Podcasts about article there

Article: There's been a wave of bills making their way through state legislatures across the country – bills that directly impact trans youth by restricting bathroom access, name changes, healthcare, and participation in sports. So it was more important than ever for one Highland Park, Ill., family to find empowering and positive messages about trans youth – except they say they couldn't find any. That's when they created the GenderCool Project, which brings trans and non-binary youth together to tell their own stories and create community. Reset hears from two of the teens involved in GenderCool – Sky, a rising high school junior, and Chazzie, an incoming freshman at University of Arizona – and learns more about youth-led trans advocacy. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Chicago Tribune reporter Rick Kogan joins your host John Landecker on the show to reminisce about Corky turning 80 years old on Tuesday, October 24th. Together they talk about Rick’s article and tell a few fond memories of the legendary Chicago musician. Read Rick’s Article There'll be no singing the blues when Corky Siegel turns […]

www.counterpartsshow.com It's about time we start taking this show out of the world! So we're not reinventing the wheel by discussing this topic but who needs wheels when we can fly high! HA! Join us for a conversation about UFOs. Here's an excerpt from an article regarding what the Pentagon is saying. CRAZY!!! ARTICLE: There is a possibility that extraterrestrial motherships and smaller probes may be visiting planets in our solar system, the head of the Pentagon's unidentified aerial phenomena research office noted in a report draft shared Tuesday. “[A]n artificial interstellar object could potentially be a parent craft that releases many small probes during its close passage to Earth, an operational construct not too dissimilar from NASA missions,” Sean Kirkpatrick, director of the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, wrote in a research report co-authored by Abraham Loeb, chairman of Harvard University's astronomy department.

www.counterpartsshow.com It's about time we start taking this show out of the world! So we're not reinventing the wheel by discussing this topic but who needs wheels when we can fly high! HA! Join us for a conversation about UFOs. Here's an excerpt from an article regarding what the Pentagon is saying. CRAZY!!! ARTICLE: There is a possibility that extraterrestrial motherships and smaller probes may be visiting planets in our solar system, the head of the Pentagon's unidentified aerial phenomena research office noted in a report draft shared Tuesday. “[A]n artificial interstellar object could potentially be a parent craft that releases many small probes during its close passage to Earth, an operational construct not too dissimilar from NASA missions,” Sean Kirkpatrick, director of the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, wrote in a research report co-authored by Abraham Loeb, chairman of Harvard University's astronomy department.

www.counterpartsshow.com It's about time we start taking this show out of the world! So we're not reinventing the wheel by discussing this topic but who needs wheels when we can fly high?! HA! Join us for a conversation about UFOs. Here's an excerpt from an article regarding what the Pentagon is saying. CRAZY!!!ARTICLE: There is a possibility that extraterrestrial motherships and smaller probes may be visiting planets in our solar system, the head of the Pentagon's unidentified aerial phenomena research office noted in a report draft shared Tuesday.“ an artificial interstellar object could potentially be a parent craft that releases many small probes during its close passage to Earth, an operational construct not too dissimilar from NASA missions,” Sean Kirkpatrick, director of the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, wrote in a research report co-authored by Abraham Loeb, chairman of Harvard University's astronomy department. READ MORE HERE: https://www.militarytimes.com/off-duty/military-culture/2023/03/09/pentagon-ufo-chief-says-alien-mothership-in-our-solar-system-possible/

Content Advisory: This episode deals with adult themes. . . This week on Families For Life, Bryan and Brian are joined by guest Matt Higgins. Matt is the Pastor of Worship and Communications at Northwoods church in Evansville, Indiana and he is a certified Biblical counselor.  It's long been one of the hardest of Hard Talks for parents to have, the “sex talk.” With culture pushing disordered sexual behaviors, the conversation may seem more difficult than ever. Take encouragement in the fact that there are more opportunities than ever to teach your kids about a Biblical sexual ethic. How do we avoid falling into the stressful trap of having a one time, exhaustive talk and break the subject into age appropriate, digestible conversations to be had over the course of their childhood. Bryan, Brian, and Matt discuss various aspects of the topic and how we can better handle these discussions in a Biblical way. We hope that this podcast blesses you and helps to better equip you in your efforts to parent Biblically. ARTICLE: There's Something Terribly Wrong With “Euphoria” BOOK: I Can't Say That! Going Beyond The Talk: Equipping Your Children to Make Choices About Sexuality and Gender From a Biblical Sexual Ethic BOOK: God Made Boys and Girls: Helping Children Understand the Gift of Gender  BOOK: God Made All of Me: A Book to Help Children Protect Their Bodies  BOOK: The Wonderful Way Babies Are Made  BOOK: More Than Just the Talk: Becoming Your Kids' Go-To Person About Sex  BOOK: iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood and What That Means for the Rest of Us  Families For Life is a podcast of Oakhill Baptist Church. You can stream all of our episodes in your internet browser on our website http://www.oakhillbc.org/f4l/ or listen on your favorite podcast app! Make sure to rate and review the show. We would also welcome your feedback or future episode ideas in our email inbox at f4l@oakhillbc.org

In this episode of the Budget Overland Podcast, Benji and Jay discuss what modifications you should consider for your rig based off an article posted in the community Facebook Page. We go into details some of the modifications we have made, considered, or have avoided based off our own preferences.  The Article: There's Probably No Reason to Modify Your Vehicle for Off-Roading  //////////////////ATTENTION////////////UPDATE BELOW///////////////////Hello, and welcome to the Budget Overland Podcast. Created by Jay and Benji in November 2021. Fast forward to April 2023, Jay and Benji parted ways. Not to worry Benji did a re-boot and skipped to season 3. BOP now has two show a week, Monday & Thursday! Out of respect for our previous guests and great conversations. The old episodes will remain available. The old website "budgetoverlandofficial.com" is no longer in anyway affiliated with the Budget Overland Podcast or Benji in any capacity. It is mentioned quite a few times about merch. The NEW Budget Overland website is https://www.budgetoverlandportal.com/ You can go there and find links to everything BO related! If you enjoy the Budget Overland Podcast (aka BOP) leave a review on Apple Podcast. When you leave a review, you will automatically be entered in a chance to win a "Super Swag Pack Giveaway".  Feel free to share the show with your friends too! Thanks for being here. -Benji////////////|||\\\Voicemail Hotline+01-314-266-9536LISTENER DISCOUNT CODES:MOORE Expo "BUDGETOVER10" 10% offDevos "BOGOODS" 10% offMORRFlate "BUDGET" 15% offOverland Spices "BOSPICE" 10% offWhiskey & Wilderness "BO10" 10% offBigfoot Blankets "BO10" 10% offLonesome Adv "BO10" 10% offLinks to BO YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Store go tohttps://www.budgetoverlandportal.com/ Become a BO Supporter! https://www.patreon.com/budgetoverland**Go to Apple Podcast and leave BOP a review! You will automatically be entered for our "Super Swag Pack Giveaway" We announce a winner every 50 Reviews! **Join the monthly "Insider Deals" email, where we partner with companies once a month with discounts on gear! https://www.budgetoverlandportal.com/***A special thanks to my BO PATRONS: Thank You!Joe GWandering PossumBrandon DillowChad LansingShane DeibertJay-Are SmithJimmy Jet -ST4x4ORP

In this episode of the Budget Overland Podcast, Benji and Jay discuss what modifications you should consider for your rig based off an article posted in the community Facebook Page. We go into details some of the modifications we have made, considered, or have avoided based off our own preferences.    The Article: There's Probably No Reason to Modify Your Vehicle for Off-Roading    Benji Ward is the founder of FB Budget Overland and co-host of the Budget Overland podcast. Benji is an off-road enthusiast, entrepreneur, and has been involved in the automotive industry for the past ten years.  He enjoys spending quality time with his wife and son, exploring God's creations, and sharing tips and tricks along the way for overlanding.   Jay Tiegs is co-host of the Budget Overland podcast, a 26 year veteran of the U.S. Army, outdoor enthusiast, and endurance athlete. He is passionate about outdoor adventure travel in his Toyota 4 Runner and loves sharing his experiences to encourage others to get outside.   If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/ITunes? Your feedback is important to me and it would also take less than 60 seconds and make a difference in getting those hard to get guests as we expand our reach.   Vist the Budget Overland Store: https://budget-overland-swag.myshopify.com/   Join the Budget Overland Facebook Community:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/312054236893725   Watch the Budget Overland Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcro_9fySgsgZiwO1E1lj1g Contact/Follow Benji:  Instagram: @slow.yota Email: Budgetoverlandofficial@gmail.com    Connect with Jay:  Website: www.jaytiegs.com  Facebook: www.facebook.com/sjtiegs  LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jay-tiegs  YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/jaytiegs  Instagram: www.instagram.com/jaytiegs

In this very episode, our 2Gs, the Gourmands & Geeks - Sadaf and Archit are hosting Sharanya Deepak, an award-winning writer. She has written on a wide range of food-related subjects including (but not limited to) tandoori momos, custard powder, saffron production and Bhut Jolokia, in publications such as Eater, Atlas Obscura, and FiftyTwo. In this episode they discuss:-The origins of momo -The difference between momo, dimsum, and dumpling -What makes momos ‘student food'?-Why are Delhiites obsessed with it?-Why is the tandoori momo - “bakchodi waala khaaana”?-The best places to have momos in Delhi-How small neighbourhoods like Humayunpur make Delhi an elite food city.So sit back and relax, order your momos (tandoori, fried or steamed) and smear some spicy red chutney while you hear the 2Gs have a blast with Sharanya. Important links to geek out more:Sharanya's website(https://www.sharanyadeepak.com)Article: The Absurdity of the Tandoori Momo by Sharanya Deepak(https://vittles.substack.com/p/all-too-much-the-absurdity-of-the)Article: There is a momo for every mood By Ruchika Garg(https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/there-is-a-momo-for-every-mood-101628608883687.html)Article: Kunal Vijayakar on food trucks: Why I want more meals on wheels(https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/kunal-vijayakar-on-food-trucks-why-i-want-more-meals-on-wheels/story-LkxZgbYArs3xmm7BFcgpAI.html)Article: Whose food city? ─ The Northeastern Restaurants of Humayunpur, Delhi(https://vittles.substack.com/p/whose-food-city-the-northeastern)You can follow Sadaf Hussain & Archit Puri on their Instagram handle:@sadaf_hussain @thehustlinggluttonYou can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.You can check out our website at https://shows.ivmpodcasts.com/featured

Read Along: https://www.nationalreformation.org/post/the-ethic-of-obligation Written and Narrated by Joshua Noyer From the Article: There is no decision made which is value free, whether it comes to tax rates, education, or even which medical procedures to allow or not allow. All choices reflect a worldview and system of values. The difference between ostensibly democratic and totalitarian governments is simply one of priorities. To Donate: https://www.nationalreformation.org/shop-1 More from Noyer: https://www.nationalreformation.org/chronicles/categories/noyers-thoughts

Read Along: https://www.nationalreformation.org/post/the-ethic-of-obligation Written and Narrated by Joshua Noyer From the Article: There is no decision made which is value free, whether it comes to tax rates, education, or even which medical procedures to allow or not allow. All choices reflect a worldview and system of values. The difference between ostensibly democratic and totalitarian governments is simply one of priorities. To Donate: https://www.nationalreformation.org/shop-1 More from Noyer: https://www.nationalreformation.org/chronicles/categories/noyers-thoughts

Read Along: https://www.nationalreformation.org/post/the-suicide-epidemic-in-perspective Written and Narrated by Joshua Noyer From the Article: There are very few instances which can be classified as being individual in nature, being isolated from society and not causing extended ripples into the larger social arena. The more society evolves the more evident it becomes that the lines which used to separate private from public have always been more arbitrary than scientific and need to be reconsidered.

Read Along: https://www.nationalreformation.org/post/the-suicide-epidemic-in-perspective Written and Narrated by Joshua Noyer From the Article: There are very few instances which can be classified as being individual in nature, being isolated from society and not causing extended ripples into the larger social arena. The more society evolves the more evident it becomes that the lines which used to separate private from public have always been more arbitrary than scientific and need to be reconsidered.

The ladies discuss whether there are positives to pornography and if we should ban porn websites in the UK, whether it's acceptable for non-Black people to own or manage Black platforms or if they should be cancelled, why so many women feel ashamed following a miscarriage and how we can normalise open conversations around a common experience, following the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle's opinion piece for the New York Times, and whether there's too much pressure on kids to live up to the success achieved by their parents or if it's impossible to avoid comparisons being made.Subscribe to our newsletter for your weekly dose of Extra Ethnic:https://mailchi.mp/c2749d9238ee/extraethnic--------------------------------------- FOLLOW THE CONVERSATION #EthnicallySpeakingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unitedmelanincoFacebook: https://facebook.com/unitedmelanincoTwitter: https://instagram.com/unitedmelanincoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unitedmelaninco/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/UnitedMelaninGroupGet in touch with us: ethnicallyspeaking@unitedmelaningroup.com---------------------------------------- LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE https://unitedmelaningroup.com/es025(Website – Show notes and links to support for those affected by a pregnancy or child loss)https://www.jsm.jsexmed.org/article/S1743-6095(20)30032-1/fulltext(Publication – High-Frequency Pornography Use May Not Always Be Problematic – Beáta Bőthe, PhD, István Tóth-Király, PhD, Marc N. Potenza, PhD, MD, Gábor Orosz, PhD & Zsolt Demetrovics, PhD, DSc in The Journal of Sexual Medicine)https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/bb79a2ce-0de4-4965-98f0-9ebbcfcc2a60(Article – How do your porn habits compare with young people across Britain? – Moya Lothian-McLean for BBC)https://blog.allpsych.com/why-do-people-watch-porn/(Article – Why Do People Watch Porn? – Neil Petersen for AllPsych)https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/love-sex/sex/a34327568/women-porn-effects-sex/(Article – The positive impacts frequently watching porn can have on your sex life – Paisley Gilmour for Cosmopolitan)https://johnbwellsnews.com/black-nationalist-instagram-page-actually-owned-by-white-british-female-blm-absolutely-livid/(Article – Black Nationalist Instagram Page Actually Owned By White British Female, BLM Absolutely Livid – Gabriel Keane for John B. Wells News)https://wzakcleveland.com/558811/bet-george-foreman-grills-and-dark-lovely-no-lye-relaxer-have-a-commonality-theyre-not-as-black-as-you-think-for-the-confused-thebvx-which-like-aol-s-black-voices-is-not-black-owned-h/(Article – 10 Things you thought were black owned but actually Aren't. – 93.1FM WZAK)https://www.instagram.com/edward_enninful/(Instagram – Edward Enninful, OBE Editor-in-Chief British Vogue – @edward_enninful)https://www.netflix.com/watch/70236561(TV Series – Top Boy – Created by Ronan Bennett, Netflix)https://www.patreon.com/(Website – Donate to creators and their projects)https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/25/opinion/meghan-markle-miscarriage.html(Article – The Losses We Share – Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex for The New York Times)https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/02/social-media-miscarriage-mark-zuckerberg-pregnancy(Article – With miscarriage, there are many routes to shame – Zoe Williams for The Guardian)https://www.spreaker.com/user/12667746/gnf-s2-ep4(Podcast – Breaking the silence on miscarriage – Girls No Filter with Jess Wright)https://www.tommys.org/baby-loss-support/miscarriage-information-and-support/miscarriage-statistics(Article – Miscarriage statistics – Tommy's)https://www.netflix.com/watch/80117485(TV Series – Friends From College – Created by Nicholas Stoller & Francesca Delbanco, Netflix)https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/there-s-nothing-elitist-about-kids-following-in-their-parents-footsteps(Article – There's nothing ‘elitist' about kids following in their parents' footsteps – Patrick West for The Spectator)https://www.independent.ie/woman/celeb-news/our-10-step-survival-guide-for-children-of-famous-parents-26652085.html(Article – Our 10-step survival guide for children of famous parents – Darragh McManus for Independent.ie)https://www.wetv.com/shows/growing-up-hip-hop--35383(TV Series – Growing Up Hip Hop – Created by Datari Turner Entertainment & Entertainment One Studios for WE TV)https://youtu.be/VzaecfGT8zo(Video – Lauryn Hill's Daughter Selah Details Her Mom Strict Slave Ways In The Past & Absent Dad Rojan Marley – via Jamaica Soap Opera Tv YouTube Channel)----------------------------------------Each week join Anissa, Luanda Yasmin and Sophie Hannah, three smart, curious and opinionated highly-melanated women, as they discuss everything from current affairs to pop culture, and everything in between. No subject is off limits for these ladies, especially when it comes to issues affecting British communities of colour. Get ready to laugh, learn and liberate your mind, because if there's one thing you can guarantee, it's that the Ethnically Speaking ladies will be giving it to you straight!----------------------------------------Music by GC

