Podcasts about Mountain Valley Pipeline

One of the seminal energy-related controversies of the past decade was the construction of Mountain Valley Pipeline, but much of its capacity is unused in the shoulder season. Now, three projects aim to debottleneck MVP: Transco's Southeast Supply Enhancement as well as MVP Southgate and MVP Boost.

On today's show, BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill is buzzing about the power of POWHR (Protect Our Water Heritage and Rights). Whenever nonprofits have to go up against big for-profit companies it's often like David vs. Goliath … but with David lacking any stones for his sling. But recently a Southwest Virginia environmental nonprofit used its power to successfully stymy – for now at least – construction of a massive 25-acre, 136,900 hp compressor station that Mountain Valley Pipeline wanted to build in a rural section of Montgomery County. Michael chats with POWHR community organizer Crystal Mello – who prefers to describe herself as the local cleaning lady and a nanna — and double Hokie Seferina Olivo, who is POWHR's community science manager, about POWHR's fight against Mountain Valley Pipeline … and its work to establish environmental justice for Southwest Virginia.

This week, people continue to resist the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Some folks have complained to the company about noise from compressor stations. Also, why is Appalachia so prone to severe flooding? We spoke with a reporter whose team dug into the data to find out.And a good blanket will keep you warm on a cold night — but a handmade temperature blanket can convey a message to a loved one. You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia. 

In this episode of Queen Me, we sit down with Denali Sai Nalamalapu, author of Holler - a stunning graphic memoir chronicling the fight against the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Through their words and art, Denali explores love as resistance, the human cost of environmental extraction, and the transformative power of storytelling as a tool for survival and change.A writer, activist, and organizer, Denali shares how creativity and community intertwine in the struggle for climate justice - inviting listeners to reflect on what it means to protect both the planet and each other.

Today I'm joined in conversation by Denali Sai Nalamalapu author of Holler: A Graphic Memoir of Rural Resistance.Inspired by Denali's powerful book about the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline in Appalachia we discuss what activism really looks like, and not the main stream media's portrayal of protests by those on the fringes and out of touch with society. Denali's book utilises raw imagery stripped bare from complicated language that opens up this conversation at a heart level to everyone, and brings to the fore the passion and love that drives people to stand up for what they believe in. Denali encourages us to use discernment to question the narratives we consume and to find the courage to advocate for ourself and our community, and how this can take many different forms, but importantly simply allows you to embrace your existing skills and passions.Alongside this call to action we acknowledge the resilience needed to hold the grief and hopelessness whilst balancing a belief in an alternative hopeful vision for the future and how community is both our biggest driving force and greatest asset as we embrace the stubbornness to take on what on the surface seems insurmountable. Learn more about  DenaliDenali Sai Nalamalapu (They/Them) is the author of Holler, a climate organizer and comic artist living in Southwest Virginia, originally from Southern Maine and Southern India. Denali's work uplifts the voices of those most impacted by climate change – rural, queer, and communities of color – through vibrant, engaging, and accessible illustrations and writing. Denali studied English Literature at Bates College and completed a Fulbright grant in Malaysia. Denali has worked as a climate communicator and organizer since 2019.Holler is a spectacular blend of graphic memoir and climate activism, using contemporary visceral storytelling to highlight the lives of six frontline resisters to the Mountain Valley Pipeline in Appalachia. Drawing from original interviews with Denali, Holler introduces readers to a teacher, a single mother, a nurse, an organizer, a photographer, and a seed keeper, who became activists as the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which spans approximately 300 miles from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia, threatened their homes, their livelihoods, their community.These are the stories of everyday resistance, while each person has their own motivation and methods, they share a love for the land and a desire to preserve it. Denali themselves poignantly illustrates both their own experiences with climate anxiety and grief and the ways that finding community has galvanized them in their environmental work.A deeply moving story about change, hope, and humanity, Holler is an invitation to readers everywhere searching for their own path to activism: sending the message that no matter how small your action is, it's impactful.Website: https://denali-sai.com/Instagram: @Denali_SaiBlueSky: @denalisai.bsky.socialSupport the showThank you for being part of this journey with me, please Subscribe so you don't miss our future episodes, leave a review & share with friends to help these messages ripple out across the world. More information about the Podcast & our host Fiona MacKay: Fiona Mackay Photography WebsiteConnect with us & join the conversation on social media:Instagram @FionaMacKayPhotographyFacebook @FionaMacKayPhotographyTwitter @FiMacKay

Today, I talk with Denali Nalamalapu about her new graphic novel, “Holler: A Graphic Memoir of Rural Resistance,” which tells the story of six people who became resisters of the Mountain Valley Pipeline.  https://denali-sai.com/Buy the Book from Bookshop.org https://bookshop.org/p/books/holler-a-graphic-memoir-of-rural-resistance-denali-sai-nalamalapu/21788274?ean=9781643265230&next=t&Transition Music: “Leave it to Me” by Corduroy Brown https://corduroy-brown.com/-----------------------------------------------HELP SUPPORT APPODLACHIA! patreon.com/appodlachia-----------------------------------------------The views and opinions expressed on this show are the personal opinions of the host, Chuck Corra, and do not represent the opinions of his employer. This show is an opinion and commentary show, NOT a news show. This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Send us a textSupport the show

People with mental health challenges or substance use disorder often end up in jail. But crisis response teams offer another path.Also, one year after the Mountain Valley Pipeline went into service, people who live directly in the pipeline's path have received compensation. But not everyone.And, the Sacred Harp songbook gets an update for the first time since the early ‘90s.You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

