You're listening to the Bloomberg Sound On podcast. Catch us live weekdays at one Eastern on Bloomberg dot com, the iHeartRadio app, and the Bloomberg Business app, or listen on demand wherever you get your podcasts.
US fighter jets strike targets in Syria. Is this the Second front? Welcome to the fastest show in politics. As American jets hit two facilities believed to be used by Iran's Revolutionary Guard. This as Israel conducts new raids inside Gaza. We're going to take the wide view on what could become a regional conflict if it isn't already. With James Jeffrey, the former ambassador to Iraq and Turkey, now Chair of the Middle East Program at the Wilson Center, is back
with us here on Bloomberg. The new Speaker of the House says he wants to buifer Kate Israeli funding. We'll have that and a lot more as well with our signature panel on this Friday. Rick Davis and Genie Shanzano Bloomberg Politics contributors. Welcome to the Friday edition of Bloomberg Sound On. I actually had to check a couple of times. It has been a week at least. We have a speaker of the House to show for it. I'm Joe Matthew in Washington. It's great to see you join us
on YouTube along with the radio or the satellite. We've got the cameras, litt and love to have you join us here in the studio. Go to YouTube and search Bloomberg Global News. And we've got a lot to talk about here today. As we begin with the situation in Israel, I really should say the Middle East, because we're talking about a regional story at this point. Here the latest
from Israel. As I read on the terminal, they sent troops on a limited raid into Gaza for the second night running here kind of punch and holes and things getting ready for surveilling, and the surveilling doing a lot of things ahead of what will likely be a ground invasion. But we're seeing headlines now on extensive bombing to the north in northern Gaza. Phone service and internet service has completely gone down. We may be in the midst of
something here that is important. Massive air strikes underway now. We learned as well the US was flying jets in Syria yesterday, and this is important where we want to get started with Ambassador Jeffrey back with US today.
F sixteen's flown.
By the United States striking targets in eastern Syria, believed to be used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard, raising great questions about the scale of this potential military conflict. He was, of course, the Ambassador to Iraq and Turkey, also Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS. He's now at the Wilson Center, where he chairs the Middle East Program. Ambassador James Jeffrey, Welcome back, sir. It's good to see you. I wonder your thoughts when you hear
news like this. This is not a proxy war when American jets are striking targets, is it.
Thank you for having me on, Joe.
It's important to know this is as important as Ukraine normally for the survival of a state, because that's what's in play. But secondly, the American capability all across the world, this collective security system that's been placed since nineteen forty five produced prosperity, peace and political freedom for much of the world. Hamas is allied with Iran and Iran's other allies,
including his bela very powerful for in southern Lebanon. The risk is if the israelis going on the ground, which they seem to be preparing to do as you just said, that Iran and his Beulah will strike Israel will possibly strike the United States, which has put forces in the region exactly to deter intervention from the outside. What we have now is low skill shooting back and forth between the United States and Iranian surrogates in Syria and in
Iraq to try to maintain a lid on this. But there's no telling where this will go.
Well, the sure isn't.
Does it make you nervous when you see US aircraft inside Syria knowing that there could be Iranian involvement at any moment the moment, never mind Iranian cooperation with Syria.
Well, we've had, of course aircraft there for a long time fighting these Islamic state at times attacking the Syrian government, as you know, wiping out the Wagner Battalian I'm in Syria, which I was responsible for for two years, is a rock and roll battle zone and always has. That's why we took targets out of Iranian surrogates in Syria. Nobody will mind the bigger and Juicia. Targets, of course are
in Iraq, but that's a fairly friendly government. We don't want to bomb their territory, and the most important are in Iran, but that would be an escalation. What the Biden administration is saying is that day is coming if you start killing Americans, I.
Believe well, I'll tell you the headlines that are crossing now are potentially significant. Ambassador the Palestinian telecom provider now says that internet service throughout the Gaza strip has been cut off by Israeli bombardment. What does that tell you about the next phase and how soon it might begin.
I don't want to be cynical or satirical, but frankly, I'm wondering what took the Israeli so long. This is the main vehicle for Hamas to get their propaganda out and also frankly, to communicate with each other. Of course, as we saw in the attack on Israel in the seventh of October, Hamas has very extraordinary technical and electronic capabilities. What the Israelis have been doing with this bombing and pot is to knock that down, and that was another
step today. Again it indicates they're thinking of a ground encourasion much bigger than the ones they've done so.
Far, right, sending troops in and what they're referring to as a limited raid. They actually had troops in armor rolling into Gaza last night. Some thought it might be the beginning of something larger. What type of that operation? What type of operation do you think that was? Are they actually just surveying land looking for tunnels? Are they doing more in terms of taking out targets while they're at it now?
