[0:03][music] >> Welcome to Washington today on C-SPAN radio for Wednesday, February 11th, 2026. Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before the House Judiciary Committee with many of the questions about the Justice Department's handling
[0:15]of files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. >> [music] >> And many news articles describing her exchanges with Democrats on the committee as sparring or combative. >> [music] >> Senate Democrats indicate they will
[0:25]oppose extending Homeland Security Department funding beyond Friday's deadline even for a short time without acceptable reforms to immigration enforcement [music] attached.
[0:36]House votes on a bill to require proof of US citizenship to vote. January jobs report from the Labor Department is stronger than many expected. 130,000 jobs added. Unemployment rate drops to
[0:47]4.3%. >> [music] >> House votes on a resolution to overturn President Donald Trump's emergency declaration that allowed him to put tariffs on Canada. President Trump promotes [music] the use of coal, what he calls clean, beautiful
[0:59]coal, through executive orders. New federal deficit and national debt projections from the Congressional [music] Budget Office are out. Senate Democrats outraged that federal prosecutors tried to get an indictment
[1:11]against six Democratic lawmakers who [music] posted that video telling active duty members of the military and intelligence community they should refuse illegal orders. [music] A grand jury refused to indict. And former
[1:22]boxing champion Mike Tyson [music] talks about a Super Bowl ad promoting the Trump administration's new dietary guidelines. NBC News writing that Attorney General Pam Bondi lashed out at judges and
[1:33]lawmakers at a contentious House Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday that followed reports of President Donald Trump's gripes with her tenure. The hearing devolved into a series of shouting matches as the Democrats
[1:45]peppered Bondi with questions about her department's handling of its Jeffrey Epstein records and its attempts to prosecute critics of President Donald Trump. Bondi, in turn, repeatedly
[1:54]accused Democrats of theatrics and said that she would not get in the gutter with these people, though she repeatedly lobbed personal attacks on Democratic lawmakers. That was from NBC News. We'll
[2:05]have some of those contentious Q&A moments in just a moment, but first, here's a bit of opening statements. Congressman Jamie Raskin, Democrat of Maryland, is the committee's ranking
[2:16]member. Thank you kindly, Mr. Chairman, and welcome, Attorney General Bondi. You've got the best lawyer's job in America because your mission is justice, and your clients are the American
[2:27]people. But to promote justice for the people, you've got to listen to the victims like the women seated behind you today. Those are just some of the hundreds of
[2:37]survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's global sex trafficking ring who are demanding that the truth be told, and are demanding accountability for the
[2:46]abusers who trafficked and raped them. You still haven't met with these survivors. So, with their permission, let me introduce to you the survivors and late survivors' family members who
[2:58]are present today. There's Teresa Helm. There's Jess Michaels. Laura Bloom McGee. Annie Bensky. Liz Stein. Marina Lacerda.
[3:09]Sky and Amanda Roberts, who are the family of the late Virginia Giuffre. Charlene Richard. And Lisa Phillips. Now, you're not showing a lot of interest in the victims, Madam Attorney
[3:21]General. Whether it's Epstein's human trafficking ring, or the homicidal governmental violence against citizens in Minneapolis, as Attorney General, you're siding with the
[3:32]perpetrators, and you're ignoring the victims. That will be your legacy unless you act quickly to change course. You're
[3:41]running a massive Epstein cover-up right out of the Department of Justice. Congressman Jamie Raskin, Democrat of Maryland, the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee, part of his opening
[3:51]statement at today's hearing. The Congressman also accused Attorney General Pam Bondi of violating the Epstein files transparency act by not releasing all the files, by redacting
[4:01]names of men who are implicated in the files of engaging in illegal acts, and by not redacting the names of all the victims. Attorney General Bondi in her opening statement spoke to these
[4:12]concerns. To address the Epstein files, more than 500 attorneys and reviewers spent thousands of hours painstakingly
[4:22]reviewing millions of pages to comply with Congress's law. We've released more than 3 million pages, including 180,000 images,
[4:34]all to the public. While doing our very best in the time frame allotted by the legislation to protect victims, and if you brought
[4:45]us a victim's name that was inadvertently released, we immediately redacted it. All members of Congress, as you know, are invited to visit DOJ
[4:57]to see for yourselves. I want to take a moment to acknowledge the Epstein survivors who are here today. I'm a career prosecutor,
[5:08]and despite what the ranking member said, I have spent my entire career fighting for victims, and I will continue to do so.
[5:19]I am deeply sorry for what any victim any victim has been through, especially as a result of that monster.
[5:29]If you have any information to share with law enforcement about anyone who has hurt you or abused you,
[5:38]the FBI is waiting to hear from you. I want you to know that any accusations of criminal wrongdoing will be taken
[5:49]seriously and investigated. The Department of Justice is committed to holding criminals accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Attorney
[6:00]General Pam Bondi, part of her opening statement at the House Judiciary Committee hearing today. And now to a few of the exchanges with the committee members. First, Congressman Jerrold
[6:10]Nadler, Democrat from New York. We now have concrete evidence of disgusting criminality revealed in the Epstein files. So, I have just So, I really have just one question for you.
[6:21]How many of Epstein's co-conspirators have you indicted? How many perpetrators are you even investigating? First, you showed uh you I I find it
[6:33]>> How many have you indicted? >> me, I'm going to answer the question. >> I answer my question. >> No, I'm going to answer the question the way I want to answer the question. Your theatrics are ridiculous. >> way I asked it. Chairman Jordan, I'm not going to get in the gutter with these
[6:45]people, but >> have you indicted? How many have you indicted? >> How many have you indicted? Again, the time belongs >> Reclaiming my time. The time belongs >> it's very interesting. >> think it's very interesting. >> Again, you can reclaim the time.
