Podcasts about government reform committee

We begin this morning remembering the life of Congressman Gerry Connolly, the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee who died yesterday morning. He was diagnosed with esophageal cancer last fall and said he would not seek re election next year. His colleagues are remembering him as a longtime advocate for the federal workforce and for modernizing government. Federal News Network's Jory Heckman is here with me now to speak more about Congressman Connolly's impact.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After Tufts student Rümeysa Öztürk was abducted off the streets of her district, Rep. Ayanna Pressley is not mincing words when it comes to the Trump administration: “These are the actions of a dictator.”  Last week, Rep. Pressley traveled to Louisiana with a Congressional delegation to visit Öztürk and Mahmoud Khalil in the ICE detention facilities where they're being held. Now, she's speaking out about what she witnessed firsthand. Guest: Ayanna Pressley, US representative for Massachusetts' 7th district and member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your  other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Tufts student Rümeysa Öztürk was abducted off the streets of her district, Rep. Ayanna Pressley is not mincing words when it comes to the Trump administration: “These are the actions of a dictator.”  Last week, Rep. Pressley traveled to Louisiana with a Congressional delegation to visit Öztürk and Mahmoud Khalil in the ICE detention facilities where they're being held. Now, she's speaking out about what she witnessed firsthand. Guest: Ayanna Pressley, US representative for Massachusetts' 7th district and member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your  other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Tufts student Rümeysa Öztürk was abducted off the streets of her district, Rep. Ayanna Pressley is not mincing words when it comes to the Trump administration: “These are the actions of a dictator.”  Last week, Rep. Pressley traveled to Louisiana with a Congressional delegation to visit Öztürk and Mahmoud Khalil in the ICE detention facilities where they're being held. Now, she's speaking out about what she witnessed firsthand. Guest: Ayanna Pressley, US representative for Massachusetts' 7th district and member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your  other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A bipartisan group of House Oversight and Government Reform Committee members reintroduced a bill Thursday that aims to overhaul federal software purchasing for better efficiency and reduced costs. The Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of Software Assets (SAMOSA) Act would make agencies conduct “comprehensive” software inventories and undergo independent assessments of management practices and contracts.The legislation, which is backed by several leading software trade groups, would also require agency chief information officers to create a plan to adopt enterprise licensing agreements in order to improve costs and negotiating power against vendors. Additionally, the Office of Management and Budget would have to publish a governmentwide strategy for software modernization based on audits and plans. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who introduced the bill with Reps. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., April McClain Delaney, D-Md., and Pat Fallon, R-Texas, said in a statement that the government spends money on software that “it doesn't need, doesn't use or already has.” The Trump administration's council of federal CIOs has so far been much like a carousel at some agencies, with officials who frequently associated with DOGE coming in and out of the top tech role. The Social Security Administraiton is the latest such agency to trade out one DOGE staffer for another. The Social Security Administration has tapped a DOGE associate named Scott Coulter as its new chief information officer, replacing another member of the Elon Musk-led group who spent a little more than a month in the role. Coulter, a Harvard graduate with a background in investment management, was added to SSA's org chart this week as CIO. Mike Russo, who started as the agency's top IT official Feb. 3, according to an SSA spokesperson, is now listed as senior advisor to the commissioner. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is considering a ways to cut federal benefits and save tens of billions of dollars over the years. Certified financial planner Thiago Glieger joins me with what he's concerned about. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is considering a ways to cut federal benefits and save tens of billions of dollars over the years. Certified financial planner Thiago Glieger joins me with what he's concerned about. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Andrew Walworth, Tom Bevan, and Carl Cannon discuss today's arrest of an illegal immigrant accused of being a leader of MS-13. Also, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visits the Salvadoran prison where deported alleged Venezuelan gang members are being held to tape a video message discouraging illegal border crossing into the U.S. They also talk about next Tuesday's special election in Florida's sixth district to fill the seat vacated by Mike Walz, President Trump's national security advisor. Plus, PBS President Paula Kerger and NPR President Katherine Maher testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee about continuing the $535 million annual federal contribution to public broadcasting. Next, RCP White House correspondent Phil Wegmann interviews Senator Jeffery Merkley (D-OR) about the use of facial recognition scanning and biometric data gathering by the TSA at U.S. airports, which he contends is creating “an unchecked national surveillance system.” Then finally, Carl Cannon talks to Voice of America Director Michael Abramowitz about the Trump Administrations' decision to withdraw cancellation of Radio Free Europe and the role of public diplomacy in shaping U.S. foreign policy.

The federal government will shift from paper-based payments to electronic methods, part of what the White House said in a Tuesday executive order is an attempt to cut costs and reduce fraud. President Donald Trump's EO on “modernizing payments to and from America's bank account” requires the Treasury Department to phase out paper check disbursements and receipts by Sept. 30. That includes intergovernmental payments, benefits payments, vendor payments and tax refunds. Federal agencies will be expected to transition to electronic funds transfer (EFT) methods, including direct deposit, prepaid card accounts and other digital options. “The continued use of paper-based payments by the Federal Government, including checks and money orders, flowing into and out of the United States General Fund, which might be thought of as America's bank account, imposes unnecessary costs; delays; and risks of fraud, lost payments, theft, and inefficiencies,” the order states. A Republican-backed bill to reorganize the federal government and grant the executive branch more power passed out of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Tuesday, while a Democratic effort to protect sensitive data was blocked. The Reorganizing Government Act of 2025 (H.R. 1295) from Chairman James Comer, R-Ky. seeks to give the president reorganizational authorities that would include the ability to amend rules, regulations and requirements to decrease cost and eliminate operations that do not serve the public. Rep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, offered an amendment that would have required the president's reorganization plan to include a list of executive databases that “contain personal and private information of American citizens that DOGE has accessed” and prohibit employees of the Elon Musk-led group and its partners from accessing this information. The amendment was struck down in a vote. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

Republicans leading the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee say they're holding the mayors of Boston, New York, Chicago and Denver “publicly accountable” for the way they handle immigration enforcement.

House Republicans on Wednesday temporarily blocked Democratic efforts to subpoena Elon Musk, turning back an attempt to bring the tech billionaire before Congress to answer questions about what his Department of Government Efficiency delegates are doing in federal agency computer systems. During a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the size of the federal government, ranking member Gerry Connolly, D-Va., moved to subpoena Musk to face the committee as a witness at the “earliest possible moment.” Connolly's Democratic colleagues supported the motion, but lost out to Republicans, tabling the motion. Democratic calls to hear from Musk follow the ongoing DOGE-led shutdown of USAID, the alleged sidestepping of federal law at the Office of Personnel Management via an email server, and the granting of systems access at the Treasury Department to DOGE workers. The Trump administration has requested input from the public as it seeks to develop its own path forward on artificial intelligence policy. A Federal Register post for public inspection Wednesday requests feedback on the AI “action plan” that President Donald Trump directed under his Jan. 23 executive order on the technology. That order directed agencies to review AI actions taken under Joe Biden's executive order on AI, which Trump rescinded on his first day in office, and said the country's policy on the technology is “to sustain and enhance America's global AI dominance in order to promote human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security.” It also set a 180-day timeline for a new action plan that's in line with that policy to be delivered to the president. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

Reaction to President Trump's saying the U.S. will take “ownership” in redeveloping Gaza into “the Riviera of the Middle East"; Attorney General Pam Bondi is sworn-in after the Senate voted to confirm her on a near party-line vote; President Trump signs an executive order to ban transgender athletes from competing on girls' and women's sports teams by withholding federal money for schools and colleges that allow it; Senate votes to advance the nomination of Russell Vought for White House Budget Director, with Senate Democrats planning to speak against the nominee on the Senate floor for 30 hours straight before the confirmation vote Thursday night; Democrats on the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee try and fail to subpoena Elon Musk to testify about the actions of the quasi-governmental Dept of Government Efficiency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former U.S. Representative and Charman of the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee and current Fox News News contributor and host of "Jason in the House Podcast." Jason Chaffetz joins Bob and Chris on the Morning News Express.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Capitol Hill, tensions continue to rise over the use of federal telework. Lawmakers on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee raised questions just yesterday about how telework impacts productivity, customer service, Workforce Recruitment and many more things. This all comes just days ahead of President Elect Donald Trump's inauguration and a likely shift towards returning to the office. Here with the latest, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On Capitol Hill, tensions continue to rise over the use of federal telework. Lawmakers on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee raised questions just yesterday about how telework impacts productivity, customer service, Workforce Recruitment and many more things. This all comes just days ahead of President Elect Donald Trump's inauguration and a likely shift towards returning to the office. Here with the latest, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we have an exciting lineup featuring Noah Rothman, senior writer at National Review and author of "The Rise of the New Puritans" and "Unjust: Social Justice and the Unmaking of America." Rothman will delve into his recent article, "Iran's Attack on Israel Was a Political Sea Change," exploring the implications of Iran's aggression towards Israel. Additionally, we'll discuss Rothman's insights on the pro-Palestine protests on campuses, USC's decision to cancel graduation ceremonies for the same students who did not get a high school graduation due to COVID, and whether we have reached peak wokism. Later in the show, Congressman Darrell Issa will join us to discuss Republican veterans preparing for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, showcasing their dedication with daring parachute jumps from original World War II transport planes. We'll also examine the recent shift in migrant arrivals along the southern border, with San Diego emerging as the top region for the first time in decades, providing a comprehensive analysis of this evolving situation. Tune in for thought-provoking discussions and insightful analysis on Breaking Battlegrounds every week.Connect with us:www.breakingbattlegrounds.voteTwitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_BattleFacebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegroundsInstagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegroundsLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds-About out guestsNoah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. He is the author of The Rise of the New Puritans: Fighting Back against Progressives' War on Fun and Unjust: Social Justice and the Unmaking of America. Follow Noah on X at @NoahCRothman. -Congressman Darrell Issa represents the people of California's 48th Congressional District. Congressman Issa sits on the House Judiciary Committee, House Foreign Affairs Committee, and House Science, Space and Technology Committee. Originally from Ohio, Issa enlisted in the U.S. Army when he was a senior in high school. Through his military service, he received an ROTC scholarship and graduated with a degree in business from Siena Heights University in Adrian, Michigan. Upon graduation, Issa was commissioned as an Army officer, and ultimately obtained the rank of captain. He completed his active-duty military service in 1980 and turned his interests to the private sector.At the height of his career in business, Issa served as CEO of a California-based electronics company that he founded and built in the mid-1990s, which became the nation's largest manufacturer of vehicle anti-theft and auto security devices. In 1994, Issa was named Entrepreneur of the Year. Issa also served as chairman of the Consumer Electronics Association, an organization of 2000 companies within the consumer technology industry.Issa is a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee.  From 2011-2015, he was the Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and  previously served on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the Energy & Commerce Committee, and the Small Business Committee.As a congressman and leader at California's grassroots level, Issa has championed smart, limited government and advanced legislation to balance the federal budget and promote transparency to hold government accountable to the people.A holder of 37 patents, Issa has been vigilant about protecting intellectual property rights. His successful efforts to fight human trafficking along the U.S. border have resulted in tougher laws, stiffer penalties, and more consistent enforcement. His watchful concern to guarantee that U.S. taxpayers receive the royalties they are owed from mineral interests on federal lands exposed fraud and mismanagement at the Mineral Management Service (MMS) in 2006. In 2008, when Congress was asked to pass the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) in the wake of that year's financial crisis, Issa stood by his experience starting and growing successful businesses, opposed giving a blank-check bailout to Wall Street, and voted against all government bailouts. Follow Congressman Issa on X at @repdarrellissa. Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

