WEBVTT 00:01.166 --> 00:02.800 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% GEOFF BENNETT: After a tumultuous start to its 00:02.800 --> 00:05.600 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% term, the Republican-led House is targeting its biggest priorities. 00:05.600 --> 00:10.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% AMNA NAWAZ: Today, GOP lawmakers started work on their top agenda items, and launched key 00:10.533 --> 00:15.533 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% subcommittees that would focus on China, as well as investigations into the Biden administration. 00:15.533 --> 00:19.533 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% Republican Whip Tom Emmer was optimistic about what's in store. 00:19.533 --> 00:23.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% REP. TOM EMMER (R-MN): This is a great time to be a Republican in Washington, 00:23.333 --> 00:26.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% D.C., in the House, because you have a chance to make a difference, 00:26.933 --> 00:31.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% and you have a chance to be part of a great team that is going to work together. 00:31.600 --> 00:36.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And I think you saw that starting to happen last week. Have we arrive? No. No, 00:36.433 --> 00:39.066 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% not yet. We will continue to get better at this together. 00:39.066 --> 00:43.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% GEOFF BENNETT: Following this all closely is Washington Post reporter Leigh Ann Caldwell. 00:43.833 --> 00:45.900 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Leigh Ann, welcome to the "NewsHour." 00:45.900 --> 00:49.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% In the new Republican-led House, they used their first vote to claw back 00:49.333 --> 00:54.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% some $70 billion in new funding for the IRS that was signed into law last year, 00:56.833 --> 01:00.166 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% the House GOP fulfilling a major campaign promise, expected to die in the Democratic-led Senate. 01:02.133 --> 01:05.266 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Help us understand more about the GOP's priorities in this new Congress. 01:05.266 --> 01:06.800 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% LEIGH ANN CALDWELL, The Washington Post: Hey, Geoff. 01:06.800 --> 01:09.766 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% So, there's -- it's a couple of things. What they're going to be 01:09.766 --> 01:13.000 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% doing publicly on the floor of the House of Representatives are 01:13.000 --> 01:16.200 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% some of their priorities and also what's going on behind the scenes. 01:16.200 --> 01:20.633 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% As far as publicly, in addition to that scaling back of the IRS funding, 01:20.633 --> 01:25.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% there's also going to be a series of votes on abortion to limit federal 01:25.066 --> 01:30.066 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% funding of abortion and condemning attacks on pro-life entities. And 01:32.200 --> 01:36.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% so you can see that those cultural issues are going to be very important for them. 01:36.233 --> 01:41.233 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% And then, behind the scenes, all these agreements that were made over the past week or so are really 01:43.833 --> 01:46.866 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% focused on cutting back government spending. That is going to be a huge priority for Republicans, 01:49.466 --> 01:53.833 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% given the influence of the far right in this Congress, Geoff. 01:53.833 --> 01:57.933 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% GEOFF BENNETT: The House also voted to establish new select committees, 01:57.933 --> 02:02.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% one focused on investigations, another focused on U.S. competition with China, 02:04.866 --> 02:06.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% which might be an area where there could be some bipartisan cooperation. 02:06.533 --> 02:09.166 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Tell us more about how these committees have come together 02:09.166 --> 02:14.166 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% and what I understand is a fight about who will sit on congressional committees moving forward. 02:15.366 --> 02:17.400 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% LEIGH ANN CALDWELL: Yes, that's absolutely right. 02:17.400 --> 02:21.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% It's kind of a contrast, these two committees, that both, the formation of them, 02:21.466 --> 02:26.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% passed the House just tonight. The one on the weaponization of the federal government, 02:28.900 --> 02:32.166 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% that's going to be led by conservative firebrand Jim Jordan. That passed along party lines, 02:34.533 --> 02:39.500 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% and that is going to be a very political and polarizing committee, where Republicans are going 02:41.466 --> 02:44.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% to focus on the what they say is overreach of the FBI and the Department of Justice. 02:44.633 --> 02:48.633 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% Meanwhile, you have this committee on China that actually passed with 02:48.633 --> 02:53.166 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% bipartisan support. It's going to be led by Representative Mike Gallagher, 02:53.166 --> 02:58.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% someone who is respected among Democrats. And China is a big political issue, and no one 03:00.633 --> 03:04.566 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% in Congress wants to look weak on China. So this could be an area of bipartisan cooperation, Geoff. 03:06.000 --> 03:08.033 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% GEOFF BENNETT: What about immigration, Leigh Ann? 03:08.033 --> 03:11.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% President Biden visited the Southern border on Sunday. He's there talking 03:11.033 --> 03:14.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% about a whole host of issues, to include immigration, with the leaders of Canada 03:14.333 --> 03:18.333 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% and Mexico. Immigration has been talked about a lot on the Hill, 03:18.333 --> 03:21.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% but we have seen precious little in terms of policy lately. Might that change? 03:21.833 --> 03:23.733 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% LEIGH ANN CALDWELL: You're absolutely right. 03:23.733 --> 03:26.800 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Not a lot has been done in two decades or more on immigration. 03:26.800 --> 03:31.533 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% Well, there's a couple of different dynamics that are happening, in addition to President 03:31.533 --> 03:36.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Biden going to the border, which is a huge sign - - this is the first time -- that this is going 03:38.566 --> 03:42.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% to be a big political issue leading into the 2024 election as well. He has to show, like, 03:42.100 --> 03:45.766 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% he's trying to do something about what is happening at the border. 03:45.766 --> 03:49.966 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Meanwhile, you have a bipartisan group of senators who are also at the border 03:49.966 --> 03:54.966 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% today. They are moving forward on bipartisan legislation that tackles border security, 03:56.933 --> 04:00.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% but also addresses the dreamers, these children who came to the United States. 04:00.433 --> 04:04.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% But then you have the House of Representatives, who are moving in a very hard-line direction. 04:04.600 --> 04:07.600 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% They don't want to have anything to do with the dreamers at this point. 04:07.600 --> 04:11.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% They want to secure the border. So all these different dynamics are going to come head on, 04:11.800 --> 04:14.266 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% and we don't know if any of them are going to become law, Geoff. 04:14.266 --> 04:16.500 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% GEOFF BENNETT: Leigh Ann, in the 45 seconds or so we have left, 04:16.500 --> 04:21.500 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% now that Congress is getting to work, has the heat let up at all on Kevin McCarthy? 04:23.500 --> 04:27.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Given the way the rules are, any one of his critics could issue a vote of no confidence? 04:28.500 --> 04:30.600 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% LEIGH ANN CALDWELL: We will have to see. 04:30.600 --> 04:34.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Because of the threat of that vote, Kevin McCarthy has a lot of pressure that 04:34.433 --> 04:39.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% he has to follow this agreement that he reached with these hard right members. 04:39.333 --> 04:44.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And if he messes up, then they will -- could deploy that. And so they have gotten -- now 04:46.533 --> 04:50.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% they're doing the easy stuff. Well, electing a speaker was supposed to be easy. It wasn't. 04:50.800 --> 04:55.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Now they're doing the messaging bills, the things that the party agrees on. But when it gets to 04:57.800 --> 05:00.566 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% funding the government, government spending, it's going to be a lot more difficult, Geoff. 05:00.566 --> 05:02.200 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% GEOFF BENNETT: Leigh Ann Caldwell of The Washington Post. 05:02.200 --> 05:03.766 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Leigh Ann, thanks so much. Good to see you.