[6:56]>> they indicted The president said they indicted him twice. >> Mr. Chairman, please Stop the clock and stop the clock and restore his time. Okay, here we go with these theatrics. The time belongs to the gentleman from
[7:06]New York. We will give you a few more seconds. We will do that, but when you ask a question, the witness can say as you may not like the answer, but she gets to >> was, how many of Epstein's co-conspirators
[7:17]>> like the answer, Chairman, >> time. >> because it's honest. So, he asked a 4-minute question. >> Restore 45 seconds, Mr. Nadler, please, Mr. Chairman. Reclaiming my time. You
[7:28]can let her filibuster all day long, but not on our watch. Reclaiming Not on our time. No way. And I told you about that, Attorney General, before you started. >> tell me anything. >> tell you because we saw what you did in the Senate.
[7:40]>> You're not a lawyer. You're not even a lawyer. Liddy, we'll be in order. >> I mean, I should get back at least 45 seconds. >> We will give you a few more seconds. I said that already. 45 seconds. >> Okay, I will I'm timing right now, Mr. Nadler. You are eating my time. The
[7:51]answer to my question, how many of Epstein's co-conspirators has she indicted is zero. You have been the Attorney General for a whole year and your DOJ fired the lead
[8:02]prosecutor to this case, sat on evidence this entire time and claimed falsely last July that there were no more leads. It took an act of Congress for you to finally release part of the Epstein
[8:13]files and when you did, you included personal information about the victims while protecting the names of abusers. >> Time of the gentleman has expired. >> to justice. But enormous resources
[8:23]dedicated to this case and it's clear that under your leadership it's clear that under your leadership, the Department of Justice no longer works for you. It works for Donald Trump. I yield back.
[8:33]>> yields back. May I answer? I think our next our next questioner, Madam Attorney General, is going to give you time to respond to >> Thank you, Chairman. >> all kinds of things. So, we will turn to
[8:45]the gentleman from Texas for 5 minutes. >> Ms. Bondi, you go right ahead. Over here. The time is yours. Thank you. First, he brought up the President
[8:56]saying they indicted me twice. They sure did. They tried to impeach him twice and you, Mr. Nadler, were one of the leads on the impeachment. I was on the other side. I lived that with you. During
[9:08]impeachment, you said the President conspired, sought foreign interference in the 2016 election. Robert Mueller found no evidence, none, of foreign
[9:19]interference in 2016. Have you apologized to President Trump? Attorney General Pam Bondi at the House Judiciary Committee hearing today. Questions coming from Congressman
[9:31]Jerrold Nadler, Democrat from New York. You also heard from the committee leaders, the chair Jim Jordan, Republican of Ohio and the ranking member, Jamie Raskin, Democrat from Maryland. Congressman Thomas Massie of
[9:42]Kentucky was the primary Republican sponsor of the law to release the Epstein files and he had these questions for the Attorney General, Pam Bondi. Behind me I have three documents from
[9:53]the DOJ production that are emblematic of the massive failure of the DOJ to comply with the Epstein files transparency act. To my right is an email that was sent by the
[10:04]victims' lawyers to the DOJ. It was a list of names not to redact. Or sorry, a list of names not to release. What did the DOJ do with this
[10:14]email? They released this email in the document production. Literally the worst thing you could do to the survivors, you did. And they're getting phone calls. A lot
[10:26]of these people didn't want to be known. And we know you touched the document because you redacted one name and you redacted the lawyer's name, but you left the survivor's name there. The next
[10:37]document I want to show you and that was in the title, the victims' survivors' names, all right? The title of this one is child sex trafficking.
[10:47]Co-conspirators, fully redacted. And by the way, we're going to unredact them here. Les Wexner is in this.
[10:59]Now your assistant dep- your deputy attorney general said, "Oh, well he appears hundreds of times in the files." But he doesn't appear in this file until
[11:10]I forced you to release it where he's listed as a co-conspirator not to tax evasion, but to child sex trafficking. Not to prostitution,
[11:21]not to money laundering, child sex trafficking. And then finally, what we have here is the third exhibit that I have is
[11:32]emblematic of the FD302 release. These are the documents that we need that you're holding on to and over redacting because they have the names of the men
[11:43]who are implicated. How do we know? Because the the survivors gave testimony to the FBI and it's in there. And what
[11:53]happens when you go to the portal at the DOJ to look at what's behind this redaction? Another redaction. So we can't even see them. And then there's some of these files you've pulled down
[12:04]from the website that we will never see. Because we can't search the redactions. So I have several questions for you.
[12:14]Who's responsible? Are you able to track who in your organization that made this massive failure and release the victims' names? Are you able to track who it was
[12:25]that obscured Les Wexner's name as a co-conspirator in an FBI document? Do you have that kind of accountability?
[12:35]I believe Wexner's name was listed more than 4,000 times about I had >> Yeah, I already told you that. This is where he's listed as a co-conspirator. >> my answer? Come on. Let me finish my
[12:47]answer. We corrected that within 40 minutes. He was already You're acting like everybody's trying to cover up Wexner's name. >> Reclaiming Reclaiming my time.
[12:57]Reclaiming my time. >> Mr. Chairman. >> how all this works. >> have my time back? >> He was uh uh uh The gentlewoman can can give her answer. The time belongs to the gentleman from >> I'm reclaiming my time. >> give my answer?
