CSPAN - Washington Journal Open Forum Aired: 2026-04-13 Duration: 05:59 === Saving America's Dream (05:59) === [00:00:00] America to me, but I swear this oath, America will be. [00:00:04] We must be like the poet who said America has got a dream with its back against the wall. [00:00:10] To save the dream for one, we must save the dream for all. [00:00:14] My country tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, land where our mothers and fathers died, land of Harriet Tubman's pride from every mountainside. [00:00:28] Let freedom ring. [00:00:30] We are our salvation. [00:00:32] We are our freedom. [00:00:34] Let freedom ring. [00:00:35] We will mobilize and organize. [00:00:38] Let freedom reign. [00:00:40] We will stand to our feet. [00:00:42] And with the conviction of our chorus of ancestors, we say again, let freedom reign. [00:00:49] This is our nation under God. [00:00:51] One nation and we shall be free. [00:00:55] Thank you. [00:01:03] Coming up this morning, British Prime Minister Kier Starmer is planning to give a statement to the British House of Commons regarding the situation in the Middle East. [00:01:10] This comes after talks between the U.S. and Iran failed to reach a peace agreement over the weekend and President Trump ordered a U.S. blockade on the Strait of Hormuz. [00:01:19] We'll have the British Prime Minister's remarks live at about 10.30 a.m. Eastern on C-SPAN, C-SPAN Now, our free mobile app, and online at c-span.org. [00:01:34] America marks 250 years, and C-SPAN is there to commemorate every moment. [00:01:40] From the signing of the Declaration of Independence to the voices shaping our nation's future, we bring you unprecedented all-platform coverage, exploring the stories, sites, and the spirit that make up America. [00:01:53] Join us for remarkable coast-to-coast coverage, celebrating our nation's journey like no other network can, and proudly supported by our television partners. [00:02:03] America 250, over a year of historic moments, C-SPAN, official media partner of America 250. [00:02:13] We will begin opening up the phones to open forum to any public policy, any political issue you want to talk about. [00:02:20] We can continue to talk about the blockade in Iran, or we can move to some of the domestic politics that have been happening. [00:02:28] There's plenty of news with Congress coming back this week after a two-week recess. [00:02:33] Again, the Senate's in at 3 p.m. Eastern today. [00:02:35] You can watch on C-SPAN too. [00:02:37] The House will have a brief pro forma session today and then is back in tomorrow. [00:02:43] But plenty of domestic policy issues, including the ongoing shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. [00:02:50] We'll see if that gets addressed this week when it comes to politics in this country. [00:02:55] This is one of the stories that broke over the weekend and has had quite a bit of movement. [00:02:59] Amid assault claims, Eric Swalwell suspends his campaign. [00:03:04] The California Democrats suspending his campaign for California governor two days after reports that a former staffer accused him of sexual assault and multiple other women alleged sexual misconduct as well. [00:03:16] Swalwell's abrupt exit from the California governor's race, they write, marks a remarkable downfall for the longtime Congressman who is considered a leading from reports of sexual assault and misconduct continued on Sunday as pressure mounted for Swalwell to also vacate his congressional seat. [00:03:33] Several lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said Sunday that they could support a motion to expel Swalwell from Congress after Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna promised to force such a vote this week. [00:03:45] There's some questions about whether that vote could include pairing an expulsion member with an expulsion member for Congressman Tony Gonzalez, a Republican of Texas. [00:03:58] Being investigated by the House Ethics Committee for having an affair with a staff member who later killed herself. [00:04:05] And the situation continues to evolve here on Capitol Hill about how that would play out, what it would mean. [00:04:12] One of the rare expulsions of a member of Congress. [00:04:16] Congress gets to seat its own members. [00:04:19] And the House, though, rarely kicking a member out after they've been elected by constituents. [00:04:25] We'll see again what happens. [00:04:27] But it could be that a Democratic and a Republican member of Congress could be kicked out in the same week. [00:04:32] A lot going on. [00:04:34] I want to give you a chance to talk about it: 202-748-8000 for Democrats. [00:04:38] Republicans, 202-748-8001. [00:04:41] Independents, 202-748-8002. [00:04:44] Officially open forum for you at this point. [00:04:47] Allentown, Pennsylvania. [00:04:49] Bill, you're up. [00:04:50] Go ahead. [00:04:52] Hi. [00:04:54] I was listening to the woman talking about negotiating, and I was thinking Frank Luntz is one of the worst people to use to negotiate with. [00:05:07] I remember back in the 90s, he's the one that wrote up that word list. [00:05:13] All you got to do is, you know, Google word list. [00:05:17] Frank Luntz word list. [00:05:19] And he gave a list of negative words for Republicans to call Democrats. [00:05:29] Bill, who do you think would be a good negotiator? [00:05:33] Bill Richardson. [00:05:35] And why Bill Richardson? [00:05:41] He's been one of the better negotiators through my lifetime. [00:05:51] That's Bill in Pennsylvania. [00:05:53] This is Vic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Republican. [00:05:57] Vic, go ahead. [00:05:59] Yeah.