Rep. Paul Ryan: Frustrating that bills get stuck in Senate

House speaker on 'Hannity' discusses getting legislation passed despite Filibuster rule.

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," September 27, 2017. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Not quite.

TUCKER CARLSON, HOST, "TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT": Sean Hannity, congratulations!

HANNITY: All right. Tucker, I appreciate it. By the way, I'm only one studio over from Tucker.

CARLSON: I can hear you.

HANNITY: Yes. You can hear me right across the room. All right, Tucker, thank you so much. And welcome to "Hannity."

And yes, we're broadcasting from the swamp, in other words, our nation's capital, Washington, DC. Tonight, Dr. Sebastian Gorka, Darryl Parks have a very powerful debate and you don't want to miss it. Also tonight, we made a promise to you. We'll going to hold Washington accountable. That is why we're here. Our exclusive sit-down interview with the Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. We will ask him about the Republican's new tax plan, President Trump's agenda and so much more.

But first, we're following two major breaking news stories tonight. The President did unveil the GOP tax plan that calls for massive cuts, sweeping reform. Is it enough? Will it help you? We'll explain what it means for you and your family. Also, the President, he is not backing down in the NFL anthem controversy and we have brand-new comments from the President.

We'll play that and he spoke exclusively with "FOX & FRIENDS WEEKEND" co- host Pete Hegseth. We will play all of that for you.

Also tonight, a HANNITY history lesson on how the left, the mainstream media, how they have been disrespecting the flag, the National Anthem and our military for years. I promise, you will not get this anywhere else on your television dial. We have all of that in tonight's very important breaking news opening monologue from D.C.

All right. So, President Trump is hitting the road today to outline details of his tax plan and how it is going to impact you and your families. Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: This is a once in a generation opportunity, and I guess it's probably something I could say that I'm very good at. I've been waiting for this for a long time. We're going to cut taxes for the middle class, make the tax code simpler and more fair for everyday Americans, and we are going to bring back the jobs and wealth that have left our country and most people thought left our country for good.

We want tax reform that is pro-growth, pro-jobs, pro-worker, pro-family and yes, tax reform that is pro-American.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

HANNITY: Now, basically, the president, he is following through on what he promised you on the campaign trail. Now, here is what the president outlined today. He is going to consolidate the seven current brackets to just three brackets with new rates. Twelve, 25 and 35 percent. He is going to double the standard deduction, and if you are single, well, you are not going to pay taxes on the first $12,000 you make. If you're married, that increases to $24,000.

The child tax credit will also be expanded and he will repeal the alternative minimum tax and he will end the death tax, double taxation. Now the corporate rate will be lowered to 20 percent and he wants to create a 25 percent pass through tax rate which is going to help small business owners. And he is also calling for a very low repatriation tax, and that is a tax rate for multi-national corporations that targets money directly that's parked overseas because of the high taxation and regulation here, and that allows these multi-nationals to bring trillions back to the American economy.

So, let me explain. The corporate side of tax reform is so very important and here is why. When businesses pay higher taxes, it gets passed on to you, the customers. Corporations don't pay taxes. Now, if President Trump's plan is approved, all these companies will have billions of dollars, if not more, of extra money. They're not going to put it in their bank account. Guess what they're going to do? They'll going to invest, capital and manufacturing centers and factories, which will create jobs for the millions of forgotten men and women in this country. That's what we need, that's what we want, that's what many of you voted for.

And to add to that, the House Freedom Caucus, they are now supporting the president's plan. So basically everything that the President is proposing is designed to help grow the economy.

And the only thing I would add to the plan personally? Give a tax cut across the board and let everybody have it. And in many ways, it's a lot like what President Reagan did in the 1980s. Now, President Reagan, he created the blueprint for economic success, and it all adds up. Here are the facts.

Reagan, he slashed over the course of his presidency the top marginal rate from 70 to 28 percent. As a result, economic growth exploded. For example, 1984 GDP growth -- get this - hit 7.3 percent. Well, Barack Obama didn't reach three percent in a single year of his presidency, the only president in history not to do that. Twenty million jobs were created under Reagan after the recession. Revenues to the government doubled by cutting taxes. And America, it saw the longest period of peacetime economic growth in history to that point.

And if Americans, if you want more proof that works, well, just take a look at what happened when John F. Kennedy, a Democrat believe it or not, he cut the top marginal rate from 91 percent to 77 percent. Same thing, millions of jobs created, GDP growth soared.

