HOUR, CONGRESS RETURNING TO
WASHINGTON TODAY TO A NEW
POLITICAL LANDSCAPE.
I SPOKE WITH KEVIN MCCARTHY THIS
WEEKEND ALONG WITH DAVID
SISILINE ON THE SUNDAY MORNING
FUTURES PROGRAM ABOUT THE AGENDA
GOING FORWARD.
WATCH.
>> WE'LL WANT TO FIND COMMON
GROUND.
WE WILL LOOK TO MAKE SURE WE
CONTINUE TO MAKE OUR MILITARY
STRONG, MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN
COMBAT CHINA AND OTHERS OF THEIR
AGGRESSIVE ACTIONS AND ALSO WHEN
IT COMES TO TRADE EXPANDING, WE
WANT TO FIND PLACES THAT WE CAN
FIND COMMON GROUND.
THOSE PLACE THAT'S WE
PRINCIPALLY DISAGREE WITH, WE
WILL STAND UP STRONGLY TO SHOW
AMERICA THE DIFFERENCE TO MAKE
SURE WE CAN CONTINUE TO GROW
THIS COUNTRY.
>> DEMOCRATS RAN ON A VERY
SPECIFIC AGENDA.
I HELPED CRAFT IT WITH MY
CO-CHAIRS OF THE COMMITTEE.
IT'S AN AGENDA FOR THE PEOPLE OF
THIS COUNTRY.
IT'S FOCUSING ON DRIVING DOWN
THE COST OF HEALTH CARE, DRIVING
DOWN THE COST OF PRESCRIPTION
DRUGS, PROTECTING COVERAGE FOR
PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS, RAISING
FAMILY INCOMES BY REBUILDING OUR
COUNTRY WITH A SERIOUS
INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN FOR OUR
ROADS, BRIDGES, PORTS, TRANSIT
SYSTEMS, WE'LL CREATE 16 MILLION
GOOD PAYING JOBS.
AND TAKING ON THE CORRUPTION IN
WASHINGTON BY GETTING MONEY OUT
OF THE POLITICAL SYSTEM.
MARIA: JOINING ME RIGHT NOW IS
CONGRESSMAN-ELECT, LIEUTENANT
COLONEL MICHAEL WALSH.
GOOD TO SEE YOU THIS MORNING.
CONSISTENT
CONGISTENT
CONGRATENT
CONGRATUNT
CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
>> THANKS SO MUCH.
MARIA: YOUR REACTION, LET'S
TALK FIRST ABOUT THE NEW
CONGRESS AND WHAT YOU EXPECT TO
GET DONE NOW WORKING WITH
DEMOCRATS.
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE
THINGS I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT IN
THIS CONGRESS IS THE AMOUNT OF
VETERANS THAT ARE RUNNING ON
BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S
REALLY RESONATED WITH VOTERS.
THEY UNDERSTAND THAT VETERANS
KNOW HOW TO GET THINGS DONE.
THEY'RE NOT AS IDEA LOGICAL.
I CAN TELL YOU IN THE FOX HOLE,
NOBODY CARES ABOUT PARTY, RACE,
RELIGION, BACKGROUND, THE
ENEMY'S BULLETS DON'T CARE.
I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SEE AN
APPROACH OR AT LEAST AN
APPROACH OR AT AEAST AN
APPROACH OR AT ANAST AN
APPROACH OR AT AN ET AN
APPROACH OR AT AN ETHAN
APPROACH OR AT AN ETHOS WHERE
COMPROMISE ISN'T A DIRTY WORD.
WE'RE AT A RECORD LOW OF 17% OF
VETERANS IN CONGRESS.
YOU'LL SEE PEOPLE FOCUSED ON
MISSION, COUNTRY AND GETTING
THINGS DONE.
THAT'S WHAT I HEARD FROM
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOORS
THAT PEOPLE WANT RESULTS.
THEY DON'T WANT RESISTANCE.
THEY EXPECT THEIR ELECTED
REPRESENTATIVES TO ACCOMPLISH
WHAT THEY SET OUT TO DO.
MARIA: SHOULD WE EXPECT DEFENSE
SPENDING TO STAY ELEVATED THEN?
>> I THINK SO.
I CAN TELL YOU FROM FIRSTHAND
EXPERIENCE AFTER 17 YEARS OF WAR
OUR MILITARY, OUR EQUIPMENT IS
EXHAUSTED.
YOU HAVE PILOTS YOUNGER THAN THE
PLANES WE'RE FLYING.
