Transcriber: nvidia/parakeet-tdt-0.6b-v2, sat-12l-sm, and large-v3-turbo
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mimi geerges
cspan07:40
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doug collins
admin01:23
hakeem jeffries
rep/d01:51
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karoline leavitt
admin00:03
katherine clark
rep/d00:13
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Fox News Interview Leverage00:11:33
unidentified
As we wait for the press briefing to start, we'll show an earlier discussion from our own Washington Journal. Yesterday, and this is what Punch Bowl News is saying this morning.
It says inside the caucus, Senate Dems hold the line despite no exit strategy.
It says the Senate is scheduled to vote today on Senator Ron Johnson's of Wisconsin.
That's a Republican bill to pay accepted federal employees who've been forced to work without pay during the shutdown.
Democrats are likely to filibuster the measure, believing it gives President Donald Trump and OMB Director Russ Vote too much authority over who to pay or not to pay.
It says that's a tough vote for Senate Democrats.
The plan, the Democrats' plan, is to offer two bills of their own today from Senator Chris Van Holland of Maryland and Gary Peters of Michigan, both Democrats.
The Van Holland's bill would pay all federal employees throughout the shutdown and bar any more layoffs by OMB.
Peters' narrower proposal would pay all federal employees up through the day the bill is enacted.
And we'll take your calls now.
William in Ohio, Independent Line.
Good morning, William.
unidentified
Good morning.
How are you today, Mimi?
Good.
Well, I got a few things to say.
Number one, I blame this shutdown on Donald Shorty Johnson Trump because it is all his fault.
And Mikey Little Johnson's going to do whatever he tells him to do because, number one, they don't want to open the Epstein files.
And number two, he can run riders like a drunk sailor with America's money during this whole time.
And I just got a feeling that they're going to shut it down as long as they can until they can just take the whole country over.
And, you know, Donald Trump is blaming this shutdown because of his dictatorial ways.
Mimi, I'm going to preface this with a fable, one like ASOX fable.
You can look it up and it talks a lot about a fox and a lion.
And I retired from the military.
I was called up as a civil servant in 2012, which was back, the government was going through a shutdown in 2013, and that was affecting how I could come off active duty and return to my civil service job.
And I actually had to go into disability in 2013.
So that's an impact a lot of people don't see.
But back to Aesop's fable.
When we talk about the fox and the lion, the lion's the mightiest in the jungle, and he comes out and he comes up against the fox.
And the lion's used to everybody running away from him.
And the fox says, I'm better than you, lion.
And the lion says, prove it.
And the fox said, well, just follow me.
And the next 10 people that we meet, watch.
They're going to be afraid of me.
And so the lion follows the fox, and he notices that 10 people, 10 animals, move out the way of the fox.
And we are taking your calls this first half hour on the government shutdown.
The numbers are on your screen.
We've got Republicans on 202-748-8001.
Democrats on 202-748-8000.
And Independents 202-748-8002.
Federal workers can call us on 202-748-8003.
And here's Dwayne in Jamaica, New York, Independent.
Good morning.
unidentified
Good morning, Mimi.
It's frustrating each and every day when both parties are coming on television giving their little sermon on about the shutdown.
What they need to do is come together, sit in a room, and Donald Trump needs to either be a part of this negotiation or just let the minority and the majority leaders work this out.
I don't know why he's getting involved in this.
These guys are seasoned veterans.
They're seasoned politicians.
They can get us out of this jam.
It is frustrating for the workers.
It is frustrating for the citizens.
And I really truly believe election has consequences.
Remember, he only has three more years unless he decides he wants to run another four years.
So he needs to get out of the way and let these four seasoned veterans do their job.
Donald Trump and Republicans promised to lower the cost of living on day one.
Costs aren't going down.
They're going up.
Electricity prices through the roof.
Housing costs up.
Grocery costs up.
Child care costs up.
And now Republicans refuse to do anything to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, which is going to result in tens of millions of people experiencing dramatically increased premiums, co-pays, and deductibles.
It's out of control.
It's a cost of living crisis and it's a health care crisis at the same time.
And yet, Republicans continue to ignore it, refuse to deal with it.
And on top of all of that, we're in a moment where millions of Americans are about to increase their experience with heightened food insecurity, with hunger, because of the one big ugly bill and the fact that Republicans enacted the largest cut to nutritional assistance in American history.
These are all quality of life issues that have to be dealt with right now.
And yet Republicans want to talk about process and their my way or the highway approach, their take it or leave it approach, which is what they've been visiting on the American people this entire year in terms of their extremism.
And it's all unacceptable.
Just come back to work.
Let's sit down.
Let's negotiate a bipartisan agreement.
Let's reopen the government.
Let's address the high cost of living in the United States of America.
Well, let's talk to Betty on the Republican line in South Carolina.
Hi, Betty.
unidentified
Yes.
