Speaker 1 (00:00):
As we are doing that this week, we also have Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, visiting the Capitol. And as all of you know, he was here not that long ago. Israel is our closest ally in the Middle East. The last time that he was here, a number of Democrats, including Vice President Harris, boycotted his remarks in the House of Representatives. This time around his visit follows a time when the Democrats here in the Senate, basically through their vote, gave legitimacy to an illegitimate court because they didn't want to defend Israel's right to defend itself or American citizens from the actions of the International Criminal Court, which isn't a legitimate court.
(00:48)
The Republicans are here and ready when the Democrats decide it's time to actually work in the interest of and defending America's greatest ally in the Middle East, Israel. Republicans have been consistent in doing that for the last year through the war with Hamas. Democrats have not, but we are ready to go to work and ensure that our allies interest all around the world are protected and we hope at some point to have the Democrats join us in that effort. Senator Capito.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Thank you. Well, thank you all for being here. And we know from the election in November that one of the biggest issues in front of the American people is what's been going on particularly at our southern border. And I just wanted to highlight some of the victories that President Trump has already had in the very short time that he's been president. He declared a national border emergency. He has resumed construction of the border wall. He has deported as we see numbers of illegal immigrants, particularly those who have criminal records. And he has entered into negotiation with tariffs in Canada, in Mexico, which has resulted very successfully on both of those countries, our friends and our neighbors enlisting in his cause and our cause to make our border safe, not just from illegal immigrants coming in, but also from the flow of fentanyl that's killing Americans at a rapid pace.
(02:19)
We've also confirmed Kristi Noem as the Cabinet Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, and we passed the Laken Riley Act, which he signed just last week. So what's been the result of this in just a short period of time? Illegal border crossings have dropped 60% in this short period of time. We also know that the Border Patrol recorded 582 illegal crossings at the southern border on a single day last week, whereas the single day crossing number had peaked at 11,000 in a single day in December of 2023. I think you can see that the president's policies and our ability to back him up here in the Senate and the House has resulted in a real tightening of our border, a real shrinking of the numbers, and I think give the assurances to the American people that not only does he mean business, but he means results at the same time.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Senator Scott.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
President Trump also had the agenda to stop the weaponization of government. And tomorrow in the banking hearing, we'll have a hearing on debanking and how the Biden administration weaponized the regulatory environment to stop banking industries and individuals. And we'll have a serious conversation about that tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Thank you. Questions?
Speaker 4 (03:46):
Senator, as you mentioned, you're almost double the pace where the Republican Senate was back in 2017 during Trump's first term in terms of confirming nominees. What's the difference between now and then? And has the president called you up to express his appreciation to you?
Speaker 1 (04:01):
Well, we have conversations with the president on a regular basis, but I think part of it is just the understanding that we're going to keep grinding through these. And the Democrats have tried, as you know, to delay the process, but I think it requires determination and persistence and a willingness to be here to do what's necessary to be done to get the president's nominees through. So we're going to continue that a approach and hopefully the Democrats will work with this, I don't anticipate that's going to be the case, but as you know, that's why we've had been required to file cloture on a number of the nominees. And my guess is that'll continue to be the case, but they should understand that this is what we're going to do and we're going to get these people in place and we're going to do it as quickly and as efficiently as possible.
Speaker 5 (04:50):
Senator, the Congressional Review Act allows you to repeal regulations passed by the previous administration. When are you going to start using the Congressional Review Act to repeal regulations and what regulations are the first items on your agenda to repeal?
Speaker 1 (05:03):
We have 10 or 15 potential CRAs that we're reviewing and looking at, which one gets queued up first it'll be a function, frankly, in many ways of us working with the White House, determining what their priorities are and with the House of Representatives. A lot of times those CRAs originate in the house and then come over here. But we'll see that there's a lot of consideration being given right now to which candidates are eligible for CRAs and how to prioritize them, but be assured that we will use our time when we're not working on nominees to do everything we can to repeal a lot of the heavy-handed, onerous, burdensome regulations of the Biden administration, which we think are strangling our economy and making it harder for businesses in this country to grow and create jobs. [inaudible 00:05:54], yeah.
Speaker 6 (05:56):
Do you believe that the White House has the authority to unilaterally close a federal agency such as USAID without congressional approval?
Speaker 1 (06:05):
My understanding, I don't think they're closing an agency, but I do think they have the right to review funding and how those decisions are made and what priorities are being funded. I think that's probably true of any administration when they come in. There are lots of programs authorized and funded through that agency, some of which I think are operating in the way in which they were intended and some which aren't. And I think that's the determination the administration is in the process of making and trying to determine again, how the various programs are authorized and funded under USAID, how those dollars are being spent, whether they're being spent wisely and well and consistent with the purpose for which they are intended.
(06:44)
And I think as you perhaps saw yesterday when Secretary Rubio responded some questions around this subject indicated that for a very long time, Congress has been trying to get answers about USAID, those programs, how they're funded, why they're funded, what they're being used for, and have not been able to get that information. So it's in need of reform, it's in need of transparency and greater accountability, and I think that's what the administration's trying to achieve. One more, yeah.
Speaker 6 (07:10):
With some House Republicans pushing for deeper spending cuts, whether it's reconciliation or government funding, is that something you can do realistically in the near future, whether it's through DOGE or through just Congress in general?
Speaker 1 (07:21):
I think it's a combination of DOGE and Congress. I think there are things the administration can do as you already have seen through executive order, but there will be times in which obviously Congress is going to have to go to work and work with the administration to find ways to spend less, to spend more effectively, more efficiently, and to ensure that the American people's tax dollars are being used wisely and well. And so I think yes, we want to be a part of that process. We will through budget reconciliation, being looking for ways that we can scrub federal programs and find ways to spend money more efficiently and get us on a more sustainable fiscal track. Which I think right now, as you look at the deficits and the debt and the foreseeable future, that picture's not a good one. And so it's high time that we had this conversation. DOGE is a part of that, and I also think that Congress, particularly through the budget reconciliation process, will be a part of that as well. Thanks.