Sound On: Dems IRA Victory, Cheney Faces Voters

that means a lot cheaper hearing aids. Bloomberg Sound On Politics, Policy and Perspective from DC's top Names today offers further proof that's the soul America's vibrant, the future of America's right. This is our great task and we will prevail. Bloomberg Sound On with Joe Matthew on Bloomberg Radio, Bill Gates, Larry Summers, who didn't play a role in getting this major tax energy prescription drug pricing bill across the finish line.

We're gonna talk today with Jen de Louis at Bloomberg News, who, along with the colleague, broke a big story detailing everything that happened, including Bill Gates his role in winning over Joe Mansion. I am not Bill Gates, I'm not Joe Matthew.

I'm Jack Fitzpatrick from Bloomberg Government, stepping in today hosting in Joe Matthews Stead, We're going to talk to Congressman Adrian Smith, Republican from Nebraska about what it is Republicans want to accomplish on economic policy in the next Congress or is the next Congress two years of just trying to stop President Biden. We've also got Roger Fisk, Obama administration alum over at New Day Strategy joining us, along with Bloomberg Politics contributor Rick Davis on the phone. Now

joining us as Congressman Adrian Smith, Republican from Nebraska. Congressman, I understand you are one of the top people to talk to for one reason. You're you're gunning for the top spot in the next Congress on the Ways and Means Committee. I believe I have one big broad question for someone like you as we hear of the expectations

of a Republican Congress in the eighth Congress. Uh, should we be looking for Republicans to try to just stop President Biden at every opportunity or are there fiscal economic priorities that are feasible accomplishments that Republicans can actually anticipate if they take the House. What what are you gunning for on fiscal policy in the next Congress. Well, it's always easy to just say state what the problems are,

not focus on solutions. So we really need to focus on solutions, whether we have the White House or not. I think ultimately we need to put pressure on President Biden, who claimed to be a centrist in open to Republican ideas. Let's give him that opportunity. But I think you know, when it looks to you know the barriers when it comes to the barriers of getting people back into the workforce.

We have these shortages, the workforce shortages that lead to supply chain shortages, all of these things leading to inflation. There are so many things that that we need to we can focus on. I think we literally can focus on these things to help get our economy back on track. There a proposal that you think would be realistic that Republicans and the Biden administration would potentially agree on on

getting people back into the workforce. I think so when you look at some of the federal programs that we have, these a tax pair dollars are going to places that I think a lot of reasonable people would say, hey, we can do better than that, and you know, focus on folks who need it the most, but also to get folks into a plan of returning to self sufficiency

rather than just remaining on the sidelines of our economy. Um. So, if that's an option for working together with the Biden administration, I do have to admit there's one thing in particular I'm curious about that seems like a potential standoff. There is going to be a debt limit deadline next year. Bipartisan Policy Center estimates that deadline is going to come

up around the third quarter of next calendar year. I'm curious if looking back to the debt limit standoff between Republicans who had taken Congress and the Obama administration, are we going to see Republicans use that deadline to try to demand uh some something on the economy from the Biden administration. Is at a point of leverage, well, I think it's important to realize, you know, what can we do that's reasonable and effective, that that can get us

headed in the right direction. We won't get everything we want right away. But I also think it's important that that the president understand that, you know, we we cannot just continue without making any changes whatsoever, continue in the direction of this spending that I think has been very problematic. The American people expect us to to get that under control.

