for information visit our website at student cam.org. mandate watch c-span series and partnerships with library congress. books that shaped america will feature a novel my aunt and the m published in 1918 the novel is part of prairie trilogy tells a story of a friendship of an orphan boy from virginia the elder daughter of bohemian immigrants to settle in nebraska known for bringing the american west to life. addresses the immigrant experience and women's issues of the time. melissa homestead english professor at the university of nebraska lincoln has taught for many years and will join us on the program. watch books that shaped america featuring my san antonia monday, live at 9:00 p.m. eastern on a c-span come c-span now or freak mobile video app or online at

c-span.org. also be sure to scan the qr code to listen to our companion podcast. you can learn more about the authors of the books featured. >> will come back to the programmer and henry also serves as a senior fellow also a columnist for the "washington post" for thanks for joining us again too. >> thank you. quickly bringing out to the house speaker's race at this we have seen plant for three plus weeks now what's the lesson most americans are getting about the current condition of house? >> as i have said it is chaos, disarray. in other words a more extreme version of what they come tosi expect. american showed great distress in congress iss been going down rather than going up. for the average american you throw your hands up and say these people cannot get theirou act together. i thinknk if it keeps going on they blame republicans but i suspect right now they are saying this is dysfunction is more the same.

>> the common themes of five republicans can't center around a candidate to date cluster at. >> the thing is the republican party is not a party. we were in europe when a proportional representation system of their public and private would probably three maybe four parties. that go their separate ways and then they negotiate coalition agreements. inside the house you can probably count three or four my colleagues of the "washington post" said there's five parties in the republican party no one is ever negotiated. we got all these people coming together for speaker and all of their problems should be hammered out beforehand. but they have not acknowledged the truth this person does notsn support my values but you should've thought of that a year end a half ago h when you're organizing the house and that is the discussions we are seeing on the floor in the sessions in the private discussions. all the stuff that should have been handled 18 months ago is getting handled in real time

now. >> you talk about the five families as they are described i guess if you want to put it that way. >> other than going from the tht field running of the eight and a possibly be a name out there that would emerge as are certain that could take place? all that we are getting is the vast majority of the conference and the super majority once that to take place. but it just takes five people say heck no i won't go. the indications are it's probably one of the people who will have the five who won't go. now if that's the case and use the speaker designate then there may be a different set of holdouts. you still have irreconcilable's.

then i think you'll bidding close to c rock-bottom weathered spammer or someone else though finally throughout their hand and say we've got toom get this. >> i guess with us if you want to ask him questions about the current state of the speakers is 202-74-8001 for republicans 2027488000 for democrats (202)748-8002 for independence. text 8003. recent column when you're writing about jim jordan when he was the candidate you wrote about this idea full to me the house speaker is going to haveer to move toward the center. can you elaborate on that? >> both outside of congress and inside congress the wheelhouse is in the center. if the republicans want to get a larger majority they have to do with they cannot do in 2022 which is to convince swing voting independence who voted for biden but do not like his tenure in office to trust

republicans they cannot do that in 2022 and negotiate in a democrat-controlled white house you have to come out with something they are willing to compromise on. which means maybe advance a conservative agenda but have an endgame that is doesn't understand either of these things will fail weather on the floor or in the election. >> the speaker could carry out a conservative idea but at a moderate end. takes a compassionate nationalism is what americans want americans want america first butut america first is all american that's when theor beast with trump they don't think he represents that. i think b somebody who understas that as someone who can understand you want tax relief. somebody wants intervention over

seasonal endless a wars both republicans and the democrats are stuck on either side there's the center of america wants a good blendoo of both a speaker o gets there with the republican majority is somebody who can a begin getting support compromise within the chambers more important for republicans built a small majority into a large and give conservatives a greater .negotiated. >> one of the concerns going into this with the idea of spending. as arere some way forward and de with spending issues that probably -- everyone won't like but people can come together on? >> first of all is going be larger spending. with the house republicans need to t do is dig in their heels ty were going to fix the border. you want your money for ukraine, you want your money for this and you want your money for that. only the sixth of order will give you that. i need to be rockside of on