The election is... Actually not quite over but we have to record this episode sometime. In this episode, a breakdown of the notable winners and losers. Did we fire them all? Or... Any of them?  Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Click here to contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Click here to support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank’s online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536 Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Recommended Episodes CD129: The Impeachment of John Koskinen Articles/Documents Article: Rep. Don Young, 87, tests positive for COVID-19 months after mocking seriousness of pandemic: ‘I call it the beer virus’ By Muri Assuncao, Daily News, November 13, 2020 Article: Trump administration removes senior defense officials and installs loyalists, triggering alarm at Pentagon By Barbara Starr, Zachary Cohen and Ryan Browne, CNN, November 13, 2020 Report: Schedule F, Diversity Training Reviews Continuing for Now By FEDweek, November 12, 2020 Article: North Dakota nurses call for mask mandate, reject policy allowing COVID-19-positive workers to stay on job By Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, November 12, 2020 Article: Election-reform ballot measure stays too close to call as elections workers tally more votes By James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News, November 12, 2020 Article: Senior U.S. cybersecurity official asked to resign amid Trump transition tumult By Christopher Bing, Reuters, November 12, 2020 Article: Congress’s New Faces Include Ex-Astronaut, Citadel’s First Female Grad By Natalie Andrews, The Wall Street Journal, November 11, 2020 Article: Puerto Rico's statehood piques Congress's interest post-election By Andres L. Cordova, The Hill, November 11, 2020 Article: Pelosi floats above Democrats’ civil war By Heather Caygle and Sarah Ferris, Politico, November 11, 2020 Article: Michigan’s Voting Flaws Were Human Errors and Outliers By Gus Burns, Governing, November 11, 2020 Article: Exclusive: Esper, on his way out, says he was no yes man By Meghann Myers, Military Times, November 10, 2020 Article: The Trump Administration Is Reversing More Than 100 Environmental Rules. Here’s the Full List. By NADJA POPOVICH, LIVIA ALBECK-RIPKA and KENDRA PIERRE-LOUIS, The New York Times, November 10, 2020 Article: Senate GOP lays out priorities in fiscal 2021 spending showdown By Jennifer Shutt, Roll Call, November 10, 2020 Article: Christopher Miller, Trump's surprise acting defense secretary, has a thin resume for the job but deep experience in counterterrorism By Dan Lamothe, Ellen Nakashima, Alex Horton, The Washington Post, November 9, 2020 Article: There's a plan afoot to replace the Electoral College, and your state may already be part of it By Elliot Ramos, NBC News, November 9, 2020 Article: Corporate Democrats Are Rural America's Biggest Losers By Jake Davis, Bryce Oats, The American Prospect, November 9, 2020 Article: Amy Kennedy Loses Race to Rep. Jeff Van Drew, Who Switched Parties for President Trump By Virginia Chamlee, People, November 9, 2020 Article: Donna Shalala Encapsulated Pelosi’s Embrace of Passivity as a Strategy By Eleanor Eagen, The American Prospect, November 9, 2020 Article: Hope Lives in Georgia By David Dayen, The American Prospect, November 9, 2020 Article: 'A Vexing Decision': Calif. Governor Mulls Who Will Replace Harris In Senate By Scott Shafer, npr, November 9, 2020 Article: Win by Biden and Harris opens up California Senate seat By Bridget Bowman, Roll Call, November 7, 2020 Article: South Carolina’s Voting Machines Are Vulnerable to Attacks By Chiara Eisner, Governing, November 6, 2020 Article: Legislative Turnover at Lowest Level Seen Since 1920s By Alan Greeblatt, Governing, November 6, 2020 Article: Second Georgia Senate seat headed to January runoff that could decide Senate control By Stephanie Akin, Roll Call, November 6, 2020 Article: Florida Amendment 4 Election Results: Require Amendments to Be Approved Twice By Stephanie Saul, The New York Times, November 6, 2020 Article: The ACA Is Becoming A Political Problem For Dems By David Sirota and Andrew Perez, The Daily Poster, November 5, 2020 Article: Missouri voters dump never-used redistricting reforms By David A. Lieb, Associated Press, November 5, 2020 Article: Puerto Rico inches closer to statehood, but without key GOP support By Chris Cioffi, Roll Call, November 4, 2020 Article: North Dakota voters reject Measure 2 by wide margin By Jeremy Turley, Grand Forks Herald, November 4, 2020 Article: 2020 election sees record high turnout with at least 159.8 million votes projected By Hannah Miao, CNBC, November 4, 2020 Article: Nationwide Ballot Measure Results to Watch: Live Updates By Carl Smith, Tod Newcombe, Governing, November 4, 2020 Article: Will We Ever Slay the Evil Gerrymander? By Alan Ehrenhalt, Governing, November 4, 2020 Article: The U.S. Inability To Count Votes is a National Disgrace. And Dangerous. By Glenn Greenwald, November 4, 2020 Article: Record ‘Dark Money’ Donations Help GOP Retake House Seats By David Moore, Sludge, November 4, 2020 Article: With Deceptive Measure, Missouri GOP Wins Back Power to Gerrymander By Donald Shaw, Sludge, November 4, 2020 Article: Question 2 supporters concede defeat in effort to bring ranked choice voting to Massachusetts By Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com, November 4, 2020 Article: A QAnon Supporter Is Headed to Congress By Matthew Rosenberg, The New York Times, November 3, 2020 Article: Eight Reasons Not to Expect Quick Election Results By Carl Smith, Governing, November 3, 2020 Article: Former Congressman Pete Sessions to return to Washington By Michael Oder and Fallon Appleton, KBTX-TV, November 3, 2020 Article: Qualcomm Billionaires Launch Last Minute Attack on Granddaughter’s Progressive Opponent By Donald Shaw, Sludge, November 2, 2020 Article: Voting Itself Becomes Question for Ballot Measures By Alan Greenblatt, Governing, November 2, 2020 Article: Why Trump Can’t Afford to Lose By Jane Mayer, The New Yorker, November 1, 2020 Article: Campaign Against ‘Dark Money’ Disclosure in Alaska Keeps Hiding Its Donors By Donald Shaw, Sludge, October 28, 2020 Article: Salary Council appointee resigns, calls Schedule F executive order a ‘red line’ By Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News Network, October 26, 2020 Article: Trump's historic assault on the civil service was four years in the making By Lisa Rein, Josh Dawsey, and Toluse Olorunnipa, The Washington Post, October 23, 2020 Executive Order on Creating Schedule F In The Excepted Service The White House, October 21, 2020 Article: ‘Stunning’ Executive Order Would Politicize Civil Service By Erich Wagner, Government Executive, October 22, 2020 Article: Rep. Justin Amash, the ex-Republican who tussled with Trump and the GOP, reflects on what's next By Megan Sauer, USA Today, September 26, 2020 Article: Most Americans Don’t Have A Real Stake In The Stock Market By Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes, August 31, 2020 Article: The Stock Market Does Not Represent the U.S. Economy By Revere Journal, July 8, 2020 Article: Health insurers' profits topped $35B last year. Medicare Advantage is the common thread By Paige Minemyer, Fierce Healthcare, February 24, 2020 Article: Supreme Court allows states to draw partisan political maps By Todd Ruger, Roll Call, June 27, 2019 Article: The Atlas Of Redistricting, Georgia’s districts gerrymandered to favor Democrats By Aaron Bycoffe, Ella Koeze, David Wasserman and Julia Wolfe, FiveThirtyEight, January 25, 2018 Additional Resources HOUSE RESULTS - Democrats retain control of House, CNN Voter Analysis: Poll Results, Fox News Democratic President by Congressional District Targeted Candidates, 2020 Cycle OpenSecrets.org Sound Clip Sources Video: 2020 Presidential Debates: Biden says Obamacare will have a public option, 'Bidencare', Politico, October 22, 2020 Facebook Live Video: Republican congressional candidate caught on video making series of racist and Islamophobic remarks, Independent, June 18, 2020 Facebook Live Video: House Republican leaders condemn GOP candidate who made racist videos, Politico, June 17, 2020 Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

Surprise, surprise! Congress failed to fund the government on time again. In this episode, discover the hidden secrets in the bill that temporarily funds the government and the politics behind the dingleberries that hitched a ride into law. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Click here to contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Click here to support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank’s online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536 Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Recommended Episodes VP Debate preview. A genuine sex scandal! Trump COVID timeline! Deciphering congress with Jen Briney Politics Politics Politics CD213: CARES Act - The Trillions for COVID-19 Law, Listen on Spotify CD168: Nuclear Desperation, Listen on Spotify Bills H.R. 8337: Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act Passed House: September 22, 359-17-1 Passed Senate: September 30, 84-10 Text Outline Division A: Continuing Appropriations Act Extends government funding from 2020 at the same levels until December 11, 2021 Section 125: Gives permission to the Secretary of the Navy to spend over $1.6 billion to enter into a contract for who Columbia class submarines Section 140: Amends the CARES Act to extend the expiration date of Section 3610, which allows any government agency to to change their contracts to allow the government to pay for up to 40 Horus per week of paid leave that contractors pay for their employees. This only applies to contractors who can’t work because their facilities are closed and can’t do their work remotely. The expiration is shifted from September 30 to December 11. Section 159: Extends the authority from the CARES Act, which expired on September 30, for the Library of Congress to reimburse the Little Scholars Child Development Center and Tiny Findings Development Center for salaries for employees who can’t work due to COVID-19 closures in the capitol. It also extends the authority for the government to pay the salaries of contractors that work on the capitol until the end of the public emergency. The authorities are extended until the end of the public emergency declared by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Section 170: Adds $728 billion to the $550 billion appropriated in the 2020 funding law for loan guarantees for mortgage backed securities Section 173: Extends the borrowing limit for the Commodity Credit Corporation to reimburse it for net realized losses as of September 17, 2020. Division B: Surface Transportation Program Extension Section 1104: Allows Federal funds to be used to cover operating losses for food and beverage service on Amtrak Division D : Other Matters Section 4102: Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish fees ranging between $1,500 and $2,500 for applications for employment based immigration. Section 4303: Permanently reauthorizes antitrust provisions that encourages corporations to cooperate in antirust civil cases by limiting the fines that can be imposed upon cooperating companies. Section 4601: Expands eligibility for food stamps for children who usually get meals provided at school to include children in hybrid model schools and day cares. Section 4602: Extends the states’ authority to apply for waivers for school meal requirements in order to provide meals in a COVID-safe way until September 30, 2021 Section 4603: Gives the states the ability to extend certification periods for households receiving food assistance to December 31, 2021, and to adjust interview requirements through June 30, 2021, if they want to, without getting permission from the Secretary of Agriculture Section 4604: Prohibits the Secretary of Agriculture from using funding, facilities, or authorities of the Commodity Credit Corporation to provide payments to refiners or importers of fossil fuels unless the payments are for biofuels and prohibits the Commodity Credit Corporation from exchanging fossil fuel products for agricultural products until the end of March 2021. Articles/Documents Article: Senate GOP, setting aside Covid-19 fears, on track for quick Barrett confirmation this month By Manu Raju and Ted Barrett, CNN, October 8, 2020 Article: Lindsey Graham refuses to take COVID test for Senate debate in SC By Jacob Knutson, Axios, October 8, 2020 Article: Top White House aide hosted lavish Atlanta wedding in May despite virus restrictions By Patricia Murphy and Greg Bluestein, AJC, October 8, 2020 Article: Grassley won’t be tested for Covid, Ernst tests negative By O. Kay Henderson, Radio Iowa, October 5, 2020 Article: How Mark Meadows Became the White House’s Unreliable Source By Tim Alberta, Politico, October 4, 2020 Article: Department Of Justice Applauds President Trump’s Authorization Of The Antitrust Criminal Penalty Enhancement And Reform Permanent Extension Act By IVN, Imperial Valley News, October 4, 2020 Article: Sen. Thom Tillis spokesperson says he has mild symptoms of COVID-19, no fever and is in great spirits, Eyewitness 11 News, October 3, 2020 Article: Concerns Mount Over US Capitol's Lack of COVID-19 Requirements as President Tests Positive By Scott MacFarlane and Sophia Barnes, 4 Washington, October 2, 2020 Article: MBS Performance at Five-Year Low By Phil Hall, DSNews, October 2, 2020 Article: Judge blocks big hike in application fees for citizenship and other immigration benefits By Daniel Gonzalez, Arizona Republic, azcentral., September 30, 2020 Article: Trump Signs Shutdown-Averting Stopgap Spending Bill By Eric Katz, Government Executive, September 30, 2020 Article: Trump signs stopgap spending measure to avert a shutdown By Caitlin Emma, Politico, September 30, 2020 Article: Trump Signs Stopgap Spending Bill to Keep Government Funded By Emily Cochrane, The New York Times, September 30, 2020 Article: House stopgap spending bill includes $1.6B for Columbia-class subs By Rebecca Kheel, The Hill, September 21, 2020 Article: House Republican introduces amendment to include farm aid in stopgap funding bill By Juliegrace Brufke, The Hill, September 21, 2020 Article: Democrats and Republicans Clash Over Spending Bill to Avoid Shutdown By Emily Cochrane, The New York Times, September 21, 2020 Article: Trump vows to give billions more in farm aid as he looks for support from rural voters. By Alan Rappeport, The New York Times, September 18, 2020 Article: Mortgage Securities Are Flooding the Market. Thank the Fed. By Orla McCaffrey, The Wall Street Journal, September 16, 2020 Article: Trump administration eyes at least $300 million aid to refiners denied biofuel waivers: sources By Stephanie Kelly, Jarrett Renshaw, Reuters, September 16, 2020 Article: Independent Watchdog Report Finds Inequity in Farm Aid Payments By Alan Rappeport, The New York Times, September 14, 2020 Report: Report to Congress on Columbia-class Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarine Program By Congressional Research Service, USNI News, September 11, 2020 Article: White House asks for flexibility in Space Force funding in stopgap spending measure By Rebecca Kheel, The Hill, September 8, 2020 Document: Navy Columbia (SSBN-826) Class Ballistic Missile Submarine Program: Background and Issues for Congress By Congressional Research Service, September 8, 2020 Article: Budget dysfunction threatens delays to US Navy’s Columbia program By David B. Larter and Joe Gould, Defense News, September 3, 2020 Article: Geurts: Early Contract Awards During Pandemic Giving Navy Bandwidth to Plan for Possible Continuing Resolution By Megan Eckstein, USNI News, September 1, 2020 Article: Bad blood between Pelosi, Meadows complicates coronavirus talks By Mike Lillis and Scott Wong, The Hill, August 31, 2020 Article: USDA MARKET FACILITATION PROGRAM: Information on Payments for 2019 By Steve Morris , Government Accountability Office, August 21, 2020 Article: There’s about $130 billion left in the PPP pot. Why small businesses are slow to claim cash, By Darla Mercado, CNBC, June 11, 2020 Article: Breaking Down the US Federal Budget | Charts and Graphs, Up to Us, June 3, 2020 Article: COVID Pandemic a Barrier to Navy’s Oversight of Columbia Submarine Industrial Base; PEO Working on Virtual Oversight By Megan Eckstein, USNI News, June 2, 2020 Article: 'Astonishing': Trump EPA backs down on biofuel waivers in blow to U.S. refiners By Stephanie Kelly, Reuters, March 25, 2020 Article: The Commodity Credit Corporation: In Brief By Megan Stubbs, Congressional Research Service, September 4, 2019 Article: Ted Cruz and the Death of Conservatism By Jonathan Chait, New York Intelligencer, September 18, 2018 Additional Resources Appropriations Status Table: FY2021, Congressional Research Service Book: Monopolized: Life in the Age of Corporate Power, By David Dayen, July, 2020 Bill: H.R. 7794: Emergency SNAP Flexibilities Extension Act, govtrack, July 27, 2020 Blog: Allowing Ourselves Grace in these Troubling Times, CLASP: The Center for Law and Social Policy, 2020 Homepage: Priority Enrollment Categories, Tiny Findings, 2020 Report: Frequently Asked Questions about the Federal Budget, House Committee on the Budget, Chairman John Yarmuth, December 3, 2019 2017 Summary Statement and Initiatives: GOVERNMENT NATIONAL MORTGAGE ASSOCIATION MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES PROGRAM, HUD, 2017 Library of Congress New Employee Orientation Guide, Library of Congress, 2015 Board of Directors, General Dynamics Reelection Rates Over the Years, OpenSecrets.org General Dynamics, OpenSecrets.org Client Profile: General Dynamics, OpenSecrets.org Appropriations: Rep. Norm Dicks - Washington District 06, OpenSecrets.org Appropriations: Rep. Jim Moran - Virginia District 08, OpenSecrets.org 48 CFR § 16.306 - Cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts. Origins & Development: From the Constitution to the Modern House Funding Gaps and Shutdowns in the Federal Government, History, Art & Archives, United States House of Representatives Sound Clip Sources Hearing: Continuing Resolution to Fund the Government, U.S. House of Representatives, House Appropriations Committee, September 22, 2020 Transcript: 9:00 Steny Hoyer: Briefly want to say to the Appropriations Committee, congratulations for doing your work. I know there was controversy, everybody didn't support it. But we passed 10 of the 12 appropriation bills almost two months ago. Clearly sufficient time to reach agreement and pass the appropriation bills, not a CR. CR is a recognition of failure. Failure of to get our work done in a timely fashion. And I regret that I take some credit for passing 10 bills last year, in June, and 10 bills this year in July. I pushed the Appropriations Committee pretty hard. Staff worked hard, members worked hard. And we got our bills done.The Senate has not introduced - has not marked up - a single bill in committee. There's no bill out of committee, there's no bills on the floor, which means that the Senate has essentially abandoned the appropriations process. Madam Speaker, that's not the way the Congress the United States ought to work. 11:00 Steny Hoyer: From now, until hopefully before December 11, that's a Friday - we're scheduled to break for Christmas and the holidays - I'm hopeful that everyone will put their heads together to get the appropriation process done. And we'll probably do it in an omnibus, not single appropriation bills, which is not a good way to do it either. When I joined the Appropriations Committee, and we passed one bill at a time, the Senate passed one bill at a time, and we came to conference and sat down together, the members of the Defense Committee, the members of the Treasury, postal committee and labor health committees, we came together individually, and we worked out agreements between the two bodies. That is the way it ought to work. It's not working that way. And a world of alternatives, this is the best we have. So we need to take it. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

