>> CATHY: WE HAVE A FULL SHOW FOR YOU TONIGHT.

THE WINTER STORM DIDN'T PACK MUCH OF A PUNCH IN THE METRO AREA, BUT WE'LL HEAR ABOUT WHERE THE SNOW DID END UP.

CHRIS FARRELL IS HERE TO TALK JOBS NUMBERS, GAS PRICES, AND MORE.

KATY VERNON AND HER NEW BAND WILL PREVIEW THEIR DEBUT ALBUM FOR US.

AND OF COURSE, PLENTY OF POLITICS.

>> ERIC: AND THAT IS WHERE WE START TONIGHT.

THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAS BEEN ON SPRING BREAK ALL WEEK, BUT IT'S BEEN A BUSY WEEK OF POLITICAL NEWS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

ANGELA GREILING KEANE IS NOW THE SENIOR EDITOR FOR POLITICS AT CNBC.

AND WE ARE ALWAYS DELIGHTED WHEN SHE CAN JOIN US IN STUDIO INSTEAD OF VIA WEBCAM.

UM -- WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT REACTION IS TO THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH ON IRAN?

>> I DON'T THINK IT DID THE JOB THAT HE INTENDED IT TO TO DO.

THE SPEECH WAS HIS FIRST PRIME TIME REMARKS OR FIRST REALLY ANY PUBLIC REMARKS OF ANY SORT SINCE THE START OF WAR AND THE STATED PURPOSE WAS TO CALM THE PUBLIC.

HE'S BEEN CERTAINLY WORKING TO CALM THE MARKETS EVER SINCE STARTING THE WAR.

BUT THE REACTION WAS ONE OF I THINK UNESSENTIALTY.

PEOPLE HEARD THAT THE WAR IS NOT OVER.

HE SAID IT'S COMING TO A CLOSE SOON >> Eric: TWO TO THREE WEEKS, >> HE CHARACTERS THAT AS SOON.

BUT HE'S SAYING SOON SINCE THE WAR STARTED.

SO IT'S KIND OF A RELATIVE TERM AND PEOPLE DIDN'T SEEM TO READ IT AS, OH, EVERYTHING'S FINE.

THINGS ARE UNDER CONTROL.

>> Cathy: AND CONGRESSIONAL REACTION?

>> CONGRESS IS OUT THIS WEEK.

THEY'RE ON A TWO-WEEK RECESS.

SO THEY'RE NOT IN WASHINGTON RIGHT NOW.

BUT WE SAW THE ANTICIPATED RESPONSE FROM DEMOCRATS.

OF COURSE SLAMMING THE SPEECH.

THAT'S NOT SURPRISING.

AND REPUBLICANS WERE MORE MUTED.

SO THAT'S THE MORE INTERESTING PART.

BECAUSE REPUBLICANS WERE NOT RUSHING TO THE PRESIDENT'S DEFENSE OR SUPPORTING HIM PUBLICLY, PRO ACTIVELY.

THEY COULD HAVE DONE SO ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND WE DID NOT SEE THAT SORT OF OUTPOURING.

>> AS ATTORNEY GENERAL, PAM BONDI SEEMED LIKE A GOOD SOLDIER, WHAT HAPPENED THERE?

>> SHE DID EVERYTHING SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO DO IN TERMS OF PUBLICLY SUPPORTING THE PRESIDENT, LIKE YOU SAID, BEING A GOOD FOOT SOLDIER.

SHE TRIED TO -- SHE DID, YOU KNOW, GO UP AGAINST ALL OF HIS ENEMIES OR PERCEIVED ENEMIES, BUT SHE COULD NOT LAND THAT PLANE IN TERMS OF GETTING CASES THROUGH A LOT OF HER PROSECUTIONS WERE THROWN OUT BY JUDGES OR JURIES, BECAUSE OF LACKING EVIDENCE, AND THAT OF COURSE MADE THE PRESIDENT MAD.

HE WANTED MORE ON THAT FRONT.

HE ALSO WAS UPSET THAT THE EPSTEIN FILES WERE THE HEADLINES FOR SO LONG AND BLAMED HER FOR MAKING THAT HAPPEN.

>> Cathy: OU KNOW, THE D.O.J.

'S INDEPENDENCE, LONG-TIME INDEPENDENCE WAS KIND OF SURRENDERED UNDER HER WATCH, AND ALK ABOUT THAT PART OF HER LEGACY.

ANY LONG-TERM RAMIFICATIONS TO THAT?

>> WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS I THINK FOR THAT ONE.

