About the transition to a biden presidency. This is live coverage on cspan2. Political aspects that are still unfolding but were facing a lot of challenges that require that the kind of continuity that a country is known for, one government can hand over to another government, the landscape in the tools that are necessary to do with these issues especially in the middle of the pandemic and our hearts go out to all those who are affected around the world by the pandemic and we hope the 2021 would be a brighter year. Thank you for joining us and i will turn it over to toni. [inaudible] as we wait for toni i will just say that all the presenters that i have described have deep reservoir of experience on the legislative side of the aisle. Theres toni right there. Welcome. Shes actually at reading right and were delighted to have you join us. So over to. Thank you. Thank you, stewart. I really appreciate its an honor and privilege to be here. Meridian has been very much a part of my personal and professional life and i very much appreciate the opportunity to be in dialogue with this distinguished group of panelists today who are both friends and colleagues. I think that group is very much representative of the scene you just laid out and they are the themes of this great democratic experience that we here in america undertake, and that undertaken the last 240 years. But it is a a bipartisan group. If i can just add ips on my personal bio, as a windows me welcome not only do i do National Security and Foreign Policy but having served and work on the hill, and i have a very much in my dna the essence of bipartisanship. From the look at this biden transition and where we are going with that transition, its very much anchored in the clarity of what i call ultimate responsibility. That responsibility on half of all of us as americans, we are all standard together because as you said so well, stuart, we are faced with challenges here in america but there are global challenges. So americas leadership will be executed with a degree of humility and transparency, and we look forward to engaging with our colleagues on capitol hill, with the American People, and with our friends in the global landscape. So with that may i turn over and ask our colleagues, i would like to get into this transition period we in the Nations Capital but less so try to get a litt bit better job educating this transition is a little tricky. Its different than what has happened in the past, but it is being rolled out as we see and has been for some time finally. So let me ask Speaker Boehner if you would just from your vantage point, give us the landscape, its crew comport to the wall of this transition because it is anchored in the incoming cabinet members. I would like each of you after Speaker Boehner offer your framework to also pick up on that, so both rodney and former congressman crowley if you could also address the issue as well. Speaker boehner come over to you. Well, toni, thank you and its good to be with all of you. I hope everyone finds this very interesting. Divided government has served america pretty well over the last 200 years, and it looks like we may be headed towards active i discovered once again. Of course there are two senate races in georgia that are yet to be decided, but this conversation, my assumption is we are going to end up having divided government. As you look at the new administration, they are going to find i think some opportunities to work with the congress. Its not going to be easy. It never is. It was never intended to be easy. But when it comes to the makeup of the new cabinet, i think youll see republicans on the hill by and large be supported of the president elects pics. The would be a couple, i would guess, that are not going to quite pass the test but theres going to be i think quite a bit of respect for the people that president elect biden chooses for his cabinet. I would really agree with john, Speaker Boehner. I think the American People expect that the senate will cooperate and give to president elect biden when hes in total scope that is a workable cabinet. I would necessary, bipartisanship as it is expectation the record people place on the senate in the role to confirm. And so i think that we may very well see, i would just say we will see some republicans in that mix. Some will have an easier time than others. I know that from the outset my good friend neera tanden has been kind of singled out so far. I think shes wonderful. In this world of hyper partisanship come to criticize her for having been partisan and supporting joe biden when some of the verbiage that we had to do with over the last four years, she really pales in comparison to that. In terms of the use of that. Shes a person of substance and i hope that the person people talking and say heres a problem, so to speak. But who knows, we will see what happens. Thank you. Rodney . You are muted. Thank you. Is that good . Thats good, thank you. Thanks, toni. And thanks to meridian for affording us this opportunity. Its a Great Organization and we look forward to the discussion. I would like to echo the sentiments of Speaker Boehner and congressman crowley. I do think that clearly this issue a divided government that is before us, and notwithstanding whatever happens in the georgia elections, its still going to be a split, almost down the middle, congress and you have a change in the white house but, but this is a country that is pretty much split down the middle. And its going to take a unique i think president in the white house to attempt to bring that together. The good thing the the president elect has said is hes going to be a president not only for those who voted for him but for those who voted against him as well picky believes that thats the responsibility of the president. Frankly, the only office in our country that is voted on all of the people of the u. S. He has a wonderful running mate and now Vice