I will insist again. We did not cut medic. I didn't say cut. I said touched. You touched. At the end of the week, Washington empties out fast. Lawmakers, staffers, they're all heading home. But not before they stop here. Hey everybody, we are coming to you from the Punch Bowl News Townhouse or as I like to call it, Punch Bowl News Global International Studios. We built something different here. Conversations you will not hear anywhere else. A big thank you to my friends at Umprey's McGee. Anna even allowed me to use jam band music in the intro to the show. Nemo, great tune. Love it. Oh man, this is a show about power and Congress. Every Thursday, we will talk to the people in the center of the chaos about what just went down and what's right around the corner. And while today is our pilot episode, I got what you did there. Fly out day pilot. Very, very clever. We want to get right into it. So today we've got speaker Mike Johnson, Manu Raju, and Jackie Cusinich. Three heavy hitters all in one show. From the latest Hill drama to what's coming next. They're going to break it all down for you. Let's get to it. But right before that, a quick word from our presenting sponsor, Meta. Meta is investing in American innovation and through its data centers has supported tens of thousands of construction jobs across the country, boosting local economies and investing in communities because American progress starts with people. All right, Speaker Mike Johnson of Shriport, Louisiana, the former vice chair of the House Republican Conference and a Time Magazine cover boy as uh Steve Scaliz called you yesterday. Uh welcome to our house. I'm so honored to be the inaugural guest. I'm so I'm so thankful for the opportunity and good to see you guys. And I will say when you see this live, this is very impressive. I mean, this is like a a big broadcast journalism studio. We're Well, we're small but mighty. Uh all right, let's start with government funding. From our vantage point, we've been writing about this for a while now. The government looks like it's going to shut down. Democrats are emboldened to fight. Republicans are have competing priorities. Is the government going to shut down? We're going to do everything possible to make sure that doesn't happen. It doesn't behoove anyone to do it and Hakeim Jeff and I have had some conversations offline. Uh there are reasonable people on both sides who understand this is a basic function and responsibility of the government. So we're working towards that. Final decisions have not been made. Okay. But a lot of very I think productive discussion is going on about uh potentially the necessity of a CR before October 1. Obviously if we do that what will the length be? What will it entail? Um those discussions are ongoing and I think people are in good faith about that. You told me two days ago uh you needed two days to figure this out. It is two days now. Today is two days. No, no, I get to the end of today. No, I think that was I think that was a little too short. I think that was morning. Um okay, but like so let's just lay this out. Um your appropriations chair Tom Cole wants a CR until November. The White House does not seem very keen on a short-term CR. They want this into the first quarter, as you know, of 2026. I guess that is. I mean, what how are you leaning right now? Uh, I've got to find consensus. So, I What is your preference? Well, I'm I'm I'm double-minded about it because I can see both sides. We're still very hopeful, and this is not a talking point. We're trying to move We're trying to move uh individual appropriations bills. You know, that I've committed to that since I've become speaker, getting back to regular order, and sometimes you have to twist people's arms to do it. Um, but I'm doggedly determined. For example, I think there's a very good shot that we could actually do a conference committee, a real old school conference committee on the Milcon VA bill, which is that's one of 12 though. One of 12. The Senate passed that in a package with two others in a in a mini bus as they call it over there. Uh, but we're trying to sort that through and if we could get into conference committee on that and at least on those three bills, then you could have the cardinals or the subcommittee chairs and appropes involved and then other appropriators that would represent a broad section of the conference. To me, that's the small D democracy, the way that this is supposed to work. and I'm trying to force everybody back into some muscle memory on that. So, we'll see how it shakes out. And let me ask you two follow-ups, quick follow-ups on that. Uh, number one, there's a question Democrats have been pushing for extending the Obamacare premium subsidies, which you are well aware of. We've talked about that in the past. Mhm. Are you a no on that? Uh, I I'm I'm not a I don't love the policy. Okay. But I understand the political realities and the reality of the people on the ground. I mean, this is real to folks. Uh you all noted I think in Punch Bowl this morning that I had a long meeting yesterday with RG2 our kind of moderate moderate caucus. Um and it's a big concern to them as it is to many people. So we've got to sort through and find consensus on that as well. Lots of opinions and ideas about it. I don't think the policy is great. I don't think we should be subsidizing high income earners. It was a COVID era issue. Um and so that's that'd be a big thing for the Republican party to uh continue