secretary of state, a second gentleman, my other colleagues here that recognizes that the time to act is now. we want to hear what you need from us. if you care about your fellow jews, if you care about democracy and human rights in all its manifestations, if you care about the fact that in a lifetime of people still on the face of the earth, and we wish them to 120 years, that one out of every three jews in the world was murdered while the world sat idly by, then the time to express not just outrage but our commitment to curtailing this surge is now sthvment later t t -- now. later will be too late. thank you very much. [applause]

>> the house is back at 2:00 p.m. eastern debating 32 bills today including bills renaming post offices and replacing gender pronounce in the national archives with gender neutral terms. lawmakers will be working on funding the government past friday to avoid a shutdown. when the house returns, watch live coverage here on c-span2. a congressional reporter with punch bowl news going us to talk about the weekend in congress, thanks for joining us. guest: thanks for having me on. host: a lot of publications cover capitol hill and what sets punch bowl apart? guest: we are focused on leadership and focused on congress with three newsletters per day and are trying to cater to those on capitol hill. host: where are leaders right

now when it comes to establishing a federal budget for next year? guest: government funding runs out friday and they still don't have a deal. there was some progress over the weekend with the senate appropriations committee chair announced there were some progress but they are still about $26 billion apart out of a 1.5 trillion dollar package. we will probably have another week long continuation revolution. host: if it's 1.7 over all, why is the debate over $26 billion? guest: republicans have gone around -- going on the democratic demands to increase defense funding with an increase in domestic social spending but republicans are trying to break that step they don't want that continuing. they say democrats had enough increases with the inflation reduction act. there is still this disagreement

and we expect their not to be a government shutdown but it depends whether there is a year-long continuing resolution or not. it's impactful for the pentagon and other departments. host: what are the differences between having an omnibus and cr. guest: the omnibus would change the funding however much negotiators agreed to. the continuing resolution would keep it steady at fiscal year 2022 numbers and defense secretary lloyd austin has written to congress saying if it's kept steady, we will not be able to come back to the face the threats the american -- the u.s. faces. host: and then a congressional resolution, what would happen under that? guest: you have to stay constant at the current levels of funding

without the increases. host: leaders have said they would introduce their own packages our own version. where is that and what is the concern about having different omnibus packages out there? guest: democrats were going to introduce there is an patrick lahey said they will hold off which is a good sign because when democrats and republicans start releasing their own framework, they are trying to score points. it's really not focus on what they can agree on. the fact that it has not been released as a good sign for negotiations. host: if you want to ask max cohen about congress in these last weeks of december, call us on these lines -- you can text us your thoughts as well.

you can always post on her facebook page and twitter feed. we talked about leadership and you said your publication covers leadership. kevin mccarthy is still in an effort to try to get people to decide to become house leader -- house speaker next year. where is that in the process? guest: he is still a couple of votes short of what he needs to be elected house speaker. we reported on the meeting he held last week with members of the house caucus and other far right house members but holding back on support for mccarthy. met gaetz is among them in another pun -- opponent is running for speaker. they are saying it's a hard know for kevin mccarthy. some members oppose mccarthy just for reasons that he has been leader and he represents the establishment and that will be difficult for him to overcome. there are policy disagreements

over rules and how congress works. they want to easier to remove the house speaker at times and a lot of it is sometimes personal distrust and dislike of mccarthy himself and that's hard to change. host: any sense of the concessions he's made to gain support? guest: he will have to make some pretty major concessions. the chair is a mechanism used by the freedom caucus. it lessens the power of leadership and that something the carmi -- mccartney came into this process to have a hard line on. i think he will probably have to move on that committee. host: one of the things that jim cromer has said in the wall street journal as chair of the oversight committee is that negotiation seem to be one of the things they will focus on in the next congress.

what is the plan for republican leadership to focus on investigations but also make legislative efforts as well? guest: when you have divided government, that always takes center stage because there will be little agreement between republicans and democrat in the senate over bills. republicans have to be wary of their members in lose seats like new york and long island and that they have said publicly we want this to be about hunter biden and the border and we want to focus on inflation. it's unlikely you see agreement across the houses on stuff like inflation and other large legislation stop investigations will be front and center weather from swing districts or not. host: what was your sense as far as the republican conference overall? guest: i've spoken to incoming

chairman jim comber and he said the oversight committee is 8% of our conference. he says this is our job. republicans say that we campaigned on this and said voters want to check on the biden administration and look into covid funding and origins of covid in the afghanistan withdrawal. jim comber and jim jordan held a hearing on the biden family. they've been upfront about it that it will be a major focus. host: the website is punch bowl. news. let's hear from frederick in florida, independent line with max cohen of punch bowl news. caller: good morning, i'm a 94-year-old american citizen, both my parents were immigrants who came in through ellis

