Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Pleasure to welcome Nebraska US Senator Deb Fisher back to
(00:02):
the program. Senator, good morning and good morning Gary. Wonderful
to have you back. Congratulations on your reelection. Thank you
very much, and onward now to Since we scheduled this appearance.
The news that broke that has Washington spinning like a
top is the nomination of Matt Gates. So, the intended
(00:23):
nomination by Donald Trump of Matt Gates for Attorney General.
What do you think of that?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
I think it was a surprise. I hadn't heard his
name out there at all, so I think it was
a surprise for me and many other people. But like
any of the President's nominees, I look forward to being
able to meet with him. I haven't ever met Matt Gates,
so I look forward to meeting with him and being
(00:50):
able to question him on some things and see how
he gets through a judiciary committee. With that hearing, he'll
be like.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Are you on that committee?
Speaker 2 (00:58):
No, I'm not.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Okay, Jony Ernst is a It is you not a
Chuck Grassley.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Chuck.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Chuck will be the chairman of the committee.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Next year, Okay. Don Bacon says the Gates says as
the most dislike member of the Republican Caucus in the House,
and a lot of people in the Senate are saying
on both sides, mostly Democrats, of course, that this is
not a serious appointment that he won't get through. So
this will happen the committee hearing right after the new
(01:32):
senator is seated, correct, right, Okay?
Speaker 3 (01:36):
That means they'll be more Republicans than Democrats, because right
now there are twelve Democrats and eleven Republicans on the
Judiciary Committee, and that means more Republicans. Will there be
more than one additional Republican because you'll have fifty three
seats in the Senate. Dev Do you know how that
number works?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Right? It depends on how the leaders work on the
ratios for the committee seats. Since we do have fifty
three and we are in the majority, I can see
that we would have more than one on that committee.
But it depends how it all fits into the entirety
(02:15):
of committee assignments.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Who makes decisions on who gets on what committees? Is
that strictly the majority leader and the minority leader.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
No, in the Republican Conference, we send in our requests
what we want Republicans, we can only choose two committees
to build seniority on. So my two happen to be
Armed Services and Commerce Committee. And then if we are
going for other committee assignments on top committees, we have
(02:45):
to seek a waiver. We have a Committee on Committees.
Mike Crapo, who's going to be the Finance chairman. He
has done that job ever since I've been there. In fact,
Mike Johans was on that committee to to help organize
those committee assignments. But they do work with our Republican
(03:06):
leader on that. So you know, it's just it's just
how everything slots in and who in seniority maybe wants
something new that you also want something new. How that
works out?
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Yeah? Is there also a committee on the Committee on Committee?
I mean, only in government do you have a committee?
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Hey, but this is kind of important though, Well, there
is because let's say there are two additional Republicans on Judiciary.
This is the Matt Gates appointment. This guy is objectionable,
and the question becomes who goes on the committee because
Lindsey Graham has been a little bit skeptical. Jony Ernst,
(03:50):
your colleague from Iowa, says he's got a lot of
work to do.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
To convince me.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Jonie's not on the committee, but.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
You know that's what I mean. There could be senators
on there who are in that same place with him,
and Donald Trump is going to be talking to senators
get this guy through. The other question would be a
recess appointment. Where are you on recess appointments?
Speaker 2 (04:11):
You know, when we're looking at the top job in
any agency or with the Attorney general, Department of Defense secretary,
and any of those top positions. I think we have
to go through a committee process and have a debate
and vote recess appointments. You know, a case can be
(04:33):
made for those in order to fill the lower positions
in a faster manner. There's over two thousand positions that
take confirmation by the Senate, and it can be you know,
three years or longer not even happen at all that
the President can get people through.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
You're on the Armed Services Committee, so you would have
a voice, I assume in the vetting of Pete Hegseth
for Defense Secretary.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Correct?
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Okay, are you on board with him? Do you know him?
Do you know about him?
Speaker 2 (05:07):
I do not know him. I have not met him.
You know, obviously I know his education background, I know
his service to his country when he was in the
armed forces. But yeah, I look forward to meeting him.
We'll have to sit down in my office, and as
with any nominee that my committees have jurisdiction over, we'll
(05:29):
have a thorough discussion.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Where are you, Senator Fisher on President Trump's largest agenda items, particularly,
I'm thinking of immigration and tariffs.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Oh, I think the immigration issue is huge. You know,
that was one of the top two issues that I
am constantly here in Nebraska. To secure that border. We
need to do that. We've seen think it's five times
the population of Nebraska has entered this country illegally under
(06:05):
this current administration. We see the crime, we see the drugs,
we see the pressure on our social services, we see
the harm that it can cause two Americans wages. So
I have talked about forever that we have to be
able to get the administration, this current one and also
(06:26):
a future administration not to let them misuse that parole
authority that is in current law. We need to be
able to end catch and release. We have to build
the wall, We have to secure the border. We have
to reinstate a policy that President Trump had before which
remain in Mexico. So yeah, there's a lot that I
(06:50):
hope we can do and do it quickly to end
this chaos and uncertainty and treat that we have up
to this country with regards to the border with tariffs.
