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It's so much happening every day. Now the lawmakers are back, we start with the matter of impeachment. That's been all the talk this morning, as Kevin McCarthy emerged once again to defend his decision to as we told you around this time yesterday, launched an impeachment inquiry into President Biden. It's not only questions about where is the evidence, whether this is appropriate right now, how it's going to be done,
but also without a vote. This is something that of course Speaker McCarthy criticized Nancy Pelosi for heavily back in twenty fourteen when she did the very same thing, and he tried to explain his rationale earlier.
Today, Let's listen, Nancy Pelosi changed the president of this House, and that was this does a preclude from it.
Nancy Pelosi changed the president of.
This House on September twenty fourth.
It was withheld and good enough for.
Every single Democrat here.
It was good enough for the judge.
Why do you would it have to be different today? Okay, September twenty fourth, this is exactly what he said on that day back in twenty nineteen.
Our job is to legislate, not to continue to investigate something in the back when you cannot find any reason to impeach this president. She cannot unilaterally decide we're in an impeachment inquiry.
So it's kind of hard to rationalize these two at the moment. Then there's the question of evidence. James Comer and other leaders in the Republican Party held forth earlier today in a briefing to try to make the point that they had the goods though it's been difficult to connect the dots here, and they will be holding a hearing. According to Comber, where he chairs the Oversight Committee this month.
We plan on having a hearing in September that will kind of evaluate some of the things that we believe have happened from the Biden family that are in violation with our law. So what I said in January holds true to today. We are following the money and we will see where that leads.
To following the money, and not every Republican believes that there is a case here. Ken Buck remains a thorn in everyone's side on all this. The Republicans spoke about it on CNA.
I have not seen any of it in some links President Biden to Hunter Biden's activities. At this point, I will be getting a briefing later in the week. I'm looking forward to understanding more of what the Oversight Committee has uncovered, but at this point I have not seen that evidence.
All the while, at least de fon It called it the biggest corruption scandal she thinks in the history of the nation. This is where we begin, of all places, with Stephanie Murphy, I didn't think this is what we'd be talking about today. The former congresswoman from Florida is with us, of course, a former member of the January sixth Committee. It's great to have you back in Washington and at the table here. Thanks for joining us on sound On. This is not the only issue I want
to talk to you about. But you, of course served through the two impeachments of Donald Trump. You remember that back in September of twenty nineteen, when Speaker McCarthy laid out that rationale does Nancy Pelosi deserve the blame for this.
You know, I think we should all brace ourselves for a lot of hypocrisy in the days coming forward, where positions were held when the other side was using techniques that they now employed today and aren't critical of that. And I think the impeachment inquiry without a vote is one situation. McCarthy clearly is doing it because he doesn't have the votes to take it to the floor to
get it passed. It's a four vote margin for him, and so this is a way for him to theoretically protect his vulnerable members, the eighteen who are in Biden one districts. But once you open this impeachment can of worms, you're not gonna be able to put it back. And inevitably this is likely to lead to an impeachment and he won't be able to protect his members from that vote. And so it's just an interesting play to see how it'll play out.
Well, that's the truth. I mean, an election year, he's going to put at least eighteen people in the line of fire because of that vote. To your point, right, Republicans who won in Biden districts, if we can call them, that could be in great peril.
Yeah, and I think those Republicans are more moderate Republicans. They want to be focused on the economy. That is actually a political point that they could win on because the American people, based on the polling, are pretty unhappy with the Biden administration on its handling of the economy, and they want to be talking about the economy where the Republicans have a strength, and instead all of the error in the room is going to be sucked out by the impeachment proceedings.
Well, so let's try to read between the lines here a little bit. You know how this body works more
than most people. It's been suggested that this might actually help the keep the government open, that members of the Freedom Caucus wouldn't vote for a continuing resolution, or from what I'm hearing, they still won't unless they got the impeachment and where Marjorie Taylor Green wanted to connect the two at one point, it's been suggested that the speakers concerned about a motion to vacate he might get fired if he doesn't launch an impeachment inquiry? Is it all of the above?
