The President's Daily Brief - October 2nd, 2023: Averted Shutdown, Slovakia’s Shift, and Turkey’s Turmoil

Episode Date: October 2, 2023

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Congress manages to prevent a government shutdown by passing a stopgap bill, but not without controversy. The bill's lack of vital funding leads to bipartisan disagreements, and some Republicans contemplate a shift in leadership.   Former Prime Minister Robert Fico of Slovakia leads his leftist party to an unexpected victory with a pro-Russian and anti-American agenda, creating possible ripples for the European Union and NATO.   A bomb detonation near a government establishment in Ankara deepens apprehensions about the security and stability of the region.   Customs and Border Protection unveils alarming statistics for September, noting a record 260,000 individuals crossing into the US from the southern border. The increasing influx pushes even New York Governor Kathy Hochul to call for stricter border controls.   Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. Email: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the start of a brand new week and a brand new month. It's Monday, the second day of October. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. In today's spotlight, the U.S. narrowly averted a government shutdown over the weekend. Congress, racing against the clock, passed a stopgap measure to keep the government operational until November 17th. Notice I said operational rather than functioning. Calling what we have on Capitol Hill a functioning government might be overagging the pudding. The bill, while keeping the lights on, has sparked controversy on both sides and is prompting hard-line Republicans to consider a leadership change.

Later in the program, we'll explore two developing stories making global headlines. In Slovakia, a member of both NATO and the EU, former Prime Minister Robert Feetzer led his leftist party to an unexpected victory, championing a pro-Russian and anti-American agenda. This election win could significantly impact the European Union and NATO. Meanwhile, in Ankara, Turkey, a bomb attack near a government building raises concerns about regional security and stability. And finally, in today's back of the brief segment, Customs and Border Protection reports a record-setting September for the southern border, with 260,000 individuals crossing into the U.S.

The situation has escalated to the point where even New York's Democrat governor, Kathy Hokel, is demanding limitations on cross-border migration. But first, today's PDB spotlight. In a collective sigh of relief, or perhaps that sound we heard was just a sigh of disgust, the U.S. has narrowly dodged a government shutdown, thanks to Congress passing a short-term funding bill. The House gave it the greenlight on Saturday with an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 335-91, including 209 Democrats and 126 Republicans in favor, with 90 Republicans and one Democrat opposing it. The Senate followed suit with an 88-9 vote sealing the deal,

and late Saturday night President Joe Biden put his signature on it, extending federal funding for 45 days until November 17th. Now, the good news for Americans is that the government will keep operating. The bad news is that, well, the government will keep operating. Notably absent from this stopgap bill is funding for Ukraine, which is, of course, engaged in an almost two-year-long war with Russia. These funds were axed during negotiations due to objections from some conservatives. Now, in reality, the lack of a funding provision for Ukraine is just Kabuki Theater. It's a nod to the far right wing of the House GOP that objects to spending levels for Ukraine. House Democratic leadership has plans to advance a separate Ukraine aid bill, and the strong sentiment

in the Senate on both sides is to maintain current levels of support for Ukraine. But it is a significant signal that the days of unanimous support in D.C. for unlimited spending for Ukraine's struggle against Putin are over. Another missing piece of the puzzle is the Board of Security measures demanded by a significant faction of Republican members. This omission has Speaker McCarthy's right flank up in arms, with some looking to oust him from his position. Florida Congressman Matt Gates, for instance, intends to file a motion to vacate the chair, citing the need for new leadership. Now, while normal people across the land were enjoying their weekend, a rather unusual incident occurred outside the House chambers. On Saturday morning, just before the House was set to vote on the funding bill, a fire alarm rang out in the Cannon Office building,

leading to an evacuation. Capital police officers then had to check the building, causing a delay of two and a half hours in the vote's start time. After a brief investigation, it was determined, that New York Democrat Congressman Jamal Bowman triggered the alarm. He claims by accident. He explained, quote, I was trying to get to a door. I thought the alarm would open the door, and so I pulled the fire alarm to open the door, and that was by accident. Now, this explanation fails the smell test, since Bowman, a former public school principal, would you think know the difference between a fire alarm and a door. If he's confused over this fact, then he's not qualified to be a school principal, much less an elected representative of anyone. Just to remind, a standard fire alarm located on the

wall of any building is red, it has the word fire on it, and is clearly marked as a fire alarm. My golden retriever Hendricks can tell the difference between a fire alarm and a door opening device. The timing of the alarm raised suspicions that it might have been an attempt to delay the vote. And now, Bowman faces potential censure and expulsion for his actions. Bowman's Democrat colleagues, including the ever-present AOC, have jumped to Bowman's defense, stating that he is stupid enough to genuinely make this mistake. I'm kidding. Their defense was better than that. They said it was a reasonable mistake because he found himself in a vestibule in front of a locked door and panicked because he didn't want to be late for a vote. So, once again, apparently,

politicians think that you're stupid enough to believe whatever they say. Look, there are only two options here. Either Bowman really is inept, or the Democrats, on the record as having wanted to delay the vote, deliberately disrupted proceedings in a federal building. Now, the part that I find entertaining is that if they did come up with a fire alarm caper, the Democrats then had to decide which of their colleagues could pass as stupid enough when called on the carpet for pulling the alarm. I'd like to know who proposed the caper to Bowman and advised him that he was perfect for the job. All right. Coming up next, I've got a pair of developing stories that demand your attention. First, in Slovakia, a surprising turn of events as former Prime Minister Robert Fetzel