[13:09]>> So I'm going to put the language of the bill up on the screen. Chairman, can I have another minute to answer on that? >> This is a political joke and I need to give my answer on that. >> Let's Let's Let's Let's Let's Let's
[13:20]Let's Let's Let's Let's Let's Let's Let's Let's Let's Let's Let's Let's Let's Let's Let's time. >> Within 40 minutes, you asked me a question. Within 40 minutes, Wexner's name was added back >> Within 40 minutes of me catching you
[13:31]red-handed. >> Red-handed? There was one redaction out of over 400 AND WE INVITED YOU IN. We invited This guy has Trump Derangement Syndrome. He
[13:43]needs to get You're a failed politician. You need to grow up. Mr. Chairman, please restore his time and remind the witness of the rules here. There is no credible information. None. If there were, I would bring the
[13:55]case yesterday that he trafficked to other individuals. Is that your position as well? My position is any victim who comes
[14:07]forward, of course, we would love to hear from them. 1-800-CALL-FBI. Did you ask Merrick Garland that the last four years? Did you talk about
[14:18]Epstein I'm reclaiming my time. I'm glad you're asking about Merrick Garland because this is bigger than Watergate. When I don't answer questions the way you want me to. This goes over four administrations. You don't have to go
[14:29]back to Biden. Let's go back to Obama. Let's go back to George Bush. This cover-up spans decades and you are responsible for this portion of it. AND THAT'S WHERE THE COVER-UP
[14:39]>> WANT to know at what point at what point did the FBI and the DOJ decide that Lex Wexner was not a co-conspirator because
[14:49]our Epstein Files Transparency Act requires you, please put it back on the screen, he to release the internal decision about whether to prosecute him or not and it's
[15:00]not in the files and it's not in the files for any of these other men. >> Time of the gentleman has expired. May she answer? And he's a hypocrite because he voted against the ban that we were
[15:11]talking about on deepfake AI porn. Only two people voted against it and you were one of them, hypocrite. Attorney General Pam Bondi questioned by Congressman
[15:22]Thomas Massie, Republican from Kentucky, at today's Judiciary Committee hearing. Other issues besides the Epstein files were raised. NBC News writing that Bondi refused to confirm whether the
[15:33]Department of Justice has compiled a list of groups designated as domestic terrorist organizations and declined to commit to sharing one with Congress during a contentious exchange with Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, Democrat
[15:45]from Pennsylvania. The exchange centered on President Trump's September memorandum directing the DOJ to identify groups whose members are engaged in acts meeting the definition of domestic terrorism. That was from NBC News. You
[15:57]can find the full hearing, runs about 4 and 1/2 hours, in two parts at our website c-span.org. This is Washington today. From the hill, Senate Democratic leader
[16:07]Chuck Schumer of New York says Senate Democrats will block another short-term funding resolution to keep the Department of Homeland Security operating past Friday because Republicans haven't done enough to meet
[16:17]their demands to overhaul immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE. Schumer wrote on social media, "We're 3 days away from a DHS shutdown. Republicans have not gotten serious
[16:29]about negotiating a solution that reins in ICE and stops the violence. Democrats will not support a CR to extend the status quo." referring to the continuing resolution
[16:40]that Congress would need to pass by February 13th to avoid a DHS shutdown. That was from The Hill. The Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Republican from South Dakota, spoke about this
[16:50]today on the Senate floor. On Friday, funding for the Department of Homeland Security will expire. When we passed a short 2-week stopgap for the Department
[17:00]at Democrats' insistence many of us said it would not be long enough. I made that case repeatedly. Standing here today, I regret to say
[17:11]that we have been proven right. The renegotiation that Democrats demanded with the Trump administration last month is, unsurprisingly, taking some time.
[17:22]Democrats took more than a week to coalesce around a set of demands. It was just this past weekend that they put those demands into writing. On Monday,
[17:33]just 2 days later, the administration countered. And I expect Democrats will shortly receive detailed text for further consideration. A quick turn, I might add, after a long wait.
[17:44]By any measure, a good faith engagement from our friends at the White House. Do I think the parties are on a path that could culminate in a deal? Yes.
[17:55]Will they need more time to get there? Absolutely. So, I hope our Democrat friends will remain at the table and give talks more time to mature. The alternative path
[18:06]should interest no one. And that is a needless shutdown that will see funding lapse for our Coast Guard, our cybersecurity, for air airport security,
[18:17]and for disaster response. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Republican from South Dakota, today on the Senate floor. There could be a procedural vote in the Senate on Thursday on a bill to extend Homeland Security Department
[18:29]funding beyond Friday's deadline. That would need 60 votes, and Senate Democrats have already indicated they will block that. Associated Press writing a disruption in reimbursements
[18:40]to states for disaster relief costs, delays in cybersecurity response and training, and missed paychecks for the agents who screen passengers and bags the nation's airport, which could lead
[18:51]to unscheduled absences and longer wait times for travelers. Those were just some of the potential ramifications of a looming funding lapse at the Department of Homeland Security, according to officials who testified before a House
[19:02]panel on Wednesday. That was from AP. The hearing was held by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security. Congresswoman Lauren Underwood, Democrat from Illinois, took her time for asking questions at the
[19:14]committee to talk about the ICE reforms the Democrats are seeking. Let's be clear by what about why we are here. Republicans have allowed ICE and Border Patrol to operate out of control, abuse
[19:24]their authority, trample civil rights, break the law, violate the Constitution, and kill US citizens. All while lying to the public about actions we can plainly see with our own eyes.
