i is actually want to thank senators john mccain and senator johnny isakson. they have been incredible working with us. let me also thank my good friend, florida governor, rick scott, a navy veteran in here to represent more than a million veterans from the state of florida. we are also joined by the leaders of a number of veterans group. i want to thank all of them for being here and all of the tremendous and in work that they do. we would not be here if it were not for them, i can tell you that. finally, our secretary of the by theavid shelton, who, way, was approved by a vote of 100 to nothing. that is a shock, right? 100 to nothing. [indiscernible] [laughter] trump: we met earlier and secretary shelton -- for informed me about the massive challenge he inherited of the v.a., but also the work that he is doing. 14 of years, we talked about the ba, how we are going to turn around, and we're doing that. next week, we are going to have and we willrence tell you the things that we have done at the v.a. in terms of progress and achievement. the veterans have pour

every republican except senator johnny isakson voted, who was not present for the vote. after the final vote senate judiciary chair chuck grassley spoke with reporters about the judge neiln of gorsuch. he was asked about the changing of the rules for supreme court nominees and what his committee will be working on next. this is 10 minutes. >> hi everyone. i just got 30 seconds of stuff i want to talk to you about and then i will answer your questions on the subject. there are a lot of significant events that brought us to the point of adding a new member to the supreme court but i think we witnessed some of the most important votes that a member of the senate can cast. judge gorsuch will be an independent voice on the supreme court. proof that through -- he proved that through the hearing answering questions for 20 hours. he has proved he is a judges judge and most significantly, as a person who wants to interpret law and not stretch the intent of congress. finally, i am honored to have played a part to get this exceptional jurist elevated to the supreme court, a person

johnny isakson try to do the same thing with the veterans first act last year, which did not move anywhere. the chairman's predecessor was more in the vein of moving small bills, little cost. but even when they negotiated the choice program in 2014 how , to pay for it was a big sticking point that held negotiations up for weeks, and they ultimately went with $10 billion for health care, after trying to figure out various ways within the v.a. budget to offset it. i think it is more of a process approach. and do you make major changes in terms of opening up v.a. benefits, and how do you pay for that if you do it? steve: connor o'brien, we will look for your line -- work online at politico.com. kellie mejdrich, thank you for being with us, and thanks for your questions and your insight. we appreciate it. kellie mejdrich: thank you so much. announcer 1: earlier today, neil gorsuch was sworn in at a white house ceremony. during the event, president trump talked about the significance of the moment in history and the importance of getting justice courses confirmed in the first -- justice gorsuch

this was the district of gingrich, of johnny isakson, of tom price.ns, no big name, karen handle has been around for about a decade. this should be an easy win for the gop. they have no big name to make sure it's safe. >> have you guys taken any heat? trumpians taking shots at the media? have you felt there anywhere? >> reporter: i've had democrats taking shots at me. >> you're laughing, robert. any attacks? >> i am, chris, because -- >> any attacks? >> reporte >> i'm not getting attacked, chris, but i've heard the phrase fake news uttered by a few republicans, but it's something i'm used to. >> reporter: i've had democrats come up and criticize us for saying what they think are false narratives about ossoff. in my view, it's been flipped down here. >> i love it. you're in the action. thank you. thank you, kasie and thank you, robert. >>> when we return, let me finish tonight with trump watch. you're watching "hardball." liberty mutual stood with me when this guy got a flat tire in the middle of the night, so he got home safe. yeah, my dad says our in

chairman johnny isakson cooperating on legislation. do you think we are on the same page? -- you are on the same page? rep. roe: one of the first things i did as chairman was good to a point where many senators would either see me or talk to me on the phone or in person. murray,sanders, senator senator mccain, rubio, i talked to all of them personally. i wanted to have a relationship and hear whate their vision was. great deal of time building those relationships. done. what i have kellie: you have been complimentary of the new former ca health administrator. secretary sometimes clashed with the house committee. how you hope this relationship works when it comes to large legislative overhauls. rep. roe: i think dr. -- certainly is also. down on artant to sit one-on-one basis and say what is your view? what is your vision for where you want the v.a. to be? i think we have had the same thing. one of the things that has been -- this is the second-largest largest in the discretionary part of the budget and entire government. it is a big organization. for us to have the same ph

i am wondering how you see the relationship playing out in terms of you and chairman johnny isakson over in the senate cooperating on legislation. do you think you are on the same page? in terms of the process? rep. roe:. i do. one of the first invented as chairman was making a point with as many senators as would see me. i talked to them on the phone or in person. senator tester, senator sanders, senator murray, senator mccain, on and on, rubio. i talked to all of them personally. i wanted to have a relationship so they would know me and what i was doing and if i was doing and excited them what my vision for the a was. -- for the v.a. was. i spent a great deal of time building those relationships. i think they are important to be on the same page. that's what i have done to start with. kellie: you have been complimentary of the new the administrator, david chilton. over ca health administrator. the previous secretary bob mcdonald sometimes classed with the health committee. i want to know with you as the new chairman and the new administrator, how do you hope this relationship works whe