leads his leftist party to victory, pushing a pro-Russian and anti-American agenda. The implications for the European Union and NATO are significant. Then a troubling incident in Enquist. Turkey, where terrorists carried out a bomb attack near a government building, causing injuries and raising concerns about regional security. Stay tuned for the latest on these unfolding situations. I'll be right back. Welcome back to the President's Daily Brief. This past weekend, Slovakia, a member of both NATO and the EU, held its national elections,

and the results are sending shockwaves that could have a significant impact on both NATO and support for Ukraine. Prime Minister Robert Fizzo and his leftist direction party secured 42 seats in the nation's 150-seat parliament. Now, while that's obviously not a majority, this outcome calls for the formation of a coalition government, and traditionally, the election winner is asked to lead the government, making Fetzo the likely choice for prime minister. What's making headlines here is that Fetzo in his party campaigned with an explicitly pro-Russian and anti-American message. He's saying, he's pledged to withdraw Slovakia's military support for Ukraine in Russia's war if he returns to power,

stating, quote, people in Slovakia have bigger problems than Ukraine. Now, while Slovakia isn't exactly a military powerhouse, it has been a key supporter of Ukraine up to now, punching far above its weight in terms of providing aid. Being right on Ukraine's western border, it's been an important pipeline for fleeing refugees and for military support. It's provided vital weapons systems such as Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets, the S-300 air defense system, helicopters, armored vehicles, and demining equipment. Currently, the existing government plans to send artillery ammunition to Ukraine and provide training for Ukraine's service members. This development marks another challenge for Ukraine, which is facing increasing difficulties in maintaining

a united international alliance. Now, the reality here is that some fissures in the strong allied support for Ukraine were bound to develop as the war drags on towards its third year. Governments are working harder to justify the continuing high levels of spending and resources devoted to Ukraine. The U.S. is a perfect example of this growing skepticism among some politicians and a portion of the population. While moral support still runs very high for Ukraine's cause, there is a sense of frustration concerning the endgame, or lack of endgame, and the need for more transparency in the spending process. Meanwhile, Turkey is grappling with the aftermath of a suicide attack that shook its capital, Ankara. According to the Interior Ministry, two assailants in a small commercial vehicle carried out a bomb attack at the headquarters gate.

One detonated the explosive while the other was killed in the confrontation with the police. The Immortals Battalion, a faction of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, has claimed responsibility for the bombing. They stated, quote, a sacrificial action was carried out against the Turkish Interior Ministry by a team from our Immortal Brigade in an interview with the Farot News Agency, which has close ties to the Kurdish movement. For those unfamiliar with the group, it's important to note that the PKK is labeled a terrorist organization in Turkey in the European Union, and the United States. Their aim is to establish an independent socialist Kurdish state in a region they refer to as Kurdistan, encompassing parts of Southeast Turkey. And their armed struggle against the Turkish state goes back to 1984. While this isn't the first attack on Ankara, it marks the first

such incident in several years, and it serves as a stark reminder that tensions between Turkey and the PKK do appear to be escalating. In response, Turkey has carried out a series of airstrikes, on Kurdish rebels based in northern Iraq, following the suicide blast at the Interior Ministry. The government reports that 20 targets were destroyed and many militants from the banned PKK rebel group were, quote, neutralized. All right, coming up in today's back of the brief segment,

we dive into a record-breaking September in terms of crossings at America's southern border. The situation is becoming so dire that even New York Governor Kathy Hockel is demanding limits on these crossings, citing the migrant crisis's impact on the Big Apple. I'll be right back. Welcome back.

In today's back of the brief segment, we provide an update on the situation along the U.S. southern border. Over the past month of September, the U.S. has witnessed a startling surge in migrant crossings at the southern border. Customs and Border Protection, CBP, has reported over 260,000 encounters, a number that exceeds the entire population of Lurais. This figure represents the highest monthly total ever recorded by border officials, surpassing the

previous record set last December of 252,320 migrant encounters. Highlighting the severity of the illegal immigration problem, even New York Democrat Governor Kathy Hochel is criticizing U.S. border policies. In a recent interview on CBS's Face the Nation, Hockel expressed her concerns stating, quote, it is too open right now. Yes, Kathy Hockel is apparently a master of the obvious. She emphasized the need for Congress to establish limits on who can cross the border. Oh, that would be helpful, underlining the strain that it places on New York City. Despite what she described as the city's welcoming nature, she stressed a necessity of setting boundaries.

As the nation grapples with this immigration challenge, Hockel's removal. marks, along with those of other Democrat leaders in sanctuary cities that are severely impacted by the demand on city resources, illuminates that a growing sense of frustration within President Biden's party. Now, for years, while the immigration problem was viewed as simply a border state's problem, there was rarely any sense from the Democrat Party that the border was anything other than a Republican talking point. Now that Democrat city and state leaders are pressuring the White House to do something, there may actually be an opportunity developing here. for an actual bipartisan approach to both border security and immigration reform. However, that opportunity

would require a level of maturity, focus, and bipartisan compromise that just might be beyond the current batch of grandstanding politicians currently occupying Capitol Hill. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief from Monday to October. If you have any questions or comments, reach out to us at PDB at thefirsttv.com. I'm Mike Baker. Until tomorrow, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.