or advance that. At the same time, we don't want anyone to be adversely affected by that. So, so you could see an off-ramp of some sort. Uh potentially, we're going to have to find a consensus. I mean, as with everything else. So, I'm sure it will be part of the discussion about end of year, you know, funding and all the rest. So, we'll see. Uh Trump hasn't met with Hakeem Jeff or Chuck Schumer yet. Uh do you see a big four meeting coming together? Is that necessary? Uh I, you know, I think the president would be open to it. We're we're always open. You know, me. I mean, I I call Hakee. I talked to Chuck Schumer. I saw him briefly yesterday at a gold medal ceremony for the Harlem Hell Fighters, which is a great event. Uh but he was in and out cuz he was busy. Look, we're open to productive discussions about spending responsibly. We're not interested in spending more money because we, as you all know, we crossed the $37 trillion threshold in federal debt. And the American people want and demand and expect us. They gave us the majority, I think, in large part because we said we will restore fiscal sanity. So, we cannot be adding more expenditures. So, if they want to talk about keeping spending levels below current spending in any measure, then we're open to that. But that's that's got to be the starting point. All right. I want to rewind the tape a little bit. November 14th, 2023, few weeks after you became speaker, you said, quote, "I'm done with short-term CRs." We called it together your your George HW moment. Read my lips. No more short-term CRs. But we aren't done with them, right? I mean, you're talking about potentially having to be forced to pass one. Are you still in the same camp or is it just the the reality of the job and the conference that you have is is kicking in? I'm still in the same camp. I hate CRS. I think most reasonable people do. It's no way to run a railroad, but there are political realities here. And what I'm trying to do I I'm I would give you the same uh messaging that I gave you back then because that's my priority. Uh but it took us a long time to to get into this kind of mode where the CR is just the way of governance and it and it takes a while. You all have heard my metaphor so many times. the US economy and and for that matter the US uh procedures in in the in the Congress now is like an aircraft carrier. You don't turn it on a dime. So I'm every day I'm trying to crank on that wheel to turn us back to some sort of semblance of the way things are supposed to work. So call me an idealist, I guess I am. But um I think we're making some headway and gradually gradually gradually we're getting people back to that. So let's talk about Trump in Congress. Yeah. um the moment Congress is in pocket recisions. He fired Senate confirmed officials after a few weeks freezing funding. Do you think he sees Congress as a co-equal branch? I know you and I have had some discussion on this topic in the past. What do you A lot of people don't think it. Let's put it. Yeah, let's say that. Uh I think he does. I have conversations with him daily uh often about this topic and uh you know we talk about article one and my insistence that we maintain that look if I think he gets outside his lane you know my way is I'll address it with him privately first I'm not going to go out have a public conflict with my my own party's president we have unified government and we have to keep it together moving together as a team to accomplish our objectives and serve the American people but um you know I uh I think pocket decisions I mean I believe that's fully constitutional inappropriate. I mean, and and by the way, so did all the government agencies until 2018 when President Trump actually started using the the uh procedure. Um some disagreement on that, let's say. Well, okay. But I mean I mean the the facts don't lie and they you know in in the early was it 1975 this became a matter of law and the the very agencies now that are complaining about it and some of the bureaucrats some of the same ones were in those seats in the 70s and they they said well this makes sense. They didn't object to the principle itself. So, I think it's appropriate in in certain circumstances. In the matters that have been sent over, it's not a huge amount. You're talking about less than $6 billion, which is a lot of money, but nothing like what some people feared and expected. And Russ vote at OM um I think has taken a very measured approach to this. And so, we have to we have to do the same. All right, let's move on. President Trump wants a crime bill passed. What does that look like in the House? We're we're sorting that through. Look, I it's wildly popular what he has done. You all are enjoying as we are the lowered crime rate in DC. Carjackings are down 85%. I have staffers who live in the Navyyard who could who were fearful to walk to their car at night. Not any longer, right? Uh violent crimes down 25%. Uh robberies down 43%. The last number I saw just since the president brought the National Guard troops in. Mayor Bowser says, "Thank you so much here. We're welcoming the, you know, ongoing indefinite uh end of determination of this cuz uh residents like this. Um I think this is the same problem in a lot of major American cities and the polling says 81% of Americans believe that violent crime is a big problem. So would be included in a crime bill. We're we're we're determining that. I think you have to look first at juvenile crime, which is