It's done. Brett Kavanaugh is a Supreme Court Justice. Most of the media coverage of his confirmation centered on the sexual assault allegations made by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford but that's only one part of the story. In this episode, learn about the procedural tricks employed by Senate Republicans and the George W. Bush administration to place Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court and hear highlights from over 40 hours of Brett Kavanaugh's policy-oriented confirmation hearings that most of the country didn't see. Please Support Congressional Dish - Quick Links Click here to contribute a lump sum or set up a monthly contribution via PayPal Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Use your bank’s online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North Number 4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD117: Authorization for Limitless War Additional Reading Blog: Why the ACLU opposes Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the supreme court by Susan N. Herman, ACLU, October 3, 2018. Article: California professor, writer of confidential Brett Kavanaugh letter, speaks out about her allegation of sexual assault by Emma Brown, The Washington Post, September 16, 2018. Records: Records, papers, decisions: Kavanaugh records and the Presidential Records Act, related author Meghan M. Stuessy, FAS.org, August 27, 2018. Report: ACLU report on Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, ACLU, August 15, 2018. Article: Brett Kavanaugh ruled Consumer Financial Protection Bureau structurally unconstitutional by Manuela Tobias, Politifact, July 25, 2018. Article: There's no conspiracy between Trump and Kennedy. There's just the swamp by David Litt, The Washington Post, July 3, 2018. Article: Donald Trump made Justice Kennedy an offer he couldn't refuse by Abigail Tracy, Vanity Fair, June 29, 2018. Article: Inside the White House's quiet campaign to create a Supreme Court opening by Adam Liptak and Maggie Haberman, The New York Times, June 28, 2018. Article: Here's what is known about the surprising choice to lead the CFPB by Francine McKenna, Market Watch, June 18, 2018. Article: The clock is running out on Mick Mulvaney by Renae Merle, The Washington Post, June 12, 2018. Article: Official cause of death for Antonin Scalia released by David Warren, Dallas News, February 2016. Article: George W. Bush's bizarre bathroom self-portraits laid bare by audacious hack by Sam Byford, The Verge, February 8, 2013. Resources Case Information: Carpenter v. United States Executive Order: Further Implementation of the Presidential Records Act Sound Clip Sources Hearing: 2004 Kavanaugh Judicial Nomination Hearing, Senate Judiciary Committee, April 27, 2004. Witness: Brett Kavanaugh Sound Clips: 1:14:14 Senator Jeff Sessions (AL): Judges, if you’re confirmed, are not accountable to the public. You never stand for election again. You hold your office for life. Many of your decisions are unreviewable ultimately, and it leaves the American people subject to decisions in an anti-democratic forum unless that judge restrains him or herself and enforces the law as written or the Constitution as declared by the people of the United States. 1:24:15 Senator Patrick Leahy (VT): The question is secrecy in government, and this administration has shown more secrecy than any administration I’ve served with, from the Ford administration forward. You were the author, one of the first indicators of this increase in secrecy, Executive Order 13233, that drastically changed the Presidential Records Act. It gave former presidents, their representatives, and even the incumbent president, virtual veto power over what records of theirs would be released, posed a higher burden on researchers petitioning for access to what had been releasable papers in the past. After the order was issued, a number of historians, public interest organizations, opposed the change. The Republican-led House Committee on Government Reform approved a bill to reverse this. A lawsuit to overturn it was filed by Public Citizen, American Historical Association, Organization of American Historians, and a number of others. Why did you favor an increase in the secrecy of presidential records? Brett Kavanaugh: Senator, with respect to President Bush's Executive Order, I think I want to clarify how you described it. It was an order that merely set forth the procedures for assertion of privilege by a former president, and let me explain what that means. The Supreme Court of the United States in Nixon v. GSA in 1977, opinion by Justice Brennan, had concluded that a former president still maintains a privilege over his records, even after he leaves office. This was somewhat unusual because there was an argument in the case that those are government records. But the Court concluded that both the current president and the former president have the right to assert privilege to prevent the release of presidential records. That’s obviously a complicated situation. The issue was coming to a head for the first time because there’s a 12-year period of repose, so 12 years after President Reagan left office was when this President Bush came into office, and there was a need to establish procedures. How’s this going to work, two different presidents asserting privilege or having the right to review? No one really had a good idea how this was going to work. The goal of the Order was merely to set forth procedures. It specifically says in Section 9 of the Order that it’s not designed in any way to suggest whether a former president or a current president should or should not assert privilege over his records. You’re quite right, Senator Leahy, that there was initial concern by historians about the Order. I think it was—I like to think it was based on a misunderstanding, and Judge Gonzales and I undertook to meet every 6 months or so with a large group of historians, first to discuss the Order and explain it, and then after that, to discuss any problems they were having with the Order, and to help improve it, if they suggested ways for improvement. I think those meetings, I think the historians who’ve come to see us, have found them useful, and I think we helped to explain what we had in mind and what the president's Order meant in terms of the procedure. So, that’s my explanation of that Order. Hearing: 2006 Kavanaugh Judicial Nomination Hearing, Senate Judiciary Committee, May 9, 2006. Witness: Brett Kavanaugh Sound Clips: 58:44 Senator Orrin Hatch (UT): I also want to acknowledge the presence of Mr. Kavanaugh’s parents. I’ve known them for a long time. Ed Kavanaugh, for many years, he headed up the major trade association, the Cosmetic, Toiletries, and Fragrance Association, and he is deservedly admired by many in this town. And his mother served with distinction as a state court judge in Maryland for many, many years. 1:47:15 Senator John Cornyn (TX): Of course, as you know, I met you a number of years ago when I was Attorney General of Texas and had the honor to represent my state in an argument before the United States Supreme Court, and that was Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe, which involved a question of whether school children could voluntarily offer a prayer or an inspirational saying before school football games in Texas. And as you know, the Court ultimately ruled against that voluntary student prayer in the case. And Chief Justice Rehnquist, in dissent, said that the Court's ruling exhibited hostility to all things religious in public life. And I’m very concerned about that because I do believe that the founders thought that the posture of the government with regard to religious expression should be one of neutrality, not hostility. I realize as a lower court judge you’re going to be bound by the Supreme Court's precedents, but I wonder if you would address the issue of religious liberty and religious speech insofar as how you believe in your position as a circuit court judge, how you would approach those issues. Brett Kavanaugh: Senator, if I were confirmed to be a D.C. Circuit judge, I would of course follow the precedent of the Santa Fe case. That case addressed a question that had been left open in the Lee v. Weisman case in 1992. In that case, there was a school-sponsored prayer at a graduation ceremony where the government was actually involved, and one of the questions that was left open was, what happens if a student or a private speaker participates in a school event as a private speaker? And in the Santa Fe case, I think the Court concluded, based on the facts and circumstances of the case, that it could be attributed to the school and so was a violation of the Establishment Clause. I think the overall area represents a tension the Supreme Court has attempted to resolve throughout the years in terms of facilitating the free exercise of religion without crossing the Establishment Clause lines that the Court has set out for many years now. I know that the Court in recent years has made clear in a number of cases that private religious speech, religious people, religious organizations cannot be, or should not be, discriminated against and that treating religious speech, religious people, religious organizations equally—in other words, on a level playing field with nonreligious organizations—is not a violation of the Establishment Clause. In past years there had been some suggestion that treating religious organizations the same way in the public square as nonreligious organizations could sometimes be a violation of the Establishment Clause. I think the Court's really gone to a principle of equality of treatment does not ordinarily violate the Establishment Clause—again, equality of treatment of religious speech, religious people, religious organizations; equality in the public square. That's been something we've seen over the last, I'd say, decade or a little more. 2:04:00 Former Senator Sam Brownback (KS): But just give me your view of the Constitution as a document itself. Is this a—can you put yourself in a category? Do you have a view that it’s established as a living document, as a strict constructionist of the Constitution itself? Brett Kavanaugh: Senator, I believe very much in interpreting text as it’s written and not seeking to impose one's own personal policy preferences into the text of the document. I believe very much in judicial restraint, recognizing the primary policymaking role of the legislative branch in our constitutional democracy. I believe very much, as a prospective inferior court judge, were I to be confirmed, in following the Supreme Court precedent strictly and absolutely. Once as a lower court judge, I think that’s very important for the stability of our three-level system for lower courts to faithfully follow Supreme Court precedent, and so that’s something that I think’s very important. In terms of the independence of the judiciary, I think that’s something that’s the hallmark of our judiciary, the hallmark of our system, that judges are independent from the legislative branch and independent from the executive branch. I think that’s central to my understanding of the proper judicial role. Hearing: 2018 Day 1 Part 1 Kavanaugh Judicial Confirmation Hearing, Senate Judiciary Committee, September 4, 2018. 12:55 Senator Chuck Grassley (IA): Good morning. I welcome everyone to this confirmation hearing on the nomination of— Senator Kamala Harris (CA): Mr. Chairman? Sen. Grassley: —Brett Kavanaugh— Sen. Harris: Mr. Chairman? Sen. Grassley: —to serve as Associate Justice— Sen. Harris: Mr. Chairman, I’d like to be recognized for a question before we proceed? Unknown Speaker: Regular order, Mr. Chairman. Sen. Grassley: —of the Supreme Court of the United States. Sen. Harris: Mr. Chairman, I’d like to be recognized to ask a question before we proceed. The committee received just last night, less than 15 hours ago— Unknown Speaker: Mr. Chairman, regular order. Sen. Harris: —42,000 pages of documents that we have not had an opportunity to review or read or analyze. Sen. Grassley: You’re out of order. I’ll proceed. Sen. Harris: We cannot possibly move forward, Mr. Chairman, of this hearing. Sen. Grassley: I extend a very warm welcome to Judge Kavanaugh— Sen. Harris: We have not been given an opportunity to have a— Sen. Grassley: —to his wife, Ashley— Sen. Harris: —meaningful hearing on the nominee. Sen. Grassley: —his two daughters, their extended family and friends— Senator Mazie Hirono (HI): Mr. Chairman, I agree with my colleague, Senator Harris. Mr. Chairman— Sen. Grassley: —Judge Kavanaugh’s many law clerks— Sen. Hirono: —we received 42,000 documents that we haven’t been able— Sen. Grassley: —and everyone else joining us today. Sen. Hirono: —to review last night, and we believe this hearing should be postponed. Sen. Grassley: I know this is an exciting day for all of you here, and you’re rightly proud of the judge. Senator Richard Blumenthal (CT): Mr. Chairman, if we cannot be recognized, I move to adjourn. Sen. Grassley: The American people— Sen. Blumenthal: Mr. Chairman, I move to adjourn. Sen. Grassley: —get to hear directly from Judge Kavanaugh later this afternoon. Sen. Blumenthal: Mr. Chairman, I move to adjourn. Mr. Chairman, we have been denied—we have been denied real access to the documents we need to advise— Unknown Speaker: Mr. Chairman, regular order is called for. Sen. Blumenthal: —which turns this hearing into a charade and a mockery of our norms. Sen. Grassley: Well— Sen. Blumenthal: And Mr. Chairman, I, therefore, move to adjourn this hearing. Sen. Grassley: Okay. Protester: This is a mockery and a travesty of justice. This is a travesty of justice, and we’ll not go back. Cancel Brett Kavanaugh. Adjourn the hearing. Leave me alone. Leave me alone. Unknown Speaker: _______(02:07—What do we have to do? Trump? We may have to work with Trump. In a demonstrative adjourn, we have to have—) Unknown Speaker: We’re not in an executive session. Sen. Blumenthal: Mr. Chairman, I ask for a roll-call vote on my motion to adjourn. 18:40 Senator Mazie Hirono (HI): Mr. Chairman, it is also— Senator Chuck Grassley (IA): I think that I— Sen. Hirono: Mr. Chairman, it is also not regular order for the majority— Sen. Grassley: Senator Hirono— Sen. Hirono: —to require the minority to pre-clear our questions, our documents and the videos we would like to use at this hearing. That is unprecedented. That is not regular order. Since when do we have to submit the questions and the process that we wish to follow to question this nominee? Sen. Grassley: Senator— Sen. Hirono: I’d like your clarification. Sen. Grassley: Senator Hirono— Sen. Hirono: I’d like your response on why you are requesting— Sen. Grassley: —I would ask that you— Sen. Hirono: — ____(00:30) order to submit our questions, too. Sen. Grassley: —I ask that you stop so we can conduct this hearing the way we have planned it. Maybe it isn’t going exactly the way that the minority would like to have it go— Protester: [unclear] Sen. Grassley: —but we have said for a long period of time that we were going to proceed on this very day, and I think we ought to give the American people the opportunity to hear whether Judge Kavanaugh should be on the Supreme Court or not. And you have heard my side of the aisle call for a regular order, and I think we ought to proceed in regular order. There will be plenty of opportunities to respond to the questions that the minority is— Protester 2: We didn’t vote for Judge Kavanaugh. [unclear] Sen. Grassley: —legitimately raising. Unknown Speaker: Get her thrown out of here, my god. Protester 3: [unclear] Sen. Grassley: And we will proceed accordingly. Unknown Speaker: What did she say? Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI): Mr. Chairman, under regular order, may I ask a point of order, which is that we are now presented with a situation in which somebody has decided that there are 100,000 documents protected by executive privilege, yet there has not been an assertion of executive privilege before the committee. How are we to determine whether executive privilege has been properly asserted— Protester 4: [unclear] Sen. Whitehouse: —if this hearing goes by without the committee ever considering that question? Why is it not in regular order for us to determine before the hearing at which the documents would be necessary whether or not the assertion of privilege that prevents us from getting those documents is legitimate or indeed is even an actual assertion of executive privilege? I do not understand why that is not a legitimate point of order at this point, because at the end of this hearing, it is too late to consider it. Senator Patrick Leahy (VT): Mr. Chairman, if I might add to this, on the integrity of the documents we’ve received, there really is no integrity. They have alterations, they have oddities, attachments are missing, emails are cut off halfway through a chain, recipient’s names are missing—many are of interest to this committee, but it’s cut off. The National Archives hasn’t had a chance to get us all that we want, even though you said on your website the National Archives would act as a check against any political interference. But— Protester 5: [unclear] Sen. Leahy: —I’d check after the hearing is over, there’s no check, I think we ought to at least have the National Archives finish it, and to have for the first time, certainly in my 44 years here, to have somebody say there’s a claim of executive privilege when the president hasn’t made such a claim, just puts everything under doubt. What are we trying to hide? Why are we rushing? Hearing: 2018 Day 1 Part 2 Kavanaugh Judicial Confirmation Hearing, Senate Judiciary Committee, September 4, 2018. Hearing: 2018 Day 2 Part 1 Kavanaugh Confirmation Hearing, Senate Judiciary Committee, September 5, 2018. Witness: Brett Kavanaugh Sound Clips: 53:00 Senator Dianne Feinstein (CA): What would you say your position today is on a woman’s right to choose? Brett Kavanaugh: Well, as a judge— Sen. Feinstein: As a judge. Kavanaugh: As a judge, it is an important precedent of the Supreme Court—by “it,” I mean Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey—and reaffirm many times Casey is precedent on precedent, which itself is an important factor to remember, and I understand the significance of the issue, the jurisprudential issue, and I understand the significance, as best I can, I always try and I do hear, of the real-world effects of that decision, as I try to do of all the decisions of my court and of the Supreme Court. 1:02:35* Brett Kavanaugh: I can tell you about the U.S. v. Nixon precedent, and I did about Chief Justice Burger’s role in forging a unanimous opinion—and, really, all the justices worked together on that—but Chief Justice Burger, who had been appointed by President Nixon—appointed by President Nixon—writes the opinion in U.S. v. Nixon, 8-0—Rehnquist was recused—8-0, ordering President Nixon to disclose the tapes in response to a criminal trial subpoena. A moment-of-crisis argument, I think July 8, 1974. They decided two weeks later a really important opinion, a moment of judicial independence, important precedent of the Supreme Court. 1:09:49 Senator Orrin Hatch (UT): I’d like to turn now to your work in the Bush administration. As you know, my Democratic colleagues are demanding to see every, every piece of paper or every single scrap of paper you ever touched during your six years in the Bush administration, in part because they want to know what role, if any, you played in developing the Bush administration’s interrogation policies. Well, six years ago, Ranking Member Feinstein, who was then the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and a good one at that, issued a lengthy report on the CIA’s detention and interrogation program under President Bush. The report detailed the origins, development, and implementation of the program. In 2014 a declassified version of that report was released to the public. The declassified version, or report, runs well over 500 pages, and your name appears nowhere in it. Now, I, myself, spent over 20 years on the Intelligence Committee. I know the quality of its staff and the work that they do, and I know the ranking member and how diligent she is. If you had played a role in the Bush administration’s interrogation policies, I think the ranking member would have discovered it. Numerous administration lawyers appear in the report, but not you. And that should tell us something. With that said, Judge Kavanaugh, I want to ask you for the record: what role, if any, did you play in developing or implementing the Bush administration’s detention and interrogation policies? Brett Kavanaugh: Well, the policies that are reflected and described in Senator Feinstein’s extensive, thorough report were very controversial, as you know, Senator—the enhanced interrogation techniques— Sen. Hatch: Right, right. Kavanaugh: —and the legal memos that were involved in justifying some of those techniques also were very controversial when they were disclosed in 2004. And I was not involved. I was not read into that program, not involved in crafting that program nor crafting the legal justifications for that program. In addition to Senator Feinstein’s report, the Justice Department did a lengthy Office of Professional Responsibility report about the legal memos that had been involved to justify some of those programs. My name’s not in that report, Senator, because I was not read into that program and not involved. There were a number of lawyers—and this came up at my last hearing—a number of lawyers who were involved, including a couple who were then judicial nominees. At my last hearing, I recall Senator Durbin asking about whether I also was likewise involved as these other judicial nominees had been, and the answer was no, and that answer was accurate, and that answer’s been shown to be accurate by the Office of Professional Responsibility report, by Senator Feinstein’s thorough report. 2:37:49 Senator Lindsey Graham (SC): So when somebody says post-9/11, that we’ve been at war, and it’s called the War on Terrorism, do you generally agree with that concept? Brett Kavanaugh: I do, Senator, because Congress passed the Authorization for Use of Military Force, which is still in effect. And that was passed, of course, on September 14, 2001, three days later. Sen. Graham: Let’s talk about the law and war. Is there a body of law called the law of armed conflict? Kavanaugh: There is such a body, Senator. Sen. Graham: Is there a body of law that’s called the basic criminal law? Kavanaugh: Yes, Senator. Sen. Graham: Are there differences between those two bodies of law? Kavanaugh: Yes, Senator. Sen. Graham: From an American citizen’s point of view, do your constitutional rights follow you? If you’re in Paris, does the Fourth Amendment protect you as an American from your own government? Kavanaugh: From your own government, yes. Sen. Graham: Okay. So, if you’re in Afghanistan, do your constitutional rights protect you against your own government? Kavanaugh: If you’re an American in Afghanistan, you have constitutional rights as against the U.S. government. Sen. Graham: Is there a longstanding— Kavanaugh: That’s long-settled law. Sen. Graham: Isn’t there also a long-settled law that—it goes back to Eisentrager case—I can’t remember the name of it— Kavanaugh: Yeah, Johnson v. Eisentrager. Sen. Graham: Right. —that American citizens who collaborate with the enemy have considered enemy combatants? Kavanaugh: They can be. Sen. Graham: Can be. Kavanaugh: They can be. They’re often—they’re sometimes criminally prosecuted, sometimes treated in the military sense. Sen. Graham: Well, let’s talk about “can be.” I think the— Kavanaugh: Under Supreme Court precedent— Sen. Graham: Right. Kavanaugh: —just want to make….yeah. Sen. Graham: There’s a Supreme Court decision that said that American citizens who collaborated with Nazi saboteurs were tried by the military. Is that correct? Kavanaugh: That is correct. Sen. Graham: I think a couple of them were executed. Kavanaugh: Yeah. Sen. Graham: So if anybody doubts, there’s a longstanding history in this country that your constitutional rights follow you wherever you go, but you don’t have a constitutional right to turn on your own government, collaborate with the enemy of the nation. You’ll be treated differently. What’s the name of the case, if you can recall, that reaffirmed the concept that you could hold one of our own as an enemy combatant if they were engaged in terrorist activities in Afghanistan? Are you familiar with that case? Kavanaugh: Yeah. Hamdi. Sen. Graham: Okay. So the bottom line is I want every American citizen to know you have constitutional rights, but you do not have a constitutional right to collaborate with the enemy. There's a body of law well developed long before 9/11 that understood the difference between basic criminal law and the law of armed conflict. Do you understand those differences? Kavanaugh: I do understand that there’re different bodies of law, of course, Senator. Hearing: 2018 Day 2 Part 2 Kavanaugh Judicial Confirmation Hearing, Senate Judiciary Committee, September 5, 2018. Witness: Brett Kavanaugh Hearing: 2018 Day 2 Part 3 Kavanaugh Confirmation Hearing, Senate Judiciary Committee, September 5, 2018. Witness: Brett Kavanaugh Sound Clips: 25:10 Brett Kavanaugh: My case, I upheld, importantly I upheld limits on contributions in the RNC case and in the Bluman case, and the Supreme Court has upheld contribution limits generally but struck them down when they’re too low in cases like Randall v. Sorrell, and McCutcheon. 54:45 Brett Kavanaugh: The religious tradition reflected in the First Amendment is a foundational part of American liberty, and it’s important for us as judges to recognize that and not—and recognize too that, as with speech, unpopular religions are protected. Our job—we can, under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, question their sincerity of a religious belief, meaning, is someone lying or not about it? But we can’t question the reasonableness of it, and so the Supreme Court has cases with all sorts of religious beliefs protected—Justice Brennan really the architect of that. So religious liberty is critical to the First Amendment and the American Constitution. 1:50:00 Brett Kavanaugh: All the significant wars in U.S. history have been congressionally authorized, with one major exception—the Korean War. And the Korean War is an anomaly in many respects, and I think some of—the fact that it was undeclared and unauthorized really did lead to the Youngstown decision. But, you know, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf War, the AUMF against al Qaeda, the 2003 Iraq War, and then going back, World War II, World War I, the War of 1812—they’re all congressionally authorized. You can go back throughout, and I specify that. And so the war power, the power to take the nation into war, at least a significant one—and there’s some questions about short-term air strikes and things like that—but a significant war, that’s the biggest of all, and that’s something that Hamilton talked about in ’69 and that our historical practice, I think, is actually lived up to. I don’t mean to footnote Korea—that’s an enormous exception—but since then, they’ve all been congressionally authorized. 1:56:30 Senator Ben Sasse (NE): And one of the reasons that the executive branch seems so powerful right now is, again, because of how weak the legislature is. I mean, it’s a fundamental part of why we have the term “president.” In the 1780s, this wasn’t a very common term in the English language. “President” was just a nounified form of the name “presiding officer,” and we made it up, our founders made it up so that we wouldn’t have a term that sounded a lot like a king. And so we wanted to be sure that the term “presiding officer” sounded pretty boring and administrative, because the legislative, the policymaking powers were supposed to sit in this body, and the Article Two branch is supposed to preside over and execute the laws that have been passed. It’s not supposed to be the locus of all policymaking in America, but one of the reasons we have some of these problems with so many of these executive agencies is because Congress regularly doesn’t finish its work, punch those powers to Article Two, and then it’s not clear who exactly can execute all those authorities. And so we end up with this debate about the unitary executive, and you had a different term for it, but unpack for us a little bit why you have a different view about both the prudence and the constitutionality of one-person-headed independent executive agencies or pseudo-independent agencies versus commission-structure-headed independent agencies. Brett Kavanaugh: The traditional independent agencies that were upheld by the Supreme Court in Humphrey’s Executor in 1935 are multi-member independent agencies. And so usually sometimes three, five, occasionally more, but they’re multi-member independent agencies, and that’s been all the way through. And then the—for the significant independent agencies—the CFPB—and I had no—it’s not my role to question the policy or to question the creation of the new agency. In fact, I think it was designed for efficiency and centralization of certain overlapping authorities. It’s not my role to question that policy. Someone challenged the fact that it was headed, for the first time on something like this, by a single person. And a couple things, then, I wrote about in my dissent in that case—I’ll just repeat what I wrote in the dissent—I said, “First of all, that’s a departure from historical practice of independent agencies, and that matters according to the Supreme Court.” They had a previous case involving the PCAOB, where they had different innovation there that the Supreme Court had struck down in part because of the novelty of it. So departure from historical practice matters because precedent always matters, including executive precedent. Then, diminution of presidential authority beyond the traditional independent agencies in this sense. With traditional independent agencies, when a new president comes in office, almost immediately the president has been given the authority to designate a new chair of the independent agencies, so when a new—when President Obama came in, was able to designate new chairs of the various independent agencies, and the chairs, of course, set the policy direction and control the agenda. That’s historically been the way. That does not happen with the CFPB. And finally, having a single person—just going back to liberty—who’s in charge, who’s not removable at will by anyone, not accountable to Congress, in charge of a huge agency is something that’s different and has an effect on individual liberty. So a single person can make these enormous decisions—rule makings, adjudications, and enforcement decisions, all of them—and from my perspective—I am just repeating what I wrote here. I’m not intending to go beyond what I wrote in that opinion that was an issue of concern. And I did put in a hypothetical because it seems abstract that—I think we’ll realize this issue with that agency or any other—when a president comes in to office and has to live for three, four years with a CFPB director appointed by the prior president. And then I think everyone’s going to realize—of a different party— Sen. Sasse: Right. Kavanaugh: — in particular—and then I think everyone’s going to realize, wow, that’s an odd structure. Now, maybe not, but that’s what I wrote in my opinion that that will seem very weird because that’s not what happens with all the traditional independent agencies. And so whenever any president leaves and has appointed in the last two years a CFPB director, the new president might campaign on consumer protection. Let’s imagine, okay, presidential campaigns on consumer protection and consumer issues and then comes into office and can’t actually appoint a new CFPB director for the whole term of his or her office, that’s going to seem, I think, quite odd structurally. At least, that’s what I said in my opinion. Hearing: 2018 Day 2 Part 4 Kavanaugh Judicial Confirmation Hearing, Senate Judiciary Committee, September 5, 2018. Witness: Brett Kavanaugh Sound Clips: 4:45 Senator Richard Blumenthal (CT): I want to talk about Jane Doe in Garza v. Hagen. As you know, she was a 17-year-old unaccompanied minor who came across this border, having escaped serious, threatening, horrific physical violence in her family, in her homeland. She braved horrific threats of rape and sexual exploitation as she crossed the border. She was eight weeks pregnant. Under Texas law, she received an order that entitled her to an abortion, and she also went through mandatory counseling, as required by Texas law. She was eligible for an abortion under that law. The Trump administration blocked her. The Office of Refugee Resettlement forced her to go to a crisis pregnancy center, where she was subjected to medically unnecessary procedures. She was punished by her continued requests to terminate her pregnancy by being isolated from the rest of the residents. She was also forced to notify her parents, which Texas law did not require. And the pregnancy, which was eight weeks, was four weeks further when you participated on a panel that upheld the Trump administration in blocking her efforts to terminate her pregnancy. The decision of that panel was overruled by a full court of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. It reversed that panel, and the decision and opinion in that case commented “the flat barrier that the government has interposed to her knowing and informed decision to end the pregnancy defies controlling Supreme Court precedent.” And it said further, “The government’s insistence that it must not even stand back and permit abortion to go forward for someone in some form of custody is freakishly erratic.” In addition to being erratic, it also threatened her health because she was unable to terminate her pregnancy for weeks that further increased the risk of the procedure—one study said 38 percent every week her health was threatened. She was going through emotional turmoil. And yet, in your dissent, you would have further blocked and delayed that termination of pregnancy. All of what I said is correct, hence to the facts here, correct? Brett Kavanaugh: No, Senator. I respectfully disagree in various parts. My ruling, my position in the case would not have blocked— Sen. Blumenthal: It would have delayed it. And it would have set imperiously close to the 20-week limit under Texas law, correct? Kavanaugh: No. We were still several weeks away. I said several things that are important, I think. First— Sen. Blumenthal: Well, I want to go on because I can read your dissent, but I want to go to— Kavanaugh: Well, but you read several things, respectfully—first of all, I think the opinion was by one judge that you’re reading from that was not the opinion for the majority. Secondly, I was trying to follow precedent of the Supreme Court on parental consent, which allows some delays in the abortion procedure so as to fulfill the parental-consent requirements. I was reasoning by analogy from those. People can disagree, I understand, on whether we were following precedent, how to read that precedent, but I was trying to do so as faithfully as I could and explained that. I also did not join the separate opinion, the separate dissent, that said she had no right to attain an abortion. ____(04:29) I did not say that. And I also made clear that the government could not use this immigration-sponsor provision as a ruse to try to delay her abortion past, to your point, the time when it was safe. 21:15 Brett Kavanaugh: And I said, thirdly, that if the nine days or seven days expired, that the minor at that point—unless the government had some argument that had not unfolded yet that was persuasive, and since they hadn’t unfolded it yet, I’m not sure what that would have been—that the minor would have to be allowed to obtain the abortion at that time. Hearing: 2018 Day 2 Part 5 Kavanaugh Judicial Confirmation Hearing, Senate Judiciary Committee, September 5, 2018. Hearing: 2018 Day 3 Part 1 Kavanaugh Judicial Confirmation Hearing, Senate Judiciary Committee, September 6, 2018. 30:35 Senator Dianne Feinstein (CA): It’s my understanding that by agreement with private lawyer Bill Burke, the chairman has designated 190,000 pages of Kavanaugh’s records “committee confidential,” and by doing this, Republicans argue members can’t use these documents at the hearing or release them to the public. Unlike the Intelligence Committee—and I’ve been a member for about two decades—the judiciary committee doesn’t have any standing rules on how and when documents are designated “committee confidential.” Previously, the judiciary committee has made material confidential only through bipartisan agreement. That has not been done in this case. So this is without precedent. Republicans claim that Chairman Leahy accepted documents on a committee-confidential basis during the Kagan administration. It’s my understanding that those documents were processed through the National Archives, not private partisan lawyers, and Republicans agreed. Ninety-nine percent of Elena Kagan’s White House records were publicly available and could be used freely by any member. By contrast, the committee has only seven percent of Brett Kavanaugh’s White House records and only four percent of those are available to the public. No Senate or committee rule grants the chairman unilateral authority to designate documents “committee confidential.” So I have no idea how that stamp “committee confidential” got on these documents. 39:10 Senator John Cornyn (TX): Mr. Chairman, I’m looking at a Wall Street Journal article, back during the Elena Kagan nomination. It says, document production from Elena Kagan’s years in the Clinton White House counsel’s office was supervised by Bruce Lindsey, whose White House tenure overlapped with Ms. Kagan. Bill Clinton designated Mr. Lindsey to supervise records from his presidency in cooperation with the National Archives and Records Administration under the Presidential Records Act. So President Bush, by choosing Mr. Burke, is doing exactly what President Clinton did in choosing Bruce Lindsey for that same purpose. 1:51:22 Brett Kavanaugh: My religious beliefs have no relevance to my judging. I judge based on the Constitution and laws of the United States. I take an oath to do that, and for 12 years I’ve lived up to that oath. At the same time, of course, as you point out, I am religious, and I am a Catholic, and I grew up attending Catholic schools. And the Constitution of the United States foresaw that religious people or people who are not religious are all equally American. As I’ve said in one of my opinions, the Newdow opinion, no matter what religion you are or no religion at all, we’re all equally American, and the Constitution of the United States also says in Article Six, no religious tests shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States. That was an important provision to have in the founding Constitution to ensure that there was not discrimination against people who had a religion or people who didn’t have a religion. It’s a foundation of our country. We’re all equally American. Hearing: 2018 Day 3 Part 2 Kavanaugh Judicial Confirmation Hearing, Senate Judiciary Committee, September 6, 2018. 22:30 Senator Mike Lee (UT): What you were asked about was whether or not you were involved in crafting the policies that would govern detention of enemy combatants. Is that right? Brett Kavanaugh: That’s correct. Sen. Lee: And that was a classified program, classified at a very high level, presumably compartmentalized such that you would have had to have been read into that program in order to participate in that process. Is that right? Kavanaugh: I believe that’s correct. Read in. I wasn’t necessarily using the formal sense of that, but what I meant is I was not a part of that program. Sen. Lee: Okay. But that is a binary issue. You were either involved in the development of that policy or you were not. Kavanaugh: That’s correct. Sen. Lee: And you were not. Kavanaugh: That’s correct. Sen. Lee: And Tim Flanigan, who was, I believe, at the time the White House counsel. Kavanaugh: He was the deputy counsel. Sen. Lee: The deputy counsel. Has confirmed that you were not involved in that. Kavanaugh: That’s correct. Sen. Lee: We have your word and the word of the then-deputy White House counsel. Then, there is a separate issue. Well, I guess one could argue a related issue, but a separate— Protesters: [unclear] Unknown Speaker: ____(01:17—I don’t know if it’s worth it, but he said something that got read into it. I don’t know whether people understand what it means.) Sen. Lee: I assume that won’t be counted against me, there. Unknown Speaker: It will be counted against you. Sen. Lee: Oh, okay. All right, well, I’ll have to speak more quickly then. When we talk about being read into, that is a colloquial term that we sometimes refer to. It’s government speak that talks about being cleared to discuss certain classified matters. In any event, you were not brought into the development of this policy. Kavanaugh: That’s correct. Sen. Lee: Secondly, there was a separate, arguable related, but a distinct issue involving a meeting where you were asked for your opinion about how Justice Kennedy might react to certain legal arguments that people in the administration were pushing. Is that right? Kavanaugh: That’s correct. Sen. Lee: And you answered that question. Kavanaugh: I said that indefinite detention of an American citizen without access to a lawyer, which at the time was what was happening in that particular case, would never fly with Justice Kennedy. Hearing: 2018 Day 3 Part 3 Kavanaugh Judicial Confirmation Hearing, Senate Judiciary Committee, September 6, 2018. Hearing: 2018 Day 3 Part 4 Kavanaugh Judicial Confirmation Hearing, Senate Judiciary Committee, September 6, 2018. 18:25 Senator Jeff Flake (AZ): Specifically, what impact does technology have on the Fourth and the First Amendments? Brett Kavanaugh: So I think the Carpenter case explains that once upon a time if a piece of information of yours ended up in the hands of a third party, and the government got a third party, that really wasn’t of any effect on your privacy. But now when all of our data is in the hands of a business, a third party, and the government obtains all your data, all your emails, all your tax, all your information, your financial transactions, your whole life is in the hands of a data company, and the government gets that, your privacy is very well affected. And that’s the importance, I think, of the Carpenter decision is that it recognizes that change in understanding of our understandings of privacy, and I think going forward, that’s going to be a critical issue. 1:27:10 Brett Kavanaugh: One of the things that we have to do as judges, as I’ve emphasized many times in this hearing, is maintain the independence of the federal judiciary, independence from politics, independence from political influence or public pressure or public influence. And part of that, part of the canons for federal judges, federal judiciary, is that we don’t attend political rallies, we’re not allowed to donate to political campaigns, support political candidates, put bumper stickers on our cars, signs in our yards. And one of the things I decided—we are allowed, technically, to vote, but one of the things I decided after I voted in the first election, and I read something about how the second Justice Harlan decided not to vote in elections because he thought that reinforced the independence that he felt as a judge. And I thought about that, and I decided to follow that lead. I’m not saying my approach is right, and other judges take a different approach on that, and I fully respect that. But for me it just felt more consistent for me, with the independence of the judiciary, not to vote, because I’ve always considered voting a sacred responsibility and one in which I think very deeply about the policies I’m supporting and the people I’m supporting, and that seemed almost as if I were taking policy views, at least to myself, into the voting booth, and I didn’t want to do that as a judge. So I decided to follow the lead of the second Justice Harlan. I’ll be the first to say I’m not the second Justice Harlan. He was a great justice on the Supreme Court and someone, of course, who I would be—if I were to be confirmed—honored to be on that Court and follow in his lead. Senator John Kennedy (LA): So you don’t vote in political elections. Kavanaugh: I do not vote in political elections. Sen. Kennedy: Interesting. Hearing: 2018 Day 3 Part 5 Kavanaugh Judicial Confirmation Hearing, Senate Judiciary Committee, September 6, 2018. Hearing: 2018 Day 3 Part 6 Kavanaugh Judicial Confirmation Hearing, Senate Judiciary Committee, September 6, 2018. Hearing: 2018 Day 3 Part 7 Kavanaugh Judicial Confirmation Hearing, Senate Judiciary Committee, September 6, 2018. Hearing: Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh Sexual Assault Hearing, Professor Blasey Ford Testimony, Senate Judiciary Committee, September 27, 2018. 3:37 Dr. Christine Blasey Ford: When I got to the small gathering, people were drinking beer in a small living room/family room-type area on the first floor of the house. I drank one beer. Brett and Mark were visibly drunk. Early in the evening, I went up a very narrow set of stairs, leading from the living room to a second floor to use the restroom. When I got to the top of the stairs, I was pushed from behind, into a bedroom across from the bathroom. I couldn’t see who pushed me. Brett and Mark came into the bedroom and locked the door behind them. There was music playing in the bedroom. It was turned up louder by either Brett or Mark once we were in the room. I was pushed onto the bed, and Brett got on top of me. He began running his hands over my body and grinding into me. I yelled, hoping that someone downstairs might hear me. And I tried to get away from him, but his weight was heavy. Brett groped me and tried to take off my clothes. He had a hard time because he was very inebriated and because I was wearing a one-piece bathing suit underneath my clothing. I believed he was going to rape me. I tried to yell for help. When I did, Brett put his hand over my mouth to stop me from yelling. This is what terrified me the most and has had the most lasting impact on my life. It was hard for me to breathe, and I thought that Brett was accidentally going to kill me. Both Brett and Mark were drunkenly laughing during the attack. They seemed to be having a very good time. Mark seemed ambivalent at times, urging Brett on, and at times telling him to stop. A couple of times I made eye contact with Mark and thought he might try to help me, but he did not. During this assault, Mark came over and jumped on the bed twice while Brett was on top of me. And the last time that he did this, we toppled over, and Brett was no longer on top of me. I was able to get up and run out of the room. Directly across from the bedroom was a small bathroom. I ran inside the bathroom and locked the door. I waited until I heard Brett and Mark leave the bedroom, laughing, and loudly walked down the narrow stairway, pinballing off the walls on the way down. I waited, and when I did not hear them come back up the stairs, I left the bathroom, went down the same stairwell, through the living room, and left the house. I remember being on the street and feeling this enormous sense of relief that I escaped that house and that Brett and Mark were not coming outside after me. Hearing: Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh Sexual Assault Hearing, Professor Blasey Ford Testimony, Senate Judiciary Committee, September 27, 2018. 1:22:10 Senator Dick Durbin (IL): Dr. Ford, with what degree of certainty do you believe Brett Kavanaugh assaulted you? Dr. Christine Blasey Ford: 100 percent. Hearing: Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh Sexual Assault Hearing, Judge Kavanaugh Testimony, Senate Judiciary Committee, September 27, 2018. 10:04 Brett Kavanaugh: This whole two-week effort has been a calculated and orchestrated political hit, fueled with apparent pent-up anger about President Trump and the 2016 election, fear that has been unfairly stoked about my judicial record, revenge on behalf of the Clintons, and millions of dollars in money from outside left-wing opposition groups. This is a circus. 18:04 Brett Kavanaugh: From 2001 to 2006 I worked for President George W. Bush in the White House. As staff secretary, I was by President Bush’s side for three years and was entrusted with the nation’s most sensitive secrets. I travelled on Air Force One all over the country and the world with President Bush. I went everywhere with him, from Texas to Pakistan, from Alaska to Australia, from Buckingham Palace to the Vatican. Three years in the West Wing, five and a half years in the White House. 2:57:20 Senator John Kennedy (LA): None of these allegations are true. Brett Kavanaugh: Correct. Sen. Kennedy: No doubt in your mind. Kavanaugh: Zero. I’m 100 percent certain. Sen. Kennedy: Not even a scintilla. Kavanaugh: Not a scintilla. One hundred percent certain, Senator. Sen. Kennedy: Do you swear to God? Kavanaugh: I swear to God. Meeting: Meeting on Brett Kavanaugh Nomination, Senate Judiciary Committee, September 28, 2018. 4:12:55 Senator Jeff Flake (AZ): I have been speaking with a number of people on the other side. We’ve had conversations ongoing for a while with regard to making sure that we do due diligence here. And I think it would be proper to delay the floor vote for up to, but not more than, one week in order to let the FBI continue—to do an investigation, limited in time and scope to the current allegations that are there, and a limit in time to no more than one week. And I will vote to advance the bill to the floor, with that understanding.   Community Suggestions See Community Suggestions HERE. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)  