that. but you have to understand is not going to be significant reduction. the american people theoretically go along with that there democrats in the senate democrats and the white house is supported. you have to find a targeted you can get along with his part of the bargaining to sign up on things you would not it's called compromise for a reason. 2027-point with your question the person the position now the speaker pro tem is patrick mchenry. there is discussion last week of expanding the sense of power he has concerns about the legality and the constitutionality of that.ab was that a good plan or was that a questionable plan? >> republicans have to their act together. for me the reason to go ahead

with the plan is to get their act together. the fact they did not take it suggest to me they still do not understand the phenomena i mentioned at the top ofta the show. they are different parties. they need time to work out their differences andhe say house freedom caucus you might not like this, but main street apartment we won't like somee of things you want, what can we agree on? they give themselves talk the another fight. i think it would've been a good idea it's unfortunate. >> for their part the demrats have been weighing in on this process sending out a tweet saying for three weeks democrats are reaching out tohe republicans to work with them in a barsan passion. in time for us to work together and govern and do our job the idea of working together is that

something that is palatable? >> the problem is the terms of democrats put on it are not palatable to any sense of republicans.s. the republicans may differ significantly but there is none that would find an uncomfortable home. in state legislatures have bipartisan deals it's because there are people couldn't fit in the other party. and so if the democrats want the help of one of the things you do is tell their vulnerable members are 20 of you. when to cut a deal with the republicans you get some power and you support a less conservative alternative. they are doing is tethering their whole party to the most extreme elements. any faction of republicans. click to tear from tom is in florida republican line with

henry olson go ahead. >> caller: thank you very muchhe mr. olson. i am into renewable energy of the republican party does not do a whole lot with that. in the house was a john curtis s,conservative climate caucus ad march. is there any hope he can get anything done because he is sort of a biomass guy i think. thanks a lot. >> with respect to renewable energy there are people within the house republicans conference under the leadership who are interested in them. i think you will see more support for that. what you won't see his green energy. what you won't see is a climate emergency that spends trillions of dollars to basically d carbon as the economy over a decade and

a half. but manyep republican governors and legislatures subsidize wind and solar power so there is a republican agenda. in particular in the middle plane the states to get a lot of wins. you will see some element of that come up through washington but it will not satisfy the hard green activists it's not going to be aoc style we have six years to save the planet and insteadbe let slowly bring alone alternative technologies while maintaining all of the above energy. lexis is another democrats line for. >> good morning gentlemen. my question is did the republicans try to form a coalition when they first selected mccarthy and they had an escape clause in there? i thought that was kind of like a coalition agreement originally so like mccarthy? >> that's an excellent question. i think there was an mccarthy's mind and some of the people but it was never negotiated broadly.

the people on the left side sent what did he give? what did he trade? there's never a explicit agreementt all the different factions brought into. some of the questions were hearing being posed to sources is people saying what are you promising? what are youha saying? that is because mccarthy treated the coalition agreement is a personal agreement that he would post on the conference rather than a conference right negotiation. the color is right there was that attempts. buttt i think it fell apart precisely because it was never transparent and it was never fully boughtt into. and accordingly seer severe recent misinterpretations as to what was contained. >> one of those initial things was the motion to vacate change. should there be a change that process? what does that process need to be amended? >> i would think that needs to be amended.

think about as a parliamentary system. in a parliamentary system if you vote no confidence in the government the government fails if it cannot perform within a certain period of time to go to the country for election. we do not have a prospect here. so given that a body cannot function i think that we should do is adopt which is you can have a no-confidence motion but you must have an alternative. if you want to vote no on mccarthy you have to vote yes on somebody else at the same concept you are replacing the speaker. that is not something that would have happened. the votes for repealing mccarthy were 98 sent from the democrats for hakeem jeffries and 2% of republicans who are now on mccarthy they could not have agreed on an alternative. >> 's team is come up a couple of times but how do you

