Politics and views in the United States.

GOP Senators voice reservations about Kash Patel, Trump's FBI pick. President Biden continues to face scrutiny over pardoning his son. And GOP House members gear up for tough budget fights, possibly targeting important programs.

TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to 2024 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

Cash Patel understands the problems with the FBI and he is a reformer that will not be captured by the bureaucrats.

Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis supports Cash Patel, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to run the FBI.

But some GOP moderates in the closely divided Senate are voicing doubts about the controversial pick's promise to purge the agency and close its headquarters.

After resisting, the Trump transition is now agreeing to let the Justice Department vet nominees.

Illinois Democratic Congressman Sean Caston has made a long shot move to force the House Ethics Committee to release its report on former Florida Representative Matt Gaetz.

Caston says the committee is undermining its own credibility by not putting out its findings about the failed Attorney General nominee.

And impedes the safety, dignity, and integrity of the legislative proceedings of the House.

A close friend of the Biden family, Delaware Democratic Senator Chris Coons says he understands President Joe Biden's pardon of his son, Hunter, given threats of retribution.

But Coons says he fears it could make it harder to criticize Trump's future pardons.

I am concerned about what's going to happen to the scope of the pardon power going forward.

House Republicans are calling on Democrats to prepare for tough budget decisions and possibly cuts to popular programs.

Georgia Congressman Rich McCormick says they want to look at Social Security and Medicare.

We're going to have to have some hard decisions.

We got to bring the Democrats in and talk about Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare.

Trump critic and former Congressman Adam Kinzinger says he isn't afraid of the new administration, but adds democracy will be put to the test starting in January.

America someday is going to have to wake up and they will wake up and say, my goodness, we've got to protect this.

This is too precious to let flounder.

U.S. officials say they're relieved South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is withdrawing a declaration of martial law.

He accused the liberal opposition of criminal anti-state acts on behalf of the communist North.

The protests against a possible return to dictatorship were immediate and intense.

Vedant Patel is a State Department deputy spokesperson.

Our hope is that any political disputes will be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law.

Advocates are calling on Biden to take executive action to protect immigrant communities ahead of possible Trump mass deportations.

Nevada Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto says Biden could take DACA and temporary protected status migrants out of the undocumented category, giving them a level of certainty and protection.

What I take is what I hear from this incoming administration.

They're going to engage in mass deportation and nobody's safe.

I'm Alex Gonzalez for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

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