Podcast appearances and mentions of Rush Holt

Matt Robison has worn many political hats, among them working in numerous positions across Capitol Hill - including serving as Chief of Staff for three members. He also managed the successful 2012 upset re-election of Rep. John Tierney, after Tierney was named the GOP's top takeover opportunity that cycle. With roots in Manhattan, Matt had formative experiences in NYC public schools before a chance meeting with then Governor Bill Clinton in 1992 and an unlikey mentor at Harvard, nudged him to a career working in government. In this conversation, Matt talks his path to working in politics, goes deep on the best practices and unwritten rules of working on the Hill, and updates on his post-Hill life as a writer, radio host, and podcaster.IN THIS EPISODEHow Matt's brief time in the NYC public school system informed his future outlook as a political operative...Matt's memorable experience meeting Bill Clinton during the 1992 presidential campaign...An unexpected political mentor and how Matt got his foot into the political door...Matt successfully manages a Democratic House incumbent in 2012 who was the GOP's #1 target...Matt's initial impressions of working on the Hill as a junior staffer...Matt's best practices for running a Hill office...The mistake Matt made as a Hill Chief that led to an attack ad against his member...Why scheduling is the worst part of the job as a Hill Chief of Staff...The one type of person Matt recommends never hiring as a Hill Chief...Matt's advice for new Hill staffers...Matt's take on the rise of unionized Hill offices...Matt's estimate on the share of House members who are jerks...Some of the most impressive members (both Dem & GOP) Matt saw during his time on the Hill...Why Matt left the Hill after running three House offices...Matt's "most interesting number in politics"...Matt's current podcast, releasing three episodes a week...Matt's strangest work habits...AND Charlie Bass, Biafra, Lauren Boebert, Jeb Bradley, George HW Bush, Robert Caro, James Carville, General Comfort, Crash Davis, Mickey Edwards, David Gergen, Newt Gingrich, gross metaphors, half hugs, Paul Hodes, Rush Holt, Steny Hoyer, hybrid ads, illegal offshore gambling rings, Walter Isaacson, Steve Jobs, Gerry Kavanaugh, logistical nightmares, Nancy Mace, massive scandals, Chris Matthews, Mike Michaud, Mr. Miyagi, Tip O'Neill, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, personal mishegas, philosophical questions, Reagan Democrats, Stu Rothenberg, South Park, the stupidest law in America, John Tierney, Donald Trump, unhinged maniacs, wicked sore throats...& more!

Tom Davis served seven terms in the House from Northern Virginia, including 2 cycles as NRCC Chair and as Chair of the House Government Reform Committee. In this conversation, he talks becoming obsessed with politics at an early age, working as a Senate page in the 1960s, playing a small role in the political operation of Richard Nixon, 15 years on the Fairfax County Board, 14 years in Congress, protecting the GOP majority in 2000 and 2002 while helming NRCC, why he left elected politics, the work he's most passionate about now, and his expectations ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. IN THIS EPISODE..One early moment when the lifelong political obsession started to click for a 6-year old Tom Davis…Working as a teenage U.S. Senate page…Tom spends 30 minutes in the Oval Office with President Nixon…Tom's early stint as part of the Nixon political operation…Tom talks the political legacy of Virginia's famed Byrd Machine…Tom remembers his 14+ years on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors…Tom on the excitement as part of the 1994 House GOP wave…Tom talks the political skills (and flaws) of Newt Gingrich…Early impressions and surprises on his first term in the House…Memories of tough votes surrounding the impeachment of President Clinton…Tom's path to running the NRCC in both the 2000 and 2002 cycles…Inside the candidate-recruitment process of the Tom Davis-led NRCC…Highlights of his tenure as Chair of the House Government Reform Committee…The tough decision to pass on an open 2008 Senate race and ultimately forgo re-election altogether…The two types of lobbyists in Washington…Tom breaks down lessons for Republicans in Glenn Youngkin's 2021 Virginia win…How Tom is thinking about the 2022 midterms…AND Amherst, Appalachian State University, appendages, John Boehner, Harry Byrd, Eldridge Cleaver, Bill Clinger, Carl Curtis, Tom Delay, Harry Dent, Everett Dirksen, David Dreier, Dulles Airport, David Eisenhower, Martin Frost, gay newspapers, George Mason University, Jim Gilmore, Barry Goldwater, Bart Gordon, Bob Haldeman, Jesse Helms, Eleanor Holmes-Norton, Jim Holshouser, Rush Holt, Linwood Holton, John Hostettler, Steny Hoyer, Roman Hruska, Hubert Humphrey, Andrew Jackson, Jacob Javits, Nancy Johnson, Kent State, V.O. Key, lifelong teetotalers, John Linder, Louisiana Smart, Malibu, Mike Mansfield, Terry McAuliffe, Wayne Morse, the Mountain Valley Group, no confidence votes, Oliver North, Barack Obama, Dick Obenshain, Bill Paxon, perfecting amendments, Colin Peterson, Jeffrey Pine, George Rawlings, rental seats, Tom Reynolds, Alice Rivlin, Willis Robertson, Win Rockefeller, the Rotary Club, Antonin Scalia, Chris Shays, slackers, Howard Smith, Billy Tauzin, the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Charles Thone, Strom Thurmond, Tulane, Fred Upton, Bob Walker, John Warner, Mark Warner, the Washington Post, Watauga County, Roger Wicker, wiffle ball, Frank Wolf, Jim Wright, Dick Zimmer, Elmo Zumwalt & more!