But again, that won't be all that won't we won't be able to address all of that with one vote with the debt saving I think it's very important that we as legislators keep in mind that we don't want innocent people to be harmed with an impass in Washington, and Uh, you know too, I've seen it happen in the past where people who have done everything they were supposed to do to save for the future, plan for

the future that they're they're furrowing. Ky for example, would would see a decrease in value because of some bickering in Washington that I think has been avoidable in the past. Let's make sure we keep our eye and keep our focus moving forward now with strategy to to make the right reforms but also not do damage. Tis and folks, Well, that's an interesting answer. And your hesitance to uh pick huge fights that could damage the economy, I think is

that's an important topic. I'm also curious about, uh, the presumed stop gap measure that's going to be needed to fund the government as of September. I know the Freedom Caucus members in the House are are saying, extend that don't take a funding a government funding deal even in the lame duck session. What do you think about that strategy that the Freedom Caucus members are are raising, saying we should just use a stopgap measure to freeze government

funding well into next year. Well, they the continuing resolutions can be frustrating, and a lot of stakeholders offer a good reasons why we should avoid this. But I do think that the dynamics as we head into the election, you know, it makes me nervous what the far left and their priorities have been, you know, so there's there's no telling what they would put into an appropriations process

that they would have the votes for right now. But really, as we head into the November election then ultimately I hope a new majority in the House. There there are things that we need to get done that the American people also expect us to get done that are very inconsistent with what the Pelosi priorities are right now. Is the I R S. One of those areas. I understand Republicans are talking a lot about the number of the seven thousand I R S employees that they're planning to

hire under this uh just signed into law bill. Or what is the plan on the Republican side. Is there going to be a proposal to take that money back? Is there gonna be a proposal to shift priorities from enforcement to customer service? What can we look for from Republicans who I know are are not happy about the I r S provisions in this recently enacted law, right, I think we could drastically reduce the number of funds, the amount of funds going to the I r S,

but definitely start with customer service. This is a fundamental situation, you know right now, what is it? One in ten phone calls are answered at the I r S. And you know, people people, they don't want to deal with the hassles of the bureaucratic tax code and these agencies. They want to get it done. Let's let's let's allow them to do that. But we need to provide some customer service, and so I think there's some interest in that.

But ultimately, you know, the numbers being what they are, and the Democrats are trying to say if the middle class won't face more audits, it's impossible given the language of the legislation and the realities of how these agencies and breaucracies work. You know, going back to the two thousand ten levels of of audits alone, which would be inclusive, here we would see a lot, a lot of folks

in the middle class being audited. And keep in mind this this would include folks who already paid what they owed, but they would incur a huge expense to once again prove it. Right now, speaking of that bill, are you and are Republicans in any way encourage I know there's a million things in that bill that you don't like, but according to the CBO, it would their unofficial score, this would reduce the deficit by about three hundred billion

dollars over the next decade. Do you see anything positive in what we've seen in the deficit coming down from those extremely high peaks of recent years? Is there a silver lining on it from Republicans perspective on the deficit. Well, I'm open to various ideas to reduce the deficit, but I you know, they're the Democrats are claiming that adding all these auditors at the I R S we all of a sudden generate more revenue to the government. I hesitate to think that those numbers are will actually be

what is projected. So I'm I'm just hesitant in many ways to say that, you know, raising taxes and spending more money will lead to will lead to a reduction in the deficit. Right when we talk about the deficit, one I think big picture question facing Republicans is to what extent they go for the I guess Paul ryan approach of focusing on social security, focusing on medicare the big mandatory spending issues that are projected to increase UH

into the foreseeable future versus the discretionary stuff. Do you have a stance on if Republicans take control, should the focus be limiting funding for your usual government agencies or does there need to be some sort of big entitlement project. Well, when you look at the drivers of our debts and our deficits, UH, it is the mandatory side of funding the discretionary which we've had a lot of debates about

over the last several years. And I think we when we had the majority before, we actually move the need along the discretionary side, but that didn't really impact the

debt and deficits like we need to address. So the mandatory side yes, I think when you look at offering seniors within Medicare, for example, Medicare advantage and seniors having more choices, there is evidence that that actually drives down the cost of healthcare, so we so I think I see this as an opportunity for the feature to employ more of these concepts across Medicare, so that seniors have choices, the care is available, providers feel like they've they their

perspective is valued, and can engage in this process rather than just a standard fee for service that I know the Democrats want everyone to receive healthcare through the standard fee for service. That I don't think they would like to result for that right in our last twenty seconds,