But today, the left predictably, all they want to do despite all the tax cuts that the president is proposing for the middle class and corporations and small businesses, they do what they always do, right to the playbook. Let's play class warfare. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

SEN. CHUCK SCUMER, D-N.Y., SENATE MINORITY LEADER: Under this plan the wealthiest Americans and wealthiest corporations make out like bandits while middle class Americans are left holding the bag.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What has been released today makes a total mockery out of the President's pledge that he wanted tax relief to be for the working class and it wouldn't be for the wealthy.

REP. NANCY PELOSI, D-CALIF., HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: It's a swindle of the American people selling the same blueprint, the failed trickle down Bush tax cuts for the rich that did not create jobs and will only increase the deficit.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

HANNITY: Same boring talking points. And then you have the mainstream media -- an extension of the Democratic Party -- all they did was echo those talking points. Watch and listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, CNN: If you look at this plan, are those cuts in balance favoring the wealthy over the working class?

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: President says this plan will provide little benefit for people of wealth like himself. Is that true?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In a word, no. The majority of this tax plan, the benefits are going to go to the wealthy.

BLITZER: If he is worth as he says $10 billion and doesn't have to pay any tax on his estate, that would be an enormous bonanza for him and other very wealthy people. Right?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely.

HEIDI PRZYBYLA, MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST: You can cut taxes on people who are lower income but it is peanuts in their wallet compared to the windfall that that would be for the wealthy.

They are not even mentioning some of the easiest stuff that benefits that wealthy and it is considered by everyone to be essentially unfair, that people like hedge fund managers and very wealthy investment professionals pay such a low tax rate.

KATY TUR, MSNBC ANCHOR: Good point, Heidi.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

HANNITY: They are just wrong, they don't know what they're talking about.

Now, the Trump hating Washington Post, a perfect example. They attacked the president's tax plan. Look at the headline what it says. "GOP proposes deep tax cuts but provides few details on how to pay for them."

Now, this is what the liberal press and people on the left will never, ever understand in spite of Reagan and Kennedy's success: The idea. It is not a zero sum game, you want to grow the economy. And if you do that, well, those people out of work and in poverty and on food stamps, they will have jobs and stop taking hand-outs and they'll start paying taxes. In other words, you incentivize people to work and pay taxes, you create an environment that is growth oriented for everybody. Democrats, the media, they just play class warfare. They have been doing it for decades.

Now, you have to remember this: Democrats and the mainstream left establishment media, they are not telling you that under President Obama -- they will never tell you this -- 13 million more Americans were on food stamps. Eight million more Americans were put in poverty. Ninety five million Americans were out of the labor force. Lowest labor participation rate since the 70s and the worst economic recovery since the 40s. Lowest homeownership rate in 51 years. And by the way, President Obama accumulated more debt than every other president before him combined. Great job, President Obama.

Now, they also don't want you to know that here is the facts, the rich that they hate so much, the top one percent of wage earners in America according to IRS, they pay 39.5 percent of all federal income taxes. Top 10 percent wage earners, they pay 70.9 percent of personal income taxes. So, it sounds like the rich are paying their fair share to me.

Now, the bottom 50 percent of wage earners, they pay 2.8 percent combined. And we can't forget, 35 percent of tax filers pay nothing, zero federal income tax. And under President Trump's plan, they will even pay less.

So, my advice to the GOP is very simple. Stay the course, follow the Reagan, the Kennedy models and stick to the plan that the President is proposing.

Now also tonight, President Trump, he is not backing down in his fight to defend the flag, the National Anthem and stand up for our military. Now, the President called out the NFL National Anthem protesters once again. Good for him, take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: The NFL is in a very bad box. You cannot have people disrespecting our National Anthem, our flag, our country and that's what they're doing. And in my opinion, the NFL has to change or you know what's going to happen? Their business is going to go to hell.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now, as the President keep saying, this issue is very simple, it's about respect. He never once mentioned race, not one time despite what the liberal media is saying to you when they lie to you. Now the military fights, you know what? They fight, bleed and die, why? So football players and others will have the opportunity. And in the case of football players, to make millions of dollars for playing a sport on Sundays.

Now members of the military that puts everything on the line every single day for all of our freedoms. They don't do it for the money, they don't get paid a lot on average. Privates make $40,000 a year. Football players on average makes over 2.4 million a year. And by the way, the guys in the military, they don't do it for recognition, they do it because they love the country and they are willing to fight and die defending the country and they fight under that flag.

You know what at a bare minimum, every single American should stand with their hand over their hearts during the National Anthem and honor them. The veterans, active duty military members, do they not deserve that honor? Is showing respect to the military, is that really too much to ask? And as I've been saying, until the NFL fixes this, addresses this issue right now Saturday is my football day. I'll watch college football and I think millions of Americans will be doing the same.