This week's special double episode features two interviews: my conversation with Jim Papa, who runs the Washington, D.C. office of Global Strategy Group (GSG), where he guides operations and strategy for GSG's public affairs, communications, and research practices, and Jim's interview of me for GSG's podcast, STAFFER.  As Partner at GSC, Jim advises CEOs and other C-suite executives grappling with public affairs challenges and opportunities across multiple industries. Prior to joining GSG, Jim was Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs in the Obama White House from 2009-2012, where played an important role in the enactment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Affordable Care Act, and other landmark laws.  Former Chicago Mayor and current U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel had this to say about Jim: “Papa is someone you want in the trenches with you.” Prior to serving in the White House, Jim earned a reputation as a top flight communications and political strategist on Capitol Hill. He served as a senior advisor to Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel and Chief of Staff to Rep. Rush Holt, one of only three scientists serving in Congress at that time, among other key senior roles. Jim is an experienced spokesman and media trainer who has prepared clients for broadcast appearances ranging from "Meet the Press" to "60 Minutes". He has guest lectured at Georgetown University, George Washington University, and American University. Jim earned his J.D. from Georgetown Law and an undergraduate degree from Cornell University. Topics covered in the double episode include: - Some of the common missteps Jim encounters as he guides and counsels clients and Members of Congress in effective communication and how he addresses and remedies them Lessons Jim learned from U.S. Congressman Rush Holt (D-NJ) when Jim served as Holt's Chief of Staff, including the role of data and information as a persuasive lever in moving public policy forward.  The communication tools Jim brings to the table when advising clients or directly advocating, including those JIm feels are often overlooked or underutilized. Examples of particularly powerful communications that moved an audience or listeners when Jim was working at the WHite House What role - in terms of persuasive power or influence-building - does Jim think the delivery of the message plays in the ability to hit the mark as well as characteristics of the messenger. A book Jim recommends to listeners interested in improving the way they communicate their research, priorities, or policy issues.

