Participants stress midterm messaging as Congress races toward funding deadline
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Summary
A recorded exchange in the transcript focused on Republican messaging ahead of the midterms and an approaching government funding deadline, with discussion of DHS/ICE funding, Senate procedural moves and the role of FEMA amid winter storms.
In a recorded exchange included in the transcript, one participant identified as "Congressman Rick Crawford" and another addressed as "Mr. Sherman" discussed party messaging ahead of the midterm elections and the looming government funding deadline.
"This was a a strong signal ... he's in the fight," Mr. Sherman said of the president's early engagement, adding that early primary activity (he cited March 3 as the first primary) and policy messaging could help Republicans retain and grow their House majority. Congressman Rick Crawford said the party is emphasizing economic gains — noting gasoline at "a 5 year low," diesel "down more than 30%" and wholesale eggs "down 89%" — and asked whether those data points were being used to unite the party's messaging.
Mr. Sherman said Republicans are "united around" message discipline and pointed to the timing of tax season, saying voters will soon notice the benefits of the Working Families Tax Act passed in the last Congress and that a reconciliation bill is expected this session.
The interview moved to the immediate appropriations fight. Congressman Rick Crawford noted that Senate Minority Leader Schumer publicly urged Senate Leader Thune to split the funding bills and advance the five with broad bipartisan support. The transcript includes a direct quotation attributed to Schumer urging Leader Thune to "split the funding bills and move forward with the 5 that already have broad support from both parties."
Speaker 1 also said Senate Republicans were advancing a six-bill package to avoid a partial government shutdown and that Senator Thune had scheduled a procedural test vote. In response, Mr. Sherman said hearings with ICE and DHS officials are scheduled and warned that the government could shut down in roughly three days if the appropriations process is not completed. "We're literally now, what, 3 days away from shutting down the government," he said.
Both participants referenced intra-party dynamics: Mr. Sherman said House Republicans largely passed the spending bills in the House and expected that unity to influence Senate action; Congressman Rick Crawford pointed out that part of the DHS funding package includes FEMA support, noting the timing is critical given winter storms.
No formal motions or votes are recorded in the transcript. The exchange ended with expressions of thanks and a note that congressional business will continue despite members being on recess.
The key next procedural steps noted in the exchange were the procedural Senate test vote scheduled by Senator Thune and the funding deadline the transcript describes as "this Friday."
