WEBVTT 00:01.433 --> 00:03.366 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: Back from the Thanksgiving holiday, 00:03.366 --> 00:07.500 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% the Democratic-controlled Congress is up against a ticking clock. There are just five 00:09.800 --> 00:12.966 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% weeks until Republicans take over the majority in the House of Representatives and there is a 00:15.033 --> 00:18.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% long list of priorities that lawmakers are trying to pass before the end of the year. 00:18.100 --> 00:22.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Our congressional correspondent, Lisa Desjardins, is here to walk us through it all. 00:22.533 --> 00:25.433 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% So, hello, Lisa. A lot to be watching right now. 00:25.433 --> 00:30.433 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% We know, tonight, potentially historic movement on an important issue. Tell us where we are. 00:32.000 --> 00:34.100 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% LISA DESJARDINS: We're talking about same-sex marriage. 00:34.100 --> 00:38.000 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And let's go right to the Senate floor, where the Senate is now in the midst of passing a bill 00:38.000 --> 00:42.966 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% that would essentially codify same-sex marriages that are recognized by any state. Now, I want to 00:45.500 --> 00:50.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% talk about this bill. It does need 60 votes .It is expected to get 60 votes in coming minutes. 00:50.300 --> 00:54.800 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% Let's talk about exactly what this bill does and does not do. First of all, this would mean that 00:54.800 --> 00:59.766 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% states, every state must recognize same-sex and international marriages that are recognized in 01:01.766 --> 01:04.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% any state. Any state that licenses such a marriage must be recognized everywhere. 01:04.133 --> 01:09.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% However, it does not mean there would be a national right to same-sex marriage. Essentially, 01:11.033 --> 01:14.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% this would be the same effect as, say, the Dobbs decision for abortion. However, 01:14.133 --> 01:17.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% we know that same-sex marriage right now has been found constitutional. It's a 01:17.800 --> 01:20.933 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% constitutional right under current Supreme Court law. 01:20.933 --> 01:25.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% But it is not clear. Some are worried that the Supreme Court may change that 01:25.733 --> 01:30.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% and reverse that right, as it did with Roe vs. Wade. So this idea for this 01:30.300 --> 01:34.966 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% bill is to protect same-sex marriages in states where that is recognized. 01:34.966 --> 01:39.966 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% I will say, when that Obergefell decision was made and same-sex marriage was deemed a national right, 01:41.866 --> 01:45.500 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% 35 states had laws on the books that meant same-sex marriage was not allowed there. 01:47.566 --> 01:50.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So this is something that for a very large group of Americans is concerning, 01:50.066 --> 01:51.766 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% and Congress is moving on it tonight. 01:51.766 --> 01:55.100 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% JUDY WOODRUFF: So, a lot going on. We call this the lame-duck session, 01:55.100 --> 01:59.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% but it's actually a very busy, jam-packed period of time, as we were suggesting, 01:59.666 --> 02:04.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% including some big deadlines, including that railway strike issue. 02:05.500 --> 02:07.533 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% Tell us where we are with that. 02:07.533 --> 02:10.366 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% LISA DESJARDINS: This is an incredibly juicy lame-duck, to be a little bit cheesy about it. 02:10.366 --> 02:15.233 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% But there are very high-stakes issues here. We are just over a week away from a potential deadline 02:15.233 --> 02:20.233 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% that could cause a national railway strike. Today, President Biden called the four top leaders in 02:22.300 --> 02:24.366 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% Congress to the White House to talk about this and other issues. You can see there they were, 02:24.366 --> 02:27.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% the White House decorated, but this -- all of them have very serious faces. 02:27.466 --> 02:32.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% All of those leaders left saying that they are serious about passing something 02:32.033 --> 02:37.033 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% to either extend the deadline for this strike for negotiators or to 02:39.000 --> 02:42.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% force negotiators into a deal, a kind of beginning deal that they set earlier. 02:43.933 --> 02:46.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Now, here's what we heard specifically from President Biden about that. 02:46.033 --> 02:49.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% JOE BIDEN, President of the United States: There's a lot to do, including resolving 02:49.466 --> 02:54.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% the train strike and the train -- the -- what we're doing now. And Congress, I think, has to 02:56.466 --> 03:00.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% act to prevent it. It's not an easy call, but I think we have to do it. The economy's at risk. 03:00.533 --> 03:04.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% LISA DESJARDINS: OK, the will from leadership is there, Judy. But this is going to be a 03:04.433 --> 03:07.