right now on "andrea mitchell reports," over the top. come 2018 how will voters feel about the plethora of praise for the president over the tax reform bill? >> this has been a year of extraordinary accomplishment for the trump administration. >> exquisite leadership, mr. president, thank you. >> thank you for your love of this country. >> you're one heck of a leader. >> we would not be standing here today if it wasn't for you. >> taking names this hour, the united nations set to vote on a resolution condemning the u.s. for recognizing jerusalem as the capital of israel. after a threat by the president, u.n. ambassador nikki haley says they will cut off foreign aid if other countries are upset with the u.s. for moving thefrom tel

aviv to jerusalem. >> this is how we look at countries who disrespect us in the u.n., and this vote will be remembered. and red alert. the top democrat on the senate intelligence committee warns president trump against firing counsel robert mueller or pardoning key figures in the russia investigation. >> these are truly red lines and simply cannot allow them to be crossed. >> good day, i'm chris jansing in for andrea mitchell with new details on how congressional republicans plan to keep the government running through the new year, and president trump's reaction to the public perception of his first big legislative victory. joining me now, nbc's kristen welker at the white house. nbc's kasie hunt is on capitol hill. kasie, take us through what we expect to happen on the hill and what's going to be hanging out there when congress returns if

2018? >> reporter: a couple things, chris. we are still waiting on final word that republicans can get this short-term government funding across the finish line. democrats are digging in and insisting it's totally on republicans to deal with it and make sure the government is funded. they need 218 votes. when you see them call a vote on this resolution today, perhaps tomorrow if things don't go well, that will signal to you that they are ready to move forward. then of course it would head over to the senate side. senators are scheduled to have lunch here in an hour or so and we should learn a little bit more about whether there is any snags. but they really are punting all the big questions into next year. one that i know a lot of people are worried about is chip funding. there would be, in this short-term deal, additional money through the chip program until about march or so. that doesn't necessarily give families a lot of certainty, but it's a little bit of a step those families would think in the right direction. there's not really disagreement on extending that program here in congress. it's a question of how to pay

for it, but that, of course, has ensnared those 9 million children who rely on it. there's also questions about daca, the program for dreamers. there have been democrats who have tried to make a stand on that. nancy pelosi did it at length today at a committee hearing. senate democrats have essentially decided that's not something they want to hold this entire package up over, which has gotten some criticism from dreamers. and they've been protesting some events for democratic senators. senator tim kaine from virginia ran into that. they really do have a long list of things to deal with, but right now the big question in these hallways is when is everybody going to get out of town for christmas? we have a joke up here where we say the smell of the jet fumes is very strong. it typically happens late on a thursday afternoon. there's even more of them right before christmas, so we'll see if that wins the day or if people are going to dig in and keep us here till tomorrow. >> i know you will keep us posted on that. kristen, meantime, even as

republican leadership on the hill is confident a shutdown will be averted, so is the white house. although i have to say the president's focus seems to be on reaction to the tax bill. what can you tell us? >> reporter: it is, chris. he is focused on selling this tax bill. he knows that the polls show that a number of americans are skeptical of this, don't like the tax bill, think it's going to benefit the wealthy instead of the middle class, so he's pushing back against that narrative. the president tweeting earlier today the massive tax cuts which the fake news media is desperate to write badly about so long as to please their democrat bosses will soon be kicking in and speak for themselves. companies are already making big payments to workers. dems want to raise taxes, hate these big cuts. of course, democrats are seizing on the narrative that this tax legislation will help the wealthy. they point to the fact that corporations really get the biggest tax cuts, 35 to 21%. most americans will also see a

tax cut, chris, as well, and the white house say they'll start to feel the effects of that in february. so politically speaking, i think this is going to be continue to be a football. democrats will try to use this in 2018. republicans will point to this as a major victory. and we saw that on display yesterday, the president taking a major victory lap here at the white house. he was surrounded by republican leadership, and one of the striking things about it, he clashed with that same leadership after failure to repeal and replace obamacare. there is only high praise on all sides. we're waiting to see if we hear from the president before he heads to mar-a-lago for the christmas break. typically presidents have an end of year news conference. still waiting to see if that's going to happen, chris. >> keep us post oed on that. in the meantime we'll bring in tyler. the chief of staff to president