island. at that point, they were both required to have a job before they came to this country. they also needed a sponsor. when did this all change and what are the laws now that pertain to immigration? there doesn't seem to be any particular law, just open borders. we are perplexed as to the situation. would like some answers from someone. thank you. guest: immigration is a big issue for many republican voters. there is some legislation being proposed currently in deals being made between kyrsten sinema and thom tillis but it's unlikely to pass in this current

congress. another major issue has been the treatment of refugees, title 22 and how biden could expel refugees through -- for covid precautions. to democrats have said this approach is inhumane. immigration is a major concern for voters. host: jim comber said it was the first thing he listed. a large focus of the committee is on this. guest: as you mention, the border is a major rallying cry that they saw as one of their top campaign promises, another rallying cry among republicans white -- is why president joe biden has not visited the border. host: now that hakeem jeffries's house minority leader in the next congress, what does he a sin leader especially amongst his congress?

guest: he is following in the footsteps of nancy pelosi who is a vote counter. he will have to try to fill her shoes and command respect of the democratic caucus after she has ruled with an iron fist for decades. he's also going to have to combat republicans who are back in the minority. republicans have a thin majority in its underperforming expectations and the midterms and jeffrey says to combat republicans at every turn while focusing on a campaign strategy to win back those seats and become speaker in 2024. host: one of the differences in styles when it comes to speaker pelosi with the top down approach, what could jeffries employ to rally democrats? guest: he spoke about generational change in the age difference is obvious.

there are many in their 80's and by that measure, there are newer members that are spoken about watching to connect with the freshman classes. they want to be more cognizant of members instead of a top-down approach but the leadership likes to keep power among themselves. host: kyrsten sinema decided to become an independent. how was that received by immigrants overall? guest: it was a surprise but not altogether shocking. you can see her moving away from the democratic party and the democratic line. the chief issue was the issue of the filibuster. that's an issue for the democratic base and kyrsten sinema said she would not budge on this issue.

she broke with democrats there and caused a lot of anger from the base and other democratic members of congress. the big implication here is that she will not have to face a democrat in the primary if she runs for the senate and an independent run me she can go right to the general. how democrats approach that will be interesting to watch. host: one of those criticisms came from bernie sanders. he was asked about this. [video clip] >> you were a very important figure in the campaign trail for progressives ahead of the midterm as you normally are. i'm sure you'll campaign for candidates in 2024 and the outgoing arizona democratic party official said he of -- he expects democrats will run their own candidate again. would you support a democratic

opponent against senator sinema? >> i support aggressive candidates all over this country who have the guts to take on special interest. i don't know what will happen in arizona but it's something i will take a hard look at. >> that she had the guts to take on special interests? >> no, she is a corporate democrat along with senator manchin has sabotaged important legislation. host: would you say that kind of sentiment is shared by many of the democratic already or some? guest: few would say that publicly without angering their colleagues but now that she's left the potty -- the party, morgan may come forward. she's been a thorn in the democrat side in the last congress. there were some stands sheet took for tax breaks that

benefited hedge funds. this does not change the balance of power in the senate. there will be 51 both for democrats and 49 for republicans but it impacts kristin cinemas desire for reelection. caller: how are you doing? i want to talk about the immigration bill in 2013 under obama. 67 senators had voted for immigration and i wonder why we don't talk about that bill because maxine waters said if john boehner had avoided a full vote in the house of representatives that it would have passed. was it because obama was getting too many wins?

i know we are divided we could have got immigration back in 2013, do you agree? guest: what motivates leaders to put certain bills on the floor? there is an understanding that if you are a speaker of the opposite party, you don't want to be seen as giving a democratic part -- president a win. immigration has shifted. the rhetoric has increased before president donald trump made the centerpiece of his campaign and you've seen more pointed attacks on immigration. democrats in congress are scared of anything that is labeled as honest -- as amnesty. republican politicians are beholden to their base as any politician is and the republican base has no appetite for immigration roof form step may

be a few years ago would've been right for compromise. we don't see that as having much legs in the waning days of this congress of immigration reform might have to wait again. host: let's talk about the expectation on legislation last week. guest: there has to be an agreement between democratic and republican leaders to see this through. we reported this will be considered a message bill which means there will be a civil majority vote to get on the bill and a cloture vote which requires 60. i think this will be a relatively easy lift for senators. there is a lot for everyone in here making it safer congressional republicans and there is a provision for the vaccine met -- mandate for

members of the military which is a big win for democrats host: billions of dollars in discretionary bending and also dealing with pay increases for the military? guest: yes, it's not appropriated yet but that's $45 billion more than the biden white house requested earlier this year, showing that there is the broad pipe dez bipartisan support for increased spending for the military. host: independent line, hi. caller: i've got a simple question for you. on our military spending, you hear money going out all the time step does nato play a role and we play a role in where is the accountability process of what we get back for some of our stuff?

