On this “Face the Nation” broadcast, moderated by Margaret Brennan:
- Rep. Tony Gonzales, Republican of Texas
- Homeland Safety Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
- Sen. Joe Manchin, impartial of West Virginia
- Rep. French Hill, Republican of Arkansas
- Roger Carstens, particular presidential envoy for hostage affairs
Click on right here to browse full transcripts of “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”
MARGARET BRENNAN: I am Margaret Brennan in Washington.
And this week on Face the Nation: A possible authorities shutdown is averted within the eleventh hour, however president-elect Trump and first pal Elon Musk present they are going to disrupt the way in which Washington works.
Nudging Congress to do their work is technically nonetheless President Biden’s job, however it was Trump and Musk calling the pictures by social media final week. They did not get all of what they needed, however will the drama show to be a preview of what is to come back throughout the GOP in 2025?
We are going to speak with two Home Republicans, Arkansan French Hill and Texan Tony Gonzales.
Then, outgoing Homeland Safety Chief Alejandro Mayorkas weighs in on extremism and the immigration disaster.
And West Virginia impartial Joe Manchin displays on his 14 years within the Senate as he leaves workplace, with recommendation for each events going ahead.
Lastly, an replace on the brand new efforts to find journalist Austin Tice, who’s been lacking in Syria for 12 years.
It is all simply forward on Face the Nation.
Good morning, and welcome to Face the Nation.
We’re simply three days away from Christmas and the beginning of Hanukkah. Congress has gone dwelling, however is final week’s chaos on Capitol Hill an omen of what’s forward in 2025?
Texas Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales is right here in studio to reply that.
Good morning to you.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES (R-Texas): Good morning, Margaret. Thanks for having me.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So we simply noticed turmoil throughout the get together over the previous few days after president-elect Trump and Elon Musk scuttled this bipartisan deal, then demanded one other deal that could not get sufficient Republican assist to recover from the end line.
Then we now have this emergency stopgap measure that solely takes us via mid- March. You’re one in every of 34 Republicans to vote towards it. Why?
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: It is fairly easy. My constituents had been towards the C.R. simply as a lot as I used to be towards the C.R.
It has been a troublesome week, although. It began with the tragic capturing in Madison, Wisconsin. I’ve labored in a really bipartisan method to ensure we now have a nationwide technique that stops towards among the faculty shootings which can be occurring. I’ve been working with others to get that finished. I believe that is essential.
After which, within the Home, in fact, we had this messy invoice that was placed on the ground. It began with a 1,500-page invoice. In my eyes, there isn’t any doubt that there is a illness in D.C., and that illness is not going to be cured with these large, lengthy, pork-filled payments.
You do bought to present President Trump numerous credit score, although. He was in a position to whittle that right down to 116 pages. As soon as once more, the rationale I voted no is, I believe C.R.s are horrible. They do nothing however kick the can down the street. Let’s quick ahead to March. Do you suppose we’ll be any nearer to arising with a spending deal then than we at the moment are? I do not suppose so.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But when the federal government had shut down, the Border Patrol brokers who reside in your district would not have obtained paychecks.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: Proper.
That is why we should always have finished our job, as a substitute of simply saying, hey, give us three extra months, and I promise you, in three months, we’ll do our job. We’ve got ran that play earlier than.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Sure.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: We’re – in my eyes, you employ Christmas. You utilize New 12 months’s. You lock everyone in a room and also you say, let’s get it finished now.
There’s additionally an even bigger hazard to this, too, is, if we’re not funding the federal government long run…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: … now rapidly, you are telling the federal government you must spend a yr’s price of cash in six months or three months. That is not honest to any of those companies as properly.
So, mainly, it was a vote on my finish to say, let’s do our job.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper, which the Republicans who’re in management had didn’t get a few of these payments finished. The truth is, Speaker Johnson selected to go this route with the C.R.
However I need to ask you in regards to the dynamic right here as a result of it is complicated, frankly. I imply, Elon Musk is tweeting towards bipartisan offers negotiated and led by the speaker of the Home. What position precisely is he enjoying right here?
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: It is sort of attention-grabbing. We’ve got a president. We’ve got a vice chairman. We’ve got a speaker. And it appears like – – as if Elon Musk is our prime minister.
And I spoke with Elon a few occasions this week. I believe many people…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Unelected.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: Effectively, unelected.
However, I imply, he has a voice. And I believe numerous – massive a part of that voice is a mirrored image of the voice of the folks. As soon as once more, these – a 1,500-page invoice, how does that move the odor take a look at? It is completely improper. It is what’s improper with this place. So we now have to get again to common order.
The opposite a part of it too is, whereas Home Republicans had been preventing over this spending invoice, guess what Senate Democrats had been doing?
