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Senate GOP Leaders Hold Press Briefing After Trump Sends National Guard To L.A.
Forbes Breaking News
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6/10/2025
Senate Republican leaders hold their weekly press briefing.
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🗞
News
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00:00
America, you can't have a prosperous America unless you have a safe America.
00:04
And so prosperity and security, safety are all issues that are intertwined,
00:09
and our budget reconciliation bill addresses all of the above.
00:14
Starting, of course, with border security, where we make a generational investment in the border,
00:20
starting with building the border wall, finishing the border wall,
00:22
also allocating resources to Customs and Border Protection,
00:26
to ICE, to make sure that they have the resources they need, the technology, the equipment,
00:31
to do the job that we ask them to do to keep the border secure.
00:35
When it comes to national security, we make an investment in the Iron Dome,
00:41
or Golden Dome, I should say, and then also in our Navy and our Coast Guard
00:46
to make sure that our country is safe and secure from threats
00:50
and equipped to deal with the requirements of modern warfare.
00:54
And so those are two fundamental issues that are addressed in our budget reconciliation bill.
01:00
And I think when it comes to the issue of safety and security,
01:03
all you have to do is look at what's happening and has been happening in Los Angeles
01:07
to realize that our law enforcement needs all the support that we can possibly give them.
01:13
So I'm going to hand it off to Senator Wicker, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee,
01:18
to talk a little bit about the things that we're doing in the Armed Services Committee's jurisdiction
01:23
when it relates to making our country stronger and safer.
01:28
Senator Wicker.
01:29
Thank you, Leader.
01:30
Thank you very much, Leader.
01:32
And I do appreciate the opportunity that the Leader has afforded me to be back at this particular spot
01:39
and speak at this press conference.
01:43
And also I want to thank my colleagues on the Armed Services Committee
01:46
and my colleagues in the conference for allowing me to have the honor and responsibility
01:50
of being chairman of the Armed Services Committee.
01:52
I would say one of the most important parts of reconciliation is our defense and national security portion.
02:05
And it happens that it is the least controversial between the House and Senate and the administration.
02:12
This is something that Chairman Rogers and I and our teams and our committees have worked on for quite some time.
02:21
I really appreciate the product the House sent us.
02:26
I appreciate the input the administration has given.
02:30
And we are really of one mind.
02:32
We have a package that bumps right up against $150 billion.
02:39
It's $149 billion and change.
02:43
We continue to make minor tweaks.
02:45
But within the conference of Republicans and within the Congress as a whole and the administration,
02:55
we're on the same page.
02:58
This reconciliation package contains 13 new Battle Force ships,
03:07
the largest ever investment in unmanned ships.
03:10
And clearly the unmanned ships are out there to supplement the Battle Force ships.
03:19
But we couldn't do it without either one.
03:24
Dozens of new United States manufacturing sites,
03:29
the ability to expand our military industrial base,
03:35
drones, counter drones and the leader discussed what we've seen in the past few days
03:41
concerning homeland security.
03:44
But also in the last few days we've seen
03:47
really historic events
03:50
pointing to the necessity
03:53
of using drones ourselves
03:56
and how they can be used by our allies
03:59
to neutralize much more expensive weaponry,
04:03
but also the need for counter drones
04:05
because that threat goes both ways.
04:10
There is money in here for border.
04:13
There's money for critical minerals.
04:15
I'll be going to the White House this afternoon
04:18
to meet with the Secretary of State
04:20
and other members of Congress
04:21
about the issue of critical minerals.
04:24
We may do a little tweaking there,
04:26
but it will be minor.
04:27
And so just to say
04:28
this is a very important part.
04:32
Quite obviously
04:33
we're going to vote for this
04:37
regardless of what minor details
04:41
because we must prevent
04:43
this huge tax increase
04:45
from going into effect
04:46
in just a few short months and weeks.
04:49
But I'm very pleased
04:51
at the progress we've been made
04:52
and I appreciate the cooperation
04:55
of everybody in the administration.
04:57
Chairman Wicker,
04:57
can I ask you a question
04:58
because you're wearing
04:59
a Ukraine lapel pin.
05:01
Yes, I am.
05:02
And for every day
05:04
the Russia sanctions bill
05:05
languishes here
05:06
brings a worse night
05:08
for the people of Ukraine.
05:11
One is not going to end
05:12
the other instantly.
05:14
But are you prepared
05:16
to wait out the president?
05:18
Are all of you prepared
05:19
to wait out the president on this
05:20
when he seems to have lost interest
05:22
in ending the war?
05:23
Well, you're making
05:24
that characterization not I.