As a farm of tank command, I recognize this doctrine. It's called a tank raid. It is designed to another doctor, prepare the battlefield by probing enemy weak points, seeing how they react, seeing how their communications light up when you send forces in, and in general putting them off base, because soon Hamas will get used to these is really raged and will be less quick to react when the big one comes.
Well, we may see more of these, I suppose, but it doesn't signify anything to you in terms of timeline, as in going in tonight or this weekend.
Ambassador, No, A very good question. First of all, as your viewers know, because everybody's following this, there are other issues we need to get American air defense reinforcements throughout the Middle East so that we can shoot down these drones and missiles that are ran inspiring at us, rather than taking casualties and having to strike back. That's an escalatory, de escalatory thing. Secondly, there's negotiations over many of the
civilian hostages. There's also concerns about getting assistance to the civilian population that is in entire need in a Gaza. All of those things will feed into the Israeli planning, including intelligence on Hamas and probably refinements of the plan. This will be an extremely complicated operation. Nobody would try this unless a you have three hundred and sixty thousand troops and b you start Your country existence depends upon it. But that's where I believe.
Is General pat Ryder at the Pentagon says, the US deploying nine hundred troops now to the Middle East to beef up our presence. We've spoken already about the two carrier strike groups that are heading in that direction. How much are you viewing this to what extent are you viewing this as a regional action as opposed to one specifically between Israel and Gaza with the Hamas.
Everybody in the region, including Arab leaders who talk privately, not publicly in front of their people's but privately know that this is the big one. This determines whether Iran and the various terrorist surrogates of Iran will ever more dominate the region. Knock up what Israel proved that the United States will not stand by its friends and backs down in the face of Iranian threats. That's all in
play now. Nobody on our side at least wanted this, but this is where we are, and there's only one way forward, which is to reinforce and be ready to respond if Iran intervenes.
Well.
So, with that said, when a ground operation or invasion, whatever we call it, begins against Tamas in Gaza, what will be the regional response. We've already talked about Syria, we could talk about Iran. We could even add Turkey to the conversation. What's this going to look like?
Everybody will stay out except the big question. Iran and at Is particularly the most powerful Lebanese FSBLA in southern Lebanon, with one hundred and seventy thousand rockets and missiles pointed at Israel and tens of thousands of troops. Three scenarios one the United States massive, it's wanting to deter Iran, and Israel defeats Tamas in Gaza, and Iran being deterred will be shown as a paper tiger two. Iran actually does intervene and this huge American force.
Yeah, I wish we had a better internet connection, mister ambassador, thank you for the time. Will be I hope blessed by the Wi Fi gods next time we speak. James Jeffrey, the former ambassador to Iraq and Turkey. He ran the coalition, was the Special presidential Envoy the coalition to defeat ISIS, and so we've been using him for perspective on this as we get closer to what appears to be a ground assault.
I'm Joe Matthew in Washington.
As we assembled our panel, including Geny Shanzano, Bloomberg Politics contributor, who was actually with me here in Washington. It's great to see you at the table. Rick Davis with us as well, Bloomberg Politics contributor. Great to have our signature panel together on a Friday. Every time we talk to the ambassador, it's a sobering conversation and he's clearly thinking about something wider and I know I was leading him
in that direction. But Genie, when you start seeing headlines again of US jets, American flags on these jets, striking targets in Syria, this is bringing back some pretty tough memories for people already.
It absolutely is, and you know you can't help but think about it and talk about it rightly, so because this is what we are seeing unfold before our eyes.
And as much as the President, the administration, Republicans and Democrats alike in the US would like to avoid that, I mean, containing this was the key key focus of the administration's policy as soon as this horrific event happened on October seventh, and yet it looks like despite all these efforts that is increasingly difficult to imagine they're able to do that. And so now the US is going to have to respond. And that's what we are seeing.
And this raises all sorts of challenges, domestic political challenges among them, but most importantly the safety of US troops on the ground and Americans living over there as this continues to spiral out of control, which is what it looks like is going to happen in just a few hours, let alone days and weeks I.
Sure wonder, Rick. We spoke with retired General Wesley.
Clark yesterday about this about the idea of a second or third front potentially being open already.
Here's how he put it.
I guess we don't have the general here, but I it was essentially saying, Rick that this is not hot, it's warm, And I wonder your thought right now as you look at this from a regional perspective, the things.
We have to understand is that Iran does not completely control all these malign actors, right.
I mean, like we think of them.