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% very heavy lift in the Senate, where this kind of idea of, trying to avert a strike, 03:07.600 --> 03:11.033 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% would need 60 votes, and we'd need it by next week. 03:11.033 --> 03:15.166 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% Senator Bernie Sanders, among others, is someone who thinks that perhaps workers should get a 03:15.166 --> 03:20.133 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% better deal. He's holding out for a vote on an idea that he has. I talked to him today. Also, 03:20.133 --> 03:22.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% some moderate Republicans who are needed, like Senator Susan Collins, 03:22.900 --> 03:27.000 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% I talked to her today. She's not sure that she thinks Congress should have to get involved. 03:27.000 --> 03:30.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% She thinks that the White House made a mistake here. So we're going to watch that carefully. 03:30.333 --> 03:32.566 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: And then the last thing I want to ask you about, 03:32.566 --> 03:35.633 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% Lisa, is something that matters a lot. It's funding the government. 03:35.633 --> 03:39.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% That's money that's running out. And the clock is ticking, as we said. 03:39.733 --> 03:43.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% LISA DESJARDINS: Oh, they have a whole two-and-a-half weeks to try and fund government. 03:43.133 --> 03:46.666 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Usually, that's actually a lot of time, Judy. But in this case, 03:46.666 --> 03:51.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% lawmakers are behind and getting things together. They haven't even agreed yet on basics, like, 03:53.566 --> 03:55.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% how much should government spend? So they have a lot to do in just 03:55.833 --> 03:59.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% a couple of weeks. And there are a lot of decisions to be made, in particular about 03:59.666 --> 04:04.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% whether to have another short-term deal for maybe a week or so or a couple of months. 04:04.533 --> 04:08.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Maybe they kick this to January. Or do they try and finish the whole year's 04:08.033 --> 04:13.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% funding now. Here is incoming House -- the current House Republican leader, 04:14.500 --> 04:16.566 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Kevin McCarthy, who hopes to be House speaker in January, 04:16.566 --> 04:20.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% talking about that perhaps he doesn't want a full deal right now. Here's what he said today. 04:20.733 --> 04:24.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): I'm not going to sit back and let some bill pass in the 04:24.533 --> 04:28.000 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% middle of the night. I'm not going to let them continue to do this runaway spending. 04:28.000 --> 04:31.600 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% I'm not going to let them continue to ignore the challenges that we 04:31.600 --> 04:35.400 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% have in America when it comes to our energy policy, our border policy. 04:35.400 --> 04:38.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% LISA DESJARDINS: These dynamics are complicated. He doesn't run the House yet. 04:38.733 --> 04:42.766 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% However, he has a lot of votes there. And he also has sway with Republicans 04:42.766 --> 04:46.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% potentially in the Senate. So, all of these groups have to agree on some kind 04:46.200 --> 04:49.600 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% of large appropriations bill or a short-term deal very quickly. 04:49.600 --> 04:52.566 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% And, Judy, on top of all of that, let's just look at the calendar. 04:52.566 --> 04:54.066 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% JUDY WOODRUFF: Yes. 04:54.066 --> 04:56.100 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% LISA DESJARDINS: Everything that's ahead of us coming up. 04:56.100 --> 04:58.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% First of all, one of those deadlines I mentioned, December 9, that is the 04:58.133 --> 05:02.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% deadline to avoid a railway strike. Then, just a week after that, December 16, 05:02.933 --> 05:07.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% that is the deadline for the government funding bill. It needs to be passed by then. 05:07.133 --> 05:12.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Now, December 15, the day right before, that's the last day the House is supposed to meet for 05:14.666 --> 05:17.333 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% the year. They don't have any time after that on the schedule. And then, of course, as mentioned 05:17.333 --> 05:21.166 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% just a couple of weeks after that, January 3 is when the new Congress is set to begin. 05:21.166 --> 05:25.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And, oh, Judy, I haven't even talked about electoral account reform. There's a land 05:25.433 --> 05:30.000 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% bill. Some folks are talking about immigration. This is a very wild 05:30.000 --> 05:33.033 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% lame-duck session ahead of us. We're going to be talking about it a lot. 05:33.033 --> 05:35.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, nobody's better equipped to cover it than Lisa Desjardins. 05:35.800 --> 05:36.733 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% (LAUGHTER) 05:36.733 --> 05:37.666 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: Thank you. 05:37.666 --> 05:37.800 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% LISA DESJARDINS: You're welcome.