>> the world is changed. today a fast reliable internet connection is something no one can live without it so we are there for our customers with speed, reliability, value and the choice more than ever it starts with great internet. >> the washington bureau chief for the christian science monitor and she also is the moderator for the breakfast with newsmakers and policymakers. what is ahead on the lame duck

and for the 118th congress first of all a pile of work left to get done what are the top priorities? >> keeping the government funded so the last continuing resolution went through decembe. they have to keep, they have to fund the government whether that mis through another continuing resolution or ae big omnibus. there's talk of kicking it down the road another week to the 23rd but they might be looking at staying here right on till christmas. >> so they have this deadline they set a couple of months ago but this is for spending in the current fiscal year we are in. is there any possibility that they will kick it further down the road into the 118th congress? >> i doubt it because it is a completely new ball game. we have a divided government so they won the house by a narrow

majority. democrats have the senate. either another tie or one-vote majority depending on how the runoff goes november 6th. the main thing, the republican majority in the house and that means a whole different calculus on trying to pass anything. >> there or stumbling blocks, however, in that omnibus spending bill, annual spending bill including having to raise the debt ceiling potentially being tagged onto the spending bill. what else are you looking at? >> the national defense authorization act needs to go through that. other things coming up in the lame-duck the respect for marriage act which is an effort to lock in same-sex marriage. this is an offshoot that

overturned roe v wade on abortion so that is a top priority. additional funding for the war in ukraine which can be a little tricky but because why are we spending so much in ukraine and when we have so much in this country. so a lot going on. >> the request to the 48 billion-dollar question for the white house, is there a chance that might not get done? >> it's possible but nancy pelosi is speaker still, and this is her swansong, capping off 20 years as the leader of the democrats whether the speaker or the minority leader and she is the leader in terms ofof shepherding and corralling the caucus she has a wide range of views including the upstart

progressive who pushed the party to the left and want to keep doing that but nancy pelosi enjoys a lot of respect and especially now stepping down from the party leadership in the house, i thinknk we will watch r in action and get elected. >> i want to ask about the upcoming leadership and in the 118th, the phone lines to hear from the calls, the viewers and listeners (202)748-8000 was the (202)748-8000 is theline for de. republicans 202-748-8001 and for independent integers, 202-748-8002. linda feldman our guest, the washington bureau chief with the christian science monitor. we are talking about the lame-duck session first, but also what is ahead in the 118th. you had a recent piece not long after the election the headline of which said after midterms does anybody have a mandate and you talked to a number of people republicans and democrats and

people like jason, the bipartisan policy center, the former white house press secretary. what was your sense in that article and take away for the word for the mandate and is there a mandate? >> republicans won the control of the house but they didn't win the d red wave. they didn't take the majority as it passed from the first term so the democrats beat expectations and the reality is we have divided government so what can get it done in the divided government often times nothing and sometimes that is ane good thing. in the first two years he got a lot of stuff passed often with the republicans that cost the american taxpayers a lot of money so we are looking

at a lot less spending. when republicans looked in the control of the house the markets went upon because of inflation. so there's a positive way. but i like about talking to jason, they are both optimists. we saw a lot of stuff can get done with the other party, with a lot of bipartisanship that can take place even when control of the house is very narrow. the next few years maybe not so much. >> where are the parties in terms of the moderate members and problem solvers, the caucus if you will even if members are not, what does it look like for the 118th? >> we tend to look at the loudest voices were here are the loudest voices whether it's in the senate with joe mansion or in the house with the

progressives who are wanting to do a lot but the reality is in the small majority in both houses, any group, any small interest group can demand attention because they are majority killers, so ier think t will be interesting to see in the next congress who rises as the new and existing voices took the cloud they do have and the leverage to get what they want orhe block what they don't want. >> i want to ask about what the numbers mean because it is almost all decided in the house so for "the new york times" reporting 220 republican members into the democrats, the two races left undecided, california, colorado. say the final number is 222-2213, what does that mean for a potential house speaker kevin mccarthy? >> he has to channel his inner

