Congress passed a twoweek funding bill ahead of the deadline. Later, we talked to a reporter about al frankens host good morning, it is friday december 8 are the headline, congress reels from resignations. Said on the floor yesterday that he would resign from his seat here it the house side, republican franks of arizona will also step down over allegations that he asked female subordinates to bear his child. ,epublican line guest 202 7481 ,emocrats line 202 7488000 and independents 202 7488002. Arizona line today for residents. 202 7488003 host many of you just listend to al franken on the floor yesterday. This is what he had to say that he came to noon eastern time. [video clip] statesing in the United Senate has been the great honor of my life. I know in my heart that nothing i have done as a senator, nothing has brought this honor on this institution. I am confident that the Ethics Committee would agree. Nevertheless, today i am announcing that in the coming weeks, i will be resigning as member of the United States. I of all people am aware that there is some irony in the fact a man am leaving, while who has bragged on tape about his history of Sexual Assaults sits in the oval office. A man who has repeatedly preyed on young girls campaigns for the senate with the full support of his party. But this decision is not about me. It is about the people of minnesota. It has become clear that i cannot both pursue the Ethics Committee process and at the same time remain an effective senator for them. Et me be clear i may be resigning my seat but i am not giving up my voice. I will continue to stand up for things i believe in as a citizen and as an activist. Minnesotans deserve a senator who can focused with all her energy on addressing the challenges they face every day. Host with picture of the minnesota senator on the run page of his paper today. Congress reels of allegations, forcing lawmakers out. Is house Ethics Committee investigating a republican of texas over his use of taxpayer dollars to pay and 84,000 Sexual Harassment to an aide. Bill, europe first. Caller can you hear me question good morning, how are you doing . Cspan. I love i have two points, but let me finish them. Think the Ethics Committee should have jumped in on this. They should have said listened we will handle what we need to handle in the political realm. Thats what they are therefore. They didnt step up, or say they were going to do anything. They just let the court of Public Opinion be the judge, jury, and executioner for all of these individuals. Now grant you, i have four daughters. I talk to them about this. They are older now. They said daddy, we cant be harassed, but if Something Like that happened we are going to bring it up right then. Especially with al franken, they dont understand the woman he groped in that picture, he apologized to her. She accepted the apology, but no one is talking about that. She said she didnt want him to be fired. My question is this to her, if she is listening. You accepted his apology, why dont you just accept it and move on and hope he doesnt do it again . If he does it again, then you accepted his apology and i told him not to do it again wasnt enough. Host what about multiple women coming forward . Caller i would tell you this. The first woman opens a pandoras box. Hadfirst woman then you these other women come. Why didnt these other women come first . Host im listening to you, bill. Are you think about you saying these women should come forward at all . Caller no i am not. The arbitration i used to be in the government. Sexual harassment in the government you go through a process. It is called arbitration. And you go through arbitration, they asked the woman, what do you want what you feel you need to happen to make you feel whole again . These things are being said in the public and im just saying that that if the woman said she dnt want him to be fired host theyve done to hearings. One was about the process for making claims of Sexual Misconduct. It doesnt work the way it works in other places. Yesterday the office of compliance direct under was testifying. They have jurisdiction over this issue. This is where staffers or other people have to go when they want to make a claim of Sexual Harassment. Listen to what she had to say. [video clip] let me know. Have portrayed us as shrouded in secrecy. While we understand these ourents are directed at process and not to us as individuals, these con these comments sully the reputations of the men and women who report to our Office Every Day for work or it including, or Occupational Health and safety inspectors who examine the grounds. Including our deputy executive director who trained 500 people in person over the last x weeks and not all at once. But in ones, twos, and tends. Our onlyding alternative dispute resolution counselor who meets with the employees at the beginning of the process to hear their stories, to advise them of their rights, and to comfort them in their distress. The congressrocess designed in 1995. A process that not only demands confidentiality, but strict confidentiality under the law. A system we have been tasked to administer. A process that congress is seeking to change one that we welcome. Many call this a moment of reckoning. We call it a moment of clarity. A clarity with respect to not what we do, that what we do under the correct come under the congressional account ability act. Whereas that you bear in mind that this is a new day. Not just for congress, but throughout the legislative community. Host we covered yesterdays the committee. Several people testifying about what needs to be done on capitol governr the rules that how claims of Sexual Misconduct are made up there. There is legislation pending. They get claims made against them when they want to settle they have to pay out of their own pocket. That is the legislation that is pending before over on the house side. The star tribune out of. Innesota, as al franken from bloomington