WE FACE THREATS BETWEEN RUSSIA,
CHINA AND A GROWING ISLAMIC
EXTREMEISM PROBLEM.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO.
THERE'S NOT A CHOICE THERE.
DAGEN: ONE OF THE HUGE ISSUES,
CONGRESSMAN-ELECT -- IT'S DAGEN
McDOWELL.
GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
THE U.S. IS ON COURSE TO SPEND
MORE ON THE INTEREST ON OUR DEBT
THAN EVEN ON DEFENSE SPENDING.
THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN ABOUT
FOUR TO FIVE YEARS FROM NOW.
SO IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT
OUR MILITARY IS SOUND IN TERMS
OF OUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT, WE
NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE
GOING TO REIN IN SPENDING
ELSEWHERE.
WHAT'S YOUR PLAN ON THAT?
>> WELL THERE'S TWO WAYS.
I'M A BUSINESS OWNER AS WELL AS
A VETERAN AND THERE'S TWO WAYS
TO DEAL WITH DEBT.
YOU DEAL WITH IT WITH GROWTH AND
WITH CUTTING SPENDING.
I THINK PRESIDENT TRUMP'S
ABSOLUTELY SPOT-ON ON WHAT HE'S
DOING TO GROW THE ECONOMY AS A
BUSINESS OWNER HIMSELF.
I THINK YOU NEED MEMBERS THAT
HAVE THE FORTITUDE TO STAND UP
AND TAKE ON SPENDING.
NOT ONLY DO I SUPPORT THE
MILITARY BUT I ALSO HOLD THE
PENTAGON ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHEN
THERE IS WASTE INVOLVED IN THEIR
SPENDING, IN ALL GOVERNMENT
AGENCIES.
WE BOTH KNOW THAT ON THE ONE
HAND YOU HAVE THE DISCRETIONARY
SPENDING AND THEN YOU HAVE THE
NONDISCRETIONARY SPENDING AND
WHAT GETS AT THE HEART OF THAT
IS THE COST OF HEALTH CARE.
WE HAVE TO TAKE -- I'M
FASCINATED TO SEE IF THE
DEMOCRATS WILL TAKE ON WHAT IT
TAKES TO LOWER THE COST OF CARE.
TORT REFORM, SELLING ACROSS
STATE LINES, GOING INTO A FREE
MARKET SYSTEM, MEDICARE AND
MEDICAID FRAUD, GETTING SERIOUS
ABOUT DRIVING DOWN THE COST OF
CARE WHICH WOULD THEN MAKE IT
MORE ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE
AND HELP BUSINESSES LIKE MINE
AND HELP OUR DEBT.
>>
.>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
CONCERN BUSINESS OWNERS, MY
FRIEND DID A STUDY OF WHAT IS ON
THE MIND OF BUSINESS LEADERS,
AND THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR IN A
BIPARTISAN WAY IS CYBER
SECURITY.
YOU TALK ABOUT DEFENSE SPENDING.
I THINK THEY'RE INTERRELATED.
DO YOU THINK THAT'S AN AREA -- I
HAVEN'T HEARD MUCH FROM
WASHINGTON ABOUT POLICY AROUND
PROTECTING INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY, NOT JUST FROM THEFT
BUT FROM A CYBER SECURITY RISK.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT COULD BE
AN AGENDA, ESPECIALLY MORE
MILITARY PEOPLE OBVIOUSLY THEY
HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF CYBER
WARFARE.
>> I CAN TELL YOU, WATCHING
CHINA ROLL OUT ITS SIXTH
GENERATION STEALTH HAD FIGHTER
WHICH LOOKS LIKE OURS, ARMED
DRONES WHICH LOOK LIKE OURS,
UNDERWATER SUBMERSE
UNDERWATER SUBMERSIBLES WHICH
LOOK LIKE OURS, DOESN'T FIT WELL
WITH VETERANS.
THEY'VE ESSENTIALLY STOLEN THAT
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.
SO THIS IS ABOUT HOW THE PRIVATE
SECTOR AND THE GOVERNMENT COME
TOGETHER IN A WAY THAT'S IN LINE
WITH AMERICAN VALUES, NOT
DICTATED FROM WASHINGTON.
BUT LOOK, I THINK WE'RE GETTING
TO THE POINT WHERE WE REALLY
HAVE NO CHOICE AND THE MORE
BUSINESS OWNERS, THE MORE
VETERANS YOU HAVE ON THE HILL
THAT UNDERSTAND THOSE DYNAMICS,
I THINK THE BETTER.
SO YES, THAT'S SOMETHING I
CERTAINLY WANT TO TAKE ON.
