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So dems on one side are going to do everything they can to create this process in which it becomes 60 votes to get passed, which means it dies or republicans are doing everything to try to get their bill scored and proposed. i think this thing will move to a conference committee. i guess maybe i m just an optimist, but what does this look like? that s what we re all struggling with here, those covering, you voting is, what does this look like? i think that s the reason why you saw a couple of votes yesterday just to kind rf take the measure to how close we would be to 51. the original senate mcconnell bill that replaced the house bill to zbin with along with the cruz proposal and the rob portman amendment were designed so that we could see the strength of that combination together. now you ve also got a new one out there which is floating around and that s the graham amendment with bill cassidy, so ....
By mr. mcconnell. so right now i think we re in the majority. we ll see on this vote to proceed. it s a tough vote for republicans, but i think senator mcconnell s not sure tail at all that he has those votes. of court senator mccain is coming back. it s ironic. he has very severe health problem, and mcconnell bill would perhaps not for senator mick ca mccain or others but would put at risk such people with a serious illness. we ll see what happens. take your take on one other thing. you ve been in there for a while. in a whip capacity. you ve got your own set of elbows. what s happening right now with the president and jeff sessions, have you ever seen anything like this before, not face-to-face, not man to man, but bullying in public, seemingly pushing him to either resign or to toe the line. his most recent tweet this ....
Colleagues to offer theirs to try and improve and strengthen the bill. but you can t do that unless you get on the bill. so the first vote, which will occur sometime this week, will be to proceed to that consideration of that legislation and to at least have a debate where we can have an open amendment process and give people a chance to be heard chris: without getting too far into the weeds, i know when you get on the bill the bill is the house bill, which nobody likes. the question, including a lot of people in the house. then senator mcconnell is going to offer a substitute, the first amendment, and is that going to be repeal or repeal and replace? i think, ultimately, that s a judgment senator mcconnell will make at some point this week before the vote. depending on how these discussion go. if we can reach agreement among republicans about the senate bill and my own view is, and i m speaking for myself, i hope we do. because i think the senate bill does strike the right balan ....
The president has not made, since he took office, a single major speech that was really devoted to repeal and replace. and say what you will about obamacare, and i know you ve got a lot ofs with it, but lot of problems with us, but president obama barnstormed the country at least pushing it. so the question is, how do you answer f.d.? use the power of air force one, get out to the country, make the speeches. i think at this point the white house communication is let s just have something. we need some sort of victory. it s sort of like al davis from the oakland raiders, just win, baby. just put something up on the board. and now that they re playing with live ammunition, you ve got a lot of republicans that are getting squishy. it s ultimately the responsibility of the senate. here s a motion to proceed. it s a motion to are we going to have a debate from what is supposed to be the most deliberative body on the face of the planet, and we can t even get republicans to debate the bil ....
Think that in the end the administration will come to the conclusion that an overwhelming majority of congress has, and that is that we need to sanction russia for their meddling in the u.s. election. that, i think, will pass probably overor whenningly, again overwhelmingly, again, in the senate and with a veto-proof majority. so the president i think it s in his best interests to sign it, and i believe he will. of. chris: senator cardin, do you share your colleague s confidence the president will sign it, and what if he does veto it? well, chris, this is a very strong bill with. it imposes mandatory sanctions on russia, it provides for congressional review. if the president wants to wait or eliminate sanctions, it s very bipartisan. senator corker and i on the senate foreign relations committee drafted a good part of it. senator crapo and brown from the banking committee. it has broad support in the senate and in the house. ....