As almost like divisions of the Iranian military, but they're not, right, They're independent political organizations, you know, they're terrorist groups that kind of like you know, operate in somewhat of a vacuum, and both for security reasons but also just they don't even agree with each other, you know, on what ultimately the objectives are. Some are more interested in attack and the Americans and they are the Israelis, like what's happening
in Syria right now. So part of this is I wonder, you know, with all the flare ups that we're seeing outside of the primary conflict between Israel and Hamas is whether or not Iran is sitting back going Holy smokes. This could really get out of control and all of a sudden will get dragged in to this conflict. I mean, Iran is really good at creating problems for other people through their carve outs, but they don't like to get
their hands dirty directly. And they still have reminiscence of a million men being slaughtered on the battlefield with Iraq, and so you know, having a border war is not something they particularly are interested in.
So this could actually.
Spin out of control, not just affecting us in Israel, but also it could spin out of control of what Iran has as an expectation.
Here's what General Wesley Clark said when we spoke about this yesterday.
Well, let's put it this way. They're warming it up, but I don't think the decision has been made by the Ayatolas to really open up the northern front yet. It's just just it's nuisance right now. Yeah, they're killing people, they are firing, but they haven't really committed. They want to wait and see what Israel is able to do in Gaza, whether it's so deeply in measured in Gaza that it can't defend itself from the North.
Wellly have a minute left for this part of our conversation, Jeanie, But is this your biggest worry?
It is, and you know the Wesley Clark is talking about they haven't made the decision, and I think my bigger fear in a lot of people's is that the decision will be made because some kind of accident, somebody gets hurt, gets injured, more than one person, American troops get hurt, and that sort of spirals out of control.
So questions of whether they decide or not aside this is what the fear is, is that it is such a warm area it could turn hot very quickly and people respond and that's a huge, huge challenge.
We've got a lot more to talk about with Genie Shanzano and Rick Davis, including the ask for funding for Israel. The new Speaker of the House has weighed in on this officially, he says, Bifer Kate the money. We'll hear from his interview with Fox News on that and a lot of other issues, whether the government's going to shut down next month. Next with Rick and Jeannie, I'm Joe Matthew in Washington. It's the fastest show in politics. We'll have a lot more ahead. This is Bloomberg.
You're listening to the Bloomberg Sound on podcast. Catch the program live weekdays at one Eastern on Bloomberg Radio, the tune in app, Bloomberg dot Com.
And the Bloomberg Business App.
You can also listen live on Amazon Alexa from our flagship New York station, Just say Alexa play Bloomberg eleven thirty.
We told you around this time yesterday that Hakim Jeffreys had issued a challenge to the new Speaker of the House, you know, Mike john that's his name, to take a shutdown off the table for the rest of the year, for the rest of this session. And I guess we got our response. Speaker Johnson sits for his first interview on Fox News. Asked about the continuing resolution that might be required to avoid a government shutdown, and the answer is yes, with conditions.
We're going forward a Chip and Byron are at the table with others. We're working through this with the ideas and trying to ensure that if another stopgap measure is required, that we do it with certain conditions. And I think there will be conditions that the American people can live with and the consensus that we can build around here in the.
House certain conditions.
As we reassemble the panel with Rick Davis and Genie Shanzino, Bloomberg Politics contributors, Rick, I don't know what conditions we're talking about here, but if so called Chip and Byron are writing the CR, that would be Jip Roy Byron Donald's of the Freedom Caucus. I believe they wrote the last one, or at least we're involved in the deal making here. Is that going to look like anything HOCKEYM Jefferies wants to sign.
Probably not, and it's probably not going to look like anything that the Senate's going to want to sign. So you can already tell that we're going to get into a haggle between these two institutions, the Senate in the House over what this is going to look like. My guess is that the Speaker is not going to want to create a eminent shutdown in his first month of office, and so whatever those conditions are may be more manageable than even what we saw the first time around when
the first CR was being negotiated. But at least there's an expectation that there will be a CR, and I'd say that is not something I would have assumed considering the lack of you know, sort of fiscal experience that this speaker.
Has had, or the fact that the last guy got fired for doing that very same thing. Jeanie, what do you think of this those certain conditions? As a Democrat?
Can you see the other party voting for what's going to come out here?
You know?
I thought what was interesting was he was talking about what's palatable to the American public, and that's really beside the point. This has never been about what's palatable to the American public. It's about what's palatable to the far right wing of his own caucus. They are the ones who are opposing these rs. They are the ones who have put all these conditions on, and so that is going to be his fight.
What are the conditions cuts?
Well, they are going they are going to want to make cuts. I mean we are just talking about Israel. He wants to separate out Ukraine and Israel.
I mean, don't talk about that yet.
