INVESTIGATE THE ATTACK ON THE
CAPITOL JANUARY 6th.
IT NOW FACES AN UPHILL BATTLE IN
THE SENATE WHERE IT NEEDS REPORT
FROM AT LEAST TEN REPUBLICANS TO
PASS.
JOINING US NOW, DEMOCRATIC
CONGRESSMAN JOSH GOTTHEIMER, AND
A REMEMBER OF THE CAUCUS FRED
UPTON OF MICHIGAN.
CONGRESSMAN UPTON, YOU JOINED
JUST 34 REPUBLICANS TO VOTE YES
ON THE BILL.
WHY DO YOU THINK THE FELLOW OF
YOUR HOUSE REPUBLICANS VOTED NO?
>> WELL, THERE WAS A LOT OF
PRESSURE FROM THE TOP TO VOTE
AGAINST IT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, KATKO,
TOP REPUBLICAN ON THE HOMELAND
SECURITY COMMITTEE, WAS GIVEN
THE ORDER -- GIVEN THE
SUGGESTION TO MOVE FORWARD, TO
SEE IF HE CAN STRIKE A
BIPARTISAN ACCORD.
HE DID SO.
IT WAS REGULAR ORDER.
BY THE END OF THE DAY HE WON BY
75 VOTES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
ON THE OVER/UNDER IF SOMEONE
MADE A BET, THEY PROBABLY WOULD
HAVE WON.
WE DID A LITTLE BETTER THAN I
THINK PEOPLE EXPECTED.
>> ARE YOU CONCERNED YOURE
GOING TO FACE CONSEQUENCES FROM
KEVIN McCARTHY OR DONALD TRUMP?
>> NO, I DONT THINK SO.
THIS IS -- WE WILL SEE WHAT THE
SENATE DOES BUT THIS IS A
BIPARTISAN, INDEPENDENT
COMMISSION.
YOU CANT DO ANYTHING UNLESS IT
HAS BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.
SO AT LEAST ONE REPUBLICAN HAS
TO BE WITH ALL OF THE DEMOCRATS
OR VICE VERSA, TO GET IT DONE.
AT THE END OF THE DAY WE NEED TO
FIND OUT THE ANSWER TO THE
QUESTIONS, WHO KNEW WHAT, WHEN,
AND WHAT DID THEY DO ABOUT IT?
AND LET THE CHIPS FALL WHERE
THEY MAY.
>> THAT IS ABSOLUTE LOGIC.
CONGRESSMAN GOTTHEIMER, YOU WERE
JUST NAMED THE MOST MAGNA MUSS
HOUSE DEMOCRAT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, HOW DO
YOU WORK WITH A FAERTPARTY WHO C
SUPPORT LOGIC?
>> DEFINITELY NOT A TROPHY.
BUT IN ORDER TO GET THIS DONE
AND GET IT OUT OF THE SENATE, WE
NEED TO GET 60 VOTES AND WITH
STARTS WITH TRYING TO BUILD
BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR THIS.
WE HAD A LOT OF REPUBLICANS
BREAK WITH LEADERSHIP YESTERDAY
BECAUSE THEY RECOGNIZED THIS IS
NOT A PARTISAN ISSUE.
THE ISSUE IS BIPARTISAN, ITS
BICAMERAL AND THE BOTTOM LINE IS
ITS MEANT TO GET TO THE BOTTOM
OF AN ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY.
ITS NOT A PARTISAN ISSUE.
ABOUT 20 PEOPLE WHO VOTED
YESTERDAY IN THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY, MEMBERS OF THE PROBLEM
SOLVERS CAUCUS, OUR WHOLE
MISSION IS FIND A PLACE WE CAN
COME TOGETHER AND AGREE AND WE
DID.
THIS WILL TAKE A FIGHT, LIKE
EVERYTHING TAKES A FIGHT IN A
PARTISAN ATMOSPHERE, BUT THIS IS
BIPARTISAN AND COMMISSION IS
BIPARTISAN AND THIS IS ABOUT OUR
DEMOCRACY, WHICH IS JUST RED,
WHITE AND BLUE.
IM HOPEFUL WELL GET THIS DONE.
>> AGAIN, LOGIC.