Are you touching a political third rail by saying that? Though? Well, I mean when you look at the popularity of Medicare advantage among the seniors who haven't, I think it's a great example where choices for individuals lead to cost savings and consumers in general are better served by that, especially as relates the future of our country in a fiscal manner. Thank you so much, Congressman. As Congressman Adrian Smith, Republican of Nebraska, on a wide variety of economic issues and

where the Republican Party stands on them. We're gonna go to the panel next Roger Fisk and Rick Davis, and of course we're talking later to Jen de Louis about that big story on Bill Gates's in this major bill. I'm Jack Fitzpatrick. This is Bloomberg. You're listening to Bloomberg Sound On on Bloomberg Radio. Republicans are not fans of the I R S components of this major tax, energy and drug pricing bill the President Biden just signed into law about four pm today. You heard it from Congressman

Adrian Smith. I'm Jack Fitzpatrick from Bloomberg Government, stepping in today for Joe Matthew. Let's bring in the panel today. We've got Roger Fisk, the Obama campaign and administration alum who's at the president of New Day Strategy. And of course we've got Rick Davis, Bloomberg Politics contributor. Guys, happy to have you on. I wanna go back to a couple of points that Congressman Smith made. He stands out

as I think a pretty level headed person. He does not want Republicans to pick a major fight over the debt limit next year, even if they win control of the House and or Senate. Uh. That seems to be a difference that he has with some maybe Freedom Caucus members, in a difference compared to if you look at the Obama years. I'm curious how much of a redux of the Obama versus the Freedom Caucus fights we can expect

from President Biden if Republicans do have a big year. Uh. Roger, I'm curious what you make of of that answer and what we should expect if Republicans do win the House and or Senate. How much of a showdown should we be expecting on economic issues and how explosive does it get on something like the debt limit. Well, first off, Jack, thank you so much for having me, and I love being on with Rick, and congratulations on a very level headed,

to use your term, conversation with Congressman Smith. I found myself somewhat nostalgic for the late nineties and the early os when I was just a shiny, optimistic Senate staffer, and I never would have thought back then, during Clinton impeachment and things like that, that that would be somewhat of a collegial time in in on the Hill compared to where we are now. But first off, it's use the word if. It is it is increasingly every day it's becoming more of an if that the Republicans will

take especially at the House. I think there their chances of taking the Senate are are fading actually quite quickly. Um. But you know, you don't need to look any further than what they're already saying, UM in terms of the confrontational approach that they're going to take to the to President Biden, and then as we all know, the dead ceiling and things like that, are are very almost ritualistic

in their posturing and things like that. So that's a long way of saying, yes, we can expect that, and I think we can expect it with an extra dose of hot sauce on it, should the Republicans take control of especially the House. That that is not a terribly surprising answer, And I think it's fair to put this in perspective that Congressman Smith, I think sort of stands apart as I said that that's the the very calm,

cool and collected Republicans stance. There are other members calling for for bigger fights, even sooner than the dead limit deadline next year, as soon as September thirty, the government funding measure. Rick, I'm curious what you make when somebody like Congressman Smith says, Look, the reality is we have to talk about mandatory spending. The two big parts of mandatory spending or Social Security and Medicare. The congressman did not think that he was seeing something terribly unpopular on

the point you made about Medicare advantage. But do you how much political risk do you see if Republicans go back to really focusing on calling for those mandatory spending cuts. Rick, Yeah, I think that'll be a really incredible fight. Um. You know, the public has been sort of muted with this sense that there's had an unlimited supply of healthcare dollars coming out of Washington, whether it's been for these entitlements or

for battling COVID. When you look at the trillions dollars that have passed through in the last few years a round healthcare, UH, starting really with the Obamacare legislation. It's just something that people have gotten used to having. Right now. This is a a situation where, realistically, I think UH, level headed guys like Roger are like uh Adrian Smith the UH I had to say levelheaded because everyone else has today, UM really wants to dial back some of this.