Yeah, the list goes on and on, and so what has changed, you know, maybe just maybe the far right has decided they want to give him some runway to Rick's point, maybe they want to give him a honeymoon period of sorts for the first month or six weeks where he doesn't face an imminent shutdown. But I don't know that we know that yet. So he faces that
is his big fight. And then, of course, if he tries to do what Kevin McCarthy did for a period of time until he signed the cr which is to you know, hold hands with the far right, you're going to have the moderates of his caucus who are going to balk and to your point, Democrats. And so nothing has changed. The only thing that has changed, and I wish you guys would call him by his name, magamke.
The only thing is changed is the person who is sitting in this very difficult seat, who has got all of this ahead of him, and who comes with almost no experience. He's never even chaired a committee.
It was a shutdown more or less likely.
You know, I think it's a little less likely, only because they may wise up and want to give him some runway room. But I'm not convinced that we've heard that from either of these two warring sides of the Republican Caucus at this point.
Well, we started this hour talking about Israel, and there is a big ask for money. It's over one hundred billion dollars for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan and the border. If you listen to this show, you know that already. Speaker Johnson asked about that as well last evening, and he made it clear that he doesn't want to bring a combined piece of legislation to the floor.
Here's how you put it.
I told the staff the White House today that our consensus among House Republicans is that we need to buifurkate those issues. I agree with your assessment in Ukraine, and that's why the American people are demanding some real accountability for the use of those dollars. Now, we can't allow Vladimir Putin to prevail in Ukraine because I don't believe it would stop there, and it would probably encourage and empower China to perhaps make a move on Taiwan. We
have these concerns, We're not going to abandon them. But we have a responsibility of stewardship, responsibility over the precious treasure of the American people, and we have to make sure that the White House is providing the people with some account of ability for the dollars.
Rick he just said a lot there, And I'm not sure what he means by accountability, if that's some sort of an audit or whatever that comes with the money that's allocated. But his approach here, and I know it's shared by members of his caucus, or he wouldn't be doing it, I guess to take the Israeli money out and bring that to the floor alone, I imagine will only slow things down.
What do you think, Yeah, for sure, it'll slow things down, and they'll have the Senate right on top of them with the you know, sort of combined kit of funding that they'll have to deal with, and if they don't get onto it, they'll then they'll have to deal with a Senate bill that will be much more.
Difficult for them to carve up.
I would say, you know that, as the Speaker just said, you know, he's he's not cave in to putin so so so that's reassuring, and and he's saying he's for funding. In fact, he goes on in that same interview to talk about how he's not as concerned and I'm you know, putting words in his mouth, but to paraphrase, he's not as concerned about the money going for weapons systems because he knows what we know, which is most of that
money spent on US weapons manufacturers. He's concerned about the economic assistance which is part of this formulation, and that has had fewer sort of strings of accountability. You know, that goes right into the Ukrainian economy and it's necessary almost if not equally necessary as the as the security aid. But the administration has been slow to sort of talk about what specifically those funds are going to be used for.
And I think that's part of the message that he's sending to the White House is you know, let's let's drill down on that before we just give you a blank check.
What do you think of this approach and what it will actually mean for getting help to Israel. We can treat these separately because Rick makes some very good points about Ukraine. But is this going to mean a longer wait for Israel?
It very well could. You know, there's a reason that the Biden administration and Mitch McConnell and others want to go big on this because you're really only going to get one bite at this apple. That's why they're putting one hundred and six billion plus dollars in and trying
to get this through. But you know, if you just listened, as I like to do for you, Joe Matthew to Steve Bannon's show, and you listen to Mike, you listen to Mike, and Mike matt Gates go on that show and say the Mike Johnson assuming the speakership was a win for the MAGO right, it was a win for us. And so I agree with Rick that he's saying the right things last night. He is trying to be responsible with money. We agree with all of that, but that
is all beside the point. If any of those folks decide they are unhappy, and if four of them decide they are unhappy as they did previously, he's where back where we started from. So you know, you have to listen to what the are saying. Nothing about the structure
of the position he finds himself in has changed. We've changed the person, but we haven't changed all of the environment going on there, and the environment is unhealthy and that has to make all of us skeptical this gets through as one package well, So Rick.
It sounds like the administration needs to do a better job messaging what this Ukraine money is for.
General Wesley Clark talked about it yesterday.
You just made reference to, you know, American defense contractors. This is about also replenishing what we have here. Wouldn't that be a better argument than simply saying sixty billion for Ukraine.
Yeah, And I think those conversations are being had within, you know, the walls of Congress and the White House. But again, I mean part of you know, President Biden's job is to convince the American public that this is important and that we are doing the right thing, because that,
of course helps reinforce his standing with Congress. I mean, if the American public behind him, then it's a lot easier to get these Rakalka Trent Republicans to do the right thing on on Ukraine specifically, everybody wants to write that check for for Israel and the emergency assistants and the border assistance, those things are going.
