Rep. Mike Turner says there is a

Rep. Mike Turner says there is a “chaos caucus” who want to block any Congressional action

Turner: “Chaos caucus” wants to block any Congressional action

Rep. Mike Turner says there is a “chaos caucus” who want to block any Congressional action

07:23

Washington — Rep. Mike Turner, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee on Sunday derided a group of lawmakers that he says have continued to “stop everything” in Congress amid opposition toward additional aid to Ukraine and a possible effort to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson.

“Unfortunately, the chaos caucus has continued to want to stop everything that occurs in Congress,” the Ohio Republican said on “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “It’s not as if they have an alternative plan, they’re just against those things that are necessary that we’re doing.”

Turner said an aid package to Ukraine in its war against Russia is “necessary for national security,” noting that it has widespread support in Congress despite some opposition on the fringes. After a commitment by Johnson to bring forward supplemental funding for U.S. allies when lawmakers return from recess next week, Turner expressed confidence that an aid package can pass through both chambers and receive the president’s signature.

On the effort to oust Johnson, which has been pushed by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene due to frustrations with his handling of government funding, Turner said that House Democratic leadership has been clear that they will not join House conservatives looking to remove him from his post, likely saving his speakership should it reach that point.

Rep. Mike Turner on “Face the Nation,” March 31, 2024.

CBS News

Greene, a Georgia Republican, filed a motion to vacate earlier this month, teasing a possible vote to oust Johnson. That effort could gain steam should Johnson bring up a vote on funding for Ukraine. But it remains unclear whether there’s enough political will among the House GOP conference more broadly to oust and replace another speaker.

The House Republican conference has had a turbulent year, with five departures in recent months that have shrunk the already-narrow GOP majority. Turner said that the pattern shows how “radical” fringes and individuals can cause disruptions in the conference.

“That’s what we have seen. That certainly makes it difficult for people who just want to get the job done,” Turner said. “In the area of national security, I think Speaker Johnson made it very clear that we have his support to get national security agenda items done and I think we will.”

Kaia Hubbard

Kaia Hubbard is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital based in Washington, D.C.

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Rep. Mike Turner says there is a “chaos caucus” who want to block any Congressional action

Rep. Mike Turner says there is a “chaos caucus” who want to block any Congressional action – CBS News

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House Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Mike Turner tells “Face the Nation” that there is a “chaos caucus that wants to stop everything that a person in Congress does” as Speaker Mike Johnson faces a possible motion to vacate.

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Transcript: House Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Mike Turner on "Face the Nation," March 31, 2024

The following is a transcript of an interview with House Intelligence Committee chair Rep. Mike Turner that aired on March 31, 2024.

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GOP Rep. Tim Walberg suggests Gaza should be handled ‘like Nagasaki and Hiroshima’

Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., said this week that the conflict in Gaza should be over quickly “like Nagasaki and Hiroshima,” and the United States should refrain from sending any humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave as Israel’s war with Hamas continues.

“We shouldn’t be spending a dime on humanitarian aid,” Walberg said at a town hall meeting on Monday in Dundee, Michigan, according to a video that circulated on social media.

“It should be like Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Get it over quick,” he continued, referring to the Japanese cities on which the U.S. dropped atomic bombs during World War II. Hundreds of thousands of people died.

In a statement, Walberg said he “used a metaphor to convey the need for both Israel and Ukraine to win their wars as swiftly as possible, without putting American troops in harm’s way.”

“My reasoning was the exact opposite of what is being reported: the quicker these wars end, the fewer innocent lives will be caught in the crossfire,” he added.

According to Walberg’s public calendar, he was scheduled to attend a community gathering in Dundee on Monday, March 25, at 10 a.m.

Walberg made the comment in response to a question from an audience member who asked, “Why are we spending our money to build a port for them?”

The question appeared to reference the Biden administration’s plan to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza via a floating dock. The United Nations and other agencies have warned the enclave is on the brink of famine amid Israel’s five-month assault and the lack of sufficient supplies flowing into Gaza.

“It’s Joe Biden’s reason: We need to get humanitarian aid into Gaza. I don’t think we should,” Walberg replied.

More than 32,000 people have died in Gaza since Israel launched its war against Hamas, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The military campaign follows the militant group’s Oct. 7 attack in the country, in which nearly 1,200 people were killed and about 250 were taken hostage. More than 100 people are still believed to be held captive in Gaza.

