Podcasts about jordain carney

With both the Senate and the House returning today from a weeklong recess, the race is on to pass a budget bill. And though one of the prevailing recent storylines out of Washington centers on the divides within the Democratic Party, we're about to have the divides within the Republican Party on full display. Congress reporter Jordain Carney joins host Steven Overly to talk through what to watch for this week on the Hill. That, and all the rest of the news you need to know today.

Democrats have been looking inward since November 5, but over the past few days that self-examination has escalated. On Friday, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer led a small group of Senate Democrats to help pass the Republican-backed continuing resolution. In the days since, Schumer has faced frustration from colleagues, with some even calling for his removal. The situation has left those on and off the Hill trying to determine if Democrats can unite around… anything. Congress reporter Jordain Carney joins POLITICO Tech host Steven Overly to discuss. Plus, President Donald Trump defied a federal judge and carried out deportations using a wartime law from 1798. That, and the rest of the news you need to know today.

House Republicans are one step closer to passing their continuing resolution to fund the government, now that they have overcome the roadblock that is Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Last night, Schumer announced that he will reluctantly support the GOP's CR — preferring it to the alternative of a government shutdown. But that decision has left many Democrats apoplectic. They were spoiling for a fight with Trump and saw this as their moment of maximum leverage; if not now, then when? How will it all shake out, and what will insiders be watching for ahead of the big vote this afternoon? Congress reporter Jordain Carney joins Playbook deputy editor Zack Stanton to discuss.

As soon as tomorrow, Tulsi Gabbard is likely to sail through confirmation as Director of National Intelligence. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s confirmation is likely to follow later this week. Just weeks ago, it felt like a stretch that either would be confirmed. So, what changed? Congress reporter Jordain Carney joins chief Playbook correspondent Eugene Daniels to talk through President Donald Trump's evolving relationship with the Senate. Plus, what we learned from Trump's pre-Super Bowl interview with Bret Baier. All that, and the rest of the news you need to know today.

In what appears to be the most serious aviation disaster in the U.S. in more than a decade, last night, a regional passenger jet collided with an Army helicopter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. We bring you the latest this morning, plus a preview of today's big hearings on Capitol Hill, as two of President Donald Trump's most controversial picks face questions: Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel. Congress reporter Jordain Carney joins Playbook Deputy Editor Zack Stanton to walk through what to watch.

With President Donald Trump's inauguration in the rearview, his cabinet nominees are retaking the spotlight. This week, the Senate takes a closer look at Russell Vought, Pete Hegseth, Elise Stefanik and Sean Duffy, among others. Congress reporter Jordain Carney joins Chief Playbook Correspondent Eugene Daniels to walk through which of these she is keeping an extra close eye on.

A power struggle is unfolding in Congress over the ability to remove a Speaker of the House. With just one member currently able to force a vote on the Speaker's position, the Republican majority finds itself deeply divided over this consequential rule. Jordain Carney from POLITICO digs into how we balance institutional stability with accountability and what happens when the tools of democratic oversight become weapons of political disruption. These questions cut to the heart of how America's legislative branch should function in an era of intense polarization.

Join Boyd Matheson in digging into Thursday’s news! President Astrid Tuminez weighs in on how Utah is defying national sentiment towards higher education. Gene Marks shares the perspectives of small American businesses and the realistic optimism they have towards next year. See how Arab Americans are going to vote in this election with Irie Sentner. Jordain Carney shares about the current battle for congressional control and More!

Hi! This is Lexie of Read by AI. I read human-curated content for you to listen to while working, exercising, commuting, or any other time. Without further ado: McCarthy heads to grueling speaker vote with fate in limbo by Olivia Beavers and Jordain Carney from Politico.

The latest news this morning comes via our colleagues Olivia Beavers, Jordain Carney and Sarah Ferris, who note that McCarthy is now “punting conferencewide races for committee leadership slots until after his speaker election on Jan. 3,” which could “incapacitate Republicans during a crucial planning period, virtually guaranteeing a sluggish start for the new House majority.” McCarthy can't risk pissing off members who lose these races to run House Committees.  The downside of this delay is stark: “days, if not weeks, of uncertainty for GOP committees as they begin their stint in the majority. Some of the most important panels, including those charged with tax-writing and border security, won't be able to prepare bills, tee up hearings, or even hire staff. While some House committees already have uncontested leaders in place, those chairs won't be able to choose their member lineup or potentially pay staff. The GOP's subpoena power, too, will be frozen.” Plus, deputy editor Zack Stanton and co-author Eugene Daniels recap Eugene's trip to the White House Holiday Party.  Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter Raghu Manavalan is the Host and Senior Editor of POLITICO's Playbook Daily Briefing. Jenny Ament is the Executive Producer of POLITICO Audio.

For a minute there, Donald Trump wasn't the dominant political story. In between peak coverage in August of the FBI's search of his Mar-a-Lago home and Thursday's public vote by the Jan. 6 committee to subpoena the former president, there were long stretches when Trump wasn't the main character of the midterms. In some ways he still isn't. As NYT's Blake Hounshell and Alyce McFadden point out, Jan. 6 “is practically invisible on the nation's airwaves, despite nearly a billion dollars in overall ad spending this year.” POLITICO's Jordain Carney, Sarah Ferris, and Ally Mutnick note that “Democrats have aired just two dozen spots focused on threats to democracy this cycle, in roughly 16 different battleground districts.”  But even if he didn't appear in a single ad — and there are plenty that include him —  Trump still looms over everything in politics. Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter Raghu Manavalan is the Host of POLITICO's Playbook Daily Briefing. Jenny Ament is the Executive Producer of POLITICO Audio.

