Audio
Bob Agnew
Reporting from Capitol Hill, Bob Agnew has updates on what’s going on in the Senate.
GOP Senator Challenges Teamsters Pres. To Fight At Senate Hearing
Tue, Nov 14, 2023 at 2:20 pm
A fight nearly broke out today (on Tuesday) during a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Chairman Bernie Sanders had to intervene after GOP Senator Senator Markwayne Mullin [R-OK] challenged Teamsters President Sean O’Brien to a fight and both men took to their feet Sanders reminding both parties the focus should remain on ways unions are making lives better for working families.
Listen
Download
McConnell On Board With House Speaker Mike Johnson’s C.R. Bill
Tue, Nov 14, 2023 at 1:04 pm
Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell [R-KY] is supporting House Speaker Mike Johnson’s two-step proposal to fund the government and avoid a shutdown. With McConnell on board it means Republicans present a unified front , putting pressure on Senate Majority leader, Democrat Chuck Schumer go along. McConnell calls the bill a responsible measure that will -quote-“keep the lights on, avoid a harmful lapse in federal spending” even as it gives lawmakers time to reach a conpromise on the annual spending bills over the next two months. The House bill does not included funding for Ukraine, a fact that’s already drawing critcis—if not outright opposition—from some of McConnell’s clleages in the Snate.
Listen
Download
Speculation Builds On Likely Manchin WH Bid In 2024
Fri, Nov 10, 2023 at 5:04 pm
Senator Joe Manchin’s [D-WV] announcement he wont run for re-election next year is throwing the door open to speculation he might run for the white house. Manchin and the group No Labels have been making overtures to each other for months, and that has many speculating his decision NOT to run for Senate in 2024, could really mean a third party bid for the white house. That means a host of new worries and strategy sessions for Democrats. Not to mention the impact Manchin’s loss will have on his party’s effort to hold its slim Senate majority.
Listen DownloadSenator Tim Scott Drops Iowa Stops To Recover From Flu
Fri, Nov 10, 2023 at 3:59 pm
A spokesman says Senator Scott will return to Charleston to rest and recover and reschedule his Iowa stops for next week. The hurdle comes at a bad time for Scott who had planned to increase his focus on Iowa in the aftermath of this week’s presidential debate in Miami. Scott is one of a handful of GOP centenders with only single-digit support in Iowa, where all the candidates trail former President Trump by a wide margin.
Listen
Download
Fetterman’s Support For Israel Draws Fire From Anti-War Veterans Group
Fri, Nov 10, 2023 at 3:55 pm
Democrat Senator John Fetterman [D-PA] is ruffling some feathers with his unflinching support for Israel. Fetterman drew the ire of the anti-war veteran’s group About Face this week when he refused to stand with demonstrators demanding a cease-fire in the Israel Hamas war. About Face posted a video that appeared to show the left-leaning Democrat walking past the protestors waving an Israeli flag. Fetterman earlier in the week also posted a video showing the posters hung in his Senate office, of innocdent Israeli’s taken hostage by Hamas in their October 7th terrorist raid on Israel.
Listen
Download
Senators Weigh Resolution Threatening U.S. Attack On Iran
Tue, Nov 7, 2023 at 4:55 pm
A bi-partisan group of senators are set to introduce a resolution threatening a U.S. attack on Iran if the Islamic Republic intensifies its war against Israel. The threat comes in the form of a non-binding resolution drafted by Republican Lindsey Graham [R-SC] and Democrat Richard Blumenthal [D-Conn]. It warn of a U.S. attack in the event Iran intensifies the conflict by unleashing it’s proxy Hezbollah, or by killing any U.S. forces in the region. There have been several attacks. The tough talk amounts to a bid at “peace through strength” Graham telling CNN “Israel is begging us to deter Iran, they don’t want the war to widen,” Blumenthal calls the resolution “aggressive but necessary” and says -quote-“the key word here is deterrence. The purpose of the resolution is to deter Iran.
Listen
Download
“Maxibus”: Senate To Combine All Nine Remaining Appropriations Bills Into One
Tue, Nov 7, 2023 at 4:27 pm
Rushed for time, the Senate is consdering passing a major “Max-Bus” spending bill to allow passage of NINE appropriations bills by the end of the year. Debating large spending bill can be time consuming. Last week the Senate managed to pass an omnbus bill that combined THREE of the major annual spending bills into ONE. Although it had passed out of committee with unanimous support it took senators nearly SEVEN weeks to pass the bill. Now, with only a few legislative days before Thanksgiving, and about THREE weeks in December, lawmakers hope they’ll be able to speed the process by including all NINE remaining ills in a first of it’s kind “Maxi-Bus” bill to avoid the threat of yet another potential government shutdown.
Listen
Download
Biden Likely To Be Replaced As Dem Candidate In 2024, GOP Critic Says
Tue, Nov 7, 2023 at 3:58 pm
Former Senator Jim Talent [R-MO] says there’s a growing chance Joe Biden won’t be his party’s candidate for president in 2024. Talent says there’s a good reason Democrats have their doubts about the president, considering he’s “impaired”. Obvious, he says, to those who like himself once served alongside a younger Joe Biden in the Senate. Further, Talent says, Democrats know Biden’s policies have caused harm to many Americans.