A number of Walberg’s fellow Michigan politicians quickly criticized his remarks.

Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens said in a post on X that “threatening to use, suggesting the use of, or, God forbid actually using nuclear weapons, are unacceptable tactics of war in the 21st Century.”

Former Rep. Justin Amash, a Palestinian American Republican who is running for Senate, said in a post that Walberg’s comments “evince an utter indifference to human suffering,” adding “for him to suggest that hundreds of thousands of innocent Palestinians should be obliterated, including my own relatives sheltering at an Orthodox Christian church, is reprehensible and indefensible.”

State Sen. Darrin Camilleri, a Democrat, called on Walberg to resign, and Democratic Rep. Dan Kildee said Walberg’s comments were “horrific & shocking” and his position “indefensible.”

“My colleague’s comments are reckless and wrong,” Rep. Hillary Scholten, a Democrat, said on X. She called Walberg’s comments “depraved” and urged him to “retract and apologize.”

Politicians outside of Michigan also took issue with Walberg’s comments.

Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., called the comments “horrific, inhumane, and barbaric,” and Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., said the remarks were “disgraceful” and “shameful.”

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Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster says she won’t seek re-election in N.H. swing district

Rep. Annie Kuster, a Democrat in a competitive New Hampshire district, announced Wednesday she won’t seek re-election in 2024.

She was first elected in 2012 and is currently the chair of the moderate New Democrat Coalition. Kuster, 67, said she’ll stay in office through the end of her term in January 2025.

Her decision could make the seat competitive in the 2024 House elections, creating an opportunity for Republicans in the swing district. The state’s 2nd Congressional District, which includes Nashua and Concord, leans Democrat by just 2 points, according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index.

“This work has been many things — rewarding, frustrating, inspiring, and challenging. But, more than anything, it has been an honor,” Kuster said in a statement. “As I look to the future, I am excited by the work and opportunities that lie ahead. We all have a role to play in standing up for what we believe in, advocating for a better future, and pursuing the change that we want to see. I always said I was not going to stay in Congress forever — I will not be seeking re-election in 2024.”

A source close to Kuster said she is “focused on flipping the House” this fall and getting the New Democrat Coalition candidates and vulnerable members elected back to Congress. “For the rest of the Congress she will be pouring all of her energy into that goal,” the source said. “It’s also time for her, and her and her family.”

Kuster’s retirement comes in the wake of Democratic drama in New Hampshire after the national party revamped the 2024 nominating calendar and stripped the state of its cherished first-in-the-nation primary status this year.

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Transcript: House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Rep. Michael McCaul on “Face the Nation,” March 24, 2024

The following is a transcript of an interview with House Foreign Affairs Committe chairman Rep. Michael McCaul, Republican of Texas, that aired on March 24, 2024.

MARGARET BRENNAN: And we’re joined now by the Republican chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Texas Congressman Michael McCaul. Good to have you here in person this morning.

HOUSE FOREIGN RELATIONS CHAIRMAN REP. MICHAEL MCCAUL: Thanks for having me, Margaret.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Chair McCaul, this attack in Moscow was carried out by ISIS-K, a group that typically emanates out of Afghanistan. We know the US had advanced warning from what you know, is there an ongoing threat in Eurasia and are US interests a target?

REP. MCCAUL: Yeah, I believe so. I think that the CENTCOM Commander, General Kurilla, just testified this week before Congress that within six months that ISIS-K would have the capability to operate outside of Afghanistan to do external operations. And it only took six days before they hit Moscow- or outside of Moscow. And I think Europe is of concern. And it’s sort of like we’re going back to that old playbook where history repeats itself. And that’s why the fall of Afghanistan, the way it was done, and the way we left it with no ISR capability- that intelligence surveillance reconnaissance- puts us in danger, where this is a new battleground training ground for ISIS.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, the US did, though, have some ears on this if they warned Russia, right?

REP. MCCAUL: — Correct.

MARGARET BRENNAN: — That ISIS was a threat here. You in your committee, you have been very focused on Afghanistan and you held a hearing with retired generals Mark Milley and Frank McKenzie this past week. They both said the State Department failed to adequately plan for the withdrawal from an evacuation from Afghanistan. Given the threat environment the US is facing right now on multiple continents at once, Haiti, Niger, all the Middle East, are you confident that the United States government is prepared to protect its people in all of those posts and carry out evacuations if needed?

