Interview With Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ)

Interview

"I think all options around the table to get our bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus bill on the floor.

It was introduced Friday. As Josh alluded to, it represents an intersection of where Democrats and Republicans agree. That's what America wants us to do, Dana. They want to sit down in the room. Just like our personal relationships, just like we manage our families and our businesses, you sit down at the table and you figure it out.

And that's what our caucus does. We don't allow the perfect to be the enemy the good. And we take the perspective that we'd rather get 80 percent of something than 100 percent of nothing. That's what our bill that we introduced, equally balanced between Democrats and Republicans -- it was introduced on Friday, the Keep an Open -- Keep America Open Act.

We will do whatever it takes to get that bill on the floor.

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Well, that's -- we're going to do whatever it takes to get that bill on the floor. And we have multiple options.

A discharge petition is one -- one of several options. And a group of us met with the parliamentarian this past week to discuss all the options we have to force a vote on our bill.

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Tim Burchett is my friend. He's a good man, as you saw there. He's principled in what he believes in, and he's representing his constituents.

Josh and I are representing our constituents. That's how this system works. And I don't begrudge anybody for the way they vote or the positions they take. That's between them and their people back home, just like my votes are between me and the good people of Bucks and Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

So we're going to do whatever we need to do to do our job to keep the government open, because our districts, and Josh's as well, we -- our district wants us to keep America running. We don't want the FAA reauthorization to expire. We don't want the government to shut down. We want to continue to support Ukraine in their fight against the genocidal Russian regime.

We want to make sure that we fund community health programs.

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We want to make sure that the TANF program, which is also in our bill, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, that that maintains its funding.

That's what our people want. So we are going to do what it takes to represent our folks...

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... just like Tim is going to do for him.

And we will put it all -- we will put all options on the floor and let democracy take hold.

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Thanks, Dana.

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Good seeing you."

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