You and your colleagues have just started to absorb the information. How old you like to proceed in regard to combatting the inas you are insurgency . Isil needs ah be confronted and defeated. It needs to be removed as a threat to Regional Security in the middle east and theres a Security Threat to. United states of america. I think that there will obviously be debates about how to do that, butable that we will be unite the but i believe we will be united . Host can you give us some information about what you would like to see . Some of the options are taking the idea of authorizing, arming, and training the rebels and putting it into funding the government. Others say we should split them up and have two separate votes. And there are still others, i talked to jim moran, and he said that they should come back and have a full authorization of force debate in november after the election. Guest i believe that the process is what we will pursue. I think that there will be a consideration of the president s request to train and equip regional players, those from syria, iraq, other middle eastern countries, arab nations that will be the boots on the ground that people talk about. I think we will be the facilitators, supporters, and help coordinate a Large Coalition which the president and secretary of state are now putting together. We have some significant number of nations that have said they want to participate. I think that will be the first thing that we will consider, authorizing president under article 10 to equip and train in an overt as opposed to covert way. Now that we have an Iraqi Government that is trying to and hopefully will respect both sunni and shiite interests and that they will feel that theyre in a partnership to confront isil, i think well proceed on that. Secondly, i think after the elections, there will be a consideration of a larger authorization for the use of force. We passed an amendment through the house of representatives with a large bipartisan support before this immediate crisis confronted us and said that we ought to reconsider and change or modify or withdraw the use of force authorization passeded in 2001. So i think jim moran is correct. I think it will be a twostep process. Host have you begun to have conversations with your colleagues about what they would or wouldnt support in a continuing resolution. A lot of people want that authorization to arm the Syrian Rebels included in the continuing resolution as something that the president has requested. Other members are saying they dont want to take any vote relating to this crisis abroad until they have that vote on authorizing the use of military force. Especially those folks who dont want military intervention and want to go on record saying so. I think that the majority of our members are prepared to support the president s request to train and equip other nations nig nighters in syria, iraq, and other places in the middle east. I believe those members also believe that we should have a vote at the end of the year on the authorization of the use of military force so that congress can speak about the views of the American People regarding that. Host do you have a sense of how broad that use of force resolution would be in november . The republicans will probably want to go a lot further than the democrats. How do you tie that together so it maintains bipartisanship and passes . Discussions, hearings, working together toward that end to reach a bipartisan and majority in the house of representatives as to what that authorization for the use of force ought to say. There will be some with a much more restricted view and some will have a much more expansive view. But when you ask how were going to get there, im hopeful and well be working towards discussions in my own party that we reach a consensus. That does not mean that everybody will agree but well have a broad agreement on the parameters. Then hopefully we can also agree with the republicans who may want a different set of words in a resolution. But i am hopeful that we can Work Together in good faith as americans confirming a security challenge and come to an agreement. So were going to work hard at that, and i think we can get it done. Id like to follow up on that security challenge. Since were talking on the anniversary of 9 11, the president contended last night, mr. Hoyer, that the country is safer today than it was 13 years ago. Weve built up quite an infrastructure to fight the threat but has that threat changed to the degree that americans may not be as safe as he contends . Guest i think hes correct on that point. We are making our airways as safe as possible but in addition to that, we were paying much more greater attention and more focused on preventing a terrorist threat on the homeland and i think weve done a good job at that through two administrations. We havent had a major strike on our country. But we need to be vigilant. But i think the president was correct. Now, i think also it is correct to say that the middle east is a much more complicated, destabilized area than it was 13 years ago on 9 11. To that extent, the challenge is greater, and the president is suggesting ways and means to meet that challenge. But it is a much more complex world that he faces today and that we face today than we did in my view in 2001. Congressman, do you anticipate that, you cans will need the help of the democrats to pass the continuing resolution . Guest i believe thats the case. Mr. Mccarthy has not told me its the case but i believe its the case. Other groups have come out against the cr in it contains a reauthorization of the export import banks. The democrats believe strongly thats a very important component of ensuring america is competitive internationally. When we passed it before just a couple of years ago, mr. Cantor and i worked on the reauthorization together. He was then the majority leader. It passed with over 330 or 340 votes, an overwhelming majority with