Dave Wasserman, a Senior Editor at the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, is universally regarded as one of the foremost election analysts on the planet - especially when it comes to US House races. In this conversation, Dave talks his early obession with all things politics, how he turned that into a job at the Cook Report, his approach to political analysis, the story behind his twitter catchphrase "I've seen enough", and his take on both the 2022 redistricting developments & overall House playing field. IN THIS EPISODE…Dave's early love of maps…How a cable system glitch leads Dave to find politics…Dave's unusual gift request for his 13th Birthday…The one race that drew Dave into congressional politics…The story behind a teenage Dave's appearance as a pundit on a local public affairs show…Dave talks his important intersection with UVA Professor Larry Sabato…The $10 bet Dave won from Larry Sabato…The college analysis Dave wrote that led to his role with the Cook Report…Dave talks the approach he brings to elections analysis…What goes into creating Dave's election night models…Dave on the races he's proud he got right, plus some that surprised him…Dave talks trends he's observed in House races during his time as a race-rater…Dave takes us behind the scenes of the NBC Election Night Decision Desk…The origin of Dave's catchphrase to call elections…Dave breaks down the average work week for a race-rating analyst…Dave talks his longtime fascination with the redistricting process…Dave gives his thoughts on the 2022 redistricting process…Dave provides an update on recent legal ground that's been broken around redistricting…Dave's overall read on the '22 House playing field…Dave talks signs the Trump hold on the House GOP caucus may be weakening…Dave's advice to the next generation of race-raters…AND 2,568 districts, George Allen, Mrs. Barkley, Ben Bernanke, Mary Bono Mack, Lauren Boebert, Bridgegate, Scott Brown, bruised egos, C-Span, Eric Cantor, Joe Cao, Don Cazayoux, Julia Carson, James Carville, Travis Childers, Emanuel Cleaver, Martha Coakley, Miles Coleman, compulsive list making, Jim Cooper, cranberry bread, creative ethics, Joe Crowley, Ted Cruz, Henry Cuellar, Rodney Davis, Pete Dawkins, Peter DeFazio, dummymanders, Election Twitter, Marc Elias, false suspense, food science, Louie Gohmert, Governing Magazine, Josh Harder, Andy Harris, Rush Holt, Bill Jefferson, John Katko, Dan Kildee, Steve Kornacki, Frank Lautenberg, Elaine Luria, Morgan Lutrell, Sean Patrick Maloney, map recipients, Terry McAuliffe, Kevin McCarthy, Bob McDonnell, David McKinley, Peter Meijer, Mary Miller, minimum split districting, Alex Mooney, Nathaniel Moran, Joe Morelle, oddly engrossing debates, Mike Pappas, Nancy Pelosi, PoliticsNJ.com, Premier League Soccer, QVC, Raul Ruiz, Stu Rothenberg, Rutgers, Bernard Shaw, Chris Shays, Siskel & Ebert, Elissa Slotkin, Abigail Spanberger, the Squad, Starbucks, Kenneth Starr, useful stereotypes, Paul Tonko, Lauren Underwood, the University of Chicago Institute of Politics, Fred Upton, violin lessons, Wal Mart, Amy Walter, Jim Webb, West River South Dakota, David Wildstein, Judy Woodruff, John Yarmuth, Glen Youngkin, …& more!

Jack Klett   – College Financial Aid and Career Navigation with Tom & Maria Geffers and Seth Greene Episode 004 Jack Klett Jack Klett's journey has taken him from enrollment management to academic affairs to the private for-profit and non-profit sectors. Currently, he partners with graduate education stakeholders to advocate for inclusive, non-bias, and equitable admission practices as part of the Academic Partnerships team at ETS. Most recently, he lead the graduate and online division for Capture Higher Ed, an ed-tech company partnering with colleges and universities to achieve their recruitment and enrollment goals. Since transitioning from his role as Constituent Service Coordinator for Congressman Rush Holt of NJ, he has served five universities in an administrative & teaching role – Rider University, Drexel University, Philadelphia University, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, and Jefferson. The university setting provides for cultures of possibility, opportunity-finding, and solution-seeking – the ideal environment for those who see problems as innovation opportunities. Jack continues to teach as associate faculty for Thomas Jefferson University, where he also led the new student recruitment effort during year one of their merger with Philadelphia University. Jack's Bachelor of Arts degree in history is from Rider University, and his graduate degree from Villanova University is in the field of political science.   Listen to this informational College Financial Aid and Career Navigation episode with Jack Klett about higher education and the future of college admissions tests. Here is what to expect on this week's show: - How higher education can allow an individual to become everything they wanted to be - A discussion on the concept of, “Starting with the why,” and how understanding one's purpose can yield positive outcomes - The power of authenticity and how it can go a long way in making valuable connections - An explanation of the importance of an institutions mission and how everything they do should be in concert with it - Predictions on the future of college admissions tests Connect with Jack: Email klett29@gmail.com Website Forthepublicpod.com LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/jackklett Podcast The Buzz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Wine, Women, and Revolution, Heather interviews Micah Rasmussen from Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Ryder University about the Zwicker bill to institute Ranked Choice Voting here in NJ. They discuss the pros and cons that may come with ranked choice, as well as other possible voting systems besides ranked choice and first past the post. They discuss how this system could encourage or discourage marginalized voters and marginalized candidates. There are over 20 cities that have passed ranked choice voting as well as the state of Maine. They are leading this experiment in democracy that has to be better than the failing system we have. (Transcript Auto Generated) Micah Rasmussen 0:00runoff elections are notorious for screening out minority candidates who do well. This is Wine Women and Revolution with your host Heather Warburton. Hi and welcome to Wine Women and Revolution. I'm your host Heather Warburton coming at you here on Create Your Future Productions. It's my brand new home and my brand new website. You can find us online at your future creator.com and great news. Breaking News just today I am pretty much anywhere that you get your podcasts from now you can find Wine, Women and Revolution. They're in our new home and new format. So if you can click on follow, give us likes give us ratings really helps me out since I'm just starting out this new venture on my own. And I'm very excited about what the future is gonna hold. So today we have a great topic. one's definitely important to me. I think most people listening to me today would agree that the state of our electoral system in this country is kind of rough. Like we have vote shaming we have division, we have some of the least inspiring candidates for president that the duopoly has probably ever run. Voter apathy is that one of the all time highs barely more than 50% of people vote. So we kind of need some sort of solution. And my guest today, I think maybe has one of those possible solutions. And it's a solution I've been talking about for a couple years now that I really think is the best possible solution. And that's ranked choice voting. So I'd like to welcome to my show today. Micah Rasmussen. Thanks for having me. So let's get a little bit about your credentials. Why am I having you on to talk about this today? Unknown Speaker 1:50So I'm the director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Ryder University. And so, I've spent most of my career as a practitioner of politics of New Jersey politics in particular. And I was governor McGreevy's press secretary was the last job that I held in politics. I also have managed a number of campaigns, I worked in the state legislature, I worked at the Department of Transportation. So I've seen a lot and done a lot. And really the strength that I bring to my students and to my work at the Institute, is that I bring that practical political experience and try to leverage it for the students advantage. And so there aren't too many people who study New Jersey politics in particular, Dr. Rebovich, the guy that the institute is named after was my mentor, when I was a student here at Ryder. And I'm so happy to be continuing the work that he did, and to do the same for new students that he was able to do for me. Micah Rasmussen 2:51And so today, we're talking about ranked choice voting. And I think people have probably heard about it. Now, there's a couple of states that have been trying to get it on the ballot. And here in New Jersey, we actually did have an assembly person put forth proposal to try to get it on the ballot here in New Jersey, right? Yes, Andrew Zwicker. He is an Assemblyman from the Princeton area. He represents parts of Princeton, parts of some parts of Mercer and Somerset County. He is sort of the intellectual heir apparent of a Rush Holt. We have actually two politicians in