MARGARET BRENNAN: Sure.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: They had been guaranteeing that President Biden bought his 235th liberal decide over the end line. That is why it is so essential that Home Republicans keep united, keep laser-focused on delivering on a President Trump agenda subsequent yr.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However Republicans within the Home are clearly not united. And it was Speaker Johnson who led that bipartisan deal.
Do you assist him if – he is standing for reelection. Ought to he nonetheless lead the get together, in the event you’re saying he was main within the improper course with a 15-page (sic) preliminary funding deal?
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: Sure. And I do. I do assist Speaker Johnson. I believe he is finished a improbable job maintaining us all collectively. It is like feral cats on the Home, proper?
In order that’s a troublesome job to start with. However the truth that he was in a position to work with President Trump to be able to whittle it right down to a little bit over 100 pages, the truth that he was in a position to work with – with Elon Musk and a few of these people, different members to discover a answer simply goes to show that he is discovered a method.
However there additionally – this cannot be the norm.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: This can’t be the norm. As soon as once more, that is the rationale why I voted towards the C.R. is, this can’t be the norm. We’ve got to get again to common order and move our appropriations payments.
Homeland safety is definitely essential to us. There’s different issues which can be occurring on the planet.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, as a result of the Republican majority now’s so skinny, it’ll even be skinny within the new Congress. However, proper now, any missed vote will get numerous consideration.
Congresswoman Kay Granger hasn’t forged a vote since July. And there was an area reporter in Dallas who regarded into this and located the 81-year-old has been dwelling in an area reminiscence care and assisted dwelling facility for a while. That was not shared with the general public.
Have been you and others within the Texas delegation conscious?
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: I wasn’t conscious.
I believe there isn’t any doubt numerous us knew that she was gaining in age, like numerous members do. And, sadly, a few of these members wait till it is too lengthy – too – too – issues have gone too far.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And management allowed for it?
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: I believe it is possibly – I am not too certain what management knew on it or did not know on it.
I would say, on the opposite aspect of the aisle, it is the identical factor. I imply, we noticed what occurred on the Senate aspect with Senator Feinstein and a few of these others which have missed votes for a very long time.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: I believe this goes – will get again to the basis of it. Congress ought to do its job.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Sure.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: And if you cannot do your job, possibly you should not be there.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, she wasn’t there. And, apparently, it went both unnoticed or simply not acknowledged to the general public, which definitely raises eyebrows.
I must get to the border, as a result of that’s – you might have, what, 800 miles of the border in your district.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: That is proper.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Border Patrol had fewer than 50,000 apprehensions on the southern border final month. That is a Biden period low.
Does that imply, coming into workplace, that basically the disaster has been mounted earlier than Donald Trump even arrives, and that it isn’t as large of a mission as initially thought?
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: Oh, no, it is an enormous mission. And whereas the Biden administration has began to do some issues proper, the Trump administration goes to do every little thing proper, on this method.
And I’ll inform you why. Because of this it is essential. Earlier this week, I had a labeled briefing on the menace – the worldwide threats to homeland – to our homeland.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: I will not share among the delicate stuff, however I’ll share among the open-source stuff in Syria. Quite a lot of us are rooting for a free Syria.
A free Syria brings numerous alternatives for first capacity in that area, however it additionally brings a nationwide safety menace. Assad was a foul man. He imprisoned numerous of us, generally wrongfully.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Sure.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: A few of these of us are terrorists. Now they’re unfastened. The place are they? The place are they going?
Effectively, let’s carry it again to the southern border. This yr, the Biden administration has apprehended 600 Syrians. Does that imply all these Syrians are terrorists?
MARGARET BRENNAN: No.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: After all not.
However do we all know who these persons are and who’re – and are they coming into our nation? That is one thing that President Trump goes to unravel.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, you need to halt refugee admissions, like Donald Trump is speaking about? You need to block journey from Muslim-majority nations, just like the Trump staff is speaking about?
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: I would like – I would like the president – I would like the president to implement the legal guidelines that we now have on the books, that easy.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, no? These aren’t legal guidelines on the books.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: It…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Refugees are accepted in america of America.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: And they need to be, proper?
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: I would like us to observe our legal guidelines, proper? And if – and if we have to make modifications to our legal guidelines, Congress ought to be the physique to make these modifications.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: And in my eyes, we will each shield these which can be heat and welcoming.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Sure.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: We would like folks to come back and reside the American dream, these which can be fleeing political persecution.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: However we additionally must go after the criminals and the terrorists.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Understood.
Tony Gonzales, good to have you ever right here.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY GONZALES: Thanks. Merry Christmas.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas.