CONGRESSMAN UPTON, I WANT TO
SHARE A BIT OF WHAT CONGRESSMAN
TIM RYAN SAID LAST NIGHT ABOUT
ALL OF THIS, AND REALLY CALLING
OUT REPUBLICANS FOR NOT BEING
ROOTED IN REALITY.
PLEASE WATCH THIS.
>> IF WERE GOING TO TAKE ON
CHINA, IF WERE GOING TO REBUILD
THE COUNTRY, IF WERE GOING TO
REVERSE CLIMATE CHANGE, WE NEED
TWO POLITICAL PARTIES IN THIS
COUNTRY THAT ARE BOTH LIVING IN
REALITY AND YOU AINT ONE OF
THEM!
>> THAT SORT OF SOUNDS LIKE
SOMETHING ANYONES DAD COULD SAY
AT THE DINNER TABLE WHOS NOT
POLITICAL AT ALL.
DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO YOU?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I WAS ON THE
FLOOR WHEN HE SPOKE.
I SPOKE JUST A LITTLE BIT BEFORE
HE DID.
BUT THATS REALLY WHAT THE
PROBLEM-SOLVERS CAUCUS IS ALL
ABOUT.
WERE UPSET ABOUT THE
DYSFUNCTION THATS THERE AND
EVERYBODY SEES IT WHETHER
THEYRE INSIDE THE BELTWAY OR
OUTSIDE.
WHAT OUR CAUCUS DID, WE LOOKED
AT THE FACTS, ENDORSED IT.
MOST OF US ON BOTH SIDES VOTED
FOR IT.
ALL OF THE DEMOCRATS DID AND
GOOD NUMBER OF THE REPUBLICANS
IN THE PROBLEM-SOLVERS CAUCUS.
WE EXCHANGED THE RULES A BIT AND
WE WENT REGULAR ORDER, COMMITTEE
DID ITS WORK AND MEMBERS VOTED
FOR IT.
END OF THE DAY, 75-VOTE
DIFFERENT.
HOPEFULLY THAT SENDS THE SIGNAL
TO THE ADJUSTMENT, THEY MAKE
SOME CHANGES AND SEND IT BACK.
BUT WE ASK IT WOULD BE BETTER TO
DO IT WITH BOTH PARTIES SITTING
AT THE TABLE, AND THATS WHAT
THIS BILL DID.
>> TO THAT VERY POINT, NANCY
PELOSI IS PUTTING TOGETHER AN
INVESTIGATION, SOME SORT OF
COMMISSION NO MATTER WHAT.
WHY WOULDNT REPUBLICANS WANT TO
HAVE A SAY IN THIS?
YOU REMEMBER RIGHT AFTER THE
INSURRECTION, YOU HAD SOME
REPUBLICANS SAYING IT WAS ANTIFA
THAT DID THIS.
WE KNOW IT WASNT BUT WOULDNT
THIS GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
SHOW THAT IF THAT WERE TRUE?
>> THATS EXACTLY WHAT I DONT
GET.
IF ANYONE IS TRYING TO HIDE
SOMETHING.
ON THE 6th, I WAS ON THE FLOOR
WITH A GAS MASK.
IT WAS AN INSURRECTION LED BY A
BUNCH OF LAWLESS THUGS.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE SHOULD
FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED AND
ALSO HOW DO WE MAKE SURE IT
DOESNT HAPPEN AGAIN.
HOW DO WE PROTECT OUR DEMOCRACY
AND MAKE SURE THERES CLEAR
SEPARATION OF POWER.
ITS IMPORTANT WE GET TO THE
FACTS AND BOTTOM OF THIS TO
PREVENT IT FROM EVER HAPPENING
AGAIN FROM OUR COUNTRY AND BOTH
SIDES SHOULD WANT THAT AND
DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS WERE
ATTACKED THAT DAY.
LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS ATTACKED
THAT DAY.
SO FOR ME THIS IS JUST A MATTER
OF GETTING TO THE FACTS AND
PREVENTING SOMETHING LIKE THIS
EVER AGAIN IN OUR GREAT
DEMOCRACY.
YOU WOULD THINK THAT ALL
REPUBLICANS, DEMOCRATS WOULD
WANT TO BE THERE.