a you know big part of this. Uh, and then you got to look at a lot of these, you know, policies in the big cities that have limit limited policing because that's been a big part of the problem as well. We all remember the defund the police movement just a couple years ago. The same people that were behind that are in favor of these restrictive policies that don't allow the cops to do their job. And I think that's a big problem. So, we're looking at in what way we could have federal legislation that would address the root of those problems because I think that as demonstrated here, I think you can solve it if you just put the right resources and time and energy into it. You know, you know Yeah. Yeah. That's a big question. Yeah. How do you get this done? I mean, how do you get this done? And I'll add I'll add to that, Anna. And I mean, um, you know, I'm a skeptic of everything. That's part of my Jake. I can't be weird. You know, I'm a skeptic of nearly everything. Sky is blue. No, it's turquoise or something. um reconciliation 2, three, four, five, six, seven, and eight. Um you still are confident you're going to get another reconciliation bill. And will you what will it include? Give me one or two things. Well, when we left for the August district work period, we uh tked deputize our our chairman of our committee's jurisdiction again to be brainstorming over that time period, come up with their top priorities. We will begin with some of the things that were left on the cutting room floor during the last reconciliation bill. You can rework some of those and and and get another shot through the Well, I don't want to forecast Medicaid. Come on. You have back the layer. You're not gonna touch Medicaid in this. No. And and I will insist again. We did not cut Medicaid. I didn't say cut. I said touch. All right. You touched you get rid of fraud, waste, abuse, and you serve and preserve the program. So, look, there's a lot of things priorities that we still have that I think are doable. You can rework them and get them through the bird rule the next time. And then there's other ideas on the whiteboard, so to speak. right now it when I'm going to the caucuses as I did uh RG2 yesterday Republican governance group uh I said listen you guys brainstorm your priorities as well RSC the Republican Study Committee had did that over August so they've got a list so we're going to compile all that go through the same process we did before and build consensus around that package so I'm I'm very optimistic about so Medicaid you're going to do something on Medicaid sounds no I'm not telling you that no look I I'm not going to forecast it because I don't want to put my thumb on the scale I want this to be member driven as the last one was because that's how we got it done that's the key. And this will be just as beautiful as the last one. Probably not as big. Okay. It may not be 11 beautiful. Got it. Got it. All right. I want to talk about Jeffrey Epstein. That was another issue that, you know, the House was struggling with, I would say, uh, going into the August recess to say the least. You were dealing with an uprising over the administration's releasing of documents related to the Epstein situation. You had a resolution on the floor this week to praise oversight committee's in investigation. You had victims uh doing a press conference. Four Republicans have signed to the discharge position demanding the release of the Epstein files. Yes or no? Can you stop that? Uh well, it should be stopped because it's superolous now. It's not necessary. The developments over August, as we knew would happen, have made that effectively a moot point. Um the vote last night was very important because we've endorsed the oversight committee. This is a truly and totally bipartisan effort to dig into the facts and release all the documents to the American public. Um but it's got to be done in a responsible manner. My problem with the discharge petition is that it does not do that. It does not adequately protect the innocent victim. Tom Massie doesn't agree with you on that yesterday. Tom Massie, I would love if he were sitting here right now. He did not debate me in conference yesterday cuz he has no facts in his sight. He did debate you, but he didn't have fact. Maybe you didn't. No, he didn't debate me. He stood up for one minute and said, "Uh, I disagree, but he had no facts." Okay. I'm a lawyer. This is what I do. I used to litigate these cases. They have haphazardly drawn up the discharge petition. It does not adequately adequately protect the innocent victims. And while we had a number of women bravely, heroically stand in front of the cameras and tell their stories, there are as many as potentially a thousand victims of these Epstein evils. I mean I mean unthinkable, unspeakable crimes committed on these women. They do not want their names and identities known. And it's not just the unmasking that would be allowed. It doesn't even affirm or require DOJ and its personnel to to um to cover those folks. So we have to do that. The other thing is too child sexual abuse materials, it's called CSAM. It's a legal term of art. In the discharge petition, they point to the wrong US code article, which does not include the definition, which means they don't protect against that. So you could potentially have child porn, you know, photos of young women. Some of these women were recruited and groomed at age 13 or 14. We cannot go down that road. It does not protect