We’re doing it live! In this episode, recorded in front of a live audience at Podfest in Orlando, Florida, learn about the concerning permissions granted to the war departments in the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act which are designed to antagonize Russia. Also, a special guest, Ryan DeLisle, joins Jen on her hotel patio to chat and say thank you to the listeners who keep this podcast in existence. Please Support Congressional Dish Click here to contribute using credit card, debit card, PayPal, or Bitcoin Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD067: What Do We Want in Ukraine? CD068: Ukraine Aid Bill CD136: Building WWIII CD156: Sanctions Book Recommendation The Pentagon's New Map: War and Peace in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas P.M. Barnett Bills H.R. 2810: 2018 NDAA: CLICK HERE for highlights and links to provisions in the 2018 NDAA   Additional Reading Report: Russian Su-25 jet downed in Syria, pilot killed - Defense Ministry, RT.com, February 3, 2018. Report: Poland wants U.S. sanctions to cover Nord Stream 2 by Reuters Staff, Reuters, January 29, 2018. Article: How Ukraine's president fooled Joe Biden by Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg View, January 25, 2018. Report: U.S. says it will provide Ukraine with 'defensive' aid by Reuters Staff, Reuters, December 22, 2017. Report: U.S. demands NATO action on Russian missile by Matthias Gebauer, Christoph Schult, and Klaus Wiegrefe, Spiegel Online, December 8, 2017. Article: There are four times as many U.S. troops in Syria as previously acknowledged by the Pentagon by Dan Lamothe, The Washington Post, December 6, 2017. Article: US talked about danger of "Nord Stream-2" for Ukraine and Europe, Front News, December 1, 2017. Report: Russia held a big military exercise this week. Here's why the U.S. is paying attention by Michael Birnbaum and David Filipov, The Washington Post, September 23, 2017. Video: NATO: Russia exercise resembles "preparation for a big war", CBS News, September 18, 2017. Article: A Russian helicopter accidentally fired on spectators during war games, state tv says by David Filipov, The Washington Post, September 9, 2017. Article: Russian gas pipelines to go ahead despite U.S. sanctions by Oksana Kobzeva and Alissa de Carbonnel, Reuters, August 3, 2017. Article: Congress just gave Trump the authority to send surface-to-air missiles to Syrian fighters by Thomas Gibbons-Neff, The Washington Post, December 6, 2016. Article: Congress authorizes Trump to arm Syrian rebels with anti-aircraft missiles by Julian Pecquet, Al-Monitor, December 2, 2016. Report: 16% of natural gas consumed in Europe flows through Ukraine by U.S. EIA: Today in Energy, The Energy Collective, March 15, 2014. Article: Ukraine crisis: Transcript of leaked Nuland-Pyatt call, BBC, February 7, 2014. Report: John McCain went to Ukraine and stood on stage with a man accused of being an anti-semitic neo-nazi by Adam Taylor, Business Insider, December 16, 2013. Press Release: Statement by IMF Mission to Ukraine, International Monetary Fund, October 31, 2013. Timeline: How President Obama handled Syria by Haley Bissegger, The Hill, September 15, 2013. Resources Gazprom: Nord Stream 2 Significance Gazprom: Nord Stream Overview Nord Stream 2: Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Info US Pacific Command: USPACOM Area of Responsibility Map Sound Clip Sources Remarks by Secretary of State: Remarks on the Way Forward for the United States Regarding Syria, U.S. Department of State, January 17, 2018. Discussion: Foreign Affairs Issue Launch with Former Vice President Joe Biden; Council on Foreign Affairs; January 23, 2018. Speakers: Richard Haass: President of the Council on Foreign Relations Joe Biden: former Vice President of the United States   00:06:15 Joe Biden: they cannot compete against a unified West. I think that is Putin’s judgment. And so everything he can do to dismantle the post-World War II liberal world order, including NATO and the EU, I think, is viewed as in their immediate self-interest. 00:20:00 Biden: They’re in a situation where they’re an oil-based economy. You have Gazprom going from a market value of something like $350 billion to $50 billion in the last 10 years. What do you do if you are a democratic leader of Russia? What do you do? How do you provide jobs for your people? Where do you go? How do you build that country, unless you engage the West? 00:24:15 Haass: In the piece, the two of you say that there’s no truth that the United States—unlike what Putin seems to believe or say, that the U.S. is seeking regime change in Russia. So the question I have is, should we be? And if not, if we shouldn’t be seeking regime change, what should we be seeking in the way of political change inside Russia? What’s an appropriate agenda for the United States vis-à-vis Russia, internally? Biden: I’ll give you one concrete example. I was—not I, but it just happened to be that was the assignment I got. I got all the good ones. And so I got Ukraine. And I remember going over, convincing our team, our leaders to—convincing that we should be providing for loan guarantees. And I went over, I guess, the 12th, 13th time to Kiev. And I was supposed to announce that there was another billion-dollar loan guarantee. And I had gotten a commitment from Poroshenko and from Yatsenyuk that they would take action against the state prosecutor. And they didn’t. So they said they had—they were walking out to a press conference. I said, nah, I’m not going to—or, we’re not going to give you the billion dollars. They said, you have no authority. You’re not the president. The president said—I said, call him. (Laughter.) I said, I’m telling you, you’re not getting the billion dollars. I said, you’re not getting the billion. I’m going to be leaving here in, I think it was about six hours. I looked at them and said: I’m leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money. Well, son of a bitch. (Laughter.) He got fired. And they put in place someone who was solid at the time. Hearing: Authorization for Use of Military Force; Senate Foreign Relations Committee; October 30, 2017. 8:00 Chairman Bob Corker (TN): In his last War Powers Resolution letter to Congress, the president identified the following 19 countries where U.S. military personnel were deployed and equipped for combat: Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Libya, Kenya, Niger, Cameroon, Uganda, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Djibouti, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, Cuba, and Kosovo. Hearing: Securing Peace After the Fall of ISIL; Oversight and Investigations Committee; October 3, 2017. 1:47:00 Joseph Pennington: I would also point out the support that we have provided to the Iraqi government in terms of getting its fiscal house in order on the economic side, the economic pressures that Iraq has been under because of the conflict, the presence of ISIS, the collapse of oil prices, the humanitarian crisis, that created an economic crisis both in Baghdad and Erbil of massive proportions. We and other G7 partners stepped forward to fill the fiscal gap. We, through a sovereign loan guarantee, a billion-dollar sovereign loan guarantee, which the Iraqis, then, followed up by borrowing in the private market that would not have been possible without our support, and getting a deal with the IMF, which provided the additional financing necessary to close that gap and keep the government on its feet during this time of tremendous challenge. Again, would not have been possible without U.S. support, and that the IMF program has been the key to starting the government on a path of significant economic reform, which they are complying with the conditions of the IMF program. Panel: U.S. Global Leadership Role; Aspen Institute; August 4, 2017. 40:00 Stephen Hadley: We’re putting battalions—we, NATO—putting battalions in the three Baltic states and in Poland and in Bucharest. Battalions are 1200 people, 1500 people. Russia is going to have an exercise in Belarus that newspaper reports suggest maybe up to 100,000 people and 8,000 tanks—I think I’ve got that number right— Unknown Speaker: This month. Hadley: —more tanks than Germany, France, and U.K. have combined. And we have to be careful that we don’t get in this very confrontational, rhetorical position with Russia and not have the resources to back it up. Debate: House Debate on Russia, Iran, and North Korea Sanctions; U.S. House of Representatives; July 25, 2017. 39:40 Tim Ryan (OH): What’s happening with these sanctions here in the targeting of Russian gas pipelines—their number one export—I think is entirely appropriate. The Nord Stream 2, which carries gas from Russia through the Baltics to Germany—and I know Germany isn’t happy about it, but this is something that we have to do. And the point I want to make is we have to address this issue in a comprehensive way. We must continue to focus on how we get our gas here in the United States, our natural gas, to Europe, to our allies, so they’re not so dependent on Russia. We’ve got to have the sanctions, but we’ve also got to be shipping liquid natural gas to some of these allies of ours so they’re not so dependent on the Russians, which is part and parcel of this entire approach. Confirmation Hearing: Defense Secretary Confirmation Hearing; Senate Armed Services Committee; January 12, 2017. 00:20:15 Sen. McCain: For seven decades, the United States has played a unique role in the world. We’ve not only put America first, but we’ve done so by maintaining and advancing a world order that has expanded security, prosperity, and freedom. This has required our alliances, our trade, our diplomacy, our values, but most of all, our military for when would-be aggressors aspire to threaten world order. It’s the global striking power of America’s armed forces that must deter or thwart their ambitions. Too many Americans, too many Americans seem to have forgotten this in recent years. Too many have forgotten that our world order is not self-sustaining. Too many have forgotten that while the threats we face may not have purely military solutions, they all have military dimensions. In short, too many have forgotten that hard power matters—having it, threatening it, leveraging it for diplomacy, and, at times, using it. Fairly or not, there is a perception around the world that America is weak and distracted, and that has only emboldened our adversaries to challenge the current world order. 00:51:20 McCain: You are a distinguished student of history, and, as we are all aware, that following World War II, a world order was established which has held for, basically, the last 70 years. Do you believe that that world order is now under more strain than it’s ever been? Sen. Mattis: I think it’s under the biggest attack since World War II, sir, and that’s from Russia, from terrorist groups, and with what China is doing in the South China Sea. Presidential Address: Islamic State Threat, C-SPAN, September 10, 2014. Daily Briefing: Nuland Tape Press Conference; State Department; February 6, 2014. Jen Psaki, State Department Spokesperson 0:19 Male Reporter: Can you say whether you—if this call is a recording of an authentic conversation between Assistant Secretary Nuland and Ambassador Pyatt? Jen Psaki: Well, I’m not going to confirm or outline details. I understand there are a lot of reports out there, and there’s a recording out there, but I’m not going to confirm a private diplomatic conversation. Reporter: So you are not saying that you believe this is a—you think this is not authentic? You think this is a— Psaki: It’s not an accusation I’m making. I’m just not going to confirm the specifics of it. Reporter: Well, you can’t even say whether there was a—that this call—you believe that this call, you believe that this recording is a recording of a real telephone call? Psaki: I didn’t say it was inauthentic. I think we can leave it at that. Reporter: Okay, so, you’re allowing the fact that it is authentic. Psaki: Yes. Reporter: “Yes,” okay. Psaki: Do you have a question about it? Phone Conversation: Nuland-Pyatt Leaked Phone Conversation; February 4, 2014. Press Conference: Senator John McCain on Ukraine at the Atlantic Council; C-Span; December 19, 2013. 00:09:30 McCain: In recent months, President Putin has pulled out all the stops to coerce, intimidate, and threaten Ukraine away from Europe. Russia has blocked large amounts of Ukrainian trade, especially chocolate. It has threatened to cut off its gas supplies in the dead of winter, which it has done before. And according to Ukrainian officials we met in Kyiv, President Putin threatened President Yanukovich with far worse economic retaliation if he signed the Association Agreement with the EU. 00:16:45 McCain: If Ukraine's political crisis persists or deepens, which is a real possibility, we must support creative Ukrainian efforts to resolve it. Senator Murphy and I heard a few such ideas last weekend—from holding early elections, as the opposition is now demanding, to the institution of a technocratic government with a mandate to make the difficult reforms required for Ukraine's long-term economic health and sustainable development. Decisions such as these are for Ukrainians to make—no one else—and if they request our assistance, we should provide it where possible. Finally, we must encourage the European Union and the IMF to keep their doors open to Ukraine. Ultimately, the support of both institutions is indispensable for Ukraine's future. And eventually, a Ukrainian President, either this one or a future one, will be prepared to accept the fundamental choice facing the country, which is this: While there are real short-term costs to the political and economic reforms required for IMF assistance and EU integration, and while President Putin will likely add to these costs by retaliating against Ukraine's economy, the long-term benefits for Ukraine in taking these tough steps are far greater and almost limitless. This decision cannot be borne by one person alone in Ukraine. Nor should it be. It must be shared—both the risks and the rewards—by all Ukrainians, especially the opposition and business elite. It must also be shared by the EU, the IMF and the United States. All of us in the West should be prepared to help Ukraine, financially and otherwise, to overcome the short-term pain that reforms will require and Russia may inflict. Presidential Address: Use of Force in Syria, C-SPAN, September 10, 2013 Debate: British House of Commons Debate on Syria, C-SPAN, August 29, 2013. Discussion: Beyond NAFTA and GATT, C-Span, April 20, 1994. Arthur Dunkel, Director General of the UN 26:00:00: Dunkel: If I look back at the last 25 years, what did we have? We had two worlds: The so-called Market Economy world and the sadly planned world; the sadly planned world disappeared. One of the main challenges of the Uruguay round has been to create a world wide system. I think we have to think of that. Secondly, why a world wide system? Because, basically, I consider that if governments cooperate in trade policy field, you reduce the risks of tension - political tension and even worse than that." Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

