>> ERIC: HERE WITH MORE OUT OF D.C., KATHRYN PEARSON TEACHES POLITICS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA TWIN CITIES CAMPUS.

WELL, LET'S TRY A LITTLE DIFFERENT ISSUE.

THE HOUSE HAS PASSED AN EXTENSION OF THE HEALTHCARE SUBSIDIES.

17 REPUBLICANS VOTED WITH THE DEMOCRATS.

WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN THE SENATE, IF ANYTHING?

>> WELL, THERE ARE MODERATE SENATORS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE WHO ARE WORKING ON SORT OF A COMPROMISE PLAN, BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE HE SAME BILL THAT THE HOUSE JUST PASSED.

I WANT TO BACK UP FOR A SECOND AND TALK ABOUT JUST HOW EXTRAORDINARY IT IS THAT THIS CAME TO THE HOUSE FLOOR OVER SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON'S OBJECTIONS.

HOUSE DEMOCRATS, PLUS FOUR REPUBLICANS, USED A DISCHARGE PETITION TO CIRCUMVENT THE PARTY LEADERSHIP.

IT REQUIRES 218 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO SIGN LITERALLY A PETITION AT THE CLERK'S DESK AND THEN THAT BRINGS A BILL TO THE FLOOR.

MANY ARE SORT OF STARTED EACH CONGRESS AND VERY RARELY ARE THEY ACTUALLY SUCCESSFUL.

THAT'S WHAT GOT US THE VOTE ON THE EPSTEIN FILES AND THAT'S WHAT GOT THIS VOTE, WHICH THEN RESULTED IN 17 REPUBLICANS BUCKING THE PARTY LEADERSHIP.

BUT IT'S UNLIKELY THAT THIS THREE-YEAR EXTENSION WILL BE WHAT HAPPENS IN HE SENATE.

IT'S LIKELY TO BE SOMETHING, ONE YEAR, SORT OF MORE ATERED DOWN.

>> Cathy: BUT AT LEAST SOMETHING LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE DONE?

>> POSSIBLY.

POSSIBLY.

THERE'S A LOT OF PARTISANSHIP THESE DAYS.

>> Cathy: FRAUD WAS A STATED REASON THAT I.C.E.

HAS RAMPED UP OPERATIONS IN MINNESOTA.

AND LET'S TALK ABOUT THE HEARING IN WASHINGTON, D.C., BEFORE THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.

WHAT ARE THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THESE HEARINGS?

IT'S THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, IT'S PRETTY PARTISAN.

>> IT'S VERY PARTISAN.

YOU KNOW, CONGRESS IS CHARGED WITH OVERSIGHT OF THE FEDERAL BUREAUCRACY, THAT IS ITS ROLE.

BUT IN RECENT YEARS, AND THIS WAS CERTAINLY AN EXAMPLE OF THIS, T'S REALLY BECOME MORE PARTISAN THAN SORT OF AN AUTHENTIC INVESTIGATION INTO THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, THE FEDERAL BUREAUCRACY, WHAT'S GOING ON IN MINNESOTA.

OF COURSE, THERE ARE VERY LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS TO BE ASKED.

BUT WHEN IT JUST BECOMES PARTISAN ATTACKS FROM BOTH SIDES, IT'S SORT OF TOUGH TO GET AT THOSE ANSWERS.

A LOT OF CLAIMS WERE MADE, UNSUBSTANTIATED.

VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE TO GET INTO, BUT HARD TO KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.

OF COURSE, THE GOVERNOR AND ATTORNEY GENERAL OF MINNESOTA ARE INVITED, BUT WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING, WHO KNOWS IF THEY'LL BE THERE IN FEBRUARY.

>> Eric: AXIOS TONIGHT SAYS DEMOCRATS, IMPEACHMENT FRENZY.

THERE'S SEVERAL LAWMAKERS, INCLUDING BETTY McCOLLUM OF St.

PAUL, WHO WANT TO ATTACK HOMELAND SECRETARY NOEM.

>> RIGHT.

CERTAINLY THERE'S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT I THINK IT'S PRETTY UNLIKELY TO HAPPEN AT THIS POINT.