And as you can see, they'll going to stop watching. According to a new poll, 64 percent of you the American people agree with the President's position that this is completely out of line. Ratings for the NFL already down 11 percent just compared to last year which was a low year for them. We're also seeing more fallout from the NFL controversy. The National Anthem singer for the Baltimore Ravens, veterans, Joey Odoms, he has now resigned and now a CEO that provides the wardrobe for NBC's on-air talent said, he is no longer do that and he is also pulling his ads from stations that broadcast NFL games.

Taya Kyle, remember the widow of American hero, Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. She is now speaking out with a very powerful open letter to the NFL. Let me read part of it to you. It says, "Your desire to focus on division and anger has shattered what many people loved the most about the sport. Football was really a metaphor for an ideal world. Different backgrounds, talents, political beliefs and histories as one big team with one big goal, to do well, to win together."

I'll sum it up perfectly. Sports are supposed to be the one thing that can unite us. An escape from politics. Americans don't want to see players disrespecting the flag, not standing for the anthem and making cheap political points. By the way, what is their big political point? Is it one universal point? And the NFL, they also continue to be exposed as total hypocrites.

Take a look at this quote, from an article written by Mark Thiessen, "The NFL gave operations manual," get this because they're all rules, it says, quote, "all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem. They must stand at attention. They must face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand and refrain from talking or face discipline such as fines, suspensions, and/or the forfeiture of draft choices."

And by the way, that's first offense. And there is the mainstream media, they are just pathetic. And despite the President clearly stating again and again and again and again that his criticism of the NFL has nothing to do with race, the media, they are engaging in identity politics. So predictable, so pathetic and they lie almost on an hourly basis. It is so bad the information crisis in this country. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, "NIGHTLINE"/ABC: This current NFL kneeler movement may have kicked off with Collin Kaepernick but when it comes to athletes using their platform, he did not start the fire.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, "NIGHTLINE"/ABC: Seventy years ago, this was a face of change and of social activism in sports when Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color line in 1947.

CHARLIE ROSE, "THIS MORNING"/CBS: Where is Collin Kaepernick at year later?

JAMES BROWN, HOST, "NFL TODAY"/CBS : A year later, still from a visible standpoint, unemployed as far as the NFL is concerned.

The fact of the matter is, he has put his money where his mouth is, nearly $1 million through community efforts to be a bridge builder.

CHRIS MATTHEWS, MSNBC HOST: President Trump clearly decided that his political livelihood depends on widening this country's racial divide. Why we have to ask if this man keep picking it the scab of ethnic anger.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, MSNBC: Donald Trump thinks I can get a victory, I can talk about entitled black athletes who make too much money. He thinks that is going to be successful for him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, CNN: For somebody who is focused on stirring up his working class white base and he thinks this is the way to do it.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Forty percent of our active military members are racial and ethnic minorities and you can better believe they have a vested interest in racial justice. Mr. President, don't you think they deserve better?

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

HANNITY: To destroy Trump media, you know what, does like always, they've been so quick to jump and race to judgment like they always do and just trash the President. And frankly, what are they doing? They are defending those disrespecting the flag, the anthem and the military. You know what? It's time for Hannity history lesson. For all of you people at MSNBC, the conspiracy network, fake news CNN, try and keep up with this. You know what?

You in the media, you like to always -- all you want to do is trash the President. What is he doing? He is defending those who respect the flag, the anthem and those that fought under that flag. This shouldn't come as a surprise. You guys on the left. You know what, journalists, frankly, have been mocking the National Anthem and we haven't been paying attention for years. Let me give you an example. Former liberal, CNN, MSNBC, fake news host Bill Press, one of their employees said this, listen to this, just a couple of years ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL PRESS, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: It is a major crusade of mine, a major cause of mine, and that is to get rid of the Star-Spangled Banner. The home of the brave? I don't know.

Are we the only ones that are brave on the planet? I mean, all the brave people live here. I mean, it's just stupid, I think. I'm embarrassed every time I hear it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: I'm embarrassed every time I hear the National Anthem? Wow. And he worked for CNN and NBC? Whoof! Now, other members of the liberal mainstream media, they have said similar things. They have bashed patriotic Americans who do salute and honor the flag. Let's take a look. Liberal Bill Moyers, PBS. Can we help fund them? Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL MOYERS, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: The next time you say The Pledge of Allegiance, I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republican for which it stands, one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Remember, it's a lie, a whopper of a lie. We coax it from the mouths of babes for the same reason our politicians wears those flag pins in their lapels. It makes the hypocrisy go down easier.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: So said, what a pompous ass. And former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw, he once said, he didn't think journalist should be wearing an American flag. Isn't Americans first? And former ABC News anchor, remember my buddy, Ted Koppel, Mr. interview me for 51 minutes and show 70 seconds of him looking great? He almost said the same thing.