Join us this week as we delve into crucial conversations and heartwarming nostalgia. In this episode, our first guest, Congressman Darrell Issa, opens up about his dedicated efforts in supporting the 13 Gold Star families who have been profoundly impacted by the unfortunate fallout of the Biden administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan. Through insightful dialogue, we uncover the dedication and resilience required to address these critical issues.Shifting gears, we invite you to a captivating trip down memory lane. We're thrilled to be joined by the charismatic cast of 'The Sandlot,' coming together to celebrate the 30th anniversary of this beloved classic. Chauncey Leopardi (Squints), Marty York (Alan “Yeah-Yeah” McClennan) and Victor DiMattia (Timmy Timmons) join us as they share their treasured experiences, behind-the-scenes stories, and the enduring magic that has made 'The Sandlot' a timeless masterpiece.Connect with us:www.breakingbattlegrounds.voteTwitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_BattleFacebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegroundsInstagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegroundsLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegroundsCongressman Darrell Issa represents the people of California's 48th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives.The 48th District encompasses the central and eastern parts of San Diego County and a portion of Riverside County, including the communities of Fallbrook, Bonsall, Valley Center, Ramona, Escondido, Santee, Poway, Lakeside, Alpine, Temecula, Murrieta and the mountain and desert areas of the San Diego-Imperial County line. Originally from Ohio, Issa enlisted in the U.S. Army when he was a senior in high school. Through his military service, he received an ROTC scholarship and graduated with a degree in business from Sienna Heights University in Adrian, Michigan. Upon graduation, Issa was commissioned as an Army officer, and ultimately obtained the rank of captain. He completed his active-duty military service in 1980 and turned his interests to the private sector.At the height of his career in business, Issa served as CEO of a California-based electronics company that he founded and built in the mid-1990s, which became the nation's largest manufacturer of vehicle anti-theft and auto security devices. In 1994, Issa was named Entrepreneur of the Year. Issa also served as chairman of the Consumer Electronics Association, an organization of 2000 companies within the consumer technology industry.Issa is a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee.  From 2011-2015, he was the Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and  previously served on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the Energy & Commerce Committee, and the Small Business Committee.As a congressman and leader at California's grassroots level, Issa has championed smart, limited government and advanced legislation to balance the federal budget and promote transparency to hold government accountable to the people.A holder of 37 patents, Issa has been vigilant about protecting intellectual property rights. His successful efforts to fight human trafficking along the U.S. border have resulted in tougher laws, stiffer penalties, and more consistent enforcement. His watchful concern to guarantee that U.S. taxpayers receive the royalties they are owed from mineral interests on federal lands exposed fraud and mismanagement at the Mineral Management Service (MMS) in 2006. In 2008, when Congress was asked to pass the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) in the wake of that year's financial crisis, Issa stood by his experience starting and growing successful businesses, opposed giving a blank-check bailout to Wall Street, and voted against all government bailouts.-The Sandlot Cast:Chauncey Leopardi is an American actor known for playing Michael "Squints" Palledorous in the 1993 film The Sandlot and Alan White in the 1999 series Freaks and Geeks.Marty York is an actor, known for playing Alan “Yeah-Yeah” McClennan in The Sandlot (1993). He is also known for Boy Meets World (1993) and Due Justice.Victor DiMattia is an actor and director, known for The Sandlot (1993), Cool as Ice (1991) and Dennis the Menace (1987).About The Sandlot: When Scottie Smalls (Thomas Guiry) moves to a new neighborhood, he manages to make friends with a group of kids who play baseball at the sandlot. Together they go on a series of funny and touching adventures. The boys run into trouble when Smalls borrows a ball from his stepdad that gets hit over a fence. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com

The House Oversight Committee members held a presser Wednesday where they listed what they claim is evidence that showed the Biden family all benefitted from shady business deals. Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) claims the entire Biden family received ten million dollars from foreign nationals and their various companies. FOX's Eben Brown spoke with Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, who outlined an alleged deal between the Biden's and a foreign business.    Click Here To Follow 'The FOX News Rundown: Evening Edition' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The House Oversight Committee members held a presser Wednesday where they listed what they claim is evidence that showed the Biden family all benefitted from shady business deals. Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) claims the entire Biden family received ten million dollars from foreign nationals and their various companies. FOX's Eben Brown spoke with Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, who outlined an alleged deal between the Biden's and a foreign business.    Click Here To Follow 'The FOX News Rundown: Evening Edition' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The House Oversight Committee members held a presser Wednesday where they listed what they claim is evidence that showed the Biden family all benefitted from shady business deals. Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) claims the entire Biden family received ten million dollars from foreign nationals and their various companies. FOX's Eben Brown spoke with Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, who outlined an alleged deal between the Biden's and a foreign business.    Click Here To Follow 'The FOX News Rundown: Evening Edition' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Palestinian-American Noura Erakat and Israeli-American Miko Peled discuss Israel's occupation and Palestinian resistance. They also debunk some common talking points used to argue that Israel isn't imposing apartheid. Noura Erakat (https://twitter.com/4noura) is a human rights attorney and an Associate Professor at Rutgers University, New Brunswick in the Department of Africana Studies and the Program in Criminal Justice. She is an editorial committee member of the Journal for Palestine Studies and a co-Founding Editor of Jadaliyya, an electronic magazine on the Middle East that combines scholarly expertise and local knowledge. She is the author of Justice for Some: Law and in the Question of Palestine (Stanford University Press, 2019). Noura served as Legal Counsel for the Domestic Policy Subcommittee of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee in the House of Representatives from 2007-2009. Noura worked as the Legal Advocacy Coordinator for the Badil Center for Refugee and Residency Rights from 2010-2013. Miko Peled (https://twitter.com/mikopeled) is a speaker, writer, human rights activist, Karate instructor and a sixth-degree black belt. His maternal grandfather was one of the signatories of Israel's Declaration of Independence. Miko's father was Mattityahu Peled, a decorated general who fought in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and served as a general in the Six-Day War of 1967. Mattityahu became a critic of Israel and a participant in dialogue with the Palestine Liberation Organization. Miko himself started out as a proud Zionist and is now an anti-Zionist. He is the author of The General's Son: Journey of an Israeli in Palestine and Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five. You can find his blog and podcast at https://mikopeled.com/. ***Please support The Katie Halper Show *** For bonus content, to support independent media and to help make this program possible, please join us on Patreon at - https://www.patreon.com/thekatiehalpershow Follow Katie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kthalps

https://mkgenterprisescorp-client.com/operation-choke-point (Operation Choke Point ) All Americans, entrepreneurs and small businesses across our great country come from very different walks of life. They have taken great risks and share a common dream to start a company that can one day become profitable and provide for their families. While businesses face incredible hurdles before they succeed, the ones that do survive provide the foundation for our local communities. Unfortunately, the most alarming hurdle facing businesses today is a Department of Justice initiative known as Operation Choke Point. Created under the guise of a program to root out fraud and illegal activity, this initiative has been used by White House administration bureaucrats to pressure banks to end relationships with businesses they consider to be objectionable or "high risk." The House Financial Services Committee, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the House Judiciary have held hearings on this out-of-control program. Peter Weinstock, a partner at a Dallas law firm whose practice focuses on corporate and regulatory representation of financial institutions, testified before the House Judiciary Committee on July 17, 2014: "http://judiciary.house.gov/_cache/files/4457c7a2-d311-4f28-916b-94204374177b/weinstock-testimony.pdf (The U.S. Department of Justice created Operation Choke Point ostensibly to combat consumer fraud. However, it has become apparent that the program instead seeks to eradicate disfavored businesses.)" This administration has targeted small businesses such as firearm and ammunition dealers, cigar shops, fireworks retailers, pawn stores, payday lenders and others. This backdoor effort by this administration to target legitimate law-abiding businesses they do not like, and to coerce banks to choke off relationships with these businesses, is completely unacceptable. Restore the American Dream to build the next Financial Institution Invest in MKG Enterprises Corp on Wefunder https://wefunder.com/mkgenterprisescorps (https://wefunder.com/mkgenterprisescorps)

Let's Talk About Gen Milley General Mark Milley, current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is no stranger to controversy. He is the top-ranked military official who presided over the most humiliating military failure in modern American history-- the disastrous Afghanistan pullout that ended with hundreds of Americans left behind in enemy-controlled territory, subject to being used as hostages. Before that, he famously publicly showed regret for walking from the White House to Historic St. John's Church in a show of solidarity against the BLM rioters who attempted to burn it down the night before. Then, he spoke of the need to keep the actions of the military distinct from those of the civilian government. Less than a year later, according to reporting, he seems to be much more comfortable with blurring, even erasing the lines between military and state. According to Michael Ginsburg, writing for the Daily Caller in an article dated September 17th, 2021: “Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee are demanding the full transcripts of two phone calls held by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley and chief of the Joint Staff Department of the Chinese Central Military Commission Gen. Li Zhuocheng. During the calls, first made public by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa of The Washington Post, Milley reportedly promised Li that the U.S. would not strike China and that Milley would warn Li if they did. The calls were reportedly conducted Oct. 30, 2020, and Jan. 8, 2021...” If the account given by Woodward and Costa is true, then Gen Milley would be a traitor to the United States. Upon such an action, he would also be guilty of treason. These are accusations not lightly made against a senior serving US general. We don't know if things when down the way that Woodward and Costa claim, but Gen Milley needs to answer these accusations directly. There is evidence-based upon reporting by various news outlets, including by U.S. News back in January, that Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi (D, CA) spoke to Gen Milley about disarming then President Trump: “The Defense Department's top officer on Friday confirmed he had spoken with Nancy Pelosi about President Donald Trump's powers as commander in chief but in a carefully crafted statement distanced the Pentagon from any attempts by the House speaker or other congressional leaders to strip the president of his authorities. 'Speaker Pelosi initiated a call with the chairman," Col. Dave Butler, a spokesman for Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, tells U.S. News. 'He answered her questions regarding the process of nuclear command authority." – Paul D. Shinkman, US News and World Report, Jan. 8, 2021 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jp-mac/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jp-mac/support

Kurt Bardella was a rising star as a staffer for high profile political leaders such as Republican Senator Olympia Snowe from Maine and Republican Congressman Darrell Issa when he famously chaired the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. During that time, Kurt choreographed the media strategy for investigations related to the 2008 financial crisis, the bailouts of major Wall Street firms and probes into corporate conglomerates such as BP. He later went on to build and lead Endeavor Strategies which represented clients such as Breitbart until early in 2016 when Kurt notably parted ways with this major client on principle after Corey Lewandowski, then Trump's campaign manager, seriously man-handled one of Breitbart's reporters. Since that time, Kurt not only switched party affiliation from Republican to Democrat, he was most recently a Senior Advisor to the Lincoln Project and runs the Country Music media platform, the Morning Hangover. Kurt is also on USA Today's Board of Contributors and an NBC NEWS THINK contributor. 

