P.M. PA SICK AND EASTERN. >> THAT’S MUST MUCH.
MIKE ALLEN, THANKS AS ALWAYS.
>> HAPPY WEEKEND.
>>> NEW YORK DEMOCRATIC
CONGRESSWOMAN ALEXANDRIA
CONGRESSWOMAN ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ AND TEXAS
REPUBLICAN SENATOR TED CRUZ SEEM
TO AGREE ON AT LEAST ONE THING,
DRAINING THE SWAMP.
THE UNLIKELY BIPARTISAN MATCHUP
COULD SOON BE IN THE WORKS IN AN
EFFORT TO HELP OVERHAUL D.C.’S
LOBBYISTS AFTER AOC TWEETED HER
DISPLEASURE WITH FORMER
CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS SIGNING ON
WITH SUCH FIRMS.
SENATOR CRUZ BACKED HER POSITION
TWEETING I HAVE LONG CALLED FOR
A LIFETIME BAN ON FORMER MEMBERS
OF CONGRESS BECOME LOBBYISTS.
THE SWAMP WOULD HATE IT BUT
PERHAPS A CHANCE FOR SOME
BIPARTISAN COOPERATION?
BIPARTISAN COOPERATION? THE TWO HASHED OUT POTENTIALLY
TEAMING UP ON A BILL OVER
TWITTER WITH CRUZ REPLYING TO
CONGRESSWOMAN OCASIO-CORTEZ’S
CONGRESSWOMAN OCASIO-CORTEZ’S PROPOSAL, QUOTE, YOU’RE ON.
HEIDI CRUZ -- SORRY, I HAD TED
CRUZ ON THE BRAIN.
HEIDI BRIZPRZYBYLA, IS THIS ACTU
GOING TO HAPPEN?
>> IT SEEMS THEY CO-SPONSORS
VOLUNTEERING ON TWITTER.
I HAVE TO SAY THIS IS ONE OF THE
WARMEST AND FUZZIEST
INTERACTIONS I HAVE EVER SEEN ON
TWITTER BETWEEN TWO MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS.
CONGRESS. THAT SAID IT’S MY JOB TO BE
SKEPTICAL.
SKEPTICAL. >> YES.
>> YES. >> WHICH I AM, BECAUSE THIS IS
JUST SUCH A COLOSSAL PROBLEM IN
WASHINGTON, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO
DEFINE THE SWAMP, WHETHER IT’S
BIG MONEY IN POLITICS OR
CONGRESS -- MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
GOING TO GET CUSHY JOBS AFTER
CONGRESS.
CONGRESS. IT IS SUCH A BIG PROBLEM AND
WHEN YOU TALK TO THE LEADERSHIP
YOU SEE THAT THERE IS ABSOLUTE
RESISTANCE IN THE SENATE TO EVEN
HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE
MASSIVE ETHICS AND CAMPAIGN
FINANCE REFORM LEGISLATION THAT
WAS PASSED IN THE HOUSE.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN INEVITABLY IN
A DISCUSSION, LET’S SAY A
THEORETICAL DISCUSSION ABOUT
THIS, WOULD BE THAT DEMOCRATS
WOULD WANT TO HAVE THAT BROADER
DISCUSSION AND NOT BE SATISFIED
WITH A PIECEMEAL APPROACH.
I MAY BE WRONG AND I HOPE -- I
HOPE THAT I’M WRONG BECAUSE THIS
IS SUCH A MASSIVE PROBLEM.
LET ME GIVE YOU A NUMBER HERE.
SINCE CITIZENS UNITED WAS
ENACTED BY THE SUPREME COURT WE
HAVE NOW ARE HITTING A WATERSHED
NUMBER OF $1 BILLION IN DARK
MONEY IN OUR POLITICS.
DARK MONEY IS DEFINED AS MONEY
THAT IS BASICALLY UNTRACEABLE TO
THE DONORS.
THE DONORS. WE AS THE PRESS CANNOT REPORT TO
YOU AS THE PEOPLE ABOUT WHERE
THIS MONEY IS COMING FROM.
THEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT’S
HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON, D.C. AS
WELL WITH THE INFLUENCE OF
CORPORATE LOBBYISTS OVER
CRITICAL AGENCIES LIKE THE EPA,
WHERE YOU HAVE A COAL LOBBYIST
RUNNING THE EPA, OR HHS WHERE
YOU HAVE FORMER PHARMACEUTICAL
EXECUTIVES RUNNING HHS.
THESE ARE ALL INCESTUOUS CIRCLES
WHERE THESE EXECUTIVES ARE IN
CHARGE OF POLICING THE
INDUSTRIES THAT THEY WILL
EVENTUALLY AND INEVITABLY GO
BACK TO WORK FOR.
>> SO, NICK, THIS IS THE
REVOLVING DOOR OF WASHINGTON,
YOU SERVE, LEAVE AND SOMEBODY
PAYSER FOR YOUR ACCESS TO PEOPLE
YOU SERVED WITH.
IT’S NICE TO SEE TWO PEOPLE FROM
OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE AISLE.
THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS
POLITICIANS SHOULD NOT DICTATE
WHAT PEOPLE CAN AND CANNOT DO
ONCE THEY’RE NO LONGER SERVING.
>> THE PRINCIPLED ARGUMENT IS
THAT, THE SELFISH ARGUMENT IS
THAT THE PEOPLE THAT
OCASIO-CORTEZ AND SENATOR CRUZ
ARE GOING TO ASK TO VOTE ON THIS
ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING
AHEAD TO THEIR PAYDAY WHICH IS A
RETIREMENT PACKAGE A.
IT’S HARD TO IMAGINE NOW, BUT
THERE WAS A TIME 30 OR 40 YEARS
AGO WHERE IT WAS ALMOST UNHEARD
OF FOR A MEMBER OF CONGRESS TO
GO BE A LOBBYIST.
CERTAINLY NOT A SENATOR.
NOW IT HAS BECOME SO ROUTINE, I
CAN’T THINK OFF THE TOP OF MY
HEAD OF A RETIRING LAWMAKER WHO
HAS NOT GONE TO WORK FOR A LOBBY
SHOP OR A QUASI LOBBY SHOP.
IT’S BECOME THE LIFE SICKLE FOR
CONGRESS.
CONGRESS. THEY ARE HIGHLIGHTING AN
IMPORTANT PROBLEM.
IMPORTANT PROBLEM. >> AT THE LEAST IT’S NICE TO SEE
TWO PEOPLE GETTING ALONG ON
TWITTER FOR FIVE MINUTES ANYWAY.
>>> STILL AHEAD, ANOTHER
DEMOCRATIC WHITE HOUSE HOPEFUL