It is a blatant display of disrespect from people in the NFL and the media. If it's perfectly into their rigid, left wing ideology I don't get. Rush Limbaugh was going to be with us tomorrow. He said this earlier this week that the NFL has now become a tool of the left. How sad is this? But it's true, watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: We're dealing with liberalism here and we're dealing with the left. And that is just not how they operate. Everybody knows how much I love the NFL and how bigger than life it's always seemed to me. But it doesn't seem bigger than life. It just seems -- it seems like a tool now. It has become a tool. I don't mean slang for fool. It has become something being used by the political forces in the left to advance their agenda, which is an anti-American agenda.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Here is what we all need to ask ourselves tonight. All right? What are the goals of the NFL National Anthem protestors? Does anybody know? Is anyone going to talk about the NFL's inconsistencies on free speech and their flat out hypocrisy? Are we going to talk about the billions of hard-earned tax dollars that go to the NFL so they can build their stadiums and the money that the league literally was taking from the military so the league can honor the vets they are being paid to honor them?

You know what? And that was before of course, they were publicly shamed. So, who are the divisive people here? Who are the really divisive people? Is it the NFL or is it the President? The left or the President? The media or the President?

Here now with reaction, chief strategist for the Make America Great Again coalition, Dr. Sebastian Gorka and civil rights attorney Daryl Parks. Daryl, let's start with you. Your thoughts.

DARYL PARKS, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Without question I think people are missing the message here. This has always been about racial inequality in the country and drawing attention to the racial inequalities that African- Americans and people of color face every day in America. This has never been about disrespecting the flag or anthem. We love America.

It creates wonderful opportunities for all of us to succeed. Now the message though needs to be clear. The people who are crying out, the President needs to find a way to bring us together. And so, I call upon the President to find ways to bring us together.

HANNITY: Daryl, isn't he bringing us together saying, don't disrespect the flag and the anthem and don't disrespect those who bled and died under the flag and respect the flag, respect the anthem, respect your country, respect the military. That's what he is saying.

Sean, let me say this to you. But he also has to say, why are the people feeling this way? Why are they feeling inequality exists? What can he as the President do to address this? That's the question for the President.

HANNITY: Dr. Gorka?

DR. SEBASTIAN GORKA, THE MAGA COALITION CHIEF STRATEGIST: Mr. Parks, you say you love the flag, you love this nation. Well, love the flag as well. The red of that flag, the stripes in that flag, that's the same red as the blood of Americans that fought and died for this nation. And we didn't look upon them based upon their skin color, the blood of a black African- American is the same color as an Asian, as a white-skinned American.

The people who fought on the beaches of Normandy, who fought in Vietnam, in Korea, in Afghanistan, and Iraq. It's a symbol of unity. If you can't see the flag and the anthem as symbols of unity but political tools, then perhaps you should think again about which country you're loyal to.

PARKS: Well, here is the problem. I think that when people are loyal to the flag, loyal to the anthem, but people still see the injustices in the streets that still exist throughout America. So, we have to address that. Yes, we're loyal to the flag, yes, we show allegiance but we also see what's happening in police brutalities and inequities that exist throughout the country. So, those things have to be addressed and should be addressed from the --

HANNITY: Daryl, you were wrong on Trayvon Martin. You were wrong and what the outcome would be. You were wrong in Ferguson. And a lot of people wrong in Baltimore. Cambridge police didn't ask stupidly, did they? Dr. Gorka.

GORKA: When you see those caskets come home from the battlefields with dead American soldiers and marines in them, do we think about that flag having a skin color? Do we think about that flag belonging to a political party? Is it the GOP's flag, is it the Democrats flag? Does it belong to the urban cities, does it belong to the fly-by states? No. None of those dead Americans are honored by the flag in partisan ways.

They're on it because the flag is a symbol of our nation. It's a symbol of our unity. And if you don't want to have a unitary nation, then you don't have a nation. If you don't respect the flag, then you don't respect the lives of the people who died for that nation. It's that simple.

PARKS: Sean, if I may, without question when we see this flag, this is also the same flag we see young African-American boys also laying in caskets.

GORKA: That's what I am saying.

