>>> SINCE WASHINGTON CROSSED THE DELAWARE AT CHRISTMAS IN 1776
AMERICAN TROOPS HAVE MISSED
HOLIDAYS AT HOME TO DEFEND OUR
EXPERIMENT IN DEMOCRACY.
TO ALL YOU LADS AND LASSES
HOLDING THE LINE IN 2018, ON
LAND, AT SEA OR IN THE AIR,
THANKS FOR KEEPING THE FAITH.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND MAY GOD HOLD
YOU SAFE.
YOU SAFE. >> THAT WAS PART OF OUTGOING
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE JAMES
MATTIS’ HOLIDAY MESSAGE TO U.S.
TROOPS.
TROOPS. WHICH WAS RECORDED JUST ONE DAY
BEFORE HE SUBMITTED HIS
RESIGNATION.
RESIGNATION. WITH US NOW IS A MEMBER OF THE
ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE,
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN ANTHONY
BROWN OF MARYLAND.
HE’S A RETIRED COLONEL IN THE
U.S. ARMY RESERVE AND HE EARNED
A BRONZE STAR FOR HIS SERVICE IN
IRAQ.
IRAQ. CONGRESSMAN, THANKS SO MUCH FOR
BEING WITH US.
WHY DON’T WE JUST START THERE IN
THAT REGION.
THAT REGION. AS SOMEONE WHO WAS PART OF A
LONG, TOUGH, BLOODY WAR, WE
REMEMBER DURING THE CAMPAIGN
DONALD TRUMP BLAMING OUR
WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ FOR
INVENTING ISIS.
INVENTING ISIS. ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT HIS
SPEEDY UNILATERAL WITHDRAWAL
FROM SYRIA COULD ACTUALLY ALLOW
A REBIRTH OF THAT TERROR
ORGANIZATION?
ORGANIZATION? >> CERTAINLY.
>> CERTAINLY. I MEAN, THIS WAS A -- QUITE A
DRAMATIC DEVELOPMENT WHEN LAST
WEEK BY TWEET PRESIDENT TRUMP
ANNOUNCED THAT WE’RE GOING TO
WITHDRAW TROOPS FROM SYRIA.
THERE’S NO INDICATION THAT THIS
IS THE PRODUCT OF A THOUGHTFUL
DELIBERATIVE PROCESS AMONG THE
NATIONAL SECURITY TEAM THAT HAS
LED TO THIS RESULT.
IT SEEMS AS IF IT WAS BASED ON A
TELEPHONE CALL WITH THE TURKISH
PRESIDENT AND IT JUST RAISES A
LOT OF QUESTIONS.
SO WHETHER YOU AGREE WITH THE
WITHDRAWAL OR NOT, IT RAISES
QUESTIONS SUCH AS IS ISIS REALLY
DEFEATED AND WHAT CRITERIA ARE
YOU USING TO RADIO ETCH THAT
CONCLUSION, BUT OTHER QUESTIONS
LIKE, DO WE CONTINUE WITH U.S.
AIR STRIKES WHICH HAVE BEEN
EFFECTIVE IN THAT REGION?
WHAT ABOUT SUPPORT TO THE WAR
TORN TOWNS AND CITIES?
WE DID GET OUR COALITION
PARTNERS TO FUND THOSE EFFORTS,
WILL THEY CONTINUE TO FUND THOSE
EFFORTS GOING FORWARD?
AND THEN, OF COURSE, WHAT IS THE
FATE OF OUR KURDISH ALLIES ON
THE GROUND WHO WE RELIED ON,
THEY GAVE A LOT OF THEMSELVES,
AND WHEN WE WITHDRAW WHAT
HAPPENS TO THEM?
>> GENE ROBINSON IS WITH US,
GENE?
GENE? >> CONGRESSMAN, A QUESTION, THE
NEW CONGRESS WILL MEET, CONVENE
IN A FEW DAYS REALLY AND SO WHAT
WILL THE NEW DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY
IN THE HOUSE THAT YOU WILL BE A
PART OF DO TO HOLD THE PRESIDENT
ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS ERRATIC
FOREIGN POLICY MOVES AND THEIR
POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES?
POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES? >> CERTAINLY.
>> CERTAINLY. SO WE WILL REESTABLISH OUR
RIGHTFUL ROLE AS THE ARTICLE 1
INSTITUTION THAT THE FOUNDERS
CREATED.
CREATED. CONGRESS HAS AN OVERSIGHT
RESPONSIBILITY.
RESPONSIBILITY. SO WE WILL BE PROVIDING THAT
OVERSIGHT, CALLING IN
ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS TO
ACCOUNT FOR DECISIONS IN SYRIA.
THE PENDING WITHDRAWAL OF TROOPS
IN AFGHANISTAN.
IN AFGHANISTAN. WE’RE GOING TO BE DOING THINGS
LIKE, YOU KNOW, HOLDING HEARINGS
ON DEPLOYMENTS OF ACTIVE DUTY
PERSONNEL TO THE SOUTHWEST
BORDER, THE RESULTS, THE IMPACT,
THE CONTINUED IMPACT OF
SEPARATION OF FAMILIES AT THE
BORDER.