clinton. let me talk to you, because you've been there at the end of a president's first year in office. how would you rate trump as he comes off this win? would you think his advisers would be saying go out and have that press conference, because this is your opportunity to finally say something, yes, i got a big legislative win. >> it's a big moment and it's a good moment. they had a big announcement yesterday. the president was front and center and got strong endorsement from his republican colleagues in the senate. as you noted, they had been on opposite sides in months past. the difference is, chris, that the poll numbers are not yet reflecting this kind of win. and i fear about this bill. it's pretty partisanship. i worry about the deficit. near term, i think it will stimulate the economy, but the economy is already doing well. i think the poll numbers where it was different with president clinton after we passed our economic plan deficit reduction plan, the poll numbers were all

moving in the right direction. that's not the case for this president. i think he has a win here, he's going to try to sell it. we'll see how it works out. >> let's talk about the possible shutdown. they're trying to stabilize insurance harkmarkets on daca. are republicans setting is themselves up for a big fight in january, or do they have momentum to carry themselves into january? >> i think they probably have a little momentum. i don't think the government will shut down under any circumstances. i don't think the leadership of the house or the senate will allow that. the reason is if you have republicans in charge of congress and republicans in charge of the white house, a government shutdown would clearly be blamed on the republicans, it wouldn't be blamed on the democrats, so they've got to keep it open and look like they are a governing party. but i think there are plenty of areas to compromise on daca and republicans might be able to get more than they want. i think on the tax deal republicans have made two gambles. one is if you can keep the

endorphins of the president feeling good about a win, that he would like this legislative win, and work to get more of them. that's why you saw the praise yesterday. and the second, as mack pointed out, the economy is doing better and has been doing better on its own and it's a gamble it will continue to do better, and that a majority of americans will receive a tax cut, and if they receive a tax cut coupled with economic growth whether stimulated by this tax bill or not, they'll see this as a win and come around and like it. >> yesterday looking at the president, he was ebullien, fraebullien ebullien,frankly, and surrounded by his staff. do you think the president can use these reports about how corporations will be giving these people thousand-dollar bonuses and with some messaged discipline, sort of get the poll

numbers moved in his direction, because maybe if people see more money in their paycheck, whether it's a bonus or a tax break, it maybe doesn't matter to them whether he and other wealthy people are really getting the bulk of these benefits. >> i think dr. tyler there had a good prescription there for president trump in terms of keeping him on message and sommer of discipline. we'll see how that plays out. obviously there will be two narratives as kristen pointed out in her earlier session with you about democrats making the case that this is not a balanced tax plan, that the bulk of the taxes go to the wealthy. i do think it's not a well put together plan. i think it's truly an opportunity missed for tax reform, and i continue to underscore the fiscal irresponsibility here of the deficit. near term, i think the president, again, will be very, very vocal. he'll be frustrated from time to time and combative from time to time. i think the key is, though, as noted earlier, big legislative

agenda. a lot of issues, thorny issues that have been kicked down the road for 2018, he's going to have to have some legislative support, including democrats, chris, next year for daca and other matters. >> i see the big issue that the president was brought here because big business wasn't done. people had this constant fighting, this constant uncertainty. i think a lot of people were turned against this president, moderates, independents who voted for him because of what happened with health care. uncertainty, i think, with the american people as well as with the stock market is never a good thing. now you have what's going to happen with this chip program and whether or not it affects you or a member of your family directly, there is a lot out there like what we saw on "nightly news" last night from the reynolds family. i just want to play a little clip. >> limbo is exactly where we're

at. >> for us chip isn't if little sally happens to break her arm or get sick and it's nice to have coverage for little accidents. for us, it's taking from life. >> rick, you said there is some momentum, but given things like this, given the president's tendency to step on what would sometimes be seen as success, is it tenuous momentum at best? >> i think that's right, and i think the president is trying to say we can have wins when we work together and not step on each other all the time like he tends to on twitter. as you saw, chip is a vital program for many americans and that could definitely be used against the republicans. but my guess is they will fund chip. they should have done it already. but they will get it done. they were getting this tax bill done and now they'll have room to get that done as well. >> thank you, gentlemen. always good to see both of you.