Kurt Bardella was a rising star as a staffer for high profile political leaders such as Republican Senator Olympia Snowe from Maine and Republican Congressman Darrell Issa when he famously chaired the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. During that time, Kurt choreographed the media strategy for investigations related to the 2008 financial crisis, the bailouts of major Wall Street firms and probes into corporate conglomerates such as BP. He later went on to build and lead Endeavor Strategies which represented clients such as Breitbart until early in 2016 when Kurt notably parted ways with this major client on principle after Corey Lewandowski, then Trump's campaign manager, seriously man-handled one of Breitbart's reporters. Since that time, Kurt not only switched party affiliation from Republican to Democrat, he was most recently a Senior Advisor to the Lincoln Project and runs the Country Music media platform, the Morning Hangover. Kurt is also on USA Today's Board of Contributors and an NBC NEWS THINK contributor. 

New Age Nanny State White PaperParents' Rights In Education WebsiteSocial Emotional Learning Issues PageDONATE TODAY!Students may suffer tangible harm from SEL assessments or evaluations, even if such reports are accurate. If they are inaccurate or misleading, the damage can be enhanced. Key to understanding the threat is understanding the nature of modern statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDS). Since 2002, the federal government has incentivized the building of massive SLDS, so that pre-K through 12 student data can be collected and tracked. Most recently, USED's Race to the Top program awarded over $4 billion to states that agreed to certain federally approved education innovations, including enhanced student-data systems.One justification offered for this data-grab and data-tracking is to enable teachers to look back throughout a student's school career to see the results of all his interactions with the school system so far. If a student had a rough sixth-grade year, perhaps with a disciplinary suspension, that difficulty would be preserved in the SLDS for all subsequent teachers to learn about. The SLDS is the end of the “clean slate." ...Via the 2012 gutting of regulations under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), this data might also be disclosed to entities in other states or countries and to unlimited researchers who are interested in the emotional makeup of children and adolescents. And under the relaxed regulations, such disclosure of personally identifiable information could occur without parental consent, or even parental knowledge. This could also include sharing sensitive data without consent between the federal government and international agencies, and between government and private entities. The possibility—or probability—that this data will at some point be hacked is significant. As revealed in two hearings of the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee,250 USED has shown itself utterly incapable of protecting student information. The same can be said of multiple other federal agencies. It's beyond the scope of this paper to examine all the (increasing) gaps in the privacy and security of student data. The bottom line is that any data, SEL or otherwise, included in an SLDS or in the custody of corporate vendors is likely to remain there potentially forever and might be disclosed to all manner of other entities with their own agendas and often without consent. The goal in such a system shifts from promoting the individual liberty of the student, to promoting the good of corporations and the managed economy. Government data collection and sharing does not set well with most people. It has always been my observation schools and universities miss the mark, when it comes to guiding graduates toward lucrative career paths. We are not opposed to more career and vocation assessments, by individual choice, however individual data collation for any purpose is dangerous. The idea that a minor's personality deficits can be charted and stored in data which follows them to high school and career without knowledge or permission is wrong. We want to see this practice either drastically modified to reflect individual choice, or discontinued by government entities entirely.Support the show (https://www.parentsrightsined.com/support-the-cause.html)

Wednesday, May 27, 2020 ~ Brenda Lawrence, Congresswoman of Michigan’s 14th District talks to Frank on her arguing as a Member of the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee, that more funding is needed to help protect USPS workers.

What the hell happened this week? Michael and Kurt Bardella break down the news from Biden, Bernie Buttigieg, Klobuchar, Warren, South Carolina, and Super Tuesday. Kurt Bardella is a Morning Joe & NBC NEWS THINK contributor as well as a member of USA Today’s Board of Contributors. Kurt worked as the spokesperson and senior advisor for Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee under the leadership of Rep. Darrell Issa. Prior to working at the Committee, Kurt served as the spokesperson for Senator Olympia Snowe and before that for Rep. Brian Bilbray. Following the 2016 election, Kurt left the Republican Party to join the Democratic Party.

Guests include Sery Kim, Republican Strategist and former Senior Advisor in the Trump Administration and former Health Care Counsel on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Richard Fowler, Democratic Strategist, and Nationally Syndicated Radio Show Host and Fox News Contributor. Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa.

Guests include Sery Kim, Republican Strategist and former Senior Advisor in the Trump Administration and former Health Care Counsel on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Richard Fowler, Democratic Strategist, and Nationally Syndicated Radio Show Host and Fox News Contributor. Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa.

LISTEN TO RATIONAL RADIO LIVE ON WHIP | M/W/F 4-5PM EST Chelsea Manning’s request to be released early is denied! Donald Trump to sue House Democrats in attempt to thwart efforts to obtain his financial statements! And Supreme Court made contradictory rulings based on transgender and other LGBT issues! The world’s a busy place, and thanks to the internet, we witness a whole lotta’ stuff. Join Amelia, Jennie, and Valerie for a rational look at current events around the world - only on Rational Radio. DISCUSSION TIMES AND SOURCES: 1:39 - Sri Lanka Easter Sunday Bombings 16:34 - Supreme Court to Decide Whether Bias Law Covers Gay and Transgender Workers 25:22 - Court Denies Chelsea Manning's Release 33:22 - Trump Sues to Block House Democrats from Obtaining His Financial Records ATTRIBUTIONS: Live show edited to podcast format by Jennie Sheffer Intro music: Chicago by [JCM] Canada, available on Soundcloud KEY WORDS: Sri Lanka, Easter Sunday, Easter, Church bombings, terrorism, international terrorist organizations, Cinnamon Grand Hotel, St. Anthony’s Shrine, The Kingsbury Hotel, Colombo, Negombo, National Thowheed Jama’ath, Supreme Court, LGBTQ+, 1964 Civil Rights Act, Title VII, Chelsea Manning, WikiLeaks, President Donald Trump, Robert Mueller, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Democratic Representative Elijah Cummings, House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal,

Taking the week off the high seas, the crew of Salty Jason's Revenge decided to repost an old interview with one of our incredible guests: Chris Lu. Chris is currently a Practitioner Senior Fellow at the Miller Center and has been: Deputy secretary of labor in the Obama Administration White House cabinet secretary and assistant to President Obama Executive director, Obama-Biden Transition Project Deputy chief counsel, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee

Craig is on the Jim Polito show as he discusses with Jim the Equifax breach and the new bug that left your Microsoft account wide open to hackers. These and more tech tips, news, and updates visit - CraigPeterson.com --- Related Articles: A Bug Left Your Microsoft Account Wide Open To Complete Takeover Equifax Breach Was Just As Infuriating And Dumb As You Thought, New House Report Finds --- Transcript: Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors. Airing date: 12/18/2018 Big Data Dirty Little Secret Ties To Government - Microsoft Vulnerability Craig Peterson: 0:00 Hey, good morning, everybody. Craig Peterson here. This morning I was talking to Jim Polito about security and safety online. The report came out from Congress what happened with the Equifax hack? We talked about that I gave away a dirty little secret here about our government and kind of another type of spying operation that's been going on. And we started out by talking about another major ability over Microsoft, although this one was finally closed after being at least wide open for five months for at least five months. So anyhow, I hope you guys are having a great week. I am so looking forward to Christmas next week. I hope you guys are to having a great year whether you celebrate Christmas or not, and I will be back tomorrow as well. So here we go with Jim Unknown 0:54 Here he is the man myth and legend by he's actually from the future or you know, he's a machine and he's masquerading as a man. It's part of that whole matrix thing. Here is our friend Craig Peterson Good morning, sir. Unknown 1:12 Hey, good morning. And greeting to our robot overlords. Unknown 1:19 I do love the Matrix movies. It's great, but it scared the Matrix. And of course, the Terminator movies. They all scare the heck out of me. So before the machines take over Unknown 1:32 what's going on with Microsoft and your Microsoft account? Like my office documents, my outlook emails, which just happens to be two programs that I use, Unknown 1:48 the hackers could have gotten in there, or did they get in there? Craig? What's the story? Unknown 1:54 Yeah, there's a lot to worry about this year. And if the FBI has out some new warning about some different types of scams going on. You got to be careful if you're buying gift card we can talk about that ticket scams oh my gosh, what's going on this year, but Microsoft gave us a special kind of a pre Christmas precipice here they laugh consumer a series of different vulnerabilities your account if you have Microsoft accounts, everything from your Office documents your Outlook email yeah pretty much wide open to hacking and there was this whole calc takeover thing you know I'm shaking my head gives you think that these companies would know better and this is a very big problem but if this is a little bit complicated but basically what happened is the security researcher was able to take over our Microsoft domain what are their sub domains success office.com and he was able to trick the applications to ask off success at office calm the Microsoft applications on potentially millions of people's computers trick them into sending all of the users confidential information to him now he reported it to Microsoft in June they finally fix that but he never took control of the domain but he received any and all data coming to it's going from it and again it's you know we've got these large complex systems and everybody silos so that the office people you know you're working on on word I'm working on best you're working on that you're working on the authorization you're working on the lock in your and those teams don't have any oversight because the whole system is just so powerful complex How can somebody know everything about everything this is just frankly bound to happen and and that's where my Christmas present comes in. Jim Unknown 4:11 yeah and early I'll take Unknown 4:12 it a week early Sure. Okay. We finally finished that special report on what to do to freeze your credit freeze your information so the bad guys you know they almost certainly already have all of your termination check back yeah but because they have all of that and because of the new tax law there are new ways now to protect your credit your personal you know my whole personal side of it that you didn't have before they're absolutely free so I'm going to play around this yeah but I finally got this report all finished we're sending it out this week so I'm going to send out an email keep an eye out for the probably Thursday and you're going to love this is it step by step what do you do how do you do it how do you stop the bad guys now from using your stolen information and as usual absolutely free and absolutely I think very very useful it just took us like two weeks to get it together but that's my Christmas present or or Hanukkah Happy holidays or wanna call it Unknown 5:29 What about festival yeah yes that's right Unknown 5:35 favorite Unknown 5:35 yeah Unknown 5:37 so that's something that if you are on Craig Peterson's list you will get and at the end of this segment I'm going to give you a number I recommend that you text My name to that number Craig will know where you're coming from and then he will provide you with that information and then as you go forward folks who have already registered with Craig they'll get it anyway way so any won't sell your name you won't exploit you and standard data and text rates apply that's a nice little that's a nice little early present now the folks at Equifax which don't they happen to be the gift that keeps on giving speaking of the Now there were in a holiday and Christmas motif Unknown 6:27 there remember they had their the folks who do credit rating and they had a big data breach and once again Craig Peterson to the rescue for listeners to the show as to what to do but there's a new report by house investigators Congress as to Unknown 6:49 the breach and it's actually worse than we thought it was right again why is it every time there's one of these hacks data breaches every time I'm we hear about it it gets worse Unknown 7:03 yeah yeah this is the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and they released on Monday and 96 page long report and this is just absolutely astounding to me because I have clients that have come to me and they say hey Craig Can you help us out Unknown 7:27 because they lost just credit cards just credit cards and the Payment Card Industry if you accept credit cards now requires you to sign this document that is almost 250 pages printed out yeah and and they say hey we lost some of these credit cards were getting fined and that they they ended up settling some of the fines but I had one company come to me Jim and the fines were in the millions of dollars because his face on how many credit cards you have accepted over the years okay yeah but this company so very very big deal What do you think you know Equifax is fines were what do you think you know how many people got fire people went to jail Unknown 8:19 now folks the whole Equifax thing and and as I said Craig Peterson did a lot to help people to protecting and you're still recommending that people freeze their credit. Right? Unknown 8:33 Yeah, that's the only way around this and you know it really is ok. But here's what Unknown 8:39 I want to get. I want to get to your points. Are you freezing credit. But Unknown 8:44 how many people got fired? Zero? Maybe maybe one and he was the intern every other Tuesday who came in from Columbia University finds. Unknown 9:00 I don't know a $5 for every person who was hacked because that's what you had to pay wasn't it originally to freeze your credit or $1? I don't know Unknown 9:13 yeah, basically that's what it was it was Equifax has to offer free credit reporting services right and then they offered a free credit freeze but that was only one of the agencies you've got a freezer that all three major agency right Unknown 9:30 right Unknown 9:30 so yeah and you're right about the intern basically nobody I'm at upper level got fired on that was absolutely Unknown 9:38 crazy credible. Unknown 9:40 It's incredible. So here's There are five key findings. First of all of our house report says it was entirely preventable. There was a lack of accountability management they had complex and entirely outdated IT systems. These are a little legacy systems been around a long time and they hadn't bothered to update anything that was essential here. They were unprepared to support affected customers. You you remember we talked about this, what they sent them from these weird email addresses. The sites weren't working and here's the worst one right. But in terms of animal Equifax, a wild over 300 security certificates to expire, including 79 security certificates for monitoring the business critical domains. And they did not renew an expired digital certificate for 19 months. This one important 119 months which left Equifax without visibility on the X filtration of data during the attack. And other words that the data was being stolen was being pulled out of echo fact they didn't notice they couldn't know Unknown 11:01 employee. They didn't keep their certificates up today. Can you imagine that? Unknown 11:08 I mean, I mean, like a company. Okay. It's one thing if you have to say to me, Tim, did you update your antivirus? Did you do this? Do you have the latest software for your Wi Fi? And for this? It's one thing if you you know, that's me. Now we're talking about a corporation Unknown 11:29 that what do they do? These are the crowded guys, they have everything. You and I we don't even do business with them. Right. When was the last time you said that factor check because of that wonderful service? Unknown 11:43 Because you're doing a great job. Unknown 11:45 Yeah, yeah. Are you kidding me? And the laws that we have in place allow for all kinds of exceptions for them where they can do just tons of stuff that would if you and I were collecting some of this data, we will being serious trouble that the federal government can't even collect it. And you know what Jim Bakker the deep dark secret here to end this foldable discussion. Yes the deep dark secret is the federal government cannot collect information certain information on our that citizens. And so what did we do we want to the Five Eyes apparently we went to the UK we went to Australia and said, Hey, can you spire Trump for us? That's what it was like happens because we can't do it. Here's the dirty little secret you don't want. They go they go to these data aggregation providers. They go to companies like Equifax and they say hey, has Jim done this or that? Who are they talking to? What's he been buying? What are the trends in his Spencer's look like and these data aggregators have everything, what kind of car you drive, how old it is, if it's registered, if they even have your photo and your driver's license information, depending on the stage you're in, and the federal government uses them to track Unknown 13:05 and so are they really incentivized to come clamping down on these data aggregators? No, we're not Unknown 13:14 trying Unknown 13:15 a little dirty secret for Christmas Unknown 13:18 a little dirty secret. Now, here's another gift for everyone. If you text My name to this number Unknown 13:25 855-385-5553. That's 855-385-5553 Unknown 13:33 standard data and text rates apply. Craig Peterson will get back to you with all of this information. Plus more you'll be honest list when there's a big hack when there's a big problem, he will reach out to you and don't worry again because he won't sell your name to anyone and won't give it to hackers. And again, standard data and tax rates apply. Craig, thank you so, so much. Hey, a very, very Merry Christmas to you, sir. Unknown 14:02 Hey to you, too. I'm looking forward to listening to you on Tuesday. All right. Oh, wait a minute. Unknown 14:07 And Happy Happy Boxing Day. Okay. Yeah, I know very. My Canadian friend. Happy boxing. Say Craig. Everybody. Craig Take care. Unknown 14:18 Bye bye. All right, don't go anywhere Unknown 14:22 and as you heard I finally have a document ready about what to do and I don't know we might want to turn it into a whole course for people so it's step by step you know screen instruction and helping them out but anyways it is finally available make sure you're on my list http://CraigPeterson.com/subscribe and take care. Talk to you tomorrow. --- Don't miss any episode from Craig. Visit http://CraigPeterson.com/itunes. Subscribe and give us a rating! Thanks, everyone, for listening and sharing our podcasts. We're really hitting it out of the park. This will be a great year!  More stories and tech updates at: www.craigpeterson.com Don't miss an episode from Craig. Subscribe and give us a rating: www.craigpeterson.com/itunes Follow me on Twitter for the latest in tech at: www.twitter.com/craigpeterson For questions, call or text: 855-385-5553

Rep. John Sarbanes joins Tom for the hour today. Last month, he was re-elected to represent Maryland’s 3rd congressional district for a seventh term. For nearly two years, Sarbanes has chaired the House Democracy Reform Task Force, a group of legislators seeking to minimize the influence of special interests on elections. He is the principle author of H.R. 1, a bill that addresses ethics and campaign finance reform as well as voting rights protections. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who will likely be the new Speaker of the House, said the bill will be the first order of business when the House reconvenes on January 3rd.Congressman Sarbanes also serves on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and its Subcommittee on National Security. He joins Tom live in Studio A.

Morning Roast: This is the first of a new series of unfiltered, impromptu morning "rants" recorded during my morning commute. Yes, it's that simple. Enjoy.UPDATE 9:00am CT: The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is meeting in open hearing at 2 pm ET today and featuring Judicial Watch's Tom Fitton. https://oversight.house.gov/hearing/oversight-of-nonprofit-organizations-a-case-study-on-the-clinton-foundation/https://www.youtube.com/user/JudicialWatch 

Audit finds no “Chinese spy chips” on Supermicro motherboards. Huawei CFO Meng’s hearing continues. Oil services firm’s servers attacked. Seedworm shows some new tricks. Secure instant messaging apps may be less secure than hoped. A new adware strain reported. Mr. Pichai goes to Washington, and Uncle Pennybags puts in an appearance. The US House Oversight and Government Reform Committee reports on the Equifax breach. Prof. Awais Rashid from Bristol University on risk management in a data-intensive world. Guest is Barry Hensley from Secureworks on supply chain risks. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2018/November/CyberWire_2018_12_11.html Support our show

There was a lot of good news for pro-lifers in the 2018 election results--and proof that talking about pro-life values is the way to win over, not lose, voters. Mallory Quigley, vice president of communications for the Susan B. Anthony List, joins us to discuss the group's door-to-door efforts, and what they saw through contact with thousands of voters directly. Plus: Democrats are much more likely to think that Republicans are racist/bigoted/sexist than vice versa. We also cover these stories:--President Trump issued a statement about journalist Jamal Khashoggi's death, saying, "Our relationship is with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They have been a great ally in our very important fight against Iran."--Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee are preparing to investigate Ivanka Trump’s use of a personal email account--Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke suggested “radical environmental groups” were part of the problem regarding the massive fires that have been devastating the country.The Daily Signal podcast is available on Ricochet, iTunes, SoundCloud, Google Play, or Stitcher. All of our podcasts can be found at DailySignal.com/podcasts. If you like what you hear, please leave a review. You can also leave us a message at 202-608-6205 or write us at letters@dailysignal.com. Enjoy the show! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A toxic culture among leadership at the Transportation Security Administration is decimating employee morale and retention, according to two new reports this week from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. TSA Administrator David Pekoske testified before the committee about the report's findings of misconduct, mismanagement, whistleblower retaliation and obstruction at the agency. Federal News Radio's David Thornton was there, and joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin for more.

The big government reorganization plan is out, and now it's the administration's chance to sell it on Capitol Hill. Office of Management and Budget Deputy Director Margaret Weichert made her first stop at the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee this week. Federal News Radio's Nicole Ogrysko had more on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

In today's Federal Newscast on Federal News Radio, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee releases the expanded Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act report card today, five agencies saw their grades go up, 11 saw them go down.

The Defense Department is the last agency to receive an “F” on the latest Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act, or FITARA, scorecard. But DoD is not alone in earning a bad grade on the bi-annual IT reform scorecard from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Federal News Radio's executive editor Jason Miller joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin for details about which agencies have to answer for lower grades.

As the Census Bureau conducts its field test for the 2020 population count, Congress is worried the project is falling behind schedule and over budget. The Census Bureau is testing new technology and procedures in field testing in Providence, Rhode Island. Agency officials gave members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee a status update last month. Former Census Director Robert Groves tells Federal News Radio's Jory Heckman on Federal Drive with Tom Temin how the Census Bureau can make the best use of that new technology.

