CQ on Congress

Republican senators want changes to the "big, beautiful" House reconciliation bill, from Medicaid to tax cuts and more. And House appropriators begin writing their fiscal 2026 spending bills while the Trump administration tries to claw back already approved funding. CQ Roll Call's Paul M. Krawzak and David Lerman outline the fissures in the GOP reconciliation debate and the constitutional fight over the power of the purse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason Dick talks with former Roll Callers and current journalism professors Christina Bellantoni and Neda Semnani about the value of just talking to people, how the years change your perspective on Washington and why it's important to bear witness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The House-passed reconciliation bill containing most of President Donald Trump's agenda won't clear the Senate in its current form. CQ Roll Call's Caitlin Reilly, Peter Cohn and David Lerman outline the changes that could be on the table and the competing demands among Senate Republicans that will make final passage a tough slog. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason Dick and Todd Ruger discuss their (and some public officials') race times at the ACLI Capital Challenge, then delve into the Supreme Court's internal dynamics, how its workload has evolved, what big decisions are expected before the end of the term, a little about David Souter and then cap it off with an ultra-special word of the week segment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason Dick and Nathan Gonzales discuss House and Senate races that could be competitive, but aren't quite yet. Basically, what would it take for someone like Brian Fitzpatrick or Raul Ruiz to be in tough races. They also riff on how “Andor” and "Return of the Jedi” fit into this world. Seriously. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The House Energy and Commerce Committee has proposed Medicaid cuts to help pay for the GOP's budget reconciliation bill, though the cuts are less deep than some party moderates had feared and hard-right conservatives had sought. CQ Roll Call's Sandhya Raman, Jessie Hellmann and David Lerman outline the major changes to Medicaid that Republicans have proposed, the major cuts they omitted, and whether the package will have enough political support to reach the finish line.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason Dick, Daniela Altimari and Mary Ellen McIntire discuss the first Roll Call Most Vulnerable Incumbents list of the 2026 cycle, why House freshman frequently have the blues and how even gobs and gobs of money can't always buy you an election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump's preliminary fiscal 2026 budget request, which takes a meat ax to domestic programs and foreign aid, is getting a frosty reception from Senate GOP appropriators and Democrats alike. CQ Roll Call's Aidan Quigley and David Lerman provide an early outlook for this year's appropriations process and the likely next steps. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The personality and outreach of Pope Francis attracted worldwide admiration. Though he did not stray from Catholic doctrine, he connected those teachings to issues such as immigration and climate change. He was not as progressive as some progressives hoped, and he also frustrated traditionalists, a split that played out in the United States. So, what's next? Maureen K. Day is one of the authors of “Catholicism at a Crossroads: The Present and Future of America's Largest Church,” a survey informed by interviews. What does Catholic identity mean in America today, and how did it adapt to the modern papacy of Pope Francis. Day, research affiliate at the University of Southern California's Center for Religion and Civic Culture and the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies, joins Equal Time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How does Kevin Bacon fit into the first 100 days analysis of the Trump presidency? Jason Dick and John Bennett discuss, as well as the art of Gretchen Whitmer's non-thank you thank you.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vague promises from GOP leaders to seek deep spending cuts put down a rebellion from conservative holdouts and secured the adoption of a budget resolution this month. But now Republicans must begin writing a reconciliation bill enacting much of President Donald Trump's agenda with little sign of any resolution of the key conflicts that have divided GOP lawmakers for months. CQ Roll Call's Caitlin Reilly, Aidan Quigley and David Lerman assess the deal cut between leadership and Republicans rebels and what it could mean for the drafting of a filibuster-proof reconciliation bill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason Dick and Christina Bellantoni discuss California political leaders' approach to President Donald Trump's second term, Gov. Gavin Newsom's podcast and hair and whether we'll see more retired Dodgers run for state-wide office. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fights over how American history is taught. Labels of “Communist” and “Socialist” used to smear. Civil rights gains seen as a loss for the “real” America. While all that might sound like last week's headlines, those battles and the hysteria surrounding them are nothing new. In “Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism and the Making of Modern America,” Clay Risen details how the conspiracy-mongering and cultural backlash of that post-World War II period speak to the divisiveness of today. The award-winning historian and New York Times editor joins Equal Time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaker Mike Johnson faces a rebellion within GOP ranks over a budget blueprint that squeaked through the Senate. CQ Roll Call's Caitlin Reilly, Paul M. Krawzak and David Lerman assess the outlook for final adoption of a budget resolution and the big fights over Medicaid cuts and whether to pay for extending tax cuts --- two key disputes that could trip up a GOP reconciliation bill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason Dick, Mary Ellen McIntire and Andrew