MEETING, AND MORE WITH MITCH
MCCONNEL.
SENATOR, THANK YOU FOR BEING
HERE.
>> GLAD TO BE HERE, BRET.
>> IF YOU CAN, KNOWING YOU'RE
HAMPERED BY THE SITUATION OF THE
MEETING.
CAN YOU TELL US BUILT MEETING ON
CAPITOL HILL TODAY.
>> YES IT WAS A CLASSIFIED
BRIEFING OF THE GANG OF 8.
THE HOUSE AND SENATE AND INTEL
COMMITTEE LEADERS.
I REALLY CAN'T.
IT WAS A CLASSIFIED BRIEFING.
THAT'S WHAT CLASSIFIED MEANS.
>> YES.
WERE YOU SURPRISED WITH WHAT YOU
LEARNED?
>> NOTHING PARTICULARLY
SURPRISING.
AGAIN IT WAS CLASSIFIED.
SO NO REPORT TO GIVE YOU.
>> I WON'T GO DOWN THIS HOLE.
SHOULD CONGRESS BE PRIVY TO THIS
MATERIAL IF IT IS PART OF THIS
INVESTIGATION.
>> YES, THINK OCCASIONALLY
BRIEFING THE GANG, SO CALLED
GANG OF 8 IS GOOD FOR THE ADMIN
ADMINISTRATION.
THEY AGREED TO DO IT, WE'RE GLAD
THEY DID.
>> BROADLY ABOUT THE RUSSIA
PROBE AND THIS INVESTIGATION.
JAMES CLAPPER IS OUT WITH A NEW
BOOK ACCUSING AND YOU SPEAKER
RYAN OF ESSENTIALLY NOT CARING
ABOUT FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IN
THE TO 16 ELECTION AS LONG AS
PRESIDENT TRUMP WON.
IN THE BOOK HE WROTE ...
>> YOUR RESPONSE SIR.
>> IT'S ALMOST LAUGHABLE.
UNDERESTIMATING THE HE
UNDERESTIMATING THE EE
UNDERESTIMATING THE EPISODE AND
LOOKING FOR OTHERS TO BLAME.
CLAPPER KNOWS BETTER AND
SHOULDN'T OF WRITTEN IT.
>> COULD YOU THINK THE
INVESTIGATION IS COMING CLOSER
TO AN END?
>> I HAVE NO IDEA.
I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO GET
TO A CONCLUSION AND GOT TO A
CONCLUSION SOMETIME SOON.
>> LET'S TURN TO TODAY'S NEWS
ABOUT THE NORTH ORE AEPB
ABOUT THE NORTH KRE AEPB
ABOUT THE NORTH KOR AEPB
ABOUT THE NORTH KOREAEPB
ABOUT THE NORTH KOREANPB
ABOUT THE NORTH KOREAN SUMMIT.
YOUR REACTION TO THAT?
>> I THINK THE PRESIDENT DID THE
RIGHT THING.
WE HAVE SEEN THREE GENERATIONS
OF NORTH KOREAN LEADERS ENGAGE
IN SIMILAR PLOYS TO GET RELIEF
FROM SANCTIONS.
IT SEEMS THAT KIM JONG-UN IS A
CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK.
I THINK THE PRESIDENT DIDN'T
WANT TO BE PLAYED WITH.
WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE NORTH
KOREANS KNEW HE WAS SERIOUS.
PROVIDE THEY DIDN'T CONTINUE TO
PLAY THESE GAMES THEY HAVE
HISTORICALLY DONE WITH OTHER
ADMINISTRATIONS AND HAVE GOTTEN
AWAY WITH IT.
I THINK PRESIDENT TRUMP DID THE
RIGHT THING IN CANCELING THE
MEETING.
>> AS FAR AS DIPLOMATIC MOVES IS
YOUR SENSE THAT THE WHITE HOUSE
AND EXPECTATIONS THAT THIS WILL
GET BACK ON TRACK EVENTUALLY.
>> I THINK WE ALL HOPE IT WILL.
THERE ISN'T ANYTHING THAT
WOULDN'T BE GOOD ABOUT KOREAN
PENINSULA WITHOUT NUCLEAR
WEAPONS.
WE HOPE THIS GETS BACK ON TRACK.
THE NEXT STEP, STRIKES ME, IS UP
TO THE NEXT KOREANS.
>> YES OR NO, WILL YOU CANCEL
PART OF THE AUGUST RECESS.
>> I WILL HAVE MORE TO SAY
DEFINITIVELY ABOUT THAT WEEK
AFTER NEXT.
I HAVE SAID THE PRESS CORP AND
MEMBERS HERE I WOULDN'T BUY NON
REFUNDABLE TICKETS.
>> THERE IS A TWEET FROM A
SENATOR THAT I SAID HE DELAYED
HIS VACATION.
YOUR RESPONSE WAS, YOU SHOULD.
IF CONGRESS CAN'T GET DONE WHAT
THEY NEED FROM JANUARY TO JULY
HOW MUCH WILL A COUPLE OF WEEKS
HELP YOU?
>> BRET, THIS HAS BEEN A PERIOD
OF EXTRAORDINARY ACCOMPLISHMENT.