A wide-ranging discussion with author and policy analyst Patrick Eddington about his service in the CIA during the Bush 41 and Bill Clinton eras, the Gulf War, Russiagate, the failure to change course at the end of the Cold War and about the unsustainability of and America’s incompatibility with empire. Patrick Eddington is a policy analyst in homeland security and civil liberties at the Cato Institute. He was an advisor to Rep. Rush Holt of New Jersey and he’s an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Georgetown University’s Center for Security Studies.  Eddington was a military imagery analyst at the CIA’s National Photographic Interpretation Center from 1988 to 1996 with assignments that included monitoring the breakup of the former Soviet Union and providing military assessments to policymakers on Iraqi and Iranian conventional forces. Eddington resigned from the CIA in 1996 after working on a book titled (Gassed in the Gulf: The Inside Story of the Pentagon-CIA Cover-up of Gulf War Syndrome) and he also wrote a 2011 memoir titled Long Strange Journey about his years in the CIA. He has been published at many outlets and has opinion pieces at the CATO Institute, Just Security and other sites. Find his work and links to his articles and events at the CATO Institute and at his blog, PatrickEddington.com.  FOLLOW him on Twitter at @PGEddington. Around the Empire is independent media and you can support it at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or at aroundtheempire.com. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. Follow Joanne Leon at @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube, Facebook. Recorded on December 11, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: Eddington’s Twitter thread on GHWB’s death George H.W. Bush’s Persian Gulf War: Victory, With Tragedy, Patrick Eddington Long Strange Journey: An Intelligence Memoir, Patrick Eddington Gassed in the Gulf: The Inside Story of the Pentagon-CIA Cover-up of Gulf War Syndrome, Patrick Eddington