You know this Congress, It really has seemed that Speaker McCarthy is playing by live to fight another day. So he handles each crisis in that moment, buys himself some space, hoping that the dynamics change by the time the next decision has to be made, right, and so, you know they should be focused on funding the government, but you know they've decided to open this impeachment inquiry. Does it
change some dynamics in his caucus? Maybe, But when you don't link to things in legislatively, there's no guarantee that you've bought anybody's vote for it. You know, because he did this doesn't mean that the far right is suddenly going to support funding the government.
Sure, yeah, you know what it's like to investigate something. In fact that it was I believe, the largest investigation in the history of the Congress January sixth Committee. We're about to see the over side Committee, Ways and Means and Judiciary embark upon this. The Department of Justice is already, of course investigating Hunter Biden. There's a special council there. Can they match the work of the DOJ what's about to happen internally with an investigation like this launching well?
I also served on the Ways and Means Committee, where we use Section sixty one oh three to get the president's of the former president's tax records, which I expect to see the ways and means Committee do this time as well. But I think there are limits to the investigative ability of Congress because a lot of folks on when we asked them to pure before January six chose
not to. Although with Peter Navarro being convicted of contempt of Congress, maybe that changes people's minds and they'll be more willing to cooperate with do OJ When they issue it's not a request, you know, and they have the full force of the law behind them and are able to secure information and testimony in a way that we didn't always see with Congress.
Did you hear from the Special Council as a committee member, to what extent was there ever cooperation or was that a black box for you across the street. You didn't know what was happening inside.
It was a black box, and at times, very frustratingly a black box because initially they were just prosecuting the low level participants in the January sixth insurrection, and so as a member of the January sixth elect Comantee, I wondered when were they going to get to the people who masterminded all of.
This to that end, And I want to ask you more about shut down politics here because you can probably shed some light on what's about to happen. But what went through your head when you saw the list of the indictments roll out in Georgia, followed on that unsealed recommendation by the Special Brand jury that brought in names like Ruy Giuliani, Michael Flynn. You must have had flashbacks from your own investigation.
You know.
I wasn't surprised to see those folks named. But I want to remind the American people that it wasn't a prosecutor who did this. This was a grand jury of American citizens, average Americans who did their jury duty, who saw the evidence presented to them and thought that there was enough evidence to move forward. And they're the ones that handed down that indictment.
Should Rudy Giuliani have been included in those indicted, you.
Know, I am always let the legal system make the decisions that they think they can support beyond a reasonable doubt, And you never know who's cooperating in the background and what kinds of inside deals are going on there.
Oh true, As we spend some time with Stephanie Murphy, the former congresswoman from Florida. If you were still in the building, what would you be preparing for here? It looks like there might be a stopgap solution. Budgets hawks, though, seem to be off the rails unless something major changes here, not only between the House and the Senate, but between Republicans in the House. Democrats don't have a lot of power over what's about to happen. Right, do you think that we'll avoid a shutdown?
It looks like we're barreling headlong into a shutdown. And I think if I were still a member, I'd be preparing for some long nights and maybe weekends in Washington. As shutdowns happen, they try to They usually try to time the shutdown for like a Friday, and then use the weekend to negotiate through it so that the impact is muted on the federal government and federal workers, and hopefully by Monday morning you have a solution. But we are dealing with people who don't believe in government, the
far right. A shutdown isn't a bad thing for them. That's actually what they members are calling for calling for. So I think this could be a protracted standoff.
Goldman Sachs says, two to three weeks for a possible shutdown. Is that real in your view?
Because we have they have defanged the shutdown, so it isn't you know, it's viticating, not a total shutdown. It allows shutdowns to drag on for a little bit longer, and so I think buckle up. This fall is going to be an interesting one.
Well, it's an interesting world we're in when we consider depriving members of the military their paychecks. And I realized those would be restored after the fact, But that's happening at the same time as a loan senator from Alabama conducts this blockade on military promotions. Senator Tommy Tubberville, in fact, joined us yesterday here on Bloomberg on Balance of Power.