Register for Podfest: Pay It Forward January 19th was a big day for the 115th Congress: Part of the government ran out of funding and some spying authorities also expired. In this episode, learn about FISA reauthorization law that contained a giant loophole that will allow previously inadmissible information to be used against you in court, get all the details about the 69 hour shutdown that resulted from an attempt by the Democratic Party to … do something for the Dreamers, get enraged by the dingleberries attached to the fourth temporary funding law of this fiscal year, and discover why Jen is angry with just about everyone right now. Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD165: Christmas Dingleberries CD098: The USA Freedom Act Please Support Congressional Dish Click here to contribute using credit card, debit card, PayPal, or Bitcoin Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Bills S. 139: FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017   Sec. 101: Requires the Attorney General to create procedures for searching through the database that are consistent with the fourth amendment to the Constitution. The procedures must require that records of the query term used be kept Allows the FBI to search through the database and access the content of communications acquired via foreign surveillance for criminal investigations unrelated to national security if they get a court order. The FBI doesn't need to get the court order if the FBI determines "there is a reasonable belief that such contents could assist in mitigating or eliminating a threat to life or serious bodily harm." The new rules are effective January 1, 2018 Sec. 102: Information acquired via the foreign surveillance program can be used against us in court if the FBI gets a FISA court order, if the Attorney General says it is related to national security, OR the criminal proceeding involves crimes including: Death Kidnapping Serious bodily injury An offense against a minor Destruction of critical infrastructure ("assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that in incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have a debilitating impact on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination of those matters.") Cybersecurity Transnational crimes, including drug and/or human trafficking A determination made by the Attorney General can not be reviewed by the courts. Sec. 110: Prohibits punishment for FBI and intelligence community contractors who report violations of law to certain authorities inside the government and Congressional committees. Sec. 201: Delays the repeal of authorities granted in Title VII of the FISA Amendments Act until December 31, 2023. The authorities allow the Attorney General and Director of National Intelligence to target people non-Americans outside the United States Sec. 202: Increases the penalty for unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents from a fine and/or 1 year in prison to a fine and/or 5 years in prison. H.R. 195: Extension of Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018; HEALTHY KIDS Act; Federal Register Printing Savings Act of 2017   Division A: Federal Register Printing Savings Act of 2017 Prohibits copies of the Federal Register from being printed for members of Congress unless they request it. CBO says this will end the distribution of about 1,000 copies of the 300-page Federal Register that are distributed daily for free, saving ~$1 million per year. Division B: Extension of Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 Extends 2017 government funding levels until February 8, 2018. Allows the ~$4 billion appropriated for missile defense in the last CR to be spent by the intelligence agencies on things that were NOT specifically authorized by Congress Division C: HEALTHY KIDS Act Full Title: "Helping Ensure Access for Little Ones, Toddlers, and Hopeful Youth by Keeping Insurance Delivery Stable Act" Funds the Children's Health Insurance Program through 2023 at the following rates: 2018: $21.5 billion 2019: $22.6 billion 2020: $23.7 billion 2021: $24.8 billion 2022: $25.9 billion 2023: $5.7 billion + $20.2 billion = $25.9 billion The 2018 funds that were already appropriated are eliminated. Division D: Suspension of certain health-related taxes Sec. 4001: Delays implementation of the medical device tax until 2020 Sec. 4002: Delays implementation of the tax on high premium insurance plans until 2022 Sec. 4003: Suspends the annual fee on health insurance companies for 2019 & 2020. Division E: Budgetary Effects The budgetary effects of the extension of the CHIP program and the suspension of health industry taxes will not be counted in the PAYGO budget. Additional Reading Article: Top Republican warns that under new spending bill "the intelligence community could expend funds as it sees fit" by Alex Emmons and Ryan Grim, The Intercept, January 22, 2018. Article: Timeline: DACA, the Trump administration and a government shutdown by Miriam Valverde, Polifact, January 22, 2018. Report: Senate votes to end shutdown by Alexander Bolton, The Hill, January 22, 2018. Article: There's a surprise in the Government Funding Bill: More tax cuts by Margot Sanger-Katz and Jim Tankersley, The New York Times, January 22, 2018. Article: The government shutdown: We've been here before, and it lasted weeks by Steve Hendrix, The Washington Post, January 20, 2018. Article: House spending bill changes law to let Trump administration secretly shift intelligence money by Ryan Grim, The Intercept, January 17, 2018. Article: Yes, marches can make a difference. It depends on these three factors by Shom Mazumder, The Washington Post, January 27, 2017. Resources Center for National Security Studies: Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Congressional Record: Senate Proceedings Monday, January 22, 2018 *Page 7: Sen. Cochran’s reason for the “blank check” provision Govtrack House Vote: S.139: Rapid DNA Act of 2017 Govtrack Senate Vote: S.139: FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017 Twitter Poll Who do you blame for the #GovernmentShutdown? — CSPAN (@cspan) January 20, 2018 C-SPAN poll - Over 208,000 votes 45% blame Trump 41% blame Congressional D’s 14% blame Congressional R’s Sound Clip Sources Hearing: Senate Session, Part 2, January 22, 2018. 1:08:40 Sen. Richard Burr: The vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee and I were notified when the House CR appeared that there was language in it that was different than in the past. The language in section 148 of the CR is of concern to the Intelligence Committee. Let me just read the language: Sec. 148. Funds appropriated by the Department of Defense Missile Defeat and Defense Enhancements Appropriation Act, 2018 (division B of Public Law 115–96) may be obligated and expended notwithstanding section 504(a)(1) of the National Security Act of 1947. This language is troublesome for the committee because it would authorize the intelligence community to spend funds ‘‘notwithstanding’’ the law that requires prior authorization by the Senate Intelligence Committee or by the House Intelligence Committee. 1:11:00 Sen. Richard Burr: As a result, this language can erode the powers of the authorizing committee. Effectively,the intelligence community could ex-pend funds as it sees fit without an authorization bill in place and with no statutory direction indicating that an authorization bill for 2018 is forth-coming. 1:16:30 Sen. Mark Warner: If this exemption is granted, you could potentially have an administration—any administration—go off and take on covert activities, for example,with no ability for our committee,which spends the time and has the oversight, to say timeout or to say we actually disagree with that policy. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

