AND GEORGIANS ARE HEADED TO THE POLLS FOR THE SECOND TIME IN A MONTH. EARLY VOTING IS UNDERWAY FOR THE SENATE RUNOFF BETWEEN INCUMBENT DEMOCRAT RAPHAEL WARNOCK AND REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER HERSCHEL WALKER. THE ELECTION COULD DETERMINE WHETHER THE SENATE REMAINS SPLIT AT 50 50 WITH THE VICE PRESIDENT AS THE TIEBREAKER OR IF DEMOCRATS WILL HOLD A ONE SEAT MAJORITY. A.J. O'BRIEN JOINS ME LIVE FROM CAPITOL HILL NOW WITH MORE J. HOW CRUCIAL IS THIS RACE BEING THAT DEMOCRATS ALREADY HAVE CONTROL OF THE SENATE? >> WHAT'S AT STAKE? YEAH, THAT ONE SEAT MAJORITY WOULD MEAN A LOT, DIANE , TO SENATE MAJORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER. IT'S BECAUSE THAT OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, A LOT OF AMERICANS LEARN THE NAMES OF JOE MANCHIN AND KYRSTEN SINEMA BECAUSE THEY WERE OFTEN THOSE DEMOCRATIC HOLDOUT VOTES FOR MANCHIN , SPECIFICALLY BIG LEGISLATION SOMETIMES HAD TO BE TAILORED TO HIS LIKING BECAUSE HE WAS THE HOLDOUT VOTE . NOW, IF DEMOCRATS MAINTAIN THAT WARNOCK'S SEAT , HAVE THAT FIFTY ONE SEAT MAJORITY, THEN AT THAT POINT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO ESSENTIALLY SAY TO KYRSTEN SINEMA AND JOE MANCHIN THAT ONE OF YOU DOESN'T HAVE THE POWER THAT YOU USED TO HAVE BECAUSE WE'VE GOT THAT EXTRA SEAT , THAT EXTRA BREATHING ROOM. IT'S WORTH POINTING OUT IN GEORGIA, EARLY VOTING IS UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW. ABOUT ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY ONE THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY VOTED EARLY. A LOT OF THAT HAS BEEN IN PERSON, BUT THERE'S STILL A LOT OF RUNWAY TO GO. THERE'S TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND VOTE BY MAIL BALLOTS THAT HAVE STILL NOT BEEN RETURNED. >> MEANWHILE, REPUBLICANS HAVE ALREADY SECURED CONTROL OF THE HOUSE FOR NEXT YEAR. THEY'VE SAID THEY PLAN TO INVESTIGATE PRESIDENT BIDEN'S ON HUNTER, BUT CONGRESSMAN MIKE TURNER DOWNPLAYED THAT IN AN INTERVIEW WITH OUR MARTHA RADDATZ ON THIS WEEK. >> I WANT TO PLAY THAT CLIP FOR YOU. ONE THING THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY, VERY POSITIVE ABOUT THIS CONGRESS IS WE'RE GOING TO GET BACK TO THE COMMITTEES WORKING AGAIN AND WITH THE COMMITTEES WORKING, THEY'RE GOING TO BE FOCUSING ON THE AREAS OF JURISDICTION. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE FROM WHAT WAS AN IMPEACHMENT COMMITTEE, A PARTISAN COMMITTEE BACK TO NATIONAL SECURITY. NOW, THERE CERTAINLY ARE ISSUES WITH RESPECT TO HUNTER BIDEN'S LAPTOP THAT ARE GOING TO HAVE ISSUES. NO, NO, NOT AT THE IMPEACHMENT ISSUE. WAS ADAM SCHIFF, NANCY PELOSI, AND WHERE OUR COMMITTEE WAS TAKEN OFF THE RAILS. >> OUR COMMITTEE IS GOING TO FOCUS ON NATIONAL SECURITY AND OUR ADVERSARIES. WE SO I WANT TO CONTRAST THAT TO THE FIRST PRESS CONFERENCE HOUSE REPUBLICANS HELD AFTER WINNING CONTROL OF THE HOUSE, WHERE IT WAS REALLY FOCUSED ON HUNTER BIDEN. SO IS THERE A DISCONNECT WITHIN THE PARTY ON THIS? WELL, YOU CERTAINLY HEAR FROM SOME REPUBLICANS THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO SPEND ALL OF THEIR TIME CONDUCTING INVESTIGATIONS, PARTICULARLY NEWER REPUBLICANS ARE MORE MODERATE REPUBLICANS. BUT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE GOP CONFERENCE, SOME OF THEM ARE CHOMPING AT THE BIT TO BEGIN THESE INVESTIGATIONS. YOU SAW JIM JORDAN OF OVERSIGHT IN THE CHAIR OF JUDICIARY AS WELL, HAVE THAT FIRST PRESS CONFERENCE RIGHT AFTER REPUBLICANS TAKE BACK THE HOUSE TALKING ABOUT THE HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP, WALKING THROUGH WHAT THEY SAY THEY HAVE UNCOVERED. OBVIOUSLY, THEY EXPECT TO HOLD HEARINGS. SO THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF REPUBLICANS WHO ARE READY TO BEGIN THESE INVESTIGATIONS. IT'S WORTH POINTING OUT, BY THE WAY, ON THIS WEEK ON THAT PANEL THAT YOU JUST SAW, THERE WAS ALSO REPRESENTATIVE MIKE MCCAUL, WHO'S THE RANKING REPUBLICAN ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS, AND HE TALKED OPENLY ABOUT HIS DESIRE TO OPEN A AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL INVESTIGATION VERY EARLY ON INTO THE NEW CONGRESS. >> MEANWHILE, THE SENATE IS SET TO TAKE UP A FINAL VOTE ON A MARRIAGE EQUALITY BILL IN THE COMING DAYS. WHAT'S THE LATEST ON THAT? SO THERE IS A PROCEDURAL VOTE TODAY ON AN AMENDMENT. >> DEMOCRATS WANT TO GET A FINAL VOTE PASSED BY THURSDAY. IT LOOKS LIKE ALL ALL LIGHTS ARE GO ON THAT AND THAT WILL LIKELY HAPPEN. BUT THEN IT'S GOT TO GO BACK TO THE HOUSE BECAUSE THERE WERE CHANGES MADE IN THE SENATE IN ORDER TO MAKE IT PASSABLE IN THE SENATE, IT'S GOT TO BE VOTED ON AGAIN IN THE HOUSE AND ONLY THEN