whistleblowers and cont confidential informants, undercover law enforcement agents involved in the sex trafficking investigation. The discharge petition doesn't cover that. That is a dangerous prospect. You have to have those people to have a sex trafficking investigation. So the what the oversight committee is doing request everything the discharge petition wants and more because they also went after the Epstein estate which is not even encompassed in discharge and that's a big treasure trove of info. uh the Treasury uh department's records, I mean the bank records, all that. So, this is the right way to go. You have bulldogs on both sides of the aisle in that room. I sat with them for two and a half hours and listen to those victims uh gut-wrenching testimony as it was. They're all dialed in and you've heard them. They're they're motivated. So, the the truth is coming out and that's what should happen. All right, we are quickly running out of time, but I want to get to a couple things. Then we have a lightning round, a new feature of our show. A new feature on a new show. Okay, it's on there feature. Um we'll see. All right, but I want to talk about 2026. There's a lot of focus on the midterms um and the red drawing of congressional districts uh that we are seeing right now. Can you honestly say you're comfortable with this redistricting and the massive redrawing of some of these districts so close to the election? I'm going to be comfortable with whatever maps are produced all across the country because I got to win either way. So, you know, the speaker of the house is not in charge of national redistricting strategy. I keep having to remind all my colleagues, no one asked me about this. Okay. Uh this is a battle between governors and states. Yeah, but the president pushed Texas to do this. Yes. But you know, Gavin Newsome said uh the Republicans fired the first shot. It's absolutely comical. This started with Eric Holder. They've been doing this for longer than a decade. Okay. And blue states have gerrymandered Republican representation entirely out entirely. So, um it's both sides have some fault in this thing. Why don't you fix it then? I don't know. I mean, that's an it's an unanswerable question and everybody asks it rhetorically because there is no answer. You can't stop 50 states. the beauty of our system and our and federalism. Yeah, they all get to do that on the thing. So, we'll see. All right, lightning round. Jake, you go first. Uh, after Punch Bowl News, what is the first thing you read in the morning? Uh, the Bible. And not necessarily that order. Um, all right. Who drops by your office unannounced the most? That's a great question. You know, as speaker, you're sort of shielded from it. So like I have you know three outside offices that people are just hanging out ready. But I mean we have members you know pop in with their daily emergencies. I I I make a joke. It's not a joke. Half the time I really I'm not speaker of the house. I'm a mental health counselor because that's what you do in a small majority. Well I feel like that in a company sometimes. Uh what is what seat are you going to pick up that no one is watching? Great question. Well look I we are focused a lot on California and New York. Okay. Because that's our majority runs through the states and depending on what happens with this ballot initiative in California. Uh, we were carefully eyeing some of those seats there and I I'm still very bullish. I mean, before this started, y'all know I'm very bullish on 26. Well, it certainly helps you that you're going to get all these seats in Texas. You could get some in Florida. You could get one in Indiana. You could get one in Missouri. I mean, that all helps. Ohio. Could could, but we were going to win regardless. And remember, listen, as we prove that this point, no. Well, I think that's 13 House Democrats sitting in districts and won. 21 of them in districts that came within five points of winning. Guess how many House Republicans this morning are sitting in Kla Harris districts? Three. Okay. So lopsided map, offensive opportunity for us. We've done very deliberate candidate recruitment for a second cycle and I'm feeling very good. All right, last word, one word to describe this Congress. Productive. No, listen. Hey, can you argue it? The first seven months most productive of any Congress, I think, certainly in the modern era. Take me back to any other era. I I I would say uh well, we that's probably longer than we have today. Today is a real flyyou day for you. Uh, you're heading to Andrews, uh, today for a trip to Ottawa, Canada for the G7. Hey, my mom's Canadian, so Okay. The not from Ottawa. The G7 has a lot less trust your G7 parliament uh, speaker meeting in President Putin than America does. You've been for uh, sanctions. Russia has only increased its bombing of Ukraine, as the president uh, has noted of late uh, since Trump met with Putin in Anchorage. Why should we believe Trump will change Putin's behavior quickly? Well, you got to give him credit for his effort. He's really trying for sure. And he has brokered peace deals around the world, more than any president probably ever. He deserves the peace prize. But this one is a real quandry for everybody around the world. It's not just the president that's tied and fits over this. It's all of us. It's everybody. It's all these leaders that I'll see in my counterparts at the G7 speakers meeting here uh later tonight. Um, everybody's trying to put