Listen Download“Lunacy”: Former Senator Talent Blasts Biden Posture Toward Iran
Sun, Nov 5, 2023 at 6:00 am
Former U.S. Senator Jim Talent [R-Mo] says the president’s handling of the Middle East crisis is so misguided it poses a serious danger to the U.S and its allies. Talent says the president’s belief he can construct a peaceful solution by a partnership with Iran is “lunacy”. Talent says Iran has to be constrained and deterred as it was during the Trump administration.
Listen
Download
Senate Bill Would Focus On Crimes Committed By Illegals
Fri, Nov 3, 2023 at 3:53 pm
A new bill in the Senate would offer aid to victims of crimes committed by those in the country illegally. The bill comes from Kansas Senator Bill Marshall. His Justice For Angel Families Act would restore the Trump-era Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) Office,. It specifically tracked crimes commited by those who etered the country illegally. It was dismantled by President Biden. Marshall’s bill would also extend compensation from the Crime Victim’s Fund to American families. If a family member is murdered by an llegal immigrant. Marshall says such families are the “true victims” of what he calls the president’s failure to secure the border.
Listen
Download
Former Senator Jim Talent Blasts Biden’s Islamophobia Strategy
Thu, Nov 2, 2023 at 3:50 pm
The former U.S. senator sees serious warning signs in the white house decision to develop a National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia. Given the October 7th slaughter of Jews by Hamas terrorists Talent says it’s not hard to see why it’s the wrong time to suggest Jews, and those who support them, constitute a threat to Muslims. Talent tells the Salem Radio Network the President is seeking to shore up Muslim support for the 2024 election, but he fears it could worsen anti-Jewish sentiment in the U.S. .
Listen DownloadMiddle East Expert LeDeen: No Time For Ceasefire In Gaza
Thu, Nov 2, 2023 at 3:50 pm
One Middle East expert says the president is wrong to call for a ceasefire in Israel’s war against the Hamas terrorist group. Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for the Middle East Simone LeDeen says the administration’s proposed “humanitarian pause”
would only delay the inevitible..especially with a long awaited Israli ground offensive just getting underway
LeDeen says the most humanitarian thing to do now is to let the battle play out and come to an end as quickly as possible.
Listen
Download
Hawley Introduces Bill To Limite Corporate Campaign Funds
Thu, Nov 2, 2023 at 2:37 pm
Senator Josh Hawley [R-MO] is ruffling feathers among fellow Republicans by proposing a bill to limit corporate financing of political campaigns. Hawley’s bill—the Ending Corporate Influence on Elections Act—would unravel a key component of the Supreme Court’s landmark Citizen’s United case, that’s been allowing corporations to bankroll Republican PACs for the past decade. Hawley says allowing unlimited contributions has given corporations incredible power…power that , in his words is “warping our politics.” His bill comes even as many corporate giants have embraced “woke” values. Some threatening to withhold funding from Rerpublicans who refused to certify the 2020 election.
Listen
Download
Senator Graham supports Israel Whatever The Civilian Death Toll In Gaza
Wed, Nov 1, 2023 at 5:22 pm
Senator Lindsey Graham [R-SC] says no amount of civilian casualties in Gaza will dissuade him from supporting Israel in its war against Hamas. The senator answered “no” when asked by CNN whether there should be a threshold of civilian deaths at which point he begins to question Israel’s tactics. He added that they should -in his words- “be smart” , and seek to avoid civilian casualities but also said it’s something Israel’s already doing. Given Hamas’ strategy of using non-combatants as human shields, Graham says of civilian casualties -quote-“I’m blaming Hamas. I’m not blaming Israel at all.”
Listen
Download
Senator Kennedy: Biden’s Son Should “Take Away” His Car Keys
Wed, Nov 1, 2023 at 4:08 pm
Louisiana Senator John Kennedy [R-LA] says if he were President Biden’s son he would “take away” his car keys. Kennedy’s remarks to Fox Business’s “The Bottom Line” were not a jab at the president’s age, but rather his policies at home and abroad…policies he says are putting the U.S and its allies at risk. Kennedy says the presidents low appoval number indicate most Americans feel the same way. He faults the president for trying to be ehat he calls a “nice guy” to Iran, failing to enforce Trump-imposed sanctions, allowing Iran to vastly incrase it’s oil revenues. Iran is widely viewed by westdrn critics as the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, and a key backer of Hamas and it’s effort o wipe out the state of Israel.
Listen
Download
Senator Paul: Biden “Bluffing” About Veto Of House Israel Aid Bill
Wed, Nov 1, 2023 at 3:18 pm
Senator Rand Paul [R-KY] says Congress should ignore threats from President Biden that he’ll veto a trimmed-down international aid bill. Senator Paul told Fox News the president’s “bluffing” in his threat to veto a House bill that offers more than 14-BILLION dollars to Israel. Not only does the House bill ignore Biden’s attempt to attatch TENS of BILLIONS more for unrelated expenses, it also pays for the aids to Israel by cutting new IRS funding that was part of the prdsidcent’s controversial “Inflation Reduction Act”. Paul also praises newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson for introducing the bill calling it “the conservative thing to do.”.
