Podcast appearances and mentions of Rosalind S Helderman

What is truth? With George Santos, who knows. This week we're talking about the most prolific liar in the US Congress, Long Island's recent house member elect: George Santos.In this episode we're talking about who George Santos is and how he got here... here being both the United States and the House of Representatives. If you like our content, please become a patron if you'd like to support us directly. You'll get all of our episodes ad-free. The only thing we know for sure about George is that he is in fact a child of Brazilian immigrants, the rest is a very moving target. We only know that because he has a pending criminal charge in Brazil, apparently he stole the checkbook of a deceased man his mother was caring for and went shopping on the dead man's account. 1 More interestingly, George is apparently quite friendly with Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg, via Viktor's cousin in the United States Andrew Intrater. Santos is the largest recipient of funds from Intrater / Vekselberg linked companies in the past election cycle and the only one to get individual donations from both Intrater and his wife. 2 Santos is also linked to an investment firm in Florida called Harbor City Capital which was shut down by the SEC for operating as a ponzi scheme, and directors of that company including Jayson Benoit and Devaughn Dames are now involved in other Republican fundraising and political organizations, such as WinRed and Red Strategies USA. WinRed in particular has some explaining to do, as Santos and another campaign affiliated with his former Harbor City buddies (Tina Forte who ran against AOC in 2022 and lost by 44 points) are accused of fraudulently over-billing donor credit cards via the WinRed payment processing service. 3 WinRed's treasurer is a man named Benjamin Ottenhoff who came up in the Senate campaigns of Rick Scott, the senator from Florida who, unsurprisingly, was the CEO of a company which at the time pled guilty to the largest Medicare fraud in US history. Funny how Republicans pretend to care about how things cost too much but are either throwing money at scams or perpetrating them all the time, isn't it? Predictably, an Ottenhoff firm was also paid quite a bit to "consult" on Kanye West's political campaign, too. 4 1. Grace Ashford and André Spigariol. Brazilian Authorities Will Revive Fraud Case Against George Santos. The New York Times. January 2023. ⇤2. Isaac Stanley-Becker and Rosalind S. Helderman . New details link George Santos to cousin of sanctioned Russian oligarch. The Washington Post. January 2023. ⇤3. Hunter Walker and Josh Kovensky. Campaigns Linked To Santos Left Donors Feeling Ripped Off After Questionable Credit Card Charges. Talking Points Memo. January 2023. ⇤4. Roger Sollenberger and William Bredderman. Kanye West's ‘Independent' Campaign Was Secretly Run by GOP Elites. The Daily Beast. ⇤

Josie Duffy Rice, David Plotz and John Dickerson discuss America's radicalized parents; what the midterms may bring; and the Sandy Hook families' victory. Here are some notes and references from this week's show: Clara Jeffrey for Mother Jones: “What Pundits Don't Understand About the San Francisco Recall” Jasper Scherer and Benjamin Wermund for The Houston Chronicle: “We Asked All 143 Texas GOP Congressional Candidates About Biden's Win. Only 13 Call it Legitimate.” John Dickerson for the Atlantic: “The GOP Has No Standards Now” Here's this week's chatter: John: Rosalind S. Helderman for the Washington Post: “All The Ways Trump Tried to Overturn The Election — And How it Could Happen Again.”  Josie: The School for Good Mothers, by Jessamine Chan David: Watch some Olympic curling. Listener chatter from Paul Hiebing: Annie Rauwerda for Input Magazine: “The Adorable Love Story Behind Wikipedia's ‘High Five' Photos”   For this week's Slate Plus bonus segment Josie, John, and David discuss their hiding places as children and adults.   Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank. Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josie Duffy Rice, David Plotz and John Dickerson discuss America's radicalized parents; what the midterms may bring; and the Sandy Hook families' victory. Here are some notes and references from this week's show: Clara Jeffrey for Mother Jones: “What Pundits Don't Understand About the San Francisco Recall” Jasper Scherer and Benjamin Wermund for The Houston Chronicle: “We Asked All 143 Texas GOP Congressional Candidates About Biden's Win. Only 13 Call it Legitimate.” John Dickerson for the Atlantic: “The GOP Has No Standards Now” Here's this week's chatter: John: Rosalind S. Helderman for the Washington Post: “All The Ways Trump Tried to Overturn The Election — And How it Could Happen Again.”  Josie: The School for Good Mothers, by Jessamine Chan David: Watch some Olympic curling. Listener chatter from Paul Hiebing: Annie Rauwerda for Input Magazine: “The Adorable Love Story Behind Wikipedia's ‘High Five' Photos”   For this week's Slate Plus bonus segment Josie, John, and David discuss their hiding places as children and adults.   Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank. Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Election Day, we talk about how the events of Jan. 6 have affected our elections. Plus, what nations participating in COP26 will have to give up to avoid more climate change catastrophes. Read more:For months, journalists at The Washington Post have been trying to understand: How did the insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6 happen? And what's happened to the country since then?As part of a three-part investigative series by The Washington Post, Rosalind S. Helderman has been reporting on how a deep distrust of the voting process has taken root across the country.“Democracy is in some ways a trust exercise,” she says. “We all go into it together and we make an agreement with each other that we are going to trust each other enough to hold an election, and if we lose, to accept the will of the majority. And if you don't trust that anymore — if the bonds of that trust erode — you just can't have a democracy.” Then we turn to climate reporter Sarah Kaplan for an update on COP26 in Glasgow — the massive climate change summit of almost 200 countries where she says “humanity tries to figure out once again how we are going to tackle climate change.” If you value the journalism you hear in this podcast, please subscribe to The Washington Post. We have a deal for our listeners: one year of unlimited access to everything The Post publishes for just $29. To sign up, go to washingtonpost.com/subscribe.

Watching the chaotic end of America's longest war, we've been thinking a lot about the terrorist attack that set it in motion. We interviewed colleagues who covered 9/11 to try to make sense of how that day changed the country and the world.Read more:“Where were you on September 11th?” Most Americans over a certain age have a 9/11 story — of the moment they heard the news of the terrorist attacks, or of anxiously calling family members to make sure they were okay. In the 20 years since the attacks, that day for some may feel like a slowly fading memory. But the direct consequences of that Tuesday in 2001 are still playing out in the news in front of us every day.Today on Post Reports, we're telling the story of 9/11 through the eyes of our newsroom. We spoke with Post colleagues who covered it — from senior editors, to reporters at the Pentagon, to an intern.“It changed everyone's lives,” says Post reporter Juliet Eilperin, who was covering Congress that day, “not only in terms of those who lost people that they cared about that day, but what it meant for the commitment of our military and what it meant for people living in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Middle East.”As the Afghanistan war comes to a harrowing close, we look at how the 9/11 terrorist attacks shaped our world and how the consequences of that day are still with us. This story was produced by Ariel Plotnick and Emma Talkoff. It was edited by Maggie Penman, Renita Jablonski and Martine Powers.It was scored and mixed by Ted Muldoon, who wrote original music for this show. Reena Flores and Rennie Svirnovskiy were also a huge help with this story.In this story, you'll hear the voices of Leonard Downie, Arthur Santana, Juliet Eilperin, Valerie Strauss, Amy Goldstein, Amy Argetsinger, Marc Fisher, Katie Shaver, Karen DeYoung, Mike Allen, Rosalind S. Helderman, Chuck Lane, Debbi Wilgoren and Matt Vita. Thank you to WTOP News for sharing its 9/11 archive.We talked to so many people for this story who helped shape our understanding of that day, including Tracy Grant, Freddy Kunkle, Dana Milbank, Ellen Nakashima, Ann Gerhart and Dudley Brooks. And a big thank-you to Joe Heim, who pitched this idea to our show.The Post has many other stories reflecting on the anniversary of 9/11 and how our country has changed 20 years later.Listen to “America's Song,” a special podcast series from The Post about how a singing police officer comforted a grieving nation after 9/11 — and why the moment couldn't last.9/11 was a test. Carlos Lozada writes that the books of the past two decades show how America failed.