THE NOTION THAT THIS CONGRESS
HASN'T DONE ANYTHING IS UTTER
NONSENSE, DISPROVED BY THE
FACTS.
THIS HAS BEEN THE MOST
PRODUCTIVE YEAR IN A HALF IN THE
TIME I HAVE BEEN IN THE SENATE.
I'M NOW IN MY THIRD DECADE.
PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE WHO WANT
TO SEE THE COUNTRY RIGHT OF
CENTER.
WHETHER IT'S SUPREME COURT,
COURT OF REGULATIONS, TAX
REFORM.
JUST THIS WEEK ALONE WE PASSED A
VETERAN'S CHOICE ACT.
A MAJOR SIGNIFICANT PIECE OF
LEGISLATION.
THE RECORD OF THIS CONGRESS IS
QUITE SPECTACULAR.
WE WILL ADD MORE ACHIEVEMENTS
THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER.
FULLY INTEND TO BY TAKING UP THE
FARM BILL, THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
AUTHORIZATION ACT, AND
FUNCTIONING ON APPROPRIATION
BILLS WHICH THE DEMOCRATS
GROUNDED TO A HALT LAST YEAR.
WE DON'T THINK THAT WILL HAPPEN
THIS YEAR.
>> I WASN'T SUGGESTING YOU HAD
NOTHING DONE.
I WAS SUGGESTING HOW MUCH MORE
COULD GET DONE IN THE ADDITIONAL
TIME IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO THAT.
IF THE HOUSE DISCHARGES POSITION
ON DACA SUCCEED WOULD YOU TAKE
THAT UP?
>> MY THOUGHTS ON IMMIGRATION.
IN FEBRUARY I BROUGHT UP THE
SUBJECT OF IMMIGRATION.
WE SPENT A WEEK ON THE SENATE
FLOOR AND PASSED NOTHING.
IF THERE IS A BILL THAT CLEARS
THE HOUSE THEN I WILL GIVE IT
SERIOUS CONSIDERATION.
WE WOULD BE MAKING A LAW, NOT
JUST SPINNING OUR WHEELS FOR A
WEEK OR . SO I CAN'T AFFORD TO
DO THAT.
WE HAVE APPROPRIATION BILLS TO
PASS AND OTHER MEASURES THAT I
JUST MENTIONED THAT WILL TAKE UP
FLOOR TIME.
NOT TO MENTION ADDITIONAL
CONFIRMATIONS OF JUDGES AND
MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH
PENDING BEFORE US.
>> A COUPLE MORE QUICK THINGS.
ONE IS THE PRESIDENT AND THIS
ADMINISTRATION NOT JUST FROM
DEMOCRATS, HERE IS SENATOR JEFF
FLAKE IN POINTED LANGUAGE
YESTERDAY.
>> YOUR NATIONAL LEADERSHIP IS
WELL, NOT GOOD.
AT ALL.
OUR PRESIDENTCY HAS BEEN DEBASED
BY A FIGURE WHO SEEMINGLY HAS A
BOTTOMLESS APPETITE FOR
DESTRUCTION AND DIVISION, ONLY A
PASSING FAMILIARITY OF HOW THE
CONSTITUTION WORKS.
AND THE ARTICLE ONE BRANCH OF
GOVERNMENT, THE CONGRESS, THAT'S
ME, IS SUPLINE AND THE VANDALISM
FLOWING FROM THE WHITE HOUSE
DAILY.
>> YOUR REACTION TO, THAT
SENATOR.
>> OBVIOUSLY I DIDN'T AGREE
WITH.
THAT I WISH JEFF WOULD RUN AGAIN
AND STAY IN CONGRESS AND TRY TO
HAVE A IMPACT.
HE DECIDED TO LEAVE, TO RETIRE.
HE CAN SAY WHAT HE WILL.
I DON'T AGREE.
I THINK THIS HAS BEEN A PERIOD
OF EXTRAORDINARY ACCOMPLISHMENT
BY THE PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS.
>> SENATOR TOMBY POINTED OUT:
>> IT SEEMS A PUSH BACK IN THE
REPUBLICANS RANKS AS WELL.
>> I TEND TO AGREE WITH TOMB EON
THAT AS WELL.
I WORRY ABOUT RETALIATION AND
IMPACTS ON AMERICAN AGRICULTURE.
A PLACE WHERE WE ENJOY
SUBSTANTIAL TRADE SURPLUSES WITH
THE REST OF THE WORLD.
I THINK ALL OF US HOPE THIS BACK
AND FORTH DISCUSSION ABOUT TRADE
DOESN'T END UP LEADING US INTO
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TARIFFS OR
A LARGER TRADE WAR.
>> HEAR ANYTHING FROM SENATOR
McCAIN?
>> I HAVEN'T.
I HAD A CHANCE TO VISIT HIM A
COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO OUT IN
ARIZONA.
HE
WE HAD A GOOD DISCUSSION ABOUT
ALL OF THE BATTLES OF THE PAST.
SOMETIMES WE WERE NOT ON THE
SAME SIDE.
HE'S A GREAT AMERICAN.
WE WISH HE COULD COME BACK.