On Bloomberg TV. I asked him about readiness. You used to work for the Department of Defense, and you have a sense of what we're talking about here more than those of us who have not served. Here's what the senator said, and I'll be curious to have you respond.
They have no clue of what this policy is. They just wanted to change it to let the American people know, Hey, we can do what we want to, and I'm not going to allow him to do it. Now. If they continue to do it, we're going to have the same people in place as admirals and generals. Again, there's no readiness problem. We got people in place that are doing their jobs.
His point is that if this continues, and by the way, we're at nine months or something at this point, military families and temporary housing waiting for confirmations. We don't know when, but he says, hey, we've already got good generals and officers in place. What's the difference if they hang on a little longer. How does this impact readiness in your viewer? Doesn't it?
I think it impacts not only readiness, but morale in leadership within the Department of Defense and within the military broadly. And it's actually really ironic that the party who wraps itself in the flag and in the military is the one that is harming military families and the US military's readiness at a time when our adversaries are challenging our leadership in the world. You know, one of the first areas that gets cut is training, and that goes directly
to readiness. We don't let our pilots, you know, fly, they don't use live ammunitions and training. Those are ways and which the military can reduce its spending. And it goes right to the readiness piece. But on the leadership piece, the Joint Chief of Staff, he has a deadline where he cannot continue to serve. And so we're going to let our military go without a military leader because one senator wants to be obstructionist.
We're going to speak a little bit later in the broadcast with Michael McCall, one of your former Republican colleagues, chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He called this paralyzing to our military. Is it going to take more Republicans like Michael McCall to bring this to an end? What's the off ramp here for Tommy Tuberville.
I think the Senate Republicans own this one. And Mike's a great guy, and I'm glad to hear him using his voice. He's reasonable, he understands the debilitating nature of what is happening, and he cares about the military and the families, and so I'm glad that hear him speaking out. But Senate Republicans need to make life very uncomfortable for the senator who's holding up all of these confirmations.
Should the White House or should the Administration threaten federal funding for programs in Alabama? How do you make them uncomfortable?
Well, I don't think that we should weaponize government because you're just really punishing people who live in Alabama if you were to threaten that. But you know, his senate colleagues need to put pressure on him, find out what it is that he needs and give him half of that half of a loaf and then move on. But this is playing with our national security and it's hurting the very people who have stepped up and decided to serve this country.
Well, one thing we know is he's not getting space commands in Alabama. Maybe that's the beginning of the pressure. Right. I'm so glad you could come to see us whenever you're in Washington. I hope you will do that very thing. Stephanie Murphy, thanks for talking with us. As always, great to hear on Blomberg Radio and on YouTube. I'm Joe Matthew and Washington. Thanks again to the former congresswoman and a fascinating conversation that will bring to our panel next.
Rick Davis and gd Shanzano only here on sound On. This is Bloomberg.
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As we find the headline on the terminal, GOP hardliners stall military funding, raising shutdown risk, and we add the voice now of Michael McCall, the Congressman from Texas who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Congressman, it's great to have you with us on Bloomberg. Thanks for coming back, and now that we're getting back into the swing of things here in Washington, indeed, we'd like to ask you
about a few issues. But with regard to this latest development here, did that make a government shutdown more likely?
Well, as I understand if the rule has been postponed, I think they're working out details with the Defense of Corporations Bill, so not try to read too much into that. I'm still hopeful that we will have, you know, a rule vote this evening and move forward with the defensive Corporations bill, you know, possibly as early as tomorrow. So I don't see that shutdown as imminent as maybe you're indicating. You know, frankly, I'm not a big fan of shut down.
I've never seen a shut down work very well, especially for my party. Republicans always tend to lose when the government shut down. So I think the American people want us to govern and they want us to get things done. I think the Speaker is trying to do that, and it's, as you noted, very difficult under the circumstances. But you know, he's always been underestimated every time, and he seems to be able to pull, you know, a rabbit out of a hat, you know, in prior legislation that we've had.
