Transcript

Congress GOES OFF on EACH OTHER to MEIDAS on CAPITOL HILL

From MeidasTouch · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 19 min · 3,197 words · 58 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Congress GOES OFF on EACH OTHER to MEIDAS on CAPITOL HILL", an episode of MeidasTouch published January 13, 2026 (19 min, about 3,197 words). It mentions 1 person, work or idea, including Tammy Baldwin.

What this episode is about

Democratic and MAGA Republican Congress members engage in intense confrontations on Capitol Hill as the Midas Touch Network's new DC bureau, led by Pablo Monriquez, seeks to hold politicians accountable on pressing issues like ICE funding. Monriquez interviews various lawmakers, including AOC, who expresses her views on the potential impeachable offenses of the Trump administration, emphasizing the clear criminality she perceives.

Key takeaways

  • Democrats demand accountability, yet some still shy away from impeachment; it's a balancing act of priorities.
  • AOC's call for healthcare and wages counters Republican fixation on anti-Trump rhetoric—substance over spectacle wins.
  • Boebert's push to abolish the Fed reveals a populist backlash, but extreme solutions rarely solve complex issues.
  • Weaponization of power is the new norm—AOC connects DOJ actions to the broader threat of authoritarianism.
  • Funding ICE remains a litmus test for Democratic integrity; deviation on this issue might cost them grassroots support.

Who speaks in this episode?

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 9:00: Tammy Baldwin

Notable quotes from "Congress GOES OFF on EACH OTHER to MEIDAS on CAPITOL HILL"

  • Monriquez then caught up with Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin.
    about Tammy Baldwin · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

Full transcript with timestamps

Democratic Congress members are going scorched earth on the Trump regime on Capitol Hill while MAGA Republican Congress members are being well MAGA. As you know, the Midas Touch Network has launched a DC bureau. Pablo Monriquez has joined the Midas Touch Network and he's there at the Capitol building every day to get the politicians to answer the questions that you want answered. He interviews both Democrats and Republicans and he presses them on the critical questions of the day. One of the most important questions that we've been asking politicians is what is your perspective on funding ICE? Cuz we think that that is a bright line. Any Democratic politician who wants to further fund ICE or fund ICE at all at this point, I don't think deserves our support or your support. But that's just my opinion. Tell me what you think. Let me show you what happens as Pablo Monriquez approaches different

politicians. Here's what they say. And this is part of our new DC bureau effort. By the way, make sure you hit subscribe to the Midas Touch YouTube channel. We are on our way to 6 million subscribers. And if you like the work of Pablo, head over to midasplus.com and become a subscriber there as well. So Pablo Monriquez and uh others caught up with AOC and AOC was asked, "Do you think that the president has committed impeach impeachable offenses?" Watch AOCC's answer. Play this clip.

You mentioned Leticia James or was James Comey as well. There was a lot of conversation about the president not informing Congress with that military operation in Venezuela. Um how do you think the caucus should approach something like impeachment? because there have been some of your colleagues who have said that there have been impeachable acts and they would actually consider going down that route.

Yeah, I mean I think personally I think the criminality of what we've been seeing from this administration uh is quite clear. Um to me individually the question is not the the hard part about impeachment is what in the litany of illegal actions have been taken uh do you actually draft articles on? Do you think the president has committed impeachable offenses?

Absolutely. Absolutely. Without a shadow of a doubt. Starting from the very beginning with um with the seizure of funds uh that are mandated to go out. There's I mean I think that line has been crossed and the question is um about the rest of the country.

Do you wish that the caucus would be more interested in talking about the Iword and going down that path and maybe making some plans for if Democrats can take control of the House next year? You know, I don't think that this is personal. Two things can be true at the same time. I think that accountability needs to be a core part of um of our governance. And I also personally don't run as purely on an anti-Trump. I've personally never run to represent my district on grounds of impeachment or not. I run for healthcare. I run my my community wants to hear about raising the minimum wage, expanding unions, uh health strengthening health care, and I think it's important that we have an affirmative, positive vision for the country. Um but that doesn't mean that we shy away from what what needs to be done in terms of having accountability, make sure that this abuse of power never happens again.

And then Pablo Monriquez caught up with Lauren Boowbert. Contrast what AOC said with Lauren Boowbert. Play this clip. Hey, Congresswoman, is the DOJ being weaponized against the Fed?

I think the Fed has been weaponizing itself against the American people. Uh, I call into question the Fed all the time and uh, we should get rid of it. Abolish the Fed.

Next, AOC talks about how Donald Trump is attacking the Fed and how he has weaponized the DOJ to go after Jerome Powell. Play this clip.

What do you make of the DOJ weaponizing or of Trump weaponizing the DOJ against the Fed? I mean, this is where we're at. This is a very um significant development in the corruption and the weaponization of uh the Department of Justice. We saw with James Comey, we saw with um with AG Leticia James that this administration is more than willing to make up charges that later were then quickly dismissed. Mind you, they were totally dismissed as being completely without grounds. So, they are drafting up and they started on political retribution, right? They were trying to punish James Comey and they're trying to punish Leticia James for doing their jobs independent of political influence. And because they went with that and Republicans did not stand up when that happened, now they are escalating and moving from retribution into extortion and manipulation. What Jerome Powell is doing in standing up to Donald Trump is

he is standing up for the independence of the Fed and frankly for the integrity of the US economy. If you allow the Fed to then be manipulated by these kinds of weaponized influences. Essentially, the threat is lower interest rates or we'll put you in jail or we'll threaten to put you in jail. That is textbook authoritarianism. That is textbook. It's it is textbook authoritarianism and we cannot allow for a desperate to do this and so standing up to it pausing it. I am looking forward to seeing what other um uh individuals whether it's in the private sector or the public sector to to stand up. But I am encouraged by what we're seeing there as well as other Fed chairs also releasing their statements. Here's what AOC has to say about JD Vance. Let's play this clip.

What are your thoughts about what JD Vance was saying last week about uh about how Renee Good was a victim of her own of of her own ideology?

JD Vance believes fundamentally that what happened to Renee Good is acceptable and what should be okay in America every day. And so as far as what a person like that believes, you have to start right there with the person that you're dealing with.

And here's what AOC says very clearly about ICE funding. Let's play this clip. Uh government funding. We're about to run out of money. How uh what should be the red lines when it comes to ICE funding? Uh you you know when it comes to DHS, how uh should there be policy or reduction in funding? What should be the options? I mean, you know, in terms of which deadlines line up with which goals, that's a that's a tactical decision to be made, but my position has always been clear that ICE funding should be cut. Um, we're seeing what they're doing with this reckless explosion in funding. And mind you, just just so everybody knows, I want everybody to understand, the cuts to your health care are what's paying for this. All that extra money that everybody's paying right now in their premiums, all that extra money that you're paying, it is paid for with it is all of that extra money that that the government and the ACA subsidies

that was given to nearly a trillion dollars in healthcare was taken out and given to ICE. So understand how these dots connect. You get screwed over to pay a bunch of thugs in the street that are shooting mothers in the face. That's what that is what this administration's doing. That's what the Republican party did.

Then Pablo Monriquez speaks with MAGA Republican Congress member Troy Nels smoking his cigar. Play this clip.

Are you uh concerned at all that the DOJ is being weaponized against the Fed? You following the story?

They're following the story. Yeah. No, they're not being weaponized against the Fed. Jerome Powell needs to be investigated. Monriquez then caught up with Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin. Let's play it.

On appropriations, given what happened in Minneapolis and what's going on in Minneapolis, would you be open to I mean, are there any red lines for you when it comes to ICE funding or increase the size funding?

Yeah. I mean, I have to ask my Republican colleagues who are obviously picking on these. Is it is this what they want to rubber stamp for residential neighborhoods and cities across this country? Thousands of masked armed agents coming into their communities.

Very disturbing. Do you want do you want to change policy on this as well? We're going to head up elevator up there.

Um that's obviously I don't want to get in the weeds, but that's obviously an authorizing committee issue. Um, but we're talking about appropriations and I I call on my Republicans. Do they want to rubber stamp this or what?

Would you support increases to ICE funding at this point? And no. No. You said no. Okay. Thank you.

Then Monriquez caught up with Senator Murphy from Connecticut. Let's play it. On the home security committee, would you be at this point is increases to ICE funding a red line for you guys?

Well, we're in negotiations right now. We don't have a bill because we don't have agreement. Um uh it's obviously natural that Democrats would want to make sure that any money we spend in DHS is being spent lawfully and right now that department is full of unlawful activity. Um so I'm not going to negotiate out loud. I don't you know

Senator Bur says that she opposes any ICE funding increases. Yeah. I mean there's there's this this would obviously be a very inopportune time to give an agency that is acting lawlessly a whole bunch more money. I mean obviously ICE doesn't ICE has so much money it has no idea what to do with it. Um the last you know so obviously ICE is not suffering from a lack of money after reconciliation. Do you think that do you think

you you c you've talked about policy writer specific things like do you think that there's a possibility that there could be policy changes in the HHS I mean the homeland security bill when it comes to ICE?

I mean I'm I'm I'm just not interested in funding an agency that is operating outside of the law and and making our communities less safe. So there there we're not going to write a comprehensive immigration enforcement reform bill. In the appropriations bill, but but in every bill there's language on how our money is spent, and I want to make sure that our money is spent lawfully. So yes, we're having conversations about how we can pass a bill, but a bill that makes sure that ICE is operating legally.

What about securing behavioral changes like no masks or body cameras? Is that not a priority?

I mean, I'm just not going to speak to we're like in the teeth of talk. So, I'm not I'm not going to speak to individual um policies right now. The my the only success that I have learned in negotiating many bipartisan bills is to not negotiate uh is not negotiate.

Here's what Senator Andy Kim told Monriquez. Let's play it. What's your message to Americans who are worried that their energy bills are going to go up as a result of AI data centers?

Oh, look, uh energy costs are going up just really large. Um, and this is something that we need to be able to tackle. Uh, we're just not producing enough energy as a country and Trump's made it so much more difficult as he's been taking so many uh, renewable energy projects off the grid and just holding us back. So, I mean, this is a broader issue, not just on AI data centers, but just the terrible path that Trump's leading us down.

Here's what Senator Warren told Monriquez. Let's play it. Would you vote for any proposed uh, ICE funding increases for ICE? not without more restrictions on ICE. This is an agency that is out of control. And if we don't get some uh uh restrictions in place, they're going to put more and more American citizens at risk.

Senator, what did you discuss when it all goes back home? Costs. Uh what are your thoughts about Jerome Pollen? Are you worried that this is politicized?

Yes. Uh Trump um is engaging in a pretext in order to try to seize control of the federal reserve.

Have you had a chance to speak with Trump at all? No. Republican Senator Susan Collins had the following to say to the Midas Touch Network. Let's play it.

Is the uh DOJ being weaponized against the Fed? I had a conversation with chairman pal last night and

oh my god I I have always known him to be a man of integrity. Um I have not yet reviewed the transcript that is at issue um which I intend to do. Are you worried?

This This may however be more about um the maintaining the independence of the Federal Reserve, which I support.

Are are you worried that this is Trump trying to politicize the lower interest rates and make the Fed uh bend to his will?

Well, I just said that this may be about the independence of the Fed. More from Andy Kim right here. Is the DOJ being weaponized against the Fed?

Uh, well, look, I I I'm still processing what's happening, but we've already been seeing this president attacking the Fed left and right, trying to undermine the chairman's credibility. And it's not just the Fed just undermining uh independent agencies very large and trying to assert total control uh of the presidential powers. Uh I and I just find that to be dangerous. Uh I called out, you know, the FCC chairman uh a couple weeks ago for again uh just showing his complete um loyalty to Donald Trump and and not doing what uh the law says that he should be doing and and so I'm very concerned about what comes next.

We caught up with Senator Bernie Sanders. Here's what he had to say. Should I funding be a redline issue for Democrats? very worried that ICE is becoming a domestic army for Donald Trump. Uh, and this goes way beyond the issue of immigration. Uh, it goes to the movement in this country toward authoritarianism and fear.

Next, we asked Senator Mark Kelly about the DOJ being weaponized against Powell. Play this clip.

Is the DOJ being weaponized against the Fed against Joel Powell as well? Do you see a similarity? I see huge issues with what they are doing to him.

Uh, and it's it it seems to be a pattern. Republican Senator Baraso from Wyoming. Here's what he had to say. Let's play it.

Do you think that uh do you think that the Justice Department is being weaponized against the Fed?

Well, you know, I've always supported an independent Fed and that's not changed and we'll see what they have and what they present.

Are you Are you all about the potential for you? Are you concerned about are you concerned about the independence of the Federal Reserve for this investigation?

We just talked about it and he just asked the question and long history of supporting the independence of the Fed and see what the Justice Department has to

do that in any way that we're going to see what the Justice Department has to say. A long history of support of independence in the Fed.

Here is what Senator Mark Kelly, Democrat, told us about his lawsuit against Pete Hexit. Let's play it.

Tell me about your lawsuit uh against Mr. Hath, Secretary Hath. And why do you why did you think it was so important to do this? That's what's so important because this is about the Constitution. Uh, and not only the Constitution, it's about the First Amendment and also the separation of powers. And he doesn't have a right to infringe on my constitutional rights, but also the constitutional rights of hundreds of thousands of retired service members who are out there that possibly on the whim of this Secretary of Defense.

More from Andy Kim. Let's play it. Senator, will you go for vote against any additional increases and funding for ICE? There's been an effort by Republicans to try to negotiate them into the appropriations and the mini buses we're hearing today.

Uh yeah, I mean, look, I I I after what we've seen and what we've seen happen across this country, I don't see how we can continue to support uh uh be able to support and so I would be certainly interested in figure out how we can be able to uh engage on that. But what I will say is with the, you know, Republican majorities in both the House and the Senate, they've been just enabling this type of lawlessness that we've been seeing across our country.

And finally, here's what Andy Kim says when Pablo asks him if he thinks that ICE funding should be a redline issue for Democrats. Play this clip.

Do you think that ICE funding should be a redline issue for Democrats and funding battles ahead? Well, look, I I just want to say from my own standpoint, uh, and I, you know, had a, you know, a lot of meetings back home in New Jersey this past weekend. I mean, people feel fear for their safety right now. And when I see a facility like Delaney Hall, I went out there a couple weeks ago. I mean, it is absolutely atrocious. uh the conditions that are being there and the fact that uh companies like Geog Group are literally profiting off of that human misery and and uh you know getting billion-dollar contracts. Um that's not something that's uh that is the best use of our taxpayer dollars. I don't want that facility in New Jersey. I want to shut down and I want those types of facilities shut down. So I will continue to fight for them.

Well, there you have it folks. That's Pablo Monriquez reporting from the Washington DC bureau of the Midas Touch Network. Let me know what you think. Hit subscribe and let's get to 6 million subscribers. Love this video? Support independent media and unlock exclusive content. Add free videos and custom emojis by becoming a paid member of our YouTube channel today. You can also gift memberships to others. Let's keep growing together.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Congress GOES OFF on EACH OTHER to MEIDAS on CAPITOL HILL"?

Pablo Monriquez (Host), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) (Guest), Lauren Boebert (Guest), Tammy Baldwin (Guest), Chris Murphy (Guest), Andy Kim (Guest), Elizabeth Warren (Guest), Susan Collins (Guest).

What is "Congress GOES OFF on EACH OTHER to MEIDAS on CAPITOL HILL" about?

Democratic and MAGA Republican Congress members engage in intense confrontations on Capitol Hill as the Midas Touch Network's new DC bureau, led by Pablo Monriquez, seeks to hold politicians accountable on pressing issues like ICE funding. Monriquez interviews various lawmakers, including AOC, who expresses her views on the potential impeachable offenses of the Trump administration, emphasizing…

What is mentioned in this MeidasTouch episode?

1 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Tammy Baldwin. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Congress GOES OFF on EACH OTHER to MEIDAS on CAPITOL HILL"?

The episode runs 19 min; the transcript is about 3,197 words in 58 timestamped sections.

More from MeidasTouch

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated January 24, 2026.