On the cusp of another impeachment trial, court documents point to how former president Donald Trump’s rhetoric allegedly fueled the rioters who attacked the Capitol. And, whether double-masking makes sense.Read more:Reporter Rosalind S. Helderman shares the latest in the impending impeachment trial of former president Donald Trump.Health reporter Fenit Nirappil explains whether people should start wearing surgical masks beneath their fabric masks — especially as coronavirus variants spread.As the impeachment trial begins this week, consider going back to listen to our Post Reports deep dive into the events at the Capitol on Jan. 6. That episode gives a moment-by-moment breakdown of the riot, with voices you may not have heard before and insights into the events at the center of the impeachment trial. That episode of Post Reports is called “Four Hours of Insurrection,” and you can find it here or wherever you get your podcasts.If you value the journalism you hear every weekday in this podcast, consider subscribing to The Post. You can find a special offer just for our listeners at postreports.com/offer.

Why the vaccine rollout has been slower than expected in the United States. And, the political theater of counting electoral college votes. Read more:Reporters Isaac Stanley-Becker and Brittany Shammas explain why state and local health systems are struggling to roll out coronavirus vaccines, and what that means for people hoping to sign up.On Wednesday, Joe Biden will be one step closer to the presidency. Rosalind S. Helderman reports on what to expect during the congressional counting of electoral votes, and the futility of Republican lawmakers' objections. Subscribe to The Washington Post: https://postreports.com/offer