the significant number of republicans voting for that enevery democrat voting for that. Unfortunately for idealogical reasons, it has become very controversial. There are 41 republicans that have urged a long term reauthorization of the bank. Every democrat is for that. That would give us at least 230 votes. And i am hopeful the Republican Leadership would bring that option to the floor because i believe it represents not only the majority of opinion in the house of representatives but a way to help create jobs and ensure our competitiveness in global markets. Lets assume that you do pass the resolution funding the government next week and whether its inside the cr or not that there is this authority for training rebels, why not spend october considering the use of force authorization . In 2002 just before that Midterm Election, you guys held a vote then and got a bipartisan result. Is that just a bad time to do that sort of politics . Guest i think what america is all about is democracy, listening to our people. Its about elections where people come to the polls and make decisions about their country. So frankly, i think youre going to see a very robust discussion about this among the American People. And after coming back into session, better informed of the view of america and i think that will be helpful to the final result frankly. So listening to americas advice and counsel is a good thing, not a bad thing. Looking ahead to the midterms, i know that you would hope that the house would go back into democratic control assuming that it stays in control for republicans stay in control and that the senate also goes into republican hands. How do you anticipate the next congress playing out and working the lame duck trying to finish up certain priorities before you go into a brave new world in january . Look, i think the American People are rightfully disgusted and disappointed with their board of directors, the congress of the United States. I frankly think our republican friends have led the most ineffective house of representatives in which ive served since i came here in 1981. We frankly ignored the views of the American People. Weve refused to consider legislation which has a majority of the support in the house of representatives. I think its very unfortunate. Minimum wage clearly needs to be addressed. It hasnt been addressed for a lot of years now. Last addresseded in 2007, 2009. We need to do that. Immigration reform. Everyone admits the immigration system in our country is broken. The United States senate by a 21 majority passed over an immigration bill. The republicans themselves have passed some five or six bills out of their committees. However, the Republican Leadership has not brought either the senate comprehensive bill, the house bill including the Homeland Security committee and the house of representatives and the other parts of the senate bill which were passed by thats unfortunate. I am hopeful that the outcome of the election will such that we move together in a much more positive fashion and bring to the floor legislation that has bipartisan support, that can pass the house of representatives, and not simply because you have the power to do so, exclude from consideration legislation which will help our economy fix a broken immigration system, ensure that people are getting enough money to live on and not live in poverty while make sure that women get equal pay and make sure we do what the American People want us to do. How difficult is it for your members, those running for reelection in the house, those running in open seats, and also some running for senate races to have barack obama at this point be a very unpopular president hovering around 40 approval ratings. Where you have a situation where it seems Michelle Obama seems to be doing more campaigning for the democrats than the president himself. I think we have some excellent candidates. We have excellent candidates with experience, commonsense, feet on the ground candidates. I think a lot of them are going to win. Having said that, i think this president did what the American People wanted last night. I think they saw a leader looking at a security challenge saying theyre going to confront it and defeat it. I think weve seen a president who has led an economy that is the worst that almost every american has seen in their lifetime. Have you to be 90 years or older to have seen a worse economy than president obama inherited. Not withstanding that, working with us in the congress, democrats and some republicans have built up the economy, weve had a growing committee. Weve averaged over 200,000 jobs creates per month. The stock market has almost tripled in terms of value. So much of our economy is doing well. But we havent passed the kind of jobs legislation that will make sure that those who have not been lifted up by the growth in our economy, the increase in jobs, have an opportunity, have a running on the ladder to get to middle class status and the status which they can support themselves and their families. So this president has made some very tough decisions. Has been confronted with, as i said, the worst economy that this nations had. Has brought us back. And is now confronting one of the most complicated National Security problems that weve had. So i think america is seeing leadership in this president. On the subject of president obama and his pop ewe later and the elections in november, what did you think of president obamas decision to delay taking executive actions on immigration out of respect for the position it was putting some democrats in on the campaign trail . The bottom line is this president , the United States senate, and House Democrats are committed to comprehensive Immigration Reform sooner rather than later. We also believe that the president has the authority to take action and that he should take action before the end of this year to make sure that we that the house finds himself if the house finds itself