After decades of our government denying healthcare to veterans they exposed to poisonous toxins, the PACT Act - which will eventually provide this hard-fought-for care - is now law. In this episode, learn exactly who qualifies for these new benefits and when, discover the shocking but little-known events that led to their poisonings, and find out what exactly happened during those 6 days when Senate Republicans delayed the passage of the PACT Act. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! View the shownotes on our website at https://congressionaldish.com/cd257-pact-act-health-care-for-poisoned-veterans Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD249: A Few Good Laws CD205: Nuclear Waste Storage CD195: Yemen CD161: Veterans Choice Program CD124: The Costs of For-Profit War CD107: New Laws & Veterans' Health Care What the PACT Does and Doesn't Do “BREAKING NEWS! Huge Step Forward for Veterans: PACT Act 2022 Adds New Presumptive Conditions for Burn Pit, Agent Orange, and Radiation Exposure.” Aug 10, 2022. VA Claims Insider. Abraham Mahshie. Aug 10, 2022. “Biden Signs PACT Act to Expand VA Coverage for Toxic Exposure, but Some Are Left Out.” Air Force Magazine. Leo Shane III. Aug 4, 2022. “Now that PACT Act has passed, how soon will veterans see their benefits?” Military Times. “The PACT Act and your VA benefits.” U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA Sidath Viranga Panangal, Jared S. Sussma, and Heather M. Salaza. Jun 28, 2022. “Department of Veterans Affairs FY2022 Appropriations” [R46964]. Congressional Research Service. “VA health care.” U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. “Eligibility for VA health care.” U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. “Your health care costs.” U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Toxic Exposures Burn Pits “Ten things veterans should know about burn pits.” November 20th, 2014. VAntage Point. “DoD concedes rise in burn-pit ailments.” Feb 8, 2010. Military Times. “Operation Desert Shield.” U.S. Army Center of Military History. “Operation Desert Storm.” U.S. Army Center of Military History. Agent Orange Donnie La Curan. April 1, 2021. “Agent Orange Laos Victims Never Acknowledged by U.S.” Veterans Resources. Charles Dunst. Jul 20, 2019. “The U.S.'s Toxic Agent Orange Legacy.” The Atlantic. Patricia Kime. May 11, 2020. “Report Claims Vietnam-Era Veterans Were Exposed to Agent Orange on Guam.” Military.com. “Clinic Issues Report Confirming Guam Veterans' Exposure to Dioxin Herbicides Like Agent Orange.” May 11, 2020. Yale Law School. “Agent Orange - Johnston Island Atoll, AFB.” Vietnam Security Police Association. Susan E. Davis. Apr 9, 1991. “The Battle Over Johnston Atoll.” The Washington Post. Enewetak Atoll Chris Shearer. Dec 28, 2020. “Remembering America's Forgotten Nuclear Cleanup Mission.” Vice. “The Radiological Cleanup of Enewetak Atoll. March 2018. U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency. Dave Philipps. Jan 28, 2017. “Troops Who Cleaned Up Radioactive Islands Can't Get Medical Care.” The New York Times. Palomares, Spain Nuclear Accident “New Federal Suit Filed Against VA on Behalf of Veterans Exposed to Radiation at Palomares Nuclear Cleanup.” November 1, 2021. Yale Law School Today. Dave Philipps. June 19, 2016. “Decades Later, Sickness Among Airmen After a Hydrogen Bomb Accident.” The New York Times. “Palomares Nuclear Weapons Accident: Revised Dose Evaluation Report.” April 2001. United States Air Force. U.S. Department of Energy. February 1966 “U.S. Position on Minimizing Soil Removal.” U.S. Department of Energy Archives. Thule, Greenland Nuclear Accident Robert Mitchell. Jan 21, 2018. “Cataclysmic cargo: The hunt for four missing nuclear bombs after a B-52 crash.” The Washington Post. MAAS v. U.S. 897 F.Supp. 1098 (1995). United States District Court, N.D. Illinois, Eastern Division. “Project Crested Ice: The Thule Nuclear Accident Volume 1 [SAC Historical Study 113].” June 1982. History and Research Division, Headquarters, Strategic Air Command. Captain Robert E. McElwee. “Project Crested Ice: USAF B-52 Accident at Thule, Greenland, 21 January 1968.” U.S. Defense Technical Information Center. South Carolina Nuclear “Storage” Doug Pardue. May 21, 2017 (Updated Jun 28, 2021). “Deadly legacy: Savannah River site near Aiken one of the most contaminated places on Earth.” The Post & Courier. Gulf War Illness “What is Gulf War Syndrome?” Johns Hopkins Medicine. “UTSW genetic study confirms sarin nerve gas as cause of Gulf War illness.” May 11, 2022. UT Southwestern Medical Center Newsroom. Camp Lejeune Water Contamination “Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Claims | Veteran Owned Law Firm.” The Carlson Law Firm on YouTube. “Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.” Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. “Summary of the water contamination situation at Camp Lejeune.” Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. “Health effects linked with trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE), benzene, and vinyl chloride exposure.” Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. “Camp Lejeune Water Contamination History.” Oct 18, 2009. St. Lawrence County Government. St. Louis Area Nuclear Contamination Chris Hayes. Jul 27, 2022. “Flooding around nuclear waste renews residents' fears.” Fox 2 Now - St. Louis. Jim Salter. Mar 19, 2022. “West Lake Landfill cleanup slowed after more nuclear waste found.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Jesse Bogan. Dec 20, 2021. “Concerns linger as completion date for Coldwater Creek cleanup pushed to 2038.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “Evaluation of Community Exposures Related to Coldwater Creek.” Apr 30, 2019. U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Robert Alvarez. February 11, 2016. “West Lake story: An underground fire, radioactive waste, and governmental failure.” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. “Westlake Landfill, Bridgeton, MO.” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Atomic Homefront.” HBO Documentaries. Hanford Waste Management Site “Hanford's Dirty Secret– and it's not 56 million gallons of nuclear waste.” Jul 26, 2019. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. Biden Drone Bombing “'Cutting-edge technology used to eliminate Zawahiri.'” Aug 7, 2022. The Express Tribune. Jon Stewart People Staff. August 11, 2022. “Jon Stewart Shares His Emotional Reaction to Signing of Veterans Health Bill: 'I'm a Mess'” People. Republican F*ckery Ryan Cooper. Aug 3, 2022. “Republicans Just Exposed Their Greatest Weakness.” The American Prospect. Jordain Carney and Anthony Adragna. August 1, 2022. “Senate GOP backtracks after veterans bill firestorm.” Politico. “Roll Call 455 | H. J. Res. 114: To Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq.” Oct 10, 2022. Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. U.S. Foreign Wars No One Talks About Ellen Knickmeyer. Jun, 16 2022. “GAO: US Failed to Track if Arms Used Against Yemen Civilians.” Military.com. Joseph R. Biden. June 08, 2022. “Letter to the Speaker of the House and President pro tempore of the Senate regarding the War Powers Report.” The White House. Muhammad Fraser-Rahim. Oct 16, 2017. “The Deaths of Four Elite U.S. Soldiers in Niger Show Why Trump Must Wake Up on Terrorism in Africa.” Newsweek. Overseas Contingency Operations Emily M. Morgenstern. Updated August 13, 2021. “Foreign Affairs Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) Funding: Background and Current Status” [IF10143 ]. Congressional Research Service. Todd Harrison. Jan 11, 2017. “The Enduring Dilemma of Overseas Contingency Operations Funding.” Center for Strategic and International Studies The Law S. 3373: Honoring our PACT Act Jen's Highlighted PDF of S. 3373 - Final Version Timeline of Votes and Changes June 16, 2022 Senate Roll Call Vote July 12, 2022. “Comparative Print: Bill to Bill Differences Comparing the base document BILLS-117hr3967eas.xml with BILLS-117S3373ES-RCP117-56.” U.S. House of Representatives. July 13, 2022 House Roll Call Vote July 27, 2022 Senate Roll Call Vote August 1, 2022. “Amendments Submitted and Proposed.” Congressional Record -- Senate. Audio Sources President Biden signs the PACT Act, expanding healthcare for veterans exposed to toxins August 10, 2022 PBS NewsHour on YouTube "Justice has been delivered": Biden says top al-Qaeda leader killed in drone strike August 1, 2022 Global News on YouTube “Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Claims | Veteran Owned Law Firm.” The Carlson Law Firm on YouTube Senator Toomey on State of the Union with Jake Tapper July 31, 2022 CNN Clips 7:00 Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA): Here's what you need to keep in mind, Jake. First of all, this is the oldest trick in Washington. People take a sympathetic group of Americans — it could be children with an illness, it could be victims of crime, it could be veterans who have been exposed to toxic chemicals — craft a bill to address their problems, and then sneak in something completely unrelated that they know could never pass on its own and dare Republicans to do anything about it because they know they'll unleash their allies in the media and maybe a pseudo-celebrity to make up false accusations to try to get us to just swallow what shouldn't be there. That's what's happening here, Jake. 10:40 Jake Tapper: So one of the questions that I think people have about what you're claiming is a budgetary gimmick is, the VA budgets will always remain subject to congressional oversight, they can't just spend this money any way they want. And from how I read this legislation, it says that this money has to be spent on health care for veterans who suffered exposure from toxic burned pits. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA): This is why they do this sort of thing, Jake, because it gets very deep in the weeds and very confusing for people very quickly. It's not really about veteran spending. It's about what category of government bookkeeping, they put the veterans spending in. My change, the honest people acknowledge it will have no effect on the amount of money or the circumstances under which the money for veterans is being spent. But what I want to do is treat it, for government accounting purposes, the way we've always treated it for government accounting purposes. Because if we change it to the way that the Democrats want, it creates room in future budgets for $400 billion of totally unrelated, extraneous spending on other matters. Senator Toomey on Face the Nation with John Dickerson July 31, 2022 CBS News Clips 4:10 John Dickerson: 123 Republicans in the House voted for this, 34 Senate Republicans voted for it. Same bill. This week, the bill didn't change but the Republican votes did. Why? Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA): Now, the Republican votes didn't change on the substance of the bill. Republicans have said we want an amendment to change a provision that has nothing to do with veterans health care. The Republicans support this. The Democrats added a provision that has nothing to do with veterans health care, and it's designed to change government accounting rules so that they can have a $400 billion spending spree. 6:25 Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA): Honest Democrats evaluating this will tell you: if my amendment passes, not a dime change in spending on veterans programs. What changes is how the government accounts for it. John Dickerson: I understand, but the accounting change, as you know, is a result — the reason they put it in that other bucket is that it doesn't subject it to the normal triage of budgeting. And the argument is that the values at stake here are more important than leaving it to the normal cut and thrust of budgeting. Jon's Response To Ted Cruz's PACT Act Excuses July 29, 2022 The Problem with Jon Stewart on Youtube Clips 00:20 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): What the dispute is about is the Democrats played a budgetary trick, which is they took $400 billion in discretionary spending and they shifted it to a mandatory one. Jon Stewart: What Ted Cruz is describing is inaccurate, not true, bulls ** t. This is no trick. Everything in the government is either mandatory or discretionary spending depending on which bucket they feel like putting it in. The whole place is basically a f * ing shell game. And he's pretending that this is some new thing that the Democrats pulled out, stuck into the bill, and snuck it past one Ted Cruz. Now I'm not a big-city Harvard educated lawyer, but I can read. It's always been mandatory spending so that the government can't just cut off their funding at any point. No trick, no gimmick, [it's] been there the whole f**king time. 1:50 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): What's the Republicans made clear is, if we leave that spending as discretionary — don't play the budgetary trick — the bill will pass with 80 or 90 votes. Jon Stewart: I don't know how many other ways to say this, but there was no budgetary trick and it was always mandatory. And when they voted in the Senate on June 16, they actually got 84 votes. And you know who voted for that? Ted f*cking Cruz and every other one of those Republicans that switched their votes. There was no reason for them to switch the votes. The bill that passed the Senate 84 to 14 on June 16 has not had one word added to it by Democrats, or spending fairies, or anybody else. It's the same f*cking bill. ‘I Call Bullshit!' Jon on the PACT Act Being Blocked in the Senate July 28, 2022 The Problem with John Stewart on YouTube Clips 3:20 Jon Stewart: June 16, they passed the PACT Act 84 to 14. You don't even see those scores in the Senate anymore. They passed it. Every one of these individuals that has been fighting for years, standing on the shoulders of Vietnam veterans who have been fighting for years, standing on the shoulders of Persian Gulf War veterans fighting for years, Desert Storm veterans, to just get the health care and benefits that they earn from their service. And I don't care if they were fighting for our freedom. I don't care if they were fighting for the flag. I don't care if they were fighting because they wanted to get out of a drug treatment center, or it was jail or the army. I don't give a shit. They lived up to their oath. And yesterday, they spit on it in abject cruelty. These people thought they could finally breathe. You think their struggles end because the PACT Act passes? All it means is they don't have to decide between their cancer drugs and their house. Their struggle continues. From the crowd: This bill does a lot more than just give us health care. Jon Stewart: It gives them health care, gives them benefits, lets them live. From the crowd: Keeps veterans from going homeless keeps veterans from become an addict, keeps veterans from committing suicide. Jon Stewart: Senator Toomey is not going to hear that because he won't sit down with this man. Because he is a fucking coward. You hear me? A coward. 5:15 Jon Stewart: Pat Toomey stood up there — Patriot Pat Toomey, excuse me, I'm sorry. I want to give him his propers, I want to make sure that I give him his propers. Patriot Pat Toomey stood on the floor and said “this is a slush fund, they're gonna use $400 billion to spend on whatever they want.” That's nonsense. I call bullshit. This isn't a slush fund. You know, what's a slush fund? The OSO, the Overseas Contingency Operations Fund. $60 billion, $70 billion every year on top of $500 billion, $600 billion, $700 billion of a defense budget. That's a slush fund, unaccountable. No guardrails? Did Pat Toomey stand up and say, this is irresponsible. The guard rails? No, not one of them. Did they vote for it year after year after year? You don't support the troops. You support the war machine. 7:10 Jon Stewart: And now they say, “Well, this will get done. Maybe after we get back from our summer recess, maybe during the lame duck…” because they're on Senate time. Do you understand? You live around here. Senate time is ridiculous. These motherfuckers live to 200 — they're tortoises. They live forever and they never lose their jobs and they never lose their benefits and they never lose all those things. Well, [sick veterans are] not on Senate time. They're on human time. Cancer time. 8:20 Jon Stewart: I honestly don't even know what to say anymore. But we need your help, because we're not leaving. These people cannot go away. I don't know if you know this, you know, obviously, I'm not a military expert. I didn't serve in the military, but from what I understand, you're not allowed to just leave your post when the mission isn't completed. Apparently you take an oath, you swear an oath, and you can't leave, that these folks can leave because they're on Senate time. Go ahead, go home, spend time with your families, because these people can't do it anymore. So they can't leave until this gets done. Senator Toomey PACT Act Amendment Floor Speech July 26, 2022 Senate Session Representative Mark Takano PACT Act Floor Speech July 13, 2022 House Session 3:38:20 **Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA): The way this country has dealt with toxic exposure has been piecemeal and inadequate. President Biden recognizes this, too. Shortly after he was sworn in, I met with the President about our shared priorities for veterans. Upon learning of my goal to pass comprehensive legislation to help toxic-exposed veterans, the President leaned over to me and talked about his son, Beau, who served near burn pits in Iraq and Kosovo. It might be hard for most Americans to imagine what a burn pit looks like because they are illegal in the United States. Picture walking next to and breathing fumes from a burning pit the size of a football field. This pit contained everything from household trash, plastics, and human waste to jet fuel and discarded equipment burning day and night. Beau Biden lived near these burn pits and breathed the fumes that emanated from them. President Biden believes that con- stant exposure to these burn pits, and the toxic fumes they emitted, led to Beau's cancer and early death. It was during that meeting when I knew I had a partner in President Biden. Atomic Homefront 2017 HBO Documentaries “This Concrete Dome Holds A Leaking Toxic Timebomb.” November 27, 2017 Australian Broadcasting Corporation - Foreign Correspondent Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

