jason dick, reviews the week ahead in congress. and we will discuss the latest on the new omicron variant with dr. kristin englund, infectious disease specialist at the cleveland clinic. "washington journal" is next. ♪ host: good morning. monday, december 6, 2021. flags at half-staff this morning in reverence -- in remembrance of bob dole, who died yesterday at the age of 98. we are asking for your thoughts on the life and legacy of the world war ii soldier who, despite devastating injuries, went on to become senate republican leader, 19 96 gop presidential nominee, and lifelong advocate for veterans. eastern or central time zones, you call in at (202) 748-8000.

mountain or pacific time zones, (202) 748-8001. special phone lines for world war ii veterans and their family members this morning, (202) 748-8002. you can also text us at (202) 748-8003, and please include your name and where you are from. on social media, it is @cspanwj on twitter. facebook, facebook.com/cspan. a very good monday morning to you. go ahead and start calling in now, as we show you had less from the obituaries peer-to-peer get capital journal this money, their headline, bob dole's rise to national prominence started in small-town kansas. he died at 98. for the national papers, this is the washington times this morning noting that bob dole's lifetime of service, war survivor, and pointman for republicans, veterans causes. this is the front page of

another paper, war hero became a fixture in washington. washington post front page, gop senator got the votes, party leader with a neck for compromise, won the 1996 presidential nomination. from the new york times, gracias and savvy, dole led in a bipartisan era. taking your phone calls on the life and legacy of bob dole. want to start with president biden's statements on the life and legacy of bob dole. this was said yesterday, bob was an american statesman like few in our history, a war hero among the greatest of the greatest generation. the president said to me that he was also a friend he could look to for trusted guidance or humorous line at this -- at just the right moment. i will miss my friend, the president said, and i'm grateful for the time we shared and for the friendship our families

build. bob was a man to be admired by americans. he had sensitivity and honor. may god bless him. he had a legacy of decency, legacy -- dignity, good humor, and patriotism. i want to bring in on the phone, richard norton smith, longtime friend of this network, historian, author, also the founding director of the rubber gentle institute for politics at the university of kansas. good morning to you, sir, thank you for the time this morning. your thoughts this morning on bob dole's legacy, dying at age 98. >> well, that is a very big subject. the president sent me a statement yesterday and quoted from something senator dole said back in the mid-1980's when he was for managing the legislation

that created the martin luther king national birthday holiday, which is one of many dole accomplishments that people perhaps are not aware of. as i recall, the quote was, no first-class democracy would power some class -- second-class citizens. it really was a lifelong belief in one that was rooted in dole's upbringing. you know, it is tempting to see or define dole through his world war ii experiences, of course, his severe wounding and subsequent hospitalization, three years or more on both sides of the atlantic. but actually, bob dole's character, the character that

enabled him to survive that ordeal and eventually overcome it and go into politics, first of the small-town level and then in the congress and eventually at a national level, that was something that preceded the war. that was something formed in immodest rhetoric, residents at the corner of 10th and maple streets in kansas and on the football field and track. as a young man, ironically, he wanted to be a doctor. the irony is he would spend a good deal of his life around doctors. one of them he never forgot was an armenian immigrant who, after the war, as a way of saying thank you to his adopted country performed medical procedures,

operations, free of charge on badly wounded veterans, one of them being bob dole. that doctor sat him down at one point and said to him very candidly, you know, you have to understand what limitations, and effect, physically will be yours for the rest of your life, and you have to make the best of what do you have. dole took that advice to heart, never forgot the doctor's generosity. and i think, in his own way, he tried to give back, particular to veterans. long after he left the public eye, long after he was out of the senate, long after his presidential ambitions were behind him, dole made it his business -- he once told me, at least once a day, to do something for a veteran.

there were veterans all over the country, particularly the world war ii generation but not limited to them, who looked up to him almost as their president , certainly as their representative and advocate. it gave him great pleasure to navigate the federal bureaucracy . it is something that meant a lot to him. host: mentioned his presidential ambitions. we talked about his 1990 six campaign. ran three times the presidency. this is what the editorial board of the wall street journal says about robert joseph dole today. history can be cruel to candidates for president who lose, but bob dole's contributions to american life

far exceeded his failed campaigns for the white house. indeed, richard norton smith, we will play this clip later, but in his final speech on the senate floor, bob dole said, i would know more distance myself from the senate then i would for the united states herself. do you think bob dole ever regretted leaving the senate to run in 1996? >> i will tell you what he told me. he said later on that he never should have run in 1996, that he's year was 1988. of course, he won the iowa caucuses. for a few days, it looked like bob dole was going to be the republican presidential candidate. it'll collapsed over 48, 72 hours, and then new hampshire basically undid his hopes i think he missed the senate, to

be sure, i think he left the senate. it was a very different senate though, you have to remember. i remember the first time we ever met, i had been working for a book for a kind of republican you could not find today, a classic rockefeller type. he and bob dole, turned out, were very good friends. also, when brooke lost his reelection bid in 1978, he talked to dole, who was looking for a speechwriter. an appointment was made. i went down to washington. we met for the first time and talked for maybe 15, 20 minutes. and i went downstairs to the cafeteria and 10 minutes later, they found me there and said he wants to hire you. i would not have predicted at that point, to be perfectly honest with you, given my own political feelings at the time,

that it would have been the start of a 42-year friendship, both professional and personal. but i had the opportunity to see dole evolve, and especially -- remember, republicans took the senate for the first time since 1953, and suddenly, dole one from being in opposition figure who was releasing press releases to someone who was responsible for actual policymaking. and i think, in some ways, the 1980's for almost his best decade. i mean, social security was preserved through the device of a bipartisan commission because, needless to say, it was famously the third real of american politics, and no politician wanted to touch it. but the tax code was reformed in

a massive way. as head of the finance committee, dole had an enormous imprint on economic, health care, you name it, and it was an opportunity for him in some ways to shed the hyper-partisan reputation that he had developed in the senate. but it really was preparation for the white house bid in may 1988 and, to a lesser degree, 1996. host: what did bob dole say about the republican party of 2021? what did he think in recent years of this party? >> look, even now, there is controversy attached to senator dole's name. and certainly probably a number of people in your viewing audience this morning who have

not forgiven him, in effect, for twice endorsing donald trump, a man in many ways was polar opposite in terms of his character and service. and there are those who ask whether party loyalty demanded too much. the fact is, dole was a party man, and he -- i often thought -- talking about the campaign in 1996, there was a sense that -- i do not think he ever really thought he was going to win that campaign. bill clinton was riding the crest of a very strong economy and was only a very strong position throughout the campaign. i always sensed that, for dole, it was enough of an honor to have been nominated by his political party. but again, it is kind of a throwback. it is when political parties

define politics, our political leaders, in a way that i think is rare today. i think he never lost that sense of party loyalty. and you could argue that, in some ways, he outlived the period when that kind of loyalty was invariably considered to be an asset. i think the larger issue, the bipartisanship that dole practiced when he was republican leader of the senate and that went to achievements like the social security rescue or the martin luther king birthday bill, that kind of bipartisanship has virtually disappeared. because the two parties are no longer themselves diverse

collections, one essentially right of center, want essentially left of center, but in both cases, including in their number and also liberal republicans and conservative democrats. that political system, if you will, is history, and you see it play itself out everyday. dole used to say -- president ford put dole on the ticket in 1976, they were on the class of a politician who believed, even if we were in the minority, that at the end of the day, voters will judge us on our ability to get things done. increasingly, in today's political system, it seems the opposite, that the objective is to prevent things from being done. and that certainly is a kind of

united states senate with which dole was out of sympathy. host: richard norton smith, final minute here, what do we know about bob dole's wishes for where he would like to be buried? do you expect him to lie in the u.s. capitol? >> i am not sure, to be perfectly honest with you. the plans have evolved, as you can imagine, over time. i remember he once said to me that the one thing he wanted on his tombstone was, bob dole, veteran. and i believe he will be laid to rest at arlington. host: richard norton smith, presidential historian, author, friend of this network. thank you, as always, for your time. >> thank you very much for your interest. host: we're talking to viewers this morning on the death of bob dole, his legacy, his lifetime of service. want to hear your thoughts.

phone lines split regionally. (202) 748-8000, eastern or central time zones. (202) 748-8001, mountain or pacific time zones. and we have that line for world war ii veterans or family members, (202) 748-8002. greg from denison, colorado come up first on the phone lines this morning. good morning. caller: good morning. thanks for having me. as always, washington journal, you guys are the best. i watch you every morning. i am a democrat, and it is refreshing to see a person like bob dole who could get things done. in his job, he had morals. he had class. and something that is very rare to see in the republican party these days. i noticed that you opened the show with him next to the former president, and there cannot be

two different people, just like your guest just set on the phone . could not agree with him more. we need more republicans like bob dole that will do something, do their job. and i thank him and thanks c-span. host: thank you, greg. a call from revere, massachusetts, on that line for world war ii veterans and family members. good morning. caller: yes, that was awesome that you had mr. smith speaking. he is incredible. anyway, i am a daughter of a world war ii veteran. on the one occasion i went to the world war ii memorial in d.c., and i went, ironically, with my dear friend whose father was a prisoner of war in germany. he fought in the european space of world war ii. anyway, we show up, and lo and

behold, senator dole was there greeting people, and i guess he did that several times a week. it was a passion for him to greet visitors to the world war ii memorial. and i actually got to shake his hand and interact with him very briefly, and he was just so charming. and i miss that era of republicans. i was one time a republican that has long time gone from the party to extremes. i guess he would call me a charlie baker republican, but there is no place for me and the republican party these days. i miss that era of funny, compromising, decent, and his marriage to elizabeth dole, boy, she is a force to be reckoned with in her own right. i admired senator dole. there are a lot of great icons

out there, and he was one of them. thank you for taking my call. host: carolyn in ohio, same line, world war ii veterans and family members. caller: good morning. i want to ditto the previous caller's sentiments. and my father was a world war ii veteran, a pilot, and it is amazing that i am finding out so much that dole did just recently in what you all are saying, and it is so impressive. and my father was also a republican political man, however they call dole. and the coincidence is, in the younger days, my father looked so much like dole, and he has been gone for 10 years. but i appreciate the time it gives me to remember my father. and also, i will be thinking about dole, too.

