♪.
LARRY: SO PICTURE THIS, YOU GOT
FOUR PEOPLE IN A DARK ROOM
NEGOTIATING A GIGANTIC OMNIBUS
SPENDING BILL WORTH SELF
TRILLION DOLLARS, VIOLATING
PUBLIC TRUST, ADDING MORE DAMAGE
TO THE ECONOMY.
I JUST CAN’T STAND THIS STORY.
WE BRING IN OUR GREAT FRIEND
FROM NORTH DAKOTA, SENATOR KEVIN
CRAMER.
SENATOR CRAMER WE TALKED ABOUT
THIS BEFORE.
IF YOU WOULD ALLOW ME, I HAD A
GOOD INTERVIEW YESTERDAY WITH
MIKE PENCE, WHO IS A FRIEND OF
YOURS AND MINE.
>> HE IS.
LARRY: I WANT TO PLAY IT.
IF YOU ALLOW ME, PLEASE TAKE A
LISTEN TO WHAT MIKE SAID.
IT IS ABOUT 25 SECONDS.
>> CONGRESS OUGHT TO JUST PASS A
CONTINUING RESOLUTION.
THIS BUSINESS OF PASSING SOME
NEW LARGE OMNIBUS SPENDING BILL,
ONE MORE SHOT FOR DEMOCRATS
LOSING THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES TO PILE SPENDING
AND DEBT ON THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
OUGHT TO BE REJECTED.
THEY OUGHT TO PASS A FLAT
CONTINUING RESOLUTION BILL YOU
UNDERSTAND BETTER THAN MOST.
WE’VE GOT TO MAKE PUTTING OUR
FISCAL HOUSE IN ORDER.
PUTTING AMERICA ON A TRAJECTORY
OF A BALANCED BUDGET AND LOWER
DEBT FOR THE FUTURE.
LARRY: YOU KNOW, SENATOR CRAMER,
HE SAID IT IN HIS USUAL
STRAIGHTFORWARD WAY AND I JUST
THINK HE IS DEAD RIGHT ON ALL
COUNTS.
I MEAN WHAT COULD HAPPEN HERE IS
A FIASCO!
ANYWAY, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING,
WHAT ARE YOU HEARING?
>> SURE, WELL FIRST OF ALL IN
RESPONSE TO A CR VERSUS OMNIBUS
SPENDING BILL, WHAT THE
VICE PRESIDENT DIDN’T SAY HOW
LONG THE CONTINUING RESOLUTION
OUGHT TO BE.
IF WE HAD A ONE YEAR CONTINUING
RESOLUTION, TAKES US TO THE END
OF FISCAL YEAR, NOW WE HAVE
SERIOUS PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE
FUNDING PRIORITIES PARTICULARLY
FOR MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM
WHICH NEED HELP BADLY.
A SHORT TERM RESOLUTION END OF
JANUARY, PERHAPS.
THAT WOULD MAKE SOME SENSE BUT
THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE DARN
SURE WE HAD THE DISMINUTE IN THE
SHORT TIME FRAME TO GET THE WORK
DONE BY THE END OF JANUARY,
BECAUSE THE NEXT STEP, REMEMBER,
LARRY, THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR HAS
TO BEGIN WITH THE NEXT CONGRESS
WHICH STARTS JANUARY 3rd.
I HATE TO SEE US START WAY
BEHIND AGAIN.
NOW HERE IS WHY WE END UP IN
THESE SITUATIONS.
BY THE, BY THE WAY I’M NOT SURE
THE ROOM IS DARK BUT YOU’RE
RIGHT VERY FEW PEOPLE AND MOST
OF THEM ARE NOT ELECTED TO
ANYTHING, THEY’RE STAFF PEOPLE.
AND BUT CHUCK SCHUMER AND
JOE BIDEN FIGURED OUT THAT IF
THEY DON’T HAVE A SINGLE
APPROPRIATIONS BILL OR SINGLE
APPROPRIATIONS HEARING OR SINGLE
APPROPRIATIONS VOTE THROUGHOUT
THE COURSE OF A YEAR, PILE IT
ALL ON AT THE END OF THE YEAR,
THEY HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF
ADDING THEIR PRIORITIES, WHICH
ARE ALWAYS NON-MILITARY OR
NON-DEFENSE DISCRETIONARY AS
THOUGH THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN
AND INFLATION REDUCTION ACT
WEREN’T ENOUGH.
THEY HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF
DOING THAT BECAUSE ADULTS IN THE
ROOM AND FISCAL HAWKS THAT CARE
ABOUT OUR MILITARY DON’T WANT TO
PUT OUR MILITARY IN FURTHER
JEOPARDY WITH THESE CONTINUING
RESOLUTIONS.
SO IT IS A DILEMMA FOR SURE BUT
THE LENGTH OF A CR WOULD MATTER
A GREAT DEAL TO ME.
LARRY: BUT, SENATOR, OKAY, THE
LENGTH OF THE CR, WE PUSH IT
BACK UNTIL JANUARY, I DON’T CARE
ABOUT THAT.
WHAT I CARE ABOUT, I WANT TO
FUND THE MILITARY TOO.
I’M THERE, WHAT I CARE ABOUT IS
A PROCESS THAT EXAMINES WHAT YOU
AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT, IT IS
CALLED REGULAR ORDER.