REP. MCCAUL: I’m very concerned. I think what happened in Haiti- our embassy is under threat right now. We’re starting to evacuate them. You know what happened in Afghanistan, the generals are very clear. It wasn’t the DoD, it was a State Department that never came up with a plan of evacuation, which by law they’re required to do. And so what happens if you–

MARGARET BRENNAN: — Well, it was too late when it was put into place. There was a plan to–

REP. MCCAUL:– It was put in place, but only at the time that Kabul was falling, and the embassy was starting to be evacuated. I think what the State Department thought they could do is continue our operations in the embassy and normalize with the Taliban and stay there beyond the- the military retrograde and I think that was a serious error in judgment. Ambassador Wilson, was the major culprit behind that, including all the way up to the White House.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, the State Department has pointed out that the Trump administration that brokered the deal for withdrawal could have planned for an evacuation and did not. What do you make of that?

REP. MCCAUL: Yeah, they- they’re by law required to plan. I think DOD was starting to pick up the slack. No, we saw the threats coming in the threat vectors. The IC was telling us it was going to fall fast. The DoD knew this and the State Department seemed to have these rose colored lenses on. When you listen to the White House, you know, press comments about our it’s not gonna be like Vietnam, everything’s fine. And it wasn’t. That’s what we had the dissent cable come out from the embassy- 23 employees, a cry for help, screaming to get out of there, because they knew what was going to happen.

MARGARET BRENNAN: The government funding bill that was signed last night, 12,000 additional special visas to Afghan nationals who had worked with the US were tucked into this funding bill. What more needs to be done to help the Afghan allies who worked alongside the US?

REP. MCCAUL: Well, we promised them, we will get them out. The Afghan partners, the interpreters, we left them behind. And that’s the biggest sin of the Afghan evacuation. I think the 12,000 SIVs is a great response and a great start to that. I will commend Speaker Johnson. I worked very closely with him to make sure we had that in there because on one hand, Republicans can say oh, my gosh, we left them behind, but then we’re not gonna do anything to help them get out with visas.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So has Speaker Johnson given you any timeline for a vote on Ukraine aid given that they are running out of ammunition?

REP. MCCAUL: His commitment is to put it on the floor after Easter. And we are working on this bill.

MARGARET BRENNAN: As soon as you all come back April 9?

REP. MCCAUL: I would like to be done as soon as possible. I need the situation in Ukraine is dire. The front lines are- it’s- we can’t- if we lose in Ukraine like Afghanistan and- and lose to Putin let him,you know, take over Ukraine and Moldova, Georgia and abandon our allies like we did in Afghanistan. Does that make the United States weaker or stronger? I think weaker.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Why isn’t there that sense of urgency on the speaker’s part? I mean, respectfully, this has been stuck in the house for weeks. You have been warning about this and needs to be acted on.

REP. MCCAUL: He understands this. He is in a very difficult spot. And this motion to vacate the chair thing, I believe he’s committed because he understands national security- he leans on, you know, myself, the Chairman of Armed Services, House Intelligence for advice on this. And he knows how important this is.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So you trust that this will be voted on because as you just mentioned, that motion to vacate was just introduced by Marjorie Taylor Greene. This is an effort to oust him. She has put this in place. You’re all headed home to your districts. You are all going to be asked about this. She’s the only one so far saying she wants to oust the Speaker. Will she stay the only one?

REP. MCCAUL: You know, I think it’s indicative that even Matt Gaetz, who is the architect of ousting McCarthy, is saying this would be a huge mistake, because he could actually throw the balance of power over to Hakeem Jeffries. I think that’s one argument. The other argument is we don’t need dysfunction right now. And with the world on fire, the way it is–

MARGARET BRENNAN: — Don’t we have dysfunction right now?

REP. MCCAUL: Well, we do and with the world on fire the way it is, we need to govern. And that is not just for Republicans, but in a bipartisan way. Get things done for the country that’s in the national security interest of the United States. This is not just Ukraine, it’s Israel and Indo-Pacific as well.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Before I let you go, 11 aid organizations have issued a letter saying that Israel is standing in the way of aid deliveries in Gaza, their firsthand experience. Do you doubt their testimonies?