In this episode, ASBMB Public Affairs Director Benjamin Corb talks with Rush Holt, chief executive officer at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, about scientists running for office. Holt described his time as a former congressional representative and how his scientific training affected his experience in Congress. Ben also discusess the appointment of Kelvin Droegemeier to direct the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; the release of the OSTP’s research and development priorities for fiscal year 2020; the current status of FY19 funding bills for the National Institutes of Health and other federal science agencies; and a recent letter sent by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash, and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, R-Conn., directing the NIH to respond to sexual harassment in the sciences. ASBMB statement of support for Trump nominee to lead the Office of Science and Technology Policy http://policy.asbmb.org/2018/08/01/the-asbmb-applauds-trump-nominee-to-lead-office-of-science-and-technology-policy/ FY2020 Administration Research and Development Budget Priorities https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/M-18-22.pdf Murray, DeLauro Question National Institutes of Health on Efforts to Address Harassment in Research Community https://www.help.senate.gov/ranking/newsroom/press/murray-delauro-question-national-institutes-of-health-on-efforts-to-address-harassment-in-research-community Follow your Pipettes & Politics hosts Twitter and share your thoughts on this episode using #PipettesAndPolitics: -Benjamin Corb | @bwcorb -Andre Porter | @anporter_ -Daniel Pham | @dpham20

Historically, scientists have focused on simplicity and clarity to communicate research. According to AAAS CEO, Dr. Rush Holt, we need to radically rethink that strategy for more people to see the relevance of research and feel that science can be for them, too.

From his earliest days, Dr. Rush Holt has been interested in "how the world works (that's science) and how people get along (that's politics)." There are few who want to do both. Rush is one of the rare scientists who has served in Congress and has integrated 'science and society' into everything he's done. Hear about what it was like to be a scientist in Congress and how scientists should be communicating. Rush is currently the CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and was the U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 12 congressional district from 1999 to 2015. Check out our show links at www.publichealthunited.org and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at PHUpodcast.

Dr. Rush Holt — current CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science — sat down to talk with the Science Soapbox team at the Advocating for Science Symposium organized by the Future of Research and the Academies for the Future of Science. In this episode, he shares his thoughts on the direction of the AAAS, building an appreciation for scientific evidence, and what graduate school isn’t teaching its students. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

Members of Congress are notorious for being tight-lipped about the details of the legislative process -- especially when they’re talking to journalists. Luckily there are exceptions to the informational lock-down reporters face: members of Congress who are on their way out. Our “DecodeDC: Exit Interview” series continues with one of only a couple of lawmakers who is also a scientist: New Jersey Congressman Rush Holt. Rep. Rush Holt Jr., a Ph.D. in physics, says science trains your mind. “Scientists want the evidence first and consensus later. Politicians tend to look for consensus first, and look for the evidence to match,” Holt says. That has set up a bad precedent in the current Congress, Holt says. When it comes to climate change, and other science-based topics, “ideology has trumped evidence.” Holt is also frustrated at how the Republican Leadership is running the House of Representatives. “The House is run by people who are so skeptical of government that they don’t believe government can or should do anything to help people,” Holt says. “Of course that’s troubling to those of us who got into this because we believe the government can and should help people. “ But that’s not why he’s leaving Congress. “Everybody assumes I’m bailing out of Congress because I can’t take it anymore -- it is just too frustrating, you know -- but that’s not the reason,” Holt says. Instead, Holt says he’s leaving with a real sense of accomplishment and even optimism. “I feel good about what I’ve done and what I’ve been doing,” Holt says. The 65-year-old representative has spent slightly more than a decade and a half as a liberal Democrat promoting scientific thinking and advocating for education, environmental protection and civil rights. The scientist-turned-congressman’s political interests were inherited from his parents – his father, the youngest person ever elected to U.S. Senate. and his mother, Secretary of State of West Virginia. Holt believes his most important legacy has been increasing the trust people have in government -- at least for some. He’s leaving now, he says, simply because “it’s time.” “For more than two centuries, there has been representative following representative following representative – that’s the way it’s supposed to work,” Holt says. “It’s not about any one person, and I think it’s time for the citizens of the 12th district in New Jersey to choose their next representative.” Katherine Lepri contributed to this story.