Fantasy Presidential Cabinet GameCOVID Emergency Relief FrameworkSen. Manchin: ‘We Don't Have A Choice' But To Pass $908 Billion Coronavirus Stimulus, Forbes, Sarah Hansen, Dec. 6, 2020Trump Signs Temporary Government Funding Bill, Associated Press, Andrew Taylor, Oct. 1, 2020Congress Faces a Government Shutdown if a Spending Deal isn't Reached this Week, USA Today, Nicholas Wu & Christal Hayes, Dec. 7, 2020House Version of the NDAASenate Version of the NDAAAn NDAA Veto Could Threaten Special Pay for Troops, Lawmakers say They Won't let That Happen, Federal News Network, Dec. 7, 2020NDAA Amendment Would Let Soldiers Use Cannabis Derivatives Like CBD, Newsweek, Andrew Whalen, July 21, 2020Senate passes bill with plan to change Confederate-named bases over Trump veto threat, The Hill, Jordain Carney, July 23, 2020 Progressive effort to cut defense fails twice in Congress, Defense News, Joe Gould, July 23, 2020 GOP Chairman Says Repeal of Tech Shield not in Defense Bill Despite Trump Veto Threat, The Hill, Regina Zilbermints, Dec. 2, 2020

In the longest bonus thank you episode ever recorded, Jen and Husband Joe have a few drinks, discuss the infuriating state of our government, and respond to notes from the producers of episodes 210 and 211. Warning: Jen may not mean everything she says in this episode; it's possible Donald Trump cares about Tiffany. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Click here to contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank’s online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536 Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Featured Podcast American Hospital Association's Rural Report Podcast Series Bills HR 6172: USA FREEDOM Reauthorization Act of 2020 Vote Results: FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 98 - USA FREEDOM Reauthorization Act HR 6074: Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 Articles/Documents Article: U.S. to Announce Rollback of Auto Pollution Rules, a Key Effort to Fight Climate Change By Coral Davenport, The New York Times, March 31, 2020 Article: Beware of Trump Using the Coronavirus as a Cover for War With Iran By Mehdi Hasan, The Intercept, March 30, 2020 Article: Trump Goes Full ‘Shock Doctrine’ As Pandemic Rages By Alexander C. Kaufman and Chris D’Angelo, HuffPost, March 27, 2020 Article: Senate clears 77-day extension of surveillance powers by Jordain Carney, Common Dreams, March 16, 2020 Article: Senate Leadership Is Pushing Through a Dangerous Surveillance Bill as Americans Are Focused on Covid-19 by Sandra Fulton, The Hill, March 16, 2020 Readout: Secretary Pompeo’s Call with Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abd al-Mahdi OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON, U.S. Department of State, March 16, 2020 Article: Central banks, the virus, and inequality by Nomi Prins, Asia Times, March 14, 2020 Article: The 4 Key Reasons the U.S. Is So Behind on Coronavirus Testing by Nayera Abdallah, Reuters, March 13, 2020 Article: Iraq to complain to the U.N. over U.S. air strikes - ministry by Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, March 13, 2020 Article: U.S. Airstrikes Kill Iraqi Soldiers and Police, Iraqi Officials Say By Alissa J. Rubin and Eric Schmitt, The New York Times, March 13, 2020 Article: The EARN IT Bill Is the Government’s Plan to Scan Every Message Online by Joe Mullin, Electronic Frontier Foundation, March 12, 2020 Article: House passes key surveillance bill with deadline looming by Olivia Beavers and Juliegrace Brufke, The Hill, March 11, 2020 Article: Rocket Attack Kills Three U.S. Coalition Members in Iraq By Alissa J. Rubin and Eric Schmitt, The New York Times, March 11, 2020 Article: Outrage in Iran After Killing of Suleimani: Here’s What You Need to Know by Alissa J. Rubin, Ben Hubbard, Falih Hassan, Thomas Gibbons-Neff, Eric Schmitt, Vivian Yee, David D. Kirkpatrick, Edward Wong, Tess Felder, Yonette Joseph, Mariel Padilla and Maggie Haberman, The New York Times, January 5, 2020 Article: China wants the US to ‘remove all unreasonable restrictions,’ foreign minister says by Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, September 25, 2019 Additional Resources In Memory of Bessie Best Friends Animal Society Fundraiser Podcast: The Higherside Chats Podcast: No Agenda Podcast: LegalEagle Podcast Channel: Professor Stick Podcast Channel: CoolHardLogic Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

A "thank you" bonus episode featuring another last minute government funding law (with a Patriot Act dingleberry), a date for this year's Christmas Crisis, and an update on your favorite dizzy podcaster who will soon be looking like Lady Millhouse on a daily basis. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Click here to contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536 Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! References Article: Senate approves stopgap bill to prevent shutdown by Jordain Carney, The Hill, November 21, 2019 Article: The Intelligence Community Took Months to Respond to a Key Question About Section 215, And It Still Doesn’t Have Any “Legal Conclusion” by Erica Werner, Electronic Frontier Foundation, November 20, 2019 Article: House passes short-term spending bill to avert Friday shutdown by Erica Werner, The Washington Post, November 19, 2019 FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 631: H R 3055: Making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, and for other purposes Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