REP. MCCAUL: I think we were having difficulties. I talked to, you know, Cindy McCain yesterday, World Food Programme. David Beasley, her predecessor. Look, logistics and security are the issue. Israel knows it’s important to get that humanitarian assistance in, because for a lot of reasons. We have to stabilize southern Gaza but they also need to go into Rafah and take out Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas, so that’s a competing interest here. Unfortunately, ceasefire talks, I think Hamas is playing us, playing Director Burns. Talk to, you know, the Israelis, they agreed to the ratio. I don’t think Hamas will. They’re not playing fair.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Chair McCaul, thank you for your time today.

REP. MCCAUL: Margaret. Thanks for having me.

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Rep. Michael McCaul says Speaker Mike Johnson is in a “difficult spot” regarding Ukraine aid bill

Rep. Michael McCaul says Speaker Mike Johnson is in a “difficult spot” regarding Ukraine aid bill – CBS News

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Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, tells “Face the Nation” that House Speaker Mike Johnson is in a “difficult spot” regarding a bill offering aid to Ukraine. Despite the threat of a motion to vacate, McCaul said Johnson “knows how important” it is to offer aid to Ukraine.

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Rep. Boyle calls Merrick Garland “weak” after Trump indictment

Rep. Boyle calls Merrick Garland “weak” after Trump indictment – CBS News

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While Republican leadership on Capitol Hill has been steadfast in their criticism of Attorney General Merrick Garland amid special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Jan. 6, so too have some Democrats. Pennsylvania Congressman Brendan Boyle joins “America Decides” to discuss why he thinks Garland hasn’t risen to the occasion.

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Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips lays out case for Biden primary challenge

Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips lays out case for Biden primary challenge – CBS News

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Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota says he hasn’t decided whether to challenge President Biden for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination.

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Transcript: Rep. Dean Phillips on “Face the Nation,” Aug. 6, 2023

The following is a transcript of an interview with Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota that aired on “Face the Nation” on Aug. 6, 2023.

MAJOR GARRETT: Welcome back, we turned out a Minnesota Democratic Congressman Dean Phillips, who might in fact be able to answer a question he’s given some energy to, are you going to run for president against Joe Biden?

REP. DEAN PHILLIPS: Well, Major, I have not decided yet. But I will tell you why I’m here. And I lost my dad in Vietnam in 1969. Lived with my great grandparents for two and a half years, and my mom was 24 and widowed. I was adopted when I was three by an extraordinary dad into a remarkable family. I know a little something about living on both sides of advantage. And I woke up the morning after the 2016 election, the one you just spoke about, saw fear in my daughter’s eyes, my two daughters. I recognized at that moment that millions of Americans have had that same fear for generations. And I promised them I would do something, I ran for Congress. And I ran a campaign that was about everybody being invited. That was my slogan. I listened to Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and I discovered that everybody wants the same thing, everybody. We want to be safe. We want to have security, both economic and otherwise, we want opportunity, and we want unity, serving our country, and Congress has been a joy.

I know you don’t hear that too often, it has been a joy. And I’ve discovered that everybody in the middle, the massive majority of Americans are sick of anger-tainment, telling us we’re more divided than we really are. They’re sick of members of Congress state houses attacking each other instead of attacking problems. They want their families back, their friendships back, their communities back, they want unity. And I want to give voice to them. And then secondly, I want to give voice to Democrats. I’m a lifelong passionate Democrat inspired by Hubert Humphrey and Martin Luther King. Democrats are telling me that they want, not a coronation, but they want a competition. The New York Times poll from this week shows 55% of Democratic voters want some alternatives to the current people in the primary. 83% of those under 30. Democrats under 30 want alternatives, and about 76% are independents. So I just want to make my case–

MAJOR GARRETT: When you’re going to decide? When are you going to decide?

REP. PHILLIPS: I think, well, let me get to my point. Okay. So if we don’t heed–

MAJOR GARRETT: I’ve given you some room.

REP. PHILLIPS: Yes, you have, if we don’t heed that call, shame on us. And the consequences, I believe, are going to be disastrous. So my call is to those who are well positioned, well prepared, have good character and competency, they know who they are, to jump in, because Democrats and the country need competition. It makes everything better. That’s my call to them right now.

MAJOR GARRETT: So if they don’t, you will?

REP. PHILLIPS: I’m not saying I will. I think I’m well positioned to be president to the United States–

MAJOR GARRETT: You do.

REP. PHILLIPS: I do not believe I’m well positioned to run for it right now. People who are should jump in because we need to meet the moment. The moment is now. That is what the country is asking.