This episode highlights the bills that passed the House of Representatives in March, including a bill that allows toxic mountaintop removal waste to be dumped in streams, a bill that skips environmental reviews for new nuclear power plants, a bill that wasn't meant to become law but could screw over every government employee if it did, a bill that prevents the government from managing water rights, multiple bills to chip away at ObamaCare, and more. Bills Presented in This Episode Every one of these bills passed the House of Representatives in March, 2014 and is now awaiting action in the Senate. HR 311: “Farmers Undertake Environmental Land Stewardship Act” FUELS Act Sponsored by Rep. Eric “Rick” Crawford of Arkansas Relaxes the EPA rule that requires farms install spill prevention equipment if they store oil on their properties. This bill became law as part of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act, although with different numbers. The previous law said that a farm would need to install spill prevention equipment if they stored more than 1,320 gallons of oil on their property and would have to have that equipment inspected and certified by an engineer if they stored more than 10,000 gallons of oil. The new law says that the farm must get oil spill prevention equipment if they store more than 6,000 gallons of oil on their property and must have that equipment inspected and certified by an engineer if they have over 20,000 gallons of oil. H.R. 311 would have allowed farms to store up to 42,000 gallons of oil before they would have to have oil spill prevention equipment installed and certified by and engineer. The author of H.R. 311 was Rep. Rick Crawford of Arkansas; he has taken over $278,000 from the crop production and basic processing industry. H.R. 938: United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014 Sponsored by Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida Would add Israel to a list of countries that gets approved faster for weapons shipments from the United States. Title II: Takes a $2 million a year grant program for renewable energy research and development and shifts its money towards natural gas. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen's top contributor is the "Pro-Israel" lobby, which has given her over $893,000. The bill passed 410-1. Additional Information: Analysis: Israeli natural gas fields hold big promise for Noble Energy, Reuters, February 10, 2014. HR 1459: Ensuring Public Involvement in the Creation of National Monuments Act Sponsored by Rob Bishop of Utah Changes the rules for creating a National Monument. Requires environmental reviews of proposed National Monuments. The President can only create one National Monument per state per term; any additional National Monument declarations must be created by Congress. Rep. Rob Bishop’s campaign’s top contributing industry for the upcoming election is the oil and gas industry, which has given him $22,000. In total, the oil and gas industry has given Rep. Rob Bishop over $150,000. Another industry that benefits from this bill is real estate, Rep. Rob Bishop's fourth most generous contributing industry, which has given him over $100,000. This bill had the closest vote of the month, passing 222-201. HR 1814: Equitable Access to Health and Care Act (EACH Act) Sponsored by Aaron Schock of Illinois On Monday, June 30, the Supreme Court ruled that corporations can pick and choose what is included in their employee’s health coverage, so long as they say that that coverage is against the owners' religion. This ruling means that H.R. 1814 would have far wider implications than originally intended if it were to become law. HR 1814 let’s people get out of buying health insurance entirely if they say their “sincerely held religious beliefs” say they can’t get medical care. If someone went to the doctor that year voluntarily, the exemption would be nullified. There’s no penalty for lying. After the Supreme Court decision, if H.R. 1814 were to become law, corporations might be able to get out of providing for their employees by claiming that doing so is against their religion. The bill passed overwhelmingly in March, without a recorded vote, but it's future now looks bleak in the Senate. H.R. 2641: Responsibly and Professionally Invigorating Development Act (RAPID Act) Sponsored by Rep. Tom Marino of Pennsylvania Prohibits more than one environmental impact statement and one environmental assessment per project. Allows the company applying for a permit to conduct that environmental review. Lets the Federal government, at the company’s request, accept an environmental analysis that was prepared under State laws; the State laws have to be “substantially equivalent to NEPA” - not entirely, meaning that the Federal government can accept environmental studies that are not as stringent as NEPA. The Federal government can use the environmental analysis of a completely different but similar project in “geographical proximity” that was prepared within the last five years. “Geographical proximity” is not defined. All project reviews must be done at the same time. If other agencies are supposed to be involved in the environmental study process. they will have 30 days to respond to the lead agency or forever hold their peace. The other agencies won’t be allowed to participate or even submit comments if they didn’t respond in those first 30 days. Once a project schedule has been created, the lead agency is not allowed to respond to or include any NEPA document, comment, or new information that was submitted outside the time allotted for environmental analysis in the schedule. Sets time limits for environmental impact statements and public comment periods. If the lead agency doesn’t meet these deadlines, the permit is deemed approved. The permit can not be reversed by any agency or the courts. Bars judicial review of Federal permits, with a few narrow exceptions Representatives Quoted in This Segment (in order of appearance): Rep. Tom Marino of Pennsylvania Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas HR 2824: Preventing Government Waste and Protecting Coal Mining Jobs in America Sponsored by Bill Johnson of Ohio Forces the States to comply with a rule that allows the waste from mountaintop removal for coal mining operations to be dumped into rivers and streams. The rule was implemented in the last days of the Bush Administration and was recently thrown out by the courts because it didn't comply with the Endangered Species Act. Bill Johnson, the author of this gift to the coal industry, has taken over $200,000 from the mining industry. The bill passed 229-192. Representatives Quoted