ed: u.s. intelligence chiefs tell president-elect donald trump, you're wrong, the russians did meddle in the election. and on capitol hill, battles over obamacare. o'keefe, welcome to 2017, tonight on "washington week." think that we've ever encountered a more aggressive or to interfere in our election process than we've case.n this ed: the nation's top spy agencies release evidence that hacking,in was behind propaganda and fake news that may have influenced the 2016 elections. senators in both parties have condemned russia but the president-elect continues to cast doubts.

pence.esident-elect mike >> the president-elect's made it he's skeptical about conclusions. ed: on capitol hill, republicans to repeal obamacare and defund planned parenthood, partisan battle lines over healthcare. >> the republicans say repeal and replace. thing that has going for it is alliteration. they have no replacement plan. plan to replace. we have plenty of ideas to aslace it and you'll see weeks and months unfold what we're talking about replacing it. mexico reimburse the united states for a border wall that trump and republican lawmakers plan to build with your money? we'll get answers and analysis from alexis simendinger, of real politics, michael scherer of "time" magazine, robert costa of of "the washington post," and

cnn.zeleny of >> this is "washington week," by boeing.provided the x.q. institute. newman's own foundation, donating all profits from newman's own food products to charity and nourishing the common good. the ford foundation. the ethics and excellence in journalism foundation. koo and patricia yuen through the yuen foundation, committed to bridging cultural differences in our communities. the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. again, from washington, ed o'keefe of "the washington post." ed: good evening. today, president-elect donald trump came face-to-face with the u.s. intelligence chiefs he's disparaged for months over their russia meddled

election.sidential mr. trump acknowledged that the mr. trump acknowledged that the of. has been the target cyber attacks but assured all americans that there was absolutely no effect on the election, the including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with machines. but according to the version of the intelligence report, "vladimir putin and the russian government help president-elect trump's election chances when discrediting hillary clinton and publicly contrasting him."favorably to it went on to report "we expect moscow will apply such efforts influence future processes worldwide." does trump have to gain by his skepticism for u.s. intelligence and praise for putin, jeff? jeff: seldom do we see a

declassified version of a report like this. it was controversial several weeks ago when president obama the review but i think this will certainly will stand through history coming on the heel of the hearings this week on capitol hill but the said, he were, as you ordered an influence campaign. president putin ordered the discredit hillary clinton. one of the interesting things i saw in this report was that moscow and president putin also thought that hillary clinton was likely to win the election. so they were trying to denigrate herand sort of change legitimacy, if you will, and had this whole plan for after she won. didn't happen here. but the one thing it also said clear that this was definitely a concerted effort but there was nothing tampered terms of the voting machines or the vote tallying but it says it was a concerted by vladimir putin. and i think that the response

from mr. trump was so interesting. did acknowledge for the first time today that russia was involved in this. should haved.n.c. done more to protect its own material. but he sort of left it at that. about sanctions at all so left so many open questions about what the next steps are. what is going to sort of be waiting for him when fromkes office two weeks today. ed: two weeks from tonight, he'll be president. be at the balls. fact thatned the there was tampering with -- no tampering with the machines, something speaker ryan picked up on, as well. hisa lot of members with party have had disputes with russia and concerns with russia for years. continued insistence that this is, as he told the "new york times" earlier today, that further does isolate him from the republicans on capitol hill? he --i think it does, if you know, declines to have a more aggressive stance against putin. think that is going to be a big challenge for him. i was on capitol hill all week.

and if you talk to republicans who are just ready for this all to be over because they think, look, he is going to be president. the electoral college was ratified today in the congress. it actually happened, he's going president. but so many republicans are concerned about his view toward putin. constituency for this? he has a lot of other disagreements with the trade, on other issues, but there's not a big thetituency out there in rust belt, other states, for a pro-putin or softer putin policy. is going to be one of those buzz saws he hits with republicans. ed: michael and robert, you've spoken to him in the last few months. office and in his were able to get inside his head. remind us, why does he think way? why does he continue to insist this is the way it should be? think he feels threatened if people say russia helped him concludes he was helped by putin, that it somehow

his victory. even in his statement today, he had nod point blank this effect on the election result. the intelligence community in report said they didn't make an assessment on that, they were silent on it. but he wants everybody to know this had nothing to do with helping me win. i think the other thing is he likes punching up. politically, it's worked for him for quite a long time. he can punch it, what pence -- bureaucracy i don't trust the bureaucracy in washington. but he was praising the intelligence community after weeks of denigrating them. and he was not contesting the idea that russia was the author here. happy to quietly cede that point, it looks like. it will who knows what be tomorrow. and in exchange for trying to