On this West Virginia Morning, residents who live near the MVP remain uneasy about its impact on their lives and property, and a North Carolina school is preserving the Cherokee language. The post A Year Of The Mountain Valley Pipeline And Teaching The Cherokee Language, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Mairah Clay who is the Southern WV Coordinator and Autumn Crowe who is the Deputy Director of WV Rivers.Many West Virginians are taking a stand against the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Communities across the state are voicing their opposition to a project they say threatens fragile ecosystems, endangers clean water sources, and disregards Indigenous and rural land rights. With the rugged beauty of Appalachia at stake, West Virginians are fighting back—demanding a transition to cleaner energy and a future that protects both people and the land they call home.A report from West Virginia Rivers Coalition and Downstream Strategies highlighted that 88% of the 139 stream crossings and 89% of the 61 wetland crossings by the MVP in West Virginia were negatively impacted, with 14 stream crossings showing severe decreases in channel stability .​In March 2025, a federal court invalidated a key water permit for the MVP, emphasizing the project's detrimental effects on West Virginia's rivers and streams. This decision was celebrated by environmental groups as a significant step in protecting the state's water resources from further harm.Contact and connect with Mariah and Autumn: mclay@wvrivers.org and acrowe@wvrivers.org WV Rivers: https://wvrivers.org/ MVP Story Map & Petition: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/05ae21f465af43509d576338119b29adMVP Audit Report: https://wvrivers.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/MVP-November-2024-Audit-Report.pdf

Margaret continues an epic tale of treesits, blockades, and resistance to fossil fuel infrastructure and environmental destruction.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Margaret tells you an epic tale of treesits, blockades, and resistance to fossil fuel infrastructure and environmental destruction.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Several clean energy projects are already underway across the county, including a hydrogen hub that's moving forward in western Pennsylvania. But will it survive President Trump's campaign to undo Joe Biden's climate legacy? At the second anniversary of the East Palestine train derailment, some residents were unimpressed with the parade of politicians who made an official visit. A new campaign hopes to bring more voices to the fight against air pollution. Also, in his budget address, Governor Josh Shapiro said he plans to lower energy costs for families. Owners of the Mountain Valley Pipeline have asked federal regulators to approve a new, modified plan for an extension of the pipeline to take natural gas further south into North Carolina. A new lawsuit claims for the first time that people died because of the derailment and chemical contamination in East Palestine. We're independent and non-profit, and we don't get money from WESA, WPSU or any other radio station. So we must turn to you, our listeners, for support. Take action today so we can continue to keep you informed.  Donate today.  Or send us a check to: The Allegheny Front, 67 Bedford Square, Pittsburgh, 15203.  And thanks! 

This week, we visit the Seeing Hand Association. They bring together people who are visually impaired to learn the craft of chair caning.Corporate greed has been gobbling up newspapers for years. Now, some of those same companies are taking a bite out of mobile home parks. They're raising rents and letting repairs slide.And, as the Mountain Valley Pipeline nears completion, people who live near it say government officials are ignoring their concerns about pollution.You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

We're more than halfway through our end-of-the-year fundraiser. Between now and December 31st, we hope to raise $15,000 to help fund our work in the year ahead. We're independent and non-profit, and we don't get money from WESA, WPSU or any other radio station. So we must turn to you, our listeners, for support. Take action today so we can continue to keep you informed. All donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar to double your impact. Donate today.  Or send us a check to: The Allegheny Front, 67 Bedford Square, Pittsburgh, 15203.  And thanks!    This week's episode: Companies in Sweden are beginning to make steel without fossil fuels. Can it work in the US, which still relies on coal? A holiday shopping guide aims to make it easier to choose refurbished electronics to fulfill your gift list, It's December and that means migrant crows set up winter roosts in cities. Also, PennEnergy will pay a $2 million civil penalty, and reduce pollution from its facilities, in a proposed settlement with the Justice Department. The Mountain Valley Pipeline has had more issues with erosion control. An energy company with facilities in Turtle Creek, in Allegheny County, just got a boost from the U.S. Department of Energy. More than $3 million in new federal funds will help conserve trout streams in the mountainous areas of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York in the first tri-state initiative of its kind in the Delaware River watershed. The Audubon Christmas Bird Count is about to take flight.

Warren County's Board of Supervisors takes control over the county's public library, despite vociferous opposition from residents… The Mountain Valley Pipeline continues to have issues with erosion control… Across the Eastern U.S., hardwood forests are failing to regenerate, and that's a problem for wildlife, and the humans who harvest the trees….

Street closures ahead of the Richmond Marathon; a Brown v. Board  scholarship program could be expanded; Richmond eyes purchase of land in Southside; Chesterfield schools to again discuss trans policies; the Mountain Valley Pipeline was fined about $17K 

Also: A bill to rein in campaign contributions sponsored by Delegate David Bulova — a Fairfax Democrat — was spiked during this year's General Assembly session. That means Virginia's campaign finance laws remain relatively lax compared to other states.

The National Transportation Safety Board approved its investigative findings into last year's train derailment in East Palestine. It issued recommendations on rail safety and emergency response, criticizing Norfolk Southern for keeping critical information away from responders. Former workers at an oil refinery in Philadelphia remember the fire and explosion five years ago that shuttered the plant. Plus, giant wood sculptures at a botanic garden help visitors understand the bees and other pollinators that live among us. We have news about pollution from gas stoves, another mishap at the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a new director of the Allegheny County Health Department and a debate in the state legislature about renewable energy goals.

Natural gas starts flowing in Mountain Valley Pipeline; a new UVA Athletics scholarship fund established; and primary Election Day preparations

On this West Virginia Morning, some residents living near the Mountain Valley Pipeline have been watching it for several years. Now that the pipeline is carrying natural gas, they say they'll continue to do so. Curtis Tate has the story from Bent Mountain, Virginia. The post Latest On Mountain Valley Pipeline And A Talk With Doug Skaff Following Copperhead Bites, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

CNX plans to use methane from coal mines to make hydrogen and clean jet fuel. To pay for it, they want to use new clean energy tax credits. Inside a brewing fight over billions of dollars in hydrogen subsidies. Some residents of Greene County want answers from EQT and state regulators about why their well water is giving them rashes after showers. They blame an event two years ago for their dirty water. Plus, we talk with a family participating in Black Birders Week for the first time.  We have news about a whistleblower's claim against EPA's East Palestine clean-up, PFAS in Pennsylvania's water systems and the Mountain Valley Pipeline's approval to begin transporting gas to Virginia.  

Feds greenlit MVP's natural gas operations on Tuesday. Also: Free breakfast and lunch being offered to Richmond students and families; and other local stories.

The 303-mile-long pipeline could begin pumping natural gas as soon as this week. Also: Some Virginia Community Health Workers made it into the 2-year budget; UVA baseball heads to College World Series; and more local news stories.