Donald Trump ain't the one that shut the governor down.
It's the Democrat.
All these people that is, and I know they had to see what I've seen.
And that Jeffrey and Chuck Schuber, they are the main ones that's not open up the government.
And, you know, just like they ain't going to do nothing till they pass what they want.
And when they do, the illegals is the ones, the American people, they going to give to the illegals, and you forget about the American people.
I mean, I see that already.
And everybody that comes on there, what if this were you that hate, God said love everybody.
I don't hate Donald Trump, and I don't hate the Democrats.
I have wanted to say that word, but I hear something has said you're supposed to love everybody.
And that's God telling me that.
So I won't say I hate them on account of that.
So anyhow, just like they treating Donald Trump, the man I think is doing a good job.
And he done a good job the first time.
And like I said, the illegals where we at, and you talk about when you go shopping, sometimes you can't get nothing because their buggy is filled up to the top.
This is an analysis that says, as shutdown drags and Trump flexes, Congress cedes its relevance.
Quote, it's like we have given up, one Republican lawmaker said.
It starts this way.
By almost any measure, Congress is failing and flailing.
Government shutdown for 22nd day, many federal workers not being paid.
Congressional staff members have begun referring to themselves as volunteers.
That reminder that congressional staff are working but not paid.
The members are getting paid.
It says the House has quite literally ground to a halt.
Chamber has not voted since September 19th.
And Speaker Mike Johnson refuses to call members back, preventing them from doing any legislative work.
He has refused to seat a new duly elected Democratic member from Arizona one month after her victory, though he encouraged her to return home and work for constituents.
She does not yet officially represent because he won't administer her the oath of office.
As the Trump administration shifts billions of dollars around to take care of its priorities during the shutdown with scant input from lawmakers, ignoring Congress's clear constitutional supremacy over the power of the purse, Republicans in control have done nothing to push back.
Wonder what you think of that.
We'll talk to Jim in Washington, D.C., Republican.
Hi, Jim.
unidentified
Oh, good morning.
And I'm a Republican, but I think that both parties are at fault.
I think what we need in the situation is transparency.
I mean, every day the Democrats come on and say, we're fighting for the health care.
And then the Republicans say, oh, no, what you want to do is give the health care to the illegals.
And then the Democrats say, all you want to do is to protect the rich.
And so we really don't know who's telling the truth and who isn't.
And we need to know what is going on in terms of what each party wants.
And the Republicans have a clean bill, but yet the Democrats have put a lot of things in there.
So if they really just want health care, they should try to just go for that.
And the thing is that the issue with the health care, where the rates are going to go up a lot, they keep saying that, is really important.
So I think that's an issue that should be taken up by the Republicans.
They keep trying to dodge that, and they don't want it to take the health care issue.
So I think basically both parties need to be transparent and let us know who is telling the truth and who's not.
Have you done any of your own research on that question?
Because, you know, as you said, the Democrats are saying we're not giving health care, government health care, to illegal immigrants.
Republicans are saying that's what they're trying to do.
They're trying to give health care to illegal immigrants.
So what have you done?
Have you done any research on that?
unidentified
That's a great question.
Honestly, I haven't.
But, you know, and other things in terms of like they're saying that the Democrats want to do give a lot of money to overseas and to like programs for operations for the trans and all that.
And, you know, what is the truth?
Who is telling the truth in terms of what is in the bills?
First of all, the Senate has a 60-vote rule, and that's the forcing compromise.
Where are the Republicans when it comes to the compromise?
You know, you can check that out.
And another thing here, I think one of the most un-American things that's going on in this country right now is not seating that congresswoman from Arizona.
That's not right.
That's un-American.
She should be seated as quickly as they can.
Most people aren't being represented.
I'm a little nervous, but that's all I've got to say.
And the Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins visited a VA medical center in Washington, D.C. yesterday, and he spoke about the effects of the government shutdown.
So, look, VHA, let me just assure everybody here: healthcare system is working.
We have pre-approved funds.
We go into an advanced funding appropriation.
So, nobody should be, no matter what you read or what you hear, if you need health care at the VA, the VA here, especially in Washington and all over the country, are actually operating.
Our clinics are operating.
They're going through exactly what they've been doing all along.
And by the way, I just have to say they're doing it better, faster, and quicker in more quality than we've seen in years.
And I think that's the testament to the doctors and nurses, the administrators saying, hey, for the first time, we can make changes that actually help our veterans.
I received a call just the other day from a doctor out in Colorado who called me up because I had talked to him because he'd give some good care.
And I just picked up the phone one day in the airport and called him and said, Hey, I heard about what you did.
And he began to talk.
Well, he checked me out, which is I'm glad he did.
He said, I saw you on Sean Ryan podcast.
I saw you in these others.
He said, I believe in what you're talking about.
He said, I want to talk to you about how I can help my patients.