In the last episode before the 2020 election, let's take a comprehensive look at what went on in the 116th Congress, a divided Congress during which the House of Representatives was controlled for the first time since Congressional Dish began by the Democratic Party. It was a chaotic two years, with a series of unprecedented events. Did our Congress serve us well in these crazy times? Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Click here to contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Click here to support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank’s online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536 Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Recommended Episodes CD221: Kicking the Funding Can CD216: Dingleberries Against Police Brutality CD213: CARES Act - The Trillions for COVID-19 Law CD212: The COVID-19 Response Laws CD211: Coronavirus (COVID-19) CD209: USMCA with Lori Wallach CD208: The Brink of the Iran War CD207: State of Corporatism CD206: Impeachment: The Evidence CD192: Democracy Upgrade Stalled CD188: Welcome to the 116th Congress CD167: Combating Russia (NDAA 2018) LIVE CD131: Bombing Libya CD068: Ukraine Aid Bill CD067: What Do We Want In Ukraine? Articles/Documents Article: Article on Joe and Hunter Biden Censored By The Intercept By Greenwald, October 29, 2020 Article: Trump campaign places Facebook ads telling users wrong election day By Kiran Stacey in Washington and Hannah Murphy, Financial Times, October 27, 2020 Article: Nancy Pelosi’s One-Woman Congress By Alexander Sammon, The American Prospect, October 26, 2020 Article: With the Hunter Biden Expose, Suppression is a Bigger Scandal Than The Actual Story By Matt Taibbi, Reporting by Matt Taibbi, October 24, 2020 Article: Unlike most Pa. counties, Perry County requires voters to pay for postage to cast ballots by mail By Jan Murphy, PennLive, October 21, 2020 Article: PART FIVE: COURTING CORPORATE THEOCRACY By Intercepted, The Intercept, October 20, 2020 Article: Worried about mailing your ballot? Here’s what postage you will need By ABC7 Staff, WWSB September 28, 2020 Article: BANKS STAND TO MAKE $18 BILLION IN PPP PROCESSING FEES FROM CARES ACT By Bryce Covert, The Intercept, July 14, 2020 Transcript: Joe Biden Leaked Call Transcript with Petro Poroshenko Rev, May 20, 2020 Article: Ukrainian lawmaker releases leaked phone calls of Biden and Poroshenko By Paul Sonne and Rosalind S. Helderman, May 19, 2020 Article: Here are the largest public companies taking payroll loans meant for small businesses By Thomas Franck, CNBC, April 24, 2020 Article: Buzz over Venezuela’s Guaido fades as Maduro holds firm By Scott Smith, AP News, December 23, 2019 Article: Federal judge blocks use of billions of dollars in Pentagon funds to build border wall By Priscilla Alvarez and Caroline Kelly, CNN, December 10, 2019 Article: Memo to Both Parties: On Emergency and Impeachment, Beware Unintended Consequences By Gerald F. Seib, The Wall Street Journal, March 18, 2019 Document: Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Southern Border of the United States by the Executive Office of the President, National Archives, February 15, 2019 Article: No ‘Emergency’ Will Allow Trump to Build His Wall By Noah Feldman, Bloomberg Opinion, January 8, 2019 Article: The Making of Juan Guaido: How the US Regime Change Laboratory Created Venezuela’s Coup Leader By Dan Cohen and Max Blumenthal, Mint Press News, January 19, 2019 Article: The US is currently in 31 other national emergencies. Here's what that means. By Indra Ekmanis, The World, January 11, 2019 Article: A Chronology of the Ukrainian Coup By Renee Parsons, Common Dreams, March 5, 2014 Article: In Ukraine, Sens. McCain, Murphy address protesters, promise support By Will Englund, The Washington Post, December 15, 2013 Additional Resources Confirmation Listing: Judicial Confirmations, United States Courts, October 30, 2020 State Laws Governing Early Voting, By National Conference of State Legislatures, October 22, 2020 2018–2019 United States federal government shutdown, Wikipedia Images Tweet: Chris Murphy, Twitter Tweet: Joe Biden, Twitter Tweet: Joe Biden Sound Clip Sources News Clip: Mark Meadows: We're not going to control the pandemic, CNN, October 25, 2020 News Clip: Woodward tapes show Trump knew the dangers of COVID-19 but downplayed it, CBS News, September 9, 2020 Hearing: Leaked conversation between Joe Biden and former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, May 20, 2020 Transcript: 13:00 VP Joe Biden: Hey, Mr. President. Joe Biden. How are you? Petro Poroshenko: Very well indeed, as is usual when I hear your voice. What we’re doing now, I think within the last three weeks, we have demonstrated a real, real great progress in the reforms. We voted in the Parliament 100% tariffs, despite the fact that the IMF expected only 75%. We are launching real reform of the state owned enterprises. We are launching reform for the prices for medicine, removing all the obstacles. VP Joe Biden: I agree, I agree. 14:45 VP Joe Biden: Hey, Mr. President. Joe Biden. How are you? Petro Poroshenko: Very well indeed, as is usual when I hear your voice. VP Joe Biden: You are doing very well. Congratulations on getting the new Prosecutor General. I know that there’s a lot more that has to be done but I really think that’s good and I understand your working with the Rada in the coming days on a number of additional laws to secure the IMF, but congratulations on installing the new prosecutor general. It’s going to be critical for him to work quickly to repair the damage Shokin did, and I’m a man of my word, and now that the new prosecutor general is in place we’re ready to move forward in signing that new one billion dollar loan guarantee. I don’t know how you want to go about that? I’m not going to be able to get to Kiev anytime soon, I mean, in the next month or so, and I don’t know whether you could either sign it with our ambassador… 26:20 VP Joe Biden: Hey, Mr. President. Petro Poroshenko: Very good to hear you. VP Joe Biden: Good to hear you. By the way, you know I’ve talked about this a lot before. I guess Monday is the second anniversary. Remember, I’m counting on you to be the founding father of the modern Ukraine. Petro Poroshenko: Thank you, Joe. And I… I just want to be a little bit proactive. So we have no doubt that we should… implement the reforms but we should implement the reforms in a way that the people trust because if people do not trust the reforms, the reforms will be impossible to implement. Hearing: Coronavirus Preparedness and Response, House Oversight and Government Reform, March 12, 2020 Watch on Youtube Witnesses: Dr. Anthony Fauci: Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease at the National Institutes of Health Dr. Robert Redfield: Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Robert Kadlec: Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the Department of Health and Human Services Transcript: 36:30 Anthony Fauci: In the spirit of staying ahead of the game, right now, we should be doing things that separate us as best as possible from people who might be infected. And there are ways to do that. You know, we use the word social distancing, but most people don't know what that means, for example, crowds. We just heard that they're going to limit access to the capital. That's a really, really good idea to do. I know you like to meet and press the flesh with your constituencies. I think not now, I think you need I need I think you need to really cool it for a while because we should we should be practicing mitigation, even in areas that don't have a dramatic increase. I mean, everyone looks to Washington State. They look to California, they're having an obvious serious problem. But their problem now may be our problem tomorrow. News Clip: Trump praises Venezuela’s Juan Guaidó at the State of the Union | 2020 State of the Union, White House, PBS NewsHour, February 4, 2020 Hearing: Impeachment Inquiry, House Hearings, Impeachment Inquiry Hearing with E.U. Ambassador Gordon Sondland, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, C-SPAN Coverage, November 20, 2019 Watch on Youtube Witness Gordon Sondland, Owner of Providence Hotels Transcript: 54:00 Gordon Sondland: As I testified previously, Mr. Giuliani's requests were a quid pro quo for arranging a white house visit for President Zelensky. Mr. Giuliani demanded that Ukraine make a public statement announcing the investigations of the 2016 Election DNC server, and Burisma. 54:30 Gordon Sondland: Mr. Giuliani was expressing the desires of the president of the United States, and we knew these investigations were important to the president. 55:10 Gordon Sondland: I tried diligently to ask why the aid was suspended, but I never received a clear answer. Still haven't to this day. In the absence of any credible explanation for the suspension of aid, I later came to believe that the resumption of security aid would not occur until there was a public statement from Ukraine committing to the investigations of the 2016 elections and Burisma as Mr. Giuliani had demanded. 