Face the Nation will likely be again in a minute.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: On Friday, we sat down with outgoing DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to get his ideas on the homeland safety challenges dealing with the brand new subsequent administration.
Here is a part of our dialog.
(Start VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: We not too long ago noticed that killing of the UnitedHealthcare division CEO on the streets of Manhattan.
Manhattan prosecutors known as it a killing that was meant to evoke terror. Would you contemplate him a terrorist? Is that this home violent extremism?
ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS (U.S. Secretary of Homeland Safety): The rhetoric on social media following that – that homicide is very alarming.
It speaks of what’s actually effervescent right here on this nation. And, sadly, we see that manifested in violence, the home violent extremism that exists. The specter of it in america is without doubt one of the nice menace streams that we should counter.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However once you say one thing’s effervescent, what is the nationwide pattern that you just’re seeing?
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: I – look, we now have been involved in regards to the rhetoric on social media for a while.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And that is towards CEOs? That is towards the federal government? That is towards management?
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: We have seen narratives of hate. We have seen narratives of anti-government sentiment. We have seen private grievances.
And the language of violence accompanying or being part of these narratives is one thing that we’re very involved about that. That could be a heightened menace setting. I nonetheless am alarmed, although, by the heroism that’s being attributed to an alleged assassin of a father of two kids on the streets in New York Metropolis.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And numerous that appears to be across the well being care trade and what that firm was doing. It is depersonalized. The sufferer is depersonalized.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: And – and the sufferer is an individual.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Sure.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: And the sufferer is a husband, and the sufferer is a father.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Face the Nation has been to the border, toured among the federal services, and we noticed a few of these young children who got here throughout with out mother and father and with out caregivers.
And I do not suppose – I definitely will not ever overlook that. There have been additionally kids who had been separated from their households by the Trump administration. The final report we noticed reveals that Homeland Safety reunified simply in need of 800 kids with their mother and father.
Why is it so exhausting to reunite households? And the way a lot unfinished enterprise are you abandoning right here?
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: So we’re very pleased with the work that we carried out via the Household Reunification Activity Drive. However there’s extra work to be finished.
A few of the mother and father who had been eliminated are troublesome to seek out.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: Some are reluctant to come back ahead, frightened that the separation may happen once more. We’re coping with susceptible populations who’ve gone via trauma.
So there are a myriad of challenges, a few of which we now have been in a position to overcome, as you observe, for 800 or so households, however there’s extra work to be finished.
MARGARET BRENNAN: What number of are left?
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: It’s unclear…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: … as a result of the – we weren’t left with good data. Information was not saved. And in order that was additionally one of many nice challenges that we needed to overcome.
MARGARET BRENNAN: ICE was additionally unable to account for greater than 32,000 unaccompanied children who failed to look in courtroom from 2019 to 2023, in line with the report we learn.
The incoming border czar, Tom Homan, says these kids are being exploited and trafficked. Is that true?
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: Effectively, we definitely…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Have you learnt?
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: Margaret, we definitely have obtained experiences of youngsters being trafficked, even these as to whom we all know the place they’re.
That’s outdoors the duty of the Division of Homeland Safety.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: What we do is, we flip kids over inside 72 hours, because the regulation requires, to the Division of Well being and Human Companies, after which HHS locations these kids.
After all, we examine circumstances of trafficking. However there are kids who’re reunited with a dad or mum right here in america or a authorized guardian. And so they transfer, and, generally, the federal government loses observe. People don’t adjust to the reporting obligations or in any other case.
I believe it’s inaccurate to say that each one of them are trafficked or victimized.
MARGARET BRENNAN: In December of final yr, border crossings had been at report highs. Now they’ve dropped to the bottom stage of the Biden administration.
How a lot of that drop-off is as a result of Mexico is now stopping migrants from even attending to that southern border with america?
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: That’s, critically, one component of it. It’s not the one component of it.
The president took government motion in June of this yr. That has been a key driver of the – the low variety of encounters at our border. We at the moment are delivering…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: … to the incoming administration a southern border at which the variety of people encountered is properly under the extent skilled in 2019, the final yr earlier than the pandemic.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However the immigration surge into the U.S. since 2021 has been the most important in American historical past.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: Sure.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That’s unbelievable. So…
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: Oh, it’s – Margaret, it’s one component of the best displacement of individuals on the planet since World Battle II.
It is a phenomenon that has not been distinctive to the southern border of america.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: It’s one thing that has gripped the complete hemisphere and the world.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I believe you might have mentioned to me one of many very first issues the Biden administration did was ask Congress to behave within the earliest days.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: Sure. Sure.
MARGARET BRENNAN: After which, quick ahead, you had this bipartisan near- miss on a border invoice. All that point handed.