nancy pelosi and corral the votes he needs. there is already five house republicans who are on the record saying no to kevin mccarthy as speaker. it doesn't mean they won't flip. it doesn't mean therefore that kevin mccarthy isn't the next speaker. there isn't a clear alternative, but what i think that they are doing is using their leverage to get something to win over their vote from mr. mccarthy. >> first mic on the independent line and circleville ohio. >> with the congress and the senate we have got to house bills that need passed. this brings bankruptcy protection back. the loans are predatory. right now you can't ever get

them paid off and you can't ever file bankruptcy on them. right now i am a truck driver i come out and i've been hauling medical stuff all through the pandemic for these politicians going in these hospitals they need to get off their butt and do something for us for once and quit worrying about getting paid by these colleges and loan companies and get this stuff passed that needs passed by the 23rd. there's a lot of people out here hurting but they are taken care of then we would have a better economy because right now, nothing is going to be taken out by the taxpayers. that is a bunch of bs excuse me but the politicians need to get up and move that bill soon. >> what is the status of this? >> i'm not sure what the status of the bill is but this is a

huge issue. so, joe biden announced the forgiveness on student loans a while ago. he's been kicking the can down the road sort of having a moratorium on the student loan payments. he's done that through june 202nd i believe. basically, conveniently on till the end of roughly the current supreme court session term so i think that is where this issue will be decided. t joe biden has up to 20,000 on student loans very this is a hugely divisive issue. there are a lot of people who feel this is completely unfair to people who either didn't go to college because they couldn't affordwh it or people who paid that money and paid their student loans off.

i see this as an extremely important issue but not an immediate concern and i see this ultimately being the study by the supreme court on the basis of whether president biden has the constitutional right to wipe off literally billions of dollars of student loan debt and make the rest of us pay for it. >> let's hear from dave on the republican line. >> a previous call i just want to make a comment about that and all the things he's done. something came to mind about john kennedy and some words of wisdom i think it's ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country. you can paraphrase that and say not what your government can do for you but what can you do for your country. i go all the way back to reagan

and that is the best time in the country for me but looking at the achievements and the attitude the government has come to micromanage our lives and all of these issues that are coming up on your show all deal with that and i think it is time to really take a step back because i'mi divided and hopefully the government can stop this insanity that is coming out of the white house that's taking on everything. you get nothing done when you are doing everything. you've got to get back to the basics and do that well. >> can you be more specific and give some areas where youou feel the government is essentially telling you what to do? >> go to the border, those are the type of things. we are not, everything is in the

political realm and it doesn't need to be there. education, they run that. it's their monopoly and they've done a lousy job with it. so again, going back to the private schools, charter schools, the academy, health treatment, there's a lot of stuff that could get done outside ofou government. >> we will hear from linda feldman. >> it's an interesting question because what i see, we have the republicans now gaining some power in the house. theywe promised lower inflation and lower crime and border security. border security is a government isfunction so i think the questn is not do you want the government to act or not but what do you want the government to do to you and certainly that is there in terms of education

and the cultural policies a lot of that is in the states. i spent a lot of time in florida in recent years and i think that it really helped him to do a landslide victory in the midterms to make him a strong contender for the 2024 presidential race. so it's all about what you want yothe government to do and not o doversus the government acting. >> part of the focus of the incoming republican leadership and caucus is in the 118th congress. what are some of the potential downfalls of focusing on that and not perhaps getting legislation through that could be passed in the house and senate? >> they've r made clear the committee chairs of kentucky, james jordan of ohio, jim

jordan, they want to investigate the biden's, hunter biden, joe biden himself and the international business dealings. therehi is also investigation on covid origins. whether the republicans will overdo it, this is a question for both parties. each has its agendaa items and o they do stuff that needs to energize the base votersf i thik in the 202014 elections or are they doing what is more common for congress to pass legislation or not? >> you've covered congress for the wiles of the rise of the hearings both democratic and