PARKS: So, many of us have seen the caskets and the lives of our people who have died for no reason at all under law, under the flag.

HANNITY: But that's what he just said.

PARKS: The questions that we have to ask. Nobody -- let me finish.

GORKA: I just said that.

HANNITY: Dr. Gorka, you just said that.

GORKA: I just said that. So, why aren't we respecting the flag? If dead African-Americans, if dead white Americans, if dead Asians, Latin Americans are respected by that flag on the casket, why do you want to disrespect the flag?

PARKS: I think you are missing the point. When African-American boys are dying in our streets and the people who kill them are not being brought to justice, that is injustice.

HANNITY: What did Obama do with all these deaths and shootings at record numbers? Nothing. Nothing. He didn't go to his home city. He mentioned it like three times in his presidency.

PARKS: But Sean, without question, we are also waiting for President Trump to go to Chicago as well, too. That hasn't happened.

HANNITY: All right. Thank you both. Powerful debate. I appreciate it. When we come back, holding Washington accountable. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. And breaking tonight, new comments from President Trump on the NFL. He spoke to Pete Hegseth. We'll going to give you a preview of that only here on HANNITY tonight.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Our economy cannot take off like they should unless we dramatically reform America's outdated, complex and extremely burdensome tax code. It is a relic. My administration has been working closely with Congress to develop a framework for tax reform.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: All right. That was the President earlier today announcing his tax reform proposal. Tonight, we went to the capitol where we spoke with the Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Mr. Speaker, how are you?

REP. PAUL RYAN, R-WIS., SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I'm doing great. Good to have you. Welcome to the Capitol.

HANNITY: Great to be here, I think, well, this is the swamp.

RYAN: We're on the House side, though.

HANNITY: That's true, that's true. We're not on K Street or in the Senate. Let me start with today's plan. This is going to impact a lot of people. First question everyone is asking me, are they going to get it done? Is this going to happen? Is the Senate going to get it done?

RYAN: We better get it done. And the answer is, yes. This is one of the most important things we can do to help all Americans in this country. We will reign on this. This is the kind of plan that Donald Trump ran on, that House Republicans ran on. And yes, we're going to get this done. This is about economic growth. It is about bigger paychecks. It is about more jobs, it's about fairness system in our tax code so we're really excited about this.

That's why we spent all this time working with the President and yes, working with the Senate and the House to make sure we're on the same page, so we work off this common framework to go from here to get this done.

HANNITY: We'll get to the process in a second. Let's go over the plan. Seven brackets to three. Middle class tax cuts.

RYAN: Yes.

HANNITY: Standard deductions, childcare tax cut has expanded. You eliminate the alternative minimum tax. Corporate rate 20 percent. The President said he wanted 15 when he was running. 22.5 is the industrial --

RYAN: Average.

HANNITY: Average. Okay.

RYAN: So, we're below the worldwide average.

HANNITY: Right. And then repatriation of trillions overseas to incentivize them to bring money over.

RYAN: That's right. That's right.

HANNITY: And you put it on a postcard or do it online. Explain. Give more detail.

RYAN: You said a lot right there. So, here is what this is about. This is about delivering middle class taxpayers tax relief. There are a lot of people in this country working paycheck to paycheck. A lot of people in this country because of the slow growth economy we've had in the Obama years, never got the raise. A lot of economic anxiety. This is really about them.

This is about letting those hardworking taxpayers keep more of their own money and giving them a tax break but also simplifying the system so much that nine out of 10 taxpayers can fill out their taxes on a postcard. Cleaning it up and simplifying it. And by the way, by getting rid of loopholes, you are making the system more fair. So, people who make the same kind of money pay the same taxes.

It's fairness, it's unrigging the economy, it's getting all the connected crap out of the tax code, excuse me for saying that, but this tax code is --

HANNITY: 31 years. It's fine. Go on.

RYAN: It is 31 years of special interests carve-outs put in the tax code. As a result of that people pay higher tax rates. Get the junk out of the code, lower the tax rates.

HANNITY: Let me go to criticisms right off the top. Some people say why not across the board states like for example when you move the state, local income deduction. I live in New York, I pay 10 percent federal tax. California 13.5 percent. No longer deductible. So while their rate may be lower they'll end up paying more.

RYAN: When you double the standard deduction and give more benefits like reducing and eliminating the marriage penalty and larger child tax credits. Everybody in the middle class, even in Blue State are going to see a big break.

The other question is should we be having some states subsidize other states who have big government and high taxes? We want to get rid of that so that it's just fair across the board for everybody.