that it wase idea putin who delivered the election for him. ed: we should point out, as you said, important point. you'll see democrats suggest otherwise in some other this only looked at what they did. it did not surmise at all whether or not it impacted the elecon. important to point out. but bob, is there anyone around playsese days that devil's advocate or tries to beliefs ofer to the the intelligence community? his national security adviser by james clapper. there is obvious tension here. robert: there is obvious tension and a deep seated skeptism thein donald trump about intelligence community. going back to my interviews with 2013-2014, part of his political identity was formed in the wake of the iraq war, a war supported at the start but as he began to think about his presidential campaign, his anti-hawkish world view, his c.i.a., of thehe

intelligence that led to that intervention remained part of who he was as a politician and to the influence of general flynn during the campaign. one of the first people from that military world to be loyal trump, to be an adviser to him. and so you had not only the deep skepticism but throughout the campaign, especially toward the end, when he got the intelligence briefings, flynn was in his ear during the intelligence briefings telling him to be wary, based on my what he was hearing and there is reporting from many outlets about how new jersey christie, whos sat in those meetings, thought flynn was too combative with the intelligence officials, many of whom he knew and that has shaped trump preparing for the presidency. ed: that had something to do with james woolsey's decision to leave the transition team this a c.i.a. director who worked for four presidents, backed away, saying he wasn't comfortable with the situation. robert: flynn is one of the lone around trump every day talking to trump about intelligence and woolsli's

frustrations was that he wasn't able to be part of the circle all hisrump, even with experience in central neverigence, woolsey found a way in. flynn has kept that room small. ed: there were three versions of report, the most super duper secret version that went and thiss of congress watered-down version and that the white house played a role in slowing its release? >> the report was actually done earlier this week but the white tose requested it not go up the hill, which is what triggered the release and briefing, until after the president had gone up to speak about obamacare on wednesday because they didn't want that turn into a discussion hacking. one other point to mention, that i think is a part of trump's calculus here, i think there is a real desire on his part to

reset relations with russia. does see his government as part of this nationalist populist westver happening in the that putin has been leading up until now. think he's -- he's worried about the hawkish voices in his and in the democratic party taking over this debate early on and poisoning the well. think that's one of the other things keeping him back here. -- alexis, the administration took back some property nice property in and coastal maryland in response to all of this. is there anything the new president in two weeks could to undo that and what kind of blow-back might he get if he does it? alexis: the obama administration from the git-go set it up to challenge the president-elect, president, to question what it is he would do, what reaction he would have and

councilonal security under president obama made no mystery that they believe that maked trump would have to a choice, did he want to invite them back in, the spies back in, he want to openly alleviate the punishment that was applied the intelligence apparatus of up kremlin and try to set it that this would make no sense, right, if this is what the president-elect wanted to do from the git-go but as michael was saying, if there's a whole newes of things the president will want to do to reach out, you could see that he quietly later on lift these sanctions, designed to be havehment, but really minimal teeth in the relationship with putin or the kremlin and you noticed how was president putin's reaction? his reaction was to do nothing. ed: it was republicans on capitol hill this week that started this by bringing intelligence chiefs to the hill. it continues next week with

hearings on hacking. can do tonything he rein in his party and the skeptical republicans or does he have to give them the space they want? jeff: very little he can do to party. the you saw john mccain leading the charge. is freshly re-elected so he has six years to be a voice, as he likes to do hill, the conscience of at least his point of view so i think there's very little can do with these leaders. perhaps the rank and file in the house or other things but i will unfoldhearings as we saw this week and that was a very, very interesting hearing to start the 115th congress. ed: i think it was lindsey graham who said now is the time to throw rocks, not pebbles, and beood place to start would to institute additional punishments on russia. jeff: that was not in donald all, nostatement, at mention of sanctions. but that can come. out. two weeks ed: speaking of congress, the 115th session of your united

states congress kicked off this week giving republicans full if slightly diminished control of the house and senate. gatesa stumble out of the for the house, related to questions about an independent ethics office, two of mr. trump's biggest and most expensive campaign promises made the new agenda, repealing obamacare and building wall.er the current president made a plea to democrats on capitol signatureve his healthcare law and urged them not to rescue republicans by helping them pass a replacement reportedly referred to the g.o.p.'s revolving plans as trumpcare. but there is no actually plan right?b, for trumpcare, robert: republicans have voted to repeal the affordable care act multiple times but there has yet to be genuine consensus on about what to replace it with. part of the hesitation at this moment, based on my experience week, wasl this republicans want to make sure health and human services

price,ry nominee, tom congressman of georgia, has a work with donald trump and work with his own plan, a series of tax credits. but it's been a struggle for getker paul ryan to really together a plan that everyone seems to agree on because there are so many factions in the there's an expectation now that something has to be ofe and there's a little bit on-edge feeling among many republicans that they haven't sell aough to replacement. ed: because they didn't -- there are various plans. covered this. .eff: only robert: only the insiders seem to know what they are. there's talk especially in the house of adding plans to parenthood, jeff. jeff: which, of course, has been an issue for a long time on capitol hill. main reasons of the government shutdown in 2013. course,d in 2015, of

