Bill to avoid a Government Shutdown. There was a lot of maneuvering this week, but no real movement. Other issues that are being as well in the midst of the spending stomach, ukrainian president zelenskyy came to capitol hill seeking more powerful arms for their war against russia. To top it off, members were walked friday by the federal indictment of a sitting senator, the chair the Foreign Relations committee, senator Robert Menendez. Good morning and welcome to washington journal for this saturday, september 23rd, 2023. This first hour, we will ask you your top news story of the week. We would love to hear from you. The democratic line is 202 7488000. For republicans, it is 202 7488001. Independents and others, 202 7488002. You can tell us your thoughts, your story of the week on text, 202 7488003. Tell us your name and where you are texting from. Or on facebook, leave your comments there. Also, twitter and checks and cspan cspanwj. Top stories we mentioned that include that Government Shutdown at the end of the fiscal year without with no solution in sight for short termpending measure as the house and senate in recess over the weekend, actually subject to thcall of the chair in the house, ending return of the house from further action on that. The federaindictment of senator Robert Menendez, we wl tell you about that in a moment. The visit of the ukrainian president and first of the unit nations and second here in washington, both of the president and with members of congress. The testimony this week before the House Judiciary Committee about the attorney general merrick garland, what he had to say and the questions he faced for members. Your top news story of the week. It is 202 7488000 for democrats. 202 7488001 for republicans. For independents and others, 202 7488002. Here is how the hill, one of their stories, on the spending shutdown. Alarm bells ring as lawmakers prep for possible showdown. They write alarm bells are ringing in washington as some lawmakers begin to make preparations for a Government Shutdown. House republicans left town thursday without a deal for a shortterm funding pass, scrapping weekend votes. Congress has little more than a week until the looming deadline to prevent a shutdown or lapse in government spending, and no clear path forward. Also want ukraine, the ukrainian president zelenskyy speaking to the United Nations earlier this week, meeting with the president then members of congress. There is pending but possible additional aid for ukraine. That is tied into the debates over spending. Biden tells zelinski the u. S. Will send ukraine a tsc longrange missiles. They write the president has told his ukrainian counterpart that the United States will provide a small number of longrange missiles to aid the war with russia. Three u. S. Officials and a congressional official familiar with the discussions old nbc news on friday. The officials who are not authorized to speak publicly did not say when the missiles would be delivered or when a public announcement would be made. Four months, ukraine is ask for the Army TacticalMissile System known as att ms. That is from nbc. On the indictment yesterday of senator Robert Menendez, this is the headline from the state capital newspaper. Gold bars cashed up, new indictment of senator Melinda Melendez mass corruption. Writing, this is an Associated Press story, powerful senator bob menendez of new jersey was charged friday with secretly aiding the authoritarian government of egypt. And trying to throw it criminal prosecution of a friend in exchange for gold bars and cash under corruption indictment that accuses him of using a Foreign Affairs influence for personal gain. Your calls on story of the week, coming up. Lets hear from federal prosecutors on the charges against senator melendez. [video clip] the indictment alleges senator menendez took several actions as part of this corrupt relationship. First, the indictment alleges he used his power and influence including his leadership role on the senate Foreign Relations committee to benefit the government of egypt in various ways. Among other actions, senator menendez allegedly provided sensitive, nonpublic, u. S. Government information to egyptian officials. And otherwise took steps to secretly aid the government of egypt. We also allege that senator menendez improperly pressured a senior official at the u. S. Department of agriculture to protect a lucrative monopoly that the government of egypt had awarded to hana. A monopoly, then used to fund certain bribe payments. Second. The indictment alleges senator menendez used his power and influence to try and disrupt a criminal investigation and prosecution undertaken by the new Jersey Attorney Generals Office related to associate and relative. Third, the indictment alleges that senator menendez used his power and influence to try and strapped a federal prosecution of in the district of new jersey in two ways. First, by seeking to install the United States attorney who he thought could be influenced with respect to davies. Second, by trying to influence that office to act favorably in davies case. As we allege in the indictment, the senator agreed to do these things and use his power in this way because hana was paying bribes. Because your rebate was paying bribes, and because davies was paying wives. Fortunately, the Public Officials of senator sought to influence did not bend to the pressure. That is a good thing. Host a photo here from the new jersey globe on the left, the senator Robert Menendez on the right. New jersey governor phil murphy, who was called after that indictment, called on senator menendez to resign. The senator has stepped down from his post as chair of the senate Foreign Relations committee. Your top news story of the week. Democrats, 202 7488000. Republicans, 202 7488001. Independents and others, 202 7488002. Calling from ohio, this is carolyn, first up. Good morning. Caller yes. Cspan allowed me to get on. I was automatically dropped yesterday during delegate Stacey Plasketts talk. I did not even know what was going on, but supposedly, there is a conference going on. I believe it is through the black caucus foundation. Before the program yesterday, i had seen that cspan televised part of it. I just want to let the people know that they should watch it. It was fantastic. I could not believe how blunt delegate Stacey Plaskett was. One of the tennessee three i believe his name was mr. Jones