You know, I want to make sure that Nebraska's manufacturers
and egg producers are going to be able to have
(07:14):
a voice in any kind of trade policy that President
Trump comes up with as something he wants to promote.
We did not see the well, first of all, we
didn't see any kind of trade policy at all under
President Biden. It was just nonexistent. He had no trade agenda,
(07:34):
and he certainly didn't solicit any comments from Republicans or
Democrat Well, trum.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Trump will do this. Trump will do this by himself.
Just one more thing, thanks again for your support of
the AM Radio and Every Vehicle Act. Is there is
it possible that that thing can be attached to a
must pass bill before the end of the year.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
You know, I have great staff. You always hear me
say that I have great staff, and we have a
number of issues that we're looking at to be able
to either pass it by unanimous consent. If there's possibilities
we can get that done yet and get it also
these different items through the House, but just what's going
(08:22):
to be available too with larger bills. A lot of
people don't like anything attached. I don't either, but when
it's non controversial, I think acceptance can be made to
that to make sure that we can get some of
these things done and not have to start over again
(08:42):
in January.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Yeah, and the next bill will require people to actually
be on AM radio. If you get that done, actually
pass a lot of require that they have live announcers.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Well, unanimous consent seems to be off the table. That
requires everybody, by definition, right.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Right, all Senators would have to agree to that. And
we pass a number of bills that way. You know,
you don't, you don't care about them all the time.
But it's called the hotline. And put it on the hotline.
And if all the Republicans all the Democrats agree that
there's no objection to it, you can have your bill
(09:18):
passed that way. And these are non controversial bills.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Well, I know.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Which I think which I think the AM radio should
be non controversial. I'm sure you guys agree that M.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
Paul doesn't like it, But okay, so that seems to
be off the table at any rate. Senator thank you
for your time this morning. I always appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
You bet good to visit with.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
You, Senator deb Fisher. Here at seven twenty five.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
Vital Community Intel for you every day. Gary Sadelemeyer and
kfab's morning news
Pleasure to welcome Nebraska US Senator Deb Fisher back to
(00:02):
the program. Senator, good morning and good morning Gary. Wonderful
to have you back. Congratulations on your reelection. Thank you
very much, and onward now to Since we scheduled this appearance.
The news that broke that has Washington spinning like a
top is the nomination of Matt Gates. So, the intended
(00:23):
nomination by Donald Trump of Matt Gates for Attorney General.
What do you think of that?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
I think it was a surprise. I hadn't heard his
name out there at all, so I think it was
a surprise for me and many other people. But like
any of the President's nominees, I look forward to being
able to meet with him. I haven't ever met Matt Gates,
so I look forward to meeting with him and being
(00:50):
able to question him on some things and see how
he gets through a judiciary committee. With that hearing, he'll
be like.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Are you on that committee?
Speaker 2 (00:58):
No, I'm not.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Okay, Jony Ernst is a It is you not a
Chuck Grassley.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Chuck.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Chuck will be the chairman of the committee.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Next year, Okay. Don Bacon says the Gates says as
the most dislike member of the Republican Caucus in the House,
and a lot of people in the Senate are saying
on both sides, mostly Democrats, of course, that this is
not a serious appointment that he won't get through. So
this will happen the committee hearing right after the new
(01:32):
senator is seated, correct, right, Okay?
Speaker 3 (01:36):
That means they'll be more Republicans than Democrats, because right
now there are twelve Democrats and eleven Republicans on the
Judiciary Committee, and that means more Republicans. Will there be
more than one additional Republican because you'll have fifty three
seats in the Senate. Dev Do you know how that
number works?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Right? It depends on how the leaders work on the
ratios for the committee seats. Since we do have fifty
three and we are in the majority, I can see
that we would have more than one on that committee.
But it depends how it all fits into the entirety
(02:15):
of committee assignments.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Who makes decisions on who gets on what committees? Is
that strictly the majority leader and the minority leader.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
No, in the Republican Conference, we send in our requests
what we want Republicans, we can only choose two committees
to build seniority on. So my two happen to be
Armed Services and Commerce Committee. And then if we are
going for other committee assignments on top committees, we have
(02:45):
to seek a waiver. We have a Committee on Committees.
Mike Crapo, who's going to be the Finance chairman. He
has done that job ever since I've been there. In fact,
Mike Johans was on that committee to to help organize
those committee assignments. But they do work with our Republican
(03:06):
leader on that. So you know, it's just it's just
how everything slots in and who in seniority maybe wants
something new that you also want something new. How that
works out?
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Yeah? Is there also a committee on the Committee on Committee?
I mean, only in government do you have a committee?
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Hey, but this is kind of important though, Well, there
is because let's say there are two additional Republicans on Judiciary.
