Fine Point - Congress Tries To Get A Deal Done - W/ Congresswoman Victoria Spartz (IN-5), 12/10/24

well it's a story we seem to repeat over and over again but it's here and it's true the clock is ticking again for Congress to get a deal done and avoid a government shutdown the Democrats are once again putting their own agenda ahead of the American people speaker Johnson the head of the Republicans is trying to get a stop Gap Bill through but with without the fatty port to keep the government funded through March of 2025 so classic fight on Capitol Hill the Democrats and the Biden Administration are demanding more funds for States impacted by hurricanes and T tornadoes in the past few months the price tag of this would be a a cool $100 billion dollar plus some change but with a politicized FEMA are they really sincere about these efforts especially when we've seen headlines of politicization at that agency I don't know if a lot of Americans trust all that money with an agency like that joining us now congresswoman Victoria sparts of Indiana congresswoman welcome back thank you how can a a deal be made with the current thin GOP majority here is this something that looks like it's within reach well I think unfortunately again we haven't been Advanced and any authorization of this spending and looking at you know how what is good what is bad in this agency so we're again sending blank checks as Congress so I think we at this point I think we need to put it for next Congress so we have better president who actually care about the economy and serving the American people and actually get this spending under control so we don't give money left and right and there is just so much Wast and abuse and we haven't dealt with that and I think you know when we try to put some fiscal commission over a year ago no one wanted to do it so we don't have a plan again and as you know majority of the spending is not voted on 75% at all and from the rest of it 30% is hasn't been authorized for decades including a lot of agencies full of fraud you know I'm glad to see that you know president Trump is putting government efficiency group and we just met with iic and Elan I think they're very serious about that but it has to go through Congress all of the things needs to happen in Congress and Congress needs to do its job and I'm going to do my part we'll have no excuses next year we have Republicans control in the houses Senate and presidency if we don't deliver for the people then we're not worthy to be here you know Democrats and the Biden Administration have as I said earlier they're citing Hurricane Relief they're throwing in suddenly all of these local local concerns when they really didn't Express concerns for the American people they seem to want to send money overseas much faster than they would want to direct resources here at home but all of a sudden they care about hurricane victims they care about um tornado victims and we've seen a FEMA that has clearly been politicized at least a good portion of it how do we trust this much money to an agency still as politicized as it is well we should never trust the government Okay this not a good idea to trust government but Congress needs to start doing a job you know and Congress needs to start doing authorization and reviewing so what I suggest that I mean we have over 3,000 programs a lot of these agencies haven't been authorized for decades which it means we don't even know where they spend money on we don't even know if they follow our Direction we don't give them direction we give them blank checks so before we give money we should have this authorization hearings and put subcommittees on authorization and try to move the needle and some major problems including FEMA we need to see that the money actually go to people that need that contract directed we do not know what's happening we they funing a lot of money they're supposed to go to border security it goes to illegal aliens to some NOS we don't even know what this NGO are doing probably paying high salaries to the executives you know that facilitated you know drug trade and slay pretty much trade for Mexican cartels I mean this is terrible situation so we have to start doing it job we need to set up mechanisms in Congress to start dealing with some of the spending and authorization and actually spend some time on it so that is going to be test for next Congress because I don't think we at this point you know was pretty much weak left in in this Congress be able to get anything done on so I think we should try to you know get this funded through next year and then have a serious discussion and serious work to do our job now congresswoman uh correct me if if I'm wrong but this was the perception I had from the outside now you're much closer to all of this and you can correct me if this is the wrong perception but not long ago just a few weeks ago President Biden lifted this ban on US contractors operating in Ukraine your Homeland um and along with lifting that ban also announced all of these extra measures of you know providing Ukraine with more Weaponry in this particular spending bill of course Democrats really tried to put stuff in more funding a lot of the objection to that funding to Ukraine is grounded in the fact that we can't actually track where the money goes as you were just criticizing these other agencies but with Ukraine it seems that there is a con connection between the Biden Administration on his way out lifting this ban on US contractors so that they can work inside Ukraine and then also pushing for this additional funding it seems like there's something else going on behind the scenes there what do you say to that well listen I think Biden Administration you know everything they do it now is you know it's too little too late and they try to just cause problems to next Administration they haven't dealt with Ukraine you know they did didn't have a strategy they had slash funds and a lot of money didn't even go directly to Ukraine and never really reported to Congress where they went you know and that is a challenge you know and now they're trying just to make this you know last minute things just to cause headaches to the next Administration was no intent to actually deal with a very serious war that now escalated and destabilize a lot of other region including Middle East so I think this is something that unfortunately president Trump will be inheriting you know difficult situation but he has you know backbone he has strategy and he has a vision you know to deter some of these aggressions and President Biden use Ukraine as everything else as a slash fund the same they do it you know for the border the same they do it with FEMA they use it as slash fund for a lot of Pat projects and things who knows where the money go but that is I'm going back to this is a responsibility in abandoning of the duty by Congress United States Congress has a power of the purse we have a constitutional responsibility and authority to deal with that so I can blame a lot of administrations But ultimately we have to blame ourself for not doing the job and if we don't get out together you know with inflation and printing money and boring debt we'll have a Calamity coming up in major funds going inst Sol and very soon and President Reagan said 40 years ago that oh Congress has 40 years to deal with all of this fiscal issue well guess what the runway is getting very short so I hope you know I'm very glad that American people give give us a