in This Segment (in order of appearance): Rep. Rush Holt of New Jersey Rep. Jim Moran of Virginia Rep. Bill Johnson of Ohio Rep. Alan Lowenthal of California HR 3189: Water Rights Protection Act Sponsored by Rep. Scott Tipton of Colorado This bill prohibits the Federal government from requiring companies operating on public land to turn over their water rights as a part of their lease renewals. The bill was written to settle a dispute over a Forest Service directive that would have required ski resorts operating on public land to turn over their water rights to the government in order to keep operating on public land. The Forest Service had already retracted that directive at the time this bill passed. The bill however, would prohibit the entire Department of Agriculture and the entire Department of the Interior from requiring the relinquishment of water rights as part of a permit to operate on public land, meaning the bill would effect far more than just ski resorts. The bill passed 238-174. No Republicans voted against it. Witnesses quoted from the House Natural Resources Committee's Subcommittee on Water and Power's hearing from October 10, 2013 (in order of appearance): Tony Willardson, Executive Director of the Western States Water Council David Corbin, Vice President of the Aspen Skiing Company Glenn Porzak, Attorney for the National Ski Areas Association Representatives Quoted in This Segment (in order of appearance): Rep. Grace Napolitano of California HR 3826: Electricity Security and Affordability Act Sponsored by Rep. Ed Whitfield of Kentucky The EPA will be not be allowed to enact any standard on fossil fuel powered electric utilities that regulates emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and a few other gases unless at least 6 utilities have already been meeting the standard for over a year; no results of demonstration projects can be included. Prohibits some specific proposed EPA rules from ever going into effect. Rules enacted by the EPA to set emission standards on fossil fuel utilities can’t go into effect until Congress passes a Federal law to set the enactment date. Ed Whitfield’s second highest contributor over the course of his career has been electric utilities; he’s taken over $614,000 from them. Electric utilities are his top contributor for the upcoming 2014 election; he’s taken over $157,000 and counting for this election alone. Ed Whitfield has also taken almost half a million over the course of his career from the oil and gas industry, over $100,000 of that for this upcoming election. The bill passed 229-183. HR 4015: SGR Repeal and Medicare Provider Payment Modernization Act of 2014 Sponsored by Michael Burgess of Texas This bill repeals the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) method of paying doctors who treat Medicare patients. The SGR rate ties the doctors' payments to the growth of the economy, which has short changed the doctors as medical costs have risen and the economy has remained flat. In it’s place, HR 4015 establishes what they call a “merit-based incentive payment system” that would come into effect on January 1, 2018. It creates a complicated system of scoring doctors based on their performance. Section 10, however, waives the tax penalty for not buying health insurance until 2019. This provision will kill the bill in the Senate. The bill passed 238-181. No Republicans voted against it. HR 4118: SIMPLE Fairness Act Sponsored by Rep. Lynn Jenkins of Kansas Delays the tax penalty assessed if you fail to buy health insurance for one year. The Congressional Budget Office determined that the result will be that one million fewer Americans sign up for health insurance over the next few years, with half of those being poor people eligible for Federal subsidies. The government would save a few billion over the next ten years, therefore, by not giving health insurance to poor people. Rep. Lynn Jenkins top five contributing industries include both health professionals and insurance. She’s taken over $300,000 from both. Representatives Quoted in This Segment (in order of appearance): Rep. Lynn Jenkins of Kansas Rep. Jim McDermott of Washington HR 4138: ENFORCE the Law Act of 2014 Sponsored by Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina Allows the House of Representatives, the Senate, or the Congress as a whole to to “bring civil action” against another part of the government if Congress doesn’t think that part of the government is “faithfully executing the law” Allows either part of Congress to sue over the actions of the Executive branch, any department or agency or “any other officer or employee” of the United States for formal or informal policies, practices or procedures. Before Congress can file these civil suits, Congress needs to pass a resolution. After the lawsuit is filed in a district court, the rules are that the lawsuit will be heard by a three-judge court and their decision can only be appealed directly to the Supreme Court. This bill was presented as a solution to the "problem" of an Executive Branch that refuses to enforce the law. This bill, however, is so broadly and carelessly written that it appears to allow Congress to sue any part of the government, individual employees included, if Congress determines they have not "faithfully executed the law." [caption id="attachment_1453" align="aligncenter" width="625"] Stars of the "President Obama Sucks" montage[/caption] The only clear winners if this bill became law are the lawyers who would get to argue these civil cases. The author of the bill, Rep. Trey Gowdy, is a lawyer. Trey Gowdy’s most generous contributing industry are lawyers and law firms, which have given him over $188,000 during his two terms in Congress. The bill passed 233-181, with the support of every, single Republican. It stands no chance in the Senate. Representatives Quoted in This Segment (in order of appearance): Rep. Bob Goodlatte of Virginia Rep. Martha Roby of Alabama Rep. Jeff Duncan of South Carolina Rep. Richard Nugent of Florida Rep. Ted Poe of Texas Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts Ignored Subpoena Rep. Chaka Fattah of Pennsylvania informed the House of Representatives that he is not going to comply with a subpoena. It's not clear exactly what the subpoena was for but he has been under Federal investigation for various improprieties since 2007. Additional Information: Pennsylvania Rep. Chaka Fattah vows to fight federal subpoena, Washington Times, March 13, 2014. Music Presented in This Episode March of the Pigs by A Thousand Suns (found on Music Alley by mevio) Intro and Exit Music: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)  