05:26
But let me just say
05:27
that this is a matter
05:30
that Senator Graham
05:31
has worked hard on.
05:33
I know he's working
05:34
with the chairman
05:35
of the Foreign Relations Committee.
05:39
And my hope is
05:41
that this bill
05:41
can come to the floor
05:42
within the next few days,
05:44
perhaps next week.
05:45
Chairman Wicker, what is your...
05:46
I do not know
05:48
the schedule
05:50
of the leadership on that.
05:51
But it is my hope
05:52
that this sanctions bill
05:54
will be passed.
05:56
I think the House of Representatives
05:57
will pass it by
05:58
enormous bipartisan numbers also.
06:01
And I think the president
06:02
will sign it.
06:02
Chairman Wicker,
06:03
what is your biggest concern
06:04
about sending these troops
06:06
into the streets of Los Angeles
06:07
and also doing this
06:08
in an appropriate
06:09
constitutional way,
06:10
but also about concerns
06:12
of having American forces
06:13
on U.S. soil?
06:15
Well, I haven't...
06:17
I haven't spoken
06:19
about concerns about that.
06:20
Let me just say what...
06:22
Do you have concerns about that?
06:23
Let me just say what...
06:24
And I'll answer your question.
06:26
I was heartened
06:27
to hear the mayor of Los Angeles
06:29
say yesterday
06:31
that her interaction
06:33
with the American military,
06:36
particularly the National Guard,
06:38
has been one of collaboration.
06:40
And to me,
06:40
that's how it ought to be.
06:43
It seems to most
06:45
Americans
06:45
that this is a very
06:46
dangerous situation.
06:48
And I really think
06:51
the governor
06:51
may be making a mistake
06:52
there politically.
06:55
When a situation
06:56
is fraught
06:58
with the possibility
06:59
of extreme violence,
07:01
it would seem
07:01
that the governor
07:02
and the mayor
07:03
would want all the help
07:04
they can receive.
07:06
And the National Guard
07:08
is now present.
07:09
The Marines are standing off,
07:12
as I understand it.
07:13
Would you be comfortable
07:15
with the president
07:16
sending the National Guard
07:18
to your state
07:18
if your governor
07:19
said that they didn't need them?
07:21
In similar situations,
07:23
I would think
07:24
the governor of Mississippi
07:25
would be happy to help
07:26
to have all the help
07:28
he could get.
07:30
But the main thing
07:32
I want to stress
07:33
is that we have
07:36
a very important
07:38
reconciliation bill
07:40
that puts $150 billion
07:42
extra where it needs to be
07:43
to make America safe.
07:46
And that's the purpose
07:46
of the leadership
07:48
calling on me
07:49
to make this presentation
07:50
at this point.
07:51
So I'll be happy
07:51
to answer questions
07:52
about reconciliation,
07:55
about the battleships
07:57
and drones
07:57
and industrial
07:59
plus-ups
08:01
that this will mean
08:02
for the American people,
08:03
not to mention
08:04
our standing internationally.
08:05
Chairman,
08:05
do you still have issues
08:06
with the Department
08:07
of Defense budget request?
08:09
I think this package
08:12
of reconciliation
08:12
is where there is
08:15
almost unanimous agreement.
08:19
And yes,
08:20
my position hasn't changed.
08:23
when the skinny budget
08:24
came out
08:24
with basically
08:26
a flat-line amount
08:29
for the next fiscal year,
08:31
I expressed my disappointment
08:32
and my position
08:33
hasn't changed on that.
08:34
Chairman,
08:34
are we prepared
08:36
for conflict
08:37
in the Indo-Pacific?
08:38
We heard you ask
08:39
questions this morning
08:40
about the fact
08:41
that many,
08:43
more than half
08:43
of our amphibious ships
08:45
are not ready,
08:46
they're not mission ready
08:47
for a conflict
08:50
in the Indo-Pacific.
08:52
That was the testimony
08:53
of the acting chief
08:57
of naval operations.
08:59
That was the testimony
08:59
of the top marine four-star
09:05
in the United States.
09:07
And so there's no question
09:08
that we're not
09:08
where we need to be.
09:10
I think my message
09:13
to Americans now
09:15
is that while
09:17
we are,
09:20
we're basically
09:21
all right
09:23
when it comes
09:23
to deterrence,
09:24
the curve
09:25
is headed
09:26
the wrong way.
09:27
Our adversaries
09:28
are increasing
09:30
their capability
09:32
while ours
09:33
is decidedly
09:35
going in the wrong direction,
09:37
and there's just
09:37
no denying that.
09:38
Yes, sir.
09:42
Yes, I'm happy
09:44
to surrender.
09:45
Keep going, Roger.