WE CERTAINLY SAW A DIFFERENT D.O.J.

POSTURE UNDER ATTORNEY GENERAL BONDI THAN WE HAVE IN THE PAST.

BUT I THINK IT'S TOO EARLY TO KNOW WHETHER THINGS WILL BE DIFFERENT IN A SUBSEQUENT ADMINISTRATION OR IF SHE WILL HAVE SET PRECEDENT THAT WILL BE FOLLOWED BY HERRER SUCCESSORS.

>> Eric: AND AT LONG LAST, HERE COMES THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET.

44% INCREASE IN DEFENSE SPENDING.

10% NONDISCRETIONARY CUTS.

>> WHAT THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET IS A BLUEPRINT.

SO IT CAME OUT THIS MORNING.

AND INDEED, 1.5 TRILLION IS THE ASK FOR DEFENSE.

THAT'S THE INCREASE THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED.

THAT'S A BIG, BIG NUMBER.

AND WILL CONGRESS DO EXACTLY WHAT THE PRESIDENT WANTS?

NO, BECAUSE NEVER, EVER DOES CONGRESS DO EXACTLY WHAT THE PRESIDENT WANTS ON THE BUDGET.

BUT WE NOW KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS PUSHING FOR AND OF COURSE THERE'S A LOT OF SIM BEE YOAS JIS THESE DAYS BETWEEN REPUBLICANS IN THE IMRES AND THE WHITE HOUSE.

WE SOANS SEE EXACTLY WHAT HE ASKED FOUR.

>> Cathy: I WANT TO GO BACK TO PAM BONDI BECAUSE HER OUSTER CAME JUST AFTER KRISTI NOME WAS SHONE THE DOOR.

WHO ELSE IN THE CABINET IS LOOKING OVER THEIR SHOULDER?

>> THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF REPORTING OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS ON EXACTLY THAT QUESTION AND LABOR SECTION LORI CHAVEZ DEREAMER AND COMMERCE SECRETARY HOWARD LUT NICK.

SECRETARY LUT NICK OF COURSE APPEARED IN THE EPSTEIN FILES UCLAING IN A PICTURE ON EPSTEIN ISLAND, SO HE'S TAKEN A BIT OF A DIFFERENT POSTURE, HAS NOT BEEN OUT IN PUBLIC AS MUCH EVER SINCE THAT OCCURRED.

SO IT SEEMS HE MAY HAVE A TARGET ON HIS BACK AND THE LABOR SECRETARY HAS BEEN SOMEONE WHO IS ALSO SEEMINGLY NOT BEEN PLEASING THE PRESIDENT LATELY.

SO THOSE ARE THE TWO THAT SEEM MOST LIKELY TO GO.

BUT THE FLOOD GATES SEEM TO HAVE BEEN OPENED WITH TWO IN SHORT ORDER.

>> Eric: HOW'S CONGRESS DOING WITH FUNDING THE ENTIRE GOVERNMENT?

>> NOT SO GREAT.

THEY ARE, AGAIN, ON RECESS RIGHT NOW AND THE HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT IS STILL SHUT DOWN AND HAS BEEN SINCE VALLEN VALLEVALENTINE'S DAY.

WE ARE ANTICIPATING THAT THEY -- THEY'VE COME TO AN AGREEMENT, THE LEADERSHIP, DURING THIS RECESS TO MOVE FORWARD, SO I DO THINK THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE THAT THAT WILL GET FUNDED AGAIN WHEN CONGRESS RETURNS.

BUT THE PROCESS HAS BEEN ARDUOUS.

WE'VE SEEN OF COURSE MULTIPLE SHINS NOW IN THE PAST -- SHUTDOWNS NOW IN THE PAST HALF TO THREE-QUARTERST OF A YEAR AND NO SIGNS THAT ANYTHING WILL CHANGE IN THE BUDGET PROCESS AFTER THIS.

>> Cathy: YOU KNOW, THE LAST TIME WE TALKED TO YOU WITH BLOOMBERG NEWS AND NOW YOU HAVE A EW JOB WITH CNBC, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

>> I'M THE SENIOR POLITICS EDITOR.

SO WORKING WITH A FANTASTIC TEAM.

WE ARE ON THE DIGITAL SIDE AT CNBC.COM AND OF COURSE ON TELEVISION AS WELL, SO COVERING THE INTERSECTION OF BUSINESS AND POLITICS.

>> Eric: CAN FOLKS LOOK FOR YOUR BYLINE ONLINE?

>> NOPE, I AM AN EDITOR.