[19:36]So, if my Republican colleagues were serious about keeping the American people safe, we'd be discussing how to protect citizens from their own government. Today, we should be hearing from Secretary Noem and the leaders of the
[19:48]agencies that are terrorizing and killing Americans. Instead, we're having this sham hearing with Republicans trying to shift blame, even though our Democratic leadership has already
[19:58]offered a funding proposal with safeguards to protect Americans from misconduct by federal agents. It seems the White House would rather shut down agencies like FEMA during
[20:10]historic winter storms than accept the bare minimum of accountability and transparency for ICE and Border Patrol. So, here we are. Just to level set, Secretary Noem has
[20:20]not appeared before this committee since last year, before her agents killed Renee Good and Alex Preddy, before Greg Bovino terrorized my constituents in
[20:30]Illinois during Operation Midway Blitz, before more than 170 US citizens were illegally detained by federal agents, before 5-year-old Liam
[20:42]Ramos was snatched on his way home from school because ICE wanted to use him as bait, and before countless other
[20:51]atrocities were committed on her watch. So, where is she today? Congresswoman Lauren Underwood, Democrat from Illinois, at an Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on the potential
[21:02]shutdown this weekend of the Homeland Security Department. The witnesses came from the agencies under that department, Transportation Security Administration, Coast Guard, Federal Emergency
[21:13]Management Agency, the Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency, and the Secret Service. Congressman Dan Newhouse, Republican from Washington state, asked the TSA acting
[21:22]administrator Hal W. McNeal about the latest airports if there is a partial government shutdown. TSO officers work every day to keep our airports and the flying public safe. And I
[21:34]appreciate even though it's a pain in the neck sometimes, I appreciate very much their work. Um we certainly saw their dedication in the last shutdown. Many of them most of them
[21:44]showed up every single day despite not being paid. So, I hope we don't put them in that position again, but um could you share with us uh
[21:56]whether or not the secretary will pay TSO and other frontline TSA workers if we shut down again. Will that be something that you'll be
[22:07]able to do? Um I I do not believe so. I think that the best way to ensure that our frontline workers get paid is through the passage of of a DHS budget. So So,
[22:18]none of the components of the reconciliation money could go to that. Uh not that I'm aware of. Could you talk about the potential impacts at checkpoint security
[22:29]with and wait times with an extended shutdown? Um absolutely, Congressman. So, um as the shutdown went on and on last time, what we did see was an increase in unscheduled absences, which means uh
[22:40]folks calling out because they could not afford to show up to work. Um you know, in weeks five and six of the shutdown, uh in some in some airports, we saw that go up to uh you know, three times the
[22:51]rate of unscheduled absences. And what we have to do in those instances is uh to start kind of uh consolidating and collapsing some of our operations, which means that, you know, not not all of our lanes are open, and that does lead to
[23:02]longer wait times Uh and we saw more and more of that as the shutdown went on. Now, I will say the frontline did a remarkable job because across the system they still maintained operations, but we
[23:12]do see pain points. Thank you. Witness TSA acting administrator hot when McNeal and asking the questions Congressman Dan Newhouse Republican from Washington State at today's House Appropriations
[23:23]Subcommittee hearing on the potential impact of a Homeland Security Department shutdown starting this weekend. Time magazine writing about the hearing roughly 95% of TSA's workforce about
[23:34]61,000 employees would be deemed essential and required to work without pay during a shutdown. While federal law guarantees back pay once funding is restored the immediate strain can be
[23:45]severe particularly for lower paid frontline officers. That was from Time magazine. The House writes CNBC will vote Wednesday afternoon on an election bill backed by President Donald Trump
[23:56]that will require proof of citizenship to register to vote and require photo identification at the ballot box. The Save America Act introduced by Congressman Chip Roy Republican of Texas has been the focus of a pressure
[24:08]campaign from the White House, hardline congressional Republicans and online influencers like Elon Musk. Democrats and voting rights groups meanwhile say legislation would disenfranchise
[24:19]millions of Americans, make it harder to register to vote and put more power in the hands of Trump and the federal government ahead of what is expected to be a difficult midterm election for the
[24:28]GOP. That article from CNBC. Here's part of the House floor debate Congresswoman Mary Miller Republican from Illinois in favor. The Save America Act ensures that
[24:39]only American citizens vote in American elections. This should be the easiest yes vote this year. The American people want the Save
[24:50]America Act. 83% of adults support requiring a photo ID to vote, as do 73% of Democrat voters.
[25:02]But Democrat politicians stand here today standing here today oppose it, just as they have opposed every election integrity measure.
[25:12]Democrats cannot win on their ideas because their agenda has made life harder for American families. The Democrat Party knows that cheating
[25:22]is their only path to victory. Their goal is to replace the votes of American citizens with those of illegal aliens. House Republicans are standing up for
[25:34]the American people here today. Congress has a responsibility to protect the integrity of our elections. The Save America Act upholds that duty. I urge my
[25:46]colleagues to listen to the American people and vote yes. America is watching. Congresswoman Mary Miller, Republican from Illinois on the House floor
[25:57]opposing this bill. Congresswoman Terri Sewell, Democrat from Alabama. Let us be clear, this is not a voter ID bill. It is a voter suppression bill, plain and simple.