  Right before Christmas, the government was temporarily funded for the fourth time this fiscal year, but this latest funding law came with a few surprises. In this episode, a feisty Jen outlines the law to expose a favor to the war industry, damage to the Affordable Care Act, a bad sign for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, a giant loophole that paved the way for a new mountain of government debt, and more. You’ll also learn about an “uncontroversial” bill that reduces accountability for foreign fighters who abuse women and that showers literal gifts upon a secretive Drug War commission. But it’s not all bad news! There’s also a reason for hope. Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD161: Veterans Choice Program Please Support Congressional Dish Click here to contribute using credit card, debit card, PayPal, or Bitcoin Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Register for Podfest: Pay It Forward Bills H.R. 1370: Continuing Appropriations Act, Department of Defense Missile Defeat and Defense Enhancements Appropriations Act, CHIP and Public Health Funding Extension Act, 2018 Division A Section 1001: Extends 2017 funding levels until January 19, 2018 Section 1002: Delays the repeal of FISA warrantless spying authorities until January 19, 2018. Division B Title I: Missile Defeat and Defense Enhancements Appropriates over $3.8 billion for emergency ballistic missile equipment and research. Title II: Missile Construction Enhancements Appropriates $200 million, available until September 30, 2022 to construct an emergency missile field in Alaska Title III: General Provisions Section 2001: Clarifies that the money in this law for the Department of Defense will be in addition to the money it will be appropriated for 2018. Section 2002: For the extra money given to the military in this law, this section creates an exception to the rule that says that no new projects can be started with it. Section 2003: Clarifies that this money is being appropriated as an emergency requirement. Division C: Health Provisions Title I:: Public Health Extenders Section 3101: Appropriates $550 million for community health centers and $65 million for the National Health Service Corps for the first half of 2018 Section 3102: Appropriates $37.5 million for a program for type I diabetes for the first half of 2018 Section 3103:: Cuts [the authorization for the Prevention and Public Health Fund](http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:42%20section:300u-11%20edition:prelim) - 2019: Authorization decreases from $900 million to $800 million (was originally supposed to be $2 billion annually) - 2020 & 2021: Authorization decreases from $1 billion to $800 million - 2022: Authorization decreases from $1.5 billion to $1.25 billion. Title II: Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Section 3201: Appropriates $2.85 billion for the Children's Health Insurance Program through March 31, 2018, which is a cut from previous appropriations. Division D: VA Choice Section 4001: Appropriates an additional $2.1 billion for the Veteran's Choice Program. Division E: Budgetary Effects Section 5001: The budgetary effects of the money for CHIP and VA Choice on the PAYGO scorecard will not be counted. Section 5002: The effects of the tax bill (the "Reconciliation Act" authorized by H. Con. Res. 71) will not be considered in the PAYGO budget. S.371: Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017, Improvements Act   Section 2: Orders a bunch of foreign policy related reports to be given to the Appropriations Committees in the House and the Senate. Section 3: Changes the original law signed in December 2016 to remove the requirement for "swift and effective disciplinary action against" police or troops of UN countries who sexually exploit or abuse people during their peacekeeping missions. In it's place, the requirement will be that the countries will have to "appropriately hold accountable" their personnel, which is left undefined. Section 10: Allows members of the Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission to "solicit, accept, use, and dispose of gifts, bequests, or devises of money, services, or property, both real and personal, for the purpose of carrying out any duty, power, or authority of the Commission." Additional Reading Article: Retirements of veteran Republicans fuel GOP fears of losing House majority by Mike DeBonis, The Washington Post, January 10, 2018. Article: Drug policy: Our unfinished business in the Americas by Reps. Eliot L. Engel and Matt Salmon, Huffington Post Report: Congress rushes Pentagon $4b for missile defense improvements by Marcus Weisgerber, Defense One, December 22, 2017. Report: House, Senate pass CR with emergency funding for missile defense, Navy ship repair by Justin Doubleday, Inside Defense, December 21, 2017. Article: Collision-damaged USS McCain arrives at Yokosuka for repairs by Leon Cook, Stars and Stripes, December 13, 2017. Article: USS Fitzgerald departs Yokosuka for Mississippi from U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs, America's Navy, December 8, 2017. Article: Could the U.S. actually shoot down a North Korean missile? by Larlsa Epatko, PBS, November 28, 2017. Article: Trump administration proposes $2.1 billion expansion of Fort Greely missile-defense base by Tim Ellis, AlaskaPublic.org, November 14, 2017. Press Release: AK delegation applauds major missile defense increase in Trump administration's budget request by Matt Shuckerow, DonYoung.house.gov, November 6, 2017. Report: Counternarcotics: Overview of U.S. efforts in the western hemisphere, U.S. Governtment Accountability Office, October 13, 2017. Article: Fort Greely stands firm in face of North Korean threat by Sean Kimmons, Department of Defense, October 11, 2017. Article: Doomsday Deflector: What is the THAAD missile system, where is the US program deployed and how does it work? by Patrick Knox, The Sun, September 4, 2017. News Report: Hudson Institute congratulates John Walters on congressional appointment to Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission by Hudson Institute, PR Newswire, June 29, 2017. Article: There's a flaw in the homeland missile defense system. The Pentagon sees no need to fix it by David Willman, The LA Times, February 26, 2017. Press Release: Engel measure to reassess drug policy headed to president's desk, Committee on Foreign Affairs, December 10, 2016. Article: The US government is literally arming the world, and nobody's even talking about it by William D. Hartung, Mother Jones, July 30, 2016. Article: U.S. missile defense system is 'simply unable to protect public,' report says by David Willman, The LA Times, July 14, 2016. Article: A test of America's homeland missile defense system found a problem. Why did the Pentagon call it a success? by David William, The LA Times, July 6, 2017. Report: Standard Missile-3 by Zach Berger, Missile Defense Advocacy, June 2017. Article: 'Double down' in fight against opioid abuse by Mary Bono, USA Today, March 6, 2017. Report: Assessment of DOD's reports on status of efforts and options for improving homeland missile defense, U.S. Government Accountability Office, February 17, 2016. Article: Bring back the war on drugs by William Bennett and John P. Walters, Boston Globe, September 9, 2015 Report: Fort Greely to get $50 million toward missile defense system by The Associated Press, Army Times, December 16, 2014. Article: Does missile defense actually work? by Roger A. Mola, Airspacemag.com, April 9, 2013. Resources Budget of the U.S. Government: Fiscal Year 2018 Department of Defense: Budget Amendment Fiscal Year 2018 Department of Defense: FY 2018 Budget Amendment Department of Defense: Military Installations Overview Fort Greely, Alaska Department of the Navy: FY 2018 Emergency Contingency Operations Amendments OpenSecrets.org: Boeing Co. Client Profile 2017 OpenSecrets.org: Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting Profile 2017 OpenSecrets.org: Raytheon Co. Client Profile 2017 Twitter Post @JordanUhl: Members of Congress Not Seeking Reelection Visual References Boeing Co Stock Summary Sound Clip Sources Hearing: U.S. Defense Strategy in South Asia; House Committee on Armed Services; October 3, 2017 C-Span Video Witnesses: - Joseph F. Dunford Jr. - James N. Mattis 57:25 James Mattis: I think the most important thing is that we get budget predictability and certainty, because without that, we cannot take the—adjust our forces and get predictability into our budgets that permits us to gain the best bang for the buck, to put it bluntly. We’re going into the ninth year with a continuing resolution. As you know, I cannot make new starts under that, even if the cyber domain or the space domain require that we do new things we’ve not had to do before to maintain our competitive edge. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