We can't let government completely be taken over by entitlement spending. But UM finding a counterparty, finding other people within his own party to have a serious conversation. It's going to be increasingly difficult as we get to the elections, and and then the outcome, as Roger says, will determine whether or not he's looking for partners in the majority of

the minority. Right Another, I guess more immediate point on healthcare, On the cost of healthcare, Uh, pretty big news today, the FDA decided to allow hearing aids to be sold over the counter without a prescription. Brian Deese, the direct to the National Economic Council, discussed this today on Bloomberg TV on Balance of Power. Here's here here's what he

had to say about that announcement. Starting this fall, you're gonna be able to go into a pharmacy and by hearing aids over the counter, that means a lot cheaper hearing aids. You could see hearing aids for a pair of those hearing rates come down on average by almost three thousand dollars a pair. Roger I I'm curious. I almost see this as you know Democrats saying we have

had our major legislative victories. Now, uh, there were members who wanted hearing aids and vision and dental to be covered under Medicare as part of that major bill that got pulled out. Is this a strategy of agencies and executive orders trying to fill in the gaps on other key priorities. What do you make of this? Uh, this news today on hearing aids, It's it's great news. I think more hearing means more, you know, communication, and ideally

more communications means more understanding. Had had this been generated in a vacuum, or at least within just the confines of the Biden administration, I would get the premise of your question. But I'm inspired by Congressman Smith, So let me see if I can, if I can try to match his tone. The f d A M allowing this to happen actually came about from legislation filed by Senator Warren and grass Lely, So first take a second to

think about that, and then signed by President Trump. So, um, it actually predates the Biden administration, and I think it's just it came along at a at a good time, But to to leap ahead to talk about Medicare party or advantage, which was started under the Bush administration. So much of our healthcare costs are kind of these archaic barriers.

Uh that, for example, in the hearing aid thing didn't allow people to get them without a prescription, and in the Medicare party context wouldn't allow the federal government to negotiate bulk purchases. So clearing the decks of these things is a good thing. Right. Coming up, We're gonna talk to Jen de Louis Bloomberg News about this fascinating story on Bill Gates's role in that bill passing. This is Bloomberg really interesting story on the Bloomberg terminal today titled

Bill Gates Quietly campaigned to save Biden's Climate Bill. That's by Ox Shot Rothy and Jennifer aid Louis. Uh, Bill Gates isn't even the beginning and end of the story. It's a really interesting mix of characters. Gates, Larry Summers, people from the National Wildlife Federation, economists from the University

of Chicago, etcetera. For more, we're bringing in Jenda Louis, who helped write that piece and first let's actually play a clip of what Bill Gates had to say about how this all came together in an interview with ox shot Rothy. Here's Bill Gates and maintaining that dialogue, including them the last month where people felt like, Okay, we tried,

we're gone. It failed, and you know, because so I believed it was a unique opportunity my trying to bridge the communication gap and encourage people to make one more effort because of the relationship we built up over time, you know, we were able to talk even at a time when he felt people weren't listening. You know, I wouldn't have wanted to be in his position. So Jen, very happy to have you on. This is a really

interesting story. The first question I have when I hear comments like that, uh Bill Gates saying it sounds like he he was almost trying to give people a pep talk, saying don't give up yet. I'm curious what exactly did Joe Mansion need to hear to keep these talks going. Was it encouragement? Was it something from economists saying this will be disinflationary? Was where where people twisting his elbow?

Was it the carrot or the stick what needed to happen and did happen when all of these other characters got involved and tried to communicate between people like Chuck Schumer and Joe Mansion. Right, Well, it's really, uh really in those final days after July fourteenth, when Mansion essentially slammed the brakes on what would become the Inflation Reduction Act, there were a lot of there was a lot of encouragement going toward a lot of folks and and and

that includes to Senator Schumer. Um. But but obviously huge pressure and and uh conversations were being had and mounted on uh Senator Mansion. Uh. He he felt uh both a great deal of rage uh from from colleagues and from many activists who felt like, you know, the rug has been pulled out from them, U beneath them on this bill. Uh. You know, one of his colleagues mused that he shouldn't necessarily have his gabble as the head