minnesota, tom. The credit. What do you think about his colleagues saying it was time for him to go and the leadership putting out a statement saying he needed to resign . Caller 202 7488000 thank you for having me. Last time i voted republican it was for reagan. Ive never voted republican again. I think editor franklin senator franken pushed over the line, acted like an idiot, he was a comedy writer after all. So taking stupid sophomore photos goes right with it. But his crimes against these women are his misdemeanors are certainly of no consequence. He should have been allowed to defend himself. That the senator from new york i think she led a witchhunt against him. I know it is a political thing. I realize they had to do it but they have led us to defeat and let us to Hillary Clinton, sadly, who lost to a man named trump. National party doesnt always do what is in the best interest of itself for america. Man deservesery the right to defend himself against allegations of Sexual Misconduct. And i think senator franken should have had the ability to defend himself. It is really a sad day for senator franken and for minnesota. Host what about his argument that he could no longer be effective senator . Heler honestly, i think thought of something to say that was reasonable and perhaps thats true but i really dont think thats true. I think he probably could have had some representation there and manage to come up with some answers about these allegations. Maybe he should have been censured or whatever the kind of punishment is that that is called. To to lose his office, and deny minnesotans to the right to a fine senator. We have two good senators from our state. A woman and a man. Amy klobuchar and senator franken. Now we have to have this nonsense about interims. That is understandable. But it would be much better if we wouldve allowed him to go through it proper due process. Host what you make of the Lieutenant Governor, talks of mark dayton the democratic governor would replace franken with him. Caller thats fine. In our state, the Lieutenant Governor is a figurehead. I dont mean that in a negative way. Its sort of like a press sort of like a Vice President ial Office Without less power and less notoriety. They will put someone in who will vote democratic and moderately. It would be interesting if franken ran again. Host would you vote for him . Caller i would consider yes i would. I would have to look at the allegations. I feel like the Democratic National party is getting involved in minnesota politics. Their judgment has not always been good. Host im going to leave it there. Means they speaking, governor, a democrat, will appoint a successor. A special election will take place in november 2018. The regular election will be in 2020. Smith, his 59yearold governor may be chosen. Although dayton himself said that he has not made a decision. Yesterday, on the senate floor, in a speech by franken, he alluded to his replacement being a female. Aferencing that person as her. Speaking of that talk on the senate floor thats on your screen right now, it is difficult because the senate controls the camera. You cannot see who was on the floor at the time that the senator gave this speech. The Washington Post says it was an emotional scene on the senate floor. More than 20 members of the Democratic Caucus watch temps speak. Senator thurmond castle, missouri removes her glasses twice. In the visitors galley, franklins wife. Husbandg klobuchar, her , and frankens top eight. Held up tissues, others their hands. Franken turned to the 26 aids seated behind him, shaking each of their hands and giving hugs. The final eight he greeted, a woman laughed and cried as they spoke. The minutesear as passed, that no senator would speak in tribute to franken. Only one republican senator came to the floor and that was senator jeff blake. Natalie, a republican. What do you think of these allegations and resignations on capitol hill . Caller thank you for having me. Allegations. There should have been due process. I am a republican, obviously i would not have voted for out franklin out franken. It is scary territory we are going in right now where you can just say an allegation. I am afraid for all the men in this country that they can just be accused and their career is over. No matter what their career is. Its kind of scary. Obviously this is great for women it is not great for women because it will not have men ever want to be alone in a room with a woman. They will be terrified. It will cause a lot of problems. I think the democrats said his sacrificed al franken. I dont know what their plan is, but it will hurt men. Political say the calculation is they can draw a moral line now. They can say that they cleaned house but they cleaned men to. Host theyre saying weve done this and republicans are standing by for more. Caller yes, women should not be raped, but you cannot equate it to an allegation and ruin someones career. Thats where we are right now. His voters should decide not people pressuring him and saying you must go. He looks like a lamb slaughtered giving this speech about trump it is getting out of control. That is my personal belief your i dont know how men feel. I am afraid for men. This is starting to be i have itrd people say if you look is a rape. There are people that believe that. Where will this end . Personally i dont think he should have resigned. Host sandra, democrat. Good morning. Caller good morning. I agree with the former caller. Even though i am a member of the Democratic Party. Al franken has always been a senator that i have been able to believe in and communicate with. Living in south dakota, i lost representation years ago when senator daschle was condemned for failing to declare a car and driver on his asset form. Host that was actually when caller i havent had representation since his he was succeeded in position. Caller nevertheless, i felt it was a minor infraction. Franken, he has been a senator ive been