1:01:15 Gordon Sondland: Unfortunately, President Trump was skeptical. He expressed concerns that the Ukrainian government was not serious about reform, and he even mentioned that Ukraine tried to take him down in the last election. In response to our persistent efforts in that meeting to change his views, President Trump directed us to quote, "talk with Rudy." We understood that talk with Rudy meant talk with Mr. Rudy Giuliani, the president's personal lawyer. Let me say again, we weren't happy with the President's directive to talk with Rudy. We did not want to involve Mr. Giuliani. I believe then as I do now, that the men and women of the state department, not the president's personal lawyer, should take responsibility for Ukraine matters. Nonetheless, based on the president's direction we were faced with a choice, we could abandon the efforts to schedule the white house phone call and a white house visit between Presidents Trump and Zelensky, which was unquestionably in our foreign policy interest, or we could do as president Trump had directed and talk with Rudy. We chose the latter course, not because we liked it, but because it was the only constructive path open to us. 1:14:10 Gordon Sondland: I know that members of this committee frequently frame these complicated issues in the form of a simple question. Was there a quid pro quo? As I testified previously with regard to the requested white house call and the white house meeting, the answer is yes. Mr. Giuliani conveyed to Secretary Perry, Ambassador Volker and others that President Trump wanted a public statement from President Zelensky committing to investigations of Burisma and the 2016 election. Mr Giuliani expressed those requests directly to the Ukrainians and Mr. Giuliani also expressed those requests directly to us. We all understood that these prerequisites for the white house call and the right white house meeting reflected President Trump's desires and requirements. 1:43:00 Gordon Sondland: Again, through Mr. Giuliani, we were led to believe that that's what he wanted. 2:06:25 Gordon Sondland: President Trump never told me directly that the aid was conditioned on the meetings. The only thing we got directly from Giuliani was that the Burisma and 2016 elections were conditioned on the white house meeting. The aide was my own personal guess based again, on your analogy, two plus two equals four. 3:44:10 Daniel Goldman: It wasn't really a presumption, you heard from Mr. Giuliani? Gordon Sondland: Well, I didn't hear from Mr. Giuliani about the aid. I heard about the Burisma and 2016. Daniel Goldman: And you understood at that point, as we discussed, two plus two equals four, that the aid was there as well. Gordon Sondland: That was the problem, Mr. Goldman. No one told me directly that the aid was tied to anything. I was presuming it was. 5:02:10 Rep. Jim Himes (CT): What did mr Giuliani say to you that caused you to say that he is expressing the desires of the president United States? Gordon Sondland: Mr. Himes, when that was originally communicated, that was before I was in touch with mr Giuliani directly. So this all came through Mr. Volcker and others. Rep. Jim Himes (CT): So Mr. Volcker told you that he was expressing the desires of the President of the United States. Gordon Sondland: Correct. Hearing: [Impeachment Inquiry, House Hearings Ambassador Kurt Volker and National Security Aide Tim Morrison](https://www.c-span.org/video/?466377-1/impeachment-hearing-kurt-volker-tim-morrison), House Judiciary Committee, C-SPAN Coverage, November 19, 2019 Watch on Youtube Witnesses: Kurt Volker Timothy Morrison Transcript: 57:35 Kurt Volker: President Zelensky's senior aide, Andriy Yermak approached me several days later to ask to be connected to Mayor Giuliani. I agreed to make that connection. I did so because I understood that the new Ukrainian leadership wanted to convince those like Mayor Giuliani, who believes such a negative narrative about Ukraine, that times have changed and that under President Zelensky, Ukraine is worthy of us support. Ukrainians believed that if they could get their own narrative across in a way that convinced mayor Giuliani that they were serious about fighting corruption and advancing reform, Mayor Giuliani would convey that assessment to president Trump, thus correcting the previous negative narrative. That made sense to me and I tried to be helpful. I made clear to the Ukrainians, the mayor Giuliani was a private citizen, the president's personal lawyer, and not representing the US government. Likewise, in my conversations with mayor Giuliani, I never considered him to be speaking on the president's behalf or giving instructions, rather, the information flow was the other way. From Ukraine to mayor Giuliani in the hopes that this would clear up the information reaching President Trump. 1:00:15 Kurt Volker: I connected Mary Giuliani and Andriy Yermak by text and later by phone they met in person on August 2nd, 2019. In conversations with me following that meeting, which I did not attend, Mr Giuliani said that he had stressed the importance of Ukraine conducting investigations into what happened in the past, and Mr. Yermak stressed that he told Mr. Giuliani it is the government's program to root out corruption and implement reforms, and they would be conducting investigations as part of this process anyway. 1:00:45 Kurt Volker: Mr. Giuliani said he believed that Ukrainian president needed to make a statement about fighting corruption and that he had discussed this with Mr. Yermak. I said, I did not think that this would be a problem since that is the government's position. Anyway, I followed up with Mr. Yermak and he said that they would indeed be prepared to make a statement. 1:02:10 Kurt Volker: On August 16th, Mr. Yermak shared a draft with me, which I thought looked perfectly reasonable. It did not mention Burisma or 2016 elections, but was generic. Ambassador Sondland I had a further conversation with Mr. Giuliani who said that in his view, in order to be convincing that this government represented real change in Ukraine, the statement should include specific reference to Burisma and 2016 and again, there was no mention of vice president Biden in these conversations. Hearing: Diplomats Bill Taylor and George Kent Impeachment Inquiry Testimony, House Select Intelligence Committee, C-SPAN Coverage, November 13, 2019 Witnesses: William Taylor George Kent Transcript: 45:30 George Kent: In mid August, it became clear to me that Giuliani's efforts to gin up politically motivated investigations were now infecting U.S. Engagement with Ukraine, leveraging President Zelensky's desire for a white house meeting. Video: Mitch McConnell praises Trump for 'changing the federal courts forever', The Week, November 4, 2019 Press Video: Pelosi praises 'cleaner government' provisions in H.R. 1 , The Washington Post, March 7, 2019 2019 State of the Union Address, White House, U.S. Senate, February 5, 2019 Watch Transcript: 1:05:28 President Donald Trump - Two weeks ago, the United States officially recognized the legitimate government of Venezuela, and its new interim President, Juan Guaido. We stand with the Venezuelan people in their noble quest for freedom -- and we condemn the brutality of the Maduro regime, whose socialist policies have turned that nation from being the wealthiest in South America into a state of abject poverty and despair. Here, in the United States, we are alarmed by new calls to adopt socialism in our country. America was founded on liberty and independence --- not government coercion, domination, and control. We are born free, and we will stay free. Tonight, we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country. News Clip: Rep. Jordan: We have to fund Trump’s border wall now, Fox Business Network, December 18, 2018 News Clip: Trump says he would be ‘proud’ to shut down the government over border wall funding, Jennifer Haberkorn, Los Angeles Times, December 11, 2018 Remarks by Secretary of State: Remarks on the Way Forward for the United States Regarding Syria, U.S. Department of State, January 17, 2018. Discussion: Foreign Affairs Issue Launch with Former Vice President Joe Biden; Council on Foreign Affairs; January 23, 2018. Speakers: Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations Joe Biden, former Vice President of the United States Transcript: 00:24:15 Haass: In the piece, the two of you say that there’s no truth that the United States—unlike what Putin seems to believe or say, that the U.S. is seeking regime change in Russia. So the question I have is, should we be? And if not, if we shouldn’t be seeking regime change, what should we be seeking in the way of political change inside Russia? What’s an appropriate agenda for the United States vis-à-vis Russia, internally? Biden: I’ll give you one concrete example. I was—not I, but it just happened to be that was the assignment I got. I got all the good ones. And so I got Ukraine. And I remember going over, convincing our team, our leaders to—convincing that we should be providing for loan guarantees. And I went over, I guess, the 12th, 13th time to Kiev. And I was supposed to announce that there was another billion-dollar loan guarantee. And I had gotten a commitment from Poroshenko and from Yatsenyuk that they would take action against the state prosecutor. And they didn’t. So they said they had—they were walking out to a press conference. I said, nah, I’m not going to—or, we’re not going to give you the billion dollars. They said, you have no authority. You’re not the president. The president said—I said, call him. (Laughter.) I said, I’m telling you, you’re not getting the billion dollars. I said, you’re not getting the billion. I’m going to be leaving here in, I think it was about six hours. I looked at them and said: I’m leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money. Well, son of a bitch. (Laughter.) He got fired. And they put in place someone who was solid at the time. 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)