[26:08]This bill is so extreme that even driver's license would be insufficient to register to vote. Instead, Americans would be required to present their birth certificate or their passport. The
[26:19]reality is that half of Americans do not have a passport. And get this, this bill also requires states to turn over personal identifiable information to the
[26:29]Department of Homeland Security. The same department whose rogue agents are responsible for the deaths of two American citizens in Minnesota. Here's
[26:39]the truth, under this bill tens of millions of eligible Americans will be blocked from casting their ballot. It's simply unacceptable and un-American. The ability to vote of
[26:50]voters to choose their leaders is foundational to our freedom. It is a freedom that generations of Americans have fought, bled, marched for, many in
[27:01]my hometown of Selma, Alabama. We know that it is so important that we safeguard these important truths. Our freedom is under assault. Make no
[27:11]mistake, Republicans know that their policies are failing, that prices are going up, that jobs are going away, that healthcare is being slashed, and that American people are struggling to make
[27:21]ends meet. Republicans know that they cannot win on the merits. So, rather than change their policies, they're seeking to change the rules. Congresswoman Terri Sewell, Democrat
[27:32]from Alabama, on the House floor. This bill to require proof of US citizenship to vote, the vote on it coming up later tonight. As we go to air, they have not
[27:43]yet taken that vote. You can follow it on C-SPAN television and on the free C-SPAN Now mobile app. Roll Call writing, whatever happens in the House, some Senate Republicans are doubtful that the Save America Act has a
[27:54]realistic path forward in their chamber. Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, is not the only senator who has raised concerns about the idea of imposing new federal mandates. Senator
[28:04]Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, wrote in an op-ed last year the Trump administration should be very wary of imposing sweeping changes on how states administer their elections. And while Senate Majority Leader John
[28:15]Thune said he supports the idea of voter ID, he has thrown cold water on suggestions that the chamber should turn to what's known as the talking filibuster to help push the bill through the Senate without its usual 60-vote
[28:26]procedural threshold. That was from Roll Call. Midterm elections were also on the mind of Governor Wes Moore, Democrat of Maryland, who gave his annual State of the State address before the General Assembly in Annapolis today. He called
[28:38]on lawmakers to pass a mid-decade congressional redistricting map, which is part of a nationwide redistricting battle going on in both red states and blue states to further gerrymander
[28:48]districts for partisan advantage. Now, a few months ago I reestablished the governor's redistricting advisory commission because at a time when other states were
[28:59]having a discussion about mid-decade redistricting, I said that Maryland needs to be a part of that conversation. >> [applause]
[29:23][applause] >> And after months of work the commission presented its recommendation and the House of Delegates debated it. They made adjustments
[29:35]and then they passed the map. Now, I know there is disagreement right now between the House and members of the Senate. So, my ask is simple.
[29:47]Do not let the democratic process die in the free state. Debate it, discuss it, make adjustments if necessary, and put it to a vote. >> [applause]
[30:03]>> Governor Wes Moore, a Democrat of Maryland, giving his State of the State address today in Annapolis of Maryland. It was a wide-ranging speech on many topics of interest to residents of the state from immigration to energy,
[30:15]education, and transportation. You can find the full speech and other governor's State of the State speeches archived at our website c-span.org. About redistricting, this article from The Hill, Maryland Congressman Jamie
[30:26]Raskin, a Democrat, sent a late-night letter on Monday to Democrats in Maryland's General Assembly urging the state legislators to pass a new redistricting map. The map has already
[30:36]passed the state's house, but the bill now faces opposition from Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Democrat, who's refused to bring the measure to the floor. That was from thehill.com.
[30:47]Washington Today continues in a moment. >> [music] >> Hello political junkies, searching for new and original political stories without political bias? Well, search no
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[31:28]find your podcasts. Few more headlines from the Associated Press. The sudden and surprising airspace closure over El Paso, Texas on Wednesday stemmed from the Pentagon's plans to test [music] a laser for used in
[31:40]shooting down drones used by Mexican drug cartels, according to three people familiar with situation who granted anonymity to share sensitive details >> [music] >> that caused friction with the Federal
[31:50]Aviation Administration which wanted to ensure commercial air safety and the two agencies sought to coordinate, according to two of the people. [music] And also, President Donald Trump met for
[32:00]more than two hours behind closed doors with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday and said he insisted that negotiations with Iran continue as the US pushes for a nuclear
[32:11]deal [music] with Tehran. Again, those were from AP. First Lady Melania Trump's press office with a release. The First Lady visited children with rare and serious diseases
[32:21]at the Children's Inn at the National Institutes of Health for Valentine's Day. Mrs. Trump [music] joined the children, their families, and staff members for an afternoon of creativity, connection, and encouragement. The
[32:32]Children's [music] Inn at NIH is a nonprofit provides a free residential place like home to [music] reduce the burden of illness, make childhood possible, and help advance medical
[32:42]research. That was from the First Lady's office press release. That facility is in Bethesda, [music] Maryland. Bloomberg reporting that US payrolls rose in January by the most in more than a year, and the unemployment rate
[32:54]unexpectedly fell, suggesting the labor market continued to stabilize at the start of 2026. Employers added 130,000 jobs last month, and the unemployment
[33:03]rate declined to 4.3% according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data out Wednesday. That was from Bloomberg. Kevin Hassett, chair of the White House National Economic Council, spoke about the jobs report to reporters in the
[33:15]White House driveway. And we just saw one of the best jobs reports you've ever seen, outperforming the estimates of 76 out of 78 economists polled by Bloomberg, giving us, let's go through
[33:27]it, the best labor force participation that we've had since 2001, the lowest share of federal government employees that are working since 1966.