Menezes discuss the election results this week in Florida and Wisconsin, whether vermouth will be more expensive with the latest round of tariffs and whether it was wise to do a training run that involved the Tidal Basin this past week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The upcoming appropriations cycle faces some rough headwinds, as the Trump administration tries to freeze funding, fire thousands of public employees and gut federal agencies, while Republicans pursue a partisan reconciliation package that will further antagonize Democrats. Aidan Quigley, Caitlin Reilly and David Lerman discuss the challenging political climate for fiscal 2026 spending bills and how the reconciliation process could interfere with that work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sports is leading the way on diversity, equity and inclusion, but don't expect to hear those words at the game. Plus: Everyone get ready for National Operational Security Awareness Month.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dressing up as a donkey for a skit lampooning politicians at a white tie dinner in Washington is silly. But during difficult times, when the most powerful people in the world are challenging the boundaries of constitutional democracy, it is important to hang onto your sense of humor. The annual Gridiron dinner aims to “singe, not burn” with its humor. What does that mean when it feels like the world is on fire, though? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The six-month continuing resolution that avoided a partial government shutdown left Democrats deeply divided. CQ Roll Call's Mary Ellen McIntire and David Lerman explain the nature of the rift, whether it's likely to heal, and what it means for the party's ability to govern and combat the Trump administration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

House Democrats are gathering for their annual policy retreat this week, and face a series of questions as they navigate the 119th Congress, including why they are more unpopular than Republicans, what they can do as a minority party in a closely divided country, how do they recruit quality candidates to run for office and what level of coordination to pursue among themselves and their allies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

House GOP leaders must rally their razor-thin majority to pass a stopgap funding measure this week, while Senate Democrats must decide whether to vote against a bill they dislike and trigger a partial government shutdown. CQ Roll Call's Peter Cohn and David Lerman assess the prospects for a fiscal 2025 continuing resolution and discuss the state of play on the GOP's budget reconciliation process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As America's health-care system is not being spared in policy shake-ups from the very top, Equal Time takes a look at one case and what it says about disparities in health care and why that matters. In “Transplant: A Memoir,” the resilient Bernadine Watson takes us on her journey, a perilous one, even with support from doctors and family. The nonfiction writer and poet has focused on social policy research around youth and community issues during her career. She joins Equal Time to talk about her experiences, and why challenges remain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the early days of the second Trump administration, congressional Republicans and Democrats face decisions about how to react to White House-led actions. For Democrats, it can be boiled down to: Fight or retreat. Republicans are being advised to restrict contact with the public. We talk with Nathan Gonzales about what, at this point, makes the most sense politically. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A continuing resolution to head off a partial government shutdown is caught in the political crossfire of federal employee layoffs, funding freezes and a partisan dispute over the power of the purse. CQ Roll Call's Aidan Quigley, Caitlin Reilly and David Lerman assess the political pressures for passing a stopgap funding extension, and the state of negotiations for a budget reconciliation package. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent days, the Senate and House have both passed versions of their own budget resolution, one of the key steps in constructing a so-called reconciliation bill that will cut spending and taxes and enact GOP legislative priorities without having to deal with the usual Senate roadblocks. But there is a long way to go until something heads to the president's desk, so we are going to talk about what's been happening and what is going on with CQ Roll Call's illustrious Budget Tracker, David Lerman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent days, the Senate and House have both passed versions of their own budget resolution, one of the key steps in constructing a so-called reconciliation bill that will cut spending and taxes and enact GOP legislative priorities without having to deal with the usual Senate roadblocks. But there is a long way to go until something heads to the president's desk, so we are going to talk about what's been happening and what is going on with CQ Roll Call's illustrious Budget Tracker, David Lerman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A House vote this week will test the unity of Republicans for a budget blueprint that would pave the way for a sweeping package of tax cuts, border security, defense funding, spending cuts and more. CQ Roll Call's Paul M. Krawzak and David Lerman outline the competing pressures between GOP centrists and hardcore conservatives over a budget resolution critical to President Donald Trump's agenda. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For someone who has dominated politics for going on a decade, Donald Trump still controls the narrative in a way that leaves his opponents flat-footed. Trump's connection to professional wrestling offers lessons on how he is able to do this and how to connect in the political arena. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Senate's plan for a slim budget blueprint focused on border security and defense could be upended by President Donald Trump's new endorsement of the House push for "one big, beautiful" reconciliation package enacting much of his agenda all at once. But the House plan faces political pressures of its own, as GOP moderates shy away from steep spending cuts to critical safety-net programs. CQ Roll Call's Caitlin Reilly and David Lerman discuss the latest state of play on the competing strategies for budget reconciliation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2025, you don't have to reach very far to reach those dark corners of the internet where fringe conspiracy theories and racist memes once hid. In award-winning journalist Elle Reeve's book, “Black Pill: How I Witnessed the Darkest Corners of the Internet Come to Life, Poison Society, and Capture American Politics,” the CNN correspondent takes readers on a journey that leads to the violence of Charlottesville and January 6. You could say the Equal Time guest saw it coming; that doesn't mean some things about today's political scene don't surprise her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it possible to find beauty amid the horror of the Ukraine-Russia war? The Academy Award-nominated documentary "Porcelain War" argues that it is not only possible, it is essential. Co-director Slava Leontyev discusses how ordinary people keep their culture, art and themselves alive, and how even in a time of fear "it's hard to forbid people to live." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

House leaders had to punt on plans for a Budget Committee markup early this week as Republicans continue to squabble over the size of a budget reconciliation package and how to pay for it. CQ Roll Call's Caitlin Reilly and David Lerman assess the status of budget negotiations, the timing for action, and how far Senate Republicans may get in their own alternative, slimmer reconciliation package that omits tax cuts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The early days of the 119th Congress and the second Trump administration have been a whirlwind, but here is one observation for those looking to make sense of things: Having a plan beats not having a plan.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Republicans are struggling to come together on a budget resolution that would pave the way for a mammoth reconciliation bill encompassing much of President Donald Trump's agenda, but there's no sign of a deal that would unite the conference. CQ Roll Call's Aidan Quigley and David Lerman discuss the latest on a budget resolution, the fight over spending cuts, and whether leadership's timeline for action is becoming a pipe dream. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The early days of the second Trump administration have brought us an intense debate over constitutional authority and the role of government, which has been folded into the unstable and chaotic political era we are in. Is this destabilization something that will endure, or is it one of many similar, rough times in our history, say the 1960s, when politics and the government were tested and evolved, but overall held? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Trump administration directive to freeze spending on federal grants and loans pending a policy review outraged Democrats and reignited a debate over who controls the power of the purse. CQ Roll Call's Paul M. Krawzak and David Lerman outline the battle over presidential "impoundment" authority and what it may mean for appropriations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Presidential pardons are all over the place, thanks to outgoing President Joe Biden and newly sworn in President Donald Trump. Presidents' power to pardon is pretty comprehensive, and has been used to pardon the likes of Confederates, Jimmy Hoffa, Richard Nixon, Defense secretaries, family members and dirty tricksters, and most recently the Jan. 6 crowd and even the founder of the black market drug marketplace Silk Road. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Torn over strategy for passing Donald Trump's agenda, the House and Senate are on a collision course over how to use the budget reconciliation process to pass tax cuts, border security, defense funding and more. CQ Roll Call's Aidan Quigley and David Lerman outline the dispute, the political dynamics involved, and whether a leadership timeline for action is realistic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Appointed senators: They're a thing. Of the 206 individuals appointed to the Senate since 1913, when the Seventeenth Amendment codified direct election of senators and how to fill vacant seats, 11 of them are currently serving. Jason Dick and Nathan Gonzales go through the highlights, lowlights and weirdlights of this category of senators. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the most wonderful time of the year: When Washington says it will cut the federal deficit. Easier said than done! Just ask the 2011 super committee, which had a mandate and bipartisan support, and failed spectacularly. For this podcast, we combine the powers of the Political Theater podcast with sister podcast CQ Budget and its illustrious host, the Budget Tracker, as well as his long-suffering editor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The election of Speaker Mike Johnson for another term underscored how difficult it will be for Republicans to govern with a razor-thin majority. CQ Roll Call's Jim Saksa and David Lerman recount what it took for Johnson to win the gavel and explain what it may mean for the legislative battles to come. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A funding package that averted a partial government shutdown left Republicans bitterly divided and chastened. CQ Roll Call's Aidan Quigley and David Lerman examine the political fallout from a week of GOP infighting and what it means for President-elect Donald Trump's ambitious agenda next year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's an "off year" in politics? There is no such thing, according to Nathan Gonzales, Roll Call's campaigns analyst and the publisher of Inside Elections. We run through the top developing political stories of 2025.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices