The Biden administration wants to tie Israel aid to Ukraine, Taiwan, and border funding and Rep. Chip Roy is furious: "Is there a swampier friggin' thing to do?!" Rep. Roy joins Glenn to discuss the latest Israel news as well as the Speaker of the House debate. After a vote among Republicans, Rep. Steve Scalise barely beat Rep. Jim Jordan. But some Republicans, like Roy, aren't done fighting yet. Rep. He explains why he's "still gonna be advocating" for Jim Jordan and why he's furious with how his party handled the vote: "They took our good-faith effort...and man, they called in all the usual plays."
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: Chip Roy.
CHIP: Glenn, how are you, sir?
GLENN: Well, probably about as good as you are. What are we to make -- first of all, what the hell happened?
CHIP: Well, first of all, I am good because I have my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and we're on the planet for a brief spell. Okay?
GLENN: Yes.
CHIP: Second of all, this too shall pass. This country has gone through a lot. We have to figure out, now how to change its course. You and I have talked about it repeatedly on this show. We're going to have a vote today.
Led by obviously, not just -- let's be clear. There's at least six or seven, maybe eight guys.
Who reflect the frustration of the American people.
Who believe the status quo is unacceptable. And I 100 percent agree with them.
We have a tactical difference on timing.
I don't believe if you yank the coach at the beginning of the fourth quarter -- you play the coach through the fourth quarter. To me, that's some time through December. When we continued to play on the Ukraine issue and on the spending and appropriations bill. Because we all asked to get it done. Yes. By September 30th. But in truth, that's only happened four times in 50 years, in my lifetime. I want to play this out. That being said, let me just tell you, if you'll indulge me for one minute. Maybe two.
This is the speech that I read through the Republican conference this morning.
I said that no matter what happens with the speaker at the moment. If nothing changes, we will be campaigning on March 31st, with a leading candidate be who has a number of variables, just to put it mildly.
We will be campaigning March 31st, on the following: An extension of the debt ceiling until January 25, for $4 trillion. Done with Democrats.
A Ukraine funding of an additional ex-billion dollars. That's what the Republican establishment wants unless we fight it. I believe well over 50 billion, Glenn, if we don't fight it.
Unoffset, unpaid for. 16 billion of disaster packets that was just passed on a CR, not paid for. Even if we do the appropriation bills. Go to Congress. And there's a 50/50 chance we don't get jammed and rolled with an omnibus bill.
Maybe we get the 1 percent cut in spending, the debt deal got done. Maybe. But we blow past it with 100 million of supplemental spending. Inflation Reduction Act, remains fully intact.
The IRS remains 80 percent expanded and intact. We will likely not impeach Mayorkas.
It's 50/50 at best, if we want to impeach Biden, depending on what happens with the efforts.
We will not have full COVID reckoning. We will not have passed a ten-year balanced budget. The DOD will likely still be roped, and no accountability for Afghanistan.
The DOJ will likely still be weaponized. And importantly, the Senate will try to confuse everybody with a shiny object. Crappy border security package. Linked back in the Ukraine, and say, we did it. We secured the border, and we still needed 50 billion or 80 billion in Ukraine funding. But we secured the border.
And it will be garbage. The only thing standing in the way of that being the truth, and us changing it, is a small group of us willing to try to fight.
I will not throw my friends under the bus, who want to call to question. I will -- I will stick with my tactical position, that I'm not going to currently today, agree.
I will vote to table the motion, because I would give a month, to go figure this out, headed to Thanksgiving. Because we've been talking through these things.
But we're going to proceed either way, Glenn. We're going to lock arms, and figure out how to fight, change this. Because the list I just read to you, is unacceptable.
GLENN: Okay. So here's what's going to happen. He won't be removed today.
And nothing will happen in the next 45 days. And then coincidentally, I don't know if you've done the math. Forty-five days brings us right to the holidays. So we're right there to Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Where everything, always goes -- and is buried by Congress at that time.
So, you know, if -- if you don't get it done, this next time in 45 days. It doesn't happen. And then you will have to replace them. And here's my question. With whom?