A "thank you" bonus episode featuring a surprise Congressional death, proof of bipartisan warmongering, a NATO expansion, and a long forgotten plane crash. Thanks for supporting the show! Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Click here to contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536 Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Mentioned Podcast Episodes CD167: Combating Russia NDAA, Featured on Crypto Cousins Bill Outline Articles/Documents Article: Crackpot Congress: The Hyper-Hypocrisy of the Syria Vote by Maj. Danny Sjursen, AntiWar.com, October 22, 2019 Article: Paul blocks vote on House-passed Syria resolution for second time by Jordain Carney, The Hill, October 22, 2019 Article: Senate votes for North Macedonia to join NATO by Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, October 22, 2019 Article: Data Note: How Women Voters Could Influence the 2018 Elections and Beyond by Ashley Kirzinger, Liz Hamel, Alina Salganicoff, and Mollyann Brodie, KFF, July 18, 2018 References Summary: H.R.1 - For the People Act of 2019 Watch on YouTube: The Collapse of The American Dream Explained in Animation Be Brave Bold Robot, Follow Be Brave Bold Robot on FaceBook Medium voices: river city Sound Clip Sources Committee on Oversight and Reform Full Hearing: Oversight Committee: Full Hearing H.R.1 "Strengthening Ethics Rules for the Executive Branch", Oversight Committee, YouTube, February 6, 2019 Speakers: Representative Elijah Cummings (MD) Transcript: 1:43:00 Rep. Elijah Cummings (MD): One year ago today when my mother's dying bed at 92 years old, former sharecropper, her last words were, do not let them take our votes away from us. They had fought, she had fought and seen people harmed and beaten, trying to vote. Talk about inalienable rights. Voting is crucial, and I don't give a damn how you look at it. There are efforts to stop people from voting. That's not right. This is not Russia. This is the United States of America, and I will fight until the death to make sure every citizen, whether they're Green party, whether they're Freedom Party, whether they're Democrat, whether you're Republican, whoever has that right to vote. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

The 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund is being rationed due to a lack of funding and an approaching end date for the program. In this episode, learn about the shocking, growing number of 9/11 victims, understand why these victims are in danger of having to bear the financial consequences of their injuries on their own, and examine the details and status of H.R. 1327, the bill that would solve this problem for good. Jamie Kilstein joins Jen for the thank you's. _________________________________________________  Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Click here to contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536 Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! ____________________________________________________ Recommended Podcast Episodes  Jamie Kilstein Podcast  _____________________________________________________  Additional Reading Article: Schumer calls for Senate vote on 9/11 victim fund by Jordain Carney, The Hill, June 12, 2019. Bill: House Bill 1327 Never Forget the Heroes: Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act by 116th Congress, June 12, 2019. Article: After emotional testimony from 9/11 responders, House panel votes to replenish victims fund by Devlin Barrett, Washington Post, June 12, 2019. Bill: House Bill 1327 extend authorization for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 through fiscal year 2090, and for other purposes.  by 116th Congress, February 25, 2019. Document: Federal Register Docket: 911 Victim Compensation Fund: Compensation of Claims by Department of Justice, October 3, 2018. Article: Former EPA head admits she was wrong to tell New Yorkers post-9/11 air was safe by Joanna Walters, The Guardian, September 10, 2016. Bill: House Bill 1786 James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act, 114th Congress, Congress.gov, June 11, 2015. Bill: House Bill 2029 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 by 114th Congress, Congress.gov, April 24, 2015. YouTube Video: 911 Airport Hijackers by Mcdlover4, March 23, 2012. Article: EPA Regulators Say They've Learned From 9/11 Blunders, but Critics Remain Unconvinced by Jeremy P. Jacobs, New York Times, September 9, 2011. Article: Ex-EPA Chief Is Ruled Not Liable for 9/11 Safety Claims by Robin Shulman, Washington Post, April 23, 2008. Document: EPA’s Response to the World Trade Center Collapse by Office of Inspector General, August 21, 2003. Bill: House Bill 2926 Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act by 107th Congress, Congress.gov, September 21, 2001.   Sound Clip Sources Hearing: The Need to Reauthorize the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, June 11, 2019 Watch on C-SPAN Witnesses: Rupa Bhattacharyya: Special Master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, Department of Justice Dr. Jaqueline Moline M.D.: Chair of Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology and Prevention at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell Lila Nordstrom: 9/11 Survivor Anesa Maria St. Rose Henry: Widow of Candidus Henry, Construction Worker and 9/11 Responder Thomas Mohnal: Special Agent, FBI and 9/11 Responder Michael O’Connell: Retired Lieutenant and 9/11 Responder, FDNY Luis Alvarez: Retired Detective and 9/11 Responder, NYPD Jon Stewart: 9/11 Responders and Survivors Advocate    YouTube: This is a clip from the documentary: 911, Toxic Legacy which aired on Canadian CBC 9/10.2006, September 10, 2006 Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations   Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

