'I Can't Believe We're Arguing About This!': John Kennedy Absolutely Stunned By Government Program

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At today's Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) questioned OMB Director Russell Vought.

Transcript

00:00Mr. Director, I want to apologize to the protesters, but I can assure you that under

00:12congressional rules and the laws in the District of Columbia,

00:19they will be promptly punished and put on double secret probation.

00:26You'll probably see them back again today.

00:30I think the president's demonstrated that he understands that what you allow is what will continue.

00:37We seem to have a problem with that concept.

00:41I listen to some of my colleagues accuse you of doing everything but abandoning your children to wolves.

00:52They accuse you of undermining the sanctity and integrity of the appropriations process.

01:01And I'm sitting here thinking, what sanctity, what integrity, what appropriations process?

01:11I'm proud of serving this committee.

01:15I watched this committee last year.

01:17We passed seven, 11 out of 12 minibuses.

01:21And we all choked down some stuff you wouldn't believe.

01:25And we sent them to Senator Schumer, my friend.

01:30He refused to bring the bills to the floor of the Senate.

01:33Now, that's when he was in the majority.

01:37You really think he's going to allow us to vote on a budget when the politics have changed and his politics?

01:46If you do, you're Willie Nelson High.

01:49You're smoking some of the best dope God ever put breath in.

01:53What appropriations process?

01:55Oh, we've got left are CRs and rescission packages.

02:00And President Trump's not the first president to ever send a rescission package, is he?

02:04No, sir.

02:05A bunch of presidents have, haven't they?

02:08And did civilization melt?

02:11They did not.

02:12No, they didn't.

02:18Now, you want to know how we got $6 trillion in debt?

02:22Just listen to this.

02:25Let me tell you what it's like.

02:26A majority.

02:27Not everybody.

02:29A majority of this body, oh, they're all for cutting spending porn.

02:33They're all for going to heaven.

02:36But they're not ready to make the trip.

02:39That's how we got to $36 trillion.

02:42This stuff about PEPFOR.

02:43Oh, my God, you're going to destroy the world.

02:46Now, there's a part of PEPFOR that deals with money for life-saving care, isn't it?

02:52Absolutely.

02:53And there's a part of PEPFOR that you look at it and you want to say, pass me the sick bucket, isn't there?

03:02Yes, sir.

03:02And you're getting rid of the sick bucket stuff.

03:06Yes, sir.

03:07You're getting rid of $5.5 million to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex advocacy in Uganda, aren't you?

03:19Yes, sir.

03:19I can't believe we're arguing about this.

03:21I can't believe we're arguing about this.

03:28PEPFOR, we're not denying life-saving care to anybody, are we?

03:33No.

03:33And $10 billion would remain for that funding.

03:36And a couple of my colleagues have made the point, well, this was President Biden.

03:47President Biden ate my homework.

03:49And these programs have already expired.

03:52Some of these are multi-year programs, aren't there?

03:54Yes, multi-year grants.

03:55Let's talk about public broadcasting.

04:01Now, let's cut to the chase.

04:06Public broadcasting in America today is political as hell.

04:10We all know that.

04:13You don't have to be a senior at Caltech to see it.

04:17Some folks like their politics, so they want to give them money.

04:21Some folks don't like their politics, and they don't want to take it away.

04:24But that's not the real principle, is it, Mr. Director?

04:28No, sir.

04:29The real principle is, why do we give money to CNN?

04:34No.

04:35Do we give money to Fox?

04:36No.

04:37Do we give money to Politico?

04:39No.

04:40Then why are we giving money to public broadcasting?

04:43Why?

04:45We're $36 trillion in the hole.

04:47I hope you send us more rescission packages.

04:54It's the only way we're going to get anything done.

04:57I'm embarrassed to say that.

04:59But I've seen this movie before.

05:02And this appropriation process is broken.

05:05And finally, somebody is trying to give us a chance to cut the spending porn.

05:15And we're sitting here fighting about it?

05:18The American people are going, what planet did all you people just parachute in from?

05:24I'm done, Madam Chair.

05:29Senator Heimerick.

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