To be easy.
The only thing that's going to be tricky is to get a straight vote on Ukrainian assistance. And frankly, that was what I thought was so smart about combining it, because you know, they can they can just get that done in one swell swoop and and ride on the backs of those more popular measures.
Rick Davis and Jeanie Schanze know our signature panel with us on the Friday edition of sound On. We've got some breaking headlines from Israel that we'll talk about. And we haven't even gotten to this yet. Joe Biden has a new challenger and can we call it the Democratic Primary?
You're listening to the Bloomberg sound On podcast. Catch us live weekdays at one Eastern, Bloomberg dot Com, the iHeartRadio app, and the Bloomberg Business app, or listen on demand wherever you get your podcast.
There is another a Democrat running for president.
His name is not Gavin Newsome.
I don't think Joe Biden is losing sleep over it, but the representative from Minnesota, Dean Phillips, is running. The ad is up. The exclusive interview has been had. Here's what it sounds like.
You ready.
I'm Dean Phillips, and I'm running for president of the United States of America, and I'm coming to New Hampshire to answer your questions. I love New Hampshire. I spent my summers as a kid in the White Mountains, going to camp, got to canoe the Saco River, learn how to fish, learn how to shoot a gun, got to climb the presidential.
Rule including Mount got the gun reference in there. I used to go to New Hampshire as a kid. I can't imagine that really being the way I introduced myself to the nation running for president. But he had more to say when he sat down with CBS News. Here is again, Dean Phillip.
Are you running for president?
I am? I have to I think President Biden has done a spectacular job for our country. But it's not about the past. This is an election about the future. I will not sit still and will not be quiet in the face of numbers that are so clearly saying that we're going to be facing an emergency next November.
An emergency in a hypothetical race against Donald Trump. Let's reassemble our panel with Genie Shanzano at the table here in Washington and Rick Davis Bloomberg Politics contributors.
Genie, are you shaking in your boots?
Here is Dean Phillips, the next Democratic nominee.
What's he thinking?
Having climbed Mount Washington many times since spent many summers on the presidential range. I have to say I do like that introduction. I appreciate it.
I went to six Gun City as a kid. Does that count White mountains?
Absolutely? And it's beautiful. So he knows what he's doing when he's putting that out. But you know, there's a reason, as you said, Gavin Newsom and and you know, some of the other very popular governors who he let's not forget not that long ago said, should consider running. There's a reason they're not running is because number one, it is very very late at this point, and number two, it's going to be difficult to get name recognition, get
yourself out there against an incumbent president. And number three, I think biggest of all is that no Democrats want to be spoilers and help Donald Trump get elected. So you know, there's a lot of reasons they aren't running. That said, I think Phillips has a point when he says, looking at the polls, almost seven out of ten Democrats are concerned about Joe Biden's health, about his age, and they are looking for new leadership, particularly young people and
African Americans. So he is trying to build on that. I don't think Joe Biden's worried at this point, nor should he be, but I do think it's something Democrats have to take seriously.
The polls have.
Been unswavering and unwavering. I don't think swavering word, but on wavering on this point about concerns about Joe Biden's ability to serve another four years, and he is taking that mantle and running with it.
What do you think, Rick, should we take this campaign seriously?
You know, I don't think you can take it seriously from the point of view of Joe Biden losing the nomination. I think you can take it seriously from a Democrat, you know, who has credibility with independent voters because he's in the president's own party. Criticizing the president's age, which they care about already, is probably one of the most important things that's driving their vote preference. So this is a horrible thing for Joe Biden, but that kind of
set it up for themselves. I mean, this idea of bypassing Iowa, New Hampshire and oh, we're going to start the primary in South Carolina, I mean this is.
Like a gift.
I mean, if he can't win a state that the president's not even on the ballot, then he should really wrap up his political career. But the bottom line is, you know, it's sort of misstep after misstep by the Biden camp in pain and and and now they've got they got to pay the piper, and and and this is this is not a shock that somebody would come out of there in a different generation who wants to
content it, contest us. And by the way, they are dying to get uh uh uh Donald Trump to be the candidate against them next November, because you look at every other match up with people like Nicky Haley and it's a lot worse for President Biden. So I think if they can set this table the way it is now,
they'd be happy to try and run. But as you've seen from our own Bloomberg polling, you know, even that is looking pretty grim from a targeted state basis, where in places like Arizona and Georgia, Donald Trump's already got a lead on on the president. So it's it's a pretty tough fall for the president right now.
Well, Dean Phillips said in his interview with CBS Genie that he was alarmed, as the word he used, by the prospect of Donald Trump beating Joe Biden after studying polling data that compelled him to make this move are you alarmed when you look at the numbers.
