CLTV:New GOP Leadership on Capitol Hill, Shutdown Still Looms: Rep. Mike Quigley
The following video was posted on CLTV on November 3, 2015. A link to the video can be found here.
Paul Lisnek: Congressman welcome to the show I appreciate seeing you. Let me get right into it, with my first question. New Speaker of the House, life should be good there in Congress now. And, yet Paul Ryan say ‘guess what, immigration isn’t going to see the light of day.’ Is this just new name same policy?
Mike Quigley: Well, I hope not. First, which Paul Ryan are we talking about? Paul Ryan the Cub fan, which you gotta like. Paul Ryan the wonky policy expert, who always wanted to be the chairman of Ways and Means. Who helped us pass two difficult budget bills during a difficult time. Or is it the Paul Ryan who refuses to put the Immigration bill on the floor? Despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of Americans want that bill there. He’s not for choice. He wants to defund Planned Parenthood, and a list of other issues. So, which Paul Ryan are we working for? I hope to work with the better.
PL: You may be stuck with the one who is now speaker. And there is another bill I want to ask you about which is the First Responders Bill. That been sitting around, it’s the one to assist financial with the medical care of the first responders, policemen and firemen, who were injured back in 9/11. They are now, some with cancer some with other illnesses. There are enough cosponsors in that bill to get it passed, forget about other votes, the cosponsors get it through. He won’t call the bill. Want are we dealing with? That makes no sense?
MQ: Yeah, just appreciate the fact that I serve in a legislative body where there are probably dozens of bills that are similar to the first responders bill. Bills that if they got to the floor they would pass. I believe the Immigration Bill that passed the Senate on a bipartisan basis a term ago would have passed in the House. The same is true for a visa wavier, which would help our Polish constituents travel to and from Poland.
PL: So, is this the tail wagging the dog? I mean do we have more of the same? And by the way how do the Republicans deal with this in the 2016 election? When they become the party of no to first responders and no on an immigration resolution.
MQ: Look, I think that will catch up to them. But in the meantime, it’s not the tail wagging the dog. It’s the tip of the dogs tail. We are talking about 30 or 35 member of the Tea Party. Who have been able to coerce and actually chase Speaker Boehner out of the House. In the final analysis, the success of this Congress, the success of the new Speaker will depend on how willing he is to push back against them. I always told Speaker Boehner that if he moved toward the middle, and sought a middle position, he could pass the legislation he needs. Critical legislation that you mentioned if it makes it to the floor will pass. It’s really in leadership hands at this point.
PL: It sounds like Speaker Boehner followed your advice and that shoved him out of office. We thought there would be peace now in regards to a budget, and yet December 11th looms and you mentioned Planned Parenthood funding again, once again Ryan faces a battle of maybe a government shut down again over budget issues.
MQ: Last week’s budget vote was actually a sign of bipartisan cooperation, despite the fact that it took an overwhelming majority of Democrats to pass the bill. I mean we helped people who are receiving Medicare part B. We helped those who suffer from disability and need help from social security benefits there. We raised the debit ceiling. We have a two year budget deal. Now the tricky part as you get to is funding this budget deal. And we have till December 11, the problem is will there be policy riders that defund Planned Parenthood or the Healthcare law or the EPA. Those are the things we need to avoid. We need to fully fund education. We need to fully fund the EPA and the healthcare law, mass transit in our city. The CTA carries more people in a month that Amtrak does in a year. We need to get our priorities straight.
PL: Let me take you to National affairs for a moment. The President said no boots on the ground in Syria and now we have got them. In an interview with NBC News that has become sort of- Well, we are not in the front lines on the ground – is the President flip flopping? I know you are a supporter of his, it’s a change in policy isn’t it?
MQ: Well, I think it’s a minor tweak in his policy. We are talking about 50 who have yet to be deployed. We are not sure exactly what they are going to be doing and how they are going to be serving. As a member of the House select committee on intelligence I was briefed to a certain extent on this, by CIA Director Brennan this morning. Look it’s a difficult, complex, and dangerous situation. There are 10 partners that we are working with that gets even more complicated. I just encourage the President to work closely with Congress to get these done.
PL: Ok. Let me just take you to 2016 in the 30 seconds I have left with you. Obviously Joe Biden is not in the race. It’s all-everything clear for Hillary Clinton. What is your thought on Hillary Clinton, who still faces unpopular numbers, even though she is leading in the polls? Rough road ahead for her?
MQ: No, I don’t think so. I think if you look at the last several cycles there is initially a populist left leaning candidate who make some noise and does fairly well perhaps in the first few primaries, and then falls by the wayside. In the final analysis I think it’s pretty clear that Hillary Clinton will be the nominee and most likely the next president of the United States.
PL: Congressman Mike Quigley of the 5th district, I will let you go. I know you gotta go pick up Donald Trump’s new book. So, I will talk to you again soon.
MQ: Straight to it.
PL: Thanks for being with me.
MQ: Thanks for having me on.
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