maximum pressure on Putin in every way possible. Our European allies and Ukraine itself have extended a hand of peace. and we'll see. I don't trust Putin as far as we can kick him. He's a KGB operative, an evil person. He is the aggressor in Ukraine. The president, I think, is coming to grips with that reality. And I don't know how you deal with a bully other than as you know, force for force. So, we'll see. All right. Well, thank you so much, Speaker Johnson. We appreciate you joining us for our not episode. Thank you. Great to be with you. Meta is investing in American innovation and through its data centers has supported tens of thousands of construction jobs across the country, boosting local economies and investing in communities. Meta just announced its latest data center to come online. It's in Kansas City. It's part of an overall investment of more than 1 billion in the state of Missouri and has supported more than500 skilled trade workers. Because American progress starts with people. All right, welcome to the townhouse, Manu and Jackie. We are thrilled to have you as our first reporter guests. Uh it is hard to believe that we all started a cover in Congress roughly about the same time. You two have a combined 44 years covering our favorite beat. You're old. I mean, and Mono has 30 of those years. Just I mean, as I say about Anna, she just keeps turning 25 over and over again. That's right. I'm older and taller than Jake. The taller thing and that's what matters. Yeah, the taller thing has been a subject of debate for about 15 years, but we won't get into that. All right. First, I want to unpack uh what Speaker Johnson just shared on government funding. Jake, what was your takeaway? My takeaway was as follows. He doesn't have a plan um at this point, and we're September 4th, so it's time for him to get a plan. He um cracked the door open all very very very slightly to doing something on Obamacare premium subsidies. Here's the thing. Um and I I feel pretty firmly about this. Just talked to to Tom Cole appropriations chair about this. Dems need something. They are going to need something. It is not realistic to think that they are going to fund the government with nothing. Right. Yeah. Yeah. And the question is that if Chuck Schumer can accept something because he just need I mean he's in a bind this time because he can't just say well this needs to be done. I don't like it. No one likes it because good lord the last time it just the whole base just blew up. They kic they kicked him in the teeth basically. Yeah. Basically over and over and over again. But but it seems to me this is all headed to a clean CR. I mean it seems like this is where ex that I don't know. I mean, obviously Trump wants it as long as possible, but like that something that Democrats won't accept. Can that even pass the House? Who knows? I mean, the speaker basically acknowledged, right, we we brought up the fact that when he started uh in 2023, he said it was kind of his George HW moment, like we will not have CRS anymore. And he basically said he doesn't like them, but like that's the rules of the road. That's the reality. and he's trying to wean them off them it sounds like but in order to do that you have to actually you know be able to get your com your conference around something larger and something more sweeping and he can't do that that was his most unrealistic promise when he first came in saying that we're not going to do CRS anymore it's like have you that's how this place has been covered participated here's what I I agree with everything you guys are saying and let's just break this down a clean CR would be great for um the conservatives seem fine with it. I mean, Andy Harris told me, chair of the Freedom Caucus, said he's cool with a clean CR. He wants his ear marks. Well, I don't think a clean CR could carry ear marks. Um it would be decent for Senate Republicans, although not great because they want to do something. Um the question is how do you define clean? And a clean like if it's truly like a date change, September 30th to March, whatever they choose, then that's tough to say no to. And there's another layer here now which is recisions and whether the Trump administration will spend how Congress directs which has not been a given and that is that I mean the trust has been eroding up here for you know years and years and years. This is another dir of trust and Democrats can point to that and say why would people vote for anything but yeah but then what are they going to include in there? Because if you do something to say we're going to force you to spend the money of course Trump's not going to accept that right. So then we get back to the same question. If and when they do do some sort of clean CR, what do you do if you're a Democrat? Do you accept something that will keep the government open? It may not be everything you want. You're not going to be able to constrain Trump, but you say no and you shut the government down and you own it. That's a difficult messaging battle to win. I also think the bigger thing here though is for Democrats, the concern has to be they are dealing with a White House OM director Russ who is basically daring them potentially to shut it down because they don't know how are they going to reopen it, right? What could Trump do? He says, "Hey, I actually don't think any of these agencies are even necessary. Why don't none of these workers are are need to get paid?" I mean, that is the problem for