THATS WHY I PRAISE FRED UPTON
AND HIS GREAT LEADERSHIP AND SO
MANY PROBLEMS IN OUR CAUCUS HAVE
SAID, WHY ARE WE PUTTING A
PARTISAN LABEL ON THIS?
WHY DONT WE JUST DO OUR JOB?
THE COUNTRY WANTS US TO MOVE ON
TOGETHER AND UNITE.
>> CONGRESSMAN, I WANT TO TURN
TO INFRASTRUCTURE.
IM IN NO WAY KNOCKING PRESIDENT
BIDENS PLANS OR GOALS BUT I
WANT TO GET TO REALITY, IF YOU
CANNOT EVEN GET REPUBLICANS TO
PLAY BALL ON WHAT HAPPENED
JANUARY 6th, YOU DO NOT HAVE A
SNOWBALLS CHANCE IN HELL THAT
THEYRE GOING TO PASS THE
INFRASTRUCTURE BILL.
WHY WOULDNT DEMOCRATS CONSIDER
THE HOUSE TRANSPORTATION
COMMITTEES PLAN?
ITS STILL A VERY BIG ONE.
AND YOU CAN WORK ON OTHER THINGS
AFTER.
JUST GIVEN WHERE WE ARE IN
REALITY.
>> WELL, I THINK THERES
CERTAINLY AN OPPORTUNITY HERE
AND FRED AND I IN OUR CAUCUS
MEETING, WE MET LAST NIGHT
AGAIN, ARE WORKING ON A PIECE OF
THE PACKAGE FOCUSED ON PHYSICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE.
I BELIEVE THERES A BIPARTISAN
AGREEMENT THAT CAN HAPPEN THERE.
ITS COMING TOGETHER.
WERE WORKING ON IT.
AND IM HOPEFUL WE CAN GET THAT
DONE TOGETHER.
THE COUNTRY NEEDS IT AND WE
CANT AFFORD TO HAVE A PACKAGE
THAT FAILS.
IM FOCUSED, AND I KNOW OUR
CAUCUS IS ON DOING A PIECE OF
THIS, PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE,
ROADS, TUNNELS, ENERGY GRIDS,
WATER, IM HOPING WE CAN GET
THAT DONE TOGETHER.
AND I TALKED TO A LOT OF
REPUBLICAN SENATORS READY TO GO
ON THAT.
>> CONGRESSMAN UPTON, TO YOUR
POINT, CLEAN WATER IN MICHIGAN,
PIPES, YOUR STATE ABSOLUTELY
NEEDS THAT.
HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE RATIONAL
WE HEAR FROM REPUBLICANS, MITCH
McCONNELL, WHO IS FOCUSED ON
BLOCKING PRESIDENT BIDEN AT
EVERY TURN.
IS THAT WHAT CONSTITUENTS WANT?
DO CONSTITUENTS WANT NO
COMPROMISE?
BECAUSE IN ALL OF OUR REGULAR
LIVES WE COMPROMISE AT HOME,
WORK, IN EVERY ASPECT, YET OUR
ELECTED OFFICIALS DONT SEEM TO
WANT TO DO THAT.
WHATS THE RATIONAL?
>> I AGREE TO YOUR POINT.
PEOPLE WANT US TO DO OUR JOB.
I SHARE JOSHS OPTIMISM WERE
GOING TO GET A DEAL DONE.
IT MAY NOT BE THE BIDEN PLAN,
WHICH WAS LITERALLY ABOUT $2
TRILLION.
HAD A LOT OF THINGS THAT WERENT
PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
OUR GROUP HAS MET WITH
GOVERNORS, REPUBLICANS AND
DEMOCRATS, SENATORS, REPUBLICANS
AND DEMOCRATS.
WE WILL GET ANOTHER ZOOM CALL
NEXT WEEK I THINK ON THIS.
WERE TRYING TO FIND THE RIGHT
SWEET SPOT WHERE WE CAN MOVE
FORWARD ON THE BIPARTISAN
PACKAGE THE PRESIDENT WILL
SUPPORT.
I HAVE BEEN TO THE WHITE HOUSE,
SO HAS JOSH, TO TALK
SPECIFICALLY ABOUT
INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN THAT WE CAN
GET BOTH REPUBLICANS AND
DEMOCRATS TO SUPPORT.
WERE GETTING CLOSE.
OF ITS GOING TO BE THE NEXT