So I still remain optimistic.
Comes And what we're talking about here is that hardline House Republicans didn't even vote to allow defense spending to be baited. This is in the House. In the Senate, we still have Senator Tommy Tuberville holding up more than three hundred military nominations. What do you say to American people who look at both the House and the Senate and say, the Republican Party is potentially hurting the US preparedness, military preparedness, and it can cause national security concerns.
I share those concerns and I voice those on CNN Stay of the Union on Sunday. But you know, I think it's important to put into context the Biden administration for the first time used taxpayer dollars to fund this abortions within the military. That's never been done on the National Defense Authorization that in fact, we cured that in the House with our NBA bill that will be conference with the Senate. So my whole point was that I don't think one senator blocking all these nominations is really
the more productive route. I think the best route is to deal with this in the conference committee that we will have House and Senate to ensure that taxpayer dollars not being used for abortions in the military. I think holding up these nominations. I've talked to a lot of you know, brass at the Pentagon, and what I just worry about is that it will impact our national security.
There's a debate about that, but I don't see how you can have all these openings unfilled without having some impact on the ability of the military to be ready.
We were actually joined around this time yesterday by Senator Tommy Tubberville himself. He made the case to us that this does not impact readiness, that the rank and file will be just fine, and we have too many generals anyway, you've called this paralyzing to the military, Congressman, what message does it send to China?
Well, if we don't have top key positions in the Pentagon filled, I think it's a sign of weakness. I think it projects weakness, and that's always very dangerous and invites aggression. I know that Schumer does have the ability to put these nominees forward, and I would hope they can come to a consensus over there, But just holding up these nominations ad infinotum, I think is dangerous. It's
well intentioned. I think he and I both agree that being center of Tuberville and I both agree that taxpayer dollars should not be used for abortions in the military. We fix that in the House. We're going to conference with the Senate, and I feel very confident that that will be not be a part of the final package. But you know, it's all about the method and how
you want to achieve the same goal. And I think holding up these nominees in key positions at the Pentagon does not send a very good message.
When you look at when you look at China, we have to ask you what you make of Huawei coming out with this phone that looks like they use technology, the exact technology that they're export controls on China and Chinese companies CSM I see and also Huawei both on the entities list to make sure that China actually doesn't have these capabilities yet a phone arrives. Do you think the export controls that are on China right now are working?
They're not being enforced. Schmick has American component parts. This seven nanometer chip is a very advanced chip, and it's now in Huawei's five G smartphone. This is very disturbing in a major violation of our export control laws. I sent a letter today to Secretary Romando, and I have jurisdiction over BIS, which is a Bureau of Industry and Security in charge of export control because this was not enforced and now they've got this very advanced technology seven nanimeter chip.
Yep.
You know, when you look at the hypersonic program that was built on the back going of American technology when it comes to the seven NANIMETERI chip, and you look at the like AI and the future of warfare which will involve this kind of semiconductor chip. That is what is most disturbing to me is that now China they're they're very good. They don't really invent things, they're very good at stealing our technology. And this is another good example.
And you know the timing, Amory, this is announced the day that Secretory Tormando left Beijing with a real slap in the face that hey, now we got your technology, we got your most advanced semi conductor chip. We got to stop doing this. We've got to stop selling to China our most advanced technology that they then turn that will turn and use against us if God forbid, we have a conflict in the Pacific.
Well, so the Congressman, is your committee working up sanctions on SMIC or should we be talking about a total severing, a total cut off of our technological relationship with China at this point?