Why wait till 5 months earlier than the U.S. election to place in place these asylum restrictions that did lower off the stream, that ended the disaster?
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: Margaret, keep in mind the place – Margaret, keep in mind the place we had been when the president took workplace. We had been within the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The prior administration had imposed Title 42, which is a public well being authority…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: … and enabled us to expel people, to proceed to expel people on the border, because the prior administration had finished.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: There was great strain to keep up the workings of Title 42, which we did. That held till Could of 2023.
We then turned to Congress, and we requested for supplemental funding that was desperately wanted to make our administration of a damaged immigration system work significantly better.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: We had been denied. We went again to Congress a second time and requested supplemental funding.
Denied. We then turned to the bipartisan negotiations, which proved profitable, which had been then killed. The results of it, a very terrific answer was killed by irresponsible politics.
Trying again now in hindsight, in 2020, if we had identified that irresponsible politics would have killed what was clearly a meritorious effort and a meritorious end result, maybe we might have taken government motion extra quickly.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
As a result of Republicans argue on this back-and-forth over whose job it’s to repair the issue, Congress would argue there was government authority that would have been used earlier than Congress legislated, they usually level again to the disaster beginning at day one, when Trump period immigration coverage was peeled again, stay in Mexico, the 100-day moratorium on most deportations that was introduced, the halt to wall building.
Did these measures – and I do know you were not but in workplace personally, however did these measures set you up for failure?
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: Keep in mind one thing. Stay in Mexico is touted as the good panacea.
The pattern traces of migration had been growing fairly exponentially from 2018 to 2019. And that’s mirrored worldwide.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: After which the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Keep in mind one thing additionally in regards to the government motion that the president took in Could – in – in June of this yr. We additionally over time constructed capabilities that we didn’t beforehand have, not simply domestically, the variety of services that we stood up, the flexibility to move people and decompress areas that had been experiencing surges of people, however our negotiations with Mexico, with different nations in Latin America and around the globe.
We at the moment are eradicating or returning extra people in three years than the prior administration did in 4.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: And we’re doing so not solely higher in quantity, however higher in pace, due to the negotiations with different nations and to extra nations than has ever been the case.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, why did not we hear extra about these enforcement actions through the election cycle, when immigration was so key?
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: Margaret, we have been executing on enforcement at an unprecedented stage all through this administration. And ICE simply printed knowledge that evidences that fairly powerfully.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Sure.
However that knowledge you simply cited reveals deportation of migrants is at a 10-year excessive beneath President Biden, a 10-year excessive. So what shifted at DHS that – that prompted this deportation of greater than, what, 200,000 unauthorized migrants from america this yr?
That – that is one of many highest numbers lately…
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: Margaret…
MARGARET BRENNAN: If Congress did not provide the energy, how did you do it?
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: Margaret, we did it with ability, with technique, and with unflinching dedication to that mission.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However it could additionally counsel that there’s the flexibility to do it with out Congress performing, proper? That is the draw back of displaying you may make it work.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: Sure, however, Margaret, we made these very spectacular statistics occur.
However there’s far more work to do.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Sure.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: And what we now have to do is to make sure that the issue doesn’t proceed.
This damaged system must be mounted. And it isn’t simply to make sure that people who do not need a lawful foundation to stay in america are eliminated, however it’s additionally to make sure that we’re offering humanitarian reduction…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: … to those that qualify, one in every of our proudest traditions, and that we’re additionally fueling the financial system.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You mentioned not too long ago that this large Chinese language hacking often called Salt Storm, the hacking of eight telecom firms that siphoned up this metadata, the cellphone name data, logs and data for tens of millions, doubtlessly, of People, was accessed.
Why hasn’t the U.S. authorities stopped it?
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: The intrusion is a really important one and an awfully impactful one and a fully unacceptable one.
And the president has demonstrated a robust response to the Individuals’s Republic of China. It is extremely subtle.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Rhetorically?
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: I am sorry,
MARGARET BRENNAN: Rhetorically, when he met with Xi Jinping?
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: Effectively, only recently, america Division of Commerce proposed a – an motion towards China Telecom.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: So that is an ongoing scenario. It’s not static.
The intrusion is a really subtle one. The telecommunications firms are working very vigorously to remediate it. They’re working in partnership with us, with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Safety Company throughout the Division of Homeland Safety, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and different companies of the federal authorities.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That is the most important intelligence compromise, doubtlessly, in U.S. historical past.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: It’s a very critical compromise, and requires very critical motion to remediate and get better from it, and in addition very critical response to it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
How did you discover it?
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: That isn’t one thing I can – I can converse to.
