They have not moved legislation in the senate just yet but Senate Leaders did agree on a six week extension. Im glad the leader thinks the government should not shut down over the president s demand for a wall and democrats will support this c. R. The president and the house should follow that lead because shutting down the government over christmas is a terrible idea. Lets review why this step was necessary even in the face of a great need to secure the border and following good faith efforts, by the president s team, our democratic colleagues rejected an extremely reasonable offer. Yesterday. The stop gap spending bill funds the government until february 8th. It does not include the 5 billion President Trump wanted to fund a border wall. The House Freedom caucus is hoping to amend any spending bill to make sure it includes funding for the wall and they plan to spend the evening making speeches on the floor on the house floor to that effect. Freedom caucus leader mark meadows told reporters if President Trump signed spending bill without funding for a wall. It will do major damage to his 2020 campaign. One thing lawmakers did largely agree on this week criminal justice reform. The senate voted 8712 to pass Bipartisan Legislation known as the First Step Act. You dont hear many senators stand up and say let me tell you about my worst vote. I can tell you it was in the house of representatives. It was 1986. And because we were scared to death crack cocaine showing up all across america, we created 100 to 1 disparity between crack cocaine and powder cocaine sentencing. The net result of that we thought would be to scare america straight in terms of the danger of this drug and it back fired. If this becomes a law, roughly 2600 federal prisoners sentenced for crack cocaine offenses before august 2020 can petition a judge for a reduced penalty. Judges will have more flexibility and discretion when sentencing some drug offenders and for some drug offenders with three strikes it will reduce life sentences to 25 years. Republican senator tom cotton was one of the most vocal opponents of this bill. He says it threatens Public Safety and says he disappointed amendments he proposed were not included in the senate version. The First Step Act is expected to pass the house and the president is expected to sign it. Dan . Thanks, ellison. As Congress Remains gridlocked over funding the wall. Meanwhile Rush Limbaugh had this to say. Take a look. Thats been the objective . To end this Congress Without a shutdown . Thats how we are going to define success it . Its not how we define success. It is apparently how inside the beltway defines it. Oh, look what we did. We avoided another government shut down. The republicans are bowing down wh hosanna, who he sanna, saved again. Not going to get blamed for a government shut down. Meanwhile the border remains wide open and the democrats are going to be controlling the house in just a few weeks are now gloating and telling the president you cant get any money from anywhere else in the budget. Were not going to let you. This is textbook. Its a textbook example of what the drive by media calls compromise. Trump gets nothing and the democrats get everything, including control of the house. Dan keep in mind, this is an urgent situation. The risk of an unsecure border are very real. Over the past year alone, ice agents arrested nearly 160,000 illegal suspected immigrants. 90 of whom had criminal convictions. Joining us now with a full report is our very own trace gallagher. Trace . Good evening, dan. If the funding bill is passed and the government shut down is avoided, money for the border wall would essentially go away. President trump is Standing Firm saying one way or another we are still getting it. Quoting mexico is paying indirectly for the wall through the new usmca the replacement for nafta. Far more money coming to the u. S. Because of the tremendous dangers at the border including large scale criminal and drug inflow. The United States military will build the wall. Though critics argue military money is already allocated and Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi says if the president tries to move money around, he have a fight on his hands. Even the pentagon said last week, quoting to date, there is no plan to build sections of the wall. And, yesterday, press secretary Sarah Sanders seemed ready to look elsewhere for money saying the president has asked his cabinet secretaries to look for funding in their budgets and that the administration is, quote, looking at other options. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ice has released its fiscal year 2018 report. Along with the astounding fact you noted that 90 of Illegal Immigrants arrested by ice have criminal records, the report says nearly 400,000 people were booked in to an ice detention facility, which is an increase of 22. 