This podcast is brought to you by the International Security Driver Association. The International Security Driver Association serves its members by supporting an international forum of protection professionals who share their knowledge and experience for the education and benefit of the membership. ISDA represents all aspects of the Executive Protection profession from all parts of the Globe. ISDA serves members who are either inexperienced or experienced practitioners.  Whether you are exploring a career in executive protection, new to the profession, honing your expertise, or an established security executive, ISDA offers its Members benchmark educational, networking, and marketing programs. For more information about the ISDA go to isdacenter.org.   From the Tennesean.Com Nashville Police Attempt to Seize Control of Private Event Security and Get Sued Taxpayers are increasingly on the hook for millions in overtime, pension costs. Two private security firms are seeking an injunction to stop the Metro Nashville Police Department from enforcing a new policy that forbids off-duty police officers from moonlighting as private security guards. The legal filing on Wednesday by Nashville attorney Gary Blackburn is the latest development in a lawsuit filed last week that claims Nashville police methodically pushed out private security companies in a bid to achieve a monopoly on securing the city's many special events.  ================ From the Washington Post EPA chief Scott Pruitt head of security resigns amid scrutiny. As mentioned in a previous flash briefing, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, has been in some hot water regarding his ethics issues. He reportedly wanted his motorcade to flash its lights and sirens to speed up trips to restaurants and airport and that Eric Weese, the former head of Pruitt's protective detail, said he unsuccessfully tried to curb the behavior. He was replaced by Pasquale Perrotta, a former Secret Service agent who operates a private security company. Well, yesterday, May 1, Pasquale “Nino” Perrotta, announced his retirement from the agency. Perrotta faces congressional scrutiny for his role in Pruitt's security arrangements, which have been more extensive than those of previous EPA administrators. He initially had planned to step down this summer but accelerated his retirement, officials said. Perrotta is slated to meet with investigators at the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee tomorrow Wednesday, May 3rd.  ====================  From ABC News.Com All newly manufactured vehicles to be sold in the U.S. are required as of yesterday May 1st, to have backup cameras equipped as a standard feature.  More than 200 people are killed and over 12,000 more are injured each year due to “backover” crashes, according to the Department of Transportation. Of those killed, more than half are children under 5 years old or adults 70 and older. Rearview cameras have already been found to reduce backup-related crashes by 17 percent, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. ===============  From the Telegraph.co.uk Johnny Depp sued by former bodyguards for unpaid wages Two of Johnny Depp's former bodyguards have reportedly taken the actor to court, accusing him of failing to pay their wages and claiming they “were forced to protect Depp from himself”. Eugene Arreola, a former detective with the Los Angeles police department, and Miguel Sanchez state that they worked for Depp for several years for a firm called Premier Group International.    They describe a "toxic and dangerous working environment", claiming that Depp's head of security accidentally shot himself in the leg “while playing with his weapon in a small control room on Johnny Depp's property.”  They claim that they were used by Depp as babysitters, stating: "Plaintiffs found themselves in situations that required more than what a bodyguard would be expected to do,” including being “constantly used as drivers, driving back and forth at Depp's or his family's beckoning.”    Mr. Arreola and Mr. Sanchez are seeking unpaid overtime, wages, meal and rest break compensation and penalties as well as legal fees plus damages.   ================ For more articles and news related to secure transportation, security, and executive protection, go to isdacenter.org or securitydriver.com. Thanks for listening to the Security Driver and Executive Protection News flash briefing.

In today's Federal Newscast, Democratic leaders on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee want to subpoena documents the Justice and Homeland Security departments have failed to supply related to possible violations involving whistleblowers.

Federal whistleblowers are often the eyes and ears of inspectors general. But some members of Congress worry whether would-be whistleblowers feel comfortable reporting them or to IGs without fear of retaliation. At a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing this week, members expressed their concerns to the leaders of the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, or CIGIE. This was just as CIGIE released its first-ever report on management challenges across the government. Federal News Radio's Jory Heckman shared more on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

In today's Federal Newscast on Federal News Radio, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee would like Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to explain why he decided to nix an idea to have the Postal Service work with the Census Bureau.

The Trump administration has charged agencies to create regulatory reform task forces. Several agencies have traipsed to the Hill to tell the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee about their plans to deregulate or cut unnecessary burdens. Now a key member of that committee wants to make the Trump administration's regulatory initiative permanent. Federal News Radio's Nicole Ogrysko shares the details on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

Sunny with high temperatures near 60 degrees. Cooler weather on the way. MURPHY CONFIDENT LAWMAKERS WILL PASS MILLIONAIRES TAX Gov.-elect Phil Murphy says he fully expects the Legislature to pass a millionaires tax, even though enthusiasm seems to be softening among some Democratic leaders. State Senate President Steve Sweeney has said he would reconsider his support if Congress enacts federal corporate and income tax cuts while repealing the federal deduction for state and local property, income and sales taxes, Nicholas Pugliese reports for The Record. STATE MAY HAVE TO REPAY $600 MILLION IN MEDICAID MONEY New Jersey could be forced to repay more than $600 million to the federal government in Medicaid funding. An audit, released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said the state received $300.5 million for school-based Medicaid services that were not allowed, Lilo H. Stainton writes for NJ Spotlight. An additional $306.2 million is under review. Officials at the state Department of Human Services said they would contest the audit's findings. CONGRESSIONAL PANEL HEARS PLEAS ON TRANSIT SECURITY FUNDING Officials from agencies responsible for keeping New Jersey’s transit system safe urged a congressional subcommittee to block proposed cuts in federal financing for transit security. President Donald Trump’s proposed federal budget would cut national security grants to $48 million, from $88 million. Christopher Trucillo, the chief of NJ Transit Police, said the cuts could put people in harm’s way, Brenda Flanagan writes for NJTV. CHRISTIE VOWS TO CONTINUE FIGHT AGAINST OPIOID ADDICTION Gov. Chris Christie told a congressional committee Tuesday that he will continue his efforts against opioid addiction after he leaves office in January, Jonathan D. Salant reports for NJ.com. "I'll play any role that leaders of both the Congress and the administration want me to play as a private citizen in 49 days to be able to continue this fight," Christie, a Republican, told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. FBI SEARCHES WILDLIFE REFUGE IN CASE OF BOYS MISSING SINCE 1975 The FBI searched a wildlife refuge in Burlington County on Tuesday in connection with the disappearance of two boys in 1975, the Press of Atlantic City reports. About a month ago federal authorities said they had received “promising new information” in the disappearance of David Williams, 12, and Steven Anderson, 17, who went missing April 7, 1975, from a state facility in the Pinelands. The FBI did not announce any results of the search.

In today's Federal Newscast, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has given lower grades to six agencies on their latest Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act report cards.

1:29: Just two days after being sworn in as Maryland’s junior Senator, Chris Van Hollen took to the floor to speak out against Republican fast-track efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. On today’s podcast, Van Hollen talks about the consequences of dismantling President Obama’s signature health insurance law.18:48: Rep. Elijah Cummings criticizes congressional Republicans, including the chairman of a government watchdog committee, for not questioning President-elect Donald Trump’s extensive foreign financial holdings and the potential for conflicts in his presidency. Cummings and other Democrats have filed legislation requiring all presidents to divest of their businesses and put their assets in a blind trust. Anything short of that, says the Maryland Democrat and ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, will put Trump in violation of the Constitution’s emoluments clause the day he takes office. In this podcast, Cummings also talks about the significance of the Russian hack of the 2016 election and, with President Obama scheduled to give his farewell address tonight from Chicago, the congressman reflects on the Obama years in the White House.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee wants to move fast on a bill that would force agencies to think differently about how they track and apply data to every-day work. The Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act has the legs to move forward quickly. House Speaker Paul Ryan is a sponsor. But as Federal News Radio's Nicole Ogrysko tells Federal Drive with Tom Temin, other bills under consideration in the oversight committee might not have the star power to move so fast.

To count the population of the U.S. in 2020, Commerce Department Secretary Wilbur Ross says he's counting on Congress for an additional $3 billion to help cover the lifecycle of the decennial census. He told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee he's confident the money will help the Census Bureau answer concerns about accuracy and data security, but policymakers aren't so sure. Federal News Radio's Meredith Somers fills in all the details on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

In today's Federal Newscast, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is looking into how often political appointees use government-owned aircraft and private planes.

In today's Federal Newscast, after it was reported that many White House advisers are using private email accounts to conduct official business, the two top lawmakers on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee want to know if there are any other executive appointees are doing so.

In today's Federal Newscast, minority members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee send letters to the heads of all agencies, asking what products or services they have purchased from companies associated with or owned by President Donald Trump.