This week, we visit with West Virginia trappers to learn about the fur trade in the 21st century.We also meet a county fair champion who keeps racking up the blue ribbons and has released a cookbook of some of her favorites. And we hear an update on the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Construction has begun again, but some people wonder if it's even needed. These stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia. 

An interview with Dr. Crystal Cavalier-Keck and Jason Crazy Bear Keck about the tribunal in North Carolina that found the Mountain Valley Pipeline in violation of the rights of nature and people, plus Eric Fine explains his work with the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.

This week, hospitals have a big carbon footprint. We report on how local medical professionals are fighting climate change. Some politicians and advocates are calling for a ban on the longtime practice of spreading drilling wastewater on dirt and gravel roads. We talk to a former DEP secretary who says this practice should remain illegal. Flooding can be devasting for communities. We look at what one Ohio River town is doing to prevent future disasters. Plus, the latest problem for the Mountain Valley Pipeline. We have news about how a new coke oven rule will impact the Clairton Coke Works, a celebration at Raystown Lake and a water trail along the Schuylkill River.

On this West Virginia Morning, the Mountain Valley Pipeline is under scrutiny from federal regulators after it failed a pressure test in Virginia last month. Curtis Tate spoke with Cynthia Quarterman, the former head of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration from 2009 to 2014, about the federal agency's role in regulating 3 million miles of pipeline. The post Regulating The Mountain Valley Pipeline And High School Student Takes Up Band Director Role, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

On this West Virginia Morning, federal officials are encouraging more school districts to switch to electric buses. Also, in this show, the appointed watchdog of the state's Foster Care System has resigned and The Allegheny Front interviews WVPB's Curtis Tate. The post Electric School Buses, State Foster Care Ombudsman Resigns And A Conversation On The Mountain Valley Pipeline, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Dominion Energy is considering building a natural gas power plant on the site of a retired coal plant in Chesterfield, after initially planning to locate it on a nearby property; The Mountain Valley Pipeline won't be ready to begin operations this week, the project's builder told federal regulators; Earlier this week, Virginia's nonpartisan oversight commission released its 2024 plan for evaluating state agencies and initiatives.

On this West Virginia Morning, the Mountain Valley Pipeline failed a water pressure test in Virginia earlier this month and the Pipeline Safety Trust is urging federal regulators to take a close look at the failure. Also, in this show, we hear about radioactive waste in the Marcellus Shale fields, one of the country's largest natural gas producing formations. The post Pipeline Safety Concerns And Radioactive Waste, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

A new film focuses on invasive species in some of Pennsylvania's pristine waters. The executive producer talks about how people can help keep invasives at bay. Also, a Superfund site in the woods of Bucks County won an environmental award. It's one of the Pennsylvania's last remaining coastal plain forests. As wedding season approaches, we look at ways to create an earth-friendly celebration. And new coke oven rules are expected to be finalized soon. We report on how they could impact U.S. Steel's Allegheny County facilities. We have news about Pittsburgh Regional Transit's climate plan, installation of lead-filtering water fountains at Pittsburgh Public Schools, problems along the Mountain Valley Pipeline and more.

On this West Virginia Morning, a pipeline safety watchdog said federal regulators “should be on notice” about a pressure test failure on the Mountain Valley Pipeline earlier this month. The post Pipeline Problems, Student Protests And A Voter’s Guide, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

On this West Virginia Morning, Curtis Tate tells us about problems with the Mountain Valley Pipeline as it nears completion, Emily Rice discusses children's mental health with state expert and Mountain Stage brings us the Song of the Week with Watchouse performing “The Wolves.” The post Mountain Valley Pipeline, Children's Mental Health And Song Of The Week, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

On this West Virginia Morning, a West Virginia circuit court removed two members of the Jefferson County Commission from office, but a last-minute party change has cast confusion over who will name her successor. Also, the construction of a pipeline in western Pennsylvania and a rupture in the Mountain Valley Pipeline has left environmentalists asking questions. The post Jefferson Commission Confusion And Pipeline Problems, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Generally, when Congress strips courts of jurisdiction, it does so by implementing broad, forward-looking, statutory bars that insulate agency decisions or foreclose appeal. In response to the protracted litigation surrounding construction and operation of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, Congress passed a unique statutory provision which (1) granted all required approvals for the pipeline to proceed […]

Generally, when Congress strips courts of jurisdiction, it does so by implementing broad, forward-looking, statutory bars that insulate agency decisions or foreclose appeal. In response to the protracted litigation surrounding construction and operation of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, Congress passed a unique statutory provision which (1) granted all required approvals for the pipeline to proceed and (2) stripped every court's jurisdiction to review the pipeline's permit approvals. Simultaneously, the amendment granted the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit exclusive jurisdiction over all constitutional challenges to the jurisdiction stripping provision.The case-specific impact of this legislation prompted much public concern and Supreme Court review. Petitioners unsuccessfully argued that Congress exceeded its constitutional authority by intervening to effect a specific outcome in a specific case Respondents prevailed on the counterargument that Congress merely made new underlying law without directing any decision of an Article III court. In this panel, academic commentators and amici from the case discussed the careful distinctions between amendments to substantive law and case-specific jurisdiction stripping, sharing insights on the separation-of-powers questions both behaviors raise.

This week, we visit the Seeing Hand Association. They bring together people who are visually impaired to learn the craft of chair caning.   Corporate greed has been gobbling up newspapers for years. Now, some of those same companies are taking a bite out of mobile home parks. They're raising rents and letting repairs slide. And, as the Mountain Valley Pipeline nears completion, people who live near it say government officials are ignoring their concerns about pollution. You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

Red Terry's property in Bent Mountain, Virginia, is in the path of the Mountain Valley Pipeline. She says the place was beautiful, but she's worried about the dangers of the pipeline not far from her home. Plus, almost everybody has a favorite cup or coffee mug, but how far would you go to replace it? One woman would go pretty far. And… we explore an effort in western Virginia to make old-time music more available to Black musicians. You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

A new study finds that petrochemical plants like Shell's ethane cracker in Pennsylvania are getting billions in subsidies while breaking environmental laws. People who live near construction sites along the Mountain Valley Pipeline say regulators won't return their calls about water pollution from the project. Drexel researchers are gearing up to conduct ozone research in the atmosphere during the solar eclipse. And, as winters have warmed, the map that millions of gardeners rely on has been updated. We have news about Gov. Josh Shapiro's proposals for a cap-and-trade carbon program and new renewable energy standards, and how climate change is impacting honeybees.