09:46
Come on, man.
09:47
No, President's
09:47
general.
09:48
On Los Angeles,
09:50
do you see
09:51
inconsistency
09:52
when the president
09:53
criticizes and condemns
09:54
the violent
09:55
Los Angeles protesters
09:56
but then pardons
09:57
the violent
09:58
January 6 protesters?
10:00
Well, I mean,
10:01
I think the issue
10:02
that's in front of us
10:03
right now
10:03
is the chaos in L.A.
10:05
And clearly
10:06
the local officials
10:09
there,
10:09
for whatever reason,
10:11
didn't seem up
10:11
to the task
10:12
of getting the job
10:13
done there.
10:14
And I think that
10:15
as Senator Wicker
10:16
pointed out,
10:17
it's kind of a political
10:18
imperative, honestly,
10:19
because one of the
10:20
most fundamental questions
10:21
most people,
10:22
most voters ask is,
10:23
is my family safe?
10:25
Is my neighborhood safe?
10:26
Is my community safe?
10:27
Is my country safe?
10:28
And when you can't
10:30
answer that in the
10:31
affirmative,
10:32
then you've got a problem.
10:33
And I think that's
10:34
what they ran into in L.A.,
10:35
which is why
10:35
they needed some
10:37
outside help.
10:38
But at the end of the day,
10:40
it's about preventing
10:40
chaos and preserving
10:42
law and order.
10:43
That's what this is.
10:45
Is there a chance
10:45
that no tax on tips
10:47
and no tax on overtime
10:48
get replaced
10:49
in the big, beautiful bill
10:49
with, let's say,
10:50
R&D tax credits
10:51
or something else?
10:52
Well, I think that
10:53
the president, as you know,
10:54
campaigned hard
10:55
on no tax on tips,
10:56
no tax on overtime,
10:57
Social Security,
10:58
interest on car loans,
11:00
those are all things
11:01
that are priorities
11:02
for the administration.
11:03
And they were addressed
11:05
in the House version
11:05
of the bill,
11:06
and I expect they will
11:07
be in the Senate as well.
11:08
Do you have any concerns
11:10
about Secretary Kennedy
11:11
removing all the appointees
11:12
from the Vaccine Advisory Board?
11:13
And do you still have
11:14
confidence in the secretary?
11:15
Well, I think most of us
11:16
up here want to have
11:19
confidence in the vaccine
11:21
process that is used
11:22
in this country.
11:23
And so as he makes decisions
11:25
about who he's going
11:26
to put on that,
11:27
who he's going
11:27
to replace people
11:28
with on that panel,
11:29
I suspect my colleagues
11:31
and I will be paying
11:32
a lot of attention to that.
11:33
Is there a plan B
11:35
for the debt limit
11:35
if you don't pass
11:36
reconciliation by the tax date?
11:38
There is no plan B.
11:39
It's plan A.
11:40
We have to get it done.
11:42
Failure's not an option.
11:43
One more.
11:44
Are there provisions
11:45
in the House
11:45
reconciliation, though,
11:46
that we don't think
11:47
is about a birdbath?
11:48
Well, I think there
11:49
are always provisions
11:51
and when the House
11:52
sends it over,
11:53
they don't have
11:54
the restrictions
11:54
that we have to comply
11:55
with here.
11:56
And so my expectation
11:57
is there perhaps
11:58
will be some things
11:59
that won't survive
12:00
the bird test,
12:01
the birdbath here
12:02
in the Senate.
12:03
But we obviously
12:04
are going to fight
12:05
very, very hard
12:06
on all those issues
12:07
and make our arguments
12:08
in front of the parliamentarian
12:09
and that process
12:10
is underway.
12:11
We've already been doing it.
12:12
Well, there are some examples
12:14
which I won't get
12:14
into specifics,
12:15
but as you know,
12:17
the bird test, of course,
12:18
requires that it be
12:19
principally about revenue
12:20
and spending
12:20
and not policy.
12:21
And so,
12:23
but those are arguments.
12:24
What we saw the Senate
12:25
or the Democrats do
12:26
when they had
12:26
House, Senate, White House
12:28
unified control
12:28
of the government
12:29
is they dramatically
12:30
expanded the scope
12:31
of what's eligible
12:32
for consideration
12:33
under reconciliation.
12:35
And so we're using
12:36
that template
12:36
and we're going to push
12:37
as hard as we can
12:38
for the priorities
12:39
that the House included
12:40
in hopes that we can have
12:42
a bill at the end
12:44
that preserves as much
12:45
of the work
12:46
that the House did
12:47
as possible.
12:49
Would you like to
12:49
move to the parliamentarian?
12:51
Good morning.
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