defunding planned parenthood, the president vetoed it. it will pass the house no senate, thatin the diminished republican majority is going to come into play. susan collins of maine and alesa rokoskie of alaska are opposed to defunding planned parenthood. rand paul is watching the

be -- alexis: emotional. emotional and bittersweet know that she has said she's looking forward to a private life but it is a think back thing to on the eight years and she smoke emotionally about it. wanted to add, to, it's interesting that president obama trump, speaking on the phone together, seemed to have a cordial way speaking to that, in myand experience, is a somewhat unusual thing and both of them

gotten something conversations. ed: we should point out the clintons, the george w. bushes, the carters, will be at the inauguration. issues of therock trump campaign was immigration reform and building a wall. this?member haverump: we are going to a strong border. we are going to build the wall. it will be a real wall. a real wall. who is going to pay for the wall? who? 100%. way, ed:reminds me of that james song. "mexico," remember? year-end person of the year interview with trump, you guys asked him whether republicans care too much about the bottom line, about deficit spending. what did he tell you?

it's instructive about what may happen. michael: he said sometimes you have to prime the pump. sale theed whole defining thesis of the tea party debt andvernment eliminate deficits. his argument privately and i been, rightly has now, we need to get this country moving again. deliver on my promises to get jobs back in the country. not 2% 4.5% growth, growth. that's not the agenda of the house republican caucus. the agenda of senate republicans so there's going to be a clash. we don't know exactly how that out.iation will work the democratic leader, chuck think there's to some space for him to fit in there. he's willing to deal on things like infrastructure, if he can get real spending from trump and he'll bring democratic votes so that will be one of the big dramas, i think, in the year. on a bordere tag wall is yet to be determined but

this is settled law. an old law that basically authorizes constructing at least 700 miles right?, >> there is. a lot of people support that in theory but the wall may become more of a fence and the idea of mexico paying for it, you could not find a republican or at i couldn't find one who believes that that will actually happen. ed: and what it would look like. this kind of jams democrats because they know that's part of he won.on a lot of moderate democrats are up for re-election in the senate years. there may be very little that schumer and friends can extract all of this.of alexis: but democrats are also lying in wait, in a way, for the initiative.ration it's not just the wall. it's what will donald trump do immigrationnda on to crack down and enforce the law. but he's going to have some quick decisions to make the dreamers,ka, the children who arrived here,

he's going to have to make am i going to deport them? democrats are looking at that as the terrain in which they're base of build up a support. ed: it's important to remember these discussions about intelligence and the border wall and healthcare is pence, former member of the house, outgoing governor of indiana who, as you wrote this trump and thee way he comports himself, they thererring reminders that will be two distinct managers working at the white house and tensions between them. you have the accessible mike pence and donald trump who works by twitter. pence was on capitol hill this and is expected to be a pretty constant presence, right? >> he is. and working with ashley parker, bewas a jarring contrast to seehe capitol basement and vice president-elect pence reporters.th the

and as that meeting's happening, the plecket's up -- president-elect is in his tower tweeting away. these are the dynamics that are reality in washington and especially for congressional republicans and they're comfortable with pence. theenator graham told me in in hallway, mike pence sounds like indiana, looks like indiana, and we're fine with that. he's a mainstream republican, a conservative, and as this populace outsider takes the oval office chair, mike pence reassures his own party of elements of republicanism. on a person to keep an eye for sure. great conversation, thank you, guys. good way to start the year. everyone, for watching. our conversation continues online on the "washington week" where we'll tell you about eye-opening intelligence tucked

into the back of that unclassified report released this afternoon. you can find that at pbs.org/washingtonweek. online, find're out about the office of ethics and why lawmakers wanted to gut that operation earlier this week. i'm ed o'keefe. thanks for tuning in. have a great weekend >> funding for weeksan joaquin provided by -- additionaltute:

boeing, provided by foundation, donating all profits profits frm toman's own food products charity. the ethics and excellence in journalism foundation, the ford foundation, koo and patricia yeun, committed to bridging cultural differences in our communities. corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you, thank you

♪ hello and welcome to "kqed newsroom," i'm thuy vu. coming up on our program, oakland picks an outsider for police chief to lead a department that's been besieged by scandal and ruptured relationships with the community. plus, i'll sit down with the new mayor of berkeley, jesse arreguin, the youngest mayor in the city's history. first, with president-elect trump's inauguration two weeks away, republican leaders are wasting no time defining job number one -- gutting the affordable care act. that could have huge ramifications for california. more than one-third of californians are covered under medi-cal, the state's version of medicaid, which the aca helped to expand. immigration is also being targeted, and state lawmakers are gearing