The post office is in trouble. Faced with an enormous debt and a legal obligation to serve every single American, the United States Postal Service needs Congress to make some changes in order to prevent service cuts and financial ruin. In this episode we analyze the plan currently moving through Congress. 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! Bill Outline H.R. 756: Postal Service Reform Act of 2017 Title I: Postal Service Benefits Reform Postal employees will be enrolled in Medicare Cancels the requirements for the USPS to pre-fund employee retirement health benefits. Title II: Postal Service Operations Reform Creates a Board of Governors, which will have power over the Postmaster General and determine the strategic direction and pricing of the post office products. Stops the requirement for door delivery to new addresses starting the day the bill is enacted. Businesses will get "centralized delivery, curbside delivery, or sidewalk delivery" with all of them converted by September 30, 2023. Residences will be able to convert voluntarily starting on October 1, 2018 and will have shared delivery points for up to 50 units each. We will be informed in writing if our homes have been selected by the end of March 2019 and we can sign a "conversion consent form" to agree. New residents will automatically be converted to the centralized delivery Gives the Postal Regulatory Committee more flexibility in setting postal rates Allows the post office to provide State and local government services Allows the post office to reinstate half of the rate surcharge that was in effect in April 2016. Title III: Postal Service Personnel Creates a Chief Innovation Officer position Title IV: Postal Contracting Reform Allows the post office to issue non-competitive contracts, with notification requirements if they are over $250,000 Additional Reading Article: House panel displays bipartisan unity over bill to save Postal Service from financial ruin by Joe Davidson, The Washington Post, February 7, 2017. Article: Federal agencies turning to UPS, Fed Ex instead of USPS for delivery needs by Mary Lou Byrd, The Washington Times, June 11, 2013. Article: How Healthcare Expenses Cost Us Saturday Postal Delivery by Josh Sanbum, TIME, February 7, 2013. References Document: H.R. 1628: Senate Health Care Bill Twitter: Who Drafted Secret Health Care Bill USPS: USO Executive Summary USPS: Mail & Shipping Prices National Association of Letter Carriers: About NALC GovTrack: H.R. 756: Postal Service Reform Act of 2017 GovTrack: H.R. 760: Postal Service Financial Improvement Act of 2017 GovTrack: H.R. 5714 (114th): Postal Service Reform Act of 2016 CBO: H.R. 5714 CBO Score GovTrack: H.R. 6407 (109th): Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act CBO: H.R. 6407 CBO Score White House: President Bush's Statement on H.R. 6407 Video Clips YouTube: Kathleen Madigan - Post Office YouTube: Jerry Seinfeld - Post Office Bit YouTube: Seinfeld clip - Because the mail never stops YouTube: Tom Papa - Post Office Bit Sound Clip Sources Hearing: Accomplishing Postal Reform in the 115th Congress - H.R. 756, The Postal Service Reform Act of 2017, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, February 7, 2017. Watch on CSPAN Witnesses Megan J Brennan: Postmaster General Robert Taub: Chairman of the Postal Regulatory Commission Lori Rectanus: Direction or Physical Infrastructure issues at the US Gov’t Accountability Office Arthur Sackler: Manager at the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service Fredric Rolando: President of the National Association of Letter Carriers 5:19 Rep. Jason Chaffetz: Last July I was proud to see our committee favorably report the bill by a voice vote. Unfortunately, it didn’t make it across the finish line before the end of the Congress, but we did make a lot of progress, particularly with getting the CBO—the Congressional Budget Office—to come in and score the bill. 6:10 Rep. Jason Chaffetz: In an era of partisan politics, this legislation represents a significant bipartisan compromise. The bill gives the Postal Service the freedom it needs to successfully meet the business realities the agency faces. To do this, the bill allows the Postal Service to fully integrate its healthcare plans with Medicare. With such integration, the Postal Service can virtually wipe out its 52-billion-dollar retiree healthcare unfunded liability. Further, the bill achieves real savings by moving to more-efficient mail delivery, saving the Postal Service more than $200 a year for each address that can be converted from the door-to-door delivery to centralized delivery. The bill also helps the agency more accurately evaluate its cost structure and reforms key governance matters. 8:10 Rep. Elijah Cummings: The other thing I thank you for, Mr. Chairman, is so often what happens is that when a lot of work has been done in one term, it’s just tossed away, and then you have to start all over again. But I thank you for picking up where we left off. 10:40 Rep. Elijah Cummings: The total volume of mail handled by the Postal Service has fallen by more than 25% since 2006, and continued declines are expected. The cost of the Postal Service’s operations have also risen, in part because the Postal Service is required to provide universal delivery service to every address in the United States. Every year, about 900,000 new addresses are created in this country; and a network of postal facilities, letter carriers, and workers must expand to deliver to every new address—900,000; that’s a lot. The Postal Service is burdened by a 2006 statutory requirement imposed by Congress to fully pre-fund its liabilities for retiree healthcare costs, a requirement that no other federal agency or private-sector company faces. These liabilities, combined with the Postal Service’s unfunded pension liabilities, currently total about $125 billion, which is almost double its annual revenues. Even as it fixed costs continued to grow, the exigent rate increase that had been approved to enable the Postal Service to recoup some of the losses incurred because of a 2008 recession’s permanent impact on mail volume expired. Since 2006 the Postal Service has implemented significant cost-saving measures, including reducing positions and work hours, and consolidating facilities and delivery routes. 14:08 Rep. Elijah Cummings: Taking all these requirements and trends together, the Postal Service reported a net loss of $5.3 billion for fiscal year 2016, which represents a 10th consecutive year of net losses. We have repeatedly discussed the deteriorating financial condition at the Postal Service in this committee, but the situation is now worsened by unprecedented lack of any Senate-confirmed members on the Postal Service’s Board of Governors. Because many key management decisions are reserved by statute to the Senate-confirmed board members, there are many actions, such as establishing rates, class, and fees for products, that the Postal Service simply cannot take now. The need for postal reform is as urgent as it ever was. Fortunately, we also may be closer than ever to enacting reform. We must press ahead—all of us. 18:50 Rep. Gerald Connolly: I want to commend Chairman Chaffetz and Ranking Member Cummings for their leadership in holding together this coalition—not easy—and it’s a bipartisan coalition that helped write this bill. And especially Chairman Chaffetz could have yielded to the temptation, in light of the circumstances of 2017, to start all over again, and he didn’t do that. We worked together, we held it together, and I want to thank all the stakeholders represented in this room and those not in this room for understanding we can’t let perfect be the enemy of the good. 24:25 Megan Brennan: The Postal Service is self-funded. We pay for our operations through the sale of postal products and services and do not receive tax revenues to support our business. Over the past decade, total mail volume declined by 28%. First-class mail, which makes the greatest contribution to covering the cost of our networks, declined by 36%. In response, we have streamlined our operations, restructured our networks, reduced the size of our workforce, and improved productivity. As a result of these efforts, we’ve achieved annual cost savings of approximately $14 billion. We also successfully stabilized marketing-mail revenues and grew our package business, which together drive e-commerce growth. However, given the constraints imposed by law, all of those actions cannot offset the negative impacts caused by the consistent decline in the use of first-class mail. The Postal Service is required to maintain an extensive network necessary to fulfill our universal service obligation to deliver the mail to every address six days a week, regardless of volume. The cost of the network continues to grow as approximately one million new delivery points are added each year. However, less volume, limited pricing flexibility, and increasing costs means that there is less revenue to pay for our growing delivery network and to fund other legally mandated costs. Since 2012 the Postal Service has been forced to default on $33.9 billion in mandated payments for retiree health benefits. Without these defaults, the deferral of critical capital investments, and aggressive management actions, we would not have been able to pay our employees and suppliers, or deliver the mail. Despite our achievements in growing revenue and improving operational efficiency, we cannot overcome systemic financial imbalances caused by business-model constraints. 26:40 Megan Brennan: We believe there is broad support for the core provisions of the bill you have introduced. By enacting this urgently needed legislation, which includes those provisions, the Postal Service can achieve an estimated $26 billion in combined cost reductions and new revenue over five years. Enactment of these provisions, favorable resolution of the Postal Regulatory Commission’s pricing-review system, and continued aggressive management actions will return the Postal Service to financial stability. Medicare integration is the cornerstone of your bill. The civilian federal government is not required to pre-fund retiree health benefits, but that obligation is imposed on the Postal Service. We are merely asking to be treated like any business that offers health benefits to its retirees and has to fund them. Full integration with Medicare is a universally accepted best practice in private sector. Requiring full Medicare integration for Postal Service retirees would essentially eliminate our unfunded liability for retiree health benefits. It is simply a matter of fairness to enable the Postal Service and our employees to fully utilize the benefits for which we have paid. We also strongly endorse the provision of the bill that would restore half of the exigent rate increase as a permanent part of our rate base. That provision will help us pay for the infrastructure necessary to fulfill our universal service obligation. 28:20 Megan Brennan: H.R. 756 is fiscally responsible and enables the Postal Service to invest in the future and to continue to provide affordable, reliable, and secure delivery service to every business and home in America. 30:30 Robert Taub: H.R. 756 is specifically designed to put the Postal Service on sound financial footing. 33:43 Lori Rectanus: The continued deterioration of the Postal Service’s financial condition is simply a truth that revenues are not keeping up with expenses, a trend since 2007. This means that over the last decade the Postal Service has had a net loss of over $60 billion. While much of this loss was in fact due to the nonpayment of retiree health pre-funding payments, the Postal Service still lost over $10 billion outside of this requirement and other requirements. The revenue-expense gap occurs because first-class mail, the most profitable mail, continues to decline and is now down to 1981 levels. The Postal Service has made significant efforts to grow revenue in other ways, such as with package services. In the meantime, however, expenses continue to grow, largely because of compensation and benefit payments for employees. This is due to salary increases, as well as a larger workforce, in the past several years to support the more labor-intensive package business. In fact, over the past three years, the workforce has actually increased by over 20,000 people, contrasting sharply with prior years when its size decreased greatly. 38:15 Arthur Sackler: We support this bill and urge its approval as promptly as possible. 41:26 Arthur Sackler: H.R. 756 provides an elegant solution to this profound financial problem, integrating postal annuitants into Medicare will save the Postal Service billions each year and follow the best practices of the private sector. Companies that offer health insurance to employees and retirees generally require them to join Medicare at age 65. 42:06 Arthur Sackler: The implications of this bleak financial situation are near existential for Postal Service in its current form, so we support H.R. 756 notwithstanding its one-time market-dominant postal rate increase of 2.15%. We accept this increase in this unique set of circumstances only as necessary to achieve this bill and stabilize the Postal Service. Congress has wisely delegated rate setting to the postal agencies, but with respect, the industry will be compelled to oppose any effort to regard this bill as a precedent for other legislated rate increases. The industry has long supported the self-sustaining postal system, funded entirely by postage. That remains the best course from our perspective. And that is the beauty of your bill. It vastly improves the Postal Service’s financial stability, keeps the Postal Service self-sustaining, and wards off any prospect of a taxpayer bailout, as you noted, Mr. Chairman. 44:25 Fredric Rolando: The bill has broad support across the mailing industry, including business and labor, and is based on best practices in the private sector. 45:30 Fredric Rolando: Over the past decade, postal employees have worked diligently to restructure operations, cut costs, and sharply increase productivity, in response to technological change and the Great Recession. Despite the loss of more than 200,000 jobs, we’ve managed to preserve our networks and to maintain our capacity to serve the nation. But only Congress can address our biggest financial challenge: the unique and unsustainable burden to pre-fund future retiree health benefits decades in advance. No other enterprise in the country faces such a burden, which was imposed by legislation in 2006. The expense of this mandate has accounted for nearly 90% of the Postal Service’s reported losses since 2007. Without a change in the law, the mandate will cost $6 billion this year alone. H.R. 756 would maximize the integration of Medicare and our federal health program for Medicare-eligible postal annuitants, most of whom have already voluntarily enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B. The proposal would also give us access to low-cost prescription drugs and other benefits provided to private-employer plans by the Medicare Modernization Act. The savings would help to reduce all of our premium costs and, therefore, pre-funding costs. This approach adopts a standard practice of large private companies that provide retiree health insurance. It would effectively resolve the pre-funding burden that undermines the health of the Postal Service while only raising Medicare spending by one-tenth of one percent over 10 years. H.R. 756 also addresses a revenue shortfall caused by the expiration of the 2013 exigent rate increase, authorized by the Postal Regulatory Commission, to help the Postal Service recover from the permanent decline in mail volume caused by the Great Recession. The compromise adopted by your leadership bill, effectively restoring half of the exigent increase, is a reasonable one. 48:00 Fredric Rolando: All four postal unions urge the committee to adopt this legislation. 52:06 Rep. Jason Chaffetz: What is your current cash on hand; and then once you give me that number, then why isn’t that used to pay some of the payments that were due? You’ve defaulted, I believe, on five payments. Megan Brennan: Yes, Mr. Chairman, we’ve defaulted for the past five years to the tune of $33.9 billion. Our current cash on hand is $8.2 billion. And a determination was made by the Temporary Emergency Committee, which consisted at the time of our lone independent governor, myself, and the deputy postmaster general, to default on that payment to ensure that we can serve sufficient cash, which for an organization of our size is arguable at best, but to reserve sufficient cash to ensure if there was any contingency that would occur in the near term, we could at least have some cushion. Chaffetz: I mean, you have more cash than some of the others who are in the mail industry, but where is that proper balance? Where’s… ? Brennan: When I think—that’s a concern, Mr. Chairman, because for an organization that has expenditures of more than $70 billion a year, we would submit that $8.2 billion is insufficient. That’s the concern for us. And, also, as noted by the Chairman, and we’ve discussed this, the fact that we have deferred on critical capital investments in the past five years to the tune of over $8.9 billion, that impacts our ability to compete and to generate additional revenues. Chaffetz: Tell us, if you can give me a perspective on your fleet management. There was a hearing I think Chairman Meadows chaired earlier about the fleet. We were concerned the Postal Service was going to come up with a very sizeable contract to… Explain to me, where you are in the fleet and your perspective on it. Brennan: Yes, Mr. Chairman. Well, we have one of the largest civilian fleets in the country, with over 212,000 vehicles travelling more than four million miles a day. The fleet, though, is at the end of its expected life, particularly our delivery vehicles that the average age is over 25 years, and the annual maintenance cost is over a billion dollars. So, we have an approach to look at the next-generation delivery vehicles, that currently we’re in the midst of a prototype-testing period where we’re working with six different suppliers to provide us with these vehicles that we will test over the course of the next 18 months. We also just—this week, actually—a request for proposal for a commercial off-the-shelf solution for right-hand-drive vehicles is expected. So, we’ve got a multi-prong approach looking at how to address the vehicle fleet. 58:35 Rep. Stephen Lynch: There are some concerns out there about the funding of that piece that will require postal employees to sign up for Medicare and that it is some type of giveaway. That’s what I’ve heard out there. Now, you and I know differently. But could you explain to me how much money the postal workers have contributed to Medicare but, in large part, have not participated in that? Could you describe that for me, please? Megan Brennan: Yes, Congressman. In our opinion, this is a question of fairness. We’re merely asking that we be treated like any other self-funded entity that provides retiree health benefits. As noted by a number of the panelists, it’s best practice in private sector. And that’s the ask from the Postal Service, and our employees and the Postal Service have paid more than $30 billion into the Medicare trust fund since the early ’80s. We’re just asking to receive the benefit for which employees have paid. 1:03:35 Rep. Blake Farenthold: You mentioned that part of your expenses is six-day delivery to everywhere. Is it worth looking at, at some point in the future, maybe not six days to everywhere for everything? I mean, to be competitive, maybe you do need six. And, actually, I think one of your competitor’s advantage is seven-day package delivery. Over Christmas, I got packages from Amazon that you guys brought on Sunday. Matter of fact, I got one a couple of weeks ago. Apparently you’re still doing it. So, is shrinking to a less-than-six-day delivery for non-packages a potential cost savings? Megan Brennan: Yeah, as you noted, we are delivering packages seven days in select locations, primarily major metropolitan areas. Farenthold: I’m happy Corpus Christi, Texas, is now a major metropolitan area. Brennan: I said primarily. And we are expanding that, because, certainly, we serve every home— Farenthold: Right. Brennan: —and every business, Congressman. To your point, and candidly, we’ve spent the better part of the past two years trying to build a coalition around core provisions of a bill likely to generate broad support. Farenthold: Right. Brennan: And that’s what we focused on. And, also, I would offer candidly, it’s been my experience that there’s no congressional consensus around moving to five-day delivery. Farenthold: Oh, I could tell you that for sure, as well. 1:06:02 Rep. Blake Farenthold: You talked about capital expenses, your biggest being vehicles. What are your big capital—just list off a couple of items that are your big capital items beyond vehicles. Megan Brennan: The information systems, our IT infrastructure, repair and alteration, facility modifications, additional capacity for package sortation. 1:17:56 Rep. Darrell Issa: Additionally, the United States Post Office, with the power of the government, if they chose to aggressively site in or near people’s homes cluster boxes that could safely hold packages, they would leapfrog in service capability what Amazon is trying to build at your corner gas station, wouldn’t they. And I guess I should take that to the postmaster general. Not, what are the problems, but if you did that, wouldn’t you, in fact, offer a service far better and far more distributed than that which Amazon is trying to build today in some parts of urban America? Megan Brennan: Congressman Issa, as you and I discussed, the Postal Service approach is all new, possible deliveries. As noted—excuse me—we add nearly a million a year. Based on the delivery characteristics, we either implement box on post at the end of your driveway or centralized delivery. And just looking at last year, where when we looked at the growth by mode, over 750,000 new deliveries were centralized. So, there's certainly an efficiency gain associated with that. 1:26:40 Rep. Jody Hice: One of the issues that came up specifically dealt with Amazon and a serious competitor that they are, and one of the areas of technology that they’ve excelled in, obviously, is drone delivery. Is there any looking into consideration of drone delivery with the Postal Service? Megan Brennan: Currently, our engineering group is researching, and we’re probably on the peripheral of this advanced technology, currently just learning. And I would say whether it’s drone exploration or any other type of new technology, Congressman, we need the capital monies to be able to invest. Hice: Well, I understand the need for capital monies to invest, but you are looking into the possibility? Brennan: We’re exploring and recognizing what’s happening in the industry. Right now, we’re not an early adopter, I would categorize that, but we’re certainly aware of what’s happening in that space. Hice: Okay, so, at the current time, then, the commitment is to continue with the vehicle delivery. Brennan: Correct. 1:45:15 Rep. Mark Meadows: The gentleman recognizes the gentleman with the stylish glasses, from Missouri, for five minutes. Rep. William Lacy Clay: And, Mr. Chair, I noticed that the ranking member took some of my time. Oh, no—they restarted. Very good. Meadows: The gentleman will recognize that the chairman is always fair with— Clay: All right. Meadows: —his time. Clay: The— Meadows: We’re glad the gentleman from Missouri could get out of bed to come to this hearing. 1:49:00 Megan Brennan: We just recently, Congressman, raised prices on our market dominant, within that strict price cap— Unknown Speaker: Yeah. Brennan: —of eight-tenths of a percent. We also have the 10-year price review before the Commission, currently. 1:51:23 Rep. Mark Meadows: Well, you said all four unions support this bill, with no changes. Is that correct? With no changes, you support this bill, all four unions. Fredric Rolando: Yeah, all four unions support this bill. I think we mentioned two tweaks in the written testimony that we thought would be helpful. Meadows: Yeah, and then, but if those two tweaks don’t get done, this is better than— Rolando: Totally support this bill coming out of committee. Absolutely. 2:07:14 Arthur Sackler: I think that with the establishment of so much trust and reliance on electronic media, there is little that can be done to reverse some of the outflow of mail. But if you add a huge increase on top of that, it’s going to accelerate it dramatically. That’s the worry of the industry. Rep. Glenn Grothman: Okay, you consider the 2.1% not a significant increase? Is that what you’re telling us? Sackler: It is significant, but it is one that, to put it colloquially, we’re all holding our noses and accepting in the spirit of compromise in order to get this bill done. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Missing Cat! Please help! One of our listeners in Boqueron, Puerto Rico is missing his furry friend. Please keep an eye out for him if you are in the area.