Now very alarmed and the Bloomberg poll showing that in those seven swing states, Donald Trump is beating Joe Biden in five of those, they are tied in one, and Biden assume Joe Biden, I do not, and I agree with Rick. It has long been the view of the Biden folks that get Trump on that ballot. In fact, the only way we can win is against Biden, against Trump rather because we can show him as crazy and him as you know, unable and and somebody who should
not be re elected to the presidency. So let's get him on the ballot. But the danger here is is be careful what you wish for, because in these matchups, in this Bloomberg poll, Trump is winning, He is overperforming in those states. It is an enormous concern and the biggest concern for Biden putting Israel, Ukraine. Everything aside is the state of the economy for people in their daily lives, living expenses, inflation, the price of gas, the price of groceries,
and housing, mortgages. Young people can't get mortgages. Their mortgages are seven to eight percent, as you know, So you know Boomers are looking at three and four percent because they were lucky enough to get in early. All of that votes very poorly for the president, and they have to take that seriously because those constituencies are critical for them to win, and they are not feeling good about
where the economy is right now. It's not to say the president hasn't done some really important things, but the economy is still it and it is not a good sign for Joe Biden.
Rick, we only have a minute left.
We've talked a lot about a no Labels candidate, about even Cornell West campaign. Do you put Dean Phillips in the same category as a potential spoiler?
No, I mean I think that the reality is he'll be long gone by the time the general election occurs, and people like Cornell West and Robert Kennedy and the no Labels candidates, if they have them, are going to have actual impact on votes that would otherwise be cast
for Trump or Biden. So no, he will be the sort of you know, winter candidate, the winter soldier of the Democratic Party, and all of the you know, sort of heroes of the Democratic Party will emerge in January and February and March to ensure that this Winter Soldier gets beat just like it but was a Marvel comic.
Wow, that's brutal.
Rick.
Thank you, Rick Davis and Jeanie Shanzino, our signature panel in a great conversation on a Friday.
Wow.
We learned a lot this week and we live through it with Rick and Jeannie and Kayley's on the way. Next hour two of sound On starts right now.
You're listening to the Bloomberg Sound On podcast. Catch the program live weekdays at one Eastern on Bloomberg Radio, the tune in alf, Bloomberg dot Com, and the Bloomberg Business App. You can also listen live on Amazon Alexa from our flagship New York station Just Say Alexa playing Bloomberg eleven thirty.
Welcome to Friday, an hour two of Bloomberg Sound On. I'm Joe Matthew in Washington alongside Kaylee Lines.
She is with us. Now we made it to the end of the week. It's good to see you. I'm just trusting myself that it is Friday, because I thought that a few times over the last couple of days. It better be.
Indeed, at least we got a speaker that got done and we heard from and saw the speaker in action. He sat down with Sean Hannity did an extended interview on Fox in which I learned probably more about Sean Hannity's views on things than the new speaker, But that's sometimes the.
Way it goes.
Yeah, but we're going to talk about a couple of the breadcrumbs he left for us here, beginning with a continuing resolution, Kaylee, this is the very thing that basically got Kevin McCarthy fired. That's correct, the short term bill that would keep the government from shutting down in this case on November seventeen. But it sounds like there could be some strings attached to this one.
That was his suggestion. He acknowledged that he's working against a clock or they only have about three weeks or so to get something done. So it does seem like a continuing resolution, another stop gap measure is going to be what has to happen while they continue to try to pass single subject appropriations bills. And what he said was you got Byron Donald's and Chip Roy working things out, and there's going to be conditions. We don't exactly know
what those might be. The Speaker last night suggested that they would be ones the American people could live with. But basically, Joe, there's going.
To be a catch, that's right.
It sounds like it not sure what that is. It's almost like you watch the interview.
All forty one minute.
We're going forward, a Chip and Byron are at the table with others. We're working through this with the ideas and trying to ensure that if another stopgap measure is required, that we do it with certain conditions. And I think there will be a conditions that the American people can live with and the consensus that we can build around here in the House.
And so this is where we begin our conversation with Congressman Tim Burchett. He's back with us, the Republican from Tennessee's second district.
Congressman. It's good to see it.
You're probably really glad to be home after the throws of the last weeks here in Washington, d C. I'm sure you're glad to have a speaker. And I wonder to what extent we should read into certain conditions and what a package here might look like.
I don't know if you want to read too much into all that. The reality is is that a continued resolution was original. I believe the history of it was under an emergency situation and then it just got abused by the swamp or whatever you want to call it both parties. This is an emergency, and I was going to say this could be an emergency.
You know that we ran up against the barrier last time.
If you remember, we took off as we've done under Democrats and Republicans, the whole month of August and two weeks into September, you know, and we pushed it right up against the September thirtieth deadline.