No, we can't cut all trade, but I would argue that with respect to certain sectors. Yeah, like the advanced semiconductor chips like AI, like quantum computing. This is something I've talked to the Commerce Department about making it more rather than companies specific, because China will change the name of the companies. But if you make it sector specific,
to me, that's a better way to handle this. That way, all exports regarding ai cannot be export to China, all exports regarding quantum and advanced semi conductor of chips, and that way you deal with it in a very I think a blot, you know, broader blanket that I think
would apply. And we're gonna have commerce with China. They're a big market for the United States and we buy a lot from them, but when it comes to national security supply chain like semiconductors like critical minerals, rare minerals, and medical, we need to start pulling that supply chain out. The reason I introduced the Chips for America Act and got it passed was Secretary Pompeo came to me and so we got to pull supply chain out of Taiwan.
Because TSMC controls ninety percent of the advanced semi connector manufacturing for the world. So imagine the scenario where China invades Taiwan with a blockade and cutting the sea cable. Then they either own or break ninety percent of the world's advanced semi connector chip manufacturing.
When you look at what happened this week, we saw Kim jongoon make his way to Russia to meet with President Putin. The individual who could probably put the pressure on both those two leaders those dictators would be Shijingping. Do you think it's wise the administration still seeks a meeting with Hijingping to try to make sure at least they're putting pressure on Beijing to then put more of a pressure on both its neighbors in Russia and in North Korea.
Look, I think it's it's always good to have meetings and have conversations, but you don't concede certain things that I think, you know, we saw like a certain export controls were pulled back prior to these meetings. You don't you don't make concessions before just to have a meeting in and of itself.
Uh.
You have to negotiate out of strength and leverage, not out of weakness. And that's my concern about, you know, the meanings that took place. I don't think China's gonna ever talk Kim John neum down because you know, Chairman Chi is a direct ally of Putin. I mean they made this unholy alliance at the Beijing Olympics just weeks before the invasion into Ukraine, and the idea that they're not joined at the hip is absolutely false. I mean this is an alliance of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.
North Korea is gonna start putting their stuff in the Iran's already putting their drones into Ukraine. We're even seeing you know, Mercy Mary's from Cuba, you know, going into Russia and into the Ukraine fight. So this is really playing out very dramatically between these dictators and the rest of the free world. And that's really what's at stake right now.
These are dangerous times and we're glad to have you with us, mister Chairman Michael McCall. Thanks to you, Congressman from Texas to cherish the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Don't be a stranger. We'd like to stay in touch with you on these issues.
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The headline on the terminal Republicans kickoff Biden impeachment push on uncertain grounds. It gets to the fact that the votes, well, they may not be there. And that's maybe why Speaker McCarthy is launching an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden without calling a vote, knowing that he he demonized Nancy Pelosi for doing the very SAE thing back in twenty fourteen, and here we are again. I guess that was twenty nineteen.
Forgive me the twenty fourth of September, as he reminded us today, and this is what he said at that moment.
Our job is to legislate, not to continue to investigate something in the back when you cannot find any reason to impeach this president. She cannot unilaterally decide we're in an impeachment inquiry.
But there could be some other issues here. The call is coming from inside the House. Look no further than Matt Gates, the congressman from Florida, who took to the floor of the House yesterday to express his great disappointment in mister Speaker. Impeachment inquiry or not.
No continuing resolutions, individual spending bills or bust votes on balanced budgets, and term limits, subpoenas for Hunter Biden and the members of the Biden family who've been grifting off of this country, and the impeachment for Joe Biden that he so richly deserves. Do these things or face a motion to vacate the chair.
Motion to vacate none if Marjorie Taylor Green has anything to say about it, though, the congresswoman from Georgia talking about it on Newsmax, laying it down for Eric Bowling last night.
I think that we need to give Kevin McCarthy credit. He's doing the right thing and he's actually leading the House and opening the impeachment inquiry that I've been demanding, Eric, and I'm thrilled about it, and I really want this to happen, and I don't want anyone to stop it. And so that's why I've been saying, we don't need a motion to vacate. We don't need to be the party of chaos. We need to diligently do our work, continue with the impeachment inquiry.