thank you very much. host: that number four world war ii veterans and their family members, (202) 748-8002. on that front, after the world war ii memorial opened in 2004, bob dole visited two or three times a week each summer, greeting fellow aging veterans or quietly standing by during their pilgrimage. we have the press for the opening of the dwight d al's higher -- do dwight d. eisenhower memorial. it was bob dole back in 2009, his wife talking about their efforts to open the world war ii memorial on the mall. here is a portion of bob dole's remarks. [video clip] >> $5 million for start up from the government, and we had interest, of course, so we raised a lot of money. is it something we should have done? i don't know. i mean, 20 years, 30 years, 40

years, it will be like the world war i memorial, nobody even knows where it is. and they are going to finally recognize what our fathers did and improve the world war i memorial. a lot of people -- not a lot, but some would not give us money because they did not give to bricks and mortar. others, remember, very big corporate giant who said this does not fit our guidelines. and i said, well, world war ii did not fit our guidelines either. [laughter] and all we are asking is that you recognize, you know, people, your customers and others, your workers, but anyways it is wonderful and we have this great program called honor flight were if your father, grandfather, somebody wants to make this

trip, it is the most emotional thing that ever happens, and there will be tears in your eyes all day. i try to meet every flight that comes. yesterday, we had i think six states. it week ago saturday, we had 11 states with 800 veterans. but it is just such a wonderful thing to be there and to see these -- i do not say old guys, some of them have gotten older. it is not all gloom and doom and people sitting around with a box of kleenex. they have a lot of fun, and they are proud of what they did. where would we be without that generation? and some of these other

languages are hard to learn. [laughter] [applause] fortunately, i was seated in german class with the guy who got straight a's. i got a b. >> that is in fun. that is teasing. >> that is true. host: the late bob dole from the 2009 event from the robert dold institute of politics at the university of kansas. that event in our c-span video library, c-span.org. some other comments. this is kansas editor -- kansas senator terry moran, tweeting, i am regularly reminded to his

tireless commitment to kansas values well-being first and foremost a statesman, he treated others with respect and kindness. from roger marshall of kansas, as well, senator dole was an american hero, statesman of the highest order, and one of the greatest legislators of all time. most important, forever a kansan who always put service above self. i joined kansans and holding elizabeth, robin, and the entire family in our prayers. another tweet saying bob took me under his wing when i came to the senate, and i could not have had a better senator to learn from. he was the best friend and a mentor or, god bless the great bob dole. bernie, bob dole served his country with courage on the battlefield, with dignity in the senate. we send our condolences to his family. mitt romney, republican, saying when i think of the greatest generation, think of senator bob dole, a man who dedicates his life to serving our country,

rest in peace, my friend. we will be praying for elizabeth, their family, and loved ones. other statements yesterday from former president donald trump, the former president thing bob dole was an american war hero and true patriot for our nation, he served the great state of kansas with honor and the republican party was made stronger by his service. our nation mourns's passing, and our prayers are with elizabeth and his family members. want to hear from you on the phone lines that are split regionally. special line for world war ii veterans and their family members, that number is (202) 748-8002. this is kurt, akron, ohio. caller: good morning, and thank you for taking my call.

my first election -- i just disagreed with his policies, but i never ever lost respect for the man. i would say when he made his farewell address to the senate earlier in the summer of 1996, i watch that in real time at c-span, and i remember at the age of 19 taking that was one of the greatest speeches i had ever seen a politician gift. two years after he left office and after he lost the presidency, he actually came to can't state, where i was going to school, and actually spoke to the student body of can state, which at that time was unheard of for a republican to come to a college or university that was so historically known for its

antiwar, anti-republican activities from 1970. but i just want to say that i really have a lot of respect for bob dole, always did. i did not agree with him, but even at a young age, i had a lot of respect. yesterday i told my mom and dad, i said i feel like another part of my youth died yesterday. that was my first presidential election, and even though i do not vote for bob dole, that was part of my early voting experiences. excuse me, i am choking up now, the clinton-dole campaign, and jack camp is gone now, ross perot is gone, bob dole. my gosh, if you think about it, 1970 six, jimmy carter is the only one left from that campaign because jerry ford is gone, bob dole, walter mondale. we're all getting older, but these people should not be forgotten. i really think democrats and republicans can take a lesson

from these people like bob dole. host: do you remember how he was received by the students when he came to speak in that time that you remember? caller: i was a part of the college democrats at the time, and i just remember the college democrats were very respectful. they went and saw the speech and did not heckle or anything. it was just a different time, too. for me and for the people i was with, at least, we were there to hear him. we were paying homage to the man for his, at that time, 50 years of service to the country, because we respected it. we did not agree with it, but we respected it. and that is what is so seriously lacking today. you know, in the 25, 30 years, it was not that long ago in the scheme of history, but it does seem a long time ago and nostalgic today. but we were respectful to a degree, at least those of us

that i was with. i cannot speak for anyone else, but for me, it was just one of those things that, you know, i put bob dole in as one of the great republicans of all time, with john mccain, my former congressman ralph regula, who i did also cried the day that ralph regula died, too, because he was a lot like bob dole. you know, i should not have this hard a time with someone i did not vote for, but he was someone i had respect for. host: thanks for the call from akron, ohio. denise is next, austin, texas. good morning. caller: good morning, everyone. i just want to say that i am a regular person and do not know much about politics, never really cared. but i was in d.c. at the time around 1989 or 1990, and i want to congress and spoke to some

congresspeople and told them about our need for transportation in our small town. i was the reporting secretary of our community social -- association, and bob dole took it up. he took my proposal, and with his plan and his secretary irene, they made it into cars for careers. and i did not get a car because that would have been like corruption on the front end because it was my idea, but the program ran for 10 years, and i was so proud of that. host: did you get to meet with him personally and talk about that program? caller: yeah, yeah, after that first meeting with a bunch of them, irene and i sat with bob dole and came up with what i was really trying to solve.

it was for young women on welfare who would have to go back to work in suburbs and you did not have a car. you need a car to look for work. so my plan would give them that car. all they had to do was pay the insurance. and it had a lot of people involved like the school system, like people in shop class, the kids in shop class, would get the cars ready, so everybody was involved. so it ran for 10 years before there was corruption, people giving away cars to their friends and families. but that made me really proud, to be able to do something for somebody who needed it and it was bigger than myself, you know? host: thanks for the call. just after 7:30 on the east coast, spending this first hour

of "washington journal" hearing your thoughts on the life and legacy of the late bob dole, died yesterday at age 98. sharon, west columbia, south carolina, on that line for wall road to veterans and family members -- four world war ii veterans and family members. good morning. caller: my name is sure in jones, i live in west columbia south carolina. my senator is congressman in lexington, i forget his name because i am upset. forget about him for a second. my dad served in world war ii era he was a hero in world war ii he would from what i understand, he saved a battalion full of soldiers. because he was an african-american, he was not allowed to get all of the joy and the great things happening right now to bob dole's legacy. i been fighting for my dad for over 10 years, trying to get his

property back that was stolen from him, a house he built himself. he and the neighborhood were together in working through these wars and everything. when it came down to our glory and honor and everything for him, why aren't like people allowed to express their views about world war ii? i want to understand what happened to my dad. his name was paul c. cook, and the congressman i cannot remember because i am upset is congressman joe wilson, a very nice man. i reach out to his office, and he was very helpful to me. however, my family now is so upset, we cannot even put this thing in words what has happened to him. and i need someone to explain that to me. host: thanks for sharing your father's story this morning. we are talking to world war ii veterans and their family members, as well, in light of bob dole's service to veterans

over the years, his service to the country, service that included his time in world war ii and suffering a grievous injury just before the end of that war. it was on our afterwords program in 2005 that senator bob dole talked about his world war ii injury and told that story. here is bob dole from that program. [video clip] >> then we started up on the 14th, the weather cleared and we were able to bomb the germans along the so-called gothic line where they had the high ground and we had to try to penetrate it. went up the road i don't know how many miles and started up the hills and came to this famous hill, 913, and started climbing the hill, trying to clean out the germans behind a farmhouse, and we thought, with

all the bombardment of u.s. airplanes, we were duck soup, somebody set a slamdunk. i can't remember the guy come i think his name was george tenet -- in any event, more recent times, a radio man had been hit, and we do not know whether he was dead or alive and whether it was serious or not, and i went out to try to bring him back to a safe place, a little ravine there. when i got about two-thirds of the way, i felt this sting in my right shoulder, behind my clavicle area in the back. and i think my body kind of lurched and i fell forward with my arms outstretched, sort of in the dirt, my face in the dirt. then i later learned all these other things.

i did not know at the time whether it was serious, not serious, but i cannot move anything, cannot move my arms, cannot move my legs. i do not know what i thought, i might have thought i was just shot and maybe in a couple minutes i would get up and walk away. but i was losing a considerable amount of blood. and during that time i was there, there were four different men in my platoon who gave me a hand. they cannot stay with me. they did have one fellow stay with me for a while. but i think the main person, the sergeant, is still alive, lives in new rochelle, new york, and he went out and pulled me into a little safer place, but he pulled me by the right arm, which was already pretty well banged up. and the rest is sort of just life for 39 months in and out of the hospital, and then about a year and half more when i got up before i could say i was

independent and could button my shirt, comb my hair. my left arm was damaged, too. many people never understood, but i understood, i do not have feeling in my little finger and feeling in about half of the next finger. and the others feel like sandpaper when i rub my fingers together, and i cannot file buttonhole like you do. you just button your shirt automatically. i use a buttonhole, i pull it through the hole, and otherwise, i am in great shape. host: that from 2005 on our afterwords program here this morning, the flag at half staff over the united states capital in remembrance of bob dole. for more tributes on the military side, this is house armed services committee chairman adam smith, his tweet yesterday saying he joins all-americans in mourning the passing of bob dole, heroic

veteran, statesman, and a passionate advocate for those with disabilities, and my thoughts are with his family. iraq war combat veteran, senator tammy duckworth, saying when i was recovering at walter reed, bob dole was a patient, too, 81 years old then, and he had his own private room but always did rehab with the rest of us, cracking jokes and sharing stories about his army days. it was an honor to be able to call him a friend. taking your phone calls. world war ii veterans and their family members, (202) 748-8002. otherwise, phone lines split regionally. (202) 748-8000, eastern or central time zones. (202) 748-8001, mountain or pacific time zones. this is jerry out of idaho falls. caller: good morning. i honor bob dole as a hero. he received the purple heart. my father was a gunner, another

uncle turned 18 the day he hit the shore of iwo jima as a young marine. when my turn came, i went to vietnam to honor this country. i find it a shame that during the early part of my life, we always elected war veterans to serve as our commander-in-chief. bob dole should have been elected because, as the commander in chief need somebody who understands the cost of war and also the necessity of it. instead of bob dole, who did we elect, a draft dodger. so when i returned from vietnam, we were spit on. i have terrible memories that haunt me to this day. no tickertape parades. but i think it is a shame that in the state right now, where we have russia and china both

