Part 2 of the Continuing Resolution which funds the government until September 30th. In this section, we look at the funding for the Defense Department and the Department of Homeland Security. B= Billion M= Million DIVISION C: DEFENSE DEPARTMENT (TOTAL FUNDING: $597,086,714,000) Title I—Military Personnel $127.5 B: Total funding Title II—Operation and Maintenance $173 B: Total funding Title III—Procurement $100 B: Total funding Public funding for private procurements In every category: "Expansio...
Mar 29, 2013•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 20
Part 1 of a two part series on the continuing resolution that will fund the government until the end of September. In this episode, we examine the funding for the Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Justice, and science related appropriations. B = billion M = million DIVISION A: AGRICULTURE, FOOD & DRUG ADMINISTRATION Totals Grand total of division: 139 B for 2013 ($137 B in 2012) ($144 B requested) Food and Drug Administration (FDA): $4 B in 2013 Food Stamps: $77 B ...
Mar 23, 2013•53 min•Ep. 19
Low-lights of the Ryan budget are described after we run down the bills passed by the House this week. We also look into an eighteen-year emergency continued this week by President Obama. The banks currently have to send out a notice regarding their privacy policies every year. This bill would change the law so the banks only have to send the privacy notices out when they change their privacy policies. The privacy policies will be posted online. This bill extends the the Temporary Assistance for...
Mar 16, 2013•52 min•Ep. 18
We take a close look at the Violence Against Women Act re-authorization as the President signs it into law. We also look at the continuing resolution passed by the House, which funds defense while leaving the rest of the government in chaos. Was signed by the President! This one is law. President Obama signs VAWA on March 7, 2013 Definition Changes Adds stalking and date rape to the list of offenses. Includes cyber stalking in the definition of stalking. Replaces "spouses" with "parties' Indian ...
Mar 09, 2013•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 17
No one really tried to avert the sequester, the House of Representatives travels in style, and something good actually happened this week in Congress. Sequester Here is a rundown of what kind of effort each division of Congress put forth to try to avert the sequester. Senate Democrats offered Freezes the sequester, keeping the budget the same for 2013. Lowers the spending caps from the Budget Control Act, totaling $39 billion in future spending (not a cut) Eliminates direct payments to farmers f...
Mar 01, 2013•33 min•Ep. 16
House Republicans tried hard during their week off to label the huge March 1 cuts as "the President's sequester", but was President Obama really the cause? We go back to August 1, 2011, the day sequester was born, to see who was celebrating the cuts and how they passed the House. August 1, 2011: The House of Representatives passed the . The Budget Control Act: Raised the debt ceiling for 18 months, allowing the United States to pay its bills until the fiscal cliff crisis in January 2013. Mandate...
Feb 23, 2013•39 min•Ep. 15
Hydropower and veterans get some love from the House this week, while churches get taxpayer money and Federal workers get screwed… again. * Fast Tracks licensing for hydro-power generation on existing dams. * Passed with 0 No votes. * Only 3% of the 80,000 dams in the U.S. currently generate electricity Federal grants will be awarded to States to streamline State requirements and procedures for veterans who were military emergency medical technicians while serving in the Armed Forces to meet cer...
Feb 16, 2013•34 min•Ep. 14
The House passes a surveillance bill masked as pediatric research and then wastes our time. Also, highlights from the leaked legal justification for the Obama Administration's "lawful" drone bombing of American citizens. Introduced by Democrat Lois Capps of Northern California. The bill says the Director of the National Institutes of Health (a gov't agency) can create a network of up to 20 groups of public or private non-profits to work together to do pediatric research. As a condition of accept...
Feb 08, 2013•34 min•Ep. 13
A quick fact check followed by an introduction to ALEC, the association of lawmakers and corporations working together to write bills. Fact Checking CD011 Conversation has been reported to be operating in the following countries Afghanistan Iraq Pakistan Sudan Bosnia Syria Somalia Egypt Saudi Arabia Yemen Algeria Mali Mauritania Morocco Niger Tunisia Turkey Kenya Tanzania United States Last week, a bill was rammed through the Virginia State Senate that redraws the maps for their State Senate rac...
Feb 02, 2013•45 min•Ep. 12
Lobbyist Jo Ann Emerson quits Congress early, the House votes to temporarily suspend the debt ceiling and probably-not postpone their own paychecks, and the Brineys drunkenly ramble on a Friday night. Jo Ann Emerson Resigns from the House Said she was leaving Congress in February, left early (Tuesday, January 22) Used to represent the 8th district of Missouri; left to become President and CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, a trade association/lobbying group. It has about...
Jan 26, 2013•54 min•Ep. 11
Before the House (finally) agreed to give recovery money to Hurricane Sandy victims, they made new rules for the 113th Congress, including more private jets for themselves and less rights for gays. Then, despite Republican efforts to short them, the House finally voted to give Hurricane Sandy victims the $60 billion they asked for... Well, sort of. Changed the Nepotism rule to include grandchildren. Allows members to take private jets using official funds. Starts to open the door to using campai...
Jan 19, 2013•50 min•Ep. 10
The back story on the "fiscal cliff" debacle, the House's sad excuse for a compromise, and the contents of the fiscal cliff bill that became law on 1/3/13. ‘‘American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012'' TITLE I—GENERAL TAXES SEC. 101. PERMANENT EXTENSION OF MOST 2001 BUSH TAX CUTS People making over $400,000 as individuals, or $450,000 as a couple, will be taxed at 39.6% instead of the current 35% Estate tax rate will be raised to 40% from 35%. No taxes on the first $5 million of inheritance. SEC. 102...
Jan 05, 2013•50 min•Ep. 9
Congress passes the National Defense Authorization Act for 2013; highlights include lots of money for other countries, a continuation of indefinite detention, Christmas gifts given to Northrup Grumman and other campaign contributors, and rules will finally apply to defense contracting. All that and more in this summary of 2013's NDAA… The Bad Money to Other Countries - (Section 222) $211 million to Israel for IRON SHEILD, their missile defense system - (Section 1211) $508 million for Iraq. - (Se...
Dec 25, 2012•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 8
Doing nothing, literally, is planned until 12/28 and a special guest helps filter fact from fiction in regards to solar power. *Correction from CD004: failed this week. 1 million Primatene Mist (manufactured by