- Water Smacker - the countertop water ionizer. https://www.watersmacker.com Good afternoon, Iâ??m still reporting on Can Trump End Terror?, 1644 Synopsis: Yesterday, Cong. Darrell Issa (R-Calif) discussed the Tr ump speech with Judge Jeanine Pirro. Incidentally, Issa is the wealthiest member of Congress. Heâ??s worth north of $254 million â?? nearly $150 million more than the second-richest member. Issa made his fortune in the 1990s by leading Directed Electronics, the makers of the Viper car alarm system. Issa heads the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Issa and the judge are both of Lebanese origins, and remarked how in Lebanon, Christians, Jews, Muslims and Catholics lived together in peace for 800 years until one seminal event happened â?? Iranian radicals stormed the US embassy in Tehran on Nov. 4, 1979. [insert] So there you have it, President Trump is trying the only thing left for him to try to bring peace, and thatâ??s to encourage the Sunni Arabs led by the Saudis, to return to a much more moderate stance. This will be a tough task, bordering on the impossible, but itâ??s what Trump has chosen to give a try â?? at least until the threat from Iran has been halted. I know Iâ??ve angered many of my friends and supporters by even trying to understand what Trump is doing, but he is my President and he does have access to more information than I do. That doesnâ??t mean Iâ??d support anything he did, but in this particular case, the alternative of booting every Muslim out of the United States â?? which is what some are seriously proposing â?? is simply impossible - besides the fact that it simply wrong. Unfortunately, this world is hurtling towards a horrible Armageddon finale and although Iâ??ll do everything I can to prevent it, at this point, I am unsure what the best course would be and Iâ??m hoping our President â?? Godâ??s anointed â?? is out there ahead being the best leader he can be. â?? Support Our Sponsors: - Life Change Tea: Rid Your Body From Toxins! https://www.getthetea.com - Nobel Gold & Silver: Protect Your Money With Gold - Click Here- https://goo.gl/kx2yzW Or Call - 888-596-7916 - FlyGrip: Cannot do without this one. https://www.flygrip.com - - Water Smacker - the countertop water ionizer. https://www.watersmacker.com - Jeevy Computers: Move up to business-lever protection. https://www.jeevycomputers.com - Trade Genius: The safe, sure way to trade. https://www.TradeGeniusAcademy.com Still Report BTC address: 1LAAGYVNrdBBMDXSUsEtCTZ93azLtftDug Connect with me; Bill Still: newspaper editor/publisher, economics reporter - top US publications, authored 22 books, 4 documentary videos & daily host of this Y/T channel, THE STILL REPORT: https://plus.google.com/u/0/109353617... Get the word Out: Please LIKE, COMMENT & SHARE! Our website: http://www.billstill.com Considered by informed insidersâ?? as the ultimate resource for surviving economic or financial collapse/crash and attaining the unvarnished truth about the latest US and world news, current events in Washington, and todayâ??s United States political climate. Please Like, Comment & Share. Bill Still is a former newspaper editor and publisher. He has written for USA Today, The Saturday Evening Post, the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, OMNI magazine, and has also produced the syndicated radio program, Health News. He has written 22 books and two documentary videos and is the host of his wildly popular daily YouTube Channel the â??Still Reportâ??, the quintessential report on the economy and Washington. Connect with Bill Still: https://www.youtube.com/user/bstill3 https://plus.google.com/u/0/+BillStill http://billstills.blogspot.in/ https://twitter.com/billstill https://www.facebook.com/TheStillReport https://www.pinterest.com/billstills/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/billstill http://billstills.tumblr.com/ https://billstills.wordpress.com/ https://www.diigo.com/profile/billstill https://www.reddit.com/user/billstills/ http://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/b... Consider becoming a cherished sponsor: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=3204630 https://youtu.be/xsY3MtjHsC0

The breach at the Office of Personnel Management was one of the most significant cyberattacks in history, and now serves as a cautionary tale for many in Washington and beyond. But what do we know about it a year later? How did it happen? What are some of the lessons the federal government needs to learn to prevent such major breach from happening again? To answer that question and more, The Cybersecurity Podcast crew interviews one of the authors of the US House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, John Costello, who spent last year on Capitol Hill as a Science and Technology fellow through TechCongress.    Also on this episode, podcast cohost Peter W Singer from New America discusses local cybersecurity challenges and Passcode's Sara Sorcher talks about a new report from George Washington University about active defense.    Show notes: Into the Gray Zone,  George Washington University's Center for Cyber and Homeland Security   https://cchs.gwu.edu/gray-zone-active-defense-private-sector-against-cyber-threats