A bill marketed as for "transparency" appears to keep information secret from the public and gut an oversight board. Taxpayers treat a group of Representatives to an expensive Summer getaway. Cocaine. HR 2061: "The Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA) of 2013" passed the House of Representatives 388-1 on Monday, November 12, 2013. Section 3: The following information would be published on the USASpending.gov website: A "pilot program" will "consolidate reports" that agencies and companies who receive Federal money must turn in: The agencies and companies allowed into the pilot program must be worth at least $1 billion total; there's no limit to the number of participants. The Recovery Board would start investigating the Inspectors General: Section 5: Expands the amount of information that can be kept secret: Section 3 of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 says: Section 5 of the DATA Act changes it to say: The "information protected" under the Freedom of Information Act which the DATA Act would keep secret from the public is:   Some information from the Privacy Act of 1974 that the DATA Act would keep secret from the public is: The information from the US Tax Code that the DATA Act would keep secret from the public is: The Recovery Board investigates companies that are given government money - "recipients". [caption id="attachment_1065" align="aligncenter" width="336"] Quote by Rep. Darrell Issa, House Floor, November 18, 2013.[/caption] The DATA Act extends the Recovery Board but lets its functions and website expire six weeks from now: H.R. 313- which passed the House in May 2013- is attached to the end of the DATA Act. Limits spending on conferences to $500,000. Extraordinarily detailed reports required for conferences over $10,000. Cuts agencies' travel budget by at least 30%. Congressional Travel Expenses Five Representatives and two staffers took a $179,938 six-day all expense paid-by-taxpayers trip to Singapore and Australia in Summer 2013. Representatives Discussed in This Episode Rep. Rush Holt of New Jersey was the only Representative to vote against the DATA Act. As a scientist, I know firsthand how important scientific conferences and meetings are.  I opposed H.R. 2061, the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act, because it would cut by 30 percent the amount of travel federal employees could undertake for conferences, meetings, and other crucial events. - Rep. Rush Holt Rep. Henry "Trey" Radel of Florida is on a leave of absence due to his proven cocaine habit. [caption id="attachment_1049" align="alignright" width="300"] Rep. Darrell Issa represents California's 49th district[/caption] Rep. Darrell Issa of California was the main author of the DATA Act. Darrell Issa is the richest person in Congress in 2013. He has at least $430 million; he made $135 million in 2012 on Wall Street. Darrell Issa does the bidding of Big Business. Representatives Quoted in this Episode Rep. Darrell Issa of California Additional Information Sunlight Foundation blog in support of HR 2061 Music Intro and Exit Music: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Dirty Little Secret by 54 Seconds (found on Music Alley by mevio) Cocaine by Eric Clapton Homework Watch Chasing Ice

Podcast host Steve Mirsky talks with Scientific American magazine Editor in Chief Mariette DiChristina, news editor Anna Kuchment, feature editor Mark Fischetti and online news editor Robin Lloyd about various sessions at the recently completed annual conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, DC.

Hosted by Jeff Gardner and Jay Lassiter. Each week, we bring you New Jersey's latest political buzz, interviews with newsmakers, and your stimulating calls.

Hosted by Jeff Gardner and Jay Lassiter. Each week, we bring you New Jersey's latest political buzz, interviews with newsmakers, and your stimulating calls.

Rep. Rush Holt of NJ chairs the House committee that watches over intelligence.