Heath, what were a couple of your biggest takeaways from the win over Kennesaw State, whether it's Faison Brandon or the team overall?

Well, actually, guys, I thought it was the penalties.

I think we come off of 140 yards and penalties, and I think we had three penalties in this game.

So that was an adjustment that certainly needed to be made.

I think our discipline was far better.

This week than it was at Georgia Tech.

So that was that was a big check of saying, hey, we accomplished so much phase on Brandon guys have really impressed me.

So should Tennessee realize that the best opportunity to move the football may be through the air? What is it like for a youthful starting quarterback? making those adjustments and realizing that there might be some aspects of the game that he has to, of course, adjust to the strength of an opponent where they dictate tempo, style of play, things like that.

Heath, what were a couple of your biggest takeaways from the win over Kennesaw State, whether it's Faison Brandon or the team overall?

Well, actually, guys, I thought it was the penalties.

I think we come off of 140 yards and penalties, and I think we had three penalties in this game.

So that was an adjustment that certainly needed to be made.

I think our discipline was far better.

Uh, this week than it was at, at, uh, Georgia tech.

So that was, that was a big check of, of, of, of saying, Hey, we accomplished so much phase on Brandon guys have really impressed me.

So should Tennessee realize that the best opportunity to move the football may be through the air, what is it like for a youthful starting quarterback today making those adjustments and realizing that there might be some aspects of the game that he has to, of course, adjust to the strength of an opponent where they dictate tempo, style of play, things like that.

What are you seeing from Faison Brandon?

Well, I think it's his ability to comprehend what the defense is doing.

I still think that he is at a point that most freshmen are not.

I think the offseason really helped him prepare.

I think what the coaches are able to give him from a playbook standpoint was more than it was the week before.

His continued growth, I think, we'll see that week in and week out.

His ability to communicate.

But what did you think in terms of the late third and fourth quarters?

Heath, how do you think Faizon is doing some of the things that maybe aren't as easy to notice like the stats are, like, you're executing the play action to sell it and taking advantage of it like they did on the Ethan Davis touchdown or, you know, moving safeties with his eyes and then look back to where, where he's going? What, those kind of things, what are you seeing from Faizon Brandon?

Well, I, I think it's the, the, his ability to, to comprehend what the defense is doing.

I still think that he, he, he is at a point that most freshmen are not.

Um, I think the off-season really helped him prepare.

I think what the coaches are able to give him from a playbook standpoint w- was more than it was the week before.

Um, his continued growth, I think, is gonna-- we'll see that year, week in and week out.

Um, his ability to communicate, uh, if you notice, Tennessee went faster at times, uh, a real high pace, uh, uh, that we did not see in that first game.

But what did you think in terms of the late third and fourth quarters?

What did you think in terms of Faizon Brandon first winning the job, and then also how did you s- felt that he handled his first time starting for the Big Orange?

Well, certainly that was a long, uh, uh...

it was a long time for the, uh, for, for a quarterback to actually have to, to go under, uh, a, a job interview.

I mean, you had all spring long, you had the entire summer, and then in the fall camp.

So both quarterbacks, uh, Faizon Brandon and George, uh, McIntyre did an incredible job with their work ethic, the things that they did, the preparation they'd had.

I think it proved that both of them can play with their performance on Saturday.

I thought Faizon Brandon really handles himself exceptionally well.

What did you think in terms of so much, uh, anticipation for what the Vols defense would look like? What did you think of Jim Knowles' unit?

What did you think in terms of Faison Brandon first winning the job and then also how did you felt that he handled his first time starting for the Big Orange?

Well, certainly that was a long...

It was a long time for the... for a quarterback to actually have to go under a job interview.

I mean, you had all spring long, you had the entire summer and then in the fall camp.

So both quarterbacks, Faison, Brandon, and Georgia, McIntyre did an incredible job with their work ethic, the things that they did, the preparation they had.

I think it proved that both of them can play with their performance on Saturday.

I thought Faison Brannon really handled himself exceptionally well.

What did you think in terms of so much anticipation for what the Vols' defense would look like? What did you think of Jim Dole's unit?

Let's listen in to The Cloak Room with Peter Roskam.