[33:37]Everything is hitting on all cylinders, and and the deficit is going down because of the tariffs. And so, people who were naysayers about the tariffs said that we'd have low growth and high inflation. Instead, we have low
[33:49]inflation and high growth, great job creation, and even the Michigan survey is showing that people are feeling the positive effects of Trump. Kevin Hassett, chair of the White House National Economic Council, speaking to
[34:00]reporters in the White House driveway. And President Trump writing on Truth Social, "Just in, great jobs numbers far greater than expected. The United States of America should be paying much less on
[34:09]its borrowings, bonds. We are again the strongest country in the world and should therefore be paying the lowest interest rate by far. This would be an interest rate cost savings of at least
[34:19]$1 trillion per year, balanced budgets, plus wow, the golden age of America is upon us." Signed President DJT. That from Truth Social.
[34:31]And Wall Street reaction to the jobs report, the Dow down 66, S&P down a fraction, Nasdaq down 36. New York Times reporting the House is set on Wednesday
[34:42]to consider a Democratic written measure that would rescind tariffs President Trump imposed on Canada last year. Taking a largely symbolic but politically consequential vote that Republicans have fought for a year to
[34:52]prevent. It is unlikely to have any practical effect given that Mr. Trump almost certainly would veto it. But the measure's movement through the House reflects frustration among some GOP
[35:02]lawmakers about Congress continuing to seize the authority over trade matters to the White House. And concern that voters are being hurt by the levies. And it will force Republicans who are staring down
[35:14]difficult midterm re-election races to go on the record either backing tariffs that some of their constituents oppose or angering the president. It comes after House Republican leaders who have blocked such a vote for months using
[35:25]procedural tricks failed this week to muster the support in their own ranks to push it off. Once more. Three Republicans crossed party lines on Tuesday night to defeat that effort and
[35:34]clear the way for tariff challenges to be considered. That was from the New York Times article. Here's some of the debate on the House floor about repealing the Canada tariffs. The leaders of the House Foreign Affairs
[35:46]Committee led the way. First Republican Brian Mast of Florida. We're about to have a debate apparently for about an hour. And we're going to have that debate for one reason and one reason alone.
[35:57]Democrats in the House and in the Senate as well, they refuse to recognize that there is a crisis because of fentanyl entering the United States of
[36:09]America. On our northern border, on our southern border, through the Caribbean, other places, they refuse to recognize that threat anywhere. But specific to debate today they would like to end an
[36:21]executive order relating to the crisis of fentanyl coming across our northern border. Democrats don't recognize that there is a crisis, that it's killing thousands of
[36:32]Americans, tens of thousands of Americans each and every year. And they're trying to literally end that executive order that identifies the national emergency, an emergency
[36:42]that is literally agreed upon by our northern neighbor, Canada. Even Canada acknowledges that they have this as a national emergency.
[36:53]Congressman Brian Mast of Florida, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee on the House floor. He was followed by the committee's ranking Democrat, Gregory Meeks of New York. I think I've heard
[37:04]that story before that's all about drugs. If I don't recall correctly, the former president of uh
[37:15]Honduras, he probably put more drugs in the United States than Canada has combined. But the president of the United States didn't say that was a
[37:26]an emergency. He pardoned them. Heard it before. It's all about drugs. That was the case. What is the case?
[37:37]What is the fact? Is that in the last year, tariffs has cost American families nearly $1,700.
[37:47]And that cost is expected to increase in 2026. That's the case. And since these tariffs was imposed, US
[37:56]exports to Canada have fallen by more than 21%. When I go home, my constituents aren't telling me that
[38:07]they have an extra $1,700 to spare. They're asking me to lower grocery prices, lower the price of healthcare, and make life more affordable. That's what this
[38:19]is about. It's about the American people and making things affordable for them. So, today's vote is simple.
[38:29]Very simple. Will you vote to lower the cost of living for the American families? Or will you keep prices high out of
[38:39]loyalty to one person, Donald J. Trump? That's what this vote is. Congressman Gregory Meeks, Democrat from New York, the Foreign Affairs Committee ranking
[38:49]member on the House floor. And as we go to air in the 5:00 hour in Washington, D.C., the House is not yet taken a vote on this resolution. You can follow it on C-SPAN
[39:01]and on the free C-SPAN Now mobile app. President Donald Trump on Fox Business Channel Tuesday night said he raised tariffs on Switzerland after a phone call with the country's former president, saying he did not approve of,
[39:13]quote, "the way she talked." And the president said she was very aggressive, nice, but very aggressive. Bloomberg News writing that President Donald Trump will unveil plans to use government funding and Pentagon contracts to
[39:24]sustain U.S. coal-fired power plants as he seeks to drive domestic reliance on the fossil fuel. Wall Street Journal adding that President Trump will receive the first undisputed champion of coal
[39:36]award from the Washington Coal Club and announce funding for several new plants. President held this event in the White House East Room. Coal is also critical
[39:47]to our national security, vital to everything from steel production to shipbuilding and artificial intelligence. It's uh incredible what's happening with coal.
[39:57]And it's also incredible how clean they're able to keep it now with all of the new techniques by using it. They're They're able to do things environmentally that are amazing. You see that.
[40:08]That's why I'm also pleased to announce that in just a moment I will sign an executive order that directs the Department of War to work directly with coal plants on the new power purchasing
[40:19]agreements ensuring that we have more reliable power and stronger and more resilient grid power and we're going to be buying a lot of coal through the military now and it's going to be less
[40:31]expensive and actually much more effective than what we have been using for many many years. And again with the environmental progress that's been made on coal, it's going to be just as clean.
[40:43]>> [snorts] >> As some of you may know today, February 11th is Thomas Edison's birthday. There could be no better way to honor the legacy of the man who lit the world.