mack mcclarty, rick tyler. i want to go now to ambassador rick burns. he's the secretary of state to political affairs, ambassador to nato. we are talking about the general assembly which had open debate against the recent u.s. decision to recognize jerusalem as israel's capital. is it correct that debate is over, the vote has begun? is that correct? we're going to have a lot more on that after the break. stay with us. hey! yeah!?

i switched to geico and got more! more savings on car insurance!? they helped with homeowners, too! ok! plus motorcycle, boat and rv insurance! geico's got you covered! like a blanket! houston? you seeing this? geico. expect great savings and a whole lot more. (avo) but you also have a higher risk of heart attack or stroke. geico. non-insulin victoza® lowers a1c, and now reduces cardiovascular risk. victoza® lowers my a1c and blood sugar better than the leading branded pill. (avo) and for people with type 2 diabetes treating cardiovascular disease, victoza® is now approved to lower the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death. and while it isn't for weight loss, victoza® may help you lose some weight. (avo) victoza® is not for people with type 1 diabetes

or diabetic ketoacidosis. do not take victoza® if you have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if you are allergic to victoza® or any of its ingredients. stop taking victoza® and get medical help right away if you get symptoms of a serious allergic reaction such as rash, swelling, difficulty breathing or swallowing. serious side effects may happen, including pancreatitis. so, stop taking victoza® and call your doctor right away if you have severe pain in your stomach area. tell your doctor your medical history. gallbladder problems have happened in some people. tell your doctor right away if you get symptoms. taking victoza® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. common side effects are nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, decreased appetite, indigestion, and constipation. side effects can lead to dehydration, which may cause kidney problems. ask your doctor about victoza®.

the united states will remember this day in which it was singled out for attack in the general assembly for the very act of exercising our right as a sovereign nation. we will remember it when we are called upon to once again make the world's largest contribution to the united nations. and we will remember it when so many countries come calling on us as they so often do to pay even more and to use our influence for their benefit. >> that's u.n. ambassador nikki haley slamming her counterparts just a little while ago as the general assembly holds that rare emergency special session. they just voted on a resolution condemning the u.s. decision to recognize jerusalem as israel's capital and relocating its embassy to jerusalem. joining me now, peter baker of the "new york times." he is the former jerusalem bureau chief, now white house

correspondent as well as an msnbc political analyst. final vote here in the passage, peter, 128-9, 35 abstained. what real impact does this have, though, other than embarrassing the united states? >> it doesn't have much of a tangible impact. it does infuse the idea that the white house said people won't be really upset about this, they'll agree with us, they'll follow along with our lead. obviously that's not going to happen. the general assembly has had a long-standing position when it comes to the israelis, they would tell you they are historically argumentative to the pakistanis. this is a divisive issue. it does suggest how isolated the

united states is on issues like this. whether that trails over to other issues that face the world body, it's hard to say. you can certainly hear the frustration in nikki haley's voice in the sense of outrage that other nations benefit in the united states, so casually, it seems, go against them on an issue like this. >> one of the parts of this is what direct impact this u.n. vote has, but obviously there is another part of it which is what impact the actual action has, and on monday when there was that similar vote, one of the things nikki haley said was, nyack sags than any accusation that the middle east is set back in peace is a scandalous charge, but a scandalous charge may be overstating it. what do you say? >> a scandalous charge is many analysts who have been involved in the mideast peace for years, most people involved in the process would tell you any final settlement between the israelis

and palestinians envisions encircling west jerusalem as their capital. what's bothersome to analysts is this issue would be decided at this point rather than through a larg larger, more comprehensive deal. the united states, president trump, has given away the cards before anyone gets to the table. that's what seems so surprising to a lot of people who have been involved with this for many years. >> one of the things that's not surprising, obviously, peter, this is a president who ran on an america first campaign pledge. he has been talking about this for a long time. but the idea of saying that the u.s. is taking names, not very thinly veiled threat. what's the reaction you're hearing to that? >> it's not a good reaction from elsewhere around the world, of course. many of the countries that have voted against us are allies of ours in many ways and the united