5 over 2017. And the number arrested and detained by cus toms and Border Protection went up by 32 . Finally, of the roughly 250,000 Illegal Immigrants removed from the country, nearly 6,000 were classified as either known or suspected members of terrorists. An increase of 9 from last year. Dan . Dan trace, thanks a the lot. Joining us now with more is American Conservative Union chairperson matt schlapp american first action sean spicer and from the daily caller dan picken. Matt, let me go to you here, its great to have you on the show. This issue of compromise over the wall. Ive got to tell you, matt, out there being an activist kind of first and a conservative at heart, im not sure the base is in for compromise on this, matt. I think they want their wall and they want it now. Your thoughts . Look, i know republicans are trying to figure out how to get out of town around christmas in an imperfect world where democrats have done well to pick up house seats. But the fact is this the president should veto this bill. This breaks the promise with his supporters. This everybody looking at this views this as odious. We waste money left and right in this town. Its absurd they cant find 5 billion. Schumer and pelosi think this is a good issue for them. I think its a better issue for us. Lets fight and get all we can and lets definitely not roll over and for the president i know he is looking for every way to figure out a way to fund this wall. I think is he going to find that way. He cant reward schumer and pelosi by signing this bill. Dan you know, sean, few people have been inside like you in that inner sanctum in the white house. President trump halls had a unique ability. There is no doubt about it for putting his finger on the pulse of issues that others may have put aside. I remember attending g. O. P. Years ago immigration we have got to get past. This on this, this is his signature issue. Do you think he understands the gravity of this . I mean, listen, im a supporter of the president. I have been for a while. But i just want to i want your take on this. Is he getting good advice from inside that sangment. This is a degree critical moment right here . Unfortunately i think there is a loft advice being given. I think there is a lot of people to matts point, trying to figure out how do we get out of town . This is the holiday season. This isnt going to look good. I think Rush Limbaugh had it absolutely right. Compromise in washington terms is republicans get nothing, democrats get everything. Heres the reality of where we are, dan. This is a political fight. 54 democrats in the senate under barack obama voted for a lot more than were getting right now. They were on board on this. The reason they are against it is because trump is for it. This is what i think that we have lost though is control of the narrative. We are talking about fighting over a wall. We have got to stop talking about fighting over a wall and talk about National Security. Human trafficking. Drugs coming over our border. We have got to Start Talking about the implications of porous border as opposed to a physical structure. Because right now they want they know that they are winning the me messaging. This is what trump is for and this is what we are for. Get back to a National Security issue that women and children trafficked over our border and this is a massive flow of drugs over our border. We have got to get back for reminding people really whats at stake here. Dan i agree. Chuck schumer is desperately trying to make this for Border Security without a wall which i dont think is possible. Kerry. I havent seen the base on fire about this in a long time, about an issue, maybe since obamacare i take that back. Maybe kavanaugh. People were fired up about kavanaugh, too. This border funding wall issue, i mean, you just twitter is great. Its like one big, huge town hall. People are on not always the greatest town hall in the world. But people are on fire over this issue. This is essentially the trump maga agenda. Are you sensing the same thing out there from your sources . Absolutely. And, keep in mind, dan, this thing, as far as you have a number of republicans who are saying well, the reason why we cant get this border funding is because all these democrats are being obstructionists. Yeah, sure the democrats are being pains in the neck. But, remember, republicans from the very beginning could have started the process of budget reconciliation from very early on. Brad burns over in alabama, he is a congressman there, he started the process in the Lower Chamber republicans there didnt want to take up his bill. Makes you wonder whether or not the Republican Leadership could have gotten the process done very early on. I asked a number of members why didnt you get the border funding done through budget reconciliation early on and they didnt want to answer that question. Dan whats the deal of this . This is like the first lame duck in u. S. History session where the Majority Party passes a bunch of. Sean, i see you laughing. Matt, what was the g. O. P. Leadership not doing last week taking up this bill when they had the votes . Why are they letting this president down . Its not like its a mystery want to build a wall. Dan, i agree with you. Pretrump, republicans believe that having spending fights was a total political loser. One of the reasons why we are in such a terrible position with our debt and deficit. They believe it just makes republicans look callus. Having these fights we dont gain anything. So just get out of town. And during the trump ear remarks there has been a rethinking about all of these questions. The last shut down as you will remember, the schumer shut down, we actually won that shut down. I think sean spicer is right. If we look the American People in the eye and say we need to secure our southern border. We should only come in this country a legal way. We shouldnt let liberal judges get to determine who gets to stay forever and ever and ever just because you are waiting for your first hearing which you must mikely dodge. We ought to secure our southern border. I think the American People will stand up for us. It doesnt mean you get all you want in a shutdown. You send a message to liberals you are going to fight for every inch of territory. Thats why its critical for the president