Francisco, lawmakers in Washington were sorting# out a plan to prevent a government shutdown.

The House passed its temporary# funding bill last night,## with Republicans divided and# Democrats mostly in favor.

Here to discuss both issues is Republican# Congressman Mike Gallagher of He 's also the -- of the Select Committee on China.

Welcome back to the "NewsHour."

REP. MIKE GALLAGHER (R-WI): GE OFF BENNETT: You voted for the short-term gove but voted against the one yesterday.

Why?

REP. MIKE GALLAGHER: It's hard# to see how anything changes with## another short-term funding bill.

Prior to the# An d now here we did waste a month deposing# Speaker McCarthy, having this internal battle,## and yet we're exactly where we were at the# start of that process.

And I'm increasingly## concerned that we are going to sleepwalk# our way into a defense sequester, because,## of course, according to the terms of the# Fiscal Responsibility Act, if we don't pass## appropriations bills, we're going to trigger# a 1 percent across-the-board cut next year.

And at a time of growing geopolitical# crisis in Europe, in the Middle East,## and of course, the Indo-Pacific,# a defense sequester would be about## the stupidest thing we could# do.

So that is my concern.

GEOFF BENNETT: Speaker Mike Johnson# was forced to rely on Democratic## votes to get this bill through the# House using the same Kevin McCarthy used before that group of# House Republicans decided to topple him.

Will Johnson meet the same fate, or will# Republicans give him more room to maneuver?

REP. MIKE GALLAGHER: I think he will have more## room to But to the point of your question, it is# fitting th because it is Groundhog Day in the House# of Representatives.

The only path forward,## as I see it, is, we should pass a clean# non-offset Israel bill.

Therefore, we## can start a process of one track of negotiations# over Israel, Taiwan, and defense appropriations,## a separate track pairing Ukraine and border, and# force both parties to compromise on that issue.

It's going to require compromise.

And then the# speaker should commit to a series of robust## reforms to the entire budgeting process, which is# broken and which is why we are in this situation.## And until you fix that, we're going to wind# up with an endless series of repeating C.R.s.

And, by the way, we should pass the bipartisan,# bicameral Ending Government Shutdown Act,## so we don't do this shutdown politics and# constantly live under the threat of a shutdown.

GEOFF BENNETT: Republicans right# now are increasingly positioning## aid for Israel and Ukraine as an# either/or proposition.

Why is that?

REP. MIKE GALLAGHER: Well, I don't# think it is an either/or proposition.

I think we are the world's sole# superpower and we can afford mu st do both.

I think what Ukraine has# revealed since deterrence collapse Ukraine is that our entire munitions# industrial base is insufficient.

So we have here an opportunity# to make a once-in-a-lifetime,## a generational investment in our munitions# industrial base and build weapons sy long-range precision fires, that are not only# critical for Ukraine, for Israel, but are## critical for our most important national security# challenge, which is China's threat to Taiwan.

That's what we have to do.

That's why it's not# an either/or.

And, certainly, the enemies we have## arrayed against us, this sort of anti-American# alliance led by China, are increasingly working## together.

It's China, Russia and Iran dedicating# themselves to undermining American leadership.

So, for us to sort of segment these# problems, I think this is the global picture.

GEOFF BENNETT: Is that an argument that# could hold sway among the Republicans,## who are increasingly skeptical# of providing funding to Ukraine?

REP. MIKE GALLAGHER: Well, I think if we required# as part of the Ukraine funding a couple one, the administration to come to us with# a plan or a classified expression of what## the end state is in Ukraine,combined with, two,# robust inspector general oversight provisions,## I think that would go a long way# towards alleviating those concerns.

But, again, the reason I advocate for# pairing targeted clinical lethal Ukraine## funding to border policy changes is that# that requires both parties to compromise,## and those Democrats who may be skeptical# of any tougher border policy in order to## support further funding for Ukraine# would have to come to the table.

And that strikes me as a sensible thing to do,# particularly as we hav GEOFF BENNETT: As we mentioned, you# lead the Select Committee on China.## The White House says President# Biden wants to leave his wi th China's Xi Jinping today with the U.S.# relationship In your view, how should the# administration navigate this## relationship with the focus on# problem-solving over provocat REP. MIKE GALLAGHER: I think the important# thing to do is not to slow defensive action## just to sit down at the table with Xi# Jinping or other high-level CCP officials,## because, time and again, we pay# a price just to get to the table,## the CCP makes a promise at the table, and# then it reneges on that promise later.

Put differently, we pay up front in cash, but,# for the Chinese Communist Party, the check is## always in the mail.

And this meeting itself has# come at a cost.

We haven't sanctioned a single## PRC official over the last two years for human# rights abuses in Xinjiang, for its takeover of## Hong Kong.

We obviously haven't had a meaningful# investigation into the origins of COVID.

The spy balloon incident was downplayed.# So there has been a revival of diplomatic## and economic engagement with China that# has come at a cost.

And, in response,## China has actually grown more# aggressive.

You see right now## an unprecedented tempo of pressure being# applied from the mainland against Taiwan.

And so I hope, if nothing else, President# Biden will communicate in strong and clear## and no uncertain terms that this# threat to Taiwan needs to cease.

GEOFF BENNETT: A question about that.

I mean, treating China like a geopolitical# foe, on the one hand, while working## with China to solve major challenges like# climate change, like the problems posed## by artificial intelligence, trying to stem# the flow of illicit fentanyl into the U.S.?

REP. MIKE GALLAGHER: The most important form of# communication to the Chinese Communist Party,## far more important than anything# Biden says in San Francisco right now,## is actually that we surge hard power# west of the international date line to## the Indo-Pacific to make it impossible for# Xi Jinping to conquer Taiwan militarily.

That is the language, the language of# hard power, that dictators like Xi Jinping## understand.

We also need to make sure that we# don't mirror-image our own Western values onto## this regime.

And in the past, people who have# made an argument for cooperation with China## have cited not only climate change, but# also stability on the Korean Peninsula,## as well as public health and pandemic# prevention, as areas where interests align.

But the pandemic, the increased# threats from the North Korean regime,## and certainly the fact that China is the# worst environmental actor in the world,## I think, undermine this argument# that somehow our interests align## or that Xi Jinping cares about commitments# made at COP 27.

I can assure you, he GEOFF BENNETT: Republican Congressman# Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, thanks## for your time this evening.# We appreciate your insights.

REP. MIKE GALLAGHER: Thank you, si