ebeck will be here to talk about the health-care law and what to expect and what commerce will be dealing with. will be here on the issue of oil and gas drilling on federal land. that is baltimore morning at 7:00 eastern time, 4:00 for you on the west coast. "newsmakers" if coming up next. i hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend. have a great week ahead. withday, "newsmakers" michael needham. followed by a look at presidential power. later, a discussion with startup investors from this year's

annual tech crunch conference. today, you can take a look at the art in the u.s. capitol that depicts the american farartion with fa elliott. isour guest on "newsmakers" michael needham. started a policy advocacy organization. nice to have you with us. let me introduce our two reporters, neil king and karen tumulty. start with the new year. we're are going into an election year. the new health care law is

finally kicking fully into gear. the new year will begin with fights over minimum wage and long-term unemployment. what are the issues you are going to be watching most closely? which do you think are going to matter the most? >> in november, obamacare will be the top issue. you basically have two parties. one who was trying to stop the bill from going forward, new socialized medicine was not stop to work and try to it. another party willing to do everything it could to make sure the bill went forward. when you see the implications, the implementation started in terms of job loss, full-time workers, temporary workers, premiums going up. the last couple of months in terms of the federal government not being able to implement a project of that magnitude.

november will fundamentally be about this difference between one party, the party of woodrow wilson's progressivism and one of the more limited government. the democrats are saying they off be able to palay minimum wage. how involved in this are you going to get? >> we will monitor everything going on. we try to inform the country of what is going on in washington and what the elected members of congress are doing. unemployment insurance, the data extended unemployment insurance causes unemployment to be higher. it causes people to put off looking for work and finding work. we think 26 weeks is better for the country. it is better for people than 99 weeks. those are sites that will develop over the course of this

month and year. >> what about minimum wage? that is something that is hugely popular among all voters. theou have to look at policy issue. the president could try to spin this and make it into a message appeared at a time when applebee's is delivering food menus on an ipad, leading you order from your own table, raising the minimum wage will have a great effect on jobs. they looked at a project in the bronx. there is a plane to have 1200 jobs created. unfortunately, the higher minimum wage that was being applied caused it to be killed in a new project -- and a new project only creates 250 jobs. is it better to have 250 jobs that pay slightly more or better to have 1200 jobs. is a worthy goal

then solving some of these other issues that are out there. >> let's look back a little bit. it is fair to say the last quarter of 2000 13 was not a great quarter for the conservative movement or your group. it was seen as a debacle by a lot of people within the parties. it dropped to the lowest approval level. you had a falling out with speaker john boehner. a lot of republicans have decided to distance themselves. describe this bruising time? >> i do not think there have been that many republicans have distanced themselves spirit at the end of the day, if the shutdown was caused by the .resident as we are seeing the problems with obamacare, the fundamental

flaws for america that he had and that he has turned into law, more and more people are looking at conservatism is something that is admirable. 72% people do not like the republican party. i am one of those. they need to find the soul and who they stand for. when most americans of that washington, they see a game and pretend food fights. they have the tax code written in their favor. are a small business person or somebody who just wants to go to work and go on to your family, you do not have a voice in washington. gains and scores go together. you're very much part of the process. you'ref republicans say stirring things up within the party. tough questions. we informed the constituents of the answers. what botha lot like

of you too. we have opinions on legislation that go forward. we thought it was a bad deal when paul ryan and patty murray cut a deal to cut spending and raise taxes. we put out our argument. for democracygood for members of congress to go and more well informed constituency and answer them. that is what we're doing. i get it is frustrating to people in washington. it is easier when there are fewer people talking to your constituents, when you can frame a farm bill that 80% food stamps is about agriculture. is of the things we found there are people who said i do not need a farm bill. if it is having this gargantuan cost of the tax paper in the more people asking the tough questions, the better it is for

the democracy. >> what you say to those taking on your organization so directly? is an extraordinary moment. >> i do not know. it is probably better question for him. the republican party in washington should be big and up to be able to have backed based policy disagreements. we are good people -- and there are good people that are cutting this deal was the right thing to do for the country. i do not begrudge them that opinion. i disagree. when we look at the alternative we solve, keeping sequester while imperfect was better. this country should be strong enough that we can have those disagreements. >> do you consider john boehner part of the conservative movement? >> yes. he is a great conservative. i disagree with some calls he has made as speaker. we articulated our disagreements. >> there is been a lot written

about you and heritage action within the last few months. said because of heritage from aion having gone conservative think tank revered by washington republicans to the load ideological con sort --, sore, tough words. washington, d c today there are so many influences. the need to raise millions of dollars for campaigns, 33,000 lobbyists make it difficult to advance good principled legislation. one of the things we are trying to do is go over the heads of washington and talk about the types of bold ideas that can make america better. when you look at an idea that did toitage foundation

change the higher accreditation process, over a trillion dollars of student loan debt, the the graduate gets year over year. need to change the accreditation process. that is a difficult thing to be changed if you're in the pocket of universities with million dollar in thousands -- endowments. mike lee has been willing to take on the establishment. >> mike lee has undergone a real conversion of sorts. >> i do not think that is true. >> we could argue that. after the shutdown, he really rolled out this whole series of interesting ideas. he has that we cannot be the party of no.