(Finish VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: The complete interview is on our Site and our YouTube web page.
We will likely be proper again.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Here is some optimistic information.
Our CBS Information ballot finds that People are feeling extra hopeful than discouraged as they stay up for the brand new yr. That is up 10 factors from how they felt a yr in the past.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: We will likely be proper again with much more Face the Nation.
Stick with us.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
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.
REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH HILL (R-AR): Good morning, Margaret. Merry Christmas.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And a Merry Christmas as properly 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 get together traces? I imply will not they should work with Democrats on this new Congress?
REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH HILL: Effectively, I believe it’s totally, essential that Speaker Johnson and incoming Majority Chief Thune have a gentle plan collectively to work with the incoming Trump administration to prioritize the president’s priorities, our priorities within the Home and Senate, be certain we’re on the identical web page as a result of with slim majorities we have started working collectively. And that is important. And I believe this final week demonstrated that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, you’ll have a fractured convention, a slim majority. Mark Quick, who was the director of legislative affairs within the first Trump administration, mentioned this chaos reveals simply how exhausting will probably be to deal with border and tax insurance policies in 2025.
What is the actuality test on the timing of that and truly delivering on what Trump campaigned on?
REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH HILL: Effectively, I believe Speaker Johnson and, once more, Majority Chief Thune, working with President Trump, needed to make use of the funds reconciliation course of. That is nonetheless being mentioned as to precisely what that process will likely be. However I consider really that Republicans on each side of The Hill are united that we need to unleash American power for future manufacturing and an the entire above power technique. We need to safe the border. We need to combat inflation via provide aspect regulatory reforms. We need to roll again these rules which can be constraining the markets and constraining personal enterprise gaining access to capital.
So, I believe we’re on the identical web page. And I believe funds reconciliation will likely be a option 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 course when it was such a wrestle simply with maintaining the lights on?
REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH HILL: I believe we will. I believe we demonstrated that final yr once we – final yr, within the final Congress, once we put collectively essentially the most complete Republican solely voting for border safety for an the entire above power 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, as properly, as I say, rolling again unneeded regulatory burden on the American financial system and small companies to assist combat inflation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, one of many issues that was stripped out of that preliminary bipartisan deal that Speaker Johnson had put collectively was a restriction on U.S. 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 had been – was his intensive enterprise ties to China. Do you share her considerations, and can this get handed?
REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH HILL: Effectively, 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, twin use applied sciences that may be rotated and damage the – America’s – America’s nationwide safety. However hanging that stability has been troublesome. However I do not consider that was on the coronary heart of the 1,500-page downside. I believe folks – a majority of members clearly needed a easy, simple, persevering with decision and never what was changed into a big omnibus spending invoice on high of a CR.
So, I believe president – I imply Speaker Johnson did a great job coming again round from that, specializing in catastrophe help to the hurricane damage states within the southeast –
MARGARET BRENNAN: Sure.
REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH HILL: Farm help for these farmers, and having a clear CR with an settlement with President Trump, with Majority Chief Thune on how we might deal with reconciliation to chop spending subsequent Congress.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Sure.
You’re going to be the incoming chair of the Home Monetary Companies Committee within the new Congress. That is one in every of 17 committees. Patrick McHenry, the outgoing chair of Home Monetary Companies, was requested whether or not it issues that the Republican Get together selected solely male leaders.
Take a hear.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPRESENTATIVE PATRICK MCHENRY (R-NC): For us to don’t have any ladies chairs of committees is a large mistake and actually an unlucky factor as a result of we now have highly effective, sensible, succesful, tenacious Republican ladies which can be able to main large committees and doing main issues.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Why did not the Republican Get together choose any feminine leaders?
REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH HILL: Effectively, that is a choice made by our steering committee, however I am delighted within the Home Monetary Companies Committee that we now have a robust, very passionate, profitable Republican ladies like Ann Wagner of Missouri, Younger Kim of California, Monica De La Cru of Texas. And we’re very excited to have Lisa McClain from Michigan, our convention chairwoman, and in addition Maria Salazar from south Florida, becoming a member of our committee.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Sure.
REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH HILL: They are going to be lively leaders in Monetary Companies policymaking.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Shortly, I do know you have 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 things. What is going on to occur now?
REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH HILL: Effectively, first, we’d like america to be very lively, work with companions to assist a free and democratic Syria. Secondly, we have to doc the struggle crimes dedicated by the Assad regime because it pertains to all of the folks murdered, killed, imprisoned, tortured, within the – from the regime, and in addition observe down the networks that had been producing Captagon. We may have assist from the dominion in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf states to try this. Nevertheless it must be stopped.