In This Episode of People with Parents… I share about how the Proper Telephone Etiquette and Good Home Training I received as a kid is helping me do one of the things I dislike the most: talking on the phone with doctor’s offices, pharmacies, insurance companies, and everybody.    ARTICLE: There’s No Training Like Home Training http://madamenoire.com/721034/theres-no-training-like-home-training/   BOOK: Basic Black: Home Training for Modern Times  https://www.amazon.com/Basic-Black-Training-Modern-Times/dp/0385484348     ABOUT PEOPLE WITH PARENTS   People with Parents is a podcast where I share stories about the role reversal and ever-changing relationship between adult children and their aging parents. If you can relate, or know someone who can, please share. Subscribe to and review the podcast on iTunes (Stitcher, Google Play) and like the People with Parents Facebook Page.   It’s lived, written, and produced by stand-up comedian and author Leighann Lord: Daughter with a capital D. Visit her at VeryFunnyLady.com. Music by the Jazz Lounge Project.    RESOURCES Help & Humor for Caretakers http://www.veryfunnylady.com/resources-for-caregivers.html   CONTACT Email: LeighannLord@gmail.com Twitter: @LeighannLord See more at http://www.PeoplewithParents.com

https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/gut2 I first interviewed Dr. Michael Ruscio in the podcast episode ""  In that discussion, we delve into: -Dr. Ruscio’s personal diet, and what his typical day looks like (including his meal of choice at Whole Foods)… -The surprising things that happen to your gut when you combine calories and high levels of physical activity… -Whether athletes should fast, and what happens when an exercise enthusiast “stops the flow of calories” and fasts… -How an “elemental diet” works to reduce stress on the gut… -When you actually should consider starving the bacteria in your gut… -Whether you can combat “overstressing” the gut with food by simply using things like digestive enzymes… -The biggest mistake most people make with cleanses, enemas and detoxing… -How you can heal damage to the valves passing through your gut… -If you could test anything and everything going in your gut, what you should test… -And much more! Dr. Michael Ruscio is a functional medicine practitioner, researcher, and author. His specialties include autoimmune, thyroid, and digestive disorders. He consults clients locally in the Bay Area and remotely across the country. His clinical research is focused on digestive disorders. Dr. Ruscio has been a featured speaker at numerous conferences including the SIBO Symposium, PaleoFX, Ancestral Health Symposium, and an international symposium in London. He’s also spoken for several online health summits, including Sean Croxton’s Digestion Sessions. Dr. Ruscio has collaborated with many authorities in the health and wellness industry, including Robb Wolf and Melissa Hartwig. He has been interviewed on several popular podcasts such as Sean Croxton, Robb Wolf, Ben Greenfield, and Jimmie Moore, and he’s provided clinical training for Designs for Health and the SIBO Symposium. Dr. Ruscio also conducts a very highly rated functional medicine podcast. Today, Dr. Ruscio is back with the latest research on carbohydrates and the gut, and during Part 2 of our discussion, we dive into: -Michael's take on the statement that "all carbs get converted to glucose so there is no such thing as bad carbs" and whether there is a consensus regarding the role of all carbs, good carbs, bad carbs, high carbs and low carbs...[8:11] -Why Michael doesn't like food allergy tests or use them much in his practice...[13:10] -The role of carbohydrates or carbohydrate avoidance when it comes to a digestive condition like IBS (gas, bloating, abdominal pain, constipation, lose stools)...[19:40, 21:45 & 32:10] -How the microbiota influences this and whether people with digestive conditions need to feed their healthy bacteria in order to feel better, and if so, how do they do that if they're eating low carb...[20:20 & 23:45] -Whether a low carb diet really damages your thyroid...[40:40] -The impact of artificial sweeteners on a low-carb diet and the truth about stevia...[56:15] -Whether you really  need to run like the plague when a supplement or bar has, say, 10g or 20g of carbohydrates...[52:30] -The impact of a low-carbohydrate diet on testosterone levels...[64:30] -And much more! Resources from this episode: - - -Article: - - - -There are many studies showing traditional low fat/high carb diets that increase fiber, fruit, vegetable and whole grain intake all help with heart disease and obesity, including: - - - - - - -Article: Show Sponsors: Organifi - For the best tasting greens superfood blend, go to  and use code BEN for 20% off your order. biOptimzers – Crank your muscle gains to new heights by flooding your muscles with maximal amino acids without increasing your protein intake. Go to to automatically get 10% off your order. Quip - Quip is an electric toothbrush that packs premium vibration and timer features into an ultra slim design, that's half the cost of bulkier brushes. Go to to get your first refill pack free with a Quip electric toothbrush. Four Sigmatic - Try out the Reishi Elixer for extreme relaxation without any grogginess. Use promo code BENGREENFIELD at  to get 15% off your order. Do you have questions, comments or feedback and good carbs and bad carbs? Leave your thoughts at  and either Dr. Ruscio or I will reply, and !

James Paterson has been a Victorian senator for the Liberal Party for just over a year now. He's been making a name for himself as a passionate advocate for freedom of speech in regards to the reforming of Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act and by proposing that Australia help deal with its debt problem by selling off Jackson Pollock's Blue Poles.  Here the Senator and I talk about our first meeting years ago, his position as something of a political anomaly within his own family, why he's so strident on 18C, racism, offshore detention and corporate tax cuts.  Stand Up For Mehdi at MICF 2017 - only a handful of tickets left!  Problematic begins at MICF 2017 this week Boundless Plains To Share is at MICF for one show only on Saturday April 22nd My piece for The Guardian: Politically incorrect comedy can work - if the audience gets it  My piece for The Saturday Paper: Satire, free speech and Mehdi Savari @SenPaterson senatorpaterson.com.au Article: The Senate blocks the government's changes to Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act   Article: Even among Australians worried about political correctness 18C is not a big issue  Article: A history of Section 18C and the Racial Discrimination Act  Article: 18C Debate is not over say both Liberal Senator and Labor MP   Senator Paterson's first speech Senator Paterson's speech on 18C Article: What is Section 18C and why do some politicians want it changed  Article: An inconvenient truth gets in the way of the company tax cut chants Joint Human Rights Committee report into Freedom of Speech in Australia Article: Doctors freed to speak about Australia's detention regime after U-Turn  Article: 'Voodoo economics' lie at the heart of Scott Morrison's budget Article: There is no such thing as trickle-down economics  Article: 10 reasons why the company tax cut is a really bad idea  Article: Australia doesn't need to chase Donald Trump on corporate tax cuts Article: Company profits surge as wages fall   Cause of the Week: Soldier On (soldieron.org.au)  