anyway. They just work so honest were so honest and straightforward. It is nice to know at the state level what is going on in tennessee. I just thought that it was worth letting everyone know that is going on. I did not know that was going on. Just happened to get up to do chores and saw that on the tv, and thought it was fantastic. I just really was impressed with the program that you were showing. I wanted to let her know it was pure coincidence that i was going to call you all anyway to say how wonderful that program was, to let everyone know. Just a reminder that monday is the free covid test for everybody. Host carolyn in ohio, appreciate the plug. That is available on our website, cspan. Org. Next up, your top story of the week. Birmingham, alabama. Good morning to gilbert. Caller thank you for cspan. To top stories i have. The first one being, the legislature coming out of the senate from the honorable missouri senator judge charlie, trying to curtail the Interest Rate on credit cards that are 18 . I think america should be on board to senator harley. We have allowed these banks, the credit cards, to run longshots. It is another user, in a sense. Number two, when you think about the Second Thought i had about the united auto workers. We have ceos making 100 times more than the people that do the actual work. Inflation, we must support wills like senators like harley. We must curtail these high Interest Rates on these credit cards, these banks are overcharging us. Host thanks for calling. On the uaw, this tweet yesterday from the president. President biden saying tuesday, i will go to michigan to join in the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of the uaw. As they fight for a fair share of the value they helped create. It is time for a winwin agreement that keeps American Auto manufacturing thriving and wellpaid uaw jobs. He will be there tuesday. Former President Trump will be in detroit on wednesday. Next is debbie on the democrats line in gainesville, florida. Caller thank you so very much for taking my call. Can you still hear me . Host sure can, debbie. Caller thank you so much. Senator menendez. To me, what we are seeing being revealed is a direct example of how Corporate Funding of elections does not work in this country. We see it with legalized Insider Trading with our elected officials and congress, because they get to write the rules. We do not have Public Financing of elections. Instead, we have Corporate Funding of elections. We are the only democracy advanced democracy in the world where we allow our losers to become president. This Electoral College needs to be abolished. We need true, Public Financing of elections, because corruption runs deep on all parties. So, it is not about me favoring a democrat over a republican, even though i am a lifelong democrat. It is the system that we have in place that has created us a laughingstock in the world. We are supposed to be socalled leaders in democracy . We are a laughingstock. Until we want to make the hard changes to fix washington, this will only continue to get worse and worse and worse. I really appreciate your time and your program. Thank you. Host appreciate that. A bit more on the indictment against senator Robert Menendez. From the twin tony and, an Associated Press news story. The indictment, the second in eight years against the 69yearold senator, alleges an illegal who mingling of menendezobligation to advance u. S. Priorities in his private interest in cultivating relationships with wealthy businessmen. It includes charges that his wife and three new jersey businessmen who authorized who Authorities Say showered the couple with money, gold and a luxury car in exchange for official favors. Your top news story of the week. We go to shelby, calling from tennessee on the independent line. Go ahead. Host high. Thank you for taking my call. Caller hi. I would like to thank you for taking my call. Years ago, on the immigration, it is a tragedy. It is inhumane. I am a compassionate person. But, i do not know why congress has not brought forward after all this time to change the law. To me, i would hold, stop, immigration, period for at least five years. Could be more. And let the people that want to come be citizens fill their own forms out in their own country, request it from our country, then send it back and let the committee or whoever go over all those. Give them at least five years to do their background checks and whatever. Then, maybe send them the people back a letter or something. When they can come and be questioned and talked to in person. Before anybody can come in and be a United States citizen. Of course, there is exceptions. People just come that needs to come here for short hear of time and go back to their own country for different reasons. This needs to be changed. We cannot even take care of the United States. It is a shame. I agree wholeheartedly with that lady that talk from florida. Thank you. Host all right, shelley. It is your top news story of the week. 202 7488000 for democrats. 202 7488001 for republicans. For independents and others, 202 7488002. More of your calls in a moment. One of the top stories of the week, it seems like it is every september, is the inability of congress to pass and reach a shortterm spending measure. We are joined next by aidan quickley, budget and appropriations reporter for c q roll call. Thanks for being up early with us on saturday. Guest thanks for having me. Host do you have any idea at this point going into the weekend where Republican Leadership is, do they have a plan for next weekend moving forward with a spending measure . Guest when it comes to House Republicans, they are still trying to figure out exactly how they are going to move forward next week. This past week, we saw chaos on the house floor, where to rule votes for Appropriations Bills failed with five republicans in opposition to the vote needed to stop debate about a defense vocations bill. That kind of caused house Republican Leadership to take a step back and figure out how they could pass a short term spending measure. The senate is clear they are going to move next week and try to send over a package that they like to the house. We will see what happens next week. Host it seems like the plan in the house, or at least the wish of some on the republican right, is to take up individual appropriations measures next week. Matt gaetz others are saying the speaker has rescinded