It's Super Tuesday in Virginia and polls are currently open; A bill sponsored by Tazewell Republitor T. Travis Hackworth would allow the state to set aside funds for cleaning up polluted industrial lands; The director of Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality previously led a consulting firm that worked on the Mountain Valley Pipeline.

A commission approved bids to frack under Ohio's largest state park, wildlife areas and other properties. An author of a new book on deer asks us to examine our relationship with these ubiquitous animals. And a new plant in Weirton is gearing up to make storage batteries for renewable energy plants.  We have news about construction problems along the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a withdrawal of another gas pipeline in Westmoreland County and the state is capping abandoned gas wells, while companies keep abandoning new ones.

Protesters delivered a petition calling for work to stop on the Mountain Valley Pipeline to Attorney General Jason Miyares' office last week; Richmond City Council has appointed its first manager of the citizen police oversight board; On Monday, Richmond City Council passed an ordinance that permits the city to accept several historic African-American cemeteries … including East End, Evergreen, and Forest View.

First up, Ian chats with Tasha of Project Mayday, a harm reduction project operating in so-called West Virginia. They discuss harm reduction strategies and the political framework of their approach to mutual aid. The conversation also touches upon co-existing in the public health and non-profit space without compromising their radical values and some of the many ways that drug policy and pharmaceutical marketing affect people who use drugs. Listeners can contact Project Mayday at the links below and should watch those spaces for news about the benefit show coming up on April 28th. Then, I spoke with Toby from Appalachians Against Pipelines and Madeline Ffitch, an activist recently arrested for locking down to a drill threatening to move the Mountain Valley Pipeline through Peters Mountain at Jefferson National Forest. We talked about the recent days of solidarity, direct actions against the MVP, repression of activists and related topics. Project Mayday Links Email: maydayx ( at )proton.me Website: https://maydayx.net Instagram: @projectmaydayx Twitter/X: @projectmaydayx Facebook: @projectmaydayx Threadless Web store: https://maydayx.threadless.com/ Bonfire web store: https://www.bonfire.com/store/project-mayday/ Paypal: @freiheit13 Cashapp: $xpmaydayx Venmo: @maydayx Appalachians Against Pipelines links Website: https://aapsolidarity.org Legal Defense Fund: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/applegaldefense?=2 AAP twitter:: @stopthemvp AAP instagram and facebok: @AppalachiansAgainstPipelines . ... . .. Featured Track: We Roll (instrumental) by Pete Rock from We Roll

This week, we checked back in with folks involved in the struggle to block the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a 303 mile so-called natural gas pipeline proposed to bring fracked gas from the Marcellus and Utica shale formations across parts of West Virginia and Virginia with an extension into North Carolina. Since a chat with activists we had in July, there have been nearly weekly actions to block the expansion of the pipeline across waterways and carsed terraine, endangering water tables and ecosystems around central Appalachia. We talk about this proposed project, the damage that's been done and continues to be spread, the increasing belligerence of the men employed in the destruction and the ramping up legal repression facing activists and community members. You can learn more by checking out StopMVP.org or follow the social media accounts AppalachiansAgainstPipelines or POWHR. Support of the movement can also be offered up at Appalachian Legal Support Fund. And you can find out about companies involved in the MVP here. Check out our past interviews about the MVP here. Announcements Vehicle for Chico Mendes Reforestation Project From their GoFundMe: Proyecto de Reforestación Chico Mendes (Chico Mendes Reforestation Project) is a community-run nonprofit based in the Guatemalan highland village of Pachaj. What began as three friends planting trees on the weekends in 1998 has grown into a family of over 3600 local students and more than 1000 international volunteers who have worked with the project since. With each tree planted, soil bag filled, and weed cleared, we are proving that small steps of change today are what shape the future... ... However, Chico Mendes is facing major challenges once again. The recent 30+ days of disruptions stemming from state push-back in recognizing newly-elected President Arévalo has led to the cancellation of two major international, collaborative projects with universities, resulting in 24,000 unplanted trees. With groups unable to come to us, we need to replant all by ourselves. But with less hands available and a mountainous terrain prone to landslides that poses a significant challenge to the replanting process, we are struggling to meet our goals. This is why we are seeking to fundraise for a four-wheel-drive truck to assist the Chico Mendes team in carrying more trees through mountainous terrain to get on track with our replanting mission. This is a labor of love. People are taking lower salaries so that everyone has some to go around and sometimes, work is done out of the goodness of one's heart rather than payment, but we need your help. This vehicle would directly help our community sow the seeds of environmental and Indigenous justice. Check out the GFM link above and if you can throw them some dollars, they'd appreciate it much. . .... . .. Featured Tracks: Halcyon by Filastine from Drapetomania Ghost of a Chance by Danny Dolinger from Rome Wasn't Burnt In A Day

Weather forecasters across the Southwest are having a hard time this summer coming up with descriptive taglines for each day's ever-rising heat. If 105° is “hot”—what to call 110°… and up? Some have quit trying, simply labeling each day: “Again.”Luckily Joe Biden has issued bold new steps to counter the relentless climate change that's causing this extreme, killer heat. For example, workers will get “hazard alerts” telling them it's hot. Also, a new website will urge everyone to stay hydrated. His aides say this shows that Joe is treating climate change with “the urgency it deserves.”Excuse me while I have a political heat stroke. Urgency? The same day Biden launched his pathetic global warming “policy,” the Republican Supreme Court rubber stamped his disastrous push for the massively-polluting Mountain Valley Pipeline. This 300-mile environmental scar across two states will be like adding 26 more coal-fired power plants to our climate change crisis. Then there's his unconscionable approval this year of Willow, an oil-drilling project in the Arctic that will release hundreds of millions of tons of additional greenhouse gas emissions. Plus approving and subsidizing dozens of other fossil fuel boondoggles.Worse, Biden has meekly refused to take the genuinely bold step of declaring a climate emergency, even as he's pushed new laws to remove the people's right to challenge corporate profiteering at the expense of climate sanity.Yes, the Republicans are worse, but pointing that out is neither a policy nor good politics. Climate change is not a future problem, it is NOW… and people are literally feeling it. If Biden wonders why his approval rating is a woeful 39 percent (and even among Democrats, only 20 percent express enthusiasm for him)—there it is. People want and need presidential boldness, not a hot weather website.Enjoyed this post? Please consider sharing with friends and on social media!Jim Hightower's Lowdown is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jimhightower.substack.com/subscribe