BORDER. SO THERE’S A HOST OF ISSUES THAT
WE WILL BE ABLE TO PRESS THE
ADMINISTRATION ON, HOLD THEM
ACCOUNTABLE, USING THE POWER,
THE INHERENT POWER, THAT
CONGRESS HAS THAT THE
REPUBLICANS HAVE ABDICATED AND
THAT’S OVERSIGHT OF THE
ADMINISTRATION.
ADMINISTRATION. >> RICK TYLER IS WITH US AND HAS
A QUESTION.
A QUESTION. RICK?
RICK? >> CONGRESSMAN, BEFORE YOU CAN
DO ALL THAT WHAT’S YOUR
PREDICTION ON HOW THE SHUTDOWN
RESOLVES ITSELF?
RESOLVES ITSELF? >> LOOK, THIS IS IN THE
PRESIDENT’S LAP.
PRESIDENT’S LAP. IT CONTINUES TO BE IN THE
PRESIDENT’S LAP.
PRESIDENT’S LAP. THE PRESIDENT HAS THE ABILITY TO
OPEN GOVERNMENT, ALL HE HAS TO
DO IS TELL SPEAKER RYAN THAT HE
WILL SIGN THE VERY SAME BILL
THAT THE SENATE ORIGINALLY
PASSED, UNANIMOUS CONSENT, VOICE
VOTE, DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS,
AND IF THE PRESIDENT DOESN’T DO
THAT, THEN COME JANUARY 3rd WHEN
THE REPUBLICANS -- I’M SORRY,
WHEN THE DEMOCRATS RESUME THE
MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE, THEN WE
WILL OPEN THE GOVERNMENT, WE
WILL SEND TO THE SENATE A BILL
THAT HAS SOME BORDER SECURITY,
BUT IT CONTINUES GOVERNMENT
UNTIL FEBRUARY 8th AND WE WILL
FORCE THE PRESIDENT’S HAND.
HE’S GOING TO HAVE TO SIGN IT.
>> SUSAN DEL PERCIO?
>> CONGRESSMAN, NORMALLY BEFORE
A SHUTDOWN WE HAVE A LOT OF
PREPARATION, WITH HE HEAR, YOU
KNOW, THERE’S CLOCKS, THREE DAYS
UNTIL THE SHUTDOWN, BUT THIS
CAME OUT OF NOWHERE.
IT ALSO SEEMS THAT THE
GOVERNMENT WAS NOWHERE CLOSE TO
PREPARING FOR THIS SHUTDOWN.
CAN YOU JUST EXPLAIN HOW BESIDES
THE EMPLOYEES THAT AREN’T
GETTING PAID, HOW SERVICES ARE
AFFECTED TO REGULAR -- TO EVERY
DAY AMERICANS, LIKE HHS NOT
BEING FULLY OPERATIONAL,
HOMELAND SECURITY, ET CETERA.
>> SURE.
>> SURE. SO WE KNOW THAT ABOUT A FULL
QUARTER, 25%, OF FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO BE SHUT
DOWN.
DOWN. THESE ARE FOOD INSPECTORS, THESE
ARE CUSTOM INSPECTORS AT THE
PORT OF BALTIMORE AND OTHER
PLACES.
PLACES. THERE ARE ALSO FEDERAL
CONTRACTORS, THESE ARE THE MEN
AND WOMEN THAT ARE JANITORS IN
BUILDINGS, THEY ARE SECURITY,
THIS HE PROVIDE A LOT OF THE
TECHNOLOGICAL SUPPORT TO FEDERAL
AGENCIES.
AGENCIES. THE FEDERAL CONTRACTORS, THEY
PROBABLY WON’T GET PAID
RETROACTIVELY.
RETROACTIVELY. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES,
SURE, THERE’S TALK ABOUT
RETROACTIVE PAY, THAT’S WHAT WE
TYPICALLY HAVE SEEN IN THE PAST,
BUT UNDER THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION EVERYTHING IS
JUST SO UNPREDICTABLE THAT, YOU
KNOW, THERE IS A RISK THAT
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES
THEMSELVES WON’T GET PAID AFTER
THIS SHUTDOWN.
THIS SHUTDOWN. >> ALL RIGHT.
CONGRESSMAN ANTHONY BROWN, THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US
THIS MORNING AND MORE
IMPORTANTLY, THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY
IN BOTH WAR AND PEACE.
WE APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.
HAPPY NEW YEAR.
>>> COMING UP NEXT, MORE ON THE
STATE OF THE UNION UNDER DONALD
TRUMP.
TRUMP. THE GOVERNMENT IS SHUT DOWN
UNTIL -- WELL, WHO KNOWS WHEN.
>>> ALSO, TRAGICALLY, ANOTHER
MIGRANT CHILD DIES IN U.S.
CUSTODY ON CHRISTMAS DAY.
>>> U.S. STOCKS ARE STRUGGLING
TO BOUNCE BACK FROM THEIR
CHRISTMAS EVE PLUNGE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF MIDDLE CLASS
AMERICANS WITH RETIREMENT
ACCOUNTS THAT HOPE THAT HAPPENS