The next is a transcript of an interview with Rep. French Hill, Republican of Arkansas on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that aired on Dec. 22, 2024.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome again to Face the Nation. We go now to Little Rock, Arkansas and Republican Congressman French Hill. Good morning to you, sir.
REP. FRENCH HILL: Good morning, Margaret. Merry Christmas.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And a Merry Christmas as effectively to you. This was fairly the journey to get you again dwelling and to get lawmakers to wrap up enterprise this previous week. No Democrat voted towards this measure to maintain the federal government open, however 34 Republicans did. Would not this present that Republicans actually wrestle to control after they move issues alongside social gathering strains. Will not they should work with Democrats on this new Congress?
REP. HILL: Properly, I believe it’s totally, crucial that Speaker Johnson and incoming Majority Chief Thune have a gradual plan collectively to work with the incoming Trump administration to prioritize the President’s priorities, our priorities within the Home and Senate, ensure that we’re on the identical web page. As a result of with slender majorities, we have set to work collectively, and that is vital. And I believe this final week demonstrated that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Properly, you’ll have a fractured convention, a slim majority. Marc Brief, who was the Director of Legislative Affairs within the first Trump administration, mentioned this chaos exhibits simply how arduous will probably be to deal with border and tax insurance policies in 2025. What is the actuality examine on the timing of that and really delivering on what Trump campaigned on?
REP. HILL: Properly, I believe Speaker Johnson and once more, Majority Chief Thune, working with President Trump, need to use the price range reconciliation course of that is nonetheless -still being mentioned as to precisely what that process might be. However I consider really that Republicans on each side of the Hill are united that we need to unleash American vitality for future manufacturing and an all the above vitality technique. We need to safe the border. We need to combat inflation via provide facet regulatory reforms. We need to roll again these laws which can be constraining the markets and constraining personal enterprise, getting access to capital. So, I believe we’re on the identical web page, and I believe price range reconciliation might be a solution to begin that course of and in addition rein in unsustainable $2 trillion deficits.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper, however you are able to do a celebration line vote within the Senate there with the Republicans, however can you actually get 218 Republicans to vote in the identical path when it was such a wrestle simply with retaining the lights on?
REP. HILL: I believe we will. I believe we demonstrated that yr after we final yr within the final Congress, after we put collectively essentially the most complete Republican solely voting for border safety, for an all of the above vitality technique. These are two priorities that President Trump campaigned on, we’re united on these methods, and I believe we will get these priorities throughout the Home flooring in addition to I say, rolling again unneeded regulatory burden on the American financial system and small companies to assist combat inflation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Properly, one of many issues that was stripped out of that preliminary bipartisan deal that Speaker Johnson had put collectively was a restriction on US investments in China. It might have affirmed presidential authority to impose sanctions on superior applied sciences. Your Democrat colleague Rosa DeLauro insinuated publicly that Elon Musk got here out towards this as a result of his actual motivation was his in depth enterprise ties to China. Do you share her issues, and can this get handed?
REP. HILL: Properly, look, President Biden had an government order governing outbound funding. We have had a debate in Congress between the Home and Senate on the easiest way to try this. All of us need to restrict American funding in harmful, I’d say, dual-use applied sciences that may be circled and damage the America’s- America’s nationwide safety, however placing that stability has been troublesome, however I do not consider that was on the coronary heart of the 1,500-page drawback. I believe individuals, a majority of members, clearly wished a easy, simple persevering with decision, and never of what was was a big omnibus spending invoice on high of a CR. So, I believe President- I imply, Speaker Johnson, did a very good job coming again round from that specializing in catastrophe help to the hurricane damage states within the southeast, farm help for these farmers, and having a clear CR with an settlement with President Trump, with majority chief Thune, on how we’d deal with reconciliation, to chop spending subsequent Congress.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You will be the incoming chair of the Home Monetary Companies Committee within the new Congress. It is certainly one of 17 committees. Patrick McHenry, the outgoing Chair of Home Monetary Companies was requested whether or not it issues that the Republican Celebration selected solely male leaders. Take a hear.
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REP. PATRICK MCHENRY: For us to haven’t any ladies chairs of committees is a large mistake and actually an unlucky factor, as a result of now we have highly effective, good, succesful, tenacious Republican ladies, which can be able to main massive committees and doing main issues.
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MARGARET BRENNAN: Why did not the Republican Celebration choose any feminine leaders?
REP. HILL: Properly that is a call made by our steering committee, however I am delighted within the Home Monetary Companies Committee that now we have robust, very passionate, profitable Republican ladies like Ann Wagner of Missouri, Younger Kim of California, Monica de la Cruz of Texas, and we’re very excited to have Lisa McClain from Michigan our conference- our convention Chairwoman, and in addition Maria Salazar from South Florida, becoming a member of our committee. They are going to be lively leaders in monetary providers coverage making.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Shortly. I do know you’ve got been attempting to limit captagon, this amphetamine drug that the Assad regime was promoting to prop up the dictatorship. Our groups in Syria filmed factories full of these items. What is going on to occur now?
FRENCH HILL: Properly, we’d like the USA to be very lively work with companions to assist a free and democratic Syria. Secondly, we have to doc the conflict crimes dedicated by the Assad regime, because it pertains to all of the individuals murdered, killed in jail, tortured in the- from the regime, and in addition observe down the networks that have been producing captagon. We may have assist from the dominion in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf states to try this, however it must be stopped. However I am pleased with the work we did to interdict captagon and reduce off the funding, as a result of I believe it completely contributed to the top of the Assad regime, and that is one thing to rejoice.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Properly, we might be monitoring what occurs with that. Earlier than I allow you to go, I do need to ask you as effectively. A supply acquainted with the investigation tells CBS Information that tomorrow, the Home Ethics Committee’s work investigating former congressman Matt Gaetz alleged sexual misconduct and drug use might be launched. final month on this program, you mentioned ‘it is as much as that committee, however we do not need to set a precedent the place we, beneath any circumstances, will launch paperwork from that committee.’ Do you continue to object?
FRENCH HILL: That is not- effectively I do not know that is how I’d characterize what I mentioned. I mentioned it is as much as that committee. I believe they are- they’ve launched paperwork earlier than, however I believe that is one thing they need to do with a substantial amount of warning, since you open up a Pandora’s field of a number of different investigations over many, a few years carried out by that committee. But when they’ve thought it via, reviewed the fabric and made that call, that is their choice.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay. Congressman French Hill, thanks and have a Merry Christmas. We’ll be proper again.