So this is a little different.
This speaker had just taken over, and obviously he's getting his feet wet up to about his the top of his hairline, I guess, but he I think he's done pretty well because yesterday passed a very tough appropriations bill.
And it got through with.
Overwhelming Republican support, which is something you didn't see under the prior speaker. So I think, as I've stated, you got a new sheriff in town. His name is Mike Johnson, and he's.
Doing a good job indeed, and I would say he's not necessarily just getting his feet wet. He might have just been thrown right into the deep end. Congressman, as we talk about continuing resolution, which I know historically is something that or an idea, a concept, you haven't been ultra supportive of. What conditions would you need to see in order to vote yay on that bill.
I'd like to see some borders, some real border security, not with the President's putting down more bureaucrats to allow illegal aliens to get further into our country and never show up at court, you know, just their permit. And i'd like to see some of these funding single issue funding bills, things like that, I mean, just on down the line. But I think I think he's going about
at the right approach. He's asking us his opinion, our opinion and not telling us his opinion, and so I think that's a different style and leadership, something we're not used to. And I think i'm and it's some honesty too that we're not used to.
Well, it sounds like you're going to have some conversations about the forum that this takes. As he says, Chip Roy and Byron Donald's are authoring something.
I don't know how soon you think you're going to see it.
But there's also a supplemental budget request worth more than one hundred billion dollars coming your way from the White House, and last evening, Speaker Johnson made it clear that he does not want to address Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan on the border all in one package. I'm going to let our listeners and viewers get a sense of this in his answer, Congressman, and hear your reply.
Here's the Speaker.
I told the staff the White House today that our consensus among House Republicans is that we need to bifurcate those issues. I agree with your assessment in Ukraine, and that's why the American people are demanding some real accountability for the use of those dollars. Now, we can't allow Vladimir Putin to prevail in Ukraine because I don't believe it would stop there, and it would probably encourage and empower China to perhaps make a move on Taiwan. We
have these concerns, We're not going to abandon them. But we have a responsibility of stewardship, responsibility over the precious treasure of the American people, and we have to make sure that the White House is providing the people with some accountability for the dollars.
So he said a lot there, Congressman, And I'd like to hear you speak to accountability when it comes to Ukraine.
What that would look like.
What kind of system can be put in place that might make you feel better about accountability and auditing maybe the money that's already been spent.
But let's start with Israel.
If the Republican Conference, if the speaker brings that to the floor as a standalone, knowing that the is it, the White House don't support it that way, do you worry that that would slow down potentially money getting to Israel?
No, I don't you know.
They already have pretty much on auto check three point eight billion dollars that we supply we've just sent over. It hasn't been much reported, and it's out in the public domain, so I can talk about it. But there's been two more of the Iron Dome implements have been sent to Israel that we had. We've got the Gerald, our four carrier group probably. I mean, that's the biggest,
you know, that's the biggest dog in the park. You put that thing in the Mediterranean, everybody knows it's there, plus six more probably mercenaries on the ground everywhere, And so I think Israel knows where we are and the last thing they really want is our military presence on the ground. There boots on the ground in god So because of our rules of engagement and their rules are totally different.
You know, our rules of engagement.
At the end of Afghanistan got a bunch of people killed because they wouldn't take out a bomber, a suicide bomber. And I talked to the steiper who had him in his sites twice. What was told by you know, the war pimps at the Pentagon that he couldn't take this guy out. So Israel doesn't need that. But I think Israel knows who we are. But why would you, knowing that there's going to be an objection, why would the President of the United States allow that bill to come
out with Ukraine money tied to it? Because he wants to put somebody in a political spot. And that's the only reason we've had. You know, we haven't been doing anything.
We haven't.
It's been probably the most productive twenty some odd days really if you want to look at overall outcome by electing Mike Johnson our speaker. But what's the Senate been doing? They haven't been doing anything. We haven't even seen this. They haven't even sent the bill over yet, so you know, it's just it's just politics as usual in Washington. Cut the bs. Send three different bills over. Send one with Ukraine, send one with border security, or so called congressman, send
one with Israel. That's all you got to do. Three sheets of paper, and yet they want to politicize it and want to try to tie it up. They're the ones, I submit to you, They're the ones tie it up. Let's get the business, let's cut the garbage out and do what's right for the people of Israel.
But Congressman, arguably the reason why the White House is trying to tie these together is because there is a certain resistance to you continuing to fund Ukraine within your party in the House of Representatives. Are you saying if the White House were to send three separate packages, that that Ukraine bill could pass on the House floor.
Yeah, I mean all the Democrats had vote for it, and you probably you know, we had one hundred I don't know, one hundred and some odd votes I think in favor of Ukraine the last time something came through.