In the final days of the 115th Congress, Congress passed and President Trump signed into law the First Step Act, which made changes to the operation of the federal prison system. In this episode, learn every detail of this new law, including the big money interests who advocated for its passage and their possible motivations for doing so. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Click here to contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536 Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD176: Target Venezuela: Regime Change in Progress CD129: The Impeachment of John Koskinen Bills/Laws S.756 - First Step Act of 2018 Govtrack Link Committee Summary Bill Text House Final Vote Results Senate Final Vote Results Sponsor: Sen. Dan Sullivan (AK) Original bill numbers for the First Step Act were S.2795 and HR 5682 First Step Act Outline TITLE I - RECIDIVISM REDUCTION Sec. 101: Risk and needs assessment system Orders the Attorney General to conduct a review current and possible recidivism reduction programs, including a review of products manufactured overseas the could be produced by prisoners and would not compete with the domestic private sector Orders the Attorney General to create an assessment system for each prisoner to be conducted during the intake process that will classify each of them as having minimum, low, medium, or high risk of recidivism, the prisoner’s likelihood of violent or serious misconduct, and assign them to programs accordingly. This process must be published on the Department of Justice website by July 19, 2019 (210 days after enactment). Prerelease custody means home confinement with 24 hour electronic monitoring, with the possibility of being allowed to leave to go to work, to participate in a recidivism reduction program, perform community service, go to the doctor, attend religious services, attend weddings or funerals, or visit a seriously ill family member. Sec. 102: Implementation of Risk and Needs Assessment System By mid-January 2020, the Attorney General must implement the new risk assessment system and complete the initial intake risk assessments of each prisoner and expand the recidivism reduction programs The Attorney General “shall” develop polices for the warden of each prison to enter into partnerships with “non-profit and other private organizations including faith-based, art, and community-based organizations”, schools, and “private entities that will deliver vocational training and certifications, provide equipment to facilitate vocational training…employ prisoners, or assist prisoners in prerelease custody or supervised related in finding employment” and “industry sponsored organization that will deliver workforce development and training, on a paid or volunteer basis.” Priority for participation will be given to medium and high risk prisoners Sec. 104: Authorization of Appropriations Authorizes, but does not appropriate, $75 million per year from 2019 to 2023. Sec. 106: Faith-Based Considerations In considering “any entity of any kind” for contracts “the fact that it may be or is faith-based may not be a basis for any discrimination against it in any manner or for any purpose.” Entities “may not engage in explicitly religious activities using direct financial assistance made available under this title” Sec. 107: Independent Review Committee The National Institute of Justice will select a “nonpartisan and nonprofit organization… to host the Independent Review Committee" The Committee will have 6 members selected by the nonprofit organization, 2 of whom must have published peer-reviewed scholarship about the risk and needs assessments in both corrections and community settings, 2 corrections officers - 1 of whom must have experience working in the Bureau of Prisons, and 1 individual with expertise in risk assessment implementation. The Committee will assist the Attorney General in reviewing the current system and making recommendations for the new system. TITLE II - BUREAU OF PRISONS SECURE FIREARMS STORAGE Sec. 202: Secure Firearms Storage Requires secure storage areas for Bureau of Prisons employees to store their firearms on the outside of the prisoner area. Allows Bureau of Prison employees to store firearms lockboxes in their cars Allows Bureau of Prison employees “to carry concealed firearms on the premises outside of the secure perimeter of the institution” TITLE III - RESTRAINTS ON PREGNANT PRISONERS PROHIBITED Sec. 301: Use of Restraints on Prisoners During the Period of Pregnancy and Postpartum Recovery Prohibited From the day a prisoner’s pregnancy is confirmed and ending 12 weeks or longer after the birth, a “prisoner in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons, or in the custody of the United States Marshals Service… shall not be placed in restraints” Will not apply to state prisons or local jails Exceptions include if the prisoner is an “immediate and credible flight risk” or if she poses an “immediate and serious threat of harm to herself or others” No matter what, a pregnant or recovering mother can’t: Have restraints placed around her ankles, legs, or waist Have her hands tied behind her back Be restrained using “4-point restraints" Be attached to another prisoner Within 48 hours of the pregnancy confirmation, the prisoner must be notified of the restraint restrictions (it doesn’t say how they must be notified) TITLE IV - SENTENCING REFORM Sec. 401: Reduces Sentencing for Prior Drug Felonies Changes the mandatory minimum for repeat offender with a previous “serious drug felony” (which is defined based on the length of the prison sentence: An offense for which they served more than 12 months) or a “serious violent felony” (added by this bill) from an automatic 20 year sentence to an automatic 15 year sentence. Changes the mandatory minimum for repeat offenders with two or more previous “serious drug felony or serious violent felony” convictions from a mandatory life sentence to a mandatory 25 years. Applies to cases that have not been sentenced as of the date of enactment and is not retroactive Sec. 402: "Broadening of Existing Safety Valve” Expands the criteria for leniency from mandatory minimums to include people with up to 4 prior non-volent convictions, not including minor misdemeanors. Applies to cases that have not been sentence as of the date of enactment and is not retroactive. Sec. 404: Appeals For Current Prisoners Convicted of Crack Related Crimes Allows people who were convicted of crack related crimes prior to August 3, 2010 (when the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 - which reduced the sentencing differences between crack and power cocaine - became law) to be eligible for reduced sentences. TITLE V - SECOND CHANCE ACT OF 2007 REAUTHORIZATION Sec. 502: Changes Existing Programs Creates an optional grant program for the Attorney General allowing him to provide grants to private entities along with governmental ones, for consulting services (to “evaluate methods”, “make recommendations”, etc). Authorizes, but doesn’t appropriate, $10 million per year from 2019 through 2023 ($50 million total) Sec. 503: Audits of Grantees Requires annual audits of entities receiving grants under the Second Chance Act of 2007 beginning in fiscal year 2019. Prohibits grantees from using grant money to lobby Department of Justice officials or government representatives, punishable by the full repayment of the grant and disqualification for grants for 5 years. TITLE VI- MISCELLANEOUS CRIMINAL JUSTICE Sec. 601: Placement of Prisoners Close to Families Requires that attempts be made to place a prisoners within 500 driving miles of the prisoner’s primary residence Adds “a designation of a place of imprisonment… is not reviewable by any court.” Sec. 603: Terminally Ill Prisoners Can Go Home Allows some terminally ill or elderly prisoners over the age of 60 to serve the rest of their sentences in home confinement Sec. 605: Expanding Prison Labor Allows Federal Prison Industries to sell products, except for office furniture, to government entities for use in prisons, government entities for use in disaster relief, the government of Washington DC, or “any organization” that is a 501(c)3 (charities and nonprofits), 501(c)4s (dark money “social welfare" organizations), or 501d (religious organizations). Requires an audit of Federal Prison Industries to begin within 90 days of enactment, but no due date. Sec. 611: Healthcare Products Requires the Bureau of Prisons to provide tampons and sanitary napkins to prisoners for free Sec. 613: Juvenile Solitary Confinement Prohibits juvenile solitary confinement to only when needed as a 3 hour temporary response to behavior that risks harming the juvenile or others, but it can not be used for “discipline, punishment, or retaliation” Federal Prison Industries: UNICOR UNICOR Index FPI is a “wholly-owned government corporation established by Congress on June 23, 1934. It’s mission is to protect society and reduce crime by preparing inmates for successful reentry through job training” UNICOR FAQs UNICOR 2018 Sales Report UNICOR Federal Prison Industries, Inc., Fiscal Year 2015, Annual Management Report, November 16, 2015 Shutdown Back-Pay Law -Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, signed January 16 2019. - Bill Text Additional Reading Article: Revolving door brings Trump-tied lobbying firm even closer to the White House by Anna Massoglia and Karl Evers-Hillstrom, OpenSecrets News, January 22, 2019. Article: Trump fails the first test of the First Step Act by Edward Chung, The Hill, January 10, 2019. Article: The First Step Act could be a big gift to CoreCivic and the private prison industry by Liliana Segura, The Intercept, December 22, 2018. Article: For-profit prisons strongly approve of bipartisan criminal justice reform bill by Karl Evers-Hillstrom, OpenSecrets News, December 20, 2018. Statement: SPLC statement on bipartisan passage of First Step Act criminal justice reform bill by Lisa Graybill, Southern Poverty Law Center, December 20, 2018. Article: The First Step Act is not sweeping criminal justice reform - and the risk is that it becomes the only step by Natasha Lennard, The Intercept, December 19, 2018. Article: Conservatives scramble to change criminal justice bill by Jordain Carney, The Hill, December 18, 2018. Article: The FIRST STEP Act will make us safer without the Cotton-Kennedy amendments by Tricia Forbes, The Hill, December 18, 2018. Article: Who no details about criminal justice 'reform'? by Thomas R. Ascik, The Hill, December 17, 2018. Letter: The ACLU and the Leadership Conference support S.756, and urge Senators to vote yes on Cloture and no on all amendments, The Leadership Conference, CivilRights.org, December 17, 2018. Article: Koch-backed criminal justice reform bill to reach Senate, All Things Considered, NPR, December 16, 2018. Article: The problem with the "First Step Act" by Peniel Ibe, American Friends Service Committee, December 14, 2018. Article: Why is a Florida for-profit prison company backing bipartisan criminal justice reform? by Steve Dontorno, Tampa Bay Times, December 7, 2018. Article: How the FIRST STEP Act moves criminal justice reform forward by Charlotte Resing, ACLU, December 3, 2018. Article: Private prison companies served with lawsuits over using detainee labor by Amanda Holpuch, The Guardian, November 25, 2018. Statement: GEO Group statement on federal legislation on prison reform (The FIRST STEP Act), GEO Group, November 19, 2018. Article: Karl Rove's crossroads GPS is dead, long live his multi-million dollar 'dark money' operation by Anna Massoglia and Karl Evers-Hillstrom, OpenSecrets News, November 16, 2018. Article: We are former attorneys general. We salute Jeff Sessions. by William P. Barr, Edwin Meese III, and Michael B. Mukasey, The Washington Post, November 7, 2018. Article: How the Koch brothers built the most powerful rightwing group you've never heard of by Alexander Hertel-Fernandez, Caroline Tervo, and Theda Skocpol, The Guardian, September 26, 