threatening world peace, that we do not have anybody as our commander-in-chief. i do not understand why dole, why john mccain were not elected president, because as the commander-in-chief, we need it, we need somebody in that position who has served our country in war and understands pose the cop -- both the cost and the necessity. thank you. host: thank you. talking about senator bob dole, last world war ii veteran to earn his party's nomination for president. a few comments from social media. this one says, well i did not agree with senator dole much of anything policy why, i respected him because he is a man of courage and decency and got along with people on both sides of the aisle. the senate needs more members like him for the republican party. tony saying, bob dole believed in compromise and legislating,

not like today's build back better. on facebook this says, not a fan of politics, but happy he is being treated with respect. the sacrifices he made for the country are appreciated. this says, great american from a bygone era. a call from new hampshire. good morning. caller: good morning. i am looking at your program here and seeing the other politicians, the current politicians, calling in and honoring this man and realizing they are not half the man that this man was. they sold themselves out. he was a man of honor. he served america. and there are not many people like him anymore. and it is a shame because he is

a great example of being a real patriot. a lot of people call themselves patriots, but they are not like this man. host: what makes somebody a real patriot? caller: a real patriot is you put your country in action. i was in the military and served from 1961 to 1966 in the u.s. navy, and i am very proud of my service and really think it is time for -- i think it would be good for everybody to serve two years in the armed services and appreciate what we have. i want to it a sign read recently that says, but for the brave, and of the land of the free but for the brave. in this man sacrificed for this country. and that is a real patriot. that is all i have. host: this is sean out of

raleigh, north carolina. good morning. caller: yes, bob dole was a great man with a great, wry sense of humor. my uncle lawrence sweeney was a private that was in battle, and he lost one leg from a shell landing 10 feet away from him. bob dole was a man of humor, very wry humor. he was in the elevator in the capitol and a noncapital page said to him, senator dole, what is the meaning of the number on the back of your tie? and he says, oh, i am colorblind and use the number to color coordinate my ties with my

suits. and so the page said, wow, you have 47 suits and 47 ties? and he said, well, i only have 12 ties, but my wife said if people saw i had 48 ties, they would think i was better dressed. more akin to the haberdashery of harry truman. that wry sense of humor will be missed. thank you. host: open to ares today talking about that since of humor, this from the "washington post," the tough guy image was underscored by a sometime self-deprecating and perfectly timed humor, delivered in staccato. after he left the 1996 presidential race, there was an difference. i slept like a baby, he said, adding, woke up crying every two hour hours.

it became rich fodder for "saturday night live." eric out of california. caller: yes, sir. this is eric from march air force base, california. i want to wish bob dole -- i am a military retiree, bob dole and his family, especially his family, condolences. he was a great man. i voted for bob dole. i am a registered democrat, but i voted for bob dole because i believed he was an honest man, which he was, and he served this country. we need more people like him, especially in congress, that have served their country. that is all i have to say. appreciate it, sir. host: to the sunflower state, roger, good morning. caller: hello? host: go ahead.

caller: yes, i grew up in kansas , close to russell. bob dole spoke and my high school graduation. he brought up the point, and i always call it the bob dole creed, an american creed he spoke about, which is what it meant to be an american. and -- host: go ahead, we're listening. i think we lost roger. phone lines to call in, (202) 748-8000 for eastern and central time zones. (202) 748-8001, mountain or pacific time zones. that line for world war ii members, veterans and their family members, (202) 748-8003.

one more tribute from a member appear on capitol hill, the republican leader in the senate, mitch mcconnell with this statement yesterday, senate republicans and the entire senate, they were better off for bob's stewardship. more important, his beloved kansas and the entire asian reap huge awards for the service -- and the entire nation reaped huge awards from his service. bob was a steady leader and a legislative master. he worked on food security, veterans issues, and the right of disabled americans that continue to have a lasting impact. bob dole lived a full, rich, and deeply honorable american life that would be impossible for any tribute today to fully capture as we mourn this distinguished american son. we send our condolences to the family. mitch mcconnell with his statement yesterday. from the "washington post,"

wrapping up his legislative achievements, saying he played a key role in expanding medicare to cover hospice care, providing support to rural medical clinics. he worked to expand medicare for children. issues for which bob dole developed a personal passion. aid for the physically impaired. he became a leading force behind the sweeping americans with disabilities act in 1990. after leaving office, became one of the most vocal supporters of the u.n. convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. he pursed the enactment of the martin luther king, jr., holiday, and a power behind the creation of the national world war ii memorial in washington, d.c. david in new jersey, you are next. caller: good morning, c-span, the best channel on television. host: thanks for that. caller: i would like to say that senator dole is the best of

america. he gave his life in service to our great country, and everything he ever did was for the american people and for us. i am 97 years young, and i can remember senator dole when he spoke to the american people when he ran for president. everything he ever did he always did for us. i would like to say that it is everyone in our country -- if everyone in our country was like senator dole, can you imagine what our country would be like? all i can say is, is there one thing you would like to be remembered, and he said, someone

who had a sense of humor who would -- and that is exactly who senator dole was. we are a much poorer country because of this loss. i remember going to the world war ii memorial in the washington, d.c., with the members of my unit. and it is a beautiful, beautiful place to be. an honor of america's best of the washington memorial. may bob dole rest in peace, and we all love you. thank you. host: david in new jersey on that line for world war ii veterans and the family members. several viewers bringing up bob

dole's service and veterans service to this country. some stats on this congress, is from the american legion, their rep above the numbers from the beginning of this congress, from back in january, the 117th congress has the lowest total of veterans since world war ii. 15 freshmen lawmakers joined the rank of military veterans serving in congress, a decrease of five from the previous congress, 74 of whom are serving in the house, 17 in the senate. in the years following the vietnam war, nearly three of four lawmakers have served in the u.s. military since a transition to an all volunteer force paired that number has dwindled to around 17%. veterans and servicemembers currently make up approximately just 7% of that population. 28 democrats, 63 republicans, 50 post 9/11 veterans commit more than half have served in overseas combat employments.

(202) 748-8000 in the eastern or central time zones. (202) 748-8001 if you are in the mountain or pacific time zones. veterans and their family members, (202) 748-8002. as you continue to call in, here is more in the late senator bob dole, his remarks at the medal of freedom ceremony, when he was awarded the medal of freedom by president clinton in 1997. [video clip] >> at every stage of my life, i have been a witness to the greatness of this country. even playing a small role, i have seen american soldiers bring home and leave graves in every corner of the world. i have seen this nation overcome depression and segregation and communism, turning back mortal threats to human freedom.

and i have stood in awe of american courage and decency. virtues so rare in the history and so common in this precious place. i can vividly remember the first time i walked into the capital as a member of congress. it was an honor beyond the dreams of a small town. i felt part of something great and noble, even playing a small role seems like a high calling. because america was the hope of history. and i have never questioned that faith, in victory or in on his defeat of the day i left office, it was undiminished. i know there are some who doubt these ideals. i suspect there are young men and young women who have not been adequately taught them. so let me leave a message to the future. i have found honor in the

profession of politics. i have found vitality in the american experience -- experiment. our challenge is not to question american ideals or replace them but to act worthy of them. i have been in moments when politics was elevated by courage in the history, when the civil rights act was passed, when the americans with disabilities became law. no one who took part in this honorable causes can doubt the public service at its best is noble. the moral challenges of our time can seem less clear, but they still demand conviction and courage and character. they still require young men and women with faith in our process. they still demand idealists captured by the honor and adventure of service. they still demand citizens who accept responsibility and who

defy cynicism, affirming the american faith and renewing her hope. they still demand the president and congress to find real unity in the public good. if we remember this, then america will always be the country of tomorrow. every day is a new beginning and every life an instrument of god's justice. mr. president, mr. vice president, elizabeth and i joined in wishing you and misses clinton and vice president and mrs. gore all the best as you embark on your second term. may god bless you and each inhabitant of this house, and may god bless america. [applause] host: senator bob dole from 1997, the former senators died yesterday at age 98. christopher in englewood, new

jersey, you are next. host: good morning. bob dole represented what we call a one-of-a-kind genuine leader who spoke up for the voiceless, particularly people with special needs. as a person with special needs, i share great appreciation over the death of a man who fought very hard for the betterment of all humanity and a man who reached out to both parties politically. he single-handedly changed the lives for the better of people with special needs to pass the americans with disabilities act. he is a symbol of the determination to see that every american, regardless of challenges, is entitled to live the same rights and have the same universal rights have a job, have a decent, acceptable education, be allowed to vote, and more. we are grateful to a man who not only changed so many lives but also made a national holiday for a man who had a dream that all people could live better.

for this reason alone, our hearts, thoughts, and prayers, and our appreciative prayers go out to his wife and entire family. we also have deep -- this man did so much in his 98 years on this earth, including remembering those of the greatest generation, defending our freedom and a time in history when it was threatened by ideology that was twisted beyond. he served this country with profound significance. we salute him and thank him, and may mr. bob dole rest in peace, where he now belongs to history, he belongs to the ages, and now belongs to the angels. host: ken, granite city, illinois. you are next. caller: hi, i am -- i will clarify my comments by mentioning i am a veteran of vietnam, and absolute lifelong liberal democrat.

the only good thing i can say about any republican is probably about eisenhower, and that is about it. people should know that dole was so corrupt that there was a book written about him called "senator for sale," and he would bent over backwards for his donors to write special provisions into laws that would benefit his donors. that is a problem, maybe bob dole was just an example of, and we have many, many examples in congress of people doing that. but it is telling that he is the only one i know of who we hold book was written about him, and someone might check it out if they really want to look at his service to america, take a look

at the book called "senator for sale." that is all i have to say. host: a few more comments from social media and text messages. john in texas saying, make bob dole rest in peace, pretty big shoes to fill. unfortunately, there's not a republican man in congress that can fill them. the closest person is liz cheney. in this from tony, saying bob dole kept a cigar box on his desk at all times, and the store is worth noting. from the kansas city star, here is a picture of that cigar box next to a picture of abdul from during his -- of bob dole from during his time in world war ii service. that story about that cigar box in that article from the kansas city star, talking about bob dole's time recovering from his

injuries during world war ii, injuries sustained just about 25 days before the end of the war, bob dole during his long recovery wouldthere is a story s that involves a cigar box from the old drugstore where joe worked in high school. he grabbed an empty cigar box and placed it on the counter -- attached a dull fund label and placed it on the counter. the donations came in. even banks pitched in. the surgeries came in waves. a chunk of scapula was removed. muscles work reconnected to his right arm. dole was loath to accept that he would be partially disabled. he had wanted to become a

doctor, but that dream was gone. dole worried he'd wind up an invalid selling pencils in downtown russell. i do not remember when it started, though once said, but one day, you add up and say, let us think about the future. maybe bob dole can do something else. that is going to do it for this first hour of washington journal , but we will return to bob dole and your thoughts on his legacy in our last half-hour today at 9:30 eastern. stick around. we want to hear your stories, thoughts. but next, a look at the weeks ahead on capitol hill. we will be joined by roll call deputy editor jason dick. later, dr. kristin englund, at

the cleveland clinic, will join us to discuss the omicron variant. ♪ >> this week, both chambers of congress are in session. the house will take up a bill to prevent abuses of essential power and the senate will work on executive nominations, including confirmation of the next fcc chairman. on tuesday, a house oversight and reform subcommittee looks at threats posed by terrorist organizations like al qaeda and isis with counterterrorism hence from state and defense. the inspector general of the u.s. capitol police testifies in an oversight hearing by the senate rules and administration committee following the january