able to speak to an email on Many Political ideas that i have had. Now, i dont have a voice. So, i take this personally. I believe that a man should have had duee should have process. He should have gone before the Ethics Committee and been given a chance to have his circumstance declared there. I will greatly miss him. I am considering not voting anymore because of this. I am very disheartened. Taking the moral high ground when you go up against immoral people, they dont care. Host so what do you think about roy moore the alabama candidate . Caller i think he is totally scary. Host should he step down from running . Caller he should not be in the senate. I think he is a very scary guy. Ive known people like that. Ive lived in arkansas. They are very scary. They intimidate young girls. Hes a pedophile. He should not be in the senate. Host and cory gardner who heads up the National RepublicanSenate Committee says they will never endorse roy moore. Even as donald trump and rnc move to support him. Sc. Group the nrs [video clip] last month you called on roy moore to drop out of the race and alabama. Given that he hasnt, are you comfortable leaving that to the alabama people. Know my position has not changed. I think he should drop out. Just because the polling has changed doesnt change my opinion on the matter. I stand by what i say before. Host speaker of the house there. By the way the president traveling to pensacola. Which is right near the border of alabama. Theirl be holding a rally and you can watch it this evening at 8 00 p. M. Eastern time. You can get that downloaded to your phone and listened and there. Issue1. Org puts the cost of the race to exceed 30 million. 40 million is the combined amount that all the candidates have invested in this special election. Orgeone 5. 3 million is the amount raised by roy moore. He has raised 2 million since october 1. Also, this is a story in the l. A. Times that went viral yesterday by a formal a former obama staffer. In alabama, many think hes backing the wrong candidate. The story that went viral is about comments that he made at a rally that he had recently leading up to the election on december 12. One of the only africanamericans asked a question. More roy moore said he thought that the country was great even during the time of slavery. Made racial comments. Gloria, a democrat. Caller good morning. Thank you for cspan. We get so much i think the press has done a worthy job let me just say that. Continuing to do what we depend on you to do. In spite of pressure from above. I think you report everybody evenly. This blind lady appreciates that. I called in to express my pride in my fellow democrats because talleroint do they stand when they are willing to admit their faults and take responsibility. Comparede as a light to the republicans who deserve a front row seat in the hall of shame. First of all, for enabling us to have someone in the white house who is unfit when they could have prevented the problems they didnt. Now they are running full throated after someone the shame that is going on in alabama. I dont think its going to end here. We need a new system. We need to drain the cesspool and reconstruct something that really works for the people. Even though this is difficult, i hunt every democrat who could take the responsibility. God bless you, if you get the help you need and move on and a better fashion. You are certainly better than a republican who will support a president and and alabama candidate who are pedophiles. Willy in virginia, republican. Caller good morning. Look. Let me just say this. Im 91, will be 92 months. By will be 92 years old. This is a mess. This is mass punishment. What happened to our laws . I lived through some stuff in my day and i will so you this. I want to talk only about al franken. Im a republican. I think those democrats sacrificed him. Nancy pelosi first of all she should have stayed in the background. She should have just let this happen and didnt say anything with connors. Then al franken came along and i will tell you, there is a stark difference between somebody touching you or Something Like this, and youve got this child molester down there that has been known to do this. This is my point. I wont say long. I know on kind of slow. Work with me. Look. Come up for someone to and say all right this happen to me. Ive got relatives that have come back for 40 or 50 years and say how they have been raped or abused. What are they supposed to do now . Come up and tell them that they did this . Those individuals that knew that this woman 30 years ago there were 30 people that said they could attest to this. Why did they Say Something 30 years ago . You let this woman go on knowing that this happened in our society. I just want to tell you. Weve got to have due process. Host willys thoughts there in virginia. A quick rundown of the other headlines from capitol hill yesterday. Shutdown is afforded for now. The fight is not over. Party leaders including democrats sat down with president yesterday. They agreed to a shortterm measure to keep the government running until the end of this month. 35 ssed to a longerterm deal needs to be worked out. Talk about that coming up on the washington journal. Yesterday on the capitol hill, Christopher Wray testified. Fbi director rebuffed questions here hee Clinton Probe also responded to a president ial tweet. We covered that hearing, if you missed it go to cspan. Org. You can find it there. It burns and it keeps burning in the california hills. 200,000 people flee as new fires breakout, closing highways. Fires in sank new diego county. 200,000 people were forced to evacuate. Freeway had closures. Also several secondary highways. On wednesday, it had been portions of the 405. It sent long lines of traffic onto surface streets. You can see video there of the fires earning in california. Also, this from the front page of the wall street journal. Remembering pearl harbor. 76 years after the japanese atta