YOU KNOW, STAY TUNED, SEE WHAT HAPPENS A MONTH FROM NOW.

BUT CERTAINLY YOU DON'T SEE DEMOCRATIC LEADERS, FOR THE MOST PART, THE MORE SENIOR COMMITTEE MEMBERS ON BOARD WITH THIS.

I THINK THEY WOULD REALLY NEED TO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THE VAST MAJORITY OF MEMBERS WOULD BE COMFORTABLE WITH THIS.

>> ric: IS THERE -- IS THERE A BUDGET IN OUR FUTURE?

>> WELL, JANUARY 30th, SO EVERY YEAR WE NEED 12 ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS BILLS, ONLY THREE HAVE BEEN SIGNED INTO LAW, THAT WAS PART OF THE SHUTDOWN SORT OF COMPROMISE LAST TIME.

THE HOUSE HAS PASSED THREE, WAITING ON SENATE ACTION.

BUT NOW THE SENATE WILL BE BUSY WITH THE VOTE OVER THE WAR POWERS RESOLUTION.

SO A LOT HAS TO HAPPEN ON THE BUDGET BETWEEN NOW AND JANUARY 30th.

>> Cathy: BY THE WAY, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE EPSTEIN FILES?

>> WELL, NOT A LOT HAS COME OUT.

THERE ARE A LOT QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.

IT'S NOT GOING TO GO AWAY, IT'S NOT ON THE FRONT BURNER RIGHT NOW.

>> Eric: DO YOU HAVE ANY SENSE HOW WE START THE ELECTION YEAR IN 2026, WHERE WE STAND AS A COUNTRY, WHO'S IN CHARGE, WHO'S UP, WHO'S DOWN?

>> RIGHT.

WELL, CLEARLY DEEPLY DEEPLY DIVIDED.

WITH MINNESOTA BEING SORT OF EPICENTER, FAVOR THE PARTY THAT DOES NOT OCCUPY THE HOUSE.

ADD TO THAT POOR APPROVAL RATINGS FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP.

SORT OF AGAIN, IT WOULD LOOK TO BE A GOOD YEAR, 2026, FOR DEMOCRATS, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF ISSUES RIGHT NOW.

TYPICALLY WE DON'T THINK OF AN ISSUE LIKE VENEZUELA AS BEING SORT OF A BIG ELECTION-YEAR ISSUE, BUT AT THIS POINT, WHO KNOWS, IT COULD BE.

AND WHO KNOWS HOW THAT WOULD CUT.

ONLY ABOUT 33% OF AMERICANS ARE SUPPORTIVE OF THE PRESIDENT'S ACTIONS, BUT A MAJORITY OF REPUBLICANS ARE AND THAT ALSO COULD, YOU KNOW, PLAY OUT DIFFERENTLY, DEPENDING ON THE LEVEL OF U.S.

INVOLVEMENT.

>> Cathy: SO YOU HAVE VENEZUELA AND THERE'S TALK ABOUT GREENLAND.

>> GREENLAND.

>> Cathy: WHERE'S CONGRESS IN THIS?

>> WELL, CONGRESS, THIS ENTIRE CONGRESS, AND THIS HAS BEEN A TREND, BUT THIS CONGRESS HAS REALLY ESCALATED IT, IS REALLY NOT DOING ITS SORT OF ARTICLE I JOB.

THEY ARE STANDING BY WHILE PRESIDENT TRUMP DOES SORT OF WHAT HE WANTS TO DO.

AND REPUBLICANS HAVE, BY AND LARGE, GIVEN HIM A GREEN LIGHT.

THIS VOTE ON THE WAR POWERS RESOLUTION, WHERE FIVE REPUBLICANS JOINED DEMOCRATS IS A RECENT EXCEPTION.

THE HOUSE BILL ON EXTENDING THE OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES IS AN EXCEPTION.

OF BUT, FOR THE MOST PART, THIS CONGRESS, WE'VE REALLY SEEN REPUBLICANS JUST SORT OF CHEER ON PRESIDENT TRUMP INSTEAD OF SORT OF ASSERT THEIR CONGRESSIONAL ROLE.

>> Eric: NEW YEAR'S TO HAVE A-- OFF TO A RUNNING START?