[40:53]Did you know that? The man who lit the world. Isaac, do you know that? You ever hear of Thomas Edison? A little before your time, slightly. But then to reaffirm our commitment to
[41:05]American energy independence and the American energy dominance, we're going to be dominant. President Donald Trump in the White House East Room. NPR writing on Thursday Trump administration
[41:15]will rescind the central scientific finding that underpins much of the nation's climate pollution rules. It's most aggressive action yet to halt initiatives that address planetary warming.
[41:26]The 2009 Environmental Protection Agency endangerment finding was determination that pollutants from developing and burning fossil fuels such as methane and carbon dioxide can be regulated under
[41:37]the Clean Air Act. The EPA now argues that the Clean Air Act does not give it the legal authority to regulate greenhouse gases. That was from NPR. Congressional Budget Office Director
[41:47]Phillip Swagel unveiled the new projections for the federal deficit and debt. Reuters article notes that the
[41:55]deficit to GDP ratio prediction of 6.7% in fiscal year 2036 is far above the US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's goal
[42:05]to shrink it to around 3% of economic output, but the major difference is that the CBO forecast relies on significantly lower economic growth projections than the Trump administration. Here is the
[42:17]CBO director, Philip Swagel, at his news conference. The deficit for fiscal year 2026 is projected to be $1.9 trillion, which equals 5.8%
[42:27]of gross domestic product, GDP. That's about the same in relation to the size of the economy as the 2025 deficit. Deficits from 2026 to 2035 are projected
[42:39]to total $23.1 trillion, which is $1.4 trillion, or 6% more than in CBO's January 2025 baseline.
[42:49]By 2036 in the current baseline, the deficit reaches $3.1 trillion, or 6.7% of GDP. Those sustained large deficits are are
[43:00]historically unusual given that the unemployment rate is projected to remain below 5%. Federal debt held by the public grows
[43:11]from 99% of GDP at the end of 2025 to 120% of GDP in 2036. The balance of Social Security's Old-Age
[43:22]and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund is exhausted in 2032, which is 1 year earlier than we projected last January. The impact of that growing debt is
[43:33]reflected in the deficit projections through higher interest rates, higher interest costs, net outlays for interest go from $1 trillion in 2026 to $2.1
[43:44]trillion in 2036. Our budget projections continue to indicate that the fiscal trajectory is not sustainable. Congressional Budget Office Director Philip Swagel had a news
[43:56]conference today. Economy was one topic today at a Congressional Black Caucus news conference about the Trump administration's policies and Black Americans. Congresswoman Yvette Clarke,
[44:07]Democrat from New York, is the current CBC chair. Across the country, our communities are voicing deep concerns about the threat posed by Donald Trump and his allies.
[44:18]Today, our democracy, economic opportunity, fundamental freedoms, and access to the ballot box are under attack. Over the past year, we have seen
[44:28]a concerted effort to roll back civil rights, undermine voting access, dismantle social programs, and concentrate power in the hands of the
[44:38]wealthy and well-connected at the expense of our communities. From weakening the Voting Rights Act and advancing voter suppression measures
[44:47]like the SAVE Act to politicizing the courts and sowing fear and division through actions cause real and disproportionate harm to black communities.
[44:59]Instead of working to lower the rising cost of living and create real pathways to economic security and advancement, the Trump administration has been
[45:08]working overtime to take our country in the wrong direction. Today, under Trump's historically unpopular leadership, black unemployment
[45:19]has reached a staggering 8.3%, the highest since the height of the COVID pandemic, undoing progress made through intentional investment and
[45:30]inclusive economic growth. Attacks on the Affordable Care Act continue to threaten health care for millions in our communities, putting life-saving coverage and access to
[45:42]prescription medications at risk. And the ongoing assault on the diversity of our nation from the federal workforce and black-led institutions to
[45:53]journalists, educators, and local leaders represents a direct attack on the values of our democracy.
[46:02]Underlying it all is a clear truth. Donald Trump and Republicans understand that their path to maintaining the majority depends on weakening the
[46:13]collective voting strength of black communities through racially gerrymandering maps ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, Democrats from New York, the Congressional Black
[46:24]Caucus chair at a news conference today with other CBC members and civil rights organization leaders during Black History Month. From the Independent
[46:34]newspaper, days after his Truth Social post portraying the Obamas as apes drew widespread condemnation, President Donald Trump reposted several videos featuring himself with a number of
[46:44]prominent black Americans. On Wednesday morning, the Republican president shared a video montage of photos showing him alongside civil rights leaders Jesse Jackson, Rosa Parks, and Al Sharpton,
[46:55]musicians Michael Jackson, P. Diddy, 50 Cent, and Snoop Dogg, boxers Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali, and TV figures Oprah Winfrey, Omarosa Manigault Newman, and
[47:07]Will Smith. It was captioned a timeline of Trump's bigotry, and Trump wrote, "How quickly people forget. So sad." Reporting from The Independent. From the
[47:18]Washington Post, a federal grand jury in DC refused Justice Department's attempts to indict six Democratic lawmakers over their comments to military service members, the latest rebuke of the Trump
[47:29]administration's push to prosecute the president's foes. According to two people familiar with the matter, federal prosecutors last year launched an investigation into the lawmakers, all of whom served in the military or with
[47:39]intelligence agencies, if they released a short video advising current military members to reject, quote, "illegal orders." Now, from the Washington Post, two of those lawmakers, Senators Elissa
[47:49]Slotkin of Michigan and Mark Kelly of Arizona, held a news conference today in Washington. Here is Senator Slotkin. Well, as you heard last night at the direction of President Trump, uh US
[47:59]Attorney Jeanine Pirro attempted to persuade a grand jury to indict us on criminal charges. Um if things had gone a different way, we'd be preparing for arrest.