6 attack on the capitol. that afternoon, the senate foreign relations committee holds a hearing on u.s. relations with russia. on wednesday, at 10:00 a.m. eastern, the house financial services committee looks at cryptocurrencies and other digital assets with testimony from ceos of several digital currency companies. at 2:30 p.m. eastern, instagram ceo testifies before a senate subcommittee on his platform's efforts to protect kids online. watch online or artful coverage on our new mobile app. also had to c-span.org for scheduling information. c-span, your unfiltered view of. -- of government. ♪

>> the book is called wasps. the people featured are familiar names from history -- renton and eleanor roosevelt, henry adams, t.s. eliot, walter lippmann, whittaker chambers, to name a few. the publisher pegasus rights that wasps were creatures of glamour, power, and privilege, yet, they were unhappy. >> buchholz plus is available on the c-span now or wherever -- book notes plus is available on the c-span now cap wherever you get your podcasts.

host: glad to welcome jason dick back to the washington journal. he is roll call deputy editor. jason dick, you have covered congress for well over two decades. what is your bob dole story? guest: one is something that occurred every year and is more prosaic. one is a very memorable. the recurring one is every veterans day, dole was at the world war ii memorial, something he made a huge -- played a huge part in making habit, fundraising amenity to be there so consistently, it meant a lot. a lot of the veterans go there once. we have lost a big chunk of the greatest generation. they are all in their 90's at

this point. the fact that dole was there every single time, even though he was sick his last few years, it meant a lot to the veterans and certainly showed what type of person dole was in his commitment to them. the one that is seared into my memory is when senator dan anyway died in 2012, he was also a veteran, he and dole developed a close relationship when they were rehabbing at walter reed. that followed them into the senate. when it away -- inhoe died in 2012, he laid in the rotunda of the capitol. early on, dole shut up.

he was in a wheelchair. he stood up, which was not an easy task, and walked a couple of steps toward the casket to salute it, because he did not want inhoe to see him standing up. he was a genuine kind of person. those memories stick with you. host: do you think bob dole will lie in the capitol? guest: there will be some sort of memorial. what form it takes -- these distinctions mean little to the public, whether it is lying in state, the rotunda, but i cannot help but think that there will be some sort of remembrance of him being recognized, his casket in some sort of honor in the capitol loading.

host: we noted a busy week on capitol hill. what with that ceremony mean for the senate's schedule? take as through what things are looking like and how it could change. guest: as you mentioned, we have a busy few weeks heading into the christmas holidays. one thing congress was able to take off their list was funding the government. the president signed a short-term continuing resolution to keep the government operating until february. there is notetaking shutdown clock that they have to worry about, but some big ticket items are on the agenda. both chambers would like to make significant progress, if not passed, the pentagon policy bill.

it is in the senate last week after a disagreement over amendments. the plan is that the committee will conference at themselves and the house will pass that at some point. this is on the house schedule for the week. the majority leader sending out a note saying they hope to consider their version of this and will send it to the senate. the senate will pass it theoretically. there is still some sticky issues that they need to resolve, particularly when it comes to how luke perry justice is configured in -- how military justice is configured in the pentagon. sexual assault is one of those big topics still hanging ever this process. there is also the debt limit.

it may not get done this week, but it needs to get done within the next couple of weeks. janet yellen has said december 15 is the date where congress needs to send something to the president to either suspend the debt limit or raise it. how we get there is an open question. the republicans have said they are not going to be a part of raising the debt limit or suspending it again. they want democrats to use budget reconciliation, which averts a filibuster, for that that gets into all kinds of procedural things that could add a lot of days and minutes to the clock. it is unclear when they are going to start that process, but it is also on the schedule. we are also in the middle of another big debate over the build back better plan. this is also in the senate now.

the house passed it earlier. the senate is debating, the parliamentarian is looking at various aspects to see if it adheres to the rules of the reconciliation process. those are the three big ticket items that congress wants to dispense with before the end of the year. i see so much attention on the taking clock or the pinched calendar, but it feels like even though there we've got a few weeks for the end of the year, this is going to be a cramp schedule. the fact that we do not can w the exact venues -- that we do not know the exact venues, is cause for conservator host: there seems to be an upcoming d-day for the debt ceiling. we just got past a government funding cliff.

is there any specific day build back better has to pass by? what is pushing that to happen this month? could it slip into the new year? guest: there is not anything especially poignant about this month that the back better has to pass by the end of this month. there are some procedural questions. i would have to come through in the center about -- a lot of the senate rules about which reconciliation package can past first. they would love to pass the bill back better plan first and get a clear lane to if they do have to use the same reconciliation procedure for the debt ceiling. nancy pelosi and chuck schumer have said that they would prefer to do this in a bipartisan fashion.

but you run up against senate filibusters and more time. at this point, they may have an idea they have not shared with the press or members of their but we do not know what it is. you like for them, that would do build that printer first so they can turn their attention to the debt ceiling next, but it depends on how much progress they make on areas of disagreement. democrats do not have the votes, particularly joe manchin and just a cinema saying, -- and kyrsten sinema saying that is something we can afford, that is not. the timing is really one of those mysteries that we will have to be dealing with and is

causing an ease, because people do not know how to plan for the rest of this month. host: let me invite viewers to join the conversation. there are a lot of moving parts, rules and procedures. if you have questions about those, the politics, how it is going to work, jason dick a great guy to ask those questions to, deputy editor at roll call. phone numbers -- republicans, (202) 748-8001. democrats, (202) 748-8000. independents, (202) 748-8002. jason dick will be with us until 8:45. one question on the continuing resolution that was dispensed with last week to fund the government -- what is the difference between a cr and a

full-year funding agreement for the agencies themselves? does it make a difference that these bills get kicked down the road versus a full-year funding package? guest: it does make a difference for the agencies, the government as a whole. on a broader level, just for having your act together as a government entity or organization, the issue with continuing resolution, the reason cabinet secretaries are not huge fans is it basically freezes in place the spending levels agreed to the previous fiscal year. right now, they will be operating through third rate 18 on the -- through february 18 on the fiscal year that ended december 30.

particularly with spending and appropriation levels, that is true that congress cannot get his work done on time. this new fiscal year began october 1 and is operating under the same spending levels as the previous fiscal year. for democrats, one reason that that matters is that they are in control of house, the senate, the white house right now. they would like to enact their own spending priorities and either plus up different accounts or decreased accounts that they do not think need as much money. the levels that the government is operating under our spending levels agreed to under donald trump and a republican senate and democratic house. ideally, for the party in the power, want to get your stamp on government.

the democrats are not able to do that with this continuing resolution. every agency has people who are not as political party leaders. they have to deal with our spending levels and cannot plan. they do not know what will be the case for the rest of the fiscal year. let us say they do agree to something. then you have this truncated fiscal year where you are only able to work on new projects and priorities, things like the infrastructure bill, that art these different programs that, ideally, you would want to fend at their fullest level. you can only do that for about half the fiscal year. in the process starts again. that is one of the reasons that agencies and departments would rather have a fully vetted,

fully agreed to set of spending priorities that they can follow through on. another thing that works against congress and the white house is that when you come back, let us say they get everything wrapped up by the end of this year. they come back in january. you immediately have to start this process again of figuring out what you're going to compromise on, make a deal on, and jettison. january, february, those months are going to be spent dealing with last year's fiscal year numbers and how they can translate to the current one. it jams you up. when you get behind, it is hard to get ahead and hold serve. they are in that case right now, where they will be dealing with

this into february instead of other priorities. host: several callers waiting to chat with you. bob, chicago, democrat. caller: i love c-span. i would like you to answer these two questions. why cannot the democrats and publicans act like -- republicans act like adults and get along for the best of the country? the second question is, why do not like nancy pelosi and chuck schumer? they remind me of bo winfrey -- oprah winfrey. oprah acquired a billion dollars without shaking. that does not mean i do not like beyonce.

host: bob, do you want to get your comment in? caller: my comment is joe biden asked his wife, i think he lost his son. he does such a decent job, got us out of afghanistan. why do not they leave that man alone and he behind him as our president? host: jason dick will take the questions. why cannot democrats and republicans get along and -- it along? guest: this is the mystery of the ages. a lot of it comes down to money. the inversion of in politics is the art money rates for campaigns and causes, the more powerful you will be.

right now, the thing raising a lot of money is emed icing the other side. -- demonizing the other side. the aftermath of bob dole, this was an inherently decent man. this was a artisan man, no bones about him being a republican leader, but he also knew when to form alliances with democrats in a way that was good for the public. there are still people like dole left in congress, but they are outnumbered by loud, poisonous voices looking to demonize others. in terms of people like hillary clinton and nancy pelosi, the simplest answer is they are effective. when you are effective, you attract enemies. host: rod, new york, independent. caller: following along with

what you just said, i was a casual observer of c-span, the new york times, twitter. i am lost in feeling where it will history place this current battle in congress that is going on not only with voter issues, but particularly in infrastructure is where i initially called to, this bill, i think it is a needed bill, but with all the arguments floating around, it is hard to decipher what it is actually addressing. we are getting lost in the argument between republicans and democrats. maybe this is the same old same

old. i get pessimistic thinking that oligarchy has always been the rule. any comment? guest: i think that -- i am prone sometimes toward cynicism and pessimism on a personal level. it is not so much the environment, but that is to darkside. but i am reminded by people who like to call my bluff every once in a while that, yes, these are particularly dark times -- we are coming up on an anniversary of an attack on congress --, but the fact that congress has been able to come together on something like the infrastructure bill. this had a lot of republican support in the senate. it was almost a grassroots thing. it involves the rank-and-file.