ALL I’M SAYING IS YOU HAVE GOT
12 APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEES
IN BOTH HOUSES WHO ARE SUPPOSED
TO LOOK AT THEIR AREAS, CALL IN
WITNESSES, LIBERALS,
CONSERVATIVES, DEBATE THE MERITS
OF THE POLICY, DEBATE THE MERITS
OF THE SPENDING LEVEL, AND THEN
COME BACK AND HAVE A LOOK AT THE
PACKAGE.
NONE OF THIS EVER HAPPENS
ANYMORE.
YOU PUT FOUR PEOPLE IN THE ROOM.
YOU’RE RIGHT, SIR, WITH SENIOR
STAFF, I’VE BEEN INVOLVED IN
THIS.
I HAVE ACTUALLY SEEN IT.
I HAVE SEEN IT.
I’M PROBABLY CULPABLE ON THIS,
THE POINT IS, THE PUBLIC IS THE
LOSER, BECAUSE YOU’RE TALKING
ABOUT AN INCREASE OF PERHAPS
$2 TRILLION.
ON TOP OF ALREADY BEEN SPENT
WHICH IS FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS.
WHAT LITTLE PROGRESS WE MADE ON
INFLATION WILL GO OUT THE
WINDOW.
MORE INFLATION MEANS THE WORSE
ECONOMY.
YOU SEE WHERE I’M GOING ON THIS?
WHERE ARE THE REPUBLICANS?
ONE MORE, KEVIN, I WILL LET YOU
RESPOND.
I KNOW THE SENATE IS DIFFICULT
BECAUSE IT IS GOING TO BE
WHATEVER IT IS GOING TO BE
50-50, 51-49, BUT THE HOUSE IF
YOU GIVE THE HOUSE A CHANCE THEY
WILL ESTABLISH REGULAR ORDER FOR
THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
>> YES.
LARRY: IF YOU GO THROUGH THE
OMNIBUS BILL, NO REGULAR ORDER
FOR ANOTHER YEAR.
THAT IS WHAT IS BOTHERING ME.
>> SURE, BUT WHAT BOTHERS ME IS
THAT LATE JANUARY TURNS INTO
LATE APRIL OR MAY OR JUNE.
THEN YOU’RE JUST A FEW MONTHS
FROM THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR
AND YOU HAVE NOT BEGUN NEXT
FISCAL YEAR.
ALL OF THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BEING
DONE IN ADVANCE.
WE’RE BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL NOW.
TIME MANAGEMENT IS VERY
IMPORTANT.
I AGREE WITH YOU WHOLE-HEARTEDLY
WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL TO NOT
MAKE THE CR TOO LONG IF THAT IS
WHAT WE END UP DOING.
THAT SAID, REMEMBER THE HOUSE IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR STARTING THE
PROCESS OF APPROPRIATIONS.
SO YOU’RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
THE GOOD GUYS ARE IN CHARGE OVER
IN THE HOUSE.
I AM CONFIDENT THAT SPEAKER
McCARTHY, FIRST OF ALL I’M
CONFIDENT THERE IS GOING TO BE
ONE.
AND THAT WHEN HE IS SPEAKER,
THAT HE CAN PUT IN MOTION
REGULAR ORDER.
WHAT I WORRY ABOUT IS CAN HE PUT
INTO MOTION QUICKLY ENOUGH
REGULAR ORDER SO YOU HAVE TWO
FISCAL YEARS WORTH OF, YOU KNOW,
APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS AS
OPPOSED TO CHAOS?
IT’S A FINE BALANCE.
IT WILL BE DIFFICULT.
I’M ALL ABOUT IT IF WE CAN GET
THERE BUT I DO WORRY ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENS IF WE GET A LATE START
ON NEXT YEAR’S BUDGET.
LARRY: LOOK IT.
I WORRY ABOUT THE LEVEL OF
SPENDING, THE MERITS OF
SPENDING, YOU KNOW, HERE IS
SOMETHING TO LOOK OUT FOR.
YOU KNOW THIS IS COMING.
THE DEMOCRATS WANT THE CHILD TAX
CREDIT, $100 BILLION PLUS PER
YEAR, IT’S A GOVERNMENT CHECK.
IT’S A REFUNDABLE CREDIT, ALL
RIGHT?
AND GUESS WHAT?
>> IT.
LARRY: NO WORK REQUIREMENTS.
>> RIGHT.
LARRY: WELFARE WITHOUT WORK.
THAT INCLUDES THE OLD AFDC.
THAT INCLUDES FOOD STAMPS.
HOUSING, PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO
WORK IN THIS COUNTRY.
THAT IS THE KIND OF THING THAT I
WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN A REGULAR
ORDER HEARING.
>> YES.
LARRY: LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD COME
IN.
WE’RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME.
MY PRODUCERS ARE YELLING THE
HECK OUT OF ME.
WE NEED TO TALK MORE ABOUT THIS.
I’M JUST TELLING YOU, FOUR
PEOPLE IN A DARK ROOM, THIS IS
NO WAY TO CONDUCT POLICY, ALL
I’M SAYING.
>> IT BENEFITS THE LEFT T HURTS
THE ECONOMY.
IT HURTS THE RIGHT.
AND IT HURTS OUR REPUTATION AS
LEGISLATORS BECAUSE WE’RE NOT
DOING THIS UNDER THE BRIGHT --