However I am pleased with the work we did to interdict Captagon and lower off the funding as a result of I believe it completely contributed to the tip of the Assad regime. And that is one thing to have fun.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, we will likely be monitoring what occurs with that.
Earlier than I allow you to go, I do need to ask you as properly, a supply conversant in the investigation tells CBS Information that tomorrow the Home Ethics Committee’s work investigating former Congressman Matt Gaetz’s alleged sexual misconduct and drug use will likely 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?
REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH HILL: And it isn’t – properly, I do not know, however that is how I’d characterize what I mentioned. I mentioned it is as much as that committee. I believe they’re – 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 numerous different investigations over many, a few years, performed by that committee. But when they’ve thought it via, reviewed the fabric and made that call, that is their resolution.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
Congressman French Hill, thanks and have a Merry Christmas.
We’ll be proper again.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Late final week we spoke with retiring West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, identified for enjoying a pivotal, generally irritating, position with Democrats in lots of their legislative achievements. The complete interview is on our YouTube channel and web site. For the printed, we regarded to subsequent yr when Republicans are absolutely in command of Washington.
(BEGIN VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, once you had been chatting with us on FACE THE NATION final January, you mentioned, “I really like my nation an excessive amount of to vote for Donald Trump. I believe it could be very detrimental to my nation.”
He is the president-elect. Do you suppose he’s detrimental to America?
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN (I-WV): January sixth was a bridge too far for me. And I believe everybody is aware of that. I used to be one of many few Democrats that went over and labored with him and we all the time bought alongside nice. We’re very pleasant. Had – simply – we simply had disagreements on some issues. However you are able to do that.
When the folks converse they usually make their selection and the election’s over, you higher pray with every little thing you might have that the president will likely be profitable.
That is about our nation. And I would like him to succeed. And I’ve mentioned this to him, I will do no matter I can to assist in any method humanly attainable.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However you have talked about the necessity to return to bipartisanship and common order.
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: Positive.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Donald Trump is promising to destroy common order, upend the system.
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: I – I’ve –
MARGARET BRENNAN: How do you reconcile that?
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: I’ve – I’ve whole confidence and religion in my Republican Senate colleagues which can be institutionalists that will not (ph) let that occur. They’ve the possibility (ph). They’ve the facility. And I believe there’s sufficient Republican senators, and Democrat senators too. That aren’t going to let the filibuster blow aside, they don’t seem to be going to let mainly run amok of the reconciliation course of simply to do something they need to. It takes 4 Republican senators, simply 4. And I assure you, I believe there’s much more than 4.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Who’re going to carry the road.
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: That may shield the establishment. They have been right here lengthy sufficient. What goes round comes round. And in two years, this factor may flip. 2026, you by no means know. It is the facility of the folks.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Within the first 100 days of the Trump administration, Chief John Thune has mentioned he plans, “a as soon as in a era funding in border safety,” however he will attempt to do it with out Democratic votes utilizing that reconciliation course of you simply talked about. So, with 51 votes, not the 60, you – you are saying proper now that that is – this isn’t how the system’s speculated to work.
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: It isn’t speculated to on coverage.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And but that’s what the Republican chief is saying he will do proper out of the gate.
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: Maintain on, Margaret. If – he will have to indicate the monetary connotation and the associated fee it is inflicting and the way it’s harming our nation. If it is harming it within the monetary burden that we’re carrying due to all of the illegals coming and he can tie that to it, then he’ll have a pathway ahead.
MARGARET BRENNAN: After which step two is tax reform. That is the plant.
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: Tax reform positively finds (INAUDIBLE).
MARGARET BRENNAN: Additionally via reconciliation.
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: Sure. Effectively, right here, I adopted Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden beginning out of their 117th Congress with the ARP. I begged the president –
MARGARET BRENNAN: The American Rescue Plan.
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: The American Rescue Plan. To not go in reconciliation. That is mainly, once you’ve given up, you can’t work with the opposite aspect, they arrive out of the field that method. So, that is the plan that the Republicans are following now that the Democrats mainly confirmed them the pathway.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However is it a strategic mistake?
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: Oh, I believe it’s.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However the Inflation Discount Act, the IRA, you performed an enormous position in crafting. That was get together line. That was via reconciliation.
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: That is how the vote got here down. We wrote that invoice in my committee. And I assure you, I had over 5 years of enter for Republicans. However due to reconciliation, they do not cross over and vote. That is simply the way in which it was.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And also you be ok with that?