of the Energy Committee anymore. Um. So he had that pressure at the same time that he was hearing from a lot of advocates who have been working with him for eighteen months, uh, you know, trying to to to help him understand that the value you of of such a swooping bill to West Virginia where you know coal miners, Uh, you know, a source of income and source of vitality and jobs is diminishing. Uh. And and he'd be able

to talk with those folks. We saw a real effort by UH Colin O'Mara at the National Wildlife Federation and by fellow senators including Senator Chris Coons to get economists in front of Joe Manchin to to really walk through his inflation concerns and and talk to him about how the bill would actually have a deplationary impact. All of this was in the final week and a half, really UH to to get him to a place where he could support in the Indeed, and failed this legislation with

Chuck Schumer. Right, So is it that bad? The I? I look, I don't mean to be negative when they just had this major victory and it's signed into law. But is the working relationship between Chuck Schumer and Joe Manchin so negative that then they need the marriage counselor of Bill Gates and and Chris Coon's needs to get Larry Summers to talk to Joe man And why was it more effective to have these other middlemen rather than

negotiations directly among senators yielding the results. You know, great question. You know clearly Uh. Senator Mansion and Senator Schumers spent a great deal of time together working up this legislation. Mansions described it, you know kind of uh, some very heated moments between the two of them, uh and uh where Schumer could speak eloquently perhaps about certain elements of

the bill. But Mansion, what was clearly going to um confirm more authority on the voice of economists such as you know, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, one of the folks who was an emissary talking to him during this two week period. Um. Uh. Clearly there were other outside voices who could be dispositive in a way that senators uh, some of his colleagues just couldn't be. And that includes

real voices from on the ground in West Virginia. You know, the head of a solar uh company, the head of a steel company, both were involved. You also had miners in his state, mining interests and labor interests coming to him and saying, look, we really need the worker protections in this bill. We need the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund funded through this bill, so that all really was important, and those were voices and arguments he wasn't going to

hear just from Majority Leader Schumer. So would it have happened without Bill Gates stepping in. I'm curious if there was any other way. Uh. You know, I think Bill Gates is UH is maybe an example of all of the voices and the UH folks who intervened here, without

which this probably would not have happened. So, you know, maybe you could take one or two of them out of the equation, But it was the cumulative effect of so many important and powerful stakeholders talking to Mansion, having trust both ways with him, and really persistently and doggedly working on this over the last year and a half.

I have been curious throughout all of these negotiations how much of the Mansion focus was really entirely about Mansion, or if maybe he at sometimes was saying no to things on behalf of other senators who might not have wanted all the tax measures. What have we learned about how pivotal Joe Mansion singularly was in these negotiations. You know, I think I think it's hard to to diminish the incredible role of that he played in in negotiating this

final legislation. Clearly other senators, including Cinema, had concerns with aspects of this bill. And I think we're still going to learn all the great deal more about the way this came together. I think, you know, books are going to be written about this, and we're gonna learn a great deal more about the last two years of negotiations. Uh, you know. But clearly he wasn't alone in having some of these concerns, and at times he just happened to

be the lightning rod attracting the most attention. Okay, so before we go, is there books we read? Are is it going to be your book? Are you writing it? I'm looking forward to reading them. That Well, we'll go to the panel next Roger Fisk and Rick Davis. I'm Jack Fitzpatrick. This is Bloomberg. You're listening to Bloomberg sound on on Bloomberg Radio. Pat Sippoloni, the former White House Council and his deputy from the Trump administration, both interviewed

by the FBI. This is in the investigation into documents that were stored at marl Lago, the Florida, a state of former President Donald Trump, some of which some of those documents were marked top secret with the highest level of the s c I clearance. So I want to discuss this before we get into all the elections today with the panel, let's bring in Roger Fisk and Obama alum, Obama Administration alum, who's president of New Day Strategy, as

well as Bloomberg Politics contributor Rick Davis. Guys, it just seems to be a daily drip, drip drip. We were talking about how we could practically guarantee there'd be some sort of Trump legal news that drops during the show. This came, uh, this was published by ABC News just

a few minutes ago. Uh. My initial reaction is Pat Sippolloni when the January six stuff came up in the January six committee, he was somebody who pointed who pushed against what he considered the errand voter fraud claims by h former President Trump. Rick, would you imagine that as it relates to the storage of top secret documents, Sippoloni must have uh pushed back against this or what is the significance do you think? Uh? In terms of the interview,