congress with us, particularly the chairman of the senate veterans affairs committee, senator johnny isaksoncongressman phil rowe chairman of house veterans affairs committee. it is accurate to say in the congress of united states support for our veterans is truly unifying and bipartisan cause. join me in thanking you have a of these members for their work for our veterans. [applause] most of all thank you to the veterans here with us today, to their spouses and all those who are here to honor them. this is an important moment. in the life of the va anin the life of this nation. we owe a debt of drattude to those who served in uniform that we can never fully repay. today you see in the president's actions one more installment in that debt that we will never be able to repay for those who have paid the sacrifice of wearing the uniform and the american people are proud and grateful for it. david mentioned a moment ago, i, my life did not take me on a pathway to wear the uniform of the united states but i'm the son of a soldier, and i'm the proud father of a united states marine. i can tell you

it is newt gingrich's seat, tom price, johnny isakson.his is a huge deal if a democrat, you have to get to 50 plus one in order to get to a runoff in june. >> mathematically if ossoff gets to 50 it's a big deal. i don't think he can make it. i just don't. a runoff means enough time for republicans to mobilize and motivate and scare their voters into coming out. i think he loses a republican seat. if there is high democratic energy and apathy among republican party faithful and this was not at trump district. it's a republican district. romney and price win it, trump wins it by. these republicans don't like trump. if they like him less now, it's a real harbinger. >> bret: flip side, clinton that georgia was turning democrat that it was shifting, spent some time campaigning there. democrats dumped this money and celebrity. they don't end up winning. >> i think this is all upside for democrats. nobody really expects they win. if he comes up short, he's not likely to win the runoff. but this is a test of the strength of the resistance parade

. >> desjardins: even republican johnny isakson warned this could lead to changing the 60- vote consensus required on most legislation. >> if we move towards a body that's a rubber stamp of the house or unicameral government of legislation, we'll never be the united states of america our founding fathers intended us to be. >> desjardins: democrat coons and republican susan collins, are gathering signatures on a letter to protect the 60-vote threshold for legislation. as for judge gorsuch the next vote will be final confirmation. that is expected tomorrow evening. for the pbs newshour, i'm lisa desjardins. >> woodruff: china's president xi jinping arrived in florida today for a high stakes summit with president trump. secretary of state rex tillerson greeted xi and his wife. mr. trump arrived later and went to his mar-a-lago estate, where the meetings will be held. north korea's nuclear effort could top the agenda. mr. trump said today he thinks china "will want to be stepping up" to deal with that. house intelligence chairman devin nunes stepped aside from leading a probe of russian meddl

[applause] the vice president: i want to thank the members of the senate isakson nate, johnny and congressman phil roe. it is accurate to say in the congress of the united states, support for our veterans is a truly unifying and bipartisan cause and join me in thanking ll of these members. vice-president pence: in the life of the v.a. ap this nation, we owe a debt of gratitude that we can't fully repay. you will see one more installment in that debt that we will never be able to pay for those who paid the sacrifice of wearing the uniform and proud and grateful for it. david mentioned a moment ago, my life did not take me on a pathway to wear the uniform. i'm a proud father of a united states marine and it is the greatest privilege of my life to serve as vice president to a president who cares so deeply about our military and about the men and women who have worn the uniform of the united states. [applause] vice-president pence: from the outset of this administration, president trump has been hard at work to keep his promise to rebuild our military and insure that those who are part of the gre

affairs committee for all their good work and also senator mccain for his good work, chairman johnny isakson, for his good work on this bill. this veterans choice improvement act is an important piece of legislation that will make sure that the veterans can access care in their communities. it is a critically important piece of legislation that we get done and get done now, and i think that this body could learn from the work that was done on the veterans' affairs committee under the leadership of chairman isakson for our veterans of this country. i don't think my home state of montana is any exception. veterans have been waiting far too long for an appointment at the v.a. and oftentimes had to drive 100 miles for an appointment and that is why we set up the choice program and unfortunately it did not work as it it should have and we were inundated with red tape. this veterans choice program improvement act is not the end all. it's not what's going to fix the choice program in its entirety, but it certainly is a step in the right direction, a step that needed to be taken and i commend the bo

she kept saying i'm running in the mold of johnny isakson, tom price, all these georgia conservatives, and she was very hesitant around president trump. she said, look, i'll support the president, but i'm going to do the right thing for my district. i think this will tell us a little bit about how republicans run toward or away from the president depending on what he's doing at this moment. >> kasie, thank you so much. >> sam and i had an old-fashioned beforehand. >> it is 6:00 a.m. >> a little early i know. >> why is this show so early. >> have the bloodys early. >> i like how you're slurring your words like it's true. >> exactly. >> sam, he got 8 million you say? >> 8.3 million. >> most of it from outside the district. doesn't it seem he's going to -- if he wants to win this thing, he's going to have to start knocking on doors. he's going to have to raise money locally, small amounts. >> i think it's fair to say this probably was your best shot in the general primary. now he has to run again in june. it's unclear if he can bring out the same level of support. i find it odd 43% were