This is the Matt Gates appointment. This guy is objectionable,
and the question becomes who goes on the committee because
Lindsey Graham has been a little bit skeptical. Jony Ernst,
(03:50):
your colleague from Iowa, says he's got a lot of
work to do.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
To convince me.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Jonie's not on the committee, but.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
You know that's what I mean. There could be senators
on there who are in that same place with him,
and Donald Trump is going to be talking to senators
get this guy through. The other question would be a
recess appointment. Where are you on recess appointments?
Speaker 2 (04:11):
You know, when we're looking at the top job in
any agency or with the Attorney general, Department of Defense secretary,
and any of those top positions. I think we have
to go through a committee process and have a debate
and vote recess appointments. You know, a case can be
(04:33):
made for those in order to fill the lower positions
in a faster manner. There's over two thousand positions that
take confirmation by the Senate, and it can be you know,
three years or longer not even happen at all that
the President can get people through.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
You're on the Armed Services Committee, so you would have
a voice, I assume in the vetting of Pete Hegseth
for Defense Secretary.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Correct?
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Okay, are you on board with him? Do you know him?
Do you know about him?
Speaker 2 (05:07):
I do not know him. I have not met him.
You know, obviously I know his education background, I know
his service to his country when he was in the
armed forces. But yeah, I look forward to meeting him.
We'll have to sit down in my office, and as
with any nominee that my committees have jurisdiction over, we'll
(05:29):
have a thorough discussion.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Where are you, Senator Fisher on President Trump's largest agenda items, particularly,
I'm thinking of immigration and tariffs.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Oh, I think the immigration issue is huge. You know,
that was one of the top two issues that I
am constantly here in Nebraska. To secure that border. We
need to do that. We've seen think it's five times
the population of Nebraska has entered this country illegally under
(06:05):
this current administration. We see the crime, we see the drugs,
we see the pressure on our social services, we see
the harm that it can cause two Americans wages. So
I have talked about forever that we have to be
able to get the administration, this current one and also
(06:26):
a future administration not to let them misuse that parole
authority that is in current law. We need to be
able to end catch and release. We have to build
the wall, We have to secure the border. We have
to reinstate a policy that President Trump had before which
remain in Mexico. So yeah, there's a lot that I
(06:50):
hope we can do and do it quickly to end
this chaos and uncertainty and treat that we have up
to this country with regards to the border with tariffs.
You know, I want to make sure that Nebraska's manufacturers
and egg producers are going to be able to have
(07:14):
a voice in any kind of trade policy that President
Trump comes up with as something he wants to promote.
We did not see the well, first of all, we
didn't see any kind of trade policy at all under
President Biden. It was just nonexistent. He had no trade agenda,
(07:34):
and he certainly didn't solicit any comments from Republicans or
Democrat Well, trum.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Trump will do this. Trump will do this by himself.
Just one more thing, thanks again for your support of
the AM Radio and Every Vehicle Act. Is there is
it possible that that thing can be attached to a
must pass bill before the end of the year.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
You know, I have great staff. You always hear me
say that I have great staff, and we have a
number of issues that we're looking at to be able
to either pass it by unanimous consent. If there's possibilities
we can get that done yet and get it also
these different items through the House, but just what's going
(08:22):
to be available too with larger bills. A lot of
people don't like anything attached. I don't either, but when
it's non controversial, I think acceptance can be made to
that to make sure that we can get some of
these things done and not have to start over again
(08:42):
in January.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Yeah, and the next bill will require people to actually
be on AM radio. If you get that done, actually
pass a lot of require that they have live announcers.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Well, unanimous consent seems to be off the table. That
requires everybody, by definition, right.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Right, all Senators would have to agree to that. And
we pass a number of bills that way. You know,
you don't, you don't care about them all the time.
But it's called the hotline. And put it on the hotline.
And if all the Republicans all the Democrats agree that
there's no objection to it, you can have your bill
(09:18):
passed that way. And these are non controversial bills.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Well, I know.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Which I think which I think the AM radio should
be non controversial. I'm sure you guys agree that M.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
Paul doesn't like it, But okay, so that seems to
be off the table at any rate. Senator thank you
for your time this morning. I always appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
You bet good to visit with.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
You, Senator deb Fisher. Here at seven twenty five.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
Vital Community Intel for you every day. Gary Sadelemeyer and
kfab's morning news
Popular Podcasts
True Crime Tonight
If you eat, sleep, and breathe true crime, TRUE CRIME TONIGHT is serving up your nightly fix. Five nights a week, KT STUDIOS & iHEART RADIO invite listeners to pull up a seat for an unfiltered look at the biggest cases making headlines, celebrity scandals, and the trials everyone is watching. With a mix of expert analysis, hot takes, and listener call-ins, TRUE CRIME TONIGHT goes beyond the headlines to uncover the twists, turns, and unanswered questions that keep us all obsessed—because, at TRUE CRIME TONIGHT, there’s a seat for everyone. Whether breaking down crime scene forensics, scrutinizing serial killers, or debating the most binge-worthy true crime docs, True Crime Tonight is the fresh, fast-paced, and slightly addictive home for true crime lovers.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.