers in Washington?
Hey, good morning.
Morning.
More than anything, I just think it's frustrating that listening to an awful lot of the callers this morning of just shut the government down, there's an awful lot of federal employees that people aren't necessarily taking into account.
TSA employees, the Coast Guard, all these people are going to be going without pay going into the holiday season.
And people just seem somewhat ruthless on it's the federal employee's fault.
Well, these funds have been appropriated by Congress previously.
We're doing the best that we can.
And it just feels somewhat like a betrayal at this point.
And Daniel, you're a federal worker.
Do you want to tell us which agency do you work for?
I work in Washington, D .C.
Okay.
My wife doesn't.
Sorry, your wife what?
She's also a federal employee.
And what were you told yesterday?
Were you told anything before you left the office?
So yeah, I'm incredibly fortunate that I am mission essential, so I'll be going to work regardless.
But my wife is in a slightly different bucket, so she'll definitely be furloughed if something's not passed within the next couple days.
And if you are mission essential, then do you get paid still?
Yes, I will.
Okay.
That is correct, yeah.
No, everyone's still kind of scrambling to come up with a game plan.
So we'll just kind of wait and see and hope for the best.
Oh yeah, definitely.
This has kind of just become the norm, I think, for most government contractors or civilians.
This has just kind of become the norm.
So everyone just kind of sets their watches to every October holiday season.
Everyone's just kind of used to it at this point, yeah.
Okay.
Brenda in Manchester, Washington, Democratic caller.
We will go to you, Brenda.
Good morning.
Well, good morning.
First, I want to say that people blaming Democrats for this is outrageous, including the incoming president.
The Republican Congress, since they took office, or since they took over, they have not been able to pass any spending on their own without relying on Democrats.
And Democrats have helped them over the finish line every single time.
There was a deal, but this time I think they said, you know what, we are tired of this.
There was a deal, and especially throwing the debt ceiling into it.
I just want to remind everybody, I have never heard a Democrat call for a shutdown, ever.
It's Republicans that call for the shutdown, including the president.
What do you not, incoming president, what do you not see about this man?
Greta has read his statement multiple times.
If you want to shut it down, shut it down now, but not for me!
Not for me!
Shut it down under Biden.
It's his fault.
Even though my main guy, Elon Musk, who's got billions in federal contracts, has called for it.
Shut it down.
Shut it down under Biden.
Not under me.
This is who you voted for.
A selfish narcissist who doesn't care about anything about his bottom line.
I really feel, I just don't understand how he was elected again.
He was elected.
Through telling everybody that all of your problems are because of illegals and transgenders and pomp and fear.
My husband is a retired federal employee.
He was essential.
He was Department of Defense, very high up there.
But I will tell you, even though he was paid, the nightmare that they have to go through, especially in defense with all the contingencies and the planning.
Okay, Brenda, I'm going to get a Republican in.
James in Thornton, Texas.
James, you just heard from that Democrat arguments of why they should not be in this position and also blaming your party.
How do you respond?
James, let me ask you, do you agree with raising the debt ceiling so that the next Congress can spend
Well, Trump and them are going to get this done.
If they don't get it done by midnight, they got the weekend to work on it, and they'll get it done, and they'll get the thing done.
What I'm kind of curious about is what come out in the Wall Street Journal just said, a four -year cover -up by the Democrats lying about...
I mean, one, the whole House has been lying for the last four years.
That's what they do.
They said the border was secure.
They lied.
They said Biden's great.
Oh, he's great.
He's sharp as a tack.
They lied.
Okay.
James, I'll show that story for folks who want to read it.
Front page of the Wall Street Journal.
This morning, White House made adjustments for an aging, diminished Biden.
This morning, ahead of Congress, the House gaveling in here on C -SPAN 1, and of course, we will bring you live coverage of it.
Ahead of that, though, we're asking your reaction to this debate in Washington over government spending.
They are at an impasse and facing Yes,
I've been listening to a lot of callers.
He's got me, you know, in an uproar.
We, we the people, we all, you know, decide on which ones we're going to vote for, and hopefully I'll do the right thing.
But it turns out they get in that office and then they want to do just the opposite.
They don't care about nothing but themselves.
If it comes to the government shutdown, I think that they all should stay there until they get a bill passed, and then...
Go from there.
If they shut down, then I don't think they should get their paychecks.
You know, the way I see it, because you think of a lot of federal workers, other people that are limited income, they're all going to be hurting.
And it's just, you know, unbelievable what this country's coming to right now.
All right.
Dave in Ohio.
Democratic caller Frank in Aberdeen, Maryland.
Hi, Frank.
Yes, ma 'am.
I just want to remind the American people how we got here.
Ronald Reagan, his original reason for tax cuts was to starve the beast, causing huge deficits that would force Congress to get rid of all of the social welfare legislation.
To get rid of everything but defense.
And three times later, we now see what happened.
We've gone from less than $1 trillion in deficits to whatever it is now, $35 trillion.
And now the Republicans want to add another $5 trillion in tax cuts.
You know one thing?
The Constitution allows Congress to write bankruptcy laws.
I think it's time for Congress to write...
All right, Frank's thoughts there in Aberdeen, Maryland.
New from Capitol Hill, Reese Gorman, who reports for notice, puts this out this morning, a few minutes ago.
Representative Anna Paulina Luna comes out of Speaker's office and says they are close to a deal on the CR and that there will be, quote, no deal with...
The Democrats says there will be votes at 10 a .m. Eastern time.
It will be something very similar to yesterday, she said.
10 a .m. Eastern time, she says, there will be votes.
The House slated to gavel in at 9 a .m. Eastern time.
We'll see if they remain in for that 10 a .m. vote or if they gavel back out.
We're good to go.
I think?
Video app C -SPAN now so you can keep tabs on what House lawmakers will do.
We are moments away from it.
John in Georgia, Republican.
John, good morning to you.
Good morning, Greta.
How are you?
Doing well, John.
What do you want lawmakers to do here this morning?
Well, first of all, I think people need to stop blaming Elon and Musk.
I mean, Elon and Trump.
The agreement
Right.
The Republicans come up with a bill, and it has spending cuts in it.
I think it goes back to the Senate.
Is that correct?
Well, the Senate will have to vote at some point on the bill.
Whatever they put forth on the floor, Plan C, if you want to call it that, this morning, and the Senate has to vote on it before it can go to the president's desk and sign it into law and avoid a government shutdown.
Okay, so let's say it has spending cuts in it, it goes back to the Senate, and they don't agree to it.
Whose fault is it then?
What do you say?
What do I say?
I think they need to come up with a bill.
Whose fault is it?
Whose fault is it?
If you're going to blame the Republicans for this, you'd have to blame the Democrats for that if they're in control of the Senate and they don't vote for it.
You'd have to blame the Democrats if President Biden doesn't sign it.
So what do you say to How did Mike Johnson pull the deal?
It never passed the full House.
It was never going to pass the full House.
Well they had Democrats on board.
Democrats said that they were going to vote for it.