Despite what Democrats (and even some Republicans…) may say, the chaos that ensued last week over the GOP’s pick for House Speaker actually was GREAT for America. Why? Because by pushing back against Kevin McCarthy’s nomination for the role, Freedom Caucus members were able to ensure several HUGE wins for House Republicans. In this clip, Glenn lists those wins in this clip — like a 72-hour reading period on all bills presented to Congress, an upcoming vote on term limits, and more. Thanks to the House Freedom Caucus, Glenn says, ‘America: you won.’
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: Okay. I don't know about anybody else. But I'm thinking that it worked out pretty good, holding McCarthy, you know, for 15 votes. I don't know.
STU: But, Glenn, it was such an embarrassment.
GLENN: Yeah.
STU: Can you believe the dysfunction in the party, and all that is this.
GLENN: No. I can't. It was four days.
STU: Oh, gosh. We delayed their important work by a few days.
GLENN: Yeah. Yeah. So here's what they got. Minimum 72-hour reading period for all bills presented to Congress. Now, you would think that, well, we that, because that's exactly what President Obama, I'm just wanting to point out, the Freedom Caucus actually got in writing, what President Obama said he was going to do. And never did.
72 hours to read a bill. Why is that important?
Because we don't have a constitutional republic anymore. The way this is being run, is there is no appropriations committee, really. There is no way to have the power of the purse with Congress, because they don't make a budget. They just give you one lump sum, and then let the president divvy it out.
That's unconstitutional. That's not the way anybody does that. Nobody does that.
You have a budget. Okay. You don't have that. You also no longer have the same process of debate on the floor.
When was the last time you saw? And except for last week, when was the last time you saw Congress all sitting together, as a House of representative, and debating, and have people behind them, listening to them.
Everything that you have seen, on the House floor, where somebody gets up to make a statement, there is nobody else in the House. Literally, no one in the House. That's all made for TV.
STU: And this is why, one of the first things they do. And this is Republicans and Democrats. One of the first rules they pass. Is to make sure C-SPAN cameras can't be pointed at the gallery. Because they don't want you to see that no one is there. So the only reason you saw any of this stuff, with McCarthy, and like Matt Gaetz. And the guy being restrained. The only reason you saw any of that. Is because the Speaker wasn't in place yet. So the rule wasn't set yet. So the C-SPAN cameras could be pointed at the gallery. Now they can't. You'll never see that stuff again, for two years.
Because they had to put those rules in yet, you have this small window of time, to actually see what was happening.
GLENN: Right. You need transparency.
This is our government.
We vote. They're representing us. I want to see what they're doing as they represent us.
So there was no debate, it was all decided by Nancy Pelosi and Kevin McCarthy. And then it was Chuck Schumer.
And turtle face. And those four were making the decisions of what would come to the floor of the House and the Senate.
And then, they would give it to you, you know, maybe five hours before a vote. This is 2,000 pages. You can't read it.
You need attorneys. You need your staff, to go over. What is in that bill?
That's what the House Freedom Caucus just accomplished for you.
Conservatives who are against this, will you -- you don't have to apologize.
Will you at least admit, this is something good? Democrats who said, these guys are terrorists. It's in the hands of crazy people.
Is that crazy?
What they got, is that crazy, or does that work to your advantage, as somebody who belongs to the United States of America, as a voting citizen?
Isn't this a good thing?
Now, they also got a commitment on a committee to study potential FBI abuses, against the American public.
That's a church committee.
And I'll explain that later next hour. That is really, really good.
How about this? For everybody who thinks it's an extremist thing. On the left term limits.
They're going to get a vote. We all know how it's going to turn out. But they're going to at least get a vote on term limits. That's something that almost every American is for.
STU: One of the most popular things in our discourse.
GLENN: Correct.
STU: 80 percent of people support it.
GLENN: Correct. Correct.
So how is this a bad thing for America?
For Republicans or Democrats?
This is the first time I've seen a group of people actually do the work, of the American people. And take all the arrows, and keep standing.
When was the last time you saw anybody do that? In Congress? Not for some special interest. Not for something that is really divisive.
None of those are divisive. When was the last time you saw that?
Congratulations to the House Freedom Caucus. I wish these guys were in charge, honestly.
Because they're -- they're only asking to live by the Constitution.
That's a good thing. A really good thing. So congratulations. America, you won.