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: Effectively, I really feel – no, I really feel horrible about that we needed to do it in reconciliation. I really feel horrible about that. However I can inform you, america of America has benefited from that. We did not fall right into a recession. We introduced down inflation from 9 to three %. We introduced down gasoline costs from $5 to $3. We did all of that. However the provide chains had been so damaged due to the pandemic. The costs of on a regular basis staple of life, meals, issues of that kind, made it virtually insufferable for folks to – for the burden they had been carrying.
The IRA saved america financial system in higher form than anyplace else on the planet through the pandemic. That is a truth.
MARGARET BRENNAN: The president-elect has vowed to repeal it.
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: Effectively, I believe there’s some issues that must be mounted. Whenever you move a chunk of laws, and also you write the invoice, and we wrote it as tight as we presumably may, after which they begin mainly placing the foundations to it.
If the White Home says, I would like such a interpretation, that makes it very, very liberal interpretation. It isn’t what the invoice was speculated to do. I mentioned, you persons are happening a primrose path, which is horrible. We did not write the invoice that method. Despite themselves attempting to liberalize and placing EVs out and the entire important minerals, we’re nonetheless relying on China once we had been speculated to be weaning ourself off of China. He can repair that instantly.
President Trump can are available right here and alter a few of these guidelines to get again. He – and alter – change the invoice. It is going to be his – will probably be his power invoice. However, you recognize –
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, reprogramming a few of these funds you would be OK with?
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: Reprograming, completely.
MARGARET BRENNAN: There are issues in there, tax credit for nuclear biofuels. Do you suppose components – you suppose components of it will survive?
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: I believe it virtually has to.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: The investments are made. And a lot of the investments – nearly all of the investments are made in what you’d contemplate pink states. Republican states. That is simply due to what they do and the way they function, like West Virginia.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And also you did not hear a lot about that from the Democratic ticket through the marketing campaign.
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: They could not discuss it. He was tongue tied.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Why?
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: I had no concept. I saved saying, cannot you simply actual – inform what the invoice did. They had been saying, renewable, renewable, renewable. The one factor I mentioned, you can’t remove your option to a cleaner setting, Margaret. You possibly can’t simply say, I need to eliminate coal. I need to eliminate oil. I would like no gasoline. I would like nothing extracted. We’ll do every little thing with renewables. We might be a 3rd world nation. You possibly can’t maintain this financial system operating.
Now, you are able to do it with innovation, expertise. So, I mentioned, we’ll produce what we’d like, and we do it cleaner and higher than wherever on the planet, producing extra. So, the invoice did precisely on power manufacturing. You would not be primary on the planet proper now 30 trillion cubic ft of gasoline, 4.7 billion barrels of oil, you would not do this if we hadn’t written that invoice. He can take that and even go additional with it. There are such a lot of good issues in that invoice, then he can change it, change the identify, will probably be his. I will assist any method I can.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You sound, talking about power coverage, like a Republican.
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: I hope I sound like an American. It is smart. OK? My Democrat associates are up to now off the rail. OK, I really like all of them, however they’re – I mentioned, guys. However numerous them actually perceive it. They simply cannot converse it as a result of the bottom has gone up to now. And that is – I simply – I could not take it anymore.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, she is a Republican, however she’s additionally identified for being fairly impartial.
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: She’s the most effective of the most effective, my – my expensive pal.
MARGARET BRENNAN: She mentioned, “the following 4 years are going to be exhausting. The Trump administration’s strategy goes to be, everyone toe the road, everyone line up. We bought you right here. And if you wish to survive, you higher be good or we are going to major you.”
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: Thank God for rank selection voting. With out – with out rank selection voting, my expensive pal Lisa would not be right here. Or open primaries. If the Democrat and Republican Get together management the primaries, they will management you up right here. So, they are going to say, hey, Margaret, I am sorry, you simply did not toe the road proper. You did not vote with us once we wanted you. So, I will discover anyone else that I can management.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Who else goes to face as much as the president-elect after they disagree and be keen to say so out loud? Are there different senators up right here who will do it?
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: I’d hope – you recognize, you – my father used to inform me, in the event you can say no with a tear in your eye, you are OK. If you are able to do it with respect and simply say, Mr. President, I am so sorry, the place I come from that does not make sense. I can not clarify it again dwelling. I by no means did say, oh, you are improper. You do not go – you may’t begin out a dialog that is going to finish productive if I inform you how unhealthy you might be on the entrance finish.
(END VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’ll be proper again.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: The ambassador charged by the Biden administration with liberating People held abroad, Roger Carstens, traveled to Syria late final week to make the primary identified contact with that nation’s caretaker authorities following the ouster of dictator Bashar al Assad two weeks in the past. Carstens sought assist discovering American journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared 12 years in the past.
We spoke with Carstens on Friday about why it was essential to be on the bottom in Syria.