Rosalind S. Helderman on the new Senate report that alleges close ties between Trump’s 2016 campaign team and Russia. Fashion critic Robin Givhan shares Sen. Kamala D. Harris’s journey to a historically Black university. Read more:What’s in the Senate’s ‘grave’ new Russia report?Sen. Kamala D. Harris’s Black identity blossomed at Howard University, according to fashion critic Robin Givhan.Subscribe to The Washington Post: https://postreports.com/offer

Since COVID-19 began ravaging the human race, Congress has passed three bills into law that are meant to respond to both the health care crisis and the financial crisis. In this episode, Jen highlights the first two laws in their entirety and the provisions from the third law that are most likely to help the most Americans - the cash payments and unemployment provisions. She also documents the process used to pass all three bills into law, because this is NOT the way Congress is supposed to function. We have some firing to do.  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 CD199: Surprise Medical Bills Bills HR 6074: Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 Document Text: HR 6074: Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 Summary: HR 6074: Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 Passed 415-2 in the House on march 4 (two no votes were two GOP’s I’ve never heard of) Passed 96-1 in the Senate. Rand Paul was the only person to vote against it There was no rules committee hearing because they passed it bypasses suspending the rules of the house (requires 2/3rds of the house to vote yes to pass) Trump administration requested $2.5 billion Title III: $2.2 billion for the CDC that they can use until September 30, 2022 Requires $475 million of the CDC grants to be spent in 30 days Some of this money can be used to purchase and insure cars in foreign countries Title III: $836 million for NIH that they can use until September 30, 2024 - which is money that can be used here in the states or abroad Only $10 million was required to be spent on preventing and reducing exposure of hospital employees, emergency first responders, and other workers at risk of exposure = 1.2% of the total bill allocation Title III: $3.1 billion for the Public Health and Social Services fund, also available until September 2024. This is the largest batch of money in the bill (although there are permissions to move money around so it could be more or less depending upon the whims of the Trump administration) Can be used in the US or abroad Can be used to purchase medical supplies Can be used to pay private companies to develop and then buy vaccines Vaccines developed with this money must be purchased by the Federal government in accordance with existing guidance on fair and reasonable pricing but the HHS Secretary may use existing law to ensure the public can buy them at reasonable prices, he doesn’t have to do so. HHS Secretary is Alex Azar who made his millions as the President of the US division of Eli Lilly - one of the largest multinational drug companies in the world. On his watch, the company tippled the price of insulin so… Without that “shall”, we have no reason to believe that there will be a cap placed on the price gauging. The HHS Secretary can’t do anything that would “delay the development” of vaccines The vaccines can be purchased and stored in the Strategic National Stockpile The law allows our tax money to be used to build or upgrade the facilities of private companies that produce vaccines - so our tax money can be used to build and upgrade buildings for the pharmaceutical companies Sec. 303: Until September 30, 2024, the law allows contractors to be hired for “the provision of personal services”, but they must be contractors as “such individuals may not be deemed employees of the United States”. According to the Code of Federal Regulations, the government is normally required to get employees by direct hire and getting services by contract is a way to circumvent civil service laws Title IV: Provides $250 million for the State Department’s “Economic Support Fund” and this money will be allowed to be used to “address economic, security, and stabilization requirements” related somehow to coronavirus This money is allowed to be given to "international organizations” Sec. 506: “Coronavirus” means SARS-CoV-2 “or another coronavirus with pandemic potential” Division B, Sec 102: Allows Medicare to pay for Telehealth services during an emergency HR 6201: Families First Coronavirus Response Act outline Document Text: H.R.6201 - Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Congress.gov H.R.6201 - Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Congress.gov Money: $500 million for food stamps $400 million for the commodity assistance program $250 million for “aging and disability services programs” - more than half is for “home delivered nutrition services” Sec. 1101: If a school is closed for more than 5 consecutive days under a public health emergency designation, families of children who are eligible for free or discounted school lunches will be able to get benefits valued at least as much as the school meals. The level of benefits will be determined by the Secretary of Agriculture (Sonny Perdue). Benefits might be distributed via the food stamp program - with money on EBT cards. Appropriates unlimited funding and at least $100 million for the territories. Sec. 6001: Page 5 appropriates $1 billion or “public health and social services emergency fund” to pay the claims of health care providers for "in vitro diagnostic products” (testing) of COVID-19. Health insurance companies “shall provide coverage” and “shall not impose any cost sharing (including deductibles, copayments” and coinsurance” for tests for the detection of COVID-19 or the administration of those tests “furnished during any portion of the emergency period” (which began on March 13th). This includes in person and Telehealth visits, urgent care center visits, and emergency room visits that result in the ordering or administration of a COVID-19 test. Loopholes: Doesn’t seem to apply to people who got tested before March 13th, because that would be outside the “emergency period” If a doctor doesn’t order a test because there is no test available, the visit would be eligible for copays, deductibles, etc. It can be billed like any ordinary visit. There are also sections that prohibit cost-sharing for people on Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, people in the military, and veterans. Sec. 6004: The Federal government will pay 100% of the costs associated with States paying for testing for COVID-19 for uninsured individuals during the emergency period It’s not back dated Sec. 2301: Beginning in April 2020 and for each month end the month after the emergency declaration is lifted, work requirements for food stamps will not apply. Benefits can not be denied by States for people who had received food stamps for more than 3 months in the last 3 years while not working more than 20 hours per week, as is usually the case. Sec. 3102: Adds the COVID-19 public health emergency to the list of valid reasons that employees may get 12 workweeks of paid family and medical leave. To be eligible, you have to have been working for the company for at least 30 calendar days. The first 10 days are allowed to be unpaid days but the employee is allowed to use any accrued vacation leave, personal leave, or sick days. After 10 days, the employer “shall” provide paid leave for the following 10 weeks. The employee must be paid at least 2/3 of their regular pay, capped at $200/day and $10,000 total. For hourly workers, they will be paid based on the average numbers of hours worked per day for the 6 months prior. Employers required to provide leave are defined as someone with “fewer than 500 employees” instead of “50 or more employees”. Businesses with under 50 employees are exempt if the requirement could destroy the business. There are about 12 million private sector workers who work for companies with fewer than 50 employees and 59 million who work for companies with more than 500 employees - and 6.5 million of them have no paid sick leave. Not effective until April 2 Sec. 5102: Requires employers to provide paid sick time if the employee is subject to a mandated quarantine, has to self-quarantine for health reasons, is caring for someone sick with COVID-19, or if the employee’s child’s school or daycare is closed. Health care providers are exempt. Full time workers get 80 hours. Part time workers get paid based on the average amount of time they worked per day in the previous six months. The payments must be for the employees regular rate of pay if they are personally sick, no less than minimum wage, and 2/3rds their regular pay if they are caring for someone else. Payments are capped at $511/day and $5,110 total for sick employees and $200/day and $2,000 total for employees caring for children or sick family members. The paid sick time will not carry over to the following year and can’t be paid if an employee quits. Employers may not require employees to get their shift covered in order to receive their paid sick time. This is valid regardless of how long the employee has been with the company. Employer are not allowed to require employees to use their normally accrued sick time first. Employers can not punish employees for using their sick time. Employers who violate this law are subject to up to $10,000 in fines and up to 6 months in prison. Provision expires on December 31 Applies only to government workers and those working in companies with less than 500 employees. Businesses with fewer than 50 employees can apply for exemptions Sec. 4102: Gives States more money for unemployment insurance payments. Sec. 6005: Provides liability coverage to the manufacturers and distributors of personal respiratory protective devices subject to emergency use authorizations, including the one issued on March 2, 2020 and used in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency from January 27, 2020 through October 1, 2024. Sec. 7001 and Sec. 7003: Employers will be given a tax credit for 100% of the paid sick leave and paid family and medical leave provided to their employers, up to the limits in this law Sec. 7002 and Sec. 7004: Allows self-employed people to get a tax credit for the days they can’t work. The Secretary of the Treasury will write the regulation, including required documentation to be eligible H.R. 748: CARES Act Summary: H.R. 748: CARES Act Text: H.R. 748: CARES Act Record of House debate Vote Summary: Senate 96-0 on March 25 at 11:17pm Subtitle A: Unemployment Insurance Provisions Sec. 2102: Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Who qualifies: People who would qualify under existing State laws People who self-certify that are able to work except that the person has been diagnosed with COVID-19, someone in their home has been diagnosed with COVID-19, they are caring for someone with COVID-19, has a child whose daycare or school is closed due to COVID-19, can’t get to work because of a COVID-19 quarantine, their work is closed due to COVID-19, or they are self employed. People who do not qualify are people who have the ability to telework with pay or people who are receiving paid sick leave or other paid leave benefits Effective period: Beginning on or after January 27, 2020 and ending on or before December 31, 2020 Limits: No one can get unemployment benefits for more than 39 weeks, but this can be extended by the Secretary of Labor if needed Amounts: It’s the amount determined by your state’s unemployment law plus $600 per week if the state chooses to enter into an agreement with the Secretary of Labor. The Federal government will pay for 100% of the costs of the extra unemployment payments and the administration costs. It’s an unlimited appropriation and it’s valid until July 31, 2020. Sec. 2201: Issues a means tested “advanced refund" of $1,200 per adult and $500 per child. You only get the full amount as an adult if you make $75,000 per adult or less. People who make more than $75,000 per adult will have their check amount reduced based on their income up to about $100,000. People who make more than that will get nothing. The payment will be delivered via direct deposit to anyone who has authorized the IRS to do so since January 1, 2018 while everyone else will have to wait for checks. If we accidentally get overpaid, the IRS can’t charge us interest on that payment. The payments will be made for the 2019 tax year if you have already done your taxes for last year. If you haven’t, it’ll be based on 2018. They will send a notification in the mail to us about our payments to our last known address, which will tell us the amount and if it’s going to be delivered via direct deposit or by check. Articles/Documents Article: Federal government spent millions to ramp up mask readiness, but that isn't helping now By Jon Swaine, The Washington Post, April 3, 2020 Article: Inside America's mask crunch: A slow government reaction and an industry wary of liability By Jeanne Whalen, Rosalind S. Helderman and Tom Hamburger , The Washington Post, April 2, 2020 Article: How and When Can Americans Access the $1,200 Coronavirus Stimulus Checks? By Matt Stieb, New York Intelligencer, April 2, 2020 Article: Needy Will Face Hurdles to Getting Coronavirus Stimulus By Ron Lieber and Alan Rappeport, The New York Times, April 1, 2020 Article: Obamacare Markets Will Not Reopen, Trump Decides By Margot Sanger-Katz and Reed Abelson, The New York Times, April 1, 2020 Article: N.Y. CONGRESSWOMAN DIAGNOSED WITH CORONAVIRUS AFTER VOTING FOR STIMULUS BILL IN D.C. by Ramsey Touchberry, Newsweek, March 30, 2020 Article: He Got Tested for Coronavirus. Then Came the Flood of Medical Bills. By Elisabeth Rosenthal and Emmarie Huetteman, The New York Times, March 27, 2020 Article: Sweeping economic aid bill to counter coronavirus passes Senate By Jennifer Shutt, The New York Times, March 26, 2020 Article: Senate leaving DC until April 20 after coronavirus stimulus vote By Jordain Carney, The Hill, March 25, 2020 Article: How to Get Health Insurance if You’re Worried About Coronavirus or Have Lost Your Job By Margot Sanger-Katz and Reed Abelson, The New York Times, March 25, 2020 Article: Senate, White House reach $2 trillion stimulus deal to blunt coronavirus fallout By Erica Werner, Mike DeBonis, Paul Kane and Jeff Stein, The Washington