President elect in senator harris, and to make a wonderful team. One other thing i would like to say about the cabinet is that the president elect has said hes going to have a cabinet that looks like america, is like america. You see that come into focus. I think hes made some tremendous selections thus far. Toni blinken is secretary of state, we all know him very, very well. He will clearly be a secretary of state more in the traditional sense, and we can get into that a little later in the discussion but clearly reaching out to our allies and trying to reestablish relations with foes very, very important. And then i will just close echoing joes comments about neera tanden. Shes a great person. I think that the president it lacks cabinet is going to get that president elects cabinet, theyre all people of substance and capability to hes making that a priority, and is looking at then as a team as much as individual members. Because with the challenges we face they are going to have to work as a team, clearly led by his vision and his encouragement in their service to the American People. But its a very exciting time. Thank you. I think that you all have laid this out quite well. I want to pick up though on and get a little of, lets get into some granularity because each of you mentioned the georgia elections. Lets get into what is the Tipping Point on the georgia elections that references an impasse on the cabinet selection and the degree to which that republicans, so i think it might be, continue to be divided, but even if the georgia elections turned towards two more democratic democratic seats in the senate, it still going to be close. Taking into account Vice President elect biden has a deep and rich background of coming from the senate, and respect from his colleagues, lets talk a little bit about two components. One, what happens after the georgia elections. Is there a paradigm shift we can look at more of a consensus . Two, what can the republicans in the senate do that can help foster this moral collegiality, beginning to break down some of the silos so that we can quietly begin this process of, and everything doesnt need to be on the front page of our respective newspapers or media, begin more quietly engaging to have what i call constant Building Measures on this critically important rollout of the confirmation process . Lets start with you since you are the last. Sure, toni. Im really looking forward hearing from the comments of my colleagues as well, but as i think about it, its quite significant for this race involving two really senate positions in georgia. And its in georgia. As a native of the south, i am excited about that. I remember during the Clinton Campaign back as far as 1992 when georgia was a target for then governor bill clinton come beating within governor miller and laying out a strategy to speak to the south and to try to bring the south into the fold. And again george kent into the democratic column during the time and we havent won again until this time. President elect biden did tremendously well in georgia. The numbers actually continue to rise over time. And now weve got these two senate seats. I think its good again that we have two rather than one, because it just puts everything on the table. There is the presumption that democrats may not come out in a runoff election. I dont think thats going to be the case. I think its going to be very close. Everyone knows President Trump is going to go to georgia this weekend, which will be very interesting. President elect biden and Vice President elect harris have said they will probably be going at some point. This is a very, very important election and i am excited about it. Now clearly, raw feel warnock and john allsop archimedes candidates for the democrats. I think they say a lot about what the new south represents. I think its going to be a very competitive race but im happy its in the south, that it would force of the nation estate that was very important the president ial election and it will mean a lot when it comes to the building of the president to get some things done. But again you touch on his relationships with senators across the political divide. I think thats going to come into play here as well. He will be able to manage whatever the outcome clearly if he has the majority or split, 5050 with the Vice President breaking the tie. Thats a big difference when it comes to your strategy and your movement as far as leadership. Thank you for that granularity. I think its a great snapshot. Speaker boehner, lets put you in the middle here because a lot, theres a great deal of curiosity by your former colleagues in the republican controlled senate. They are only now beginning to quietly speak up about supporting this transition process. Whats your take . How do you evaluate the landscape right now in the senate . What is your evaluation . Well, i think republicans in the senate are looking forward to the transition period they all know that its coming. It is, in fact, happening, but all the action is about georgia. You have members who are going to be chairman of the committee, or they can be a Ranking Member. Its a really big deal and so all eyes are on georgia, all hands on deck in georgia. And so it till georgia gets decided, only things are going to get done are things that have to get done, funding the government somehow by the end of next week, probably some small covid related field that might be attached to such a bill, doing something about the National NationalDefense Authorization act, there will be a few other cats and dogs in there but other than what has to get done, its all about georgia. Congressman crowley . I would add to what john has just said as well. I agree with both in terms of the imports of georgia. But john boehner just had its the difference as to who is the chair or the Ranking Member in the senate. And why that is so critical is that if democrats are able to capture