republican has been notable. >> it's huge and at the january 6th hearings that we've had, the impeachment hearings, obviously they are huge and you have these committees, these congressional committees have a lot of power and they can obviously be quite dramatic. but if that is all they are doing than the public gets upset. >> you mentioned january 6th. when is that committee, the special committee? >> that committee suffices to say the committee will cease to exist when the republicans take over the house. so the clock is ticking. >> let's hear from springfield massachusetts, david on the independent line. >> my hope is they talk about the constitution and what we are

guaranteed like liberty and the pursuit ofof happyness. my problem this year has been the abortion issue and why we still would allow people to kill unborn people and especially a woman why would they think it's all right to kill unborn women if they are women themselves. i know that you are a woman so what is your opinion on this? we have gone so low to not respect the least among us. >> tying it into legislation and what we see on the federal abortion proposals coming out of the republican house. >> puthat's not going anywhere. there might be an effort for the nationwide abortion ban there are republicans who want that who believed what the caller believed which is that any abortion even a very early abortion is the killing of a

human being. i don't know anybody who thinks this issue was going anywhere in the house. it's a sort of interesting to see congress taking the dog's decision which sent abortion rights back to a state-by-state patchwork, and their answer is to protect from same-sex marriage and racial marriage and that is because of what clarence thomas said in the concurrent suggesting those guarantee the rights might be overturned. the abortion issue, when does life begin, that is for many a religious question and i think it comes down to who decides. is it up to the woman, the doctor, the family or what role should the government play? the government did play a role but in the casey decision, they

did map out a system by which the states would sort of set limits and the court allowed restrictions and requirements obtained in the abortion. now we are at a completely different landscape and i don't see this being resolved legislatively. >> i will ask about the leadership elections in a moment. it's a significant change though at the top as you mentioned the speaker leaving and the majority leader as the majority whip james clyburn of south carolina. what do you think the legacy will be end of the leaders in the 117th congress? >> the ability to hold together an extraordinarily small majority. on any vote nancy pelosi and her deputies could only, fortunately a handful of votes, they got a lot done. they spent a lot of money starting with the american

rescue plan, the $1.9 trillion covid release package, they did infrastructure, the chips and science act that subsidizes federal subsidies for the chip production in the country. when the history books are written this will be sort of scene is nancy pelosi's best ist performance yet in her ability to lead such a small majority. >> i s want to get your view on what clyburn said on face the nation yesterday. he said one of i the reasons he wanted to stay in leadership more than any southern representation in the democratic conference. here's what he said. >> if it is time for a new generation speaker pelosi had a said why do you think it's necessary for you to stay in power, do you think the next generation needs you to guide them? >> there is a healthy respected.

a healthy mandate of strength aand knowledge and looking down at the leadership they try to ensure that we do not told to the west but maintain what we have here. there is no other we need to start with the colleges and universities. where will the senate be today for south carolina. hispanic james clyburn yesterday and the likely new leadership of the democratic caucus could include the minority leader i fm new york and california, the west, and also from the north,

clark from massachusetts. >> he makes a p good point. there are only three people in that upper tier of leadership and it's not to say they won't listen to people from the south. the south is extremely important, and nobody knows better than jim clyburn from south carolina how to yield that power and make the south matter. he was essential to joe biden's democratic nomination in 2020. but whatat we have now that we e likely to have going forward is jeffries is black, catherine clark is a white woman, and a hispanic male so that is the diversity right there and i think they are smart enough to know they have to consider the needs and when they are steering the caucus. ..