unwilling or unable to act, to make sure that we have a humanitarian system before we make it a working system. We ought not to wait to make it a working system. The fact of the matter is that this president i think is very focused on this. Were very focused on this. The American People overwhelmingly support Immigration Reform. And the congress has the responsibility both constitutionally and i would say morally to act to fix a broken system which is a large part of our challenge. And i think the president will address it before the end of the year. Looking at immigration and also this potential use of force debate, in each instance, you see the kicking of the can past the election. When does the fever break on capitol hill . When are we able to actually deal with things when they need to be dealt with . Six years ago at this time, wall street was imemployeeding imploding and congress came together and came up with the bail out. It was a republican president. Came to the congress with secretary paulson and ben bernaki, head of the federal reserve, and said if you dont act, congress, the country will go into a deep depression. And what happened . Twothirds of the democrats voted to support the policy that the president of the United States, the republican president , recommended. On the other hand, twothirds of his own party opposed him as you know. And that only passed and we only in my opinion saved the economy of america from going into depression because of the willingness of democrats to vote in a bipartisan fashion with a republican president on the policy that he proposed. Unfortunately, when president obama became president in 2009 and february of 2009 when we were acting to staunch the hemorrhaging of the economics of our country, they were not there at all. No support in the house of representatives at all. No ability. Notwithstanding the fact that the president reached out and said lets Work Together, there was no response in a positive question. However, your question is can we do it in the future . I tell my colleagues you cant solve americas problems in a 24month cycle. What i mean is we cant always focus on the election. We have to make tough decisions for our children and our grandchildren and our countrys sake. Because those decisions are tough, they are made much more manageable and possible if we act together in a bipartisan fashion. That the has been my that has been my intent throughout my career when i was in the state senate, when i was in the congress. The senator from missouri who used to be the minority and majority whip, we had the opportunity to Work Together closely. Im hopeful i can work with mr. Mccarthy in the same bipartisan fashion because we need to come together and solve americas problems and if we do, america and americans are going to be a lot happier with us and properly so. Have you had a chance to assess whether things will be different under mr. Mccarthy . Its a little soon to assess that. This is really the first time weve had to work in real bipartisan fashion. Im hoping the next week we start to forge such a relationship. Hes indicated he wants to do that. Mr. Scalise has also indicated he wants to do that. And ill tell you that leader pelosi and i will be positive in our response if we find an receptive audience. The first exercise with the new leadership team, we had some drama over this bill to Fund Resources at the border with the Child Migrant crisis, and other things, and people were wondering if this was a new team that could keep it together. Did that give you any early indication of what you were up against here and what kind of leadership the republican conference was going to have . Im prepared to give mr. Mccarthy and mr. Scalise the benefit of the doubt. What we learned from that incident unfortunately is that the republicans did what they have done so often. Turn towards their far right, not towards consensus, not towards bipartisanship in order to pass something through the house of representatives. What we need to do is meet, discuss, and resolve, not simply just move to the most radical part of the Republican Party. Thats what happened then and it was unfortunate. But im hopeful mr. Mccarthy and mr. Scalise mean that they want to Work Together and that they can Work Together. I look forward to trying to do so. All right, mr. Hoyer, you referenced 1981 is when you started this job. How much longer do you want to keep going . Well, i enjoy this job notwithstanding the fact that not trying to get rid of you. I appreciate that. But im happy. I enjoy this job. I think this job gives me an student to serve my country and my state and the people who are my neighbors. And as long as theyre willing to have me and my health is good and im able to do it, that will take care of itself. All right. Thats it for our time. Thank you very much for joining us. Congressman steny hoyer, the minority whip. Thank you . Host the election is only weeks away, so what are the prospects that they will find consensus on these big issues particularly with the cr and the antiterror request . I think there is definitely bipartisanship to fund the government and keep it open. There is definitely bipartisanship for this minimum action over in syria training the rebels. How that comes together, whether those are two separate votes or put into one vote, thats still mr. Hoyer doesnt seem to have the answer there. Thats going to be a call that Speaker Boehner makes. But its fascinating that he seems clear that theyre going to come back after the election and have a debate on the parameters of a real war resolution. Host but theres always concern when that discussion happens with a lame duck congress. Yeah. Youll have people who are retiring, those who are just elected. Host and making a war decision without having to stand for reelection again in front of the voters. Yeah. I think it will get quite a lot of reaction in the next few weeks. I certainly think that members are going