the senate, even with a 5050 split, the use of reconciliation as a tool to pass a much broader agenda for democrats, that opportunity exists. Without it, it doesnt. I think thats one thing way think you see more of what the president campaigned on, have an opportunity to see the light of day in the city. Lets keep in mind one thing. The results of this election are becoming more and more clear. And that is although the American People rejected soundly donald trump, they did not reject republicanism writ large. When to look down the ticket, over all republicans gain position in the house of representatives. They were expected listen. And they didnt lose the senate so far. To go even deeper, it may take control of the state legislative bodies that they had already. They will have an oversized influence on reapportionment. When you look in terms of whether republicans stand right now, this is pretty split decision. As john mentioned earlier. But there so that everything comes down to the georgia, these two georgia seats. I think rodney is right that democrats have a better than normal chance in georgia for a lot of reasons, not the least of which they had the highest turnout and a long time, almost 5 million votes. They dont expect that many now, and the president continues to attack the system overall. That is leaving some republicans to lose faith in the entire system. We well see what happens in tes of that runoff. Congressman crowley, thank you very much. For a audience i would like to point out, what you just experienced is an extraordinary lesson in our democratic process here in america. As much as i anticipate in that process, i really respect each of you for your very thoughtful and grandeur comments. Its quite extraordinary. I wish you guys, i hope you al will think about going on the road and educating in terms of young people. Because i think one of the things that we are experiencing here just as we discussed with the cabinet selection is that we want the cabinet selection as president elect biden has said to look like america. When you do listen to america just like we need to listen to our international colleagues. But i think what i just listened to is all too often we forget how messy the democratic experience is, how credible it is. So i want to thank each of you for that. Lets broaden our lands all of it as well going to begin the transition into looking at discussing some of the policies. I would like to hear your evaluation on the cabinet choices thus far. Each of you i think has touch on what i call responsibility of these cabinet appointments. They are not all rolled out yet. They are being thoughtfully rolled up. Lets start with the top one which is the National Security rollout, tony blinken as proposed secretary of state. Admiral haynes, you have Jake Sullivan at nsc Community Economic team rolled out. I would like to get each of you to offer comments on those selections and also if you could kind of differentiate whats the significance of those that require confirmation against those that dont . For example, Jake Sullivan and our security advisor . I think would be helpful for audience to better understand why some require confirmation and what that means and what other positions dont. Congressman crowley, lets start with you, if we could complete. I think president elect biden as secretary slater has already alluded to, when he made his speech about healing america, talked about what he perceived as what we need to do to move forward. Part of that was to bring what i think is going to be the most diverse cabinet as well as white house staff that weve ever seen. Probably even more diverse than president Barack Obamas which was very diverse it so. In terms of i think both Speaker Boehner and secretary slater who has gone through the confirmation process himself, he may even have more insight into that as well. Certain positions in the white house do not require the confirmation of the senate, the constitution, but some do including the cabinet positions. I do think that with tony blinken, for instance, Vice President elect biden has chosen something that would reestablish our ties to our traditional allies. Well recognize china is still a problem regards of party affiliation. I think we engagement in the pacific would be critical for us. But going back to my first point in terms of i think youre in particular reestablishing those ties that a bit traditional allies of the postworld war ii era, i think its going to be important, reengaging in paris accord, i think trying in some way to work with our European Partners to wrangle around back into the umbrella of proliferation nuclear weapons. I do think that was a critical point. I think toni is white respect on both sides of the aisle. As is Jake Sullivan. Worked for secretary clinton. So i think, and again diversity in terms of haynes and others in terms of bringing diversity to the rights of intelligence critically important as well. Thank you, congressman crowley. Secretary slater, i know youre having some Technology Problems and youre not been able to engage. I think congressman crowley did reference and the bourne, on the failure with one serve on the cabinet, went through confirmation get it you wouldnt mind getting as your perspective. I think we would really appreciate it. Sure, sure. First of all i think its very important for an administration to look like america. The president elect has talked a lot about our power as a country, whether thats militarily or economically, but hes also talked about the power of our example. And when people around the globe can look to the u. S. And see the longest democracy in the history of the world, the most diverse democracy, and see that represented, and seeing it operate capably, thats a very strong example. So we would not give into the strongman kind of philosophy of government. That there would be a team effort and to get big things done youd have to have coopera