2018. Article: U.S. prisoners' strike is a reminder how common inmate labor is by Ruben J. Garcia, CBS News, September 8, 2018. Article: Kim Kardashian, activist, visits White House to call for prisoner freedom by Amelia McDonell-Parry, Rolling Stone, September 6, 2018. Article: Who is Chris Young? Kim Kardashian West to meet with Donald Trump to try to get prisoner pardoned by Janice Williams, Newsweek, September 5, 2018. Article: Kim Kardashian West visits White House to talk prison reform by Brett Samuels, The Hill, September 5, 2018. Article: Kim Kardashian West to another convicted felon's case: report by Brett Samuels, The Hill, September 5, 2018. Article: 'Prison slavery': Inmates are paid cents while manufacturing products sold to government by Daniel Moritz-Rabson, Newsweek, August 28, 2018. Article: Turf war between Kushner and Sessions drove federal prison director to quit by Glenn Thrush and Danielle Ivory, The New York Times, May 24, 2018. Report: Attorney General Sessions announces Hugh Hurwitz as the Acting Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice, May 18, 2018. Article: Beware of big philanthropy's new enthusiasm for criminal justice reform by Michelle Chen, The Nation, March 16, 2018. Article: Corporations and governments collude in prison slavery racket by Mark Maxey, People's World, February 7, 2018. Article: Super PAC priorities USA plans to spend $50 million on digital ads for 2018 by Jessica Estepa, USA Today, November 2, 2017. Article: Private prisons firm to lobby, campaign against recidivism by Jonathan Mattise, AP News, October 31, 2017. Article: Slave labor widespread at ICE detention centers, lawyers say by Mia Steinle, POGO, September 7, 2017. Article: The sordid case behind Jared Kushner's grudge against Chris Christie by Byron York, The Washington Examiner, April 16, 2017. Report: How much do incarcerated people earn in each state? by Wendy Sawyer, Prison Policy Initiative, April 10, 2017. Press Release: The GEO Group closes $360 million acquisition of community education centers, Company Release, GEO Group, Inc., April 6, 2017. Article: How a private prison company used detained immigrants for free labor by Madison Pauly, Mother Jones, April 3, 2017. Article: Bias in criminal risk scores is mathematically inevitable, researchers say by Julia Angwin and Jeff Larson, ProPublica, December 30, 2016. Article: Jailed for ending a pregnancy: How prosecutors get inventive on abortion by Molly Redden, The Guardian, November 22, 2016. Article: Federal prison-owned 'factories with fences' facing increased scrutiny by Safia Samee Ali, NBC News, September 4, 2016. Investigative Summary: Findings of fraud and other irregularities related to the manufacture and sale of combat helmets by the Federal Prison Industries and ArmorSource, LLC, to the Department of Defense, Office of the Inspector General, August 2016. Report: Federal prison industries: Background, debate, legislative history, and policy options, Congressional Research Service, May 11, 2016. Article: New Koch by Jane Mayer, The New Yorker, January 25, 2016. Article: Pregnant and behind bars: how the US prison system abuses mothers-to-be by Victoria Law, The Guardian, October 20, 2015. Article: American slavery, reinvented by Whitney Benns, The Atlantic, September 21, 2015. Article: Yes, prisoners used to sew lingerie for Victoria's Secret - just like in 'Orange is the New Black' season 3 by Emily Yahr, The Washington Post, June 17, 2015. Report: Treatment industrial complex: How for-profit prison corporations are undermining efforts to treat and rehabilitate prisoners for corporate gain by Caroline Isaacs, Grassroots Leadership, November 2014. Report: The prison indistries Enhancement Certification Program: A program history by Barbara Auerbach, National CIA, May 4, 2012. Article: The hidden history of ALEC and prison labor by Mike Elk and Bob Sloan, The Nation, August 1, 2011. Article: Slave labor - money trail leads to Koch brothers and conservatives who want your job! by Bob Sloan, Daily Kos, February 21, 2011. Article: The Legacy by Gabriel Sherman, New York Magazine, July 12, 2009. Hearing: Federal Prison Industries, House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, C-SPAN, July 1, 2005. Article: Democratic donor receives two-year prison sentence by Ronald Smothers, The New York Times, March 5, 2005. Sound Clip Sources Discussion: Criminal Justice Reform and Senate Vote on First Step Act, C-SPAN, December 19, 2018. Speakers: - Mike Allen, Founder and Executive Editor of Axios - Mark Holden, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Koch Industries - Senator Amy Klobuchar Sound Clips: 22:27 Mike Allen: So, I have on NPR, “Koch-Backed Criminal Justice Reform to Reach Senate.” To some people, at least at first blush, there’s an incongruity to that. Tell us how Koch Industries got involved in this issue. Mark Holden: Yeah, well, I mean, Charles Koch and David Koch have been very focused on these issues forever, literally. They were early funders of Families Against Mandatory Minimums, Institute for Justice, a lot of different groups. And from Charles’s perspective, the war on drugs, it’s been a failure. It doesn’t mean that you—there aren’t—it was in a criminal element within the war on drugs, but there are a lot of people in the war on drugs who don’t need to be incarcerated for so long. And so we’ve been very much in favor of proportional sentencing. You know, punishment must fit the crime. You break the law, you should pay a price, and then once you pay that price, you should be welcomed back into society, with all your rights. All your rights come back. That’s why we supported Amendment 4 down in Florida, the voting restoration rights for people with felonies in Florida. We don’t think it makes sense for people not to be able to participate once they’ve paid their debt to society. And for us, for Charles in particular, this is all about breaking barriers to opportunity. 24:10 Mark Holden: And last night, 87 to 12, that’s a curb stomping. And I will note, as a Patriots fan, Gronk is 87 and Brady’s 12, right? I mean, yeah. Something there. 49:00 Mike Allen: Watching last night, and the conversations today, it was clear there was a real sense of history, a sense of occasion on the Senate floor last night. Take us there. Tell us what that was like. Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN): Well, we haven’t had a lot of joyous moments in the Senate this year. Big-surprise-news item I gave you. And this was one of those because I think for one thing we’re coming to the end of the year. We were able to get some really important things done: the farm bill; the sex harassment bill that I led with Senator Blunt that had been really difficult to negotiate for the last year; and then of course the budget, which we hope to get done in the next two days; and then we’ve got this. And this was something that has been explained. It was five years in the making. It took people out of their comfort zones. You had people on both sides that never thought they’d be talking about reducing drug sentences. So in that way, it was kind of this Christmas miracle that people came together. But the second piece of it was just that we knew they were these bad amendments that you’ve heard about. Some of them we felt were maybe designed to put us in a bad place, only because politically the bill protected us from a lot of the things that were in the amendments. So what was the best part of the night for me was that it wasn’t Democrats fighting against Tom Cotton and these amendments; it was Chuck Grassley, in his festive-red holiday sweater, who went up there with that Iowa accent that maybe only I can understand, being from Minnesota, and was able to really effectively fight them down. And the second thing was just the final vote—I mean, we don’t get that many votes for a volleyball resolution—and that we had that strong of support for the reform was also really exciting. Senate Session: Senate floor First Step Act Debate and Vote, C-SPAN, December 18, 2018. Podcast: Wrongful Conviction Podcast: Kim Kardashian and Jason Flom join forces to advocate for Criminal Justice Reform and Clemency, September 5, 2018. Netflix Episode: Orange is the New Black, Season 3 Episode 5, Fake it Till You Make It Some More, June 11, 2015. Netflix Episode: Orange is the New Black, Season 3 Episode 6, Ching Chong, Chang, June 11, 2015. Video Clip: Whitney Houston 'Crack is Whack' Clip from 2002 Diane Sawyer Interview on ABC News, YouTube, February 11, 2012. Hearing: Federal Prison Industries, House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, C-SPAN, July 1, 2005. Witnesses: - Phillip Glover - American Federation of Government Employees Prison Locals Council - President - Paul Miller - Independent Office Products & Furniture Dealers Association Sound Clips: 1:32 Former Representative Howard Coble: Prisoners who are physically able to work must labor in some capacity five days a week. FPI is a government corporation that operates the BOP’s correctional program and employs inmates of the federal prison population to manufacture goods for and provides services to federal agencies. About 20% of the inmates work in Federal Prison Industries’, FPI, factories. They generally work in factory operations such as metals, furniture, electronics, textiles, and graphic arts. FPI work assignments pay from $0.23 to $1.15 per hour. 6:19 Representative Bobby Scott (VA): FPI can only sell its products and services to federal agencies. The program was established in the 1930s, in the midst of the Great Depression, as a way to teach prisoners real work habits and skills so that when they are released from prison they’ll be able to find and hold jobs to support themselves and their families and be less likely to commit more crimes. It is clear that the program works to do just that. Followup studies covering as much as 16 years of data have shown that inmates who participate in Prison Industries are 14% more likely to be employed and 24% less likely to commit crimes than like prisoners who do not participate in the program. 1:39:58 Former Representative Pieter Hoekstra, current Ambassador to the Netherlands: Mandatory source was great for Federal Prison Industries during the 1990s and 2001 and 2002. But you know what? I think it was wrong that Federal Prison Industries was the fastest and probably the only growing office-furniture company in America during that time. As the industry was going through significant layoffs, Federal Prison Industries was growing by double digits each and every year. 1:46:40 Philip Glover: If you have someone serving at USP, Leavenworth, for instance, and they’re in for 45 years or 50 years, you can educate them, you can vo-tech them, but to keep them productive and occupied on a daily basis and feel like they have a little bit of worth, this program seems to do that. That’s where, at least as a correctional officer, that’s where I come from on this program is that it gives the inmate a sense of worth, and every day he goes down and does something productive. Resources About Page: Americans for Prosperity American Addiction Centers: Crack Cocaine & Cocaine: What's the Difference? Annual Report: The GEO Group, Inc. 2017 Annual Report Lobbying Report: Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Section 5) Media Statement: Statement from CoreCivic President and CEO Damon Hininger on the First Step Act OpenSecrets: Americans for Prosperity OpenSecrets: CoreCivic Inc. Lobbyists OpenSecrets: CoreCivic Inc Profile for 2018 Election Cycle OpenSecrets: GEO Group Lobbyists OpenSecrets: GEO Group Profile for 2018 Election Cycle OpenSecrets: Outside Spending of Political Nonprofits OpenSecrets: Trump 2017 Inauguration Donors Product Page: Pride Enterprises Ranker.com: 50 American Companies That Have Ties to Modern Slavery SPLC: Criminal Justice Reform Visual Resources Community Suggestions See more Community Suggestions HERE. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