Another unnecessary crisis averted. In this episode, Jen examines the debt ceiling crisis events of the past to show that the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 - which raised the debt ceiling - is not likely to reduce our government's debt but will likely ensure that our environment will be trashed for profit. She also examines the best path forward to ensure that the debt ceiling is never used for political leverage again. 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 show notes on our website at https://congressionaldish.com/cd275-debt-ceiling-2023-crisis-normalized Background Sources Congressional Dish Episodes CD261: Inflation Reduction Act CD257: PACT Act – Health Care for Poisoned Veterans CD151: AHCA – The House Version (American Health Care Act) CD049: Crisis… Postponed CD048: The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) Debt Ceiling Overview “US debt ceiling - what it is and why there is one.” Natalie Sherman. Jun 2, 2023. BBC. “What Happens When the U.S. Hits Its Debt Ceiling?” Noah Berman. Last Updated May 25, 2023. Council on Foreign Relations. “A brief history of debt ceiling crises and the political chaos they've unleashed.” Raymond Scheppach. May 12, 2023. The Conversation. “Congress has revised the debt ceiling 78 times since 1960. An expert explains why.” Scott Simon and Lennon Sherburne. April 29, 2023. NPR. New Development Bank Ben Norton on Twitter New Development Bank on Twitter New Development Bank Website “BRICS New Development Bank de-dollarizing, adding Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe as members.” Ben Norton. Jun 8, 2023. Monthly Review Online. “NDB Board of Directors held its 40th meeting.” Jun 5, 2023. New Development Bank. Debt Limit History “The Debt Limit Through the Years.” Bipartisan Policy Center. “US government shutdown to end after Congress passes debt ceiling deal.” Paul Lewis and Dan Roberts. Oct 15, 2013. The Guardian. “S.& P. Downgrades Debt Rating of U.S. for the First Time.” Binyamin Appelbaum and Eric Dash. Aug 5, 2011. The New York Times. “Gingrich Vows No Retreat on Debt Ceiling Increase.” Clay Chandler. Sept 22, 1995. The Washington Post. 2023 Crisis “House Democrats Move to Force a Debt-Limit Increase as Default Date Looms.” Carl Hulse. May 2, 2023. The New York Times. “Can Congress Make an End-Run Around a Debt Limit Impasse? It's Tricky.” Carl Hulse and Jeanna Smialek. Apr 7, 2023. The New York Times. The Debt “2023 VAT Rates in Europe.” Cristina Enache. Jan 31, 2023. Tax Foundation. “National Debt: Definition, Impact, and Key Drivers.” Updated May 25, 2023. Investopedia. “Briefing Book: What is the Child Tax Credit?” Updated May 2021. Tax Policy Center. The Law H.R.3746: Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 Jen's Highlighted PDF CBO Estimate of Budgetary Effects Law Outline Division A: Limit Federal Spending Title I: Discretionary Spending Limits for Discretionary Category Sec. 101: Discretionary Spending Limits Sets spending caps for fiscal years 2024 and 2025 2024: Over $886 billion for defense Over $703 billion for non-defense Sec 102: Special Adjustments for Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025 If there is a continuing resolution in effect on or after January 1, 2024 for fiscal year 2024, or a continuing resolution for 2025 on or affect January 1, 2025, defense and non-defense spending will be sequestered, meaning a 1% across the board cut Title II: Budget Enforcement in the House of Representatives Explains how the House of Representatives must implement this law Title III: Budget Enforcement in the Senate Explains how the Senate must implement this law Division B: Save Taxpayer Dollars Title I: Rescission of Unobligated Funds Takes money back from accounts where it wasn't all spent including from: The Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Specifically their COVID vaccine activities and vaccine supply chains All the money except $7 billion for COVID testing and mitigation All of the SARS-CO-V2 genomic sequencing money except for $714 million All of the money for COVID global health programs International Disaster Assistance funds for the State Department National Institutes of Health - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Community health centers National Health Service Corps Nurse Corps Graduate level teaching health centers Mental health and substance use disorder training for health care professionals and public safety officers Grants for mental health for medical providers Funding for pediatric mental health care access Grants for survivors of sexual assault Child abuse prevention and treatment Medical visits at home for families State and local fiscal recovery funds Rural health care grants Restaurant revitalization fund Elementary and secondary school emergency relief funds Housing for people with disabilities Housing for the elderly Grants to Amtrak and airports Air carrier worker support and air transportation payroll support Title II: Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Sec. 251: Rescission of Certain Balances Made Available to the Internal Revenue Service Defunds the IRS by approximately $1.4 billion Title III: Statutory Administrative Pay-As-You-Go Requires agencies to submit plan to reduce spending in an equal or greater amount to every action they take that increases spending. This is easily waived and expires at the end of 2024.. Title IV: Termination of Suspension of Payments on Federal Student Loans: Resumption of Accrual of Interest and Collections Sec. 271: Termination of Suspension of Payments on Federal Student Loans; Resumption of Accrual of Interest and Collections At the end of September, people with Federal student loans will have to begin repayment of their loans, and the Secretary of Education is not allowed to implement an extension of the payment pause. Division C: Grow the Economy Title I: Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Orders reports about work requirements for welfare payments Title II: SNAP Exemptions Sec. 311: Modification of Work Requirement Exemptions In order to receive food benefits for more than 3 months in a 3 year period, "able bodied" people have to work at least 20 hours per week or participate in a work program for 20 hours per week unless that person is under 18 or over 50 years old, medically unable to work, is a parent with dependent children, or is pregnant. This provision increases the work requirement age over the next few years so it becomes 55 years old. This provision adds homeless individuals, veterans or foster kids until they are 24 to the list of people exempt from the work requirements This provision expires and the qualifications revert back to what they used to be on October 1, 2030 Title III: Permitting Reform Sec. 321: Builder Act Changes the requirements for NEPA environmental studies to include "any negative environmental impacts of not implementing the proposed agency action in the case of a no action alternative..." and requires only "irreversible and irretrievable commitments of FEDERAL resources which would be involved in the proposed agency action should it be implemented" Adds circumstances when agencies will not have to produce environmental impact documents Requires environmental impact statements when the action has a "reasonably foreseeable significant effect on the quality of the HUMAN environment." Allows agencies to use "any reliable data source" and says the agency is "not required to undertake new scientific or technical research unless the new scientific or technical research is essential to a reasoned choice among alternatives and the overall costs and time frame of obtaining it are not unreasonable." Assigns roles for "lead agencies" and "cooperating agencies" and says that the agencies will produce a single environmental document Sets a 150 page limit on environmental impact statements and 300 pages for a proposed agency action with "extraordinary complexity" Sets a 75 page limit on environmental assessments Requires lead agencies to allow a "project sponsor" to prepare environmental assessments and environmental impact statements under the supervision of the agency. The lead agency will "evaluate" the documents and "shall take responsibility for the contents." Environmental impact statements must be complete in under 2 years after the EIS is ordered by the agency Environmental assessments must be completed in 1 year The agency may extend the deadlines Project sponsors are given the right to take government agencies to court for failure to meet a deadline Sec. 324: Expediting Completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline "Congress hereby ratifies and approves all authorizations, permits, verifications, extensions, biological opinions, incidental take statements, and any other approvals or orders issued pursuant to Federal law necessary for the construction and initial operation at full capacity of the Mountain Valley Pipeline." Gives the Secretary of the Army 21 days after enactment of this law to issue "all permits or verifications necessary to complete the construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline across the waters of the United States" "No court shall have jurisdiction..." to review "...any approval necessary for the construction and initial operation at full capacity of the Mountain Valley Pipeline... including any lawsuit pending in a court as of the date of enactment of this section." Division D: Increase the Debt Limit Sec. 401: Temporary Extension of Public Debt Limit Suspends the debt limit until January 1, 2025 On January 2, 2025, the debt limit will automatically increase to whatever amount the debt level is at the end of the suspension Audio Sources Senate Session June 1, 2023 Highlighted Transcript Senate Session Parts 1 & 2 May 31, 2023 Highlighted Transcript Meeting: H.R. 3746 - Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 May 30, 2023 House Committee on Rules Watch it on YouTube Clips 22:50 Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO): I should note for my colleagues that Democrats could have raised the debt limit last year when they controlled the House of Representatives. 