to not sign a bill which is a white flag. Dan i hope he doesnt. I hope good people are getting in his ear. Sean, your thoughts . Dan, i will say this. What matt just said is important. For 20plus years since 1994, republicans have always had shutdowns go against them. They shut down the government and they lose the messaging war. The last time this happened, matt reminds everybody, the schumer shut down, we finally won one because we were right on the issues. We were right on the policies. And were right now. We are against human trafficking. Were against drugs coming over our border. And we are for making sure we protect our country and our people from those people who may be coming in here with nefarious reasons. We are right on this issue. This is a fight worth having. Dan this is a live picture of the house floor, the House Freedom caucus fighting for some funding for the budget. Well, kerry, final question goes to you here. Its interesting when the democrats fight for their issues, the liberals they lose elections. Obama got all this stuff passed obamacare. Essentially outside of obama they wiped out the republican party. The republicans lose elections when they dont stand on principles. Do you see this as as one of those real break or make moments for 2020 border wall fight. Absolutely. This once again goes back to what i was just saying because it appears that you have a number of republicans who are concerned, particularly in the you were chamber because now you have republicans who are on the defense right now in the you were chamber who are thinking i have got to be careful with my votes. I have got to be careful with where things are going because, you know, perhaps over in texas, for example, have you john cornyn. He just saw how close that race was between beto orourke and ted cruz and is he thinking think uhoh watch u were Chamber Republicans its not going to be the way it was once before. Dan tan its interesting. I just saw the gallup poll top two issues number one government. Big government. And secondly was immigration. So i think trump has his finger on the pulse again on this issue. Thanks, guys and lady appreciate it. Coming up, Loretta Lynch testified behind closed doors on capitol hill today. Catherine herridge will join us with a full report on what went down as hannity continues. Stay with us. Dan welcome back to hannity. Today former obama attorney general Loretta Lynch told lawmakers behind closed doors after receiving a subpoena and house g. O. P. Leaders probing the Justice Department and the fbi over their handling of the Hillary Clinton email case. Here with more is catherine herridge. Catherine . Nearly seven hours behind closed doors former attorney general Loretta Lynch ignored our questions about when she first learned the fbiing with probe alleged link between the Trump Campaign and russia . About the opening of the russia counterintelligence investigation . When did you learn when the investigation was open . House lawmakers pressed Loretta Lynch on the 2016 tarmac meeting with bill clinton days before Hillary Clintons fbi interview. But her unsecured personal server for government business. Insisted the discussion was not political. The former fbi director later claimed his boss tarmac meeting with a driving force in his decision to hold a public press event where he described how Hillary Clinton mishandled classified information and comey recommended against criminal charges. Reactions to lynchs testimony today divided along political lines. Good faith effort for her to make the record clear but the record is indicating that she hadnt recused herself from the clinton case and yet she found herself as far as i can tell finding out that the fbi director wasnt going to prosecute when you saul saw on tv. I cant get into exact questions and answers. Its nothing different than the past questions and answers about the email investigation and obviously the events that she has been involved with nothing new. Again, its probably i expect there to be a lot of questions about perhaps, the most interesting layover in airport history at the Phoenix Airport we are not learning a lot at this point. Tonight multiple sources tell fox news they do not expect Deputy Attorney general Rod Rosenstein to answer questions under oath about allegations he discussed secretly recording the president and invoking the 25th amendment before democrats take control of the house. At this point, you know, who is to blame . He is not coming. He is not coming. So was this a failure of leadership or was this a transition by the Justice Department . I dont know. All i know is what i wanted and mr. Meadows and a number of us pushing for him to get here but i dont think its going to happen. I hope there is a chance to talk to him but it doesnt seem like thats going to happen. The Justice Department has not commented on negotiations with capitol hill. Meantime a Committee Spokesperson said the lynch transcripts, along with about 15 others may be part of a year end report. Dan . Dan catherine, thank you. Also tonight, remember when president obama made these claims about Hillary Clintons server not harming National Security . Did you know about Hillary Clintons use of a private email server. No. While she was secretary of state . No. Do you think it causes a National Security problem. I dont think it causes a National Security problem. I think it was a mistake that she has acknowledged. I continue to believe that she has not jeopardized americas National Security. Dan transcripts from former fbi director comeys testimony raise questions how obama could ma