Post, March 25, 2020 Article: The new Cold War with China has cost lives against coronavirus by Max Blumenthal, Chicago Reader, March 24, 2020 Article: Senate falls far short of votes needed to advance coronavirus bill, as clash between Republicans and Democrats intensifies By Erica Werner, Seung Min Kim, Rachael Bade and Jeff Stein, The Washington Post, March 24, 2020 Article: Here's how a new law giving workers paid sick leave amid coronavirus will affect you by Jennifer Ortakaless, Business Insider, March 20, 2020 Article: Trump Signs Law to Grant Paid Leave Benefits Amid Coronavirus Crisis—But Millions Won’t Be Eligible by Abby Vesoulis, Time, March 18, 2020 Article: Paid sick leave: Who gets it during the coronavirus outbreak by Heather Long, The Washington Post, March 17, 2020 Article: House Democrats just passed another version of their coronavirus bill that significantly scales back paid sick leave by Joseph Zeballos-Roig, Markets Insider, March 17, 2020 Article: March 4 coronavirus news By Julia Hollingsworth, Adam Renton, Steve George, Emma Reynolds, Mike Hayes, Rachel Bowman and Meg Wagner, CNN, March 4, 2020 Additional Resources Technical Guidance: Coronavirus disease 2019-and-the-virus-that-causes-it) World Health Organization Tables: Employee Benefits in the United States, March 2019 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2020 Vote Results: FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 86, Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 Clerk of House of Representatives, March 4, 2020 Act: FOOD AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2008, As Amended Through P.L. 116-94, Enacted December 20, 2019 U.S. House of Representatives Legal Counsel, January 21, 2020 Booklet: Health, United States, 2016 - With Chartbook on Long-term Trends in Health U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, May 2017 Sound Clip Sources Transcript: Congressional Record, U.S. Senate, March 25, 2020 Transcript: Congressional Record, U.S. Senate, March 24, 2020 Interview: Watch CNBC’s full interview with House speaker Nancy Pelosi on coronavirus stimulus bill, CNBC, March 24, 2020 Press Conference: White House Coronavirus Update, White House, March 22, 2020 Transcript: President Donald Trump: We're a country not based on nationalizing our business. Call a person over in Venezuela ask them how did the nationalization of their businesses work out? Not too well, the concept of nationalizing our businesses is not a good concept, but I'll tell you why... Presidential Address: Presidential Address on the Coronavirus Outbreak, White House, Oval Office, C-SPAN, March 11, 2020 Meeting: Rules Committee Meeting on HR 6201-Families First Coronavirus Response Act, United States House of Representatives Rules Committee, March 11, 2020 Watch on Youtube Transcript: 15:00 Rep. Tom Cole (OK): I understand, as I'm sure all members do, the gravity of the situation and the extraordinary times we're in. But I also must make clear that we learned a couple of days ago, through the press, mind you, that the Speaker's office was beginning to work on a bill. Just a few short hours ago, members of the Majority Party apparently received a closed door briefing on the contents of this package, and already was not given that same consideration. Text wasn't made available until 11pm. And now the Rules Committee is meeting to consider a rule that will provide for consideration on the floor tomorrow. 24:30 Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ): Whether you're in the Medicare program, Medicaid program, whether you're in the Health Service or you're getting your insurance privately or you have no insurance, we're trying to make sure that you can go and have the test done without having any cost. Whether it's deductible, a copay or just outright, not having to pay for it if you have no insurance. 25:30 Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ): But I did want to mention two things and that is for people who don't have insurance. There's flexibility in this. So the states can basically cover them through Medicaid or have them enrolled in Medicaid without having to meet the income requirements that we have now, and they would be tested and that would be paid for under Medicaid solely for the testing for the virus. 25:45 Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ): And then we also have a pot of money that goes to the National Disaster Medical System to pay for the uninsured. And so essentially, if someone goes to a community health center, for example, and they have no insurance, it would be covered with that as an example. 26:00 Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ): For those states right now, as you know, depending on the state and the level of poverty in the state, have to pay at a minimum 50%, or the federal government pays at a minimum 50 percent of Medicaid costs, and that's matched by the states, depending on the state. And so the F map provision increases that federal match by 8%. And this is for Medicaid in general. In other words, anticipating that a lot more people will have to be covered by the - go on to the Medicaid rolls. 27:00 Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ): The masks because they've been a lot of concern about that. And whether or not masks for healthcare providers would be available. As you know, the companies have asked for liability exemption. And that has been the case in the past when we've had other public health emergencies, like I don't know, all or some of the other things that we've had for vaccines and other things. So we do accept and extend that for a limited purpose. So if the mask is is basically approved by the federal government, and during the time of this emergency, as declared by the President under the prep act, there would be the liability exemption for for those masks so that we make sure that they're out there, and they're distributed. 28:00 Rep. Michael Burgess (TX): Like my ranking member on the Rules Committee, I do have some concerns about the process about how this came together. I just saw the text for the very first time when I walked in here I had a chance to read the first four lines on the first page. Look forward to reading more between now and eight o'clock in the morning. 31:00 Rep. Michael Burgess (TX): It's important that the vaccine be established as safe. I am old enough to remember, an episode of the swine flu during the Ford administration, where a vaccine was hastily developed, and its administration was mandated across the country, and some serious complications occurred. And we certainly don't want to repeat that. So once the vaccine has been established to safe Dr. Fauci has assured us that he will proceed with all dispatch to make sure it is effective, and it will be brought online as as quickly as possible. And I think we have provided the funding to allow them to do that. 36:00 Rep. Bobby Scott (VA): Comments have been made about how quickly this has been put together, we have an emergency and I don't think we have much choice. I'd like to spend a lot more time on the legislation but the more time we take putting it together and getting it out there, people will die. And so we've done it as quickly as we possibly can and everybody would like more time. 41:00 Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC): When I heard about this bill today I remembered something that well known democrat said, 'Never let a crisis go to waste.' But then I also remember the phrase 'act in haste and repent at leisure.' 57:00 Rep. Tom Cole (OK): It'd be a shame for us to leave, honestly, without doing something together for the American people. I think they're looking for that almost more than the individual items in the package. They really want to see us, in a time of crisis, put aside differences, find common solutions, common ground that we can agree on, and work together for their interest. And if we managed to do that, I think that'll not only be good in a time of crisis, I think it'll hopefully reinstill some confidence in the process and the institutions that we all are very proud to be part of, and remind Americans that, hey, we're in our very, very best when we're at a time of crisis. We really are. 1:04:00 Rep. Norma Torres (CA): Last week, at a meeting with the Export Import Bank chair Kimberly Reed stated that the US Commerce Department is still promoting the sales of critical supplies that the American people need. What are those critical supplies? masks, masks, hand sanitizer? How can you know what happened to America first? We need those critical supplies here. So part of what we need to do is direct these uninformed officials that the left hand needs to talk to the right hand. That may be the Commerce Department should be consulting with this new Coronavirus Committee that has been set up by the President. Those are the things that we cannot leave undone when we leave here this week. 1:10:00 Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO): How many hearings have we had on the bill that we've had before us tonight? None. Zero. I mean, that's that is a problem. And I my Republican colleagues have complained about it, but I, as a Democrat want to complain about it too. Because there's no question we have an emergency. Part of our emergency is we want to try to get out of here by tomorrow afternoon, or this afternoon. Okay, I mean, we're setting our own deadline here. Isn't that true? Am I mistaken on that? Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ): Well, look, I'm a big advocate for regular order. We don't always fall well. This is about as far for you're not gonna have you can't have regular order when you have an emergency. I mean, you know, it would for us to go. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO): And Mr. Chairman, I appreciate that. But I guess I would say is okay. Why aren't we doing this? You know, Friday. Today's what? Thursday? Now that we're - 12:15 Thursday. Okay, so I just want to get that out of the way. 1:14:00 Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO): Well, these things are emergencies. Clearly the testing. But I thought part of the testing was what we did last week. Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ): The testing is essentially the authorizing language. In other words, it's not the it's not the spending. What we're saying is that, you know, whether it's federal programs like Medicaid or Indian Health Service, or it's private insurance or for the uninsured, we want to make sure that everybody can have the test and not have to pay for it not have to have any copay, deductible, or out of pocket expenses. That's what we're doing with that. Rep. Bobby Scott (VA): And some of this ought to be done anyway. I mean, if you're taking a vaccine that should be under prevention, and should be on the most plans, no copay and deductible. So it's not it's not a new idea. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL): And what we did last week was to authorize, give the money to states to actually purchase and have these kits on hand. So what we're doing now is for individuals to make sure that the individual who's trying to see testing actually it's free of charge. Whether have private insurance, government insurance or no insurance, that the testing would be free. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO): All right, so would have last week's bill would that have covered the protective gear for the health providers and the tents and the ventilators that we try to separate? Rep. Terri Sewell (AL): Yes. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO): Okay. Rep. Michael Burgess (TX): About the ventilators. And that's a very good question. We, we can understand that perhaps, on the testing, there were things could have been done better. Can you anticipate what the next part of this crisis will be? If you look at the experience in some of the other countries, the next part of this crisis is going to be an overwhelming load of patients in acute respiratory failure, presenting to hospitals, needing ICU beds needing ventilators. I don't know if we have the capacity. I don't know if anyone has done a survey of unused military facilities that might be available. I don't know if as part of the Ready Reserve, some One has looked into it. Again, that would be one of the questions I would have asked had we had a hearing. But I do think if we want to think over the horizon, we do need to think about the significant number of patients who could be in acute respiratory failure and the stories, and I realize you're reading them online, I'm reading them online. I don't know if they're true. But the crowd out of people with other medical conditions who show up at the hospitals who can't be seen, acute appendicitis now can be a fatal event, because everyone else is tied up taking care of people who are dying of pneumonia. So it is something we need to think about. I don't know if we've addressed it in this bill. I don't think we addressed it in the appropriation last week. 1:30:00 Rep. Michael Burgess (TX): People have spoken about testing at no cost to the patient. I think that's fine. I think it's a great idea. Do remember someone has to administer the test. There has to be overhead paid for the personnel to be in the office to administer the test. Someone has to pay the liability insurance if the test is reported incorrectly, and someone is going to have to report the test to a patient, that tested is positive, someone's got to do the follow through because now a doctor patient relationship has been established. So we do need to think about that. I'm not objecting to what has been described here tonight, but it just it seems to me that it's incomplete. 1:31:00 Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ): And could I say I'm not going to suggest that that everything that the Dr. Burgess mentioned is covered. But it's not just the test. It's also the provider visit, you know the visit of the patient that provided this cover and also without charge, but...I'm not saying that covers everything, but a lot of the things that he mentioned, it's not just the test. It's also the actual visit and the provider. Video: S. 716: "Gut the STOCK Act" Passes House, U.S. House of Representatives, April 20, 2013 Video: User Clip: Senate STOCK Act gutting, U.S. Senate, April 11, 2013 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)