35:30 Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS): The Fiscal Responsibility Act finally ends the federal student loan moratorium and the so-called interest pause, effective August 31, 2023. For every month borrowers were allowed to skip payments, $4.3 billion were added to the American taxpayers debt. 41 months later, the moratorium has cost American taxpayers approximately $176 billion. 1:01:15 Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO): The President put forward a budget months ago. Chairman Smith, do you know when the President submitted his budget to the United States Congress? Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO): I don't remember but it was -- Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO): It was March 9th. Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO): It was late. It was due February 1st. Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO): Oh, I'm glad you noted that. Chairman Smith, when did the Republicans submit their budget? Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO): You would need to ask the budget committee. Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO): I would need to ask the budget committee. Mr. Estes. When did the Republicans submit their budget? [Pause] Only in the Rules Committee, by the way, could a witness lay blame at the president for being a few weeks late in submitting his budget when his party hasn't submitted a budget, period. 1:06:45 Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA): We also run the risk that we will one day not be the reserve currency of the world. The reason why our interest rates are so low comparatively, is because we are a safe haven for investment for the rest of the world. These sort of antics increasingly bring that into doubt whether or not folks will get their money, the folks who are lending to us. 1:24:15 Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM): Now, Standard and Poor's, they downgraded our credit rating. Have they increased that credit rating? Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA): No. There are three credit agencies Standard and Poor's, which was the one that downgraded us in 2011, never reversed their downgrade. And frankly my concern and the worry right now is that the other two credit agencies will now follow suit, given the events of the last couple of months, which obviously look very much like 2011 all over again. 1:50:55 Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA): I continue to be stunned by the fact that when I look at this deal, which focuses on discretionary funding, that the people who seem to be asked to do the most or to absorb the hits the most are the people that least can afford it. The military budget is part of this discretionary budget, it's over 50% of the discretionary budget. The United States spends more on national defense than China, Russia, India, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, Germany, France, South Korea, Japan and Ukraine combined. And yet, if this moves forward, we see an increase in defense spending. I mentioned in my opening remarks, I don't know how many of you saw the 60 minutes piece the other day, I mean, we all know, of the cost overruns in the Department of Defense. I mean, the idea that we're spending $10,000 for a $300 oil switch. I mean, it's been there for a long time, and yet, we seem unable to want to grapple with that waste and those cost overruns. I don't know if it's the defense lobbyists or the campaign contributions or whatever it is, but somehow, when it comes to the military budget, you know, not only are we not holding them accountable, but you know, we say we're going to increase it even more, even more, we'll give you more. 2:57:40 Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX): Look, I'm for NEPA reforms 100%. We need them for road projects, transportation, particularly for our energy industry. But my concern here that we've got language that none of us have fully reviewed, going through the committees of jurisdiction that has been adopted, that I've got colleagues texting me and saying they're not 100% sure if that language is good or bad for the purpose intended. I've got colleagues on both sides of the aisle that have raised those questions. And so the purpose intended, of course, is to streamline projects, whatever those projects may be. But I've got a text right here from GOP colleagues saying, Well, I'm not so sure that these will actually do what we think they will do, to streamline said projects. And in fact, a former high up in the administration, in the Energy Department under the Trump administration, just validated that concern by one of my colleagues. Yet we are putting forward this measures saying some grand improvement with respect to NEPA, that that's somehow something we should be applauding when it's not the full package of H.R. 1, which had gone through committee. And importantly, the one thing that I think is 100% clear, is that this bill fails to include even the most basic reform to President Biden's unreliable energy subsidies that were put forward in the so called inflation Reduction Act for the wealthy, elites, corporations, and the Chinese Communist Party just to be blunt. And frankly, it ensures that permitting reform will likely benefit renewables the most. Basically, if you're a government that is subsidizing the crap out of something, in this case, unreliable energy, giving massive subsidies to billion dollar corporations, giving significant subsidies to families that make over 100,000, 300,000 for EVs, because you're chasing your your dreams of, you know, a fossil fuel-less world. You're going to absolutely decimate our grid because you're not going to have the projects being developed for the gas and the coal nuclear that are actually required to keep your grid functioning. But yeah, that's what we're doing and I just for the life of me can't understand why we're applauding that. 3:15:50 Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO): So we've been asking for the IRS to give us a plan of how they wanted to spend the additional $80 billion that they had. They finally gave that to Congress about six weeks, eight weeks ago. They broke down how they're spending the $80 billion: $1.4 billion of it was for hiring more agents and what the bill before you does, it eliminates that $1.4 billion for this year. House Session May 25, 2023 Highlighted Transcript House Session, Morning Hour, Parts 1 & 2 May 24, 2023 Highlighted PDF How the Pentagon falls victim to price gouging by military contractors May 21, 2023 60 Minutes The Rich Get Richer, Deficits Get Bigger: How Tax Cuts for the Wealthy and Corporations Drive the National Debt May 17, 2023  Senate Budget Committee Witnesses: Bobby Kogan, Senior Director, Federal Budget Policy, Center for American Progress Bruce Bartlett, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy, United States Department of Treasury Samantha Jacoby, Senior Tax Legal Analyst, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Dr. Adam Michel, Director of Tax Policy Studies, Cato Institute Scott Hodge, President Emeritus & Senior Policy Advisor, Tax Foundation Clips 32:25 Bobby Kogan: Today I intend to make two points. First, without the Bush tax cuts, their bipartisan extensions, and the Trump tax cuts, the ratio of debt to GDP would be declining indefinitely. And second, our rising debt ratio is due entirely to these tax cuts and not to spending increases. Throughout this testimony, When I say spending, I mean primary spending, that is spending excluding interest on the federal debt, and every mention of revenues, spending deficits, and debt means those amounts as a percent of GDP. Okay, according to CBO primary deficits are on track to stabilize at roughly 4% over 30 years, high enough to cause the debt to rise indefinitely. The common refrain that you will hear, that I heard when I staffed this committee, and that unfortunately, I expect to hear today, is that rising debt is due to rising spending. Revenues have been roughly flat since the 1960s and while spending was also roughly flat until recently, demographic changes and rising healthcare costs are now pushing the costs up. These facts are true. Our intuitions might reasonably tell us that if revenues are flat, and spending is rising, then the one changing must be to blame. But our intuitions are wrong. In CBO's periodic long term projections earlier this century, spending was projected to continue rising, but despite this CBO routinely projected long term debt stability, It projected revenues to keep up with this rising spending, not due to tax increases, but due to our tax code bringing in more as our country and the people in it prospered. That prosperity results in both higher revenue collection and higher real after tax income for the people whose incomes are growing, it is a win win. In other words, we used to have a tax system that would fully keep pace with rising spending. And then the Bush tax cuts were enacted and expanded, and then on a bipartisan basis eventually made largely permanent in 2013. Under the law dictating CBO and OMB's baseline construction, temporary changes in tax law are assumed to end as scheduled. In practice this meant that CBO is projection showed the Bush tax cuts ending on schedule with the tax code then reverting to prior law. 2012 was therefore the last year in which CBO is projections reflected the Bush tax cuts expiring. Yes, CBO's 2012 long term projections showed rising spending, but it also showed revenues exceeding spending for all 65 years of its extended baseline with indefinite surpluses, CBO showed debt declining indefinitely. But ever since the Bush tax cuts were made permanent CBO has showed revenues lower than spending and has projected debt to rise indefinitely. And since then, the Trump tax cuts further reduced revenues. Without the Bush tax cuts, their bipartisan extensions, and the Trump tax cuts, debt would be declining indefinitely, regardless of your assumptions about the alternative minimum tax. Two points explain this. The first employs a concept called the fiscal gap, which measures how much primary deficit reduction is required to stabilize the debt. The 30 year fiscal gap is currently 2.4% of GDP, which means that on average primary deficits over 30 years would need to be 2.4% of GDP lower for the debt in 2053 to be equal to what it is now. The size of the Bush tax cuts their extensions and the Trump tax cuts under current law over the next 30 years is 3.8% of GDP. Therefore, mathematically and unequivocally without these tax cuts, debt would be declining as a percent of GDP, not rising. 