represent matt gaetz in light of what was seen over the last few weeks? >> matt gaetz is tossing his smoke bombs into various congregations enjoying the chaos that ensues. i think he is now kind of like the dog who caught the cars. biggest create enough chaos i'm not sure he knows what to do with it. if what happened after he left speaker mccarthy for a moment he was the de facto leader. that's make us be the people determine who the next conference leader is. much less put something together. >> from sean, in maryland independent line. year old are guests. >> i don't think the republican

leader the speaker i don't think they know how to govern. what is the alternative you are talking about? >> republicans cannot govern until they understand that they have to govern together rather than wait for somebody. they are used to falling in line behind the president. well, they do not have a president to fall behind. they are significantly divided by things. and the idea there is one person who without having substantive discussions and to suddenly bring this set of ingredients into a tasty stew is naïve. i would not be surprised if they would settle on somebody who is

minimally acceptable to all factions. but that person would be wise to say i've got the chair but i don't have a gavel meaning the power.e nancy pelosi said something a few years ago that ought to be repeated after asked for her endorsement and his challenge to it sitting member it was that she could not do that but as he was leaving said you have to remember the power is not given, it is taken. so when the person holds the gavel, the person holds the chair they take the power and the way to take the power in the caucus is begin to solve the problems it divide the partners. no one has wanted to do it in the last 13 years but the first person who does will become a national figure. >> the republican candidates made their pitch to the conference that was done in secret about today takes place secret.done in we had a viewe asked is it ethical for so much their publican house conference to be conducting these meetings that affect the american people in

secret? >> yes, i do. it is no different on the democratic side. not to say people won't come out and say what they are going to say. but allsa parties not all but wn you have a parliamentary system it is done behind closed doors it's done behind closed doors for a reason. you have to air some differences that are large enough to overcome your similarities which two people on the outside could hurt your unity. you have those in quiet and in secret and you have come out and present a united front to the people and ask her what you have agreed not in secret. it is no different with the labor unions and what's going on in detroit there have been there discussions in secret. it is because negotiations need a space where you are not costly

under attack to allow people to give and take and find agreement with the republicans are doingom now is no different than in political parties and anyone else who is involved in bargaining. >> our guest's columnist for the "washington post" he is also senior fellow for the ethics and public policy center. tell folks what that is the. >> for. >> ethics and public policy centerc is a think tank answers to judeo-christian valves in the public square in the coming policy discussion. >> let's go to republican line this is a viewer in nebraska. brenda joins his height. >> hi. i am a little nervous i hope you give me some time. i totally think mccarthy should have been removed i bet everybody forgets why he lost his speakership during the hilary clinton hearings those of the most stupid comedy ever made he never should have made it or he would not of had paul ryan. now paul ryan is throwing down.

as far as it goes i've called his office repeatedly because he acts like a 5-year-old. i invested over and over to quit. he keeps doing it he wants to punish people that is not his job. his first gates ago i respect the man immensely we are political prisoners here in the united states are doing nothing for them. i don't hear anybody talking for them. i am f sorry the man should nevr have beener speaker. we've got paul ryan because of it. so thank you for your time. i think that the common view may not be the that we need somebody fromhy the right flank to be the speaker currently was notit sufficient. not unanimous what we need to do

is find some way to bring people and people who disagree but are still republican and say what can we agree on? and that is what i'm saying is not been done. people want to pretend things are not emotional are not important enough. they're important enough they brought on the speaker the house. speaker of the house. and until you say the republican party together. you're going to continue to see this sort of chaos whether somebody in the chair who can't create a majority on the floor or whether it's an inability to find somebody who can command the 17 votes. >> coming up on cspan2 irs commissioner involving lee deficient in government, politics, and public policy from washington and across the country. coming up wednesday morning we

will discuss lay somehow speaker race asked the osa politics reporter. erin david miller senior fellow of the endowment for international peace talks about the israel/hamas conflict. congressman jon a member of the armed services committee on the israel hamas conflict. an aid request for israel and ukraine. c-span's "washington journal" join the conversation live at seven eastern wednesday morning on c-span, c-span now or online at c-span.org. wednesday night at 11 eastern

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