that has been applied to the law that's going to be dealt with this week. we have had two very important supreme court cases dealing with that issue. can a customer enforce a baker to bake a cake that has a pro- gay marriage sentiment on the cake, the answer is no. as with the law said and how people are feeling they can behave. this will be an issue going forward. >> republican senators about import of moving forward that legislation. was it 12? i will take your correction. that number re- surprised by it? what's i was pretty huge. my sense is that gay marriage is so accepted in this country now. it's remarkable how it thought

has changed on that issue it has not been that long sinceth bill clinton signed the defense of marriage act which was anti- gay marriage. we have now done a 180. for a number of reasons, most americans feel even if they're personally uncomfortable with the idea of gay marriage most people believe it really does not hurt anybody else if two men are married or two women are married, they can have children, they can raise them, they can be loving parents. on the one hand you see the thought on abortion has been pretty frozen on the one hand but thought on gay marriage has shifted dramatically. >> you have president clinton science you go to the election of 1994 newt gingrich takes control the house. i think they were at 58 maybe republican member of a big majority of house republicans in that case it.

that the bill clinton begin to attack there was the reform of welfare for example, is that defensive marriage act on those indications wherect the presidet doesn't attack toward the republican view to get something passed like that? >> absolutely. that congress with president clinton democrat and newt gingrich republican speaker, realizing they could either stand apart and get nothing done, each come to the middle and get a lot done. >> are there issues that in a similar situation with the president joe biden and a likely speaker of the house there. >> that is a really good question and i do not know. i think a lot depends on what kind of deals kevin mccarthy has to cut to gain the speakership. he's arty got marjorie taylor greene, republican of georgia.

considered one of the pro- trump upstarts in the house for his already got hurt in his camp. but there's t a bunch of others who we do not know. honestly it's too soon to say what kind of coming to the mid- middle we will be able to see. since a blue bill clinton was president this has become much more polarized. who even saw that under barack obama when he lost control of congress. after his midterm where he famously was shellacked or was shellacking as he put it. his mantra's pen and phone from going to sign a bunch of executive orders and i cannot exwork with these people. nothing's going to get done for it is not completely his fault. it takes two to tango. if the republican leadership in congress is not willing to work with joe biden and vice versa, then they aren't going to do anything aside from with absolutely have to get done. >> both the presidents of trump

and biden have continued that tradition of using the executive. question forue you via text, nor the members in congress in both parties that you believe deserve your attention? maybe focusing on a couple of key members? >> good question. i will be looking at the new members. this was such an interesting election. the republicans who run house seats in new york for example. a state that cost the caught the rest of the country off guard. and who is willing to play, who is going to be the problem and the gears that prevents everything from happening? the 2024 elections already started. the minute one election ends and another one begins sadly all the

interesting leave for those of us who love politics. this a group of five letters saying they'ren going to vote o on kevin mccarthy they will be interesting. the group that are kind of in the marjorie taylor greene camp. >> of new members this trio ought to get some attention, they are to have by political bipartisan the westth point gras coming to congress red cross aisle bonds between pat ryan democrat of nerve representde about elect john james republican of michigan represent about elect wesley hunt republican of texas were forged in the same class at the military academy. let's hear from brooklyn, maryland. nicole is on the independent line, go ahead. >> good morning. i have scattered questions required. first address the issue of the bible why it is so much effect is on gay marriages why two things, why is king david in art

class emphasis of his gentiles hanging out. two, why does the constitution say no discrimination against marital status except if you are gay. and lastly going back to my original reason for calling was student loan forgiveness. is that going to be back in the day were only white americans that served in underprivileged areas that they are loans erased as a minority went to private university in kansas city, missouri, how about us people that were discriminated against because we spoke out against d things in our neighborhood. but because of the coalition and stuff we have bad grades to reflect their numbers of saying avhey we gave gate minorities a chance they couldn't meet the grade. we are stuck that we have to pay because the teachers that was a prejudice too. >> nicole we talked a bit about student loan forgivenessg

already. but it's interesting she feels it is discriminatory against people of color. i think a big impetus for the student loan forgiveness proposal is that it helps people of color who have had a hard time payingha their loans in thr life prospects have diminished because of that. now that is the intent of the white house it is to help everybody part is to help all peopler who found themselves under crushing debt and they want to be able to have a family and buy a house. so it is interesting she feels this is aimed at helping white people. >> about temperaments with our guests, linda freeman who is the washington bureau chief for the christian science monitor (202)748-8000 line for democrats. (202)748-8001 for republicans. and for independence and all others (202)748-8002 per

independent line is next, david in a limber, new york. >> hello. quick comment about delma i believe his past and 96 it was in response to hawaii passing allowing same-sex marriage of the year before. but that's not the main reason i was calling but your guest knows anything about that hideous rule and what mccarthy how he feels about that? i saw something on c-span a rules meeting about majority of that majority which is a terrible terrible rule that discourages bipartisanship, discourages the house especially when run by republicans to take up bipartisan measures in the senate. pelosi was more okay with that. but i was wondering if you knew if they are going to try to use that toto discourage? is not the 2013 immigration bill

because they did not have sufficient republican report which is kind of a misnomer for blocking a bill that would otherwise pass, thank you. >> the majority of the majority. i actually don't know if kevin mccarthy has pledged that. right now to question trench warfare pretty hostile in the speakership. if he thanks his conference would go along with legislation that he is going to do whatever it takes to get his people with him. more likely it's going to be a blocking thing that he does not want passed. i cannot see something like this rule it's a custom it's not law it's not cast in stone. >> is part of the conference rolls through the conference

operates not by congress. >> exactly exactly. >> what do we know about leader mccarthy's implants legislatively for the 118th, what is their legislative plan for the next congress? >> it sort of identify three things for they want to bring inflation down, although it's not clear what a republican held house with a democratic senate democratic white house can get done, lower crime. he has been -- and the board of course. a lot of this i think we'll be sending messages rather than passing legislation. and kevin mccarthy is trying to sort of keep it altogether. you got the presidential race gearing up for a donald trump is announced he's running. we've got a lot of other i republicans acting like they are probably going to run it.

he can i think attempt to be an island of stability within that whole circus. whether he can pull that off i do not know. he has attempted to become speaker in the past and has not got there. i'm not sure he's gotot the skis to really accomplish anything significant besides allowing hi caucus to have loved hearing spray. >> lame-duck congress returns to packed agenda. one of the things they note congressman clyburn, jim wyvern said on sunday one of his priorities was passing the electoral count act which would change in 1887 the law governing how congress deals with presidential election disputes. is that going to make it across the finish line? if i don't know but that is huge. the democrats really, really want this. this emerged as a key issue on generally six of last year.

when you had people storming the capitol trying to claim the election was stolen. the electoral count act is written in such a way you're squishing this in the language they want to make the language more exact. make it clear for example the role of the vice president is administered if he does not have the power to overturn the results of an election. and in the states, and sending elect doors to vote in the electoral college for president, you cannot have these rogue elect doors alternate slates that are decided by the state legislature if they don't like the outcome in the state. the aim here is an entry don't ever go through that again. comeme when ballots are cast we know the next president is.

>> buffalo new york democrats line. thirty-three isbi there any possibility the members of the congress will give up the notion they are there to win arguments with one another and begin to employ what i would call a candy store rule. if you want something you got to give something. that is the way you pass legislation. that is the way you keep the promises you made to your constituents whenyo you one year old election whether you are a republican or democrat. winning the argumentts does not give you legislation for the solutions to the problem with the people who sent you there want you toyo address. >> it is a goodt question. i actually like partisanship.

that might sound counterintuitive. partnership is a good thing as long as people have different views about things and people should feel free to express their opinions and have different policy proposals. we need that kind of debate in solving the problems of this country and addressing the issues of the day. if all it is is a big argument on capitol hill that doesn't go anywhere, obviously that feels like a waste of time. but after everybody is said their there can be a coming together to agree on solution or at least get enough people to agree to pass something, that is a good thing. what we are seeing and now the return of earmarks. earmarks h have been banned fora number of years. but low and behold we discover earmarks which are little plums in legislation to win votes. that adds grease to the system, being a good thing like an oil in your while.