Well, Peter, well, thank you so much for being here again.

And if you guys heard me tell this story last year, Peter and I came in as freshman members together.

We were getting to know one another.

You start developing these relationships.

And Peter asked me one day, he goes, hey, now this is, you know, this is 07.

And he says, hey, would you like to go for a run? So we were in the house gym.

And I think it's essential for all of us in whatever it is we do.

Yeah, so it was chaos.

Well, I can't even imagine how that must have been as a kid, your parents, poor parents.

I mean, having the first was always the most challenging.

It was really challenging.

But have all of them in diapers at one time is incredible.

You know, as a member of the Transportation Infrastructure Committee, I mean, you're getting ready to go.

You're marking up the highway reauthorization bill in Congress, you know, Kind of talk about a couple of the real points of emphasis now.

Yeah.

Let's listen in to The Cloak Room with Peter Roskam.

Well, Jim, thank you so much for being here again.

A little short story about when Jim first came into the house.

You could always watch and look around the room and decide who was going to be kind of the up and coming, you know, the really smart guy who knew policy, could communicate, had great relationships, great friends across the aisle.

Jim Himes, you are that person.

I mean, we all...

I was going to say, he retired two years ago.

Heath?

open for business, and other states are too, and other states that want to say no, I think are going to change their minds quickly.

That's interesting.

Senator Thune, majority leader, you know, wasn't so enthusiastic about this gas tax holiday.

And so, you know, obviously President Trump is in favor of that.

Obviously, it continued to increase the deficit.

How do you look at that and your other colleagues look about the gas tax holiday? I

I disagree with Donald Trump on his skin a little too long for my comfort level, but

as, as a key author to, uh, the 21st century road to, um, housing act, which, um, you know, overwhelmingly bipartisan support in the Senate.

Let's listen in to The Cloak Room with Peter Roskam.

Well, Ted, welcome back.

Thank you.

I think there was, we were trying to figure out, it was either three or four or five years ago when you first came and we were over at the other hotel.

And you started talking about AI.

And you made one statement.

You said, well, how many of you use AI? And there was only a couple of people even raised their hand in the room.

I mean, I don't

And we need to be aware of that and look for ways to innovate.

Yeah, we talked about Eli Lilly in the pharmaceutical industry and talk more about your leadership role that you have taken of helping negotiate because you have a Republican president who's been pretty critical of the industry.

Tell us about your leadership role that you've taken in that in the process between the president and the companies.

Scary.

So how do we get to conclusion on that?

And that's where I think credits can make a difference.

Brad, let's turn to health care.

Site-neutral payments as it relates to large hospital systems.

Where do you see that in the future? There's obviously been a lot of scrutiny, but do you feel that to offset some other priorities, do you think that that could be dropped into a must-pass bill?

How do we price that? But we shouldn't be punishing anyone and we shouldn't be, ultimately, we shouldn't be punishing patients.

That's very good.

Two of the major subcommittee leadership roles are under... a really difficult and challenging primary.

Mike Thompson from California, a moderate Democrat.

That's right.

Well, let's dive deeper into that.

We need a lot of energy.

Absolutely.

And you're working on some legislation that talks about a domestic production across the board.

Tell us about your legislation.

You know, what's the impact going to be? What do you hope to accomplish? Well,

And so that is the big issue right now, without a doubt.

Do not remember your first

speech.

Well, let me tell you, I was so nervous.

It was my first speech on the House floor.

Little did I know that no one was watching C-SPAN, but I was really nervous.

And I made a misspoke.

I spoke, I just messed up.

Go

But the fact that 2025 bill is permanent law is a very big deal because it will be very difficult to reverse those provisions given how popular most of them are.

Well, the great thing is I learned a lot of history today already, which is wonderful.

And I knew the story about the committee when the Democrats moved, and that was the start of the Blue Dog Coalition.

And so being a part of that organization and John Tanner being one of my mentors, I remember the stories that they would tell.

But you have seen in your office, you've seen, and across multiple agencies, a lot of cuts had happened, less resources.

How do you evaluate your office and, you know, how do you, and including the tax policy enforcement, how does that, how's that playing out? And how do you think that your office is doing?