[48:11]Fortunately, her attempt failed and a group of anonymous Americans upheld the rule of law and determined that this case should not proceed. Just to review the bidding, this started
[48:21]with a 90-second video in November that a group of us organized. Um all of us with military and service backgrounds simply restating the law in the Uniform
[48:32]Code of Military Justice. That military members had a duty to refuse illegal orders. We said nothing more than everyone from Secretary Pete Hegseth and Attorney
[48:44]General Pam Bondi have said themselves out of their own mouths. For that, President Trump said that we should be investigated, arrested, and ultimately hanged.
[48:55]And that's exactly what he had Pirro and Bondi do yesterday. They had opened an inquiry in December, they carried it forward in January,
[49:05]and when we refused to sit for a voluntary interview in 7 days time, they went in front of a grand jury. But to be clear, this is not about the
[49:15]content of this one video. Let's call it for what it is. The president has using our justice system to weaponize against his perceived
[49:26]enemies. Senator Elissa Slotkin, Democrat from Michigan at a news conference today along with Senator Mark Kelly, Democrat from Arizona. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat
[49:35]from New York spoke about this issue on the Senate floor. This indictment was a test. A test of whether federal prosecutors could be
[49:45]weaponized to become political henchmen. A test of whether dissent could be smeared as criminality. A test
[49:56]of whether fear could suffocate freedom. The test should make our bones tremble. Today,
[50:08]it was six Democrats. Tomorrow, it could be anyone. Because if a president believes that he can even attempt to jail senators over speech he
[50:20]dislikes, then the First Amendment is no longer a basic right. It becomes a privilege, one that some Americans get to have and others don't, depending on their
[50:31]political views. And what would that mean for every journalist, every protester, every citizen who dares to dissent? It would mean more jailings, more
[50:42]investigations, more masked agents beating up unarmed peaceful protesters in the streets. It's happening already.
[50:53]And if we don't halt it, it's going to get a lot worse. The First Amendment is not optional. It doesn't depend on your political
[51:02]views, and it is not subject to the personal sensitivities of any president. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer today on the Senate floor.
[51:13]Michael Schnelli, reporter with MS Now, writing on X News. Speaker Johnson just told me he believes the six Democrats who participated in the disobey illegal orders video should be indicted. Comes
[51:24]after grand jury rejected the attempt by federal prosecutors. She has the transcript of what Speaker Johnson said. She attached the video of him. I think that anytime you're obstructing law
[51:35]enforcement and getting in the way of these sensitive operations, it's a very serious thing, and it probably is a crime, and yeah, they probably should be indicted. Also, another Washington Post article this week, the Justice
[51:47]Department is taking steps to throw out Steven K. Bannon's conviction for defying a congressional subpoena about the January 6th, 2021 riot. It's latest
[51:56]shift in a legal position to benefit a close ally of President Donald Trump. In a Monday legal filing, the department asked the Supreme Court to send Bannon's case back to the district court where
[52:06]the US attorney filed a separate motion seeking to dismiss the charges against him. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche characterized the move in a statement as a course correction from quote the prior administration's
[52:18]weaponization of the justice system. That was from the Washington Post. An update today on the new federal dietary guidelines from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins
[52:29]joined by former boxing champion Mike Tyson, who appeared in a Super Bowl ad to promote the Make America Healthy Again campaign against processed foods.
[52:40]Here's Mike Tyson. First of all, I like to thank the president, Secretary Kennedy, um Peter O'Malley, Brett Ratner, and everybody that um
[52:51]helped me and had anything to do with allowing me to be in part of the the commercial for the Super Bowl. And once they were telling me the situation with the weather about um
[53:01]obesity, I was telling my experience that I had a sister that died at 25 from obesity. And where I come from is Brownsville, Brooklyn, it's the most
[53:11]violent, poverty-stricken neighborhood in the city of New York. And ultra ultra processed food was just the norm.
[53:22]Everything [clears throat] was processed food. We didn't have much money, but we had food stamps. And food stamps can buy you the candy, the sugar, and all that. Soda, syrup, and all that rotten stuff. And that's just all we knew. And the
[53:34]food that we ate was pretty much processed. It was giblets, guts, and stools, and stuff of weird animals. and um I just wanted to be a part of this cuz
[53:46]that was such a part of my life. Um I I grew up I went I grew up upstate New York with a master fight trainer, and so he gave me a lifestyle. So, I obesity is totally out of my life, and sometimes I
[53:57]fool around I gain 40 20 lbs. I'm real lazy, but I have a lifestyle living like this. And um that's what I'm That's why I'm just such a fan of this. This is the biggest fight
[54:08]of my life. I want to be um I want to be a hero in this particular field because this affects my life. Every time I see someone who may be obese, I I have affinity for them. I
[54:20]want to be close to them. I want to talk to them. I want to let them know that I'm their friend without saying, "Hey, you remind me of my sister." And I'm just very grateful to be here and fight this fight. It's going to be a fight that's um
[54:31]I look forward to. Thank you very much, everyone, FOR ALLOWING ME. >> [applause] >> MIKE TYSON, FORMER BOXING CHAMPION, AT
[54:44]today's program on the new federal dietary guidelines held at the Health and Human Services building in Washington, D.C., joined by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from that department and also Agriculture
[54:56]Secretary Tom Vilsack. Thanks for listening to Washington Today. Sign up for C-SPAN's evening newsletter Word for Word. We'll send you the latest happening in Washington by email every single day. Subscribe at
[55:07]c-span.org/connect. Have a good night. >> [music]