Pat Sippoloni and Pat Philbin both interviewed by the FBI. Yeah. I think it's a really fascinating report because it indicates what we really don't know about this investigation. I mean, this investigation really came into the public, uh eyes during one of our earlier shows, um, you know, during the

search of mar Lago. And and since then we've been getting a drip drip trip of information about you know, potential grand juries and what the Affidavid says and and and we've just been learning in real time what the impact of this is going to be. I I gotta believe that everything we've seen of of pet Siboloni as that he's been a cautious and and concerned counsel in the White House who had the responsibility for the transition of these documents to the archives. And he probably did

everything he thought was in his abilities to do. And uh, it'll be fascinating to learn someday if we can whether or not he even knew that these documents were taken out of the White House and and and asconced down in mar Lago. So I gotta believe his side of this story is going to be probably vanilla. This is how we handled at the White House and then there was a whole another side of the story, which is what Donald Trump did in his last minute packing and

and and scarring off to Florida. Yeah. You you wonder this seems like such a serious issue that they're investigating. There must have been numerous failures or maybe one person, the former president, putting some stuff in a bag on his way out. I don't know, that's what That's what I do when I move. I I don't know what

ends up in what box. Um uh. Let's talk elections, and I think we've got to start of all the elections that are happening today, some really interesting primaries in a special election, We've got to start with Congresswoman Liz Cheney and her reelection. The polls that have come out do not look good. She faces Harriet Hageman, who is the Trump anointed challenger in the Republican race for the

Republican nomination in Wyoming. Let's play some sound from Liz Cheney's ad, her latest ad, just to get a sense of exactly what she's campaigning on. Here's Congresswoman Cheney's latest ad. No matter how long we must fight, this is a battle we will win. Millions of Americans across our nation, Republicans, Democrats, independents stand united in the cause of freedom. We are stronger, more dedicated, and more determined than those trying to destroy

our republic. This is our great task and we will prevail. I hope you will join me in this fight. So you usually don't hear a member of Congress doing a campaign ad in their Republican primary calling on Republicans, Democrats, and independence in this valiant effort. But there is the idea that maybe Democrats and independence will register and vote in this, uh, this Republican primary. H Roger, What are the chances of not Republicans but Democrats and Independence saving

Liz Cheney in this primary? Well, I think her problem is just mathematical, right. I don't think there's enough Democrats and why aming to do that. Um. But but it is interesting and and you know what I might take away from it is you can kind of see and hear her look past uh this election. You know, to to to weave together some of our thematic strands here and to build on on your discussion with Congressman Smith and how I mentioned he was a little bit of

a welcomed throwback. I remember in the Clinton impeachment. How you know, these these very lofty speeches about how you can't lie, and the GOP's message to President Clinton was you can't lie. And now the GOP's message to Liz Cheney Cheney is you must lie. You must embrace this, this big lie about and that's extremely troubling. And I think she looks at that and she realizes she might have a lane to not necessarily win national office, but certainly play some kind of a torpedo role. And I

think she would really enjoy playing it. Yet not necessarily about winning, is my takeaway here. Using the phrase destroy our republic, it seems like she's going for something bigger and broader than re election. Rick, It's I guess it's one question to say, does she know she's gonna lose and she wants to make a stand anyway, But also is there something else she's gunning for. Is it going to be a superpack that she sets up or a nonprofit or does she run for president or I mean,