That's stupid. Just send it over there. Separate. If they want to really pass it, do it separately.
I would vote against Ukraine funding again because there again, it's not our war.
Show me the reason we're over.
There, if you know, if we're going to say that, look, we got dictators down in Central America that are abusing people. The Chinese are putting the Wiger population in concentration camps.
Why are we not going to war with China over it?
If we're If we're so ethically challenged on this front, ma'am, this is just policed.
I'm not the guy with answers. But the administration says that if Vladimir Putin succeeds in Ukraine, and I know a lot of Republicans on the Hill agree with him, that it would be a national security problem for the United States and our allies in Europe. And is that part of the argument that you disagree with.
I disagree with that premise.
The GDP of Russia is somewhere between France and Canada. This is a European situation. Let them decide it. Europe needs to be kicking in more money.
They're not.
They The number two contributor to this whole thing in the beginning was Estonia. We were profiting off of both sides because of me, and we were fund excuse me, we were funding both sides of this war in the beginning because of.
The oil situation.
Uh.
You know, this thing and the shady dealings have been going on between between them and people in Washington had been going on too long.
And eventually we'll get to the bottom of it.
It'll probably our grandkids that you know, have made for TV special or something, if TV is even around then. But I just it's a crooked country and they and and people are getting fat. I get too many reports of stuff from people that are there in Ukraine telling me that the stuff what.
About the people who are starving, who are who are dying? That the civilian and death has been overwhelming, has it not?
What about this?
What about people dying in this country because we don't have the guts to preserve our own or our own board.
Well, I don't want to get into it a what about conversation with you? We're just talking about Ukraine.
No, I know that, but I'm just saying, you know, our priorities are out of whack. We we put the focus on Ukraine, and yeah, it's awful, but there's stuff going on all over the world that's awful. People are starving to death in Africa. We've got these dictators down in Central America. There's people that are that are being brutalized in Central America, Mexico for instance, on our borders.
They're they're at the wheel of the cartels.
People getting raped and murdered every day, and yet we're not doing anything about that.
But we're all the way off.
Congressman. Congressman, there's people being killed in bowling alleys just this past week. What should the response be to yet another mass shooting in the United States.
It's a mental health issue.
You've got a guy who apparently, from what I understand, got these guns.
He was a.
Reservist in our own military. There's obviously a problem there. Every The thing that ties into every one of these folks together is mental health issues. It's a mental health crisis. They could do it with a gun, they could do it with a knife, they could do it with an automobile. You remember, the one of the largest mass killings in this country, Oklahoma City, was done with ammonium nitrate fertilizer you could buy at Walmart literally, and diesel fuel and
he killed over one hundred people. And so it's just a we've got a mental health issue in this country, and until we address that, this will continue. It'll just move into another avenue. We lose more people to drunk drivers, and then we have the mass shootings. But nobody's wanting outlaw alcohol or cars.
All right, Congressmen will on the subject of things that are against the law, or at least people have been accused of breaking the law. Just yesterday, several of your colleagues from New York introduced an expulsion resolution for a Congressman, George Santos, who of course has been indicted on a number of counts. When that comes to the floor next week, would you vote to expel him?
Probably not, ma'am. It's we've got a court of law. Let's let it work.
It's it's let's let it work.
You're still innocent until proven guilty, and you can have dozens of.
Accusations you can indict.
I remember old Democrat buddy of mine, who was a very prominent lawyer in Nashville and was a state senator as well. He just tell me, said, Tim, you can indict a cheese I am in cheese sandwich, and I never really thought anything of it, but I did, you know, an indictment is just an accusation until he goes to court and is found guilty. That's then that's another issue. But indictment is.
Gus as some pretty wild accusations. Though for you is it?
Is it a process issue? Would you feel the same way if you had a wider majority.
No, I wouldn't change it one bit. It's I mean, and I'll be honest with George is my buddy. George is a friend of mine. You know, I I worry about folks.
I don't. I've lost friends to suicide and other things. And you know, and and I don't.
Wit to worry for for George Santos.
No, but I don't. You never know. You never know.
And I always said I always tell him, I say, George, you know, I tell the other guy.
I've told other members of Congress.
That both parties that have been going through indictments or troubles at home or or things. I say, you know, other kind. I'm a Christian. I'm not a very good one, but I worry about people. I worry about their soul.
Congress. I appreciate the time.
Sir I wish we had more of it.
This is bloomber Thanks for listening to the Sound On podcast.
Make sure to subscribe if you haven't already, at Apple, Spotify of anywhere else you get your podcasts, and you can find us live every weekday from Washington, d C. At one pm Eastern Time at Bloomberg dot com