and soar we always thought- earmarks were bad and resulted in crazy projects and congressional districts. but sometimes a little bit of spending can win you a larger victory pray. >> also the monitor of the breakfast which went into covid mode odyssey during the pandemic it's now back live which lawmakers and policymakers in the nation capitals sit at breakfast with a group of reporters. it seems like a civilized way to hold a press conference. how do you determine your guests and what reporters could sit at that breakfast? >> the guests are -- i'm aiming for the people who can draw a big crowd of reporters. i want congressional leaders, rscommittee chairs, they are largely political events. i want a bipartisan mix. i usually have one at a time. some people thought i should do a common ground kind of thing i

have one from each party and have them hash out in issue. i'm not sure i can pull that off. also, aiming for people of color. women. at speakerer pelosi. i have had eric holder the former attorney general known activists on gerrymandering. i just want people who are interesting and going to draw a were crowd of reporters and attracts these bands are calm videotaped. and i'm sorry was the other question. >> must ground rules reporters. so reporters who we invite are up to us. >> you try to mix that up? >> yes for sure we have a mix of everything including point of view. we have reporters from conservative outlets that come. i have had guests tell me, we send them the list of who's coming in advance i've had to guess say i do not want

so-and-so to be there but i say i'm sorry you can't come we cannot allow the guest to determine who will be the reporters at the table questioning them. >> and all of that is on the record? >> onrights. the monitors have been doing this since the mid- 60s. my dear late scholarly guthrie sterling started this it was a lunch with senator chuck percy of illinois. they had so much fun it is about 12 reporters all white men around the table he was a friend of sperling from illinois. a they said hey that was great let's do it again. they said we will do this at breakfast it is a better fit in terms of catching everybody before the really started their day pray. >> one more question yo for you arlene is inea new smyrna beach florida from independent-minded. >> hi there good morning. hopefully things will come back together like our united states of america was several years

ago. due to the lack of moral values that we have been having a problem with. if anybody listening will look up h uac , 38 harry truman started this, it is the house something of american activities. they were all democrat. twelve original people they put people in court if you could please open eyes to marxism and communism will see this, my grandparents god bless their soul, they would be rolling over in their grave if they saw a man and a man and a woman and a woman in a legal marriage today pray. >> alright arlene let you go.

just the last question about the 118. in terms of the hearings with the oversight committees and the others, which do you think will come out of the chute first? >> will be the hunter biden investigation for that goes directly to joe biden and ethics. a lot of people think there's nothing to seehi there. this issue of him flying on air force to also his dealings with ukrainewo or that there's influence peddling or you find derived a benefit from this. it is a huge question. will the republicans be levelheaded about this?

>> certainly sounds something james, said the republican side has already begun that investigation in the minority. >> that is right. the republicans i know say they do not want to hear about hunter biden they want to hear about joe biden for they want this to be about joe biden the public does not care about hunter biden. if it tells us something board about joe biden okay. >> reporting csmonitor.com pray thank you so much for being with us. >> easement is your unfiltered view of government. funded by these television companies and more. including buckeye broadband. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ buckeye broadbandupport

c-span is a public service along these other television providers. giving it a front row seat to democracy. >> exec adjuster albertsons and kroger testify tuesday and the possible $25 billion merger between the two grocery store companies. watch the senate judiciary subcommittee live tuesday at 3:00 p.m. eastern on c-span three. you can also watch on a free mobile video app c-span now or online at c-span.org. >> next look at iran's nuclear weapons capacity in the joint comprehensive plan of action. also known as the ironic nuclear deal. the hudson institute hosted the discussion. it is 45 minutes. >> number one expert on non- proliferation on nuclear nonproliferation in the united states. probably in the world. he is here today toal