So I had a good conversation with him, and he was able to give us some stuff that is going to help us with patients.
That's what this is all about.
That's why we do what we do.
And so as we continue on to look at this functionality in VHA, I'm very proud of HA.
Now, how does that affect the rest?
Well, in VBA, we're all mostly on furlough.
That means our disabilities payments are still being made.
Please don't worry about your disability benefiting.
We're all processing them, but I'm having them processed by people who are not getting paid.
Here's Robert Waldorf, Maryland, Independent Line.
Good morning, Robert.
unidentified
Good morning, ma'am.
I think the one thing that this has proven with the government being shut down, that all the government employees that have been furloughed are basically of no use to the federal government.
My life hasn't changed.
I'm not worse off for it.
Life goes on.
Everything's great out here.
You know, the lights are on and everything's working.
So it goes to prove beyond any shadow of a doubt that the government is bloated.
It's got too many people in it.
This shows where the cut can be made.
If you're not essential and you are not on the job right now, you should be permanently laid off.
Electricity Rates Rising?00:05:39
unidentified
And you can cut the budget massively by doing this.
This proves it beyond a doubt.
Now, secondly, I'd like to point out, everybody's talking about how the electric rates are going up.
Well, that is going up because of the Democrats.
In the state of Maryland, we have closed three power plants, Dickerson, Chalk Point, and Morgantown.
They are closed down.
This has cut down the megawatts on the JPM.
That's where your electricity comes to you, people.
This has cut that down.
They're not producing electricity.
So this is why electricity is more valuable now and costs you more.
The Democrats put in all these different environmental, environmental things so that they couldn't, you know, we can't burn coal.
We can't do this.
But if you look at the reason why in the state of Maryland or even New Jersey or Virginia, the reason your electric rates are going up, they've shut down the power plants.
So don't let them sit here and complain about the power and how the rates of electricity have gone up.
They're the ones that caused all that.
And, you know, the second thing with this government shutdown, the only thing that I have noticed, Mimi, is the damn golf courses are just full of bureaucrats.
Here's Matt in Mart, Texas, on the line for Republicans.
Good morning, Matt.
unidentified
Yes, ma'am.
So first, I'd like to say, Mimi, a few calls ago, you were right.
The troops did get paid.
Donald Trump realigned some money, I think, his research and development, and he paid the troops.
And he's going to bust his tail to keep the troops paid and keep the government open.
But they've done had, what, 12 or, but you were right, Will Go.
The troops did get paid to 15.
And the woman was just sitting there.
She's in the Democratic Party.
He's, you know, in my opinion, there ain't no Democratic Party.
It's not like it was with Harry, the great Harry Truman and JFK, the good Democrats.
They've done turned into communists.
That's what they are.
But they've done had 12 or 13 votes.
And every time the Democrats vote to keep the government shut down, every single time.
And they're going to have another vote probably today and the vote, and the Democrats will vote again, communists, to keep the government shut down and not pay the troops.
Now, I don't know how many times Donald Trump diverted money from research and development and paid them this last time.
I don't know how many times he can keep doing that.
Eventually, he'll, you know, I don't know.
I guess he can keep doing it as much as he can and fight for the troops.
But God bless him.
He's doing a great job.
If there was an election today, he'd win by even more than he did November the 5th.
And this is USA Today, if you recall, Democrat Jeff Merkley, the senator from Oregon.
It says that he broke state record with a 22-hour Senate speech to protest Trump.
It says that the Democrat held the floor for over 22 hours, a new record for the longest floor speech given by an Oregon senator.
However, he did not surpass the record of his colleague, Senator Corey Booker.
That was 24 hours and 18 minutes.
Sorry, that was 25 hours that broke the previous record.
And here is a portion of his concluding remarks from yesterday.
unidentified
And we have to recognize that the next election is absolutely critical if we're going to save our republic because the strategy of an authoritarian is to rig the elections.
And the more time they have, the more entrenched it becomes.
And already, here is Trump trying to do a national voter registration file that can be more easily manipulated for the elections next year.
Here is President Trump trying to do massive gerrymandering in a whole bunch of states in order to offset the balance between Democrats and Republicans that are fairly represented in the House of Representatives.
Here is President Trump saying he'll do everything possible to stop the use of vote by mail across the country because we know why.
Because vote by mail has such integrity.
It can't be manipulated on Election Day like the precincts can.
In precincts, you can move their location.
You can put them where there's no parking.
You can understaff them.
The machines can break down.
You can send intimidators.
You can proceed to put out fake information about their location.
You can put out information.
The election was last week when it's really this coming Tuesday.
Can't do that with vote by mail.
And when we have the majority, we must pass the for the people freedom to vote bill and lock down the integrity of our elections so we will not worry for a generation about the people having a fair voice in our government by and for the people.
People First Advocacy00:01:56
unidentified
I'm proud to be colleagues with all of you in this effort.