And it's riot if you're looking at the Twitter or the ex Marjorie Taylor Green retweets Matt Gates, who, as you just heard, not happy with Speaker McCarthy. He says, remember when Kevin McCarthy makes his announcement in moments, this is yesterday morning that I pushed him for weeks. Marjorie Taylor Green retweets, saying, correction, my friend, I introduced articles of impeachment against Joe Biden for his corrupt business dealings
on his very first day in office. And so this is going well so far in the first twenty four hours. Let's assemble the panel. Genie Shanzano and Rick Davis Bloomberg Politics contributors are with us. Genie, you can't buy this kind of entertainment, certainly not in Hollywood at the moment. How is this going to play out for Kevin McCarthy in the next couple of days. He's being asked about a double standard or a shifting message on whether to hold a vote for an impeachment inquherre. He's not even
making his own Republican members like Matt Gates happy. So what happens next?
Yeah, and by the way, I'm going to vote for Marjorie Taylor Green and the Marjorie Taylor Green Matt Gates contest over who's most responsible. I am calling this the Halibate diet Coke impeachment, because that is what the Times of recording she and Trump were eating last Sunday night, two days before Kevin McCarthy. Yeah, it makes you hungry, right, Joe? Two days before I.
Must be well done, HALLI it. I'm guessing.
Two days before we heard from Kevin McCarthy that, indeed, forget what he said thirteen days ago, he was marching forward with his impeachment inquiry with no vote. And you know, the reality is is Kevin McCarthy is in a very very difficult position, and this is a reflection of that. You know, Stephanie Murphy represented Murphy just talking about the hypocrisy. Get ready for it? Well, here it is. It is
on full display with what he did yesterday. I am somebody who famously was not in favor of Trump's first impeachment on Ukraine for the very reasons Nancy Pelosi said initially before she turned around. Nor am I in favor of this. They are diminishing what impeachment was intended to do by the framers, and there is no putting the Genie back in the bottle. Now, this is what we
are going to have to live through. And look at the media coverage yesterday, a bleep on this, and then people just moved on because this is just to become sort of par for the course where it never should have been and never was when you go back, you know a few years ago.
What do you think of the language so far? It's been just twenty four hours. Rick the uprising inside the Freedom Caucus where the chip Roys and Andy Biggs say we're not changing our tune on a shutdown or a cr because of this, Matt Gates is yelling back and forth with Marjorie Taylor Green, and journalists are asking about a changing tune on a vote. Did Kevin McCarthy just do the wrong thing? Was this self preservation or did he actually hurt himself with this announcement?
Well, I mean, look at it.
I mean he did this arguably to satisfy you know, the Freedom Caucus and its fringe groups you know, around it, and what has happened.
They've sort of turned on themselves.
You know, and so maybe that was part of his strategy, is just create chaos on the right flank and try to get some work done, you know, in the House of Representatives with everybody else. I doubt if he's got that sophisticated of a strategy. He tries to make these people happy. These are performance artists. They're not members of Congress. They don't really care about legislating or you know, doing
work of government. They they care about, you know, their their number of Twitter hits and how many.
Clicks they get.
And that's why you have these kinds of outbursts, and they're non productive.
And uh and and Kevin.
McCarthy has just sort of given him something to chew on for a couple of days. We got to constantly remind ourselves inside the beltwegh here. You know, the vast majority of people in this country pay absolutely no attention to this because they see it for what it is.
You know, it's it's it's as as you.
Know, Stephanie Murphy said, you know, we are now watching the heights of hypocrisy enter the House of Representatives.
I mean, and she.
Knows something about that, you know, the time that she spent there. And and and I don't think Kevin McCarthy has done himself any good. He hasn't moved the ball forward. He isn't going to get anywhere on this impeachment. He's got over thirty House members who won't even vote for ultimately an impeachment, and we know won't go anywhere in the Senate. So I think he's just unleashed, you know, the crazy caucus again.
And we'll see you if they can get anything done.