on his promise when he became speaker of taking up Appropriations Bills individually. Guest House Republican appropriations trying to bring preparations bills individuals to the floor. Starting in late july, there is a whole Committee Process before that. As we saw, we are getting closer to the deadline so the oak started to shift toward trying to keep the government open with a stopgap spending measure. That got pushed back by some conservatives who do not want one of those. They want to continue the focus on the full year appropriations bill. That is what we are going to be seen next week. Over the weekend, appropriators are working on additional cuts to the bill to try and win over some conservatives. The house appropriators were already biting well under the delegate agreement. Over the summer, remember that . That is the level the senate is writing to. There is a big gulf between the house and senate and we are heading towards a shut down toward the end of the week. Host there is nothing scheduled in the house today or over the weekend. Any indication they will hold some kind of all Members Meeting or an occasion to take the temperature, particularly of the holdouts there on the right . Guest this afternoon at 1 00, there is going to be a all members call with the speaker. All republican members. I think after that, we might have a better idea of where things stand. As of yesterday, there was still there is still a lot of work to be done to move individual Appropriations Bills on the floor next week. Even doing that, that is not a step towards avoiding a shutdown at this point. When it comes to the end of the month, there is not enough time. They have only passed one out of 12 appropriation bills. That is the military construction bill. There is still 11 bills left, there is not enough time to pass those bills on the house floor, congress and senate, and reach a compromise agreement. Host what is your sense of where the request by the white house for additional ukraine aid falls . Is that likely to be passed along with the defense spending bill, is that going to be a separate package or some other way . Guest supplemental funding could be included in the seventh the margin of the stopgap spending measure. It is clear there is not a lot of appetite among House Republicans at this point. It is up to the opposition to include ukraine money in the continuing resolution. We will see a fight there. We will also if they put ukraine money in, senator rand paul could slow down the timing next week. If it does include that ukraine money. The Biden Administration asked for some money for disaster relief. We are still waiting to see if that will end up in this package. The application at this point is that it will. But host aidan quickley is budget and appropriations reporter for c q roll call. Follow the podcast, he is often on the budget process at roll call. Com. Thank you for your update this morning. Guest thanks for having me. Host it is your top news story of the week. A quick follow on, a facebook comment from catherine about what is not going on on capitol hill. She says, how Kevin Mccarthys into the house home because even though he has the same amount of majority in the house like pelosi did, he is the weakest speaker in history. Cant keep his Republicans United because of the extreme right. That is katherines view. What is yours . Lets hear from joseph on the independent line, whisper, massachusetts. Caller good morning, cspan. My top story of the week is anything going on. The greatest revolutions in Argentina Associated with the cuban revolution. Always told his comrades, i want to die for the revolution. Dont you want to live for the revolution to see how it turned out . I grew up in a black neighborhood in new york. Jackie robinson lived there. Langston hughes lived there. It was all about africa. How to make africa a better continent. Instead of seeing the people suffer, the talk is, why are the people poor . Why are the governments poor . Why is cameroon poor . Why is nigeria poor . Why are people suffering . Finally, people are waking up and sing with the problem is. Just like union, 40 years ago im a 25 of the American Work force was unionized. Now, less than 20 . It is time to wake up for the world. The u. N. Council is talking, the speakers are talking about helping the poor. Fighting poverty. That is all we need to fight. There is no reason for people to be suffering so much in the world. I think he is waking up and realizing, we could save this world. We could do a lot more for people and and directly doing things to hold them back and lift them up. Black, white, chinese, green, blue, weber. We need to uplift people and look at them at a positive level. I am happy to be alive to see people are waking up to realize onto florida, gary on the republican line. Your top news story of the week. Good morning. Caller i would like to make a comment on the news story this morning about him being indicted for bribery charges. That is not a big revelation, another senator is in trouble with the law. The comment i want to make is, i noticed it is headlined as senator bob menendez and not democratic senator bob menendez. I noticed on my phone this morning when it came up on the news, i feel that had this been a republican, it would have headlined, republican senator bob. It is just senator bob menendez, not democratic senator bob menendez. That is why people have suspicion of the media these days. Correct me if i am wrong. That is how i feel. That is my comment this morning on cspan. Host onto the democratic line, amsterdam, ohio. This is bob. Caller good morning. I keep hearing the republicans crying all the time. All they do is cry and complain. The biggest thing is, i know that all of the congress and senate are crooked. Especially mccartney, his brother is has a big contract for 7 million in bakersfield. He complains he is part [captioning made possible by th, inc. , in cooperation with the United States house of representatives. Any use of the closedcaptioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u. S. House of representatives. ] the speaker pro tempore the house will be in order. The chair lays before the house a communication from the speaker. The clerk the speakers rooms, washington, d. C. September 23, 2023. I hereby appoint the honorable Michelle Fischbach to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. Signed, kevin mccarthy, speaker of the house of