Epinephrine injectors are life saving devices for people with food allergies and one company - Mylan Inc. - produces almost all of them. In this episode, listen to the highlights from a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee grilling of Mylan CEO Heather Bresch, and judge her justification for raising the EpiPen's price over 600% since EpiPen's competition was eliminated. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription 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! Sound Clip Sources Hearing: EpiPen Price Increases (Watch on C-SPAN) House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, September 21, 2016. Witnesses Heather Bresch, CEO of Mylan Inc. Doug Throckmorton, M.D., Deputy Center Director for Regulatory Programs Clip Timestamps (In order of appearance in episode) 51:16 - Doug Throckmorton: Available epinephrine injectors 49:55 - Rep. John Mica (FL) and Doug Throckmorton: FDA won't discuss generic applications 0:35 - Chairman Jason Chaffetz (UT) - Introduction 9:25 - Elijah Cummings (MD): Mylan's actions that Congress is investigating 12:20 - Elijah Cummings: List of EpiPen price increases 4:10 - Jason Chaffetz: Executive compensation 16:55 - Elijah Cummings: Martin Shkreli called Congress "imbeciles" 24:10 - Heather Bresch: Introduction 28:16 - Heather Bresch: Mylan's profits from each EpiPen 47:43 - Rep. Elijah Cummings (MD) & Heather Bresch: Mylan did not give Congress requested documents 55:10 - Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton & Heather Bresch: Will Mylan reduce the price of EpiPens? 1:23:26 - Rep. Scott DesJarlais (TN) & Heather Bresch: How long were the price increases going to continue? 1:32:10 - Rep. Gerald Connolly (VA) & Heather Bresch: Mylan's EpiPen is 94% of the epinephrine injector market. 1:56:55 - Rep. Stacey Plaskett (VI) & Heather Bresch: Why are customers paying so much for EpiPens? 2:01:04 - Rep. Mark Meadows (NC) & Heather Bresch: Everyone pays a different price in this system 2:51:15 - Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ) & Heather Bresch: Mylan moved their headquarters to the Netherlands to pay less in U.S. taxes. 2:37:15 - Rep. Peter Welch & Heather Bresch: EpiPens cost much less in the Netherlands 1:03:15 - Rep. John Duncan (TN): Drug companies have manipulated the market. 1:44:25 - Tammy Duckworth (IL) & Heather Bresch: Mylan prohibited schools from buying from competitors 36:45 - Rep. Jason Chaffetz (UT) & Heather Bresch: Heather Bresch's explanation for why her mother used her position to get schools to buy EpiPens from Mylan 1:11:40 - Rep. Tim Walberg (MI) & Heather Bresch: Mylans plan would shift costs of EpiPens to government 1:21:16 - Rep. Stephen Lynch (MA) & Heather Bresch: Veterans Administration is able to negotiate it's drug prices, which makes them lower 53:35 - Rep. John Mica (FL) & Heather Bresch: Executive compensation at Mylan 59:19 - Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC) & Heather Bresch: What does Heather Bresch do to earn $18 million per year? 2:48:55 - Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ) & Heather Bresch: Heather Bresch often uses a company private jet 2:13:50 - Rep. Mick Mulvaney (SC) & Heather Bresch: Mylan is getting what it deserves 3:08:08 - Rep. Glenn Grothman (WI) & Heather Bresch: Does Heather Bresch feel guilty? 3:39:40 - Rep. Jason Chaffetz & Heather Bresch: The numbers don't add up. 3:43:30 - Rep. Elijah Cummings (MD) Closing statement Additional Reading Article: Family matters: EpiPens had high-level help getting into schools by Jayne O'Donnell, USA Today, September 21, 2016. Article: Have You Ever Tried to Buy an EpiPen? by Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, August 24, 2016. Article: Everyone Hates Martin Shkreli. Everyone is Missing the Point by Kelefa Sanneh, The New Yorker, February 5, 2016. Additional Information Law: H.R. 2094 (113th Congress): School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act OpenSecrets: Senator Joe Manchin's campaign contributors Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (UT-3) appeared before a breakfast meeting of The Ripon Society, delivering a speech about his longtime interest in the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, his selection as Chairman of the panel this past fall, and the bipartisan effort he is leading with the Committee's ranking Democrat to make the federal government more accountable.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-49) delivered a speech to The Ripon Society in which he discussed his new position as Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and said his focus in the job would be to root out waste, eliminate regulatory excess, and identify programs that no longer work.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-49) delivered a speech to The Ripon Society in which he discussed his new position as Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and said his focus in the job would be to root out waste, eliminate regulatory excess, and identify programs that no longer work.

FBI Director James Comey faced the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee this week for live long hours over the Clinton email investigation. We hacked it down to 90 minutes. Just the questions. Just the answers. None of the crap. 

https://onthegroundshow.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/OTG-MAY20-2016.mp3 A National Youth Summit, sponsored by the Smithsonian Museum of American History, focused on the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. At that time, the United States government forcibly removed more than 120,000 Japanese Americans from the Pacific Coast. These individuals, two-thirds of them U.S. citizens, were sent to ten camps built throughout the western interior of the United States. Many would spend the next three years living under armed guard, behind barbed wire. The summit discussed the relevance of this crime in history to today, when Muslims, immigrants and African Americans continue to be targeted by the state, politicians, new laws and policies. Guests and voices: the Rev.Lennox Yearwood, Rep.Eleanor Holmes Norton, Gerald Horne, Karen Korematsu, David Ono, Lorraine Bannai, Hussam Ayloush, Mariko Fujimoto Rooks, George Takei. Headlines: -As part of an historic, global protest to keep fossil fuels in the ground, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the White House on May 15 to demand an end to offshore drilling in U.S. waters. -Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee passed a bill to block the District of Columbia from enacting a measure to allow the district to spend its own tax dollars without first getting approval from Congress. -Verizon workers continued their strike this week with a march to the White House, a unity rally outside a Verizon Store in downtown DC, and a benefit fundraiser. The workers are also planning a national kids and families day of action. -4. Updates on the Movement for Black Lives: Symone Marshall, Wakeisha Wilson, the "Grim Sleeper" cases, San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr steps down, one of the 276 girls kidnapped by Boko Haram two years ago has been rescued. Amina Ali Nkeki and her baby were reunited with her family. -Gerald Horne interview on Russia, China and Latin America. Links: -The National Museum of American History, National Youth Summit - Japanese American Incarceration in World War II -Break Free From Fossil Fuels

Congressman Jim Jordan discusses the good (trends in the right direction, including actions by the House Freedom Caucus), the bad (court decisions and the Left’s assault on the Rule of Law and traditions), and the future (changes to the broken tax code, healthcare, and the federal government’s 79 different means-tested programs in the welfare system) at the December 2015 Conservative Women’s Network, a monthly Washington DC event co-sponsored by the Luce Institute and The Heritage Foundation. Representative Jordan serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, where he is chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation and Regulatory Affairs. He is a great advocate for taxpayers through his work on spending issues and efforts to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government. He served as chairman of the House Republican Study Committee, the largest caucus of conservatives. He helped found the House Freedom Caucus and today serves as its first chairman.

Congressman Jim Jordan discusses the good (trends in the right direction, including actions by the House Freedom Caucus), the bad (court decisions and the Left’s assault on the Rule of Law and traditions), and the future (changes to the broken tax code, healthcare, and the federal government’s 79 different means-tested programs in the welfare system) at the December 2015 Conservative Women’s Network, a monthly Washington DC event co-sponsored by the Luce Institute and The Heritage Foundation. Representative Jordan serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, where he is chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation and Regulatory Affairs. He is a great advocate for taxpayers through his work on spending issues and efforts to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government. He served as chairman of the House Republican Study Committee, the largest caucus of conservatives. He helped found the House Freedom Caucus and today serves as its first chairman.

Happy Friday! This evening we will take up the issue of how failures of the immigration system enable terrorists to enter the United States and how best to defend our nation from this threat.  With all of the focus that has been applied to the failures of the U.S./Mexican border, it would appear that finally politicians and journalists have “discovered” the fact that where immigration is concerned, there are many more vulnerabilities to be considered than only our porous southern border. In fact, on December 17, 2015 the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee conducted a hearing on the topic, “Terrorist Travel: Vetting for National Security Concerns” insight into just how dysfunctional the visa process and other components of the legal side of the immigration system are. Many of the questions focused on how aliens, whose visas had been cancelled because they were discovered to pose a threat to national security, are still at large inside the United States. On December 17, 2015 FrontPage Magazine published my article, “Taking Failures of the Immigration System to Task: When will America get serious about immigration law enforcement?” Please become a member of my “Bucket Brigade for Truth” and let your friends know about my show and my website, http://michaelcutler.net/ Make certain to reach out to your elected reprentatives and let them know your about your concerns- remember democracy is not a spectator sport!

U.S. Rep Kerry Bentivolio, a former Member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee joins Andy. We discuss corruption in DC, his deep respect for Border Patrol agents, and how accountability is non-existent in our government. It's amazing candor and directness from a Conservative who was targeted from Day 1 by the GOP Establishment. Click HERE to visit The Andy Ramirez Show Podcast Center

U.S. Rep Kerry Bentivolio, a former Member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee joins Andy. We discuss corruption in DC, his deep respect for Border Patrol agents, and how accountability is non-existent in our government. It's amazing candor and directness from a Conservative who was targeted from Day 1 by the GOP Establishment. Click HERE to visit The Andy Ramirez Show Podcast Center

Mayor Soglin presents information and data that he would have presented to members of the Senate Labor and Government Reform Committee had he been allowed to testify.

Renegade Talk welcomes Bill Dean Author of Smooth Criminal and Our Missing News http://www.ourmissingnews.com IRS SPENT $50 MILLION FOR CONFERENCES, REPORT FINDS; ‘EXPENSIVE PRESIDENTIAL SUITES,’ ‘FREE DRINKS’ A government watchdog has found that the Internal Revenue Service spent about $50 million to hold at least 220 conferences for employees between 2010 and 2012, according to a House committee. That total included $4 million for an August 2010 conference in Anaheim, Calif., for which the agency did not negotiate lower room rates, even though that is standard government practice, according to a statement by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Instead, some of the 2,600 attendees received benefits, including staying in expensive presidential suites. In addition, 15 outside speakers were paid a total of $135,000 in fees, with one paid $17,000 to talk about “leadership through art,” the House committee said. SELF-IDENTIFIED MUSLIM TALK SHOW CALLER ADVOCATES BEHEADING GAYS AND SHARIA LAW IN AMERICA A shocking discussion caught on NY 1′s “The Call” news show Tuesday is beginning to go viral, as a caller that claimed to be Muslim and named ‘Chris’ stated that Sharia law should be implemented in the United States and gays should be beheaded. The man allegedly from Willowbrook, New York was able to get through to the air on a segment regarding the Supreme Court hearings last week involving same-sex marriage. WAKE UP AMERICA Richie Marla and Bill

Today the focus is on health.I'll tell you how gag orders and censorship seem to be the preferred right-wing prescription for improving the health of the American public.It all relates to recent revelations by Bush's former Surgeon General.Dr. Richard H. Carmona recently testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that he felt his duty as surgeon general was to address