Chuck Schumer and Hakee Jeff. And that's the problem, too. Democrats for the most part, they want the government to be open and to work. They're the party of the government for the most part. This is the anti-government party if you want to boil it down to its bare essence here. So they're fine if it's shut down for some time for particularly for that reason. Perhaps it could allow Trump to exert his executive authority even further. It is time for That's not going to fly. It's a new segment uh each week where you all are going to give me one talking point or tactic that is not going to take off. Get what I did there? Yeah, that is so lame, but I like it. All right. Well, Dave Lo's calling out Congress for stupid stuff and he often texts me about it. So, we're going to bring it out in the open. Uh Jackie, I want to start with you here. What did you bring? So, mine changed basically when I was walking over here. That's okay. Welcome to Washington. They don't ask how, they ask. Yeah, I know. Exactly. Um, so Senate Finance Democrats ahead of uh, Secretary Kennedy testifying all came out and said that he should resign except Senator Sheldon White House did not sign his name to this statement. And he's been a really interesting person to watch when it comes to Kennedy because they have a pre-existing relationship. They were um, roommates at UVA. uh White House's folks um shot me an email when I asked why he wasn't on it um saying that he didn't think he should he voted against him and didn't think he should be there in the first place. But there's a reason that his name was not on that statement and you know that that's he's from Rhode Island. That's what friends are for. That's what friends are for. But but I don't but I don't know that it's going to fly. Did I do it right? Did I do it right? Uh stay tuned. That was the words of Hakeim Jeff this week. I asked him, "What's taking so long to endorse Zoron Mdani? He is the Democratic candidate in your city. The election's what, two months away now? And no endorsement yet. You're having these meetings. What's going on?" And Jeffy's only response was, "Stay tuned." I said, "Well, what's you know what's next? Like are you meeting with them? Like the election's coming up. Stay tuned for stay tuned. I mean, if he wins, stay tuned for what's the relationship going to look like. Exactly. And then Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, also from New York, his city, where are you going to he was asked at a press conference this week, he would wouldn't even engage on the topic about his lack of meetings with Maldani. And I asked him too, will you endorse Maldani? And he walked away and the press conference was over. Didn't answer the question. That's not going to fly. There you go. because the Democratic base is not going to accept it. So what are you going to do? Not endorse the nominee of your own party. And if you do do it, Republicans are going to attack you. So make a choice. Stay tuned becomes look over there. And also Schumer up for re-election in uh just in a short period of time. Anna, I am gonna go with Eleanor Holmes Norton, who at 88 years old has been the subject of a lot of speculation whether she's going to continue serving the District of Columbia, a a city we are sitting in currently. Listen, DC is in the middle of a massive inflection point. I think it's safe to say, right? I mean, we've got soldiers on our streets uh and um people have been asking a whether she's going to run again, b where is she on this issue? She goes to a press conference, speaks, and then is helped away, you know, uh, you know, kind of hobbling away with an aid. At 88 years old, people are wondering whether she has what it takes to keep serving. And I think, uh, that's only going to be heightened, those questions. And this is the first time a DC delegate, we actually talking about it, like should be should be holding, you know, kind of court, being on on cable, being on TV to going to the post floor and is just totally absent. It's pretty amazing. All right, last segment here before we let you go get back to your day jobs. The punch pile matrix. One of our favorite things that we launched almost five years ago. Who's up? Who's down in Congress? Uh Jake, I'll start with you. Okay, fine. The White House seems to be getting put them up a qualified up because they are getting in the game on funding. I mean, they seem to have points of view, which is a good development for this White House, uh for any White House to be honest with you. They don't want to see our into November, December. They're probably going to lose that argument. So maybe we'll put them down in a couple weeks. They want to see our end of January, put them up. Um I will put down House Republicans another January 6 committee. Whatever you think of January 6th. Uh and there's a lot. It was a horrible day. Uh and the uh Republicans have struggled for years to discuss January 6 for years. Um that they have been caught in a political pickle on January 6. And for some reason, reasons that are not clear to me, they are going to thrust this back into the middle of the political discussion. And I don't I don't quite get it. Chad, so my my down kind of dovetales with what you were saying about Elmer Holmes Norton, but I wanted to talk about um Muriel Bowser and more broadly national Democrats who are using DC as, you know, a a a poster child for um Trump's federalization of the police force, National Guard. Uh Rio Bowser's had an