we have to say yes. action is known as a reject, overturn organization. do you agree the republican party really needs to find an affirmative positive agenda to win not only this year but in two thousand 16? >> there are many bold ideas that have come out over the last couple of years. we create something three years ago called our saving the american dream plan. it looks at the entire federal government and said if you're starting from scratch and you were looking at the responsibilities of government and society toward individuals, what would a modern social security system look like? he took this plan. he turned it into a budget. in washington, it only got 17 votes which is probably an indication of why some the people look at washington, d.c. and frowned.

if you are willing to take on the status quo of this town, willing to say there are a lot of things that are good policy but they do not have constituency among the well- connected lobbyists and you want to take on the influences, you can have big, bold ideas. >> you have this concern. too much as ag rejection as a repeal. >> there are many institutions that have big bold ideas. washington, d.c. is the city of no. are so many different people who want to preserve this. the first experiences i had was tom delay saying there was no defense on the federal government. it is absurd. what he meant was true. every single dime of the federal government has been soaked in

for by some well connected interest in washington, d.c. what we need it the federal government wants to become more say is a willingness to what should these programs look like? washington does not yet seen to be ready to do that. speaking of bold ideas, immigration is being talked about again. the potential for some kind of movement. what do you think the republican party needs to do on immigration to ensure it survival? from allcome people around the world. you have 20 years

to do big, bold immigration. >> what about the ones that are here? >> that are all sorts of problems that are there. if you have a president of the wants to use that this issue for political means and not forgetting for policy, know that we need to increase visas. that is something we should agree on. we should have some sort of program to work for a time and go home. it is what many people want to do. once you start fixing the imbalance in the markets that becomes harder to do. now that we have fixed the system, what do we do about the people who were here right now? >> you would back some

incremental approach that would keep the amnesty off to the site? >> it depends. the president has been pretty clear that it would be difficult to get much immigration reform done. going forward, the right way to do it if there were people who are trying to solve problems is looking at what we can do to fix the system, starting to improve the matching between labor supply and demand. >> you do not think there will be any over peeling every vomit here until 2017. suggesting a bigger fix to the immigration system will not be possible until after this president. >> i do not think you will get a modern immigration system to this president. he does not want that because guestworkers do not sign up for the labor union.

until wee should wait have a policy that is more conducive to solving the problem. suggest that it will remain out of reach? i do not think this is true of the latino voter or anything else. >> whatever issues you have out there now, they are not voting -- working. >> bypassing passing amnesty and , althoughrack obama some latinos look at the republican party in say that is the party does these from he is pretty foolish and insulting to people that look at an entire ally of issues a who have sorts of concerns. people would party voters have big problems with the republican party. this is a party that

struggles to attract new people. what are the fundamental flaws with washington, d.c. that cause so many americans to feel disenfranchised from the system. the first party to get to this position says you are right. if you cannot hire a team of lobbyists, you do not have much of a voice in washington, d.c.. we will appeal to all sorts of different groups. it is a demographic anyway party struggle to do. >> there are two parties. last year or the two has been a story about inviting that suggested there are more than two parties. there is the inside versus the outside. there is a group that is different from the republican party. he said you are among the 72%

that is not like the republican party. talk about what is going on within the party. >> i think there's a healthy debate going on right now that looks at all sorts of issues. are we better off trying to do the best job we can within the current framework within washington, d.c. or do we need to start recognizing some fundamental problems that exist in this town? when i look at washington, it is a town to do -- that does everything it can to stifle out of the box thinking and is happy with the status quo through the job you have after the member of congress to make sure you have people who are giving you the patt checks you need to raise millions of dollars. >> republicans are just as guilty of that. >> republicans are caught in a

system that is not conducive to bold ideas. most americans intuitively get that. that is why washington has such low approval ratings. it republican party wanted to grasp onto big conservative ideas, we're going to fundamentally reform the tax code. there will be a lot of people in washington who are upset about that. at the end of the day, you're better off in an environment that has a tax code that is simple and fair and as low as a possibly can be while performing the necessary functions of the government. we're going to fight for that. a lot of people cannot afford to toe a team of lobbyists figure out how to get the marginal rate down to zero. >> there's nothing like nominees . >> the whole field excites me. when you look at people who will run in 2016, there is a great diversity. a lots of energy and

invigoration that will be in that field. it will be happy -- healthy to watch it going forward. what excites me the most is if you look at the republican all improve this in 1980. against him. what romney an independent of the time. thatw have the generation was brought up seeing ronald reagan. they believe the party of reagan will have people running in 2016 who have their formative years all competing to give the american people the inspirational message that showrvatism has been can how civil society can make life better for everybody. >> how is heritage action feeling about mitch mcconnell

