Sunday: Corker, Collins, Christie
President Trump said this week that the Republican Party actually "has pretty good unity" – but that statement could be considered a tough sell in Washington, coming after more Republican criticism leveled at the commander-in-chief. Tennessee's Bob Corker and Arizona's Jeff Flake have announced they're not seeking reelection, but they seem determined to continue speaking their minds about their perceptions of the president's shortcomings.
But even as more Senate Republicans line up to criticize the president, the issue of tax reform presents itself as a potential win for the party and the president. GOP efforts to overhaul the tax code are gaining traction on Capitol Hill as the House greenlighted the tax framework the Senate passed last week, moving one step closer to getting a tax-reform package on the president's desk. Will the party unity continue once the congressional committees begin to hammer out the details?
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tennessee, will appear on "Face the Nation" this Sunday to discuss the Republican party and his relationship with President Trump. As chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, he's a key voice when it comes to foreign policy. How will he work with the White House when he's at odds with the president's worldview? What does he think of the tax-reform proposals floating around Capitol Hill?
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, will also sit down with "Face the Nation" moderator John Dickerson. As more of her Republican colleagues are calling it quits, Collins has opted to stay in the Senate and decline a run for governor. What does she hope to accomplish? How is she approaching the debate over taxes? And as a member of the Intelligence Committee, we'll get an update on the Senate's Russia investigation.
Meanwhile, at the White House, the president declared a public health emergency with the aim of curbing opioid abuse. Questions and criticism, however, have sprung up over the funding and implementation of the administration's push to "be the generation that ends the opioid epidemic."
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will join us to discuss his involvement on the president's committee to tackle the country's opioid crisis. Is he confident that the president's declaration is going to make an impact on the problem? And five years after Hurricane Sandy devastated parts of coastal New Jersey, we'll talk with the governor about what he learned and what he thinks of current disaster-relief efforts.
As always, our political panel will break down the news of the week. This Sunday, we'll hear from Associated Press Washington Bureau Chief, Julie Pace, Washington Post reporter David Nakamura, Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus and Federalist publisher, Ben Domenech.
We'll close out the program with an interview with musician Jon Batiste, bandleader on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He'll discuss his experience bringing communities together through music and his latest project: reimagining the classic American patriotic song, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."
It's been a busy week, and we've got plenty to cover this Sunday, so check your local listings and tune into "Face the Nation" this weekend.