What is the game plan?
Who is it that you're going to -- not you. But the -- the good guys. That are standing up. Who is it, that they're going to get, because there are people now afraid we can get a Democrat in there?
CHIP: Well, that, of course, was the argument last January. I -- again, do not support tactic for the reason you just described. Because I believe, we need to force the conference to a reckoning. Because let's be honest, speaker reflects the conference. When I read the thing, I just read to you, this morning in a Republican conference meeting. Crickets. Crickets.
The vast majority of Republicans, are totally fine with increasing spending. Kicking the can down the road. Saying, oh. The next president will say this. Oh, we need to win the Senate. Oh, we need a bigger majority. Look, I understand the difficulty of the moment. So do you, Glenn.
Neither you now I expect us to get something we want, in this divided government. But at some point, you have to pick a major fight and mean it. Democrats do that all the time.
GLENN: All the time.
CHIP: When will we pick major fights and mean it? If we will throw down on the board, and that means accepting some Ukraine spending, and I would prefer not to.
Then let's pick that fight. If we need to kill all dollars to Ukraine. And that means, we're not going to address the border. Okay. Let's pick that fight.
I can't get -- a -- a clear signal from our leadership, as to what path we are going to choose to go win these fights. So to answer your question. Look, I'm staying focused on the policy, as we speak this morning, I'm having conversation with the senators, people here, trying to figure out, how we define the border, the way it needs to be confined.
Have meetings this morning, a case to restrain Ukraine spending. And a case for why that's not in our best -- our national interests.
Make the case for why we need to constrain spending on the appropriations package, on the rules committee last night. Holding the line. A lot of good things have occurred this year. The border bill is phenomenal. Right? The bill we put together for Limit Save Grow, was phenomenal. The National Defense Authorization Act is conservative. The DOD appropriation bill was pretty strong. But all of that goes out the window if you don't finish the job. So my position is, finish the job. And we hold accountable. If they end up vacating today, well, we will have to go find a speaker.
GLENN: So tell me what the speaker's plan is. You know, he says, 45 days, then we will pass all these things. That's such bullcrap. I wanted him to prove me wrong. But I don't believe it. We're going to come down at the end of the 45 days. Shut down the cars. And they're going to fold again. What's his plan?
CHIP: That is my problem, Glenn. This is the question I continue to force. At this point, my tactical choice would be to do what I was doing yesterday and the day before and last week, after the Saturday decision on the 45-day VR. Which is to sit down and say, Mr. Speaker, we have got to get this done before Thanksgiving.
They the Democrats want the Ukraine funding more than anything in the world. And we the Republicans want border security.
And we want to hold down spending, at a bare minimum.
So what are we going to do to make that happen? He assumes to have that -- his speakership, if he even survives this week, on accomplishing that objective.
Holding Ukraine to some level, that matches the conference perspective, spread out over time, with border security attached, and use the appropriations process.
Let me give you another example, without giving away individual names of the private meeting. An individual, who was very conservative/more populist Libertarian. Made an impassioned speech for why our processes and openness, is a massive change, compared to Boehner and Paul Ryan.
I mean, the American people don't care about that. Right? I mean, they might care a little. But they want results. But this is moving the Titanic around. The reason you all know what all is happening, is because we've opened it up. We're telling it in realtime. We're forcing votes. We're having amendments. But we're not getting the results we want. Because our conference, frankly, isn't strongly conservative enough, on the Senate side. So we're trying to manage through that process. And get to a result, where we actually cut spending. Actually hold the supplementals. Actually refuse to restrict, constrain Ukraine.
Actually secure the border. I've been giving up on that, even though you and I are both frustrated as you would expect.
GLENN: So, Chip, first of all, I don't want you to feel my frustration is pointed to you at all. Because I pray for you this weekend.
He has got to be just beside himself. Because I know how hard you're working on this.
Do you -- have you been struggling at all with, am I being duped?
Because I know I would be, if I were you.
I would probably do exactly what I would do in you. Because it seems reasonable for me. But I feel like, I would be saying, yeah. But, I mean -- why should I trust them?