Because what's really important, you know, is getting a budget passed, getting a CR pass so they can get the work done in the House, get some of these corporations skills done, and by the way, and fun the Ukraine resistance to the Russian invasion and make sure that you know our country is helping out these communities that have been devastated by horrible weather disasters. So I mean, they have things to do and they got to get they ought to get off of Twitter and get on with their business.
Well here here, Rick, did does this at least make a shutdown less likely, Jeanie? Or did it not change anything in the standoff on the budget?
You know, I think Kevin McCarthy was hoping it might. But we heard from Matt Gates and you played the clip. He is demanding total compliance, and so you know, Kevin McCarthy, I think believed that he was handing them something, going to sort of distract them, which has been his strategy
since he became speaker. Distract them by giving them something and hope that they don't see what's going on here, which is he needs to do the basic basic tasks of governing, which is keep the government open, stop it from being shut down. But look at what he's facing. The House has passed just one appropriations bill to the Senate, who has passed all of them. He knows that, he knows he doesn't have a leg to stand on here.
They've got to do that. It's like a mayor who doesn't shovel the sidewalks after you have a terrible, terrible snowstorm, you're going to be in political trouble. Kevin McCarthy knows he's in trouble with this, so he's trying to distract them. But Matt Gates told us yesterday he's on to Kevin McCarthy now and he's going to make sure to hold his feet to the fire. So I don't think this is going to help Kevin McCarthy in the way he thought.
He is literally buying hours of his time in his job and hoping to stave off this motion to vacate, but it's gonna come as will to shut down. And by the way, the impeachment inquiry vote, he's saying, you know, to his nineteen members and Biden districts, you don't have to vote for that. Well, you know, I'll be the hypocrite and I'll let you vote. They're gonna have to vote for that because this train is out of you know, it's left. They're gonna have to vote on it.
Well, if, certainly, if you believe it's going to be an impeachment that follows the inquiry, listen Rick and Genie to eleast Dephonic of course, in the Republican leadership in the House held a news conference today alongside James Comer, who's spearheading this impeachment inquiry on the Oversight Committee. Listen to the language she used to describe the charges where she believes are full on crimes charges against Joe Biden.
Speaker McCarthy announced House Republicans intention to pursue an impeachment inquiry of Joe Biden. This is about transparency and answers for the American people and ultimately accountability for what I believe will uncover the biggest political corruption scandal in our nation's history.
The biggest public corruption scandal in our nation's history would have to that would be something you're.
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I'm used to listeners and viewers telling me how to do my job, but the White House is a different level. A memo out to US news media organizations in the wake of Speaker McCarthy's announcement that he is launching an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. The subject line, It's time for the media to do more to scrutinize House Republicans demonstrably false claims that they're basing impeachments on It's
reassimilar panel. Rick Davis and Genie Shanzano joined Bloomberg Politics contributors as we consider the reaction from the White House, Rick, I don't know your thoughts on this. The memo goes down to the first series of bullets. Here refers to Representative ken Buck, the Republican from Colorado, has been doing a lot of work for the White House last couple of days on cable news. He talked about it again on CNN said he sees no evidence. This is a
familiar refrain from ken Buck. But should the White House be digging in like this or laughing it off right now?
Well, it's obvious this is a reaction to the coverage from the last couple of days where I think they've got a chip on their shoulder and they think that, you know, people like Marjorie Taylor Green and Macatcher getting way too much attention in the mainstream media because all
they're talking about is a process argument. They're not answering any questions about what the real issue is here, and that the media is giving them more tension than the people who in the Republican Caucus are actually saying they don't see the connection between Biden and these charges.
So, you know, and I kind of get that.
I actually do think that the media has been chasing sort of the crazy end of the caucus, you know, a lot more than it does everybody else. I mean, they're you know, I think the bigger story is they're probably over thirty Republicans who don't support the Speaker on this, which is why he had to unilaterally open.
Up a probe.
So I think they're I think they're they're they're they're a little bit taken aback that the media isn't doing their job for him, and this memo basically says, Hey, you should be embarrassed by the fact that you're really not giving these guys more attention.
The irony is they're.