states depends on them just as much as they depend on the united states, so allowing this issue to become such a focal point of dissension between the united states and some of its best friends is a choice that prioritizes it over other issues and categories like counterterrorism cooperation, like economic cooperation and so on. look, other administrations in the past have made threats like this. i was talking the other day with someone from the reagan administration who recalled during their time in office, the first year in office, they made similar noises at the united nations. people voted against them, and they would remember and penalize them economically. i asked the reagan administration, how did that work out, and they said badly. this is something that hasn't worked out well in the past. >> did they penalize them and it didn't have any impact, or they just never followed up? >> it's complicated to say, hey, we cut your aid off. let's take this motion.

who is one of the big sponsors is egypt, of course. egypt gets the most aid from the united states of any country in the world except for israel, about $1.3 billion a year. why does egypt get that much aid? because it signed a peace treaty with israel? is the united states going to cut off aid with egypt in order to be at peace with israel because it's upset about this resolution regarding the capital of israel. it's a very complicated situation there and one that might have ramifications that president trump doesn't really intend. >> peter baker from the "new york times," thank you for that. i want to go to the united nations which is where ron allen has been following the vote. 135 against, 100 abstaining. tell us that some of the people who voted here are indeed our allies. >> the leaders of the region are egypt, turkey, there were american allies in the security council yesterday who were

against the united states position as well. this has basically been the united states and israel against the world. we don't know who the 35 nations that abstained were, but they're obviously trying to take a position that's not directly in defiance of the united states, but clearly this is an overwhelming defeat for the united states. does it mean much? that remains to be seen. most of the speakers said basically that declaring jerusalem the capital of israel is illegal. it violates international law. it violates at least a dozen or so previous u.n. security council and other resolutions. that's their point. and they said essentially this body and their countries are not for sale. they called what the united states is doing blackmail, bullying, and they said they would not stand up to it. where this goes from here is unclear. does this help the peace process? most people don't seem to think it will. the united states has been saying all along that they think there will be a short-term negative reaction to their declaration about jerusalem and their announcement to move the

embassy, but they've believed all this opposition will go away. the israelis think it will make it possible for peace because the palestinians will understand they're not going to get to their capital. but the backers strongly disagree with that. this was not expected. everybody knew the united states would lose this vote. and the united states and israel say that the u.n. has always been prejudiced against them, so no big surprise, and we move on. chris? >> thank you for that. i want to bring in ambassador nick burns, analyst of political affairs. always good to see you, am bo ambassad ambassador. ron asked the key question, which is, where does this go from here? what's the answer? >> i think the answer is there won't be much follow-up but in the united nations, certainly. there is hypocrisy in the united

nations. i get the problem. i think the solution by the trump administration has been ineffective. when you put the president of the united states out there threatening that he's going to withdraw aid from american allies, iraq, afghanistan, egypt, when you have germany, france, britain opposing us. there is a report this morning that canada had intended to vote with us, and after this blatant threat had been made by the president, canada decided it couldn't be seen as a puppet of the united states and therefore had to abstain. >> canada just put out a statement that, indeed, they did choose to abstain. since you mentioned it, i want to remind people and play exactly what the president had to say. >> these nations that take our money and then they vote against us at the security council, or they vote against us potentially at the assembly. they take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars and then they vote against us. well, we're watching those votes. let them vote against us.

we'll save a lot. we don't care. >> "we'll save a lot, we don't care." so for the average american who doesn't follow this closely and who believes, as has been misreported the amount of the budget that goes to foreign aid, which i believe is somewhere less than 1%, not a third as there have been reports that high. >> that's right. it's about 1%. >> it's about 1%. nevertheless, in real dollars for most people, that's a lot of money. but to what end, these threats? >> here's the problem. when the president of the united states, you know, from the oval office decides that he wants to threaten the rest of the world and then doesn't follow up, i'm hard pressed to think the united states doesn't want to cut aid to afghanistan or iraq where we have troops in both places, or egypt, then we look hollow and we don't look credible. it gets to american leadership. if you think about our really great leaders, fdr, eyisenhowee

george h.w. bush, they led confident, strong, they led in a positive way. they didn't bully our best friends in public. i think it's a question of leadership here, and president trump may be engaging in a little bit of political theater to denounce the united nations, bash them. it doesn't help the united states of america. we're not going to win by being isolated and repudiated by the rest of the world. i just think it was ill advised. >> ambassador, always good to see you. thank you. >> thank you. up next, proceed with caution. the top guy in the intelligence committee ordering to proceed with caution. this is "andrea mitchell reports" only on msnbc.