HANNITY: You acknowledge people in states that are taxing on a bigger government

RYAN: If you have a bigger government in your state, you have a bigger write-off, because your government is bigger than when you are in a state with a smaller government. Why should we incentivize big government? That is point one and point two, by getting rid of loopholes and deductions, we can give everybody in the middle class a tax break. We want to do is reduce these deductions and get rid of the loopholes so that everybody can keep more of their own money in the first place and you decide what to do with your money. If you have kids we'll help you with that. Expanded child tax credit and raising the standard deduction it just simplifies things so much so that people just don't pay taxes on the first $24,000 of money they earn.

HANNITY: I love the corporate tax, corporations can then invest and manufacturing centers and factories and create jobs. I love the repatriation, because again that is trillions of dollars parked overseas. Hopefully they will invest in Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and states that are depressed. But the one thing that I thought was a little different from the Reagan tax cut, he went from 70 percent to 28 percent the top marginal rate.

RYAN: 70 percent over the course of his presidency and 58 to 28 in 86. Right.

HANNITY: Over the course of his presidency. And it seems, that wouldn't that be another part of the equation? In other words, it's all about growth.

RYAN: Right.

HANNITY: I have a "Washington Post" article today. GOP proposes deep tax cuts, provides few details on how to pay for them. I can answer that question. It's about growth. Wouldn't cutting everybody's taxes when the top 10 percent already pay 70 percent of the bill, the bottom 50 percent basically pay none?

RYAN: I would say this first of all for high income taxpayers they've done really well. It's the middle class that has gotten squeezed in this country. On income tax rates for people's personal taxes what the President feels very strongly about and congress agrees is that the middle class are the people who need the tax break? People who are low and middle income are living paycheck to paycheck worried about losing their jobs or having gotten a raise in years. This is about them and not about people who are really high income earners getting a break.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: When we come back the speaker talks about President Trump and Mitch McConnell. Why can't they do a thing in the senate? Also, brand new comments from President Trump about the NFL. He spoke to our own Pete Hegseth. We'll give you a preview straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: My interview with Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: When I was here in February, I asked you very specifically, you gave me a 200-day agenda. You said we would repeal and replace. You said, that refugees build the wall. Not education right away. The house as accomplished a lot more than the senate. I understand that you can claim success but if Mitch McConnell can't even appoint 2/3 of the President's appointees nine months in and Mitch McConnell and you have passed 270 some odd bills that he hasn't taken up.

RYAN: The point is we're on schedule in the house. We passed the healthcare bill back in May and the repeal and replace of Dodd Frank. We did case law, we did sanctuary cities, we did military, we did veterans, we did pure technological education reforms, we did school choice for D.C., we did pro-life legislation and we had done all this things. We passed 337 bills in the house as of this week.

HANNITY: You have the different administration.

RYAN: This is more than Obama at the same time. More than Bush, more than Clinton, more than H.W. Bush. So more bills have passed the house this year under Donald Trump at this time than Obama and both Bushes and Clinton. The challenge we have is this chart. 274 of them are still being -- are still in the senate. We haven't gotten them over the finish line in the senate. Is that frustrating for the house? You bet it is frustrating for the house.

HANNITY: Did you talk to Mitch McConnell?

RYAN: I do. I do all the time. They have a couple of problems. You mentioned it, they have to do people and personnel. We don't have to confirm Judges and cabinet secretaries and assistant cabinet secretaries and ambassadors.

HANNITY: With all due respect, they aren't doing a lot of that.

RYAN: Chuck Schumer can take 30 hours per person and he can completely gum it up. Then they have this rules, which we don't like this rules in the house, but they have the filibuster rules in the house. The reason we're using reconciliation for tax reform is they shouldn't filibuster.

HANNITY: What about-shouldn't they - just a simple majority in the senate?

RYAN: Any house member says yes. I would like to see them do majority votes.

HANNITY: Did you ever asked McConnell that?

RYAN: We've talked about it a lot. They don't have the votes there. That is the flat, simple answer.

HANNITY: What do you do to get the votes to get that done? Isn't he in charge of the rules?

RYAN: No, I don't think there is enough Republicans to vote for that. They worry when liberals take over government liberals will ram through liberal things.

HANNITY: But there is -- so how does this painted though by the senate? You know what congress's approval rating? Yours is double what the approval rating of this congresses. Congress is 15 percent. I think -- in fairness to you, you will talk to me. Mitch McConnell won't even take my call. I think the audience that I hear from every day and they write and they write me on social media and they email and they -- they are voicing their frustration. Congress's approval rating 15 percent. They want to know this is going to get done.