Using quotes in the media to make the case to the media that the media isn't doing enough. And so I think, if I'm a reporter who are writing on these things, I think that they were kind of over inflating this.
Well, you know, if the memo is just going to get leaked by the media, White House telling the media how to be better at the media, genie, is there a point in sending it?
You know, I think this is something that could backfire on the White House. I think putting out the facts is one thing, putting out their position is one thing. But trying to tell the media how to do their job. We all know no, White House likes the media. But the reality is, if the media starts to exhibit some criticism of the Republicans and what they're doing in terms of impeachment, You're going to hear right back, Oh, this is just the media doing the bidding, the liberal media
doing the bidding of the White House. So I'm not sure how this helps the White House at all. I think more important is to keep focused on number one, doing the business of the American people. Number two putting out the facts, and let the craziness in the house play out. It speaks for itself. I don't know why they are trying to get in front of it. If you and make themselves the story.
Well, Rick, the craziness in the House, I guess extends to the craziness in Washington, as we have a breaking headline here that reminds us of the world that we're in. Mitt Romney is just now announcing in a Twitter video that he will not seek reelection in the Senate. I wonder your reaction to that news.
Yeah, you know, I mean it's kind of expected. You know. Mitt is never really been a feature of the Senate.
You know, he's had a stellar career as both governor presidential candidate, and I think he was looking at the sort of future trajectory the Republican Party. And you know, I think he's kind of the outlier, right, he's more in the McCain wing of the Republican.
Party than he is in the Trump or or what not wing, And and.
He's pretty isolated in the caucus because of that. That being said, I think he's enjoyed being the Senator, but politics at home also so is very difficult. He'd have to run a probably very competitive primary, spend a lot of money, raise a lot of money, and those kinds of things they take you away from your family and the work of the Senate.
Which is what he really enjoys. So I'm not surprised but disappointed.
You really hate to see a competitive seat like this, you know, thrown open to whatever sort of you know is lurking around Utah. But you know, he's he's served his country well and I'm sure he has big plans for.
His life after the Senate.
Yeah, I do wonder what they'll include. But Jeanie, Democrats love moments like these. This is when you're supposed to tell me that the party has moved away from Mitt Romney, not the other way around, right.
Yeah, except I think it's a loss for all of us. I mean, Mitt Romney is one of the grown ups, so to speak, in the room. We need more people at this point like Mitt Romney and Washington. Hard to believe. I didn't think it's several years ago i'd be saying that. But he does come with, you know, telling it like it is and speaking truth to the powers that be in the Republican Party today. So I think it's a loss for all of us, not just for the Republican Party,
but for Suore. Democrats are happy with what has transpired and they would like to have a shot at that seat.
He's not going to run for president again, I'm assuming Rick, although that story seems to crop up every four years. What is in store for someone like Mitt Romney. Where could he be of service?
You know?
Look, I mean I think that obviously he has a point of view on democracy.
He has been.
Trist crossing the country talking about how important it is that our democratic institutions, elections and whatnot are reinforced and really fortified against the attacks that the Trump administration and campaign waghs against them. So I wouldn't be surprised that he devotes more of his time time to really.
Trying to cement.
Our democratic institutions around the country and crisscross the country talking about how important that is. He was generous enough with his time to come to the McCain Institute Sedona conference and gave a similar speech.
And was very passionate.
It's probably one of the best speeches I've ever seen Mitt Romney given. Believe me, I've seen a lot of Mitt Rodney speeches over the years, and this is an area I think he's very passionate about.
This is from the video just posted on the next generation of leaders must take America to the next stage of global leadership. While I'm not running for reelection, I'm not retiring from the fight. I'll be your United States Senator until January of twenty twenty five.
Mitt Romney announcing today he is not seeking reelection. This is Bloomberg. Thanks for listening to the sound on podcast. Make sure to subscribe if you haven't already, Apple, Spotify, and anywhere else you get your podcasts, and you can find us live every weekday from Washington, DC at one pm Eastern times at Bloomberg dot com.