Rosalind S. Helderman explains what’s happening with impeachment — and the new documents made public by House Democrats. Robert Costa on Bernie Sanders and the candidate’s quiet rise in Iowa. And a new contract for the WNBA.

Air Date 12/13/2019 Today we take a look at the impeachment story through the lens of the last six years of history between Russia and Ukraine from the annexation of Crimea to election tampering and all that followed. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991   EPISODE SPONSORS: Bombas.com/LEFT | Clean Choice Energy SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK  MEMBERSHIP ON PATREON (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content!) SHOW NOTES Bonus Clip: Does the GOP have Putin envy? - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date: 03-04-14 Ch. 1: The Ukraine story is a Russia story Part 1 - Impeachment, Explained - Air Date 10-26-19 Evelyn Farkas, the Pentagon’s former point person on Russia and Ukraine, talks about the Russia-Ukraine crisis Trump exploited. Ch. 2: The Backstory - Rubicon: The Impeachment of Donald Trump - Air Date 11-29-19 Brian Beutler and The Atlantic’s Frank Foer discuss the true origins of the Ukraine scandal, and how they fit into a much larger story of global corruption. Ch. 3: The Ukraine story is a Russia story Part 2 - Impeachment, Explained - Air Date 10-26-19 Evelyn Farkas, the Pentagon’s former point person on Russia and Ukraine, talks about the Russia-Ukraine crisis Trump exploited. Ch. 4: The Origins of The Ukraine Corruption Conspiracy Theory - On the Media - Air Date 11-8-19 How John Solomon from The Hill helped catapult completely fabricated conspiracy theories all the way to the White House. Ch. 5: Impeachment Inquiry - The Washington Post - Air Date 12-3-19 Rosalind S. Helderman traces the origin of Rudolph W. Giuliani’s involvement in Ukraine. Ch. 6: The Prehistory of the Ukraine Scandal - Impeachment A Daily Podcast - Air Date 11-11-19 Our guest, Philip Bump, Washington Post national correspondent takes us through Paul Manafort, the Russian annexation of Crimea, and a few Ukraine's problematic prosecutors that led up to the events we're still learning about. Ch. 7: The impeachment inquiry is America's Rorschach test - The Daily DC Impeachment Watch - Air Date 12-3-19 Why won't Republicans stop talking about the debunked theory that Ukraine meddled in the 2016 election? FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 8: Final comments on our end-of-year membership drive Bonus Clip: The articles of impeachment have arrived - The Daily DC Impeachment Watch - Air Date 12-10-19 Democrats claim President Trump committed two 'high crimes and misdemeanors' - abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. TAKE ACTION! Sign Up for National "Nobody Is Above The Law" Protests Planned for Night Before House Impeachment Vote (*Vote Date TBA*)   Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman  MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions): Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr  Castillo - The Nocturne Cloud Line - K4 Eventual Victory - Codebreaker Rapids - Grey River Entrap - Darby Lord Weasel - Molerider Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent SHOW IMAGE: "Trump-Ukraine controversy", Trending Topics 2019, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped and more white added to the top and layered other images at top   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on iTunes | Stitcher | Spotify | Alexa Devices | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on iTunes and Stitcher!

On "Post Reports," Rosalind S. Helderman traces the origin of Rudolph W. Giuliani’s involvement in Ukraine.

Rosalind S. Helderman traces the origin of Rudolph W. Giuliani’s involvement in Ukraine. Eugene Scott on the end of Sen. Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign. And Anna Fifield on China’s rapid robotic revolution.

With an impeachment inquiry ongoing and the length of Trump's presidency in question, we ask ourselves, what would a Mike Pence presidency look like? This week, we dive into Pence's life and imagine what an America under President Pence might be like. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/americathebizarre Sources:  “Mike Pence: Everything You Need to Know” by Ines De La Cuetara and Chris Good “Trump’s VP: 11 Things to Know About Mike Pence” by the Indy Star “God’s Plan for Mike Pence” by McKay Coppins “Mike Pence’s Journey: Catholic Democrat to Evangelical Republican” by Jonathan Mahler and Dirk Johnson “Here’s What You Should Know About Mike Pence” by Mollie Reilly and others Cracked Podcast “12 Bizarre Mike Pence Stories Nobody Ever Brings Up” “Mike Pence used campaign funds to pay his mortgage – and it cost him an election” by Rosalind S. Helderman and others “Karen Pence is the vice president’s ‘prayer warrior’, gut check and shield” by Ashley Parker “Mike Pence and ‘Conversion Therapy’: A History” by Liam Stack “Karen Pence to teach at school that bans LGBTQ employees, students” by Brooke Sopelsa and Vaughn Hillyard

Rachael Bade and Rosalind S. Helderman annotate the Mueller testimony, and Arelis Hernández explains the turmoil in Puerto Rico.