i am totally blind. and non-24 can throw my days and nights out of sync, keeping me from the things i love to do. talk to your doctor, and call 844-214-2424. whcold sore.et you? grab lunch? cold sore. when a cold sore takes over, campho phenique's topical anesthetic plus anti-microbial action soothes pain fast. what's for dinner? meat loaf. campho-phenique on, cold sore pain gone. ♪ this holiday, the real gift isn't what's inside the box. it's what's inside the person who opens it. ♪ give ancestrydna,

the only dna test that can trace your origins to over 150 ethnic regions... ♪ ...and open up a world of possibilities. ♪ save 20% for the holidays at ancestrydna.com.

firing mr. mueller or any

other of the top brass involved in this investigation would not only call into question this administration's commitment to the truth, but also to our most basic concept, rule of law. it also has the potential to provoke a constitutional crisis. >> that's senator mark warner, the top democrat on the intelligence committee. you heard him, warning president trump that firing the special counsel would be a gross abuse of power with serious consequences. joining me now, nbc national security contributor frank beluzi, and intelligence national security reporter ken delanian. senator, let me get your meaning of these comments. >> i think that anything telling the peopresident the gravity of

what he might be contemplating is helpful. let's understand something. there is a premise here that somehow firing the special counsel would actually negate the president's legal problems. in fact, it might even exacerbate them as he might face various attorneys looking at him. so this thought process of, if i let bob mueller go, my problems go away is incorrect. >> and the senate judiciary committee and politico is reporting that a group of house republicans have been secretly meeting for weeks, trying to build a case that the justice department and the fbi mishandled that now infamous dossier that alleges ties between the president and russia. the democrats were not involved in this process. it looks, or could it be part of a plan, to discredit the mueller investigation? >> a lot of people think so, chris, but let's give them the benefit of the doubt. there are perfectly legitimate questions for andrew mccabe about that dossier compiled by

the foreign british intelligence operative for steele. why did they trust this guy? is he accurate? he provided crucial information in their investigation of the international soccer corruption. he got his information from a network of sources that he had in russia as a known to the u.s.-british intelligence operative known to the cia. i think at the end of the day, the question on this dossier is can robert mueller really prove any of it in court? it doesn't matter where they got their tips. what matters is what can they prove and where does the investigation go from here, chris. >> the fbi issued a statement obviously responding from the criticism they've heard from the president and some republicans. it says, attacks on our character and demeaning comments about the fbi will not deter agents from continuing to do what we have always done,

dedicate our lives to protecting the american people. when is the last time you saw a statement like this come out, and what are you hearing as reaction on the ground from your former colleagues? >> so my former colleagues tell me that they're going on as business as usual. but what they get concerned about is the effectiveness of the fbi. when an fbi agent pulls out his credentials, displays them to a member of the public, seeks cooperation, support, information, it's the perception of those credentials by that citizen that drives the success of saving our communities from crime. it's that that they worry about. if the president is affecting the effectiveness of the bureau is what's of concern. >> on the orders of attorney general jeff sessions, justice department prosecutors are asking fbi agents for information on the uranium one deal. tell us about that. >> this grows out of a request from house republicans again that the justice department take another look at this transaction which was, as you know, a sale

of uranium -- american uranium assets to a russian company that was approved by the u.s. government, nine agencies, including hillary clinton's state department. during the time the transaction was going on, some executives involved contributed a lot of money to the clinton foundation. but clinton has said she played no personal role in this decision and there is no evidence that has emerged to contradict that. nonetheless, the fbi took a look and no charges were filed. now the justice department is asking questions of these fbi agents who investigated this. what evidence did you find? was there any information to quash a potential prosecution? what's unclear is where that goes. does it turn into a reexamination of the uranium one case? if it does, there will be a lot of discussion about political interference, chris. >> during his confirmation hearing in january, sessions said he would recuse himself from any investigation involving secretary clinton. how does he reconcile what he said then compared to your reporting? >> well, it's not clear that