is there any record of how much we burn and there is the army corps of engineers that does work overseas so what kind of return are we getting for our money? do they take that into consideration when they were right these bills? guest: you are talking about funding and audits of that and something we have heard progressives call for. they called for an audit on the pentagon. we spend billions of dollars, hundreds of billion dollars of dispensed spending in the might not be as much oversight on that spending. we seem bipartisan calls among republicans for oversight on domestic covert spending and democratic spending in the inflation reduction act and the american rescue plan. they want to see where this money goes and how it spent and connect this back to oversight.

we will call for republicans call for the paycheck protection program which happened in the early days of the pandemic and there is a lot of fraud there. host: jean in florida, democrats line. caller: happy holidays. i've been watching many years. i have a comment about the kryst -- about kyrsten sinema. i want to read you something i'm going to mail to her. host: a portion if you can. caller: i'm saddened an dis-of pointing that you change from democrat to republican. i had high hopes for these young people. i would love to see the young people involved in politics and prime minister mall pennsylvania town animating nine years old and went through the russian and

dr. -- and fdr -- i went through the depression and fdr. i ended up being a first grandchild to graduate from college. i am proud to be a democrat but washington is not the middle class of the united states. the older americans are out here we want to remember all the historical events and policies of the republican administrations that followed many of the democrats. i went on to become a teacher and raised three children and five and children in the first woman and democrat to get elected to my local school board. i was 40 years old. i survived five elections, two teacher strikes and lots of humiliation. here's what i want to say to you and the young democrats the got elected, good 4 u, remember your roots. those who had the courage to run

for office way before you and without the democrats, we would not have social security or medic here which the older democrats really appreciate. host: thank you so much for sharing that with us. guest: kyrsten sinema has not always been a democrat. she ran for the local city council in arizona as a ring party member that has a green party member. this is someone who's been running for office for around 20 years and has had three different party affiliations. she is not a lifelong democrat. she looks at which way the wind blows throughout her tenure in office and changes with what she thinks will get her elected which is what most politicians

do. host: what do we expect as far as the end of the committee's work? guest: we should get a comprehensive look at president donald trump -- donald trump role in the january 6 attack in the capital and legislative recommendations to protect democracy against further attacks on the capital. i am tracking the efforts in the house and the senate to reform the electoral count act which is the 19th century law that deals with accounting of presidential elector. that's more important than the final report of the january 6 committee. these are dueling bills. i think it has 37 bipartisan sponsors. can the senate negotiators get the reform act in the omnibus

legislation? that's what i am tracking. host: have we heard from any membership from the committee of a conviction coming for the former president? guest: the final committee made a representation to recommend criminal charges against former president trump but it's on clear what they do with that. that sits in the doj recommendation most it doesn't carry much weight. host: let's hear from emmett in texas, independent line. caller: i would like to say thank god for senator cinema. i figure that's not enough. the democrats now with the opportunity along with vice president kamala harris to pack the supreme court. will keep them from doing that? guest: many democrats have,

against the proposal to increase the number of justices on the supreme court so more moderates democrats that it's not a good idea and republicans can do the same thing it was not always an advantage so there's very little chance of democrats forming a supreme court to increase the number of justices. i don't see that happening. host: this is can't in illinois, republican line. caller: good morning. now that the republicans are going to start looking into the bidens and how they ended up with millions of dollars in the chinese and these other countries that are our enemies, the democrats are saying we don't want any investigation, let's get on with the people's business. who cares about the bidens? who cares about the millions of people crossing the borders illegally? who cares that we left hundreds of billions of dollars and

equipment in afghanistan? my goodness, the democrats impeach trump twice, nine out of 10 people couldn't tell you why. that's nancy pelosi and her counterparts who did that. now when republicans are going to start on this stuff, the democrats say there's nothing there so let's get on with the people's business. the millions of people immigrating here are bringing diseases and we are on our second hundred thousand of young kids killed by fentanyl and we say there is no interest in the millions of people rusting the borders illegally. who is asleep? the people out here want to know if the trumps were getting millions of dollars from the chinese. now they will uncover the bidens

and no one wants to talk about it. guest: the point he >> we're going to leave this program to keep our more than 40-year commitment to live coverage of congress. the u.s. house is ready to gavel in for legislative work. today members will debate 32 bills including measures on renaming post offices and replacing gendered pronouns in the national archives with gender neutral pronounce. you're watching live coverage of the house here on c-span. national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2022] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]