executive order this week that said that they were going to keep cooperating with federal law enforcement. Now a little more complicated with the National Guard. I guess DC is suing now. But her praise and she's in a difficult position, but her praise and her her willingness to work with the Trump administration has really put those Democrats who have been saying this is bad and she sounds very different from mayors in Chicago and Baltimore. Obviously a very different situation. It's putting them in a bind. Uh truly. All right, I'm on it. All right, up and down. You want them both? All right, so I would say up I would say the Alabama delegation for successfully getting Space Command moved from Colorado to Alabama and shows you the power of Trump being an ally of Donald Trump, being from a red state in particular, not angering Donald Trump, he showers his allies with lots of goodies, like a significant move across the country. Not Dick Shel's probably happy. Dick Shelby is Yes. Yes, indeed. With his big campaign war chest that he still has as well. Um I would say down Bill Cassidy, the senator from Louisiana, the decisive vote for RFK Jr., someone who got all these asurances from RFK Jr. about vaccines, not rolling back vaccines, ensuring people could have whatever vaccines they like. Kennedy voted yes after those asurances. And what we've seen RFK Jr. do one after another. walk away from those asurances. I asked Cassidy this week whether or not he has confidence in RFK Jr. and whether or not actually he regrets his support of RFK Jr. He sidestepped that question completely saying that all I care about is ch child's health. I want to investigate this further. He has had a very difficult time answering questions about that key vote. He could have stopped this in committee but he decided not to. even though he's a medical doctor, even though vaccines are a huge part of his own personal beliefs, but he's up for re-election. He voted to convict Donald Trump in that second impeachment trial. He needs Trump to survive and is very clearly making that calculate. Jackie, who's up? So, I'm going to maybe a little controversial. Um, but I would I would say uh Congressman Massie this week. Yeah, topy of Kentucky. I think he's up. He's been able to I mean the the Epstein issue has been very big and particularly in Republican districts. There's a lot of people still talking about it and he's been able to really keep the focus. I mean yesterday these press conferences I mean it was that was the biggest thing that happened all day yesterday and he was at the center of it and Roana of course but really keeping this issue in the spotlight and your Johnson interview he seemed annoyed. That's like the first time I think his tone really changed. He's not happy with Don Mass. Not not happy with him. But but really and for someone who's so cool, calm, collected, that was the one time there was a little bit of a shift. You could tell he's really getting under his skin. Whether his discharge petition will ultimately succeed, I don't know. I think no. Yeah, I know you. But but I think I think no. Also, I think he's been able to raise his profile in a way um that that has um I think really put him up. All right, I'm going to have the last word point of privilege here. I'm putting How about me? This is This is Anna's house. Okay. Let's be real. All right. Whatever. RFK Jr. down. It has been a tough week uh on Capitol Hill for him. Uh up. I actually think though the speaker has done better on this pushing back to get those hold off holding people on on the discharge petition than I necessarily thought initially. Um obviously with the help as in many cases with the Trump administration also putting heavy pressure on Republicans to stay off that discharge petition. We are going to leave it there. Thanks so much guys for joining us. We appreciate it and we'll let you get back to it. All right. Thank you. Hey, this is fun, guys. Yeah, it was great. Congratulations. All right, this is how we are going to end the show each week. There is no one I like talking to more than John Brezahan about what's going to happen next in DC. I know you text us constantly about many, many things starting it John Breznan, founder of this co-founder of this company. Uh, and uh, there are lots of people I'd rather be talking to than Brez, but let's let's kick it off for the day. He is here to close out our first inaugural show and we are very happy to have you. You text us constantly that the government will shut down at the end of September. Why? I mean, I just think that they're Look, we they wasted a whole week this week, right? You know, I mean, and they're going to and we have another week, we have a recess supposedly before that, right? They're I mean they're not doing anything to avoid this. Uh I talked to bunch of Senate Republicans yesterday and Senate Democrats went to the Senate Majority Lead Thoon. Senate minority leader Schumer went to their press conferences went to Keem Jeff House minority leader Keem Jeff press conference have been watching Trump and arrest vote director arrest vote. I mean, everyone is just keeps pushing chips into the middle of the table still. And like this just has a feeling like they could I'm not sure they do it on October 1st. I'm not sure this is October 1 shutdown, but I could see very easily them blundering into a shutdown in November. So, short term short term then they then they do it. I mean like but everybody is so different