infrastructure week was sort of a punchline, at least in the cap event and, -- capitol and congress. the fact that we were able to see this happen in the last year and the way the congress reacted to try to shore up our pets, shore up -- drop markets, shore up unemployment systems, infuse the country with support during the pandemic, it is tough. these are difficult times. i do not think there will be any disagreement about that in the years to come. but they have addressed the fundamental issues. there is a lot there that they still need to grapple with. some of these issues are intractable. you mentioned voting rights. i think an abortion rights fight is coming next year after the supreme court rules on mississippi's law.

there are going to be fights left, but they also have found ways to address some of these issues. this infrastructure bill is going to make a big difference for a lot of community spread on a basic level like roads and bridges, but bigger issues like broadband. this has the potential to be changing. maybe some people will say that is a better way of things and then screaming at each other. host: you mentioned january 6 and the anniversary. tomorrow, the u.s. capitol police inspector general michael bolton will be testifying before the senate rules and administration committee. we will be airing that on c-span3, c-span.org, and now video app, what is the latest on

whether it is the senate investigation or the select committee in the house? what are you watching for you? guest: this week, it seems like the house committee is letting no moss growth in terms of turning out subpoenas. we are following whether the resolution against jeffrey clark , who was a justice department official, who was held in contempt id committee for not cooperating, whether that will proceed or go away, he was deposed on saturday by the select committee. they worked out an agreement to avert a contempt of congress citation. that is a big part of what we are seeing. this is a tense issue. but i do think that it shows that the system is proceeding in terms of its investigation. this committee had to go it

alone, because the senate could get their act together that would allow -- to pass something that would allow a bipartisan commission. people are learning more about the attack, what went on before, during, after it. i would not be surprised if there are more subpoenas. i am interested in what michael bolton will say to the senate rules committee. there investigations in the senate, -- theri -- tgeir investigations in the senate, these things tend to be lower key in the house. bolton certainly has not rested in terms of trying to figure out what happened that day. we are probably going to get hearings, a lot of hearings in the coming year. i do not know how much time and

appetite there will be for big scale hearings before christmas, when they will be dealing with some of these big deadlines. next year, i think the select committee is going to have a full slate of hearings. we will start presenting their findings. host: have you heard anything about preparations for that anniversary? guest: remarkably little. steny hoyer released a schedule for the house in the coming year. he house is not scheduled to be in session that day. they are not scheduled to return from that rate until january 10. hoyer said there would be some sort of marker ceremony, but this is still one of the things

where i am not sure why we seen a broader thing there is still disagreement between democrats and republicans about exactly what happened that might be hampering the ability to plant some of this. it is still a charged issue. i am surprised that has not and more done. i am guessing that we will have some impromptu stuff around the area, particularly with the people who defended the capitol that day, but capitol police, metro police, park police, it is where -- weird that we have not heard more about what ways we will remember that day. host: coming up on 8:30 on the east coast. phone lines if you want to join the conversation about the weeks ahead on capitol hill -- republicans, (202) 748-8001.

democrats, (202) 748-8000. independents, (202) 748-8002. tim, michigan. caller: this is a first-time call. i would like to state that this sad in our country today, we have so much hostility towards each other. i do not really think we do, but the rhetoric that comes out of the news and everything, the negativity is hurtful to this country. if we could cut back on that a bit and try and heal, that would be awesome. host: jason dick, any thoughts?

guest: the caller is speaking for a lot of people whose voices make lost in the hostility. not to get too philosophical or squishy on a program about legislative agenda, but people may be surprised how much it means for somebody for small acts of kindness. it is very easy to send many on twitter, get angry, when you see a quote, a lot of the time out of text, but it means so much more when people are kind or seek common ground or seek death use the situation. perhaps this is the opposite side of my personality. underneath the senate, there is a romantic part i hope that that

is the case not just with congress, but also with people. hoping that people can extend courtesies to people they do not necessarily agree with. host: on the day after the death of bob dole, who is being remembered for leading in a bipartisan era, how much do you think members themselves will stop and reflect on that? does it make a difference to them? do they just do the ceremony and go back to political wars? guest: i think it means a lot to most of them. there will always be some people who are distance from it. they did not know dole, but particularly for some of the older members and those who carry most sway, it i think it means a great deal to people

like pat lahey, chuck grassley, nancy pelosi, mitch mcconnell. they may ask in partisan ways now and may react in ways that some people would not consider helpful in partisan fights, and in moments like this where we can all pause and reflect on somebody like dole, who fought for his own priorities as a partisan but never lost his sense of humor and ability to connect, i it is matter. the more that we can step back, the better off we will be. when john mccain died, i feel like that moment was probably similar to what we will see with dole. they were both war heroes, genuinely interested in the

legislative process, interesting people. their deaths meant a lot to the people in the capitol and enable people to pause and recognize that there is more that unites us than divides us not to take anything away from the passion that people bring to politics or the severity of some disagreements that we have over big issues, but if we can pause in moments like this, it does enable people to think twice about that comment on twitter. host: naples, florida, patrick, democrat. good morning. caller: i am a recovering southern democrat here in desantis, florida. i do not know what is going on. bob dole is a great man. so was john mccain.

when these so-called republicans will fight anybody that stands up against from, it reminds me of a guy back in the 30's and 40's. what do you think? guest: i think that there is very much a sway and a hold that donald trump has over the republican party. one of the things that is dispiriting is to see people who in the hallways will tell you that they disagree with his policies or do not really have much use for the way he vilifies people, but publicly, they feel like they cannot step away because they will be punished by their own voters or party. liz cheney, she stood up for

what she believed in terms of pushing back on the former president's times about voter fraud and has been vilified by her own party on capitol hill, back in wyoming. this is the third ranking republican in the house, the daughter of one of the most powerful vice president in our history. i do not mean to minimize the way that politics has changed in the last few years, particularly intra-republican politics and how much influence donald trump has, but it does not take much for people to forge their own path and do what they believe is right. there are republicans who are standing up, distancing themselves, attempting to go their own way and figure out what is next.

looking forward decades, not just in the next election cycle. what happens in the interim is going -- is unclear. this midterm will reveal a lot about what the direction of the republican party and help democrats react to the post trump environment. they still rely on him for fundraising, too. it is a tactic that they use. i do not have an easy answer. but i do think that it is helpful to keep in mind that these things do not last forever. host: less than 10 minutes left with jason dick, roll call deputy editor. jean is in syracuse new york. caller: i think i have some information that could help her -- could help. what you were just talking

about, some people seem to not care for trump, but at other times, they do. really, this is exactly hide into january 6, is there is two competing stories. the real story about the sixth was that was not trump supporters, had nothing to do with them. they were infiltrators, black lives matter, probably, and nt five. they were paid to the there. this was planned. host: jason dick, have any of the investigations shown that? guest: no. they have proved the opposite, especially with the plea agreements that a lot of the folks who invaded the capitol

and ransacked it, they have been clear that they were there because they thought that that is what donald trump wanted them to do. there is zero evidence that it was from black lives matter or antifa or people trying to make donald trump look bad. if you doubt that, you can look at some of the rallies, particularly january 6, in which trump told his supporters to go to the capitol, and all the reporting sense in which he tried to pressure officials, everyone from his own vice president down the line, to overturn the election. host: from twitter, how much will results of 2022 be determined from the effectiveness of the january 6 coverage being covered by the mainstream media? guest: that may be true.

i think that -- one think the previous caller showed is that people are, in a lot of ways, they are wedded to their own narrative. if people are tuning into the process, i think that is healthy, because they will see people who are going to argue their version of it. i think that it is a good idea for people to turn in particular the nc spent, for the hearings -- on c-span, for the hearings. there is less of a filter. i do not know the widescale effect on house races. every race is going to matter, because the margins are so close. republicans probably have a built in advantage in terms of their chances to reclaim the majority, because of demographic change and redistricting.

they control the process in right a few states and are able to shape the districts in a way that benefits registered republicans. i do not know if the january 6 commission is going to sway a lot of swing votes in about why, but i think an informed electorate is always a better thing than an uninformed electorate. host: florida, dennis, line for democrats. caller: i really appreciate c-span. i keep listening. as an engineer, i wrote specifications. i would assume that both the house of representatives and the senate have a copy of what they voted on to raise the debt limit. oh wait a minute, well donald trump was the president, which they did several times.

saying, wait a minute, we voted on try some billion dollars. now -- on $27 billion. now we are going to vote on $29 billion. both parties added to the debt of our country. do you think you could find a copy of that and send it up to the hill? guest: i think there are plenty of copies. one of the things that has defined a lot of the last few years is, are these fights over the ceiling and appropriations, things that used to be pro forma , done on a bipartisan basis. particularly, the people digging in, saying they know that they helped raise the debt ceiling on a bipartisan basis as recently as the last administration.

but there is some gamesmanship. mitch mcconnell in particular notes how to stretch out the clock for his own purposes. he knows how to eat into the clock when the democrats are in the majority. he knows that they suspended the debt limit. he was instrumental in the last race a couple -- last raise a couple of months ago, but he wants chuck schumer to have a miserable time in the near future. he is going to make sure that democrats and this one, even though he was instrument till in raising the debt limit and he was majority leader. host: two minutes left. tracy, columbus, georgia, independent. caller: i am calling from georgia. i am really concerned about this

country moving for in a forward- thinking, collaborative manner where everyone is included. host: what is your question? turned on your television. it makes it easier to hear. caller: i am ready to see something put in place about police brutality. guest: i think that that is one of those issues that is not going to be addressed for some time. i do not mean to be a downer, but there were talks, bipartisan talks, process chamber talks earlier this year about addressing structural reforms in the police departments. they collapsed. it is unclear when they will come back, particularly in the

heat of a political campaign here. i do not have a good answer. host: but we will have you back in the new year. jason dick, deputy editor at rol l call. next, we return to the pandemic on a day that new travel restrictions go into effect in regards to omicron. we will be joined by dr. kristin englund of the cleveland clinic to take a look at what we know so far about the emerging variant. but this is president biden from late last week talking about his five-step plan to battle covid this winter. president biden: there are five key actions that i want to see us take. first, expanding the booster campaign with more outreach,

more appointments, more hours, more times, sites, providing shots for up to 110 billion americans who are eligible for boosters. parenthetically, i was talking to one of my folks who does polling and national strategy. he said there is some evidence in one poll -- i will not mention it because i am not positive of the number -- i was told when i was leaving the white house that there is an expectation that 30% of the non-bexar to sign under no circumstance will i get a vaccination, because of the new variant, they are saying, am going to get a vaccination the second point is that launching new family vaccination clinics to make it easier for children, parents, whole families to get vaccinated in one place and new

policies to keep children in school instead of quarantining them. the third piece is making free, at-home test more available than ever before and having them covered by private insurance, available in thousands of locations, available in community health centers and other sites for the uninsured. for, increasing our response team -- i know that people in this audience know credibly well what a surge team is. they make a gigantic difference. republican governors, as well as democratic governors, contact me , thanking me for these teams. some communities are hit so much harder than others. they just cannot make it without