What is Puerto Rico? Many Americans - if not most - are unaware that Puerto Rico is a part of the United States. In this episode, learn the history of our scandalous treatment of the US citizens living in Puerto Rico and explore how Puerto Rico’s past foreshadowed the United States' present… and possibly our future. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD128: Crisis in Puerto Rico Additional Reading Book: War Against All Puerto Ricans by Nelson A. Denis, March 2016. Article: Puerto Rico Warning Congress Its Health Crisis Will Impact U.S. States by Suzanne Gamboa, NBC News, March 22, 2017. Document: Testimony of Jose B. Carrion III, Chairman, Financial Oversight & Management Board for Puerto Rico, March 22, 2017. Article: Why the GOP's proposals to cap Medicaid funding won't work by Ana Mulero, Healthcare Dive, March 21, 2017. Article: Fed Raises Interest Rates for Third Time Since Financial Crisis by Binyamin Appelbaum, The New York Times, March 15, 2017. Letter: Fiscal Plan Certification, Financial Oversight & Management Board for Puerto Rico, March 13, 2017. Press Release: Jenniffer Gonzalez Calls for Fiscal Oversight Board Action to Prevent Medicaid Crisis by Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, March 13, 2017. Article: Tensions heighten following control board rejection of fiscal plan by Luis J. Valentin, Caribbean Business, March 9, 2017. Article: A bad deal for Puerto Rico, Globe control board opinion, The Boston Globe, March 5, 2017. Article: Quest for statehood: Puerto Rico's new referendum aims to repair economic disaster by Danica Coto, Salon, February 3, 2017. Letter: Letter to Governor Rossello Nevares, Financial Oversight & Management Board for Puerto Rico, January 18, 2017. Article: Puerto Rico's New Governor Takes Over as Debt Crisis Reaches Climax by Tatiana Darie, Bloomberg, January 3, 2017. Article: Puerto Rico Control Board Names Carrion Chair Amid Protests by Katherine Greifeld, Bloomberg, September 30, 2016. Article: Puerto Rico's Invisible Health Crisis by Valeria Pelet, The Atlantic, September 3, 2016. Op-Ed: Understanding Puerto Rico's Healthcare Collapse by Johnny Rullan, Morning Consult, June 20, 2016. Article: Puerto Rico not sovereign, Supreme Court says by Richard Wolf, USA Today, June 9, 2016. Article: US supreme court says Puerto Rico must abide by federal double jeopardy rule by Alan Yuhas, The Guardian, June 9, 2016. Op-Ed: No More Colonialism Disguised as Financial Assistance: The US Must Relinquish Puerto Rico by Nelson A. Denis, Truthout, May 19, 2016. Article: Sea Turtles Delay Debt-Ridden Puerto Rico's Gas-Switching Plan by Jonathan Crawford, Bloomberg, March 23, 2016. Article: There's a big sale on Puerto Rican homes by Heather Long, CNN Money, February 21, 2016. Article: The US shipping industry is putting a multimillion dollar squeeze on Puerto Rico by Rory Carroll, Business Insider, July 9, 2015. Article: Harvard's billionaire benefactor also a GOP sugar daddy by Vanessa Rodriguez, OpenSecrets.org, June 4, 2015. Interview: How the United States Economically and Politically Strangled Puerto Rico by Mark Karlin, Truthout, May 24, 2015. Article: Why Have So Many People Never Heard Of The MOVE Bombing? by Gene Demby, NPR, May 18, 2015. Article: Puerto Rico Expands Tax Haven Deal For Americans To Its Own Emigrants by Janet Novack, Forbes, January 27, 2015. Article: Citizenship Renunciation Fee Hiked 422%, And You Can't Come Back by Robert W. wood, Forbes, January 13, 2015. Article: Puerto Rican Population Declines on Island, Grows on U.S. Mainland by D'Vera Cohn, Eileen Pattien and Mark Hugo Lopez, Pew Research Center, August 11, 2014. Article: Puerto Rico woos rich with hefty tax breaks by Sital S. Patel and Ben Eisen, Market Watch, April 22, 2014. Article: Bankers Crashed the Economy - Now They Want to Be Your Landlord by Rebecca Burns, Michael Donley, and Carmilla Manzanet, Moyers & Company, April 2, 2014. Article: 'Backdoor bailout' boosts Puerto Rico's revenues, Bond News, Reuters, February 10, 2014. Article: Economy and Crime Spur New Puerto Rican Exodus by Lizette Alvarez, The New York Times, February 8, 2014. Article: Everything You Need to Know About the Territories of the United States, Everything Everywhere, June 27, 2013. Document: Puerto Rico's Political Status and the 2012 Plebiscite: Background and Key Questions by R. Sam Garrett, Congressional Research Service, June 25, 2013. GAO Report: Economic Impact of Jones Act on Puerto Rico's Economy by Jeffry Valentin-Mari, Ph.D. and Jose I. Alameda-Lozada, Ph.D. April 26, 2012. Article: Massive Puerto Rico pipeline triggers debate by Danica Coto, The San Diego Union-Tribune, May 14, 2011. Article: Island residents sue U.S., saying military made them sick by Abbie Boudreau and Scott Bronstein, CNN, February 1, 2010. Article: At Riggs Bank, A Tangled Path Led to Scandal by Timothy L. O'Brien, The New York Times, July 19, 2004. Case Study: Money Laundering and Foreign Corruption: Enforcement and Effectiveness of the Patriot Act by the Minority Staff of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, United States Senate, July 15, 2004. Article: MIT to Pay Victims $1.85 Million in Fernald Radiation Settlement by Zareena Hussain, The Tech, January 7, 1998. Article: Police Drop Bomb on Radicals' Home in Philadelphia by William K. Stevens, The New York Times, May 14, 1985. References U.S. Energy Information Administration Puerto Rico Territory Energy Profile Puerto Rico Territory Profile and Energy Estimates Average Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers by End-Use Sector Video: 1985 Philadelphia MOVE bombing This Day in History: March 2, 1917: Puerto Ricans become U.S. citizens, are recruited for war effort FBI Files Pedro Albizu Campos - includes letter about his radiation torture Pedro Albizu Campos - full files Luis Munoz-Marin 1986 Congressional Report: US Army & US Atomic Energy Commission radiation experiments on US citizen prisoners 1995 Dept of Energy Report: Human Radiation Experiments OpenSecrets Excelerate Energy: Profile for 2016 Election Cycle Crowley Maritime Excelerate Energy Company website Lobbying Report American Maritime Partnership Company website Lobbying Report Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico Control Board Website Control Board Document List Website: Puerto Rico Tax Incentives Law 20: Export Services Act Law 22: Individual Investors Act Department of Economic Development & Commerce: Act 73: Economic Incentives for the Development of Puerto Rico 26 US Code 936: Puerto Rico and possession tax credit IRS: Expatriation Tax Forbes Company Profiles Johnson & Johnson Pfizer GlaxoSmithKline Travelponce.com: Ponce Massacre Museum Sound Clip Sources Hearing: Oversight Hearing on The Status of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) Restructuring Support Agreement, Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs, March 22, 2017. Witnesses Panel I The Honorable Ricardo Rossello, Governor of Puerto Rico Mr. Gerardo Portela-Franco, Executive Director - Puerto Rico Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority Panel 2 Mr. Jose B. Carrion III, Chairman - Financial Oversight and Management Board of Puerto Rico Mr. Luis Benitez Hernandez, Chairman - PREPA Governing Board Mr. Stephen Spencer, Managing Director - Houlihan Lokey Mr. Adam Bergonzi, Managing Director & Chief Risk Officer - National Public Finance Guarantee Corporation Mr. Rob Bryngelson, President & CEO - Excelerate Energy Ms. Ana J. Matosantos, Member of Financial Oversight and Management Board of Puerto Rico Interview: Interview with Luis M. Balzac, March 7, 2017. Luis: Puerto Ricans in Puerto Rico, contrary to common opinion, we do pay some federal taxes. What we don’t pay is federal income tax. Jen: Okay. Luis: So we don’t pay federal income tax. However, Puerto Ricans pay Medicare at the same rate that you pay in San Francisco/California. Jen: Do Puerto Ricans get the same benefits that I get in San Francisco? Luis: No, we do not get the same benefits that you get in San Francisco. Jen: Oh. Luis: So, for example, there are states like California, New York, and other states that I believe get about an 83 percent federal subsidy for Medicare expenses. There are other states—and I realize I’m being recorded, but don’t quote me on it. This you can check, also, very easily— Jen: Sure. Luis: Other states—I think it’s Tennessee— Jen: And you don’t have to give me exact numbers. Just go ahead and, like, big picture, tell me the situation. Luis: Got it. Jen: Yeah. Luis: Even better. So, there are states like California and New York that get about 80-some percent of reimbursement on their major expenses from the federal government. There are other states that get less. I think Tennessee gets less; I think Tennessee gets, like, 50-some percent. Puerto Rico, I think it gets about 23 percent. Jen: Oh, god. Luis: It’s important to understand that, where does the other—if we use 23 percent as an example for Medicare—where does the other 77 percent come from? State funding. Jen: Okay. Luis: So, please understand that if you move to Puerto Rico as a U.S. citizen, and you, for any reason, need Medicare, and you go to the hospital, those hospitals that you go to have to comply with MCS, which is part of HHS—Health and Human Services. And you have to comply with all the regulations and requirements of a hospital to be reimbursed and enjoy federal dollars. However, that institution/Puerto Rico is only getting cents on the dollar compared to other states, but someone needs to make up for that short fall. Jen: Yeah. Luis: The state does. Jen: Well— Luis: That lack of equality translates to Puerto Rico’s budget. Luis: I’m a proud American, and I will defend our country wherever I go. Jen: Mm-hmm. Luis: But I’m also a realist. I cannot expect Congress to give the people in Puerto Rico a fair share of the pie when we don’t have a delegation sitting at the table when the pie is divided. Luis: When I ran the office of the governor of Puerto Rico in New York, and we were lobbying to be included into the Affordable Care Act, my biggest argument, when I met with members of the Senate or the House, in states that had a large Puerto Rican population—Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, by way of example—my point to these members of Congress was, I need your help; I need you to be a voice to Puerto Rico to be included in the Affordable Care Act. And the staff would be like, are you kidding me, Luis? That is none of our business. And I will be like, well, let me—give me an opportunity to maybe convince you that it is your business. The problem is— Jen: Yeah, because you’ll pay for them when they come here. Luis: —you will pay for it. And by the way, we don’t even have a way to qualify because guess what, a lot of them are coming in, getting services, and going back to Puerto Rico once they’re done. Some are staying— Jen: Yeah, that's what I would do. Luis: Some are staying, but others are just coming here, and you have no way of qualifying and quantifying it because they’re United States citizens. You can’t stop it. Jen: Yeah— Luis: And how could you blame them? How could you blame them if Puerto Rico does not have the facilities to treat a cancer or SSI or any other initiative and my mother is risking her life? I’m going to take her to Orlando— Jen: Mm-hmm. Luis: —without a doubt. Jen: Yeah. Luis: I will say that Puerto Rico, even though we have all the issues that you and I have been talking about, we are still part of the United States, and it’s somewhat similar to the changes that we see here, stateside, in the contiguous 48 states, where I would say that from coast to coast, from Florida to California, I think the middle class in the United States has been shrinking. Jen: Mm-hmm. Luis: Likewise in Puerto Rico. Jen: Okay. Luis: But I would say that it is more like the United States, and we are not like Latin America and other third-world jurisdictions. We have a decent-size middle class because we don’t have the IRS because we are not paying federal income tax. There is in Puerto Rico a large underground economy where people work on the side, get paid in cash, and don’t report their earnings to the—there's no IRS—or to the local version of the IRS which is the Treasury Department. So, what you have in Puerto Rico is that you see somewhat of a thriving economy. So those people that are in commercial real estate and they’re doing business with big national chains like Macy’s and JCPenney and all that stuff, you will see in Puerto Rico sales records being broken and people spending a lot of money in the island. So, it’s not like the Dominican Republic. Even people in the projects that are subsidized by state and federal dollars, you can see that they have a/c in the walls, the projects are made out of cement, and you will be able to see all that when you go there in person. So, when you drive around Puerto Rico, all over the island, it is nothing like the Dominican Republic. We are way better, and— Jen: Well, I’ve never been there, either, so a comparison doesn’t really… Luis: Yeah. We are way better—and I realize that I’m about to contradict myself, okay?—we are way better, and it is thanks to the United States. So even though inequality has got all these problems and it’s affected the debt and all that stuff and we are looking now at serious issues, Puerto Rico is still better than—I will never move to Cuba because I think Cuba is better than Puerto Rico, so I get it— Puerto Rico is United States, and we’re doing better than most. Jen: So that brings me to the control board, because now we have Puerto Ricans saying on paper, no doubt, we want to become a state, and yet Congress just did this thing where your government, your state government, or closest thing—what do you call it? Territorial government? Luis: Yeah. Jen: Is that the proper phrase? Luis: Territory. Jen: Okay. Luis: Yeah. Jen: So your territorial government was, basically just taken over by this weird board that has some dictatorial powers. Is there any one in Puerto Rico that’s happy about this? Is there something I’m not seeing? Luis: Yeah. Okay, so, I’m going to compare that. First of all, let’s be fair, and we’re not the first jurisdiction that, let’s say, enjoys the benefit of a control board, because D.C., New York City, have both had it in different jurisdiction relationships, but they did, and it helped. Okay? Jen: O-kay. Luis: The difference between New York City is the following: you have a city that imposed a board by the state. So people in the city of New York, even though they had a control board years back, they had a control board what was decided by politicians who they elected. Jen: Yeah. Luis: Okay? Jen: Mm-hmm. Luis: So, that makes it—but it’s still the same in that you have a higher jurisdiction imposing a control board for fiscal reasons over a lower jurisdiction. Correct? Jen: Yes. Luis: And then you have D.C. They also had a control board, and the list goes on and use the federal government, if I’m not mistaken. So there you have a jurisdiction of a federal imposing in D.C., which is not independent. Now, let me tell you where emotions can go a little crazy here. And remember I’m a stakeholder; I’m pro American. Jen: Yeah. Luis: However, we did not invite the United States of America, back a hundred-and-some years ago; we were invaded. Jen: Yeah. Luis: So, we are invaded, we are treated unequally, that inequality causes financial chaos. We are told by the Supreme Court that our constitution is not really a constitution—you should research that; that was recent—an opinion by the Supreme Court. So, really, our constitution, that we thought we had a constitution, is not worth anything on paper because Congress has complete control of that jurisdiction. Jen: Mm-hmm. Luis: So, what we have is, back to your question about a board, is a federal government imposing a board on people who did not vote for those that imposed that board. Jen: Yeah. And I know that in Congress Puerto Rico has a representative at the time that this was created—I think it was Pedro Pierluisi—but he didn’t have a vote, so— Luis: No. Jen: And even on the board, the governor gets to sit at the table, but the governor of Puerto Rico doesn’t get a vote of the board. Luis: No. And there’s a slight correction to what you said about Pierluisi in your podcast: the resident commissioner does have a vote in Congress—not on committees, on subcommittees. Okay? Jen: Okay, so he has a vote on a subcommittee but not— Luis: No. Jen: —in the committee or the main House. Luis: Correct. Now, are you ready for the kicker? Jen: Yes. Luis: If the vote on a subcommittee comes to a point where the resident commissioner becomes the deciding vote, it doesn’t go. You’ve got to vote again. Jen: No! Luis: Yeah. Jen: So, that’s— Luis: Can I give you an— Jen: —kind of not really having a vote. I mean— Luis: No. Jen: —he does— Luis: No, I know. Luis: Let’s talk for a second about the pharmaceutical industry, okay? Jen: Yeah, because— Luis: Not to be confused— Jen: —just so that I’m on the same page as you, you worked for Pfizer for a while, too, right? Luis: I directed governor affairs for Pfizer, and that included jurisdictions of New York City and Puerto Rico. Jen: Okay— Luis: And San Francisco. Jen: —and when did you do that? Luis: I did that in 20—I took a year off of the government and I went to Pfizer, did not like it, then went back to Puerto Rico government. So that was 2011. Jen: So was that before the Clinton administration took away the tax credits or after? Luis: Oh, no, after. Oh, yes. Jen: Okay, okay. Luis: 2011, before I became a deputy secretary of the United States. Jen: Okay, got you. Luis: Okay. Jen: So this is after all the tax benefits were gone, and was Pfizer still—when did the pharmaceutical industry, like, leave Puerto Rico? When did they leave? Luis: No way. Why are you saying that? Jen: Because that's what I read. Luis: That's wrong. Jen: Is that not what happened? Luis: No! That’s wrong. I’m about to clarify that. Jen: Okay. Luis: All right. So, if you look at the pharmaceutical industry, if you search, let’s say, BIO, I believe BIO is still the pharmaceutical, big pharma association, the industry association, trade association, okay? If you look at that, you will see that in Puerto Rico BIO had a membership of a huge number of pharmaceuticals. And then you may look at BIO now, and the Puerto Rico chapter, which has another name, has way less pharmaceuticals. So the normal person that doesn’t understand how things work will say, well, everyone left. Well, let’s slow down and look at what are the names that are missing. Well, some of those names don’t exist anymore because the industry has completely merged and consolidated their resources. By way of example, I will tell you that in Puerto Rico alone, Pfizer bought Wyeth. Jen: Pfizer what? Luis: Pfizer bought Wyeth. Jen: Oh, okay. So, okay. Luis: Okay? Jen: Gotcha. So Pfizer got bigger by eating a smaller company. Luis: Correct. And there’s nothing wrong with that. So what happened was that I believe at that time when that happened, Pfizer had three operations in Puerto Rico, Wyeth had three operations in Puerto Rico, okay? So now when they merge, they have six plants in Puerto Rico. So what do they do? They are able to— economies of scale and to do streamline, and they are able to close two and stay with four. And now Wyeth is not in Puerto Rico— Jen: But the effect— Luis: —and people think Wyeth— Jen: Is the effect of that, of the people of Puerto Rico, that the people that worked in those two plants are now out of a job? Luis: But it has nothing to do with 936. Jen: Remind me. I did that episode, like, eight months ago. 936 was the tax credits disappearing? Was that…? Luis: That’s exactly—they disappeared with a coin toss, you said. Jen: Okay, okay. Thank you. Luis: So, so, that consolidation, that example that I’m sharing with you, I believe all happened after 936 stopped, but the reason why Pfizer and Wyeth consolidated was for reasons that had nothing to do with 936. Jen: Yeah. Luis: It had a lot to do with being more productive and being able to share assembly lines and being able to share resources and the same CEO and all that stuff. And so, to the untrained eye, to the Puerto Rican, what they think or see is, oh, Wyeth left. No, they didn’t leave; it was absorbed by a larger pharmaceutical. Jen: So, is the pharmaceutical industry still a major employer in Puerto Rico? Luis: Yes, it is. And I will tell something else: Pfizer and many pharmaceuticals, for many years, are enjoying tax benefits on—there’s something called CFC—controlled foreign corporations—and they are able to enjoy benefits that are comparable to 936. It’s just a different name; a different loophole, you want to call it—I don’t want to call it a loophole—it’s a different tax advantage. Luis: Remember, the pharmaceutical industry, way back when—and we’re talking about right after Puerto Rico changed from an agricultural economy to a manufacturing economy, okay? Jen: Mm-hmm. Luis: I really need you to follow me on this. Puerto Rico used to be sugarcane industry. Jen: Yeah. Luis: And we changed. Take my great uncle. He was the governor of Puerto Rico for the other party, the commonwealth party, and him and Governor Luis Munoz Marin came up with this tax incentive with the federal government and 936 were invented, and Puerto Rico changed—completely—and became a manufacturing economy. Jen: Okay. Luis: No more sugar cane; now we’re manufacturing. And when that happened, pharma came to Puerto Rico. What we have to remember is manufacturing industry also included, probably, the largest textile industry. Textile was huge in Puerto Rico. Now— Jen: Is it still there? Luis: No! Why—now, you’re smart. Why do you think textile is gone in Puerto Rico? Where is textile nowadays? Jen: Probably China, India. Luis: Yes, yes! So, in this case, it left to other jurisdictions for minimum wage and for a bunch of other reasons. 936? Yes! It was not great when it left, but the industry changed. Textile goes wherever you have the cheapest labor. And Puerto Rico— Jen: So— Luis: —cannot compete with India, China, Dominican Republic, where people get paid a dollar an hour. Forget it. You can’t compete with that. Jen: And it sounds like the same problem we’re having in California, in Texas, and Massachusetts, and everywhere. Luis: Yeah, yes. Jen: What would you like to see happen on the island? What do you think could help? Luis: Becoming a state. Jen: So that's the goal. Luis: Yes, without a shadow of a doubt, because if we become a state, we are able now to have the congressional mitigation to help us, and we’re able to fight for equal funding so that the state does not need to subsidize such huge percentages. And now we have an equal playing field. Now if I get in debt— Jen: Okay. Luis: Now if I get in debt, go ahead and criticize me all you want. Jen: Well, then you have bankruptcy protection if you go into debt. Luis: Also. Luis: So, you understand the reason why people are going to Puerto Rico is because of Law 20 and 22, right? Jen: Um, I don't know. No. Luis: So, I’m going to share with you the Law 20 and Law 22. Both laws were passed by Governor Luis Fortuno, which is a governor that I worked for. Jen: Okay. Luis: And those two laws were used, pushed, and promoted big time by the previous governor, Alejandro Garcia Padilla. You can do a quick Google, and you will see how most people went nuts over those two laws, and those two laws is the sole reason why people in stateside, mainland U.S., are fleeing to Puerto Rico to enjoy those tax benefits. Jen: Well, what are those benefits? Luis: I'm going to tell you. Jen: Okay. Luis: So, first, you have Law 20. Law 20 is better known as Export Services law, meaning you and I can open a corporation in Puerto Rico that exports services outside of Puerto Rico. Services, not manufacturing. So you and I can open a consulting firm that consults on any issue, and if our clients are not in Puerto Rico, if our clients are in Europe or New York or California, when that company in Puerto Rico bills those accounts, that corporation will only pay local four percent tax and no sales tax. Wow! Jen: Okay. That's crazy. Luis: Okay? So that means that you and I can have an existing company and have a law firm in New York, and you and I are the partners, and we’ll make—and let’s say that half of our clients are not in Puerto Rico, so why don’t we just open an office in Puerto Rico and do all the billing out of Puerto Rico and serve those clients from Puerto Rico—by the way, you and I can hire attorneys in Puerto Rico that are bilingual; graduated from Harvard, Yale, all those popular universities; pay even a fraction of what you and I would pay a lawyer in New York, and we bill them to the clients that are outside Puerto Rico, and we only pay four percent tax. That’s Law 20. It’s beautiful. Jen: Wow. Okay. Luis: All right. So, now, Law 20 was supplemented, complemented, by Law 22. Law 22 is called the Investor Act. So, now, you and I are the partners of that law firm, and we’ve moved operations and the corporation is only paying four percent tax, local tax, okay? Jen: Okay. Luis: Got it. You and I have not lived in Puerto Rico for the last 15 years. Jen: Okay. Luis: So we, you and I, have our attorneys will review Law 20, and what Law 20 says is you and I can move to Puerto Rico personally, and when we’re in Puerto Rico, our Puerto Rico-sourced income will be tax free. Jen: So the income—so, it’s the Investment Act. So are you talking about, like— Luis: Yes. Jen: —instead of paying capital gains tax, they pay nothing. Luis: Nothing. Now, it needs to be Puerto Rico-sourced income. That means that if you and I own Apple shares, or Microsoft, and we move to Puerto Rico, that’s passive income. We’ll pay taxes because that income is generated outside of Puerto Rico. Jen: Okay. Luis: But if you and I go to Puerto Rico like Paltry and Paulson moved to Puerto Rico, and we invest in property, and we invest in the business of Puerto Rico, that Puerto Rico-sourced income will be tax free. Jen: Federally or are there any state taxes? Luis: Both. Jen: Wow. So the state— Luis: I don’t have the law— Jen: —doesn’t even get anything from that. Luis: Well, yeah, they do because think about all the jobs. You know it’s crazy how much money is generated by having those people in Puerto Rico. Of course it generates— Jen: Yeah. I guess that makes sense. Luis: It’s called economic development. Yes, it generates—I have a lot of people that have new accounts with those individuals all the way from real estate, legal fees, engineering. They’re all millions and millions and millions of dollars that were not moving around the economy until they moved there. Jen: And so, are these two laws something that you personally support? Are they a good idea? Luis: I think it’s a good idea. We somehow need to generate some federal activity. Jen: We do, but at the same time, your government is broke. So isn’t raising revenues, isn’t that a solution? Luis: Well, no. Well, you know what? It’s a little contradicting, so when I say I endorse it, but I just told you a little while ago that I want to be a state. And if I was a state, that would probably not be possible. Jen: Yeah. Luis: Those two laws would not be possible if we’re a state, but guess what—we’re not a state. Jen: Yeah. Luis: And what the heck are we supposed to do? Jen: Yeah. I guess that’s true. You’ve got to play the hand you’re dealt. Okay. Luis: I would rather not have those two laws and be a state. Jen: Okay. That's fair. Luis: Education. I think that your podcast touched on education about 100 schools being closed. Jen: Yeah. Luis: Yeah, but how many people have moved to Orlando? We do not have— Jen: So there's not as many kids? Luis: No! No! Now, I’m going to defend, I’m going to defend this. With me, you may go crazy because I jump from side to side, so for one, one part of me says— Jen: I do that, too. I totally get it. Luis: One part of me says, the student body—I think the island student population went down from half a million to 400,000 students. That’s 25 percent. Jen: Okay. Luis: Okay. That means that I should be able to cut 25 percent of schools and 25 percent of my budget. Right? Well, let’s look at the other side. You and I, again, are married, right? Jen: Uh-huh. Luis: And you and I have a boat, and we have two kids, and the schools that we have our kids are three blocks away. Beautiful. Well, you and I bought a house because it was right next to the school. So now they’re going to close that school, and the next school is five miles away. Jen: Yeah. Luis: Are you and I pissed? Jen: Of course. Luis: I don’t give a crap that there’s less students. I’m going to picket, and I’m going to make a lot of noise, and I’m going to make it impossible for the government to close that school, which is what happens. You know what? Somebody else should sacrifice, not my wife and I. We have it good. I like to be able to walk three blocks and grab my children by the hand, have a beautiful conversation with them while we eat cookies, and we go to the school right next door. Well, guess what? The population is so much smaller now that somehow we cannot justify having the same number of schools open. I believe that happened in Chicago under new jurisdictions. We have to adjust. So guess who needs to deliver those bad news? The fiscal control board, because you cannot possibly justify having all those schools open. So who’s going to be the bad guy? Thank God there’s a fiscal control board, because if you leave, you allow the local elected official to make those decisions, it would be political suicide. And that transfers to any state. Ask any governor to close down 25 percent of schools, and they’re going to lose the election. Jen: Well, I mean, I think that’s just a part of the job. The problem— Luis: I know! Jen: —that I’m seeing as— Luis: No, but wait a second the problem is that the governor can’t do it because when you commit political suicide, and you need to support the legislature to do that, the elected officials in the legislative body would be the first ones that won’t back you up. They’ll say, you crazy? I’m not going to back you up; I want to get elected next time. That’s a huge problem. He says, I can’t do it without you. People are like let’s not do it; let’s let the other guy do it. And he’s like, no, we don’t have enough money. The students are leaving Orlando and New York. They moved away. We don’t need so many schools; we need to close. And the senators will be like, I’m not going to pass that law; are you kidding me? We’re all going to be out of a job. Jen: Well, I mean, and that’s the thing, like, maybe you’re not supposed to serve forever. Like, I just feel like those tough decisions are a part of a job of being elected, and one of my concerns of this control board is that those families, they can’t petition to this board. There is no voice for the Puerto Ricans where the governor doesn’t have a vote. I guess I’d feel more comfortable with it if I thought that those families could petition to their governor, and it would be one vote at the table that would have those political calculations in mind. But with these seven people that were selected by Congress, I mean, is there any concern that they’re going to prioritize the bankers over the Puerto Rican people? Luis: I think a lot of people are concerned about that. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations