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--:-- John Bickley: Ukraine's president is back in D.C. urging Congress to approve more aid before the Christmas recess, but Republicans have some conditions. The issue is with the White House and the Senate, and I implore them to do their job because the time is urgent.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's right, John. And we're joined now by Daily Wire senior editor, Cabot Phillips. Hi, Cabot.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Hi, Georgia.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So tell us what we're hearing out of Washington this week. What's the latest on the funding for Ukraine?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, throughout the last month, President Biden has been putting pressure on Congress to approve his enormous spending proposal that would offer $60 billion in additional funding for Ukraine. But that measure has faced growing opposition from Republican lawmakers.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And what's the reason for that opposition?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, a poll this week from the Financial Times found that a plurality of Americans, 48%, now say the U.S. is spending too much money on Ukraine. That is compared to just 11% who say we are not spending enough. President Biden is well aware of that reality and knows that a standalone package would be unlikely to pass in Congress. So he included the $60 billion for Ukraine in a broader spending package that also offers new funding for things more popular with Republicans, including military aid for Israel and Taiwan.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So, it's a bit of a trade-off, then?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Exactly. He's hoping to slip it in there. But so far, Republicans are still standing firm against more funding for Ukraine.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And what are we hearing from Democrats on this issue?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, Democrats have essentially painted the debate over funding as a choice between democracy or dictatorship and say that cutting off aid will only benefit Putin.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's right. And I think we have a clip from Democrat Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer following his meeting with Zelensky. Let's take a listen.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks, Cabot. We'll be right back after this break.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Welcome back to Morning Wire. We're discussing the latest developments in Washington, including the funding for Ukraine and the potential impeachment inquiry against President Biden.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right. And we're joined now by Daily Wire contributor, David Marcus. Hi, David.
--:-- David Marcus: Hi, John.
--:-- John Bickley: So, tell us about the significance of this vote if it indeed passes.
--:-- David Marcus: Well, back in September, then Speaker McCarthy directed the House to begin an impeachment inquiry, but without a vote to formalize it. Speaker Johnson and the House GOP claimed that the Biden administration has been withholding witnesses and documents from them, and that an actual motion passed by the House will not only put more pressure on the White House to cooperate, but could also gain them an advantage in potential court battles.
--:-- John Bickley: And what can we expect from the House Judiciary Committee's investigation?
--:-- David Marcus: Well, they've released a five-minute video previewing the inquiry, and it lays out the four essential questions that they want answered. Those are one, did Joe Biden change any policies because of benefits received by him or his family? Two, did Biden allow foreign interest access to him for payments to him or his family? Three, did Biden participate in a scheme to create the impression or as Representative Dan Goldman once put it, the illusion of access? And finally, four, did Joe Biden impede or obstruct the investigation into Hunter Biden?
--:-- John Bickley: And what about the allegations of corruption and influence peddling?
--:-- David Marcus: Well, the preview video also referenced a lot of information that the House has uncovered over the past 11 months. There's Devin Archer's testimony saying that Joe did interact with Hunter's business partners. More recently, direct payments from Hunter to Joe, which Biden world claims were loan repayments. There's the threatening text message to a Chinese company in which Hunter said he was in the room with Joe. And still real questions about Ukraine and Burisma.
--:-- John Bickley: And how have the White House and Democrats reacted to this next step in what could be an impeachment?
--:-- David Marcus: Well, they're steadfast, even in the face of serious questions that this is just a circus being held by the Republicans. Whether that starts to change and Biden and his allies are forced to address the allegations more directly will depend on what the inquiry is able to discover.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's right. And we're also discussing the controversy surrounding Harvard President Claudine Gay. She's facing widespread demands to resign over her response to campus anti-Semitism allegations and plagiarism accusations.
--:-- Megan Basham: That's right. And I'm here to give you the latest on that story. So, Harvard's board has announced that they're keeping Gay in her position.
--:-- John Bickley: And why did they make that decision?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, to be honest, the statement they released didn't provide a lot of answers to critics. They simply said that they affirm their confidence that President Gay is the right leader to help our community heal and to address the very serious societal issues we're facing.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And what about the plagiarism accusations?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, the allegations are that she plagiarized nearly 20 authors in four of the only 11 papers that she's published over the course of 20 years. And that included her doctoral dissertation. And in several instances, she lifted full sentences and paragraphs, only altering a couple of words.
--:-- John Bickley: And how has Dr. Carol Swain, one of the authors that Gay allegedly plagiarized, reacted to this news?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, she's furious about Harvard's response. She's also black, and she posted on X that this is a racial double standard. And she said, and I'm quoting, white progressives created Gay and white progressives are protecting her.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's right. And we'll be right back after this break.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Welcome back to Morning Wire. We're discussing the latest developments in Washington, including the funding for Ukraine and the potential impeachment inquiry against President Biden.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right. And we're wrapping up the show today. Thanks for joining us, everyone.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And don't forget to follow us on social media for the latest updates and analysis.
--:-- John Bickley: And if you want to support our show, you can visit our website and become a member.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back tomorrow with more of the news you need to know.
--:-- John Bickley: And don't forget to try FanDuel for your sports betting needs.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And ZipRecruiter for all your job search needs.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for listening to Morning Wire.