simply asking for justice department lawyers to ask questions about this case constitutes sessions becoming involved. so i think he's got a little g wiggle room there, but certainly democratic senators will be asking this question in the coming days, chris. >> thanks, guys. add it up. nbc news learning just moments ago the house will fund the government through february 19th and extend the chip, the children's health program, through march. meanwhile, the president says he stands to lose a fortune in the new tax plan. we're going to check his math, next. this is "andrea mitchell reports" only on msnbc. ♪ three waves later, i think it was the other way around... ♪

everything you need to go. ♪ expedia. [ click ] [ keyboard clacking ] [ clacking continues ] good questions lead to good answers. our advisors can help you find both. talk to one today and see why we're bullish on the future. yours. talk to one today and see why we're bullish on the future. essential for vinyl, but maybe not for people with rheumatoid arthritis. because there are options. like an "unjection™". xeljanz xr. a once daily pill for adults with moderate to severe ra for whom methotrexate did not work well. xeljanz xr can reduce pain, swelling and further joint damage, even without methotrexate. xeljanz xr can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis.

serious, sometimes fatal infections, lymphoma and other cancers have happened. don't start xeljanz xr if you have an infection. tears in the stomach or intestines, low blood cell counts and higher liver tests and cholesterol levels have happened. your doctor should perform blood tests before you start and while taking xeljanz xr, and monitor certain liver tests. tell your doctor if you were in a region where fungal infections are common and if you have had tb, hepatitis b or c, or are prone to infections. needles. a must for vinyl. but for you, one pill a day may provide symptom relief. ask your doctor about xeljanz xr. an "unjection™".

it is riddled with loopholes that left some special interests -- including myself, this is going to cost a fortune for me, believe me. believe me. this is not good for me. >> my plan is for the working people, and my plan is for jobs. [ inaudible question ] >> no, i don't benefit. >> this is my exclusive commitment that tax reform will benefit corporations and middle income people. i'm doing the right thing, and it's not good for me, believe me. >> trying to sell the republican tax cuts bill as a win for the

middle class, president trump repeatedly insisted the plan would not benefit him personally. in fact, the president, his family and many wealthy members of his cabinet scored a major boost for their bank accounts. joining me now, george spur lli, economic adviser to both presidents clinton and obama. what's your opinion on this? >> this tax cut was designed for the largest multi-million-dollar companies who get hundreds of thousands of dollars. second, they provided for a pass-through deduction that doesn't just go to small businesses, it goes to the wealthiest americans that set up partnerships, s-corporations, and particularly, as we saw, was designed at the last minute to make sure people who do passive investments in real estate and other things can reap a 20% deduction. in fact, there's been studies that have shown that well-off foreign investors will actually

get a larger tax cut than all of the middle class people in the 30 states trump won. so this isn't just about that this is going to be good for donald trump and his family. i mean, there is no question that that's the case because of the pass-through loophole, because of the state tax cut exemption, and other provisions that benefit, exchanging real estate. what's even more concerning is this was designed from the start for the most well off. and the polls show the people feel like they were an afterthought. there is a reason they think that. they were. >> gene, you also know what the other side is saying. they're saying this is going to benefit people in their paychecks as soon as february. yesterday, even as he was announcing this passage, the president said, look, here's all these companies. they're going to give people thousand-dollar bonuses. i want to remind people what

gary cohn had to say back in september about what middle income families would see in their paychecks and what they do with it. >> if we allow a family to keep another thousand dollars in their income, what does that mean? they can renovate their kitchen, they can buy a new car, they can take a family vacation. they can increase their lifestyle. that's what our tax plan is to do. our tax plan is aimed to return more income back to hard-working americans. that's what we're trying to do there. >> granted, there is a disconnect on what a thousand dollars will buy. on average a kitchen remodel costs almost 22 grand. the average price of a used car is at an all-time high of over $19,000. having said that, if you're a middle class, lower middle class american, and you see more money in your paycheck and you see a $1,000 bonus, do you see where they're saying, maybe the rich are benefiting, but i am, too? >> i think most americans are

