Newsmakers: Recent Episodes
C-SPAN
Join C-SPAN every Sunday for conversations with people making the news and the journalists who cover them. Guests come from a wide range of expertise in topics important in today's public affairs: the economy, technology, education, the environment, the military, and many more. Legislators and other experts talk with reporters who cover their shared area of interest.
House Budget Committee Chair John Yarmuth talks about expectations that the House will vote next week on a short-term CR to avert a government shutdown, the risks of potential recession, & the Fed's independence. He also talks about impeachment.
Two weeks before federal funding runs out, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, assesses the status of appropriations legislation in Congress. Senator Leahy may also discuss impeachment actions.
Representative Mike Johnson (R-LA), chair of the Republican Study Committee, talks about Thursday's House vote on initiating impeachment proceedings against President Trump, his committee's health care plan, and wildfires in California.
Representative Rodney Davis (R-IL), House Administration Committee Ranking Member, talks about election security, this week's legislation, the Republican response to impeachment efforts in the House, Turkey, the Kurds and Syria.
The director of Republicans for the Rule of Law talks politics & the group's belief that Republicans - especially Republicans running for Congress - should speak out against President Trump.
Tom Perez, Democratic National Committee Chair, talks about Democratic presidential debates, including the October 15 debate in Ohio, and about 2020 presidential politics widely, including Joe Biden, President Trump, PACs, and online hacking.
James Greenwood, BIO president & CEO, talks about drug pricing & the legislation (H.R. 3) that House Democrats are planning, as well as Senate plans. Speaker Nancy Pelosi highlighted House drug-pricing plans this week.
Representative Mark Pocan (D-WI), Progressive Caucus Co-Chair, discusses the latest on impeachment proceedings against President Trump, including the new focus on Ukraine, congressional spending, and border issues.
The top Republican on the House Natural Resources Committee, Representative Rob Bishop (R-UT), talks about recently introduced legislation, the National Parks, climate change, national monuments, and other related topics.
Neil Bradley, U.S. Chamber of Commerce executive vice president and chief policy officer, talks about the economy and efforts to avoid a recession, trade and the impact of tariffs, and jobs.
Senate Majority PAC President JB Poersch talks about electing Democrats to the Senate in 2020 and prospects for Democrats winning control of the Senate.
Guy Cecil, chair of the Democratic super PAC Priorities USA, discusses 2020 politics and how much money Priorities USA plans to spend, as well as what he thinks Democrats need to do to win the presidency. He also compares this cycle with 2016.
Steven Law, president and CEO of the Senate Leadership Fund, talks about efforts to keep the Senate in Republicans hands, prospects in Colorado where former Governor Hickenlooper has shifted to run for Senate, and his group's spending plans for 2020.
Mary Kay Henry, president of SEIU, the nation's second-largest labor union group, talks about Campaign 2020, the economy, presidential candidates who have the strongest union plans, and immigration.
Representative Garret Graves (R-LA), the ranking member of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, talks about the work of the committee, the Mueller hearings, spending caps, and other issues in Congress.
Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA), chairman of the New Democrat Coalition, talks about the group's priorities and its role in Congress.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine discusses the Apollo 11 moon landing 50 years ago, U.S. plans to return to the moon and to go to Mars, and talks about U.S. space policy overall, including President Trump's goal to develop a Space Force.
Newsmakers interviews EMILY's List President Stephanie Schriock. Ms. Schriock discusses the organization's strategy and priorities heading into the 2020 elections.
Newsmakers interviews Judicial Crisis Network's Carrie Severino on the Supreme Court and Campaign 2020.
House Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL) discusses the latest developments on Iran, immigration, the humanitarian crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, and border security funding.
House Budget Committee Chairman Representative John Yarmuth (D-KY) discusses efforts to reach deals on multiple spending bills, including those that would fund the Pentagon and the departments of Labor and Health and Human Services.
Newsmakers interviews Planned Parenthood President and CEO Dr. Leana Wen about the political and legal impact of recent changes to abortion laws in several states.
Newsmakers interviews Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie about changes to the Veterans Administration.
Former Gov. William Weld (R-MA) discusses his 2020 presidential candidacy and primary challenge to President Trump.
Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), Foreign Relations Committee member, discusses Trump administration policy on Iran.
Representative Patrick McHenry (R-NC), Financial Services Committee Ranking Member, talks about Federal Reserve policy, difficulties that faced the President's recent Fed nominees, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and bank regulation.
Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL), talks about climate issues and news events in Congress. She chairs the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.
Ralph Reed, chairman of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, discusses politics, Joe Biden's entry into the 2020 presidential race, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, President Trump's chances for re-election, and his thoughts on impeachment.
The CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), a trade association of insurance companies, talks about the proposed Medicare for All, Medicare drug prices, and the future of the Affordable Care Act.
Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) talks about Attorney General William Barr's testimony about the Mueller report this week, the role of moderates in Congress, House freshmen, and his willingness to campaign for Republican Senator Susan Collins.
Oversight Committee Ranking Member Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) talks about issues including, allegations of former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, child separation at the U.S.-Mexico border, and the role of conservatives in a Democratic-led House.
Representative Gerry Connolly (D-VA) talks about topics including, how Democrats might follow up on the Mueller Report, conditions at the U.S.-Mexico border, developing a budget, U.S. policy regarding North Korea and the Middle East, and Brexit.
DNC Chair Tom Perez talks about Campaign 2020 for the White House and the broad field of Democrats running and thinking of running for president, and what the Democratic message is.
Larry Kudlow, White House National Economic Council director, talks about the budget that the White House released this week, the U.S. economy, jobs, and trade issues.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Assistant Speaker of the House, talks about Democrats' leadership goals, legislative priorities, and their relationship with Senate Republican leaders and President Trump.
Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts (R), who chairs the Republican Governors Association, talks about the three governor races in 2019, issues in Nebraska and the 2020 elections.
Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson talks about the space force for which President Trump signed a directive thisweek calling on the Pentagon to create a force, next week's meeting between President Trump & North Korean Leader Kim, & military housing
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten talks about education issues including, strikes, teachers' pay, what Congress should do about education now that Democrats control the House, and Trump Administration education policy.
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Troy Price and New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair discuss the upcoming presidential campaign and the candidates visiting Iowa and New Hampshire ahead of the 2020 caucuses and first-in-the-nation primary.
American Conservative Union Chairman Matt Schlapp talks about shutdown politics, President Trump's proposed wall at the U.S.-Mexico border, Campaign 2020, and how conservatives view political developments overall.
House Armed Services Committee Chair Representative Adam Smith (D-WA) talks about this week's Supreme Court decision on transgender troops, U.S. plans to withdraw troops from Syria and Afghanistan, and defenses at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Heritage Action's Tim Chapman talks about the partial government shutdown, President Trump's push for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, and how his organization interacts with Congress.
Representative Bennie Thompson (D-MS), chair of the Homeland Security Committee, talks about the debate over border security, his priorities as the new committee chair, and other congressional issues.
Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA), the new Rules Committee chairman, and Representative Mark Takano (D-CA), the new Veterans' Affairs Committee chairman talk about their committees' agendas as Democrats take control of the House of Representatives.
Incoming Budget Committee Chair Representative John Yarmuth (D-KY) and Incoming Appropriations Committee Chair Representative Nita Lowey (D-NY) join us for separate interviews to discuss their respective committee agendas in the 116th Congress.
Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and James Inhofe (R-OK), who will chair committees in the 116th Congress, talk about their committee agendas. Senator Grassley will chair the Finance Committee and Senator Inhofe will chair the Armed Services Committee.
Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long talks about FEMA's work in 2018 and looks forward to 2019. He suggests FEMA was never intended to be a first responder, but to assist states and localities to meet their emergency needs.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Executive VP Neil Bradley talks about the climate for business during the Trump presidency, as well as Friday's jobs report, trade and tariffs, deficits and the minimum wage.
There will be 100 new members of the House of Representatives when the 116th Congress begins next year. We meet four of them on Newsmakers: Reps.-Elect Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Mark Green (R-TN), Dean Phillips (D-MN), and Jim Baird (R-IN).
USAID Administrator Mark Green talks about U.S. aid to other countries, its goals, and how it is working during the Trump Administration.