pages and and on on what they want and what they need politically that I think that maybe they I mean maybe they just kind of blunder into a shutdown. Yeah. But I mean I agree with you. I know you feel Yeah. I feel the same as you and I usually am more pro they're going to shut down than you. So we should add that. I'm always I'm always like they're never kind of trigger happy. I'm always they never they're never going to shut down guy because I think this is you know and it's going to put Dems in a weird position. They have never been in the position where they are the ones Schumer did it one time for a little bit but it's like yes I want to save government. So don't stop me from shooting it. Yeah. Right. Right. Stop me from killing us. But but okay so let's talk about sleeper issues. We wrote this morning about the Obamacare subsidies. Mike Johnson talked about it um as you've just seen. Um, the Democrats need to get something. I think I think listen, the subsidy thing is the most natural thing to do. A year-long break on these uh premium subsidies for Obamacare that were put in place during co I don't do you I that's I save vulnerable Republicans. They should be they should it's like Jen Kiggins and Video Democrats. Oh, they should call this bill help me get reelected. Like every bill is, but that one in particular, it was like it's a one-year extension. Just passed the the midterms. Listen, I think the Democrats are winning on some issues right now. They haven't been they are they're winning on inflation. They're re winning on the rising cost of living. They're winning on Trump's was coming to he was he got elected on one thing mainly for as much as all the cultural issues and the and the MAGA stuff he really was to deal with the economy and he has hurt himself on the economy. The tariff issue has hurt him. The he hasn't done anything uh really to help on inflation. He he did pass the one big beautiful bill which now they're rebranding. Which now which now they're rebranding. Exactly. Because they lost the message war on that already. And so like I mean they keep pushing on government spending and and Russ vote really wants a showdown with Congress over over government funding. But what do you always say bre if if you get into a shutdown? You need to get out and figure out how that's the problem with Schumer. That's the problem. What is the win for Schumer for Trump? Cuz he is a he is a a person who they don't know what they're going to do. Democrats but see but Trump shut down the government himself when he was president. screwed it up. And but but also but also but also Trump now has learned from that. I think maybe they could minimize they could minimize the fallout. They could make federal workers come to work. We talked about this in March. This is one of the issues in March that he could make everybody come to work and you know so it's shut down but nothing changes. Brez I will say he is volatile as we all know. He's unpredictable. Not maybe not volatile is the right word but unpredictable is the right word and you don't know what he's going to do during a shutdown. And that's the danger for for Democrats. Like if you're presented with a clean CR or you're presented with a shutdown, you know, I don't know that they can I mean, listen, we talked about this also in March. The clean CR uh like is the better might be the better path because Trump I don't know if he could win a shutdown, but like he is he wouldn't lose it. I don't know. I don't know. He'll be on TV every day saying we gave Democrats a clean funding bill and they said no. All right. We are whatever quickly gonna folks. We didn't resolve that. This is basically our conversation all day long and text. Yeah. All right. Last question. Did you ever think we'd be sitting in our own townhouse studio doing a show together? We are almost 5 years into Punchable News. I've admitted this privately. I've never said this publicly. I remember you guys had these projections we were going to do in their first year and I was like, I've been on No, but I've been on a publication that failed and it sucks. So you work as hard as you can and you can't stop it. And then so I had my own ideas. I was like I like whatever you guys gave me I was like yeah yeah and we did it in the first month and I was like oh my god this might that's but then you know I mean it was the first year was just unbelievable. I mean there were so many things happened. I mean we started January 6 days you and then you know and we hire Max and Christian but we have to interview them over Zoom for God's sake you I mean, it was just it was just really difficult. And like I can't believe now we're going to be what 50 employees at the end of the year. Two offices. Two offices. I I in some ways it's great. Like you we're the bosses now and we can do whatever we want. But other ways it's like I've never felt more responsibility ever. Like I like I last thing I think about in the morning first thing I or last thing I think about at night first thing in the morning. As Hannah says, a lot of mouths to feed. bottom mouse here. I think more responsibility toward you guys and my colleagues than I've ever as much as I loved my other jobs. It wasn't my company, you know, and now it's part my company. So, yeah, it's amazing. That is flyyou day this week. Let's do it again next week. Until next Thursday, stay safe, everybody. There's only one more way to think about what everything could happen if it wasn't left unsaid.