too smart for that. first of all, they, i think, see the big lie in this tax cut. the big lie is that people are struggling. they're worried the middle class is being left out, they worry even with the economy they have economic insecurity. they're saying, we just have to make the larger companies have a bigger tax cut and be more profitable. but what we've seen over the last 16 years is when corporate profits have gone even to record levels, the percent going to their employees has gone to record low levels. people don't see that connection because there hasn't been that connection. and this kind of, you know, having a company who is up for review for a merger right now make a single announcement is nice pr, but that doesn't provide any evidence to people that simply giving larger tax cuts to companies is going to

mean they're going to help their workers because they haven't done that over the last 14 years. and in terms of typical families, let's remember, they couldn't even fit the middle class tax cut in. one, even as they do it, they're raising taxes on millions, sometimes tens of millions of middle class families are going to see an actual tax increase the way they design it. and then they sunset it two years early. so by the time the plan is finished, the top 1% get 80% of the benefits and everybody under 100,000 is getting a tax increase. now, i got to ask you, if you're allowed to increase the deficit by $1.5 trillion, how could you possibly design a tax plan where you're going to raise taxes on virtually all middle-class families the last two years of the plan other than they were the afterthought, not what this tax cut was really intended to do, and i think what most people are going to see is if you did a

category of who is getting a tax increase, no tax cut or something so small you don't even notice, i think you're going to find a very large percent of american working families are going to feel they're in that broader category of not being a winner, if not being a loser. >> gene spurling, always good to have you on the program. thank you. >> thank you. >> he praised the president after that package passed, but is everyone feeling the love? this is "andrea mitchell reports," only is msnbc. to get f these features, you'd need all six of those crossovers. that's insane! yep, and you still wouldn't get everything that's in this equinox. wowww... six cars in one. use your employee discount for everyone to get forty -five hundred dollars below msrp on this 2018 chevy equinox. find new roads at your local chevy dealer. psoriatic arthritis tries to get in my way? ♪

watch me. ♪ i've tried lots of things for my joint pain. now? watch me. ♪ think i'd give up showing these guys how it's done? please. real people with active psoriatic arthritis are changing the way they fight it... they're moving forward with cosentyx®. it's a different kind of targeted biologic. it's proven to help people find less joint pain and clearer skin. don't use if you are allergic to cosentyx. before starting cosentyx you should be checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms of an infection. or if you have received a vaccine, or plan to. if you have inflammatory bowel disease tell your doctor if symptoms develop or worsen. serious allergic reactions may occur. with less joint pain, watch me. for less joint pain and clearer skin, ask your rheumatologist about cosentyx.

what ifmy chest hurts.cal emergeni can't breathe.e? what you need is mobile help. america's premier mobile medical alert system. most systems only work at home. but with mobile help, you get help outside the home, with coverage nationwide on one of the largest cellular networks, at the press of a button. call the number on your screen for a free, full color brochure. we'll send you everything you need! including this base station, the patented mobile device, and the waterproof pendant and wrist button. you can also add the fall button that automatically detects falls and signals help. call today and receive a risk-free 30-day trial. there is no equipment to buy and no long-term contract. for a limited time, you will also receive a free emergency key box with your plan purchase. remember, mobile help keeps you safe coast to coast. call

use an over-pronounced whwashing techniquesurgery, for dramatic effect. they also know you need to get your annual check-up. now prepare for your check-up with one touch using the mycigna app, where you can find a doctor in your plan's network to save money, manage your health, and more. need to be thorough... cigna. together all the way.

thank you for seeing through the course of this year an agenda that truly is restoring this country. you've restored american credibility on the world stage, you signed more bills rolling back federal red tape than any president in american history. you've unleashed american energy. you've spurred an optimism in this country that's setting records. i'm deeply humbled as your vice president to be able to be here. >> that was vice president mike pence leading a love fest of sorts for president trump at wednesday's cabinet meeting, and according to the "washington post," the the vice president praised his boss once every 12 seconds for three minutes straight. and it didn't stop there. republican members of congress took a page from the pence playbook at their victory celebration after passing tax cuts.