It's very clear at this point that Trump and the Republicans are totally fine with the government shutdown. Democrats have a plan to re-open the government, but Trump and McConnell have said that they aren't interested. What's it going to take for him to re-open the government? How will he continue to justify this?Plus, Democrats are lining up to run against Trump in 2020. Who will be next?We talk to Hanna Trudo from National Journal, Jason Dick from CQ Roll Call and Jordain Carney from The Hill!!

Rod Arquette Show Daily Rundown - Wednesday, November 14, 20184:20 pm: Clark Aposhian of the Utah Shooting Sports Council and Utah Gun Radio joins the show to give us his reaction to the request of the mother of slain University of Utah student Lauren McCluskey that the person who loaned the gun used in her murder be prosecuted4:35 pm: Jordain Carney, Senate Reporter for The Hill, joins the show to discuss how criminal justice reform has reached the make or break stage in Washington5:05 pm: Representative Paul Ray joins the show to discuss his planned legislation that will aim to lower the costs of prescription drugs in Utah6:05 pm: Deseret News Opinion Editor Boyd Matheson joins Rod for their weekly conversation about the world of politics6:20 pm: Representative Keven Stratton joins the show to discuss his idea to have the state locally manage the Bears Ears National Monument6:35 pm: Karol Markowicz, Opinion Contributor to the New York Post, joins the show to discuss the protest mob that gathered at the home of Fox News host Tucker Carlson last week and why such events are a threat to freedom

Divided government! The 2018 midterm elections are over and we know what the 116th Congress is going to look like: The Republican Party will continue to control the Senate and the Democratic Party will control the House of Representatives. In this episode, we discuss the likely ramifications of a divided Congress, some of the interesting results of individual Congressional races, and the opportunities available for Republicans to get their last wishes rammed into law before their complete Congressional control ends in January. Please Support Congressional Dish - Quick Links Click here to contribute a lump sum or set up a monthly contribution via PayPal Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Use your bank’s online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North Number 4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Recommended Episodes CD179: Hearing: Who's Tracking the Immigrant Kids? CD166: I Spy a Shutdown CD149: Fossil Fuel Foxes CD143: Trump's Law Enforcers CD089: Secrets of the CRomnibus (2015 Budget) CD087: Run for Congress with Chris Clemmons Additional Reading Article: Trump's appointment of the acting Attorney General is unconstitutional by Neal K. Katyal and George T. Conway III, The New York Times, November 8, 2018. Article: DoD is sending 7,000 troops to the border. Here's every unit going. by Tara Copp, Military Times, November 8, 2018. Article: It's not over: Days after election, these races are still undecided by Brian Naylor, NPR, November 8, 2018. Article: Rep. Duncan Hunter keeps seat despite charges by Julie Watson, WBTV, November 8, 2018. Article: Trump warns Dems over potential investigations: 'Two can play that game!' by Brett Samuels, The Hill, November 7, 2018. Article: Top Dems quickly announce leadership intentions by Mike Lillis, The Hill, November 7, 2018. Article: Nevada voters approve automatic voter registration by Aris Folley, The Hill, November 7, 2018. Article: Connecticut elects first black congresswoman by Jessie Hellmann, The Hill, November 11, 2018. Article: Jeff Sessions pushed out after a year of attacks from Trump by Erick Tucker and Michael Balsamo, AP News, November 7, 2018. Article: Ayanna Pressley officially Massachusetts' 1st black congresswoman by William J. Kole, Boston Globe, November 7, 2018. Article: Don Young holds on to House seat in Alaska by Miranda Green, The Hill, November 7, 2018. Article: GOP Rep. Duncan Hunter wins reelection despite criminal charges by Juliegrace Brufke, The Hill, November 7, 2018. Article: Florida U.S. Senate race between Rick Scott, Bill Nelson could be heading for recount by Mark Skoneki, Steven Lemongello, and Gray Rohrer, The Orlando Sentinel, November 7, 2018. Article: Democrat Colin Allred grabs Dallas-area U.S. House seat from GOP's Pete Sessions by Gromer Jeffers Jr., Dallas News, November 7, 2018. Article: The investigations Trump will face now that Democrats control the House by Adam Davidson, The New Yorker, November 7, 2018. Article: With midterms over, lame-duck congress now turns to avoiding a shutdown by Eric Katz, Government Executive, November 7, 2018. Article: Next chairman of Ways and Means Committee plans to demand Trump's tax return by Justin Wise, The Hill, November 7, 2018. Article: The private business of for-profit prisons in the US by AYŞE NUR DOK, TRT World, November 7, 2018. Article: Newly empowered, House Democrats plan to launch immediate investigations of Trump, but leaders are wary of impeachment by Karoun Demirjian, Tom Hamburger, and Gabriel Pogrund, The Washington Post, November 7, 2018. Article: Top Judiciary Dem: Trump is about to 'learn he's not above the law' by Aris Folley, The Hill, November 7, 2018. Article: GOP Rep. Chris Collins, charged with insider trading, is projected to win re-election in New York by Dan Mangan, CNBC, November 7, 2018. Article: Former NFL players Anthony Gonzalez, Colin Allred elected to Congress by Curtis Crabtree, NBC Sports, November 6, 2018. Article: Cramer ousts Heitkamp in critical North Dakota Senate race by Max Greenwood, The Hill, November 6, 2018. Article: Blackburn keeps Tennessee seat in GOP hands by Alexander Bolton, The Hill, November 6, 2018. Article: Dem Lauren Underwood unseats Randy Hultgren in Illinois by Brett Samuels, The Hill, November 6, 2018. Article: Hawley defeats McCaskill in tight Missouri Senate race by Jordain Carney, The Hill, November 6, 2018. Article: Pence's brother wins Indiana House race by Megan Keller, The Hill, November 6, 2018. Article: GOP Rep. Chris Collins wins reelection in NY despite insider trading charges by Michael Burke, The Hill, November 6, 2018. Article: Dem Colin Allredy topples Sessions in key Texas House seat by Lisa Hagen, The Hill, November 6, 2018. Article: Graham lauds GOP Senate Results: 'Conservative judicial train is going to keep running!' by Megan Keller, The Hill, November 6, 2018. Article: Coffman loses GOP seat in Colorado by Mike Lillis, The Hill, November 6, 2018. Article: Mitt Romney wins Senate race in Utah by Alexander Bolton, The Hill, November 6, 2018. Article: Rashida Tlaib becomes first Palestinian-American woman to win congressional seat by Emily Birnbaum, The Hill, November 6, 2018. Article: Haaland becomes one of first Native American women elected to Congress by Morgan Gstalter, The Hill, November 6, 2018. Article: Sharice Davids makes history: Kansas' 1st gay rep, 1st Native American woman in Congress by Bryan Lowry and Katy Bergen, The Kansas City Star, November 6, 2018. Article: Ryan Zinke and the murky interior of Trumpworld by Timothy L. O'Brien, Bloomberg, November 1, 2018. Article: Sources: Justice Department investigating Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke by Pamela Brown, Evan Perez, Lauren Fox, and Gregory Wallace, CNN Politics, October 31, 2018. Article: Probe of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke sent to U.S. prosecutors by Ari Natter and Jennifer A. Dlouhy, Bloomberg, October 30, 2018. Article: Lieu vows aggressive investigations of Trump if Dems retake House by Julia Manchester, The Hill, October 29, 2018. Blog: Budget reconciliation is the key to building the border wall by Rep. Bradley Byrne, The Hill, October 17, 2018. Article: $35M private immigration detention center proposted for Ionia by Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, October 16, 2018. Article: House will investigate Trump's attacks on democracy if Dems win, Cummings says by Julia Manchester, The Hill, October 1, 2018. Article: Ryan Zinke to the oil and gas industry: "Our government should work for you" by Umair Irfan, Vox, September 22, 2018. Article: Rep. Duncan Hunter and his wife indicted in use of campaign funds for personal expenses by Laura Jarrett and Maeve Reston, CNN Politics, August 21, 2018. Article: Why Rep. Chris Collins's insider trading arrest is a huge deal - and also totally unsurprising by Tara Golshan, Vox, August 9, 2018. Article: 2 Texas congressman bought shares in drug firm at heart of Rep. Chris Collins' insider trading case by Rachel Cohrs, Dallas News, August 9, 2018. Article: This company is at the center of insider trading charges against Rep. Collins by Katherine Ross, The Street, August 9, 2018. Article: Rep. Chris Collins charged with insider trading, federal prosecutors announce by Renae Merle and Mike DeBonis, The Washington Post, August 8, 2018. Article: Indicted Rep. Chris Collins shows why members of Congress should not trade stocks by Josh Barro, Business Insider, August 8, 2018. Article: Scandals pile up for interior chief Ryan Zinke by Chris D'Angelo, Huffpost, July 23, 2018. Article: Interior watchdog opens probe of land deal linking Zinke, Halliburton chairman by Ben Lefebvre, Politico, July 18, 2018. Article: Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's conduct attracts unprecedented scrutiny from government investigators by Greg Zimmerman, Medium, June 5, 2018. Article: A timeline of scandals and ethical shortfalls at Ryan Zinke's Interior Department by Evlondo Cooper and Ted MacDonald, Media Matters for America, May 7, 2018. Article: Profiting from enforcement: The role of private prisons in U.S. immigration detention by Livia Luan, Migration Policy Institute, May 2, 2018. Article: Liberal watchdog group sues Trump, alleging he violated constitutional ban by David A. Fahrenthold and Jonathan O'Connell, The Washington Post, January 23, 2017. Article: GOP congressman, overwhelmed by constituents concerned about ACA repeal, sneaks out of event early by Mark Joseph Stern, Slate, January 15, 2017. Article: Congressman defends 'Citibank' provision in spending bill by Jim Acosta, CNN Politics, December 16, 2014. Article: Wall Street's omnibus triumph, and others by Russ Choma, Open Secrets News, December 12, 2014. Article: Why Citi may soon regret its big victory on Capitol Hill by Rob Blackwell, American Banker, December 11, 2014. Article: How Wall St. got its way by Dave Clarke, Kate Davidson, and Jon Prior, Politico, December 11, 2014. Resources ACLU Talking Points: 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Bill Overview: H.R. 992 (113th): Swaps Regulatory Improvement Act Live News: CNN Election Night in the US Company Announcement: BAKKEN Binding Expansion Open Season, Energy Transfer Letter: Resignation Letter of Jeff Sessions OpenSecrets: Rep. Kevin Cramer - North Dakota District 1 OpenSecrets: Rep. Kevin Yoder, Kansas District 03 Wikipedia: Chris Collins (American Politician) Visual Resources Sound Clip Sources Interview: Schiff responds to threat from President Trump, CNN Politics, November 8, 2018. News Conference: Minority Leader Pelosi on 2018 Election Results, C-SPAN, November 7, 2018. 19:30 Representative Nancy Pelosi: In any event, next week we look forward to welcoming our new class of freshmen. We will celebrate their diversity, the freshness of their thinking, and the rest. And they will immediately be incorporated into our building consensus and how we go forward in a very open, transparent, bipartisan, unifying Congress. Any questions? 21:10 Representative Nancy Pelosi: In appropriations and in many of the other committee—all of the other committees—we have a responsibility for oversight. And, hopefully, in the course of asking for information, we can just make the request and the information will come in. We’re concerned about what’s happening at EPA, for example, to degrading the air we breathe and the water we drink despite what the president said today. So, that’s only one example. 27:30 Unknown Speaker: Follow up on what the president said this morning. He made clear that if Democrats launch investigations, that any hopes for bipartisanship is off. Do you have any concerns that these investigations could jeopardize your opportunities to legislate? Representative Nancy Pelosi: We do not intend to abandon or relinquish our responsibility as Article I, the first branch of government, and our responsibilities for accountability, for oversight, and the rest. This doesn’t mean we go looking for a fight, but it means that if we see a need to go forward, we will. But that will be the work of our committees. Every committee has oversight responsibility. Congresswoman Eshoo’s on Energy and Commerce, and that’s a big oversight committee, as some of you probably are aware. But, specifically, to some of the concerns that the president may have, the Judiciary Committee, the Intelligence Committee, the Oversight Committee, the—well, there’re a number of committees that—depending on how we go down that path—the Financial Services committee, did I say Intelligence? Oh, Homeland Security Committee, because, of course, we are shamed as a nation by a policy that takes babies out of the arms of their mothers, that builds tents, and all the rest to house people, and there’s separation of families. So we want to look into that, and we would hope that we can do so by simply having oversight. If, in fact, requires a subpoena—I hope not, but—so be it. News Conference: President Trump on 2018 Election Results, C-SPAN, November 7, 2018. 23:00 President Donald Trump: Their whole agenda has been to try not giving me anything for the wall. I really believe politically they’re hurting themselves. I actually think politically that’s a good thing for me, but I want to get the wall up because we need to— Unknown Speaker: So no shut-down scenario— President Trump: I don’t know. I can’t tell you that. Unknown Speaker: —for the, for the mid, for the lame duck. President Trump: No, I can’t commit to that, but it’s possible. News Conference: Democrat Richard Neal says he plans to seek Trump tax returns, APNews, YouTube, November 7, 2018. Hearing: Unaccompanied Immigrant Children, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, C-SPAN, August 16, 2018. 1:14:30 Senator Claire McCaskill: This is about the fourth or fifth time I’ve been on this dais, and no one seems to be worried about the fact that you all get to wash your hands of these children. You want to talk about catch and release? You’re catching these children and then you’re releasing them and everyone goes like this. Not my problem. I think the thing that really stuck out to me in the report that the committee issued was the finding—and this was finding number 14—HHS has a plan to notify state governments before placing unaccompanied children previously held in secure facilities, but HHS has failed to implement that plan. HHS explained it cannot implement the plan because it cannot determine who to notify in state government. Well, let me just tell you, Commander, I will make an offer to you today: I think my staff can get you a list of agencies and phone numbers before close of business tomorrow. Would that be helpful? Commander Jonathan White: I’ll be glad to convey that, but I think it does address—I think there are very real questions, but— Sen. McCaskill: No, they’re not. White: —widely appro— Sen. McCaskill: No. They’re not. Every state has a child-welfare agency. In Missouri, it’s the Missouri Department of Social Services, the Children’s Division, and they’re responsible for foster care, for child placement, for monitoring child detention centers, they are responsible for the welfare of children who have been separated from their families. And they have contacts in every corner of my state. There’s a hotline that they administer. There is all kinds of ways that they can communicate with school systems, with local governments, with all the people that are working as foster parents. There is a huge network in every single state, because you know what the states do? They take the responsibility for having children in their care seriously. 1:54:30 Senator Heidi Heitkamp: One facility provider basically, if my rough math is right, 11,000 children have been assigned to Southwest Key over a number of facilities, not one facility, but they’re obviously a large provider. The reports coming out of Dallas say that they basically, in a half-year period, have a contract that’s worth a half a billion dollars that they’re being paid, which, if you do the rough math, that’s about $45,000 per child. I think that we should have some pretty high expectations at $45,000 per child. So I would love a list of all the contractors that you currently have, the number of complaints, and the severity of the complaints, in each one of those cases, what disciplinary action has been, and how you’re cooperating consistently with state authorities, who usually are the licensing authorities, and I understand that. Audio Recording: Nunes on secret tape: Kavanaugh vote, then Rosenstein impeachment, MSNBC, July 30, 2018. Hearing: Wartime Contracting, Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee, C-SPAN, July 16,2013. 3:30 Senator Claire McCaskill: I learned just this week that the Defense Department spent millions to construct a building in Afghanistan that has never been used. This facility was built despite the fact that the forward commander said they neither needed nor wanted this facility, in May 2010, almost a full year before construction began. We now have a brand-new state-of-the-art building that cost the taxpayers 34 million to build. The worst part is that all indications are, we’re going to tear it down. We can’t even give it away to the Afghanistan government for free because they don’t want a building that they will have to spend millions to rewire because it was built to U.S. electrical code. I also recently learned that more than 13 million may have been wasted on a USAID agricultural development contract with a company called Chemonics. The waste alone is bad enough, but the Special Inspector General also found that the contractor failed to cooperate with the audit. Frankly, that’s just unacceptable. Hearing: Wartime Contracting, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, C-SPAN, September 21, 2011. 46:30 Senator Claire McCaskill: I want to talk about something that I mentioned—and you mentioned in your report, but I think it’s something we need to flesh out for this committee—and that’s contractors being subject to the jurisdiction of the United States of America. Heartbreaking incident in Iraq, that I'm sure you all are aware of, where the negligence of one of our contractors killed one of our soldiers. And in trying to find justice for that family, the contractor avoided the jurisdiction of the United States, and the most insulting thing about it was he then got another—that company then got another contract with our government. After they had used the fact that they were not subject to the jurisdiction of our country as a way to avoid justice for this man’s family, we then decided we should sign up again with them. Community Suggestions Super Typhoon Yutu Relief Campaign See more Community Suggestions HERE. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)  