Listen
Download
No Relief For Biden In Real Clear Politics October Summary
Wed, Nov 1, 2023 at 2:37 pm
In its summary for the month of October Real Clear politics gives the president an average approval rating of just 40.6% against a full 56% who disapprove. The president highest ratings came from NewsNation and Harvard Harris polls, both of which gave Biden 44% approval. His lowest rankings were from Gallup, where he scored just 37% approval against 59% who say they disapprove. A CBS poll in mid-October gave the predsident a disapproval rating of 60%.
Listen
Download
Congress Gets Low Marks In Latest Gallup Survey
Fri, Oct 27, 2023 at 1:46 pm
The poll shows Congress with approval of just 13 percent. That’s the lowest since 2017.Gallup notes approval was down from respndents of both parties. Democrats respondent offered just TEN percent appoval, less than half what it was last month. Republicans give Congress a NINE percet approval rating. Overall approval is EIGHT points lower than it was last year.
Listen
Download
Sen. Rick Scott Calls On Biden To Revoke Visa Of Iran’s Foreign minister
Fri, Oct 27, 2023 at 1:43 pm
Florida Senator Rick Scott [R-FL] is calling on President Biden to revoke the visa for Iran’s Foreign Minister after he made threatening remarks against the U.S. Scott issued the call after the Iranian official said in a speech before the U.N General assembly that if the Israel-Hamas war escalates the U.S. -quote-“won’t be spared from the fire of the war in region”. Scott says the U.S. cannot toerated threats from what he calls tdrrorism spnsors and wrote to the president in a post on X ““Revoke his visa now. He is not welcome in America,”
Listen
Download
McConnell “Completely Recovered” From Lightheadedness That Lead To Freeze-Ups
Mon, Oct 23, 2023 at 2:45 pm
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell [R-KY] says he’s fully recovered from the conditions that caused him to freeze-up before the cameras on two separate occasions this summer. When asked about the freezing incidents McConnell told CBS’s Face The Nation on Sunday “ “I’m in good shape, completely recovered, and back on the job.” Shortly after the incidents in July and August McC onnell’s team said he’d been feeling “lightheaded” as he recovered from a concussion sustained during a a fall back in March. The Capitol’s attending physician ruled out that McConnell had suffered a stroke, a seizure, or that he suffered from Parkinson’s disease.
Listen
Download
GOP Senators Say House Speaker Standoff Could Hurt Party In 2024
Mon, Oct 23, 2023 at 1:38 pm
More Republican senators are voicing concerns about the House GOP’s delay in electing a new Speaker. Senate Republicans are worried the ongoing stalemate will tarnish thd party’s brand, and cost them in next years’ election. Thom Tillis [R-N.C.] calls repeated failures to elect a Speaker “ embarrasing” and says -quote-““people elect us to lead, and they’re not leading right now,”. As it stands Republicans have a good chance of flipping the Senate in 2024–they have only 10 incumbent seats to protect while Democrats have 24. Some fear too much party infighting could nullify that advantage, and cost Republicans the House, and even the presidential race.
Listen
Download
Senator Cotton Calls Biden’s Ukraine-Israel-Border Request DOA
Fri, Oct 20, 2023 at 2:46 pm
Senator Tom Cotton says the president’s $100-BILLION request is a proposed “slush fund”..that he calls “dead on arrival.” Of the $61 BILLION for Ukraine, $12-BILLION would be earmarked for non-military needs like shoring up pension funds for government workers. $14-BILLION is earmarked for Israel. $3.5 BILLION is for what the request calls the “potential needs of Gazans” —money Cotton says could easily become -quote- “ a resupply line for Hamas terrorists.”
Listen
Download
Jewish Senator Rosen Hears From Bereaved Mothers In Israel
Mon, Oct 16, 2023 at 11:38 am
Senator Jacky Rosen [D-Nev] says as a Jewish woman she has deep empathy for Israeli mothers who’ve lost children in the Hamas terrorist attack. Senator Rosen was part of a bi-partisan delegation that traveled to Israel this past weekend to learn first-hand about the impact of the country’s worst ever terrorist attack. Rosen-the only Jewish mother in the U.S. Senate —is urging the world not to look away from the pain of mothers who lost children in the assault. A pain Rosen says she too will remember for the rest of her life.
Listen
Download
Kari Lake Wins Major GOP Support In Arizona Senate Bid
Mon, Oct 16, 2023 at 11:04 am
Arizona GOP Senate candidate Kari Lake has picked up a major endorsement on Capitol Hill. Senator John Barrasso—a member of the Senate GOP leadership team—calls Lake a “generational communicator who is giving voice to Arizona citizens,”Lake is a former tv news anchor and ran an unsuccessful bid for governor. She’s pro-Trump which has led to mixed reviews from a divided GOP. Barrasso’s endorsement, along with meetings with other top GOP senators, point to a party shift as republicans eye Arizona of one of a handful of key pick-up states in their bid to recapture the Senate majority.
Listen
Download