MAJOR GARRETT: I gave you some running room. So let’s tighten up the answers if we can. Can President Biden beat Donald Trump?

REP. PHILLIPS: I think he can. But I think the only way to determine that, objectively, is to go through a process by the way before it’s too late. And I want to tell you this about President Biden, an amazing man, I love the man he is competent. He is honorable. His integrity, I believe is unvarnished, he has led this country through extraordinarily difficult times. And this is not about him. This is about listening to people, and I’m afraid in this bubble here in Washington, people get real tone deaf real fast, and we should be listening. That’s what this is about. It’s my call to action.

MAJOR GARRETT: Assess Robert F Kennedy Jr’s campaign.

REP. PHILLIPS: Well, first of all, I like competition. I’m pleased that people see an adequate competitor, not the one that I’m looking for. I don’t believe him to be a Democrat. (CROSS TALK) Let me say this– (CROSSTALK)I think there is something telling, I think he’s using a very similar playbook to a former president who did the same in the Republican Party just a little while ago. And I think we should be cautious of that. I also think that’s why we need alternatives. I don’t believe him to be a Democrat. I do believe though, that speech is good, more speech is even better. We need alternatives for the massive majority of the middle in America–

MAJOR GARRETT: Let me make sure I heard that correctly, you don’t believe Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is a Democrat?

REP. PHILLIPS: Not-not from the positions he’s been taking no.

MAJOR GARRETT: Assess Cornell West. Do you have any anxiety about him running as a Green Party candidate?

REP. PHILLIPS: I do. Anybody who wants to turn the page and go to the future in this country should be worried about Cornell-Cornell West’s candidacy. Any third party entrance that would take votes from whoever is going to take on the likely nominee from the GOP and that’s probably Donald Trump. So I would ask Mr. West, I would ask others who are contemplating third party runs to please think about your legacy, think about the future and consolidate around entering a Democratic primary because that’s why we have primaries.

MAJOR GARRETT: I’m confused. Congressman, if there’s a conversation that you say needs to occur within the Democratic Party about an alternative to the sitting President of the United States, why isn’t the leading contender for that the sitting Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris?

REP. PHILLIPS: I think we have a- I think we live in an era of fear. What if I get out of line? What if I take on my party? I know the feeling this week, I–

[CROSSTALK]

MAJOR GARRETT: Is she not qualified?

REP. PHILLIPS: I think she’s absolutely qualified. In fact, I think she’s misportrayed. I think everybody in this country should take a little bit of time and sit with people, observe them, know them before you draw conclusions. I think she is more competent and able than many people give her credit for. The job of the Vice President is not an easy one.

MAJOR GARRETT: Would she, in your mind, be the heir apparent if for some reason the President of the United States were not to seek the nomination in 2024?

REP. PHILLIPS: I’m glad you asked the question. And my answer is really simple: competition. As many people as humanly possible with the talent, the time, the energy, the ethics to enter a primary should do it. We have 12 Republicans as options for Republican primary voters. Right now, we only have three in the Democratic side. I believe in competition. We’re the Democratic Party. Democracy means the freedom to make choices, and we don’t have many of them.

MAJOR GARRETT: Let me ask you a historical question. You’ve invoked the names of many Minnesota Democrats, let me invoke the name of another. Eugene McCarthy ran in 1968, against a well positioned president with a substantial record of accomplishment for Democratic Party agenda items. He said the reason he had to run was because of the overwhelming issue of Vietnam, that it had to be addressed. Dean Phillips, what’s the Vietnam of this election?

REP. PHILLIPS: The Vietnam of this election? I think everybody knows. And it’s about turning the page to the future. That is the Vietnam of right now. That’s the quagmire in which we find ourselves. Mr. Hurd, who you just had on the show, if you could see the green room moments ago, the camaraderie between Democrats and Republicans who all want the same thing, was represented right there. And I want to remind the American people, that’s the Vietnam of right now. The quagmire in which we find ourselves, we will not get out of from a single leader. If everybody takes a pause, starts reaching out their hands to one another again, starts electing and selecting people of competency and good character, we’re gonna get out of this and I’m optimistic.

MAJOR GARRETT: Dean Phillips, Congressman from Minnesota, Democrat, keep in touch.

REP. PHILLIPS:Thank you, Major.

MAJOR GARRETT: We’ll be back in just a moment.

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