chance but we cannot screw it up and if we did in 16 and actually we have to deliver things through Congress because executive orders are can be changed and slow walked and that's not a way to govern no and but but I I I think you sort of answered what I was getting at but I'm I'm genuinely torn on this issue on the one hand I feel like we can trust Americans more going into Ukraine there's more maybe more accountability if they've lifted this on US contractors but at the same time as you say Biden Administration Biden family they've used Ukraine as a slush fund and in a way it feels like they're lifting this ban in order to award their friends on their way out so I'm genuinely torn on this is it a good thing or is it a bad thing that the ban has been lifted on US contractors operating in the in the in Ukraine well listen as ever else when over two years ago I said we need to have better oversight pointto Point logistic and we sure that American Americans over seen what's going on you know and the things goes to Frontline and we need to make sure that we have American companies and Americans involved in that they didn't want to do it so it's kind of hypocritical now that suddenly they're going to start doing that so it's all just political messaging and really we need to make sure to understand you know where the monies are going and the where the money went and again they took some Amendment from ndaa that passed through the house twice already and again the Senate didn't take Amendment just to reconcile the numbers which companies and which country got the money that were supposedly allocated under Ukraine name is we need to know American people you know have the right to know what we're doing with their money because we're bankrupt in the country and we are a lot of domestic issues when you have to deal so we need to deter aggresses like Iran China and Russia but we need to have strategy so what he's doing is just all messaging in appeasement it's too little too late and it's it just it's not meaningful really policy if he really wanted to Dominion policy he should have done it a while ago it just a way I would probably give more contrast to his friends very likely that is not really truly going to do the job overseen anyway no no you're right about that um you know in in terms of meaningful change and at least breaking up the way that things have always been done in Congress I have so much hope for Doge as it's led by Elon Mosk and V ramaswami they seem to be they seem to have a plan I know they met with you and your colleagues not long ago to talk about ways to cut government spending and then speaker Johnson also wait in on the visit here's speaker Johnson on Doge Elon Musk and V ramaswami have joined us today this is an important day it's a beginning of a journey you've heard uh what doge is all about the department of government efficiency um it's a new thing and this is a new day in Washington and a new day in America we have long lamented the size and scope of the government that it has grown too large and let me be frank about this government uh is too big it does too many things and it does almost nothing Well congresswoman I'm personally excited by the proposals that have been pushed by Doge um especially when it comes to cleaning up all the extra fat that operates inside our government but I suspect too that Doge in the process of understanding where all of this money is going and where waste is landing they're also going to uncover some really stunning Secrets especially over at DOD what do you say well listen and I think it's great you know I'm glad we had a great meeting with Zan and Vivic and I'm it's it's great to have Alles you know in executive branch who actually care about getting something done and care about draining this swamp don't just talk about that so I think it's will be important but it still goes back to Congress United States Congress has a responsibility to deal with this and you know we're dealing with so many employees in other Branch we don't even have mechanism to do it including L and Vivic they don't have as much resources to do it so we will have to think about it how we can use what they trying to lead in on the other side you know to actually Implement some of these great policies through Congress because otherwise these agencies will wait it out for four years and as soon as president Trump gone you know they will slow work this or it's go back to business as usual and that's how SW operates so you have to get it through Congress and it has to be part of reconciliation because that's the only chance where we actually can win with 50 votes because realistically we're not going to get 60 vote in the Senate there is not the other side is so ingrain with the swamp they're not going to help us to deal with that so we'll have to pass it for Republican Senate and the house and I'm glad to have a lie in the executive branch because Senate is another swarm that would be hard to deal with and we'll have to really propose some policy and get it done well h you are a very straightforward straight shooting very blunt personality you also have you also have a good sense of people You observe people you have a quick read on them and I guess my question what is more of a personal one as someone who's been in Congress who have watched colleagues on both sides of the aisle operate what do you think uh your colleagues on the Democrat side are most uncomfort comfortable with regarding the incoming Trump Administration well I think you know a lot of people you know used to hear to business and usual and you know and president Trump is someone who is not afraid to challenge the status quo status quo is very convenient right because then you can just collect money run campaigns how great you are and how terrible your position and do nothing challenging the status quo d in the swamp will take some courage and we'll have to take you know trim some fat from some of these programs in special interest group and everyone is afraid of it on both sides you know and unfortunately you know if we don't do something very soon we have a very radical group of people will be able to take over the country and take over Industries so someone like President Trump coming here and saying like no no it's enough is enough we are not going to be doing business as usual it's very you know threatening to a lot of them but that's about time and that's one thing about President you know that he is actually make decisions and calls he himself he listen to everyone else but he understand that he's elected he's elected to govern and I think he will be very strong strong alive for us and I hope he will put pressure on Congress too to start governing but I think it pressure will come from the American people because if we betray their trust again you know they might not give us another chance and then radical grp will go to win you know and that's not going to be pretty so I think you know this is something people like him that don't need position don't need to make money or don't need to get Fame you know they're very dangerous for the swamp and he's the right person for the right times but it will be up to Congress to be Str aive for him and the American people well congresswoman I think they're also afraid of people like you you call it as it is we appreciate you making the time as always thank you thank you thank you for having me I appreciate Dr Peter Malla of the wellness company joins us next don't go away [Music]