RYAN: I wasn't looking for this job. I was a person not looking for a leadership job.

HANNITY: You don't want it?

RYAN: These jobs are a lot harder on the inside than they seem on the outside. You have to rally support and get things done and get consensus and deal with the rules and the situations as they exist. Not the world you wish you had. In the house we've been productive and passed our agenda, all of our appropriations bills ahead of schedule. The first time since 2004.

HANNITY: You believe the house is tainted by the (inaudible) --

RYAN: Health care is a perfect example. We passed a repeal and replace health care bill in May.

HANNITY: How frustrating was it for you to see John McCain who promise a hundred times to repeal, because I'm frustrated.

RYAN: We're the ones who passed and we are the ones who said we would do this.

HANNITY: By the way, it wasn't easy.

RYAN: No, it wasn't easy, but it is extremely frustrating. The point I'm trying to get at, Sean. There are still things we can get done even with the rules they have over there. You know what the congressional review act is in you can rescind Obama regulations. We've done 14-in-law this year alone, because they can't filibuster that. The tax reform bill we'll do it in such a way they can't filibuster that and we can limit the debate on it to get it done. We're working with the world we have in front of us, to get around this crazy filibuster rule and get these things done and that is the plan we have.

I believe if Americans see their congress giving them a postcard tax form, giving a middle class tax break, getting rid of the special interest loopholes to make it more fair and lowering taxes on businesses to bring jobs back from overseas and make it easier for businesses to create more jobs here, that is going to be something that is going to be good for all Americans. Bigger paychecks, more jobs, faster growth. We get that done I think people will be happy with congress and with the President. We will have kept our word.

HANNITY: Let's talk about congress and the President. I know people that sit in senate, private closed door meetings and they write me what's said. I will give you names, John McCain, 10 or 12 Senators that don't want the President to succeed, Republican Senators that openly trash the President. What is your relationship with him?

RYAN: It's very good. It is the opposite. We have a great relationship.

HANNITY: Are you happy with his presidency?

RYAN: I'm very happy. You don't have that in the House of Representatives. You don't hear that kind of talk from the House of Representatives.

HANNITY: I have not heard it from house members.

RYAN: I think the President is giving us the leadership we need to get the country back on the right track.

HANNITY: You think anything on the agenda that is not conservative?

RYAN: Not that I could think of.

HANNITY: Any big disagreement you have with him?

RYAN: No.

HANNITY: So it really comes down to the senate. That senate is where people need to focus their attention.

RYAN: I love to bash the other guys. I can control what we can control. We're doing our job in the house and rooting for our friends in the senate to get it done. We're really disappointed in healthcare, but we have a chance to get the big things done.

HANNITY: Will it be done by December? My last question.

RYAN: That is my plan.

HANNITY: Is that a yes?

(LAUGHTER)

RYAN: The senate has something to say about that.

HANNITY: All right.

RYAN: If Paul Ryan says anything about it, yes. Those guys are great. The, whoever group are on board on this.

HANNITY: Everyone is on board.

RYAN: So we are here, we're on board and get it done. Like I said, we have to get this stuff to the senate. The great thing about this particular issue, they can't filibuster it. That is why I think we're going to get it done.

HANNITY: Last question. When you -- when you show the chart that you guys have passed record number of bills and you show that the house has passed these laws, you feel you are treated -- you think you're grouped in because of the senate's failure?

RYAN: Nothing is fair in this world and nothing is fair in politics and we're used to that. I think really what matters to people is that we help their lives. It does matter that the house pass these bills and we feel very satisfied for having done that but we have to get them into law. We have to get these done so that actually improves and affects people's lives. That is how we'll be judged.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Holding Washington accountable. When we come back, what is the military, those that fought, bled, died, those that love their country, what do they think of the NFL controversy? That is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: Welcome back to "Hannity" from Washington D.C. Earlier tonight, President Trump spoke with "Fox & Friends" weekend host Pete Hegseth about the NFL controversy, what does the military think? Anyway here is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN WAR VETERAN, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: You certainly started a national conversation this week Mr. President over the NFL. You said the NFL situation is a very important situation, your critics say it has been a distraction but you say it's critical. You talk about words like patriotism and citizenship. Why is this such an important issue?