(BEGIN VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: You instructed reporters that you just had been amazed on the variety of secret prisons that Bashar al Assad had, greater than 40 of them. Have these prisons been searched but, and are you aware if journalist Austin Tice was held in them?
AMBASSADOR ROGER CARSTENS (U.S. Particular Presidential Envoy For Hostage Affairs): So, it isn’t going to shock me to seek out out that there are prisons which have but to be found and searched. I’d say if I am surprised by something, it is simply the quantity of prisons. I imply you’d virtually suppose that in the event you had been operating a rustic and also you needed to jail your enemies, you’d have one jail, and it would not be secret. However to have, like, 35 or 40 secret prisons, I discover that simply horrifying, disturbing and but in a method fascinating.
However actually the underside line is that we now have to assist and – or quite work with our interim authorities, officers, to ensure we do a great search in order that I can in the future look Debra Tice within the eyes and inform them that our search has been exhausted.
Now, in an ideal world, we’ll discover Austin Tice. I believe I’ve gone on report quite a few occasions saying that I consider that he is alive and he is ready for me to seek out him. And the president, not way back, mentioned that he believes Austin’s alive.
Our job, within the U.S. authorities, is to maintain urgent and urgent and urgent to seek out out Austin’s location, his disposition, his standing and to carry him dwelling.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You are referring to them as interim authorities. Ahmed al-Sharaa, the top of HTS, also referred to as Mohammed al-Golani, was described by State Division officers as being very pragmatic in these conferences at this time. However his group and he himself are nonetheless technically designated as terrorist beneath U.S. regulation due to prior affiliation with al Qaeda.
Do you belief that they’re being useful to the U.S. now?
AMBASSADOR ROGER CARSTENS: They had been positively useful at this time. We performed a joint search of a facility that we thought – all of us thought would have a possible, I suppose, have some kind of relation to Austin Tice. So, I perceive, in fact, their previous. What I can inform you proper – is that proper now they’re being useful within the seek for Austin.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, you performed a joint search with HTS of a jail at this time. Did you consider that that’s the place Austin was being held?
AMBASSADOR ROGER CARSTENS: We got here up with a precedence listing of about six websites. And of these six websites, we felt that this had the very best likelihood of getting held Austin at one time. However actually the lengthy – the – I suppose I’d say the easiest way to explain it’s, we’re simply unsure. With the time that we had on the bottom, it gave the impression to be our greatest shot. So, we gave it a great, exhausting look. We’ll evaluation all the knowledge and proof that we collected, and hopefully render some extra selections in regards to the likelihood. However actually our job is to only to maintain looking.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Assad intelligence ministries had been identified for maintaining scrupulously detailed data, numbering prisoners, alive and lifeless. Do these data nonetheless exist?
AMBASSADOR ROGER CARSTENS: So, we have had an opportunity to seek out varied paperwork or I’d even say file folders holding data. Once more, within the joint search that we performed with the interim authorities at this time, we got here throughout quite a few paperwork. That is going to must be introduced again. It’ll must be translated from Arabic into English. And generally these paperwork will even have proof on them. They could have fingerprints. They could have traces of DNA.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And this was a search you performed together with particular operators from JSOC?
AMBASSADOR ROGER CARSTENS: I’d by no means go into speaking about who I used to be with. However I’ll inform you this, I used to be with members of the FBI. The hostage restoration fusion cell holds primacy on these circumstances. Individuals which can be specialists at taking a look at crime scenes. And so they did a beautiful job of sweeping it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I do know again in 2020 you went there on the course of then President Donald Trump together with Kash Patel. The regime at the moment by no means admitted to america that they held Austin Tice. Do you consider they had been mendacity again then and that the regime did have him?
AMBASSADOR ROGER CARSTENS: The regime, once we talked to them in 2020, they issued maximalist calls for. They need – they requested for the world. They weren’t actually giving something. They by no means admitted to having Austin Tice. They by no means promised to present us any proof of life, POL as we name it.
I’d say that in some unspecified time in the future we got here throughout data and that’s highlighted by President Biden and Secretary of State Tony Blinken that led us to consider that at one level the Syrian authorities actually did have Austin Tice. Did they – did they’ve him till the very finish? That is data we’re nonetheless attempting to kind via. However at one level we really feel very assured that the regime did detain and have Austin Tice of their custody.
(END VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: We will likely be proper again.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: That is it for us at this time. We need to want you all a really comfortable vacation season. This yr, I want you Merry Christmas, Glad Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, as a result of they’re all celebrated this week. And since my colleague Main Garrett will likely be right here subsequent Sunday whereas I spend a while with my household, I will add Glad New 12 months.
Thanks all for watching FACE THE NATION. I am Margaret Brennan.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
