what we do is to complex for you to understand, people don't like being told that. >> a senior strategist with -- you conducted a survey for c-span. thank you for walking us through it. >> thank you. >> c-span, where history unfold daily. was created as a public service by america's cable television companies. today, we continue to bring you unfiltered coverage of congress, the white house, the supreme court, and doubly policy events in washington, d.c. and around the country. c-span is brought to you by your cable or satellite provider.

>> president donald trump, he called for a government shutdown to get his border wall funded. congressional leaders are not sure whether he's going to try to provoke that. he is still talking to associates about the possibility, thinking it's a good political move to provoke a shutdown over immigration before the midterm election. ryan mcconnell and paul are really intent on avoiding that at all costs. they have set up a strategy where they are going to try to pass a series of packages of appropriations at least to get most of the government put on full-year funding, leaving homeland security, the state department, the justice department and commerce department on a stopgap through the election. that is the plan as we head into september. it could run into turbulent times if trump insists on redoing some of this. he is showing willingness to

assign the first of these packages, funding the veterans affairs department. that would reduce the impact of any >> and the house has been out for summer recess. the senate has taken a couple of breaks. human tend us some of the spending bill packages but could you give us an overview or a roundup of the packages that have been passed? the senate -- >> there are three parts. the legislative affairs bill that funds congress itself has the military construction and veterans affairs bill. it has energy and water which funds the army corps of engineers and the department of energy. the biggest problem with that bill has been veteran health funding. there is a be a choice act

signed into law by president trump that would increase services for veterans. that bill does not have any direct funding and there has been a fight about providing funding by making cuts to other bills. or do they declare it an emergency. that has been a big battle. shelbypitched richard would rather call it emergency spending against mitch mcconnell who prefers to make the cuts. he was with shelby in opposing a white house attempt to rescind spending. that decision died in the senate. and the decision was if we are not going to cut the caps on we are also not going to raise them. we will see how they square that. i think they could split the baby and declare emergency

spending on a small level for the first year and leave the bigger question to later years. that is the source of the minibus packages. there is another one involving the defense department and waiver hhs. becausea tricky thing the house has passed a defense bill but has not passed the controversial labor health and human services bill. it is controversial because it involves abortion, obamacare. thes a difficult thing for house to pass because it really divides the body. and the senate has confined them and successfully passed the second package. it looks like paul ryan is willing to go to conference with the senate on the labor hhs package even though the house has not passed the version which could cause some consternation for conservatives. the final one involves all of including thes

state department, commerce, and homeland security. that could be packaged with a stopgap measure. you mentioned president trump and he and his budget director and have said they did -- his budget director have said they do not want another omnibus. how do they plan to deal with the border wall and other controversial issues? the idea would be to have the president signed the first package with the veterans perhaps the second week of september. at least you have got it down a nine12 bill omnibus to bill. if you could get a second package, you could get it down to a six bill. you can just keep checking off some of the departments. and tell the president, we are not giving you them all. i think that is where we are headed. the bigger issue for crop is not the bigger issue

for president trump is not the omnibus but the funding of the border wall. $5 billion could be provided. the senate has set $1.6 billion. and the republican from west the end ofld us at august that she had gone to the border and is more comfortable with providing funding but the big question is what do you cut to provide that? transportation funds? health care funds? there is a reluctance in the senate to make those cuts for what many believe is a waste of money. a border wall. it cans eight-foot high, be defeated by a nine foot ladder. it is not as popular among republicans as it is with president trump and some of his poor base voters. -- or base voters. >> let us shift to brett

kavanaugh. democrats couple of or republicans that you will be keeping your eye on and what issues will they be hammering? >> the key question is will there be any republican defectors? because the filibuster has gone away for supreme court nominees, democrats in some ways are boxed out of this if republicans stay together. they have a razor thin majority. murkowskiins and lisa are under pressure being pro-choice republicans. and whether they can vote for someone who many people leave will be the pivotal vote and overturning the roe v. wade abortion decision. susan collins has been indicating and openness to brett kavanaugh. murkowski has been more circumspect.

to disrupten willing the best laid plans of mitch mcconnell but maybe not this case. for the questioning, it will be interesting to see how he responds to questions about executive power and privilege. he has made comments that raise eyebrows about whether a sitting president can be indicted and whether he can be charged with crimes. that is all very relevant to the robert mueller investigation. chris coons, the delaware democrat says he thinks brett kavanaugh should expect a lot of questions on that very question. been dealing has with executive nominations, judicial nominations, a lot of nominees to the circuit court and district court. how has the senate been able to rapidly go through all of these nominations? nobecause the filibuster is longer with us, the democrats are not has empowered as they have been in the past -- are not

as empowered as they have been in the past. warned thisell would happen. the republicans have stayed united. a few occasions where nominees but overall,cked democrats have not done all they can. 660re seeing a confirmation. there are a lot of other expiring deadlines in september including the farm bill which is a big issue in rural america that will expire. we have the violence against women act. the federal aviation authorities and also a real desire to get something done on opioids. >> we will continue to follow you on twitter and your handle

@elwatson. t well -- thank you so much. >> c-span's "washington journal" live every day with news and policy issues that impact you. coming up this morning, roll calls jason did in washington nelson discusse the week ahead in washington including the start of judge brett kavanaugh's supreme court hearing nominations. and author kaplan talks about his new book on the supreme court. be sure to watch c-span's "washington journal" live this morning at 7:00 eastern. join the discussion. >> sunday night on q&a, assistant editor of the atlantic zachary would talks about his " and growingored up in a troubled home.

>> my phone rings and i see it as my mom and i have a sense that this is not going to be good. i don't know what it was. i said this is not going to be good. i answered the phone. calmpoke -- she was very and kurt. zachary, child protective services are here, please come home as soon as you can. and i knew, that tone in her -- child protective services is here. i am asking myself if i'm going to live to see the next day. really. that is going through my mind. if ever at any point she and imoment alone with me make it through whatever happens and i get home to talk to them, lord knows what she is going to do. >> zachary would sunday night at 8:00 eastern on c-span's q&a. >> up next, law enforcement and

education officials discuss cyber bullying prevention efforts. we hear from lara rogers and a spokebullying victim who of his experiences of being bullied. this is about two hours. good afternoond everyone. i hope you have a chance to network with some of your colleagues. rubenstein and i work in the child adolescent and family branch. at the substance abuse and mental health administration. in our branch is the importance of youth voice. you heard joseph this morning with is really great messages