CHIP: So you shouldn't. To ever and I don't. I trust no one for the most part, in this town. Particularly those who have been here for a long time. We are in a process, in my opinion, of breaking this town, and creating coalitions in which we can trust each other. I am talking right now to my colleagues I disagree with a little bit on their timing and tactics. Because I respect what they're trying to do.
There are colleagues, that I don't respect what they're trying to do.
They think it's about showboating. Or grandstanding. Or fundraising.
It's not. You know, they might raise money. That's politics.
But at the end of the day, it's because they're tired watching, the same old, same old. The status quo.
Again, Glenn, I want to reiterate. To all the listeners. Why won't you join it?
Well, I might at some point. The issue here is how we navigate from right now, to a place where we can go try to get the American people forward. Our country can't wait to keep us for Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis. Or anyone else to get in and shape things up at the White House without massive damage. For me, I want a victory for the people. Not just a political victory. So that, crickets. Your conference. Your Republican conference.
I want every listener out there to know, while they're moving in the right direction, at the end of the day, their reflex is still to be totally okay with increased spending.
Totally okay. Well, we might have to deal with the border at some point.
Totally okay with more money with Ukraine to push back.
And so, I'm just telling you, you get the Speaker, that reflects the conference.
Some of us are trying to shift that.
And it doesn't happen as fast as you or I, or your listeners would like.
GLENN: Well, it doesn't sound like an extremist to me. It sounds like a constitutionalist, and someone who is trying to think it out.
When you say crickets, I just want to make sure I understand, not because they're shocked like, oh, crap. We're in trouble. But because they didn't see a problem with it.
GLENN: Well, I would state it this way.
In fact, one member got us, and said, we can't address those things. Until we have the White House.
To which I say, poppycock. That's just not true.
There are -- we can't do all. But I can't possibly say, you and I, with the 221 majority, can kill Ukraine, fully secure the border, gut spending, to the levels you and I would do it.
Fire Mayorkas. You know, I get it. But can we get one of those damn things?
One! Right? Give me an actual spending cut that I can be proud of. Don't just pour molten crap. Supplemental spending.
Actually secure the border.
Don't think, well, it has to be a bicameral, bipartisan bill to get it through. No. Kiss my ass.
You want Ukraine funding, then give me the border.
Okay? All right. You don't want to cut that deal? Fine.
Give me a win.
That we can go to the people and say, we fought for you, and we won.
That's what I'm trying to tell the conference. Some are there.
I have a whole lot of text messages, in that room saying, hey. Thank you for saying that. But you know what, that still doesn't get us there.
Because the conference has to be moved. You guys are moving them. Don't give up.
Hold the line. But don't roast everybody in a stupid social media, you know, attack. If you don't -- it's tactical, Glenn, right?
Chip Roy is a RINO. Fine. Call me a RINO. I don't give a damn. What I'm saying is, don't go after Daize (phonetic) for being a showboat. And don't go after Chip Roy for being a RINO if you disagree on the tactics. You have a block of people from the 20, and it's growing -- who are fed up.
And that doesn't give you much, but it gets you a lot. When you're talking about, we're building momentum here.
Don't lose faith. We're years into this mess in Washington.
And we don't have the White House. We don't have the Senate.
And we have 221, in the freaking House.
So we're trying to move the needle.
I'm not going to lay down on this.
I'm not going to roll over us.
With the Ukraine funding.
Without if we go to border security.
Ukraine funding. We have to offset supplements.
These are the fights, we have right now. And we have to keep fighting.
GLENN: Chip, I'm out of time. I just need a simple answer.
How many votes do they need to oust him today? What's the number?
CHIP: I don't 100 percent know. Because I don't know how many Democrats are here, that matters. I think you will get -- I don't know. Seven or eight. Who will be -- who will vote no at the table, and can we get to the motion to vacate.
We may be in a position where we're choosing the Speaker. We'll see what happens the next three hours.
GLENN: Okay. Thank you very much. All right. Chip Roy.