the surge team spirit the fifth thing, we will accelerate our push to vaccinate the rest of the world and strengthen international travel rules for people coming to the united states. mike plan pulls no punches in the fight against covid. it is a plan that i think should unite us. host: each week, we spent some time focusing on the pandemic. this week, we are joined by dr. kristin englund, an infectious disease doctor with the cleveland clinic. we start this morning with a lot of questions about omicron. can you start with what we do know and what we are waiting to find out? guest: what we do know is that this is a variant of concern,

mostly because it has more mutations than we have seen with other variants thus far. mutations mean it has got potential for being either more transmittable or potentially more deadly, or it has the potential to evade vaccines. all of those are potentials. we do not know the answers to those questions. we just found out about this variant two weeks ago a lot is done to try and understand whether we need to be as concerned or not. we are dealing with delta. that is a deadly variant, but omicron still has a lot of questions. host: when we start to get those answers? guest: i expect that we are

going to be seeing some hard data within the next 1-2 weeks. they are looking at trying to grow some of the variants and mixed with antibodies to see if the antibodies are effective or not. south africa was so good about getting this information out to the worldwide community so that everybody could start to study this. host: these mutations, is it more of a problem for vaccine effectiveness or the new treatments we are starting to see and the effectiveness of those treatments? how does one versus the other fate covid when it comes to omicron? guest: the main thing that our vaccines fight against our forming antibodies against the spike proteins. omicron has about 15 -- 50

mutations. about 30 of those are on the spike proteins. it has the potential to make a difference in the antibodies that we have made in response to the vaccine and how those antibodies are going to be able to attack the virus. a lot of it is based upon the spike protein and responses to that. host: yesterday, the cdc director was asked about whether the fda would streamline the process to allow new vaccines to be approved to fight omicron specifically. here is what she had to say. >> one of the things about booster, a variant-specific booster, moderna, pfizer, johnson & johnson a bank they could do this within three months, but then you have fda

approval. is there any world where you can see that moving faster? >> much of that i would have to defer to the fda, they are already in conversations about streamlining the authorization of an omicron-specific vaccine, partially because much of the vaccine is the same. it would just be the mrna code that would have to change. certainly, fda will move swiftly and cdc will move swiftly right thereafter. host: dr. kristin englund, this process of trying to get the vaccines to keep up with the variants, what are your thoughts? guest: the benefit we are seeing is the mrna platform used to make the pfizer and moderna vaccines and that that can be adjusted fairly simply to make new variations.

they have already proven that the basic platform is safe. it just needs a couple of modifications. it has been a wonderful benefit to be able to see this new type of vaccine available that can be modified. host: talking about omicron with dr. kristin englund. she has taken your phone calls before and doing it again. the phone lines split regionally. (202) 748-8000 eastern or central time zone. (202) 748-8001 if you are in a mountain or pacific time zones. as folks are calling in, on the public-health reaction to omicron, what have we learned from delta? what have we applied this time around? guest: what we have learned from delta is that we need to be very

aggressive in our vaccine campaigns to be able to make sure we get this under check so that we don't get more and more variants. the more virus that is out there, the more chances the virus has two you take and become potentially -- to mutate and become potentially more deadly. we need to take every precaution and make sure we are applying this moving forward, even if omicron does not end up being any more deadly than the delta. we still have a tremendously deadly iris out there that we need to protect ourselves from. we are getting 100,000 new cases every day and about 1400 deaths

every day of americans do to the delta variant. let us do what we can to keep this from mutating any further. host: one think the biden administration is doing is new too restrictions going into effect today, needing a negative test within 24 hours if flying to the u.s. some countries have banned international travel altogether. should we be doing more? guest: we need to universally doing what we already know is effective, rather than trying to implement new ideas and bans. we know that wearing masks, social distancing, getting your vaccine are extremely effective in preventing that spirit with only about 60% of our country being fully vaccinated, we still

have a lot of work left to do on things proven to be of benefit. trying to keep people from coming in this country with omicron when we know it is already here, we have 17 states that have detected it. look at all the traveling that people have been doing over the last couple of weeks because of giving and what people are going to be doing over the next month. it is already here. it is already going to spread. there is less of a benefit to travel bans and more of a benefit to everybody getting vaccinated, wearing masks. host: alan from hawaii, good morning. caller: thank you for taking my call. i call occasionally. sometimes, i bring up dr.

michael mena. what is happening right now, according to president biden, is they want to increase over the counter tests but want to use health insurance to subsidize it, which i think is going to act fair. one question -- going to back fire. one question, what is a doctor's impression of that mechanism to vastly increase tests? europe has been successful, we have been falling short. then, what is the probability of some type of antigenic seniority? guest: i certainly think that rapid tests are essential to helping us be able to keep this in check. you get a phone call that one of

your child's friends got exposed . should you be trending the child to school the next day? or should my husband beat going to work the next day? that is what we did yesterday. we want to walgreens, got a test. the last thing we want to do is expose a workplace. it is simple to go to your local retail pharmacy and buy a test. if we can use insurance, that is wonderful. any barrier that we can break down, that is going to keep people from doing the right thing. it is so much better to know. we can keep people from going into work, school, potentially spreading to others. rapid tests are a wonderful opportunity. they should be made is available as possible to the public. i was able to get some at our local library, thanks to the

administration. passing out tests through the library, early on, we were able to get through a library. that is a great opportunity. they were free. regardless of people's insurance status, they can go to their library and get a test. host: antigenic seniority, what is that? guest: it is, oftentimes, when there is a virus that has more strengths in its ability to produce an antibody response. the antigen is what the virus has. if it is superior or stronger than the other variants, that can take over. omicron would be taking over delta. right now, the delta variant is the host: tom out of baltimore, d

morning. caller: i am 76ers old. i received my second shot in july. the new variant has come around sooner than that. is the six months written in stone? should they get a booster sooner? guest: that's a great question. hopefully, the second vaccine dose, what we deem fully vaccinated, that may ultimately mean you've got your booster as well as we will consider that fully vaccinated and it will be a three dose series. the recommendations are to wait for six months. we do feel the first two vaccines in the series for both moderna and pfizer should protect you adequately. it's different if you received johnson & johnson.

the johnson & johnson we know we need to get people there booster at two months out. for now, we are still keeping the recommendation at six months before you get your booster. it is two months for johnson & johnson. host: patrick in maryland. good morning. caller: good morning. thank you for taking my call. my question is, i am wondering where it really cushing too much information too quickly. right now, it seems like we need to be most concerned about getting vaccinated, getting the booster shot. instead of all of a sudden, now talking about another mutation. i think it confuses people. it allows people to ask somata questions that researchers are

asking themselves. when you have the public asking so money questions, it's like you're opening everyone to becoming a researcher. instead of just saying, we have the omicron variant. it was in south africa. the only thing we can say right now is it's important to get vaccinated and get your booster shot. when we know more information, not daily but more concrete information that you can relinquish, i think it would subside a lot of confusion. guest: i think you were brilliant and i think you could be sitting in this chair right now. i agree with you. the important thing for us is there is a lot we don't know. there can be a lot of fear and misinformation that gets spread

around if we are trying to postulate and make guesses at this point in time. we really can't do that. it is considered a variant of concern because we don't know what those mutations necessarily mean. they have less access to vaccines there. we need to see what this means in our own country. that is going to take time. the best information we can get right now is to be able to say we don't know. give us time. hopefully we can get that information out and a couple of weeks. host: have you felt that way as

the pandemic is carried on it, that everyone is trying to become a physician? guest: absolutely. i think it's great. i have a lot of job security. i think it's a lot more interesting because people who want to talk to me about something. when you get on the internet, make sure you are reading from good sources. you need to make sure you are getting the right kind of information. if everyone thinks they are an expert, they are going to get things wrong and you will be getting information that is incorrect and lead you down another pathway. it is wonderful that we want to learn about this and how to protect ourselves and our families and how to do things right. that takes a lot of dedication to make sure you were on the

right websites and getting the right information. host: can you talk about the recovery clinic at the cleveland clinic? guest: it is sad when we talk about the number of cases of new covid out there right now. we are focusing on -- it's not going to hit me that bad. even people who have had a mild case of covid, 28 days later are still having symptoms that are impacting them. this is called long covid or post acute covid. these people have had very active lives before they got covid. athletes, we've had marathon

runners, ceos of companies. we are feeling pretty fatigued and tired. they may not have had pneumonia. they are findings difficult to get back to work. they can't get back to their pre-illness routine, athletic routine. a marathon runner can't even walk a mile. they are still affected by this virus. i think it's really important for people to look at getting vaccinated not only to prevent an acute disease, but to keep from getting these long-term covid's. we don't know what causes the persistent symptoms. we know it's not the virus itself. we are still learning about that. that is right along the line of

we are still learning. there are many clinics across the country who are looking at this. we know one out of three people are going to go on and have long-term symptoms. it's a huge number when we look at the people in this country who have been infected. we are going to be dealing with these long-term effects potentially for years to come. host: is that among the unvaccinated? guest: what we are seeing is it's mainly unvaccinated people. we are having some cases of people who were vaccinated, the vast majority are developing long covid were unvaccinated. host: to ronald in missouri. good morning. caller: i am 73. i had covid in 2020.

i got my second shot in march this year. i am wondering if i should take the current booster or wait until they come out with a omicron variant booster. guest: you have a couple of different types of immunity. you have natural immunity from having had covid. that is going to afford you a different kind of immunity then from the vaccine itself. congratulations on getting your second. if your second vaccine was in march, we are more than six months out. at this point, i would recommend getting the booster vaccine. we don't know if we are going to need to change the vaccine, if they will need to change vaccines based on omicron. it may not be as concerning as we are questioning at this point. i would get the booster that you

need right now. delta is out there. it's really important to protect yourself from that. if we do need to make a variation, that's going to take several months. these are going to be difficult months over the winter time when everyone is indoors and families are getting together. we need to protect ourselves. host: on twitter, on future variance. guest: you are right in that you tatian's in viruses are commonplace. they happen all the time. how mutations happen is as the

virus is making copies of itself inside the body, it doesn't always make an exact copy. sometimes those mutations are deadly for the virus and the virus cannot survive. sometimes it doesn't make any difference in anything that the virus is doing. it adds to a change. sometimes it can be more infectious. it depends on how many of those. just because omicron has a number of mutations, 50 mutations at this point that we know of, that doesn't tell us the effect of those mutations. we need to know where they are. we need to know with the impact of those mutations are. we see this in all viruses. it's just a matter of being

imperfect creatures. host: we have a little over 15 minutes left if you want to join the conversation. (202) 748-8000 if you are in the eastern or central time zones. (202) 748-8001 if you're in the mountain or pacific time zones. we are talking about omicron and long covid. mary is in massachusetts. good morning. you're next. caller: thank you for being there. i have two questions. the first is the testing. if someone is exposed to or three days and then they get tested a day before they get on a plane it, what are the chances of them being positive?