41:45 Bruce Bartlett: The reason I changed my mind about taxes and decided that we needed tax increases happened on a specific day that I'm sure Senator Grassley remembers, if nobody else. And that was the day in November of 2003, when the Medicare Part D legislation passed, and I was just, you know, at the time, I thought the reason Republicans, and I was a Republican in those days, were put on this earth was to control entitlement programs. And I was appalled that an entirely new entitlement program was created that was completely unfunded. It raised the deficit forever by about 1% of GDP. And I thought a dedicated tax should have been enacted, along with that program, which I didn't oppose and don't oppose. In fact, I benefit from it at my age. But I just think that we need proper funding. And that was when I first started saying we needed to raise taxes, because we just can't cut discretionary spending enough to fix the problem. And I think this is the error of the House budget, which cuts almost entirely domestic discretionary spending, doesn't even touch defense, and I just think that's extraordinarily unrealistic and an unserious approach to our deficit problem. We simply have to do something about entitlements. If you're going to control spending, control the budget on the spending side, I don't think we're going to do that. I think we need a new tax. I have advocated a value added tax for many years, as a supplement to our existing tax system. It creates, you can raise a lot of revenue from it every virtually every industrialized country has one. The money could be used to fix things in the tax code, as a tax reform measure. Once upon a time in the 70s, and even the 80s, it was considered the sine qua non of Republican tax policy, because it's a consumption based tax system, a flat tax, and now many Republicans are in favor of something called the Fair Tax which is very similar except that it won't work. Administratively it's poorly designed. The Value Added Tax will work and that's why it should be a better approach to these problems. 49:15 Samantha Jacoby: Wealthy people who get their income from investments accumulate large gains as those assets go up in value over time, but they won't owe income tax unless they sell their assets. And if they never sell, no one will ever pay income tax on those gains. That's arguably the biggest flaw in the tax code. Policymakers should consider a tax like President Biden's budget proposal to enact a minimum tax on very wealthy households. This would treat unrealized capital gains, which is the primary source of income for many wealthy households, as taxable income instead of letting income accrue tax free across generations. 54:15 Dr. Adam Michel: Keeping government small is the best way to ensure that the American people can continue to prosper. 58:45 Scott Hodge: There are many elements of the tax code that benefit the wealthy and big corporations, I absolutely agree, and the inflation Reduction Act is the most recent example of corporate welfare in the tax code. 1:01:00 Samantha Jacoby: So the the 2017 law, it dramatically changed the way that foreign profits are taxed of multinationals. And so what happens now is large corporations who have big, big foreign profit centers, lots of foreign profits overseas, they pay a lower tax rate on those foreign profits than they do on their domestic profits or purely domestic businesses pay. 1:02:55 Bruce Bartlett: And one of the things I tried to do in my prepared testimony is look at what has actually happened in the seven years since then. And very few studies, I know, some of the tests, the footnotes and my colleagues testimony or to our projections based on studies were done in 2017, 2018. I tried to find things that were written more recently, perhaps, or preferably, I should say, in the academic literature, which I think is more substantive and more dependable. And I looked at peer reviewed journals, and the data that I could find showed no macroeconomic impact whatsoever. It didn't raise growth, it didn't lower growth. And I think I concluded in that -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI): It did shift wealth, correct? Bruce Bartlett: Excuse me? Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI): It did shift wealth. Bruce Bartlett: Oh, absolutely. No question about that. But I'm more interested in the macroeconomic effect on investment and growth and employment. And I would just close by saying that if a tax cut had no positive impact, then it can't have any negative impact if you get rid of it. Now, you may not want to for other reasons.... 1:05:25 Bobby Kogan: Right. So our demographic changes and rising healthcare costs are the reason that spending is increasing. If you break spending into two categories, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, everything else, including the everything else entitlements, the everything else is shrinking as a percent of GDP and it's the Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security that are growing. And they are growing not because they are getting more, they're doing more, it's not because we're giving more and more to seniors, and to extremely poor people, but because it costs more to do the same. And that is the rising that is the demographics is changing the ratio of non workers to workers and there's also the rising health care costs. And so what this means is that if you want to spend less, you are necessarily saying that future seniors should be getting less of a benefit than they're currently getting. That's the only way to do it. Since that's the portion of the budget that's growing, if you want to cut that, you have to say that the current amount that we're doing for Social Security recipients, the current amount that we're doing for seniors, the current amount that we're doing for people on Medicaid is too much, and future people should be having less. That's the only way to do it. And, you know, the very nice thing that I had though, ii my testimony, we used to have a tax system that despite that rising, we keep up with that, and now we don't. 1:15:50 Bruce Bartlett: Well, first of all, I think in terms of tax shelters and tax evasion and extreme levels of tax avoidance, the problem isn't so much with the law as with the enforcement. And as you know, it's been the policy of Republicans to slash the budget of the IRS in real terms, for many years, which is a way of giving, privatizing tax avoidance to rich people and the rich individuals have the greatest power and ability to evade taxation. And I think it was really wonderful that the Congress increased the IRS budget, and I think it's just the height of absurdity that one of the major elements of the House Republican proposal is to slash the IRS budget again, even though the CBO has said this is a revenue losing proposition. 2:06:40 Bruce Bartlett: I think there's absolutely no question that the debt limit is unconstitutional, and not just under the 14th Amendment, section four, but under the general powers of the President. I mean, one of the things that I will point out is that the debt limit is a very serious national security issue. A huge percentage of the national debt that is owned by foreigners is owned by foreign central banks. They are not going to be happy if their assets are suddenly worth a great deal less than they thought they were. I think the President has full power within his inherent authority to simply declare the debt limit null and void. And I would point out that it's not a simple question of whether you just break the debt limit. I think a lot of people, even on this committee, forget the impoundment part of the Budget Act of 1974, which says the President must spend the money that is appropriated by law, he doesn't have the choice not to, which is what some Republicans seem to think that he can do. And he lacks that power. So I would agree that the President has that power. I wish he would use it. I wish it as sincerely as anything I believe in life. Thank you. Senate Session May 16, 2023 Highlighted PDF House Session May 16, 2023 Highlighted PDF Senate Session May 15, 2023 Highlighted PDF House Session May 10, 2023 Highlighted PDF Senate Session, Parts 1 & 2 May 19, 2023 Highlighted PDF Senate Session May 9, 2023 Highlighted PDF Senate Session May 4, 2023 Highlighted PDF Senate Session, Parts 1 & 2 May 2, 2023 Highlighted PDF Music Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Editing Pro Podcast Solutions Production Assistance Clare Kuntz Balcer