>> mr. president, i have to say that you're living up to everything i thought you would. >> exquisite presidential leadership, mr. president, thank you. >> you're one heck of a leader. >>

>> i also think that people are dumb and i understand what this bill is and how it works and why it works the way it does. yes, there are small tax cuts for middle class people, some middle class people, but most of the money is for very wealthy people. >> and you saw those clips being used in campaign ads. >> you have to wonder why the vice president and the cabinet feel they have to bathe the president in this warm comforting bath at all times. it's odd in and of itself. if you went book and looked at what the same people in congress were saying after the being acc hollywood tape or others, it's a surprise. look, he just delivered them

their only win in congress on any big issue this year. >> speaking of character and fitness for office, it is a conversation that the world is having and certainly we're seeing in congress. al franken just a short time ago went on the floor of the senate and he basically said good-bye. i want to play a little bit of what the soon to be former senator had to say. >> before i came to the senate, i was known as something of an obsessive on the subject of honesty in public discourse. as i leave the senate, i feel -- i have to admit it feels like we're losing the war for truth. maybe it's already lost. if that's the case, if that's what happens, then we lost the ability to have the kinds of arguments that help build consensus. politics is about the improvement of people's lives.

the american people know that to be true. and they fill me with hope for my future. >> i want to get your reaction. obviously this is somebody who has had members of his own party say that they regret calling for his resignation. you wrote about him saying -- correct me if i'm paraphrasing you too broadly, he's paying the price for bill clinton back in that era. and i just wonder what your thoughts are as you listen to what he had to say today. >> well, paraphrasing, paying a price for bill clinton, back then, paying a price for roy moore now. we're in the middle of this evolving, national discussion about how to deal with how to deal with allegations of sexual harassment and my concern is options of due process, of going through the ethics committee process. but i think we should all really

step back and think not just about happened to senator franken and whether his behavior is so demonstrably bad that he needed to leave the senate but also about what he said about losing this war on truth. because i feel like that's what we've been talking about for quite a long time here. certainly since inauguration day and talking about the size of crowds and with this assault on us as purveyors of fake news, with the sort of ability to just keep on stating and restating things that are not correct. what can you do if you're in our business except for continue to fact check and plow on. but it's a little daunting. >> and continue to ask questions. we've only got 30 seconds left. we're so used to these end of year press conferences we don't know that the president is going to have one. he's going to be leaving pretty soon to go down to mar-a-lago.

he's only had, you know, one single press conference with him alone in his entire first year. rest of those have either been us shouting at him when he's going somewhere or these two twos, which means he had a press conference with another world leader. what's the real world impact of that in terms of truth? >> i think he's somewhat acceptable to reporters by comparison of past presidents. if you look at the whole thing. over the phone, in his office, as opposed to the press conferences. i think the biggest threat is the misinformation and factually challenged statements coming ought of the white house and official channels all the time. that is the bigger problem to me. >> nick, ruth marcus, i wish we had more time, if i don't see you before the holidays, happy holidays and have a great new year. >> thank you, chris. we've got more ahead. this is andrea mitchell reports only on msnbc.

i am totally blind. and non-24 can make me show up too early... or too late. or make me feel like i'm not really "there." talk to your doctor, and call 844-234-2424.

afi sure had a lot on my mind. my 30-year marriage... ...my 3-month old business... plus...what if this happened again? i was given warfarin in the hospital, but wondered, was this the best treatment for me? so i made a point to talk to my doctor. he told me about eliquis. eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots and reduces the risk of them happening again. not only does eliquis treat dvt and pe blood clots. eliquis also had significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. eliquis had both... ...and that turned around my thinking. don't stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. if you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily... and it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising.

eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots. plus had less major bleeding. both made eliquis right for me. ask your doctor if switching to eliquis is right for you.

that does it for this edition of andrea mitchell reports. craig melvin is up next on msnbc. >> always good to see you, chris jansing, thank you. craig melvin here at msnbc headquarters in new york. hours away from a shut ydown, t final push to work out a funding deal to keep the government running at least for now. plus getting credit. republicans were quick to give president trump credit for the tax bill passing.