TRUMP: It is an important issue. It is not a distraction at all, because I'm doing a lot. The NFL cannot disrespect our country. They cannot disrespect our flag or our national anthem. And they can't have people sitting down or kneeling down during our national anthem. I saw this a year ago with Kaepernick. I thought it was terrible. Then it builds up a little bit and more and more and you see what's been happening and you see more and more and more and I came out and made a statement in Alabama the other day and I think it's very disrespectful to our country and the world picked it up. Guess what? Most people agree with me. And the NFL is in a box. They have to do something about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: The rest of that interview with President Trump will air tomorrow morning on "Fox & Friends." You don't want to miss that. Joining me now with Pete Hegseth is with us, U.S. Army vet Brett Velicovich is with us. All right Pete let's start with you, today is simple, it's about the flag, the anthem, the country, respect for those that fought, bled and died some of them fighting under that flag. Simple.

HEGSETH: Yes, the president's message is stand up. Very simple. The interview goes on and takes on owners, you want to see it tomorrow morning and clear about where he thinks the blame lies. We are in a culture war, a dynamic where too many people take for granted this flag that gives us the freedoms that we have and we go on Sunday to watch a football game, I don't want -- when I'm deployed overseas watching armed forces network hoping to watch a football game in Iraq and Afghanistan which I did many times. I don't want to tune on my TV and see protests of a flag that I'm wearing on my shoulder while carrying a rifle to fight for my freedom. It is very, very clear, Sean, this President understands that and he is throwing down the gauntlet. He is not wrong and he is daring people to say why people shouldn't be standing for the anthem.

HANNITY: You know Brett, you wrote drone warrior and become a best seller and turned into a movie, which is awesome for you. I really think people we haven't listened to are you and Pete.

BRETT VELICOVICH, U.S. ARMY VETERAN: I'm embarrassed for our troops overseas wearing the flags. These troops are taking the fight to the enemy who wants to hurt Americans sitting there now burning our flags and then they have to go -- our soldiers have to turn on TV to see we're at war with ourselves back home. To see that NFL players are sitting there basically disrespecting our national anthem, our American flag and basically spitting on it.

HANNITY: The worst part was the Ravens and Jaguars. They play in Great Britain. They kneel for the national anthem but stand for God Save the Queen? I'm like wow.

VELICOVICH: That is the hypocrisy of it. I don't pretend to speak for all veterans but I like to speak with people with common sense.

HANNITY: Every friend I have is in your corner.

VELICOVICH: Here is the thing. The problem I have with this is they aren't taking real action. The physical act of taking a knee, what does that actually do? It gets people talking about it. Great. You have our attention. We've been talking about it for over a year now since Kaepernick did it. What are the actual tangible measurable steps you're going to take to do something about it? I'm not seeing that.

HANNITY: We could do so many different examples. Pete, you look at Kaepernick. He had cops depicted as pigs on his socks and R.J. I was a huge fan of his gets in trouble for wearing a shirt that says no life in Jesus and a reebok shirt. You can't even honor the slain officers in Dallas. That is against the rules.

HEGSETH: Kaepernick chose the national anthem. He chose this as the issue. You could protest in any other way. Just like owners and Roger Goodell can choose to enforce this rule on their books. They choose to enforce every other one, but not this one, which means political correctness reigns supreme and their left wing ideology. They want to be liked amongst people so they choose not to enforce this and allow the protests, against their own rules, while enforcing all the minuscule rules that fans are sick and tired of and why President Trump has made this as example. It is not going anywhere, Sean. A lot of Americans, vast majority of Americans side with him. It will hurt the NFL. They have a big choice to make.

HANNITY: I was going to ask you where it ends. What about the Olympics? Are we going to have to see as our country is standing up there getting their medals people sitting in the stands? We're the beacon of freedom as Americans.

And look at how expensive it is. Nearly $100 a ticket. Family of four, $500. Parking, two beers, two hot dogs, four hot dogs and you're out $700 or $800. A lot of money, Pete.

HEGSETH: I could turn the channel is what I've done. I'm a Vikings fan. If anybody kneeled I wouldn't have watched the game. It's a cultural flash point. It won't go away.

HANNITY: Guys good to see you both, congrats on the movie and you're your book, don't forget "Fox & Friends" tomorrow 6-9 right here on Fox News, Pete's interview with the President. More "Hannity" straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: All right quick programming note. Yes, an exclusive one-on-one interview with Rush Limbaugh, rare and an opportunity to hear from the king of conservatism himself. That is tomorrow at 9:00 Eastern. Don't forget our new time here on the Fox News channel. Please tell your friends. Please set your DVR. And we really appreciate you being with us. Thanks for all of your support. Remember this show is not abusively bias, left wing, ideological destroy Trump media. We will be fair and balanced. Stay tuned, Dana Perino is coming up next. She is hosting Fox News live tonight and Dana, congratulations on your new show.

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