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) discusses the debt ceiling bill and the inclusion of provisions for the Mountain Valley Pipeline. In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) reviews defense spending caps in the bipartisan debt deal. Former Trump attorney Timothy Parlatore joins exclusively to give insight into ongoing investigations into the former president. After nine years as moderator of Meet the Press, Chuck Todd announces he will step down at the end of summer.

Headlines for May 31, 2023; A Dirty Debt Deal: Biden Blasted for Backing Fast-Track Approval of Mountain Valley Pipeline; Supreme Court Guts Clean Water Act as Conservative Justices Side with Polluters and Developers; Ugandan Rights Activist: U.S. Conservatives Exported Anti-LGBTQ Hate That Led to “Kill the Gays” Law; Erdoğan Reelected to 5 More Years in Turkey as His Government Grows More Authoritarian & Nationalist

As the House prepares to vote on Kevin McCarthy's debt-ceiling bill, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin applauds a provision expediting the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Plus, a listener asks who got the better end of the negotiations, and Rep. Thomas Massie says he'll vote yes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Headlines for May 31, 2023; A Dirty Debt Deal: Biden Blasted for Backing Fast-Track Approval of Mountain Valley Pipeline; Supreme Court Guts Clean Water Act as Conservative Justices Side with Polluters and Developers; Ugandan Rights Activist: U.S. Conservatives Exported Anti-LGBTQ Hate That Led to “Kill the Gays” Law; Erdoğan Reelected to 5 More Years in Turkey as His Government Grows More Authoritarian & Nationalist