force in minority leader? >> you can go to our scorecard. what we do is be very transparently for every member of congress lists all the votes we thought were important and why we thought they were important and how they voted. it is the job of the constituents, not me, to look at the scorecard and the overall score in say is this person doing a good job? >> the scorecards, this is not a static process. marshal of trying to resources in that race. what are you going to do? >> we are not involved in electoral accountability. we are asking tough questions, or informing voters of tough question so they can ask them back home. member ofjob of every the house to go home, talk to the constituents about what they have achieved in washington and answer the questions. opportunitiesome for some brinksmanship like we

saw last year, the debt ceiling debate will be one in particular. do you support their being some holding feet to the fire in ways maybe not great for republicans in an election year? >> why do we have a debt limit? many countries do not have. >> to fun world war i basically. at the same time we're going to install a fire alarm in our house that goes on in various increments and forces a conversation about whether we have taken on too much debt. there is a sense in washington that every time a smoke alarm goes off we need to take off the battery and spend some more money. we need to increase the debt limit. there's no way we can balance this overnight.

what kind of changes are we going to make to start getting this under control? these are checks of having government on autopilot and staying on an annual basis we are going to look at the appropriation bills and decide whether we want to go forward. it is part of a healthy system government. >> i think they talked laster about giving our country on a path to balance. if you are raising the debt limit you should be raising the types of policies that get our nation to a balanced budget. most families do that. it is responsible. it is not responsible to of $17 trillion of debt. any increase these to be accompanied by spending cuts the start getting our country toward that balance. >> what is your number one focus this year?

foror the republican party conservatives to prosper we need to show that we are the party of bold ideas. when you look this summer at a is ar education, that great opportunity to show how we can change the broken accreditation process and this country and empower people. when you look at the purest form of corporate cronyism, ending that is an example to show that we are not a party of washington but the party of the people. when you look at the appropriations bill, these are important things. this is an opportunity for the republican party to show that conservative policies are the sole of the party. --t is what wha to go positive? >> we have been positive the whole time. there was a big blowup over the

farm bill. antorically, there has been unholy alliance between inner- city people who care a lot about food stamps and from square states that care a lot about farm that had made sure the status quo had broken this year over year. it was perceived as negative that we were opposed to a continuation of that. we would love nothing more than to sit down with the committee. what does a modern 21st century farm look like? let's put it together. you're going to have to break this unholy alliance. people do not want washington to continue in this broken man are the only rewards those that can hire lobbyists. is necessary toward having the bold ideas that people hunger for. the speaker kirk -- >> the speaker could teach her organization. would you be as bold to give him some advice? would bey in congress

best served by putting forth bold ideas that show their value as a member of congress. i hope the speaker and everybody will look at some of these outside the box innovative ideas that are percolating around, learn the lesson that mike lee has shown and put forth these bold ideas and tell the american people why they make america best. >> thank you for being here. >> thank you for having me. >> "newsmakers" is back with neil king and karen tumulty. be struck with a comment he made that 72% of americans do not like the gop and i am one of them. where does that leave the party that goes into the midterm elections? >> his presentation was very much we are all in it here.

keeper in aurity lot of ways. heritage action has been one of the strongest forces in the city over the last year or so in other republicans regretted, particularly government shut down. it is clear he was looking more to a different approach. aboutt talking wanting to advance things that were a little more on the positive side. i do not know if it is right to say heritage action is undergoing any kind of a turning point. i do not think that is the case. i do think it reflects a little bit of the transition we saw at the end of december with in the republican party. maybe we are going into an election year. we spoke a loty, with him about the forces within the republican party. he described it as a party looking for its soul. the president has the lowest approval ratings of his term in

office. how does that factor into advancement? >> he is right. the countries discuss it with washington. every poll you look at suggests problemslican numbers is worse and worse. i was struck by the degree to which he was talking about a need to make the people who already are inclined to vote withlican more satisfied their elected officials. there is almost no talk at all if you areng people not already inclined to vote conservative and republican. now that is one of the big differences between the elements of the party, it is a struggle for the party's soul. that is a difference between the party that he represents and the part of the party that the establishment represents.

they really do have to do something that reaches out to actual swing voters. sociallso saw conservatives have a big meeting. they feel they have been a little too quiet and want to reassert their concern over social policy issues. how do you see this all playing out? this is a question for both of you. >> it is interesting. the republican party came out of the election. they did their autopsy report at the beginning last year. they said we cannot be a divisive party, particularly on social issues. they are welcoming a lot of conservative groups. they are trying to figure out how to go forward and make an impact. basically been that these other groups that are more concerned about limited

government and cutting spendin and the like is what mike needham represents much more. republicans are getting some big defeats. we and the year with gay marriage being illegal in utah. that is a big part of this. they look at what is happening on the ground. i do not know if asserting themselves again, is a question of persuasion. >> we have a minute left. we do have the budget again, the standoff between the parties on federal spending. next yearu see the being like? we are arty talking about 2016. is this basically in a holding pattern until the next big election? >> the terms of engagement have been set. i cannot see how anyth