While the rumors swirl around town about who wrote the anonymous NYT op-ed, Donald Trump took his show to Montana. He was supposed to be campaigning for the Republican candidate for Senate, but as always.... He can only talk himself. He compared himself to Abraham Lincoln, bashed Democrats and brings up impeachment. He says that if he's impeached, it will be the fault of Republican voters who don't put Republicans in the House and Senate. We're joined by Collin O'Mara from the National Wildlife Federation, Jason Dick from CQRollCall and Jordain Carney from The Hill.

We found out that Sean Hannity is the secret third client of Michael Cohen's. While Hannity says he never paid him for his services, you have to wonder if his constant lies about Trump had anything to do with the relationship. Andrew Restuccia from Politico, Kevin Baron from Defense One and Jordain Carney from The Hill join us in studio!

Rod Arquette Show Daily Rundown - Tuesday, February 27, 20184:20 pm: Jordain Carney of The Hill joins the show to discuss how Congress is getting into the debate over guns with legislation aimed to bolster school safety, but that also includes several gun-related items4:35 pm: Jay Cost of National Review joins the show to discuss why he says the NRA is a different kind of special interest group in that members are driven by ideology, not money6:05 pm: Representative Steve Handy joins Rod to discuss the introduction of several bills at the Utah Legislature that would improve school security as well as allow for seizure of guns from those deemed mentally unstable6:20 pm: Ned Holstein, founder and board chair of the National Parents Organization, joins the show to discuss how many of those who commit murder in mass shootings come from fatherless homes6:35 pm: Utah Lieutenant Governor Spencer Cox joins Rod to discuss his personal battle with suicidal thoughts and what the state can do to help prevent teen suicides