the cdc asked about what they were looking. the third thing is i was severely -- had a severe reaction. i'm actually frightened to get the booster. i'm wondering if they are following these adverse reactions as much as they should be. what would you suggest to people? i'm afraid. it was to the point where i can't move my neck. i wish there was more conversation about that.

there are people having adverse reactions. i feel like i'm caught between a rock and a hard place. thank you for taking my call. host: thank you for the question. i have them written down if you need to come back. guest: why don't i start with the testing. timing is never going to be perfect. our tests are never going to be perfect. i agree. if someone is exposed before hand and then they get tested one day before the test, is that one her percent accurate? you get this window between the time someone is infected and the time when it's positive. there is definitely no perfect timeframe. that is certainly why they have shrunk down the time from three

days before you get on an airplane to the day before, so we are trying to catch people when they are shutting the virus. usually when people get exposed within four days, they should be shedding the virus. a day or two is going to be too quick. the longer away from that exposure the better. the more accurate the test is. it is one day before getting on an airplane. that's the best that you can do. as far -- let me go to the third question. when we talk about vaccines and

vaccine adverse events, there is a vaccine adverse event reporting system that is across the nation. they are looking out across the world. patients cannot report themselves. anybody can report and adverse event. they very carefully go through every one of those reports to make sure they look at whether it was due to the vaccine itself. it is being looked at to make sure these vaccines are safe. i hope you have contacted the vaccine adverse reporting system. you can do that online. you can report the systems you are having. make sure that has been reported

and looked into. as far as getting another vaccine at this point, it's best you talk to your own physicians about that. or get with one of the allergy experts. they are the ones in our system at the cleveland clinic who help us make sure patients are appropriate for getting a booster. remind me of the second question. host: herd immunity. where are we? guest: absolutely. the natural immunity. that's ok. your body makes certain responses that are going to be a little bit more robust or

different. we are going to have more memory cells. a number of studies have been looking at how long the response lasts. coming out of my own institution, they were looking at the effects of that. you get a good response from natural immunity. if i got exposed early on, how much is my natural immunity to the alpha variant protecting me against the delta variant. in this day and age, if you had covid, why not afford yourself

all the players a protection? host: to clifford in pennsylvania. your next. caller: i saw on the video the doctor who discovered it. he said it is mild. they had no hospitalizations. you guys in the vaccine culture are just going nuts over it. i can't understand. you note nothing else. you don't talk about any type of treatment. they recover fully. the president, he got it. he's out doing rallies for 10,000 people. would you explain that? guest: i will agree that we

don't know enough about the omicron variant at this point. the studies -- the number of people we've seen in the south african group that are there tend to be younger. they have been having the milder cases. that's what we are hoping for. we are hoping that this variant doesn't cause the problems we've been seeing with the delta variant. your point is right. the information that we are learning is very early. we don't know whether this is something we will need to make adjustments on to what we are currently doing. we need may not need to make any changes to the vaccine at this point.

it's important that the pharmaceutical companies be looking at the ability to make those changes. as this virus mutates, there is a chance we could see a variant that is more deadly. we need to be able to get that technology out there to get the vaccine. pharmaceutical companies are looking at medications so we can treat these infections. the medications are not necessarily as effective. they are not one hunter percent effective in getting people over their infection. we are still searching for better and better medication out there. what we do know is this disease kills people. for every person who survives and does well, that does not address the fact that we have

1400 people every day dying from this disease. why not do everything we can to keep people safe and keep them out of the hospital, especially around the holidays. host: the caller brought up donald trump been infected with covid. your thoughts on the reporting last week coming from mark meadows, from his book, noting that the former president tested positive three days before the cleveland debate with joe biden. it was hosted by the cleveland clinic. guest: i appreciate the fact that mark meadows is bringing this up. at that point, there was a positive test. there was also a negative test afterwards. any positive test needs to be

acted upon to make sure that we are keeping everybody around us as safe as possible. whatever measures were taken at that time, we need to learn from that. we need to be acting. we need to make sure we are not exposing other people. from that potential exposure, people did not get ill from it. at this point in time, we have better technology with our testing. everybody has the ability to get a rapid test and make sure you know what your status is before you potentially go into work or expose yourself to this virus. host: we have just a couple of minutes left.

elaine is in washington. good morning. caller: i am halfway through john berry's book about the 1918 virus. one of the things they said in that book was every time it went through a passage, it could get more harmful. i wanted to know if the passages were variance. i got my booster shot. i think the lady may have mailed my bone and shoulder. what should i do about that? there is a 22nd lag. host: you can just listen if you want to hang up. that might be easier for you. guest: when we talk about passages, every time a virus goes through its own cycle of copying itself, there is a

potential for a mutation. that mutation can have an effect or no effect. it depends on building up those mutations or where that is. that's a passage. every time it makes a copy of itself. when the virus is in the body and you are infected, you have millions of copies in you. there is a lot of opportunity for mutations to develop. it's important to make sure we have a level of virus low, not only in ourselves but our communities. that's why it is so important to get vaccinated and make sure we are keeping the numbers of infections down so that the numbers of copies the viruses make goes down and the numbers

of potential mutations also goes down. that's where we see people who are immunocompromised having more of an opportunity to get mutations in their systems as well. they can't get rid of the virus as rapidly as someone who has the normal immune system. it's going to last in their body and make more mutations. i was going to say, about whether the vaccine -- the needle got onto the bone, that shouldn't necessarily cause a problem for the bone itself. i'm sure it hurt. i am sorry about that. the ability to make an antibody response is going to be present in the tissue around that. that might be something i would suggest, if you're having

discomfort several days after that, make an appointment to see your doctor and have them take a look. host: that caller said she was getting through the book the great influenza. he has talked about it on the program. you can see that on our video archives. he has appeared several times since covid appeared to talk about the lessons from the 1918 pandemic. this is jim in texas. good morning. caller: i am calling to help the lady out that had the dharna shot since she got sick on the second one. she was worried about getting the booster. i got sick on the second one.

i went and got my booster. it's only half a dose. i didn't have anything. have a good day. fred is in brooklyn, new york. our last collar. caller: covid is a kind of flu virus. for the past 50 years, we are trying to make a vaccine against the flu and we haven't been successful. making an effective vaccine against this one is also the same situation. the other question i have is to

protect yourself and others, you have to have a mask and wash her hands four times every day. nobody emphasizes that. you do not inject in the deltoid muscle. you have to tell people to do it with the 45 degrees and the chance you go through a vein is not high. i wish that some people like you would emphasize that you have to cover your nose, your mouth, and wash 18 seconds, soap and water at least four times. host: i will give you the final minute or two. guest: absolutely.

our influenza vaccines are imperfect. that's because there are a number of strains of influenza every year. we are taking our best scientific gas. the vaccines that we are seeing against the covid are extremely effective. we may see a few breakthrough infections in those that are vaccinated. when we look at hospitalizations and the death rate, 95% of those are in people who were not vaccinated. when we look at disease and death, the covid vaccine is exceptionally good. i completely agree with that. i can't echo your sentiments enough, that masking is something that we need to have people do.

wear your mask appropriately. it has to be over the nose and mouth. hand washing, whether it is soap and water and you don't have the availability, hand sanitizer is just as effective. we have to be using those all the time, doing everything we can, everything people know we need to do. i understand people are tired of hearing about it. we are entering a deadly phase right now. our hospitals are filling up. we need to do everything we possibly can to protect our loved ones. host: we can't thank you enough for the time you give us. we appreciate it. enjoy your week. guest: thanks. host: our last half hour, we

will return to where we started. on the death of former senator bob dole yesterday. we are asking you to talk about his life and legacy. we are leaving the phone lines open to you. (202) 748-8000 eastern or central time zones. (202) 748-8001 mountain or pacific. there is a special line for world war ii veterans. (202) 748-8002. go ahead and start calling in. we will get to your calls right after the break. >> this week on c-span, both chambers of congress are in session. the house will take up a bill to talk about foreign interference in elections. the senate will work on executive nominations, including the next sec chair. at 9:30 a.m., on the c-span

mobile app, a subcommittee looks at threats posed by terrorist organizations like al qaeda and isis with counterterrorism heads. live on c-span three, the inspector general of the capitol police testifies about rules and administration following the january 6 attack on the capital. the senate foreign relations committee holds a hearing on u.s. relations with russia as that country gathers more troops on the border with ukraine. the house financial services committee looks at cryptocurrency and other digital assets with testimony from ceos at several digital currency companies. instagram ceo testifies before a senate subcommittee on his

efforts to protect kids online. watch this week on the c-span networks. also head over to c-span.org for scheduling information or streaming video on demand anytime. c-span it, your unfiltered view of government. >> c-span offers podcasts. the latest from the nation's capital. every week, but notes plus has in-depth interviews with writers about their latest books. we look at how issues of the day developed over years. we have conversations with historians about their lives and work. many are available. you can find them all on the c-span now mobile app or

wherever you get your podcasts. >> washington journal continues. host: we have about 30 minutes left. at 10:00, we will be taking you to the center for strategic and international studies, a conversation on emoting democracy. you can watch here on c-span or c-span.org. for the next half hour, to end our program, we are talking about the legacy of the late senator bob dole who died yesterday. the flags over the u.s. r at half-staff to honor him and remember the late senator, the former majority leader in the senate, 96 publican presidential nominee. we are asking you his thoughts

on life and legacy. (202) 748-8000 if you are in the eastern or central time zone. (202) 748-8001 if you are in the mountain or pacific time zones. we have a special line for those world war ii veterans and family members who may be watching, (202) 748-8002. that is the number. as you are calling in, a few more remembrances from veterans groups from around the country. this is the vfw national headquarters, the national commander say that bob dole was an american patriot who cared deeply about those who have and are wearing the uniform of our country. another tweet from the disabled american veterans saying they are the passing of bob dole.

he lived a life of sacrifice and service. we offer our deepest sympathy. from the american legion, the national commander saying that we lost a great legionnaire, americans lost an iconic statesman and tireless veteran. america is a better country as a result. we want to hear your thoughts. flight is in north carolina. -- dwight is in north carolina. i would like to ask a question. caller: [inaudible] host: i'm not sure i got your question. was it a question about bob dole? caller: no.

host: we are talking about bob dole in this segment. we are setting aside this time to talk about the majority leader who served one third of a century in congress. he died yesterday at age 98. cindy is in california. caller: thank you very much. my father was a world war ii veteran. he admired senator dole very much. i was working at the heinz veterans hospital. i was so impressed. bob dole came in. he came into the unit where all the veterans were getting their physical therapy. he went around, no fanfare, no

press, shook hands with everybody in the physical therapy unit. he talked with them about their service. thank the physical therapists who were there and working with the patients. i was so impressed that he came in without any fanfare. this was somewhere between 85 and 88. he was a beautiful person. host: that presence with no fanfare, some have talked about that in their remembrances. he would often be at the world war ii morrill without fanfare, greeting those who came to that memorial.

there is the monument to the state of kansas at that tomorrow. it was bob dole who gathered there to greet veterans and meet those honor flights as well. setting aside a special line for world war ii veterans and their families, (202) 748-8002 is that number. lee is in maryland. caller: good morning. i just wanted to point out that when bob dole was in congress as a member of the house of representatives, he was a very strong supporter of civil rights legislation. the civil rights act of 1964, the voting rights act of 1965. not only did he support it, the republican party supported it.

the entire kansas election all delegation supported civil rights. those with the good old days. the good old days were when the republicans supported civil rights. that's all i have to say. host: this is irwin in california. good morning. caller: good morning. i am from the philippines. i am in the united states now. there is a big pineapple plantation called dole. i wonder if the late center has something to do with that. host: i don't believe so. he grew up in dustbowl kansas during the depression. he would often talk about his

father going to work every day. this is the lead to the obituary in the washington post. this is some of his remarks from two years ago.