It's Mueller Time, readers. Beth spent the last week reading the entire Mueller Report so you didn't have to. But you should. Really. Go read it. Now. I'll wait. Get ready for Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly to mangle some Russian names, attempt terrible Russian accents and get really, really angry. Total exoneration? This ain't it. Theme music: Resting Place by A Cast of Thousands. Cite your sources: Abramson, Seth. “A Thread Written by @SethAbramson.” Threader, threader.app/thread/1118631217212067841. Banco, Erin. “Mueller Exposes Erik Prince's Lies About Russian Rendezvous.” The Daily Beast, 18 Apr. 2019, www.thedailybeast.com/mueller-exposes-erik-princes-lies-about-his-seychelles-rendezvous-with-top-russian-kirill-dmitriev. Benen, Steve. “Trump Tries to Dismiss Adviser He Praised as an 'Excellent Guy'.” MSNBC, NBCUniversal News Group, 31 Oct. 2017, www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trump-tries-dismiss-adviser-he-praised-excellent-guy. Bevan, Matthew, and Ruby Jones. “Papadopoulos and Downer Tell Us about the Drink Date That Started the Mueller Investigation.” ABC News, 23 May 2019, www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-24/mueller-investigation-george-papadopoulos-alexander-downer-speak/11107712. Blake, Aaron. “What Does the Trump Team Say to Russia behind Closed Doors? We’re about to Get a Glimpse.” The Washington Post, 17 May 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/05/17/what-does-trump-team-say-russia-behind-closed-doors-were-about-get-glimpse/?utm_term=.cdbd221ceb2a. Chaffin, Joshua, and Kiran Stacey. “Mueller Report: Trump Inner Circle and Russians Were Desperate to Connect.” The Irish Times, 20 Apr. 2019, www.irishtimes.com/news/world/us/mueller-report-trump-inner-circle-and-russians-were-desperate-to-connect-1.3865875. Corn, David, et al. “The Mueller Report: a Detailed Account of Trump's Lies and Misconduct.” Mother Jones, 18 Apr. 2019, www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/04/mueller-report-donald-trump-russia-lies/. “Fusion GPS/Steele Dossier.” The Moscow Project, themoscowproject.org/tags/fusiongpssteeledossier/. Gesson, Masha. “The Hustlers and Swindlers of the Mueller Report.” The New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2019, www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-hustlers-and-swindlers-of-the-mueller-report. Hamburger, Tom. “Longtime Manafort Associate Konstantin Kilimnik Rejects His Depiction in Mueller Report.” The Washington Post, 19 Apr. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/longtime-manafort-associate-konstantin-kilimnik-rejects-his-depiction-in-mueller-report/2019/04/19/af9221ce-62bc-11e9-9ff2-abc984dc9eec_story.html?utm_term=.15489ea53a0e. Hamburger, Tom, et al. “Manafort Offered to Give Russian Billionaire ‘Private Briefings’ on 2016 Campaign.” The Washington Post, 20 Sept. 2017, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/manafort-offered-to-give-russian-billionaire-private-briefings-on-2016-campaign/2017/09/20/399bba1a-9d48-11e7-8ea1-ed975285475e_story.html?utm_term=.ba67e3b40955. Hasan, Mehdi. “Trump's Transition Team Colluded With Israel. Why Isn't That News?” The Intercept, 5 Dec. 2017, theintercept.com/2017/12/05/michael-flynn-jared-kushner-israel-settlements-trump/. Johnson, Carrie. “2016 RNC Delegate: Trump Directed Change To Party Platform On Ukraine Support.” NPR, NPR, 4 Dec. 2017, www.npr.org/2017/12/04/568310790/2016-rnc-delegate-trump-directed-change-to-party-platform-on-ukraine-support. Leonnig, Carol D., and Rosalind S. 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Rosalind S. Helderman on Robert S. Mueller III’s first public comments on the Russia investigation. Reis Thebault on the latest state to take up a “heartbeat bill” -- and the Democratic governor who has said he’ll sign it. And the existence of UFOs.

Rosalind S. Helderman with in-depth analysis of the Mueller investigation and where it hit dead ends. Dan Zak on Al Gore’s climate strategy. Plus, Philip Rucker on how President Trump uses the Marine One helicopter during news conferences.

Post reporters Rosalind S. Helderman, Shane Harris and Carol D. Leonnig break down the key findings of the redacted Mueller report released today by Attorney General William P. Barr.

Rosalind S. Helderman on the people upset about what was left out of the Mueller report summary. David Ignatius on Jamal Khashoggi’s killing six months later. Plus, Jonathan Capehart on voices from the civil rights movement.

Shane Harris on how intelligence agencies share domestic terrorism threats; Rosalind S. Helderman on what we already know about the special counsel’s investigation; and the growing list of states that want to change the electoral process.

Michael Cohen, President Trump’s former fixer and personal attorney, appeared before a congressional committee today. Post reporters Karoun Demirjian, Rosalind S. Helderman, David Fahrenthold and Aaron Blake guide us through his testimony.

Josh Dawsey on Trump’s plans to avoid another shutdown but still declare a national emergency. Rosalind S. Helderman on how Paul Manafort lied to investigators. And what “I love you” means literally.

As a 35-day partial government shutdown comes to a close, Paul Kane explains why President Trump finally gave in to pressure. And Rosalind S. Helderman spells out the significance of the latest indictment in the Russia probe.

In a Presidential Election year when the Big Two Parties have selected widely disliked candidates, is it possible to vote None of the Above into the Presidency? In this episode, by learning how the electoral college works, we explore our options for realistically denying the Presidency to the chosen candidates of the Republican and Democratic Parties. *This episode has been updated from it's original version for information accuracy. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! United States Electoral College U.S. Electoral College: About the Electors, National Archives and Records Administration. The 2016 Presidential Election, National Archives and Records Administration. History of Faithless Electors, Fair Vote Democracy Directory of Representatives, United States House of Representatives State Control of Electors, Fair Vote Presidential Elections Reform Program Sound Clip Sources: FBI News Conference: FBI Director James Comey News Conference, Federal Bureau of Investigation, CSPAN, July 5, 2016. Video: Gary Johnson & Drones, YouTube, May 3, 2016. Television News Clip: Hillary Clinton in 2015: Email Server was Permitted, CNN, July 12, 2015. Video: Gary Johnson & Drones, YouTube, May 3, 2016. Videos: Video: The Trouble with the Electoral College By CGP Grey, YouTube, November 7, 2011. Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes Congressional Dish Episode 126: The Presidential Primary, By Jennifer Briney, May 23, 2016. Additional Reading Article: A Reminder of the Permanent Wars: Dozens of U.S. Airstrikes in Six Countries By Missy Ryan, The Washington Post, September 8, 2016. Article: US election: Why is Clinton's Foundation So Controversial? By Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, August 23, 2016. Article: Trump University: It's Worse Than You Think By John Cassidy, The New Yorker, June 2, 2016. Article: The Definitive Roundup of Trump’s Scandals and Business Failures By Celina Durgin, National Review, March 15, 2016. Article: Pew Research Center will Call 75% Cellphones for Surveys in 2016 By Kyley McGeeney, Pew Research Center, January 5, 2016. Article: Clintons Personally Paid State Department Staffer to Maintain Server By Rosalind S. Helderman and Carol D. Leonnig, The Washington Post, September 5, 2015. Additional Information Report by the Office of Inspector General: Office of the Secretary: Evaluation of Email Records Management and Cybersecurity Requirements Office of Evaluations and Special Projects, May 2016. Commission on Presidential Debates Polls Used by Commission on Presidential Debates 2000 Official Presidential General Election Results, State Elections Offices Election Polling Methodology, Pew Reseach Center. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations, with a special thanks to photographer Dennis "Chunga" Cieklinski for the awesome photo of the Bennett School for Girls.