what what is she preparing for? Well, I think the first thing that you've pointed out, Jack, is that she hasn't actually been running for re election. She hasn't been talking to the people of Wyoming about inflation and and the rampants spending in Congress and the impact is going to have on their taxes. And I mean these would be normal things that a typical House member would would say to their state in this case, Uh, and she

hasn't done that. She from the very get go said my reelection is going to be all about Donald Trump and keeping him from ever being in the Oval office again. And and she's stuck true to that every ad she's produced, even with her father. Uh, it's all been about Donald Trump. And so she's effectively used this platform uh to basically say, Look, I know I'm probably not gonna win reelection probably uh

don't even want to try. I'm gonna try and defeat Donald Trump and any any ambitions he has in the future. And I have absolutely no doubt. We should watch her speech um tonight, UH if we're can stay up that late and and and see what she says, because I think, like what Roger was saying, listen to what she says. She will give us an idea. Even though she won't lay out in full form what she's gonna do next, she will give us an idea. Uh. And My guess is that idea is she's going to continue the fight

that she's waging against Donald Trump. However, it manifests itself. Uh. Yeah, look Western, that's a Western time zone in Wyoming, So if you're planning to stay up late for the results. Although on the other hand, this seems like a race they may uh, they may call early if if we're all correct and the polling is correct, that it's not going to be a terribly close race. It'll be interesting to see if she gives a concession speech that is

not conceding the broader point. A couple other interesting races to talk about today. Uh. One, you see the Sarah Palin race. The possibility of Sarah Palin winning the house race. It's a bit convoluted because this is for Don Young's see the late Don Young who died earlier this year. This is a special election. She will also be running for the full term. And if it's not confusing enough that she's kind of running twice at once. Uh. This

is Alaska's new system of ranked choice voting. UH. For one, I I'm wondering how long we have to wait for the results because of of ranked choice voting. UH. And we don't necessarily know who the favorite is. Palin uh faces uh. She she beat Nick Beget in the Republican

primary in this special election. Roger one, what are your expectations for the possibility of Congresswoman Sarah Palin And to A, I write in thinking that even though the votes are cast and there is starting to count tonight, it could be a while before we know what happens in that race. Yeah,

I think that. I think that's accurate. And then to speak to her chances, I mean, somebody always beats nobody for the most part, although there's some exceptions, Eric Canter losing, you know, while he was a majority whip and things

like that. But I think she comes into it with a with an incredible name recognition and and a brand, and that brand, probably in the Alaskan context, probably has a decent amount of momentum behind it because of this this perception that the that the Republicans are on the march, even though as I mentioned earlier, I think that's less and less true every day. But I would I would imagine she's feeling pretty good. So regardless of whether they

end up in the majority or the minority. Rick, where does Sarah Palin fit into the House Republican Conference if she wins today's House Republican Conference, and what does it say about how that conference operates in the next Congress,

if Sarah Palin is part of it. Yeah, that'll be an interesting question if she gets through this process, both now and in the final vote for the next term, and and and I think she might find herself actually less conservative or less i would say, uh, extreme than a lot of the caucus that's uh that's going to show up there after this election, because there will be a lot of new members in the House Caucus and and and they're likely to be very big Trump uh supporters,

and and probably much more along the lines of conspiracy theorists. Then she's been um not to diminish her her her move to the right, uh since she was on the ticket with John McCain. But um, the reality is a lot of these people believe things that that that Sarah Palin probably is going to have to really question whether or not she wants to be a part of that class. And Rick, I'm curious, especially as a former John McCain guy, uh, Lisa Murkowski, what are the expectations for her primary I

think that's another big one to look forward to tonight. Well, she is the ultimate survivor, right, I Mean, she's arguably out of step with the Republicans in Alaska, but she seems to do really well with everybody else. So my my guess is she'll survive another near death experience politically, another one that's tough to predict in this strange new system of Alaska races. Thanks again to our guests, including Congressman Adrian Smith, Jinda Lewis, and the panel. I'm Jack Fitzpatrick.

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