>> i want to thank all of those who said kind words about me. they probably aren't true, but they were nice. mr. speaker, i am extremely honored to accept this great honor. i thank you for present it to me -- presenting it to me. i also wish to thank all of the speakers who have been up here and said such kind words. i also want to thank my

colleagues, for without them, nothing would have been accomplished. i also want to thank my staff. and all the staff that may be around. [applause] i have always said that you're no better than your staff. i thank them for all they have done for me over the years. host: bob dole back in 2018 when he received the congressional gold medal. today, the flag of the united states at half-staff over the

capital in remembrance of bob dole. taking your phone calls, your thoughts on bob dole's legacy. (202) 748-8000 in the eastern or central time zones. (202) 748-8001 in the mountain or specific time zones. that special line for world war ii veterans and family members, (202) 748-8002. joel in virginia. good morning. caller: thank you so much for membrane bob dole this way. i served 40 years in federal government, 26 years in the army. 14 years with the department of defense. i've had some insight into what goes on. i think of harry truman, i think of eisenhower, jfk, men who served.

you cited some statistics. host: that number is getting lower and lower. caller: that said, bob dole was special. in so many ways, you planned all of those out. i would just like to say with a son-in-law serving, our family tends to serve. i would ask those who listened, the military is a fine career. it does have its moments, that's what we get paid for. i appreciate the program you have presented very much. host: the 117th congress that defeat -- convened in january, the lowest total of veterans since world war ii. the number now is 91, a decrease of five the previous congress.

nearly three out of four had served in the military. since the transition to an all volunteer force, the numbers dwindled to around 17%. veterans make up about 7% of the population. veterans in this congress, 28 are democrats, 50 are post 9/11 veterans. that releases from the american legion. this is ricky in michigan. good morning. caller: good morning. i like bob dole. bob dole was fair. we need more bob dole's in the world.

we need to get better gun laws for things that won't happen like that shooter was with these kids. that's all i wanted to say. host: timothy in pennsylvania. morning. caller: good morning. i just wanted to mention in 2015, my wife and i were visiting washington. we visited the world war ii memorial the day after thanksgiving. as you said earlier, bob dole was there. he had an aide with him. we got to spend about 10 minutes with him. he was very generous with his time. he was very easy to talk with. i mentioned to him, my father served in italy.

my father served in headquarters company. when i told him that, we asked a lot about my dad. my dad passed away in 2008. he was very compassionate and very inquisitive in asking about my father in the family. we had a lot of grit and determination, as did most of the people of that greatest generation. we appreciated the time that they gave us. he had a wonderful life, accomplished a lot considering what happened to him as a very young man. host: what was your dad's name? caller: paul. host: what did paul think of bob dole?

caller: dad respected impaired my father was a pretty strong democrat. but he was a harry s truman democrat. he had a lot of respect for bob dole. bob was able to work with democrats, got a lot accomplished when he was in the senate. things have really changed today. we need more politicians like bob dole. maybe that day will come. we will see. host: one democrat called bob dole a fair end, tom daschle served as the democratic leader in the senate. this is his column in the washington post. this is part of what tom daschle writes today.

he writes: tom daschle in the washington post. we have a few more minutes here as we remember the life of bob dole. this is john in virginia. good morning. caller: thank you for taking my call. i am an immigrant and i watched bob dole.

he was a man of his word. not only that, it's what he built. it goes away. politicians used to have differences, the used to go to lunch together. they never had any hatred toward each other, even though they disagreed. they still compromised. it's a shame today what we have. we have a who go my way or the highway. it doesn't work like that. bob dole was young today, he would be angry. he would be saying something about it. we will never have a politician like that. i hope that republicans who

support bob dole, not only respect demand, speak up when you see something that goes on. there are good republicans out there. they are quiet about things. i hope they speak up and keep the party the way it should be. not a one-man party. just to say that whatever he says goes. i respect that man. when he was campaigning and he fell down. i was watching that. i pray for him and his family, we cannot have good people like that anymore in politics. host: tom daschle, here's one from mike pompeo, the former

secretary of state. the headline in the wall street journal. talking about an experience he had with bob dole. bernie is in kentucky. you are next. caller: the humor of bob dole was just amazing. i remember he was at an event, he was already in a wheelchair at that time. a reporter walked up to him. he wanted to ask him a question. i'm sure he was expecting another answer. the question was in 1980, why did you suspend your campaign so quickly. he just looked at the reporter and said, ran out of money. how honest is that?

a huge loss. host: time for a few more phone calls. some of that humor was on display during his final senate farewell address. also his love for the united states senate. here is a portion of bob dole's farewell address in 1996 when he was running for president. >> we know how the process works. some people don't trust us. the people who watch this have a better understanding. some people ask me and i remember the speaker. he really understands now more about the senate. we have different rules. i love the house of representatives. i want to be the senate.

i want to be in the senate. you can have unlimited debate. any senator on either side on any issue can stand up and talk until they drop. the record is held by the presiding officer. >> 24 hours and 18 minutes. [applause] >> that's why you are seldom asked to be an after dinner speaker. i think sometimes, we've got to

have total victory. i won't settle for less. it's got to be my way or no way. ronald reagan said if i can get 90% of what i want, i'd call that a good deal. 90% isn't bad. you get the other 10% later. some people never understand that. take the 90. work on the 10. i want to say i read my resignation and my decision to leave caused astonishment in some quarters. i don't begrudge anybody their surprise. i want to this a few people about the senate. this is a great opportunity, there are hundreds and hundreds and thousands of people who

would give anything they had to be a member of this body. that's the way it should be. the truth is i would know more distance myself from the senate that i would from the united states itself. this, it's a reflection of america. we come from different states and different backgrounds. different opportunities. different challenges in our lives. and yet the installation has its perfections. our occasional inefficiencies. we are still a work in progress in the united states senate. host: bob dole during his farewell address to the united states senate. the flag is of half-staff over the u.s. capitol for senator

abdul. we have a few minutes left before we take c-span viewers over to the center for strategic and international studies, a live event this morning featuring chris coons and mike mccall. it's a conversation about promoting democracy. that's where we will be going. and the time we have left, taking your calls, your thoughts on the legacy of bob dole. this is jesus in florida. caller: good morning. a couple of comments about bob dole. he had a sense of humor. he was very open to take his time and make everybody around him happier.

today, we see all of these faces fighting. i want to say one more thing. i saw him in person one more time. i was going to my dad's funeral. my dad served four years in the civil war in spain. i really admired people like this. i'm not taking sides, democrats or republicans. we are all americans. i'm an american citizen since 1975, and that is all i wanted to say. host: did you get a chance to talk to him the first time you saw him in person? caller: no, because he was at the airport in the open area waiting for the flight and i know he was going away from tampa, because he was on the departure side but i didn't want to bother him.

host: what would you have said to him, if you could go back and decided to talk to him? caller: if i had decided to talk to him that time, i would say thank you for his service. he was wounded, i think he was in the air force. host: he was in the 10th mounted division, wounded about 10 days before the end of the war and spent years recovering. thank you for the call. this is ben, from our neighbors to the north in canada. caller: good morning. host: what are your thoughts on bob dole as a canadian looking at u.s. politics? caller: i really want to thank senator dole.

i think everyone needs to celebrate him for the american disabilities act. the ada is what led to a lot of persons with disabilities legislation in can -- in canada and it was plagiarized a little bit and has led to some great rights for canadians as well. for an american senator to do such great work to affect the neighbor to the north is phenomenal. i would just highlight a canadian comedian who has passed on, norman mcdonald -- norm mcdonald, who was known for impersonate someone. in order to impersonate somebody properly, you truly have to love that person. for canadians to truly love a republican senator is a great thing. i wish the dole family all the best and we are very thankful for the legislation that was passed in the united states. host: thanks for the call. dale and kentucky is next -- in

kentucky is next. go ahead sir. caller: ok. bob dole was a heck of a man, and a draft dodger. -- run from the service and the american people voted against doll -- bob dole. i can't understand american people anymore. clinton beat another war hero, george bush. america is in bad shape if we don't get more people like bob dole. host: that is dale in kentucky. you mentioned former president george w. bush. here is a statement yesterday from his son, former president george w. bush. laura and i are saddened, he

said yesterday, by the passing of a great patriot, bob dole. he was a good man and rivers into the finest of american values. he defended them in uniform during world war ii and he advanced them in the united states senate and he live them out as a husband, father and friend. i will always room member bob's salute to my dad at the capital, and now we bushes salute bob and join our fellow citizens in prayer for comfort. one last call out of arkansas. good morning. caller: good morning. i want to honor bob dole. he was a great person. if we had more people like him,

-- i don't mean to go against his honor, but if we had more people like him stand up in congress, we would have communist people like hillary clinton and joe biden and nancy pelosi in prison for their communist acts. host: that was our last caller in today's "washington journal." we are back here tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. eastern. we will live you with a live shot of the united states capital, that flag at half staff, honoring bob dole. >> we begin democracy week by elevating the voices and activists of countries not invited to the summit. even as we rightly focus on the urgent need to address democratic backsliding in fragile and established democracies, including our own,