LOOK, WE HAVE TO AS A P COUNTRY.
WE ARE HAVING OUR TECHNOLOGICAL
EDGE BE STOLEN IN FRONT OF OUR
VERY EYES AND AT THE SAME TIME
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP HAS TAKEN ON, REPUBLICAN
CONGRESS NEEDS TO TAKE IT ON.
I HOPE THE DEMOCRATS JOIN US IN
THAT.
MARIA: IT'S INCREDIBLE WHAT'S
TAKEN PLACE SINCE THE MIDTERM
ELECTIONS.
THERE'S NO WINNER FOR FLORIDA
FOR THE GUBERNATORIAL AND STATE
SENATE RACE, THE CONTROVERSY
OVER A RECOUNT IS CONTINUING.
ANDREW GILLUM HAS RELINQUISHED
THE RACE -- HAD RELINQUISHED THE
RACE AGAINST REPUBLICAN RON DE
SANTIS.
HE TOOK THAT BACK.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING ON
HERE?
AND WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO THE
FACT THAT IN ARIZONA WE SEE NOW
A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP POST THE
MIDTERMS, NOW SINEMA IS WINNING
OR HAS WON.
>> IN FLORIDA THIS IS SO
CONCERNING.
FRANKLY, IT'S EMBARRASSING FOR
OUR STATE.
IT'S TWO COUNTIES THAT CYCLE
AFTER CYCLE WE'RE HAVING THESE
PROBLEMS.
IT'S INCOMPETENCE AT BEST.
IT'S FRAUD, FRANKLY AT WORST, AS
MANY HAVE ALLEGED.
THIS IS HAPPENING YEAR AFTER
YEAR.
I THINK WE NEED TO SEE ACCOUNT
ABLE WHEN IT COMES TO ELECTION
OFFICIALS.
I HAD FOUR COUNTIES IN MY
DISTRICT AND THE Ts WERE
CROSSED AND THE Is WERE DOT
ED.
THIS IS WHAT WE FIGHT TO DEFEND
AND SACRIFICE TO DEFEND ALL OVER
THE WORLD.
THEY HAVE A SOLEMN DUTY TO GET
IT RIGHT.
I'M GLAD TO SEE SO MUCH
ATTENTION ON IT.
ONCE THIS IS ALL SAID AND DONE,
I THINK YOU WILL SEE RON DE
SANTIS AND RICK SCOTT EMERGE AS
THEY CURRENTLY ARE AHEAD.
THERE NEEDS TO BE ACCOUNTABILITY
AFTERWARDS SO WE'RE NOT DEALING
WITH THIS AGAIN IN 2020.
DAGEN: I WANT TO QUICKLY POINT
OUT SOMETHING THAT BYRON YORK
TWEETED OUT THAT WAS MENTIONED
ON SPECIAL REPORT LAST NIGHT.
RICK SCOTT WENT INTO THIS,
LEADING BY 56,000 VOTES ON
ELECTION NIGHT, TENS OF
THOUSANDS OF VOTES FOR THE DE
SANTIS LEAD GOING INTO THIS.
IF A RECOUNT REVERSES THE
INITIAL MARGIN OF A FEW -- OF
MORE THAN A FEW HUNDRED VOTES IT
WOULD BE UNPRECEDENTED, IN THE
HISTORY OF RECENT AMERICAN
ELECTIONS.
ACCORDING TO FAIR VOTE, ALMOST
4700 STATE-WIDE ELECTIONS
BETWEEN 2000 AND 2016, ONLY 26
OF THEM WENT TO A RECOUNT.
OF THOSE 26, JUST THREE RECOUNTS
CHANGED THE INITIAL RESULTS OF
THE RACE, ONE IN WASHINGTON, ONE
IN VERMONT AND ONE IN MINNESOTA.
THE AVERAGE SWING IN THOSE THREE
ELECTIONS AFTER THE RECOUNTS,
311 VOTES.
MARIA: INCREDIBLE.
DAGEN: SO WATCH THESE RESULTS.
MARIA: IS THIS LARGELY BECAUSE
OF BROWARD COUNTY?
>> BROWARD COUNTY AND PALM BEACH
COUNTY.
THIS IS -- WHAT HAS US SO
INSENSED, THIS HAS BEEN A
HABITUAL PROBLEM.
THIS GOES BACK TO BUSH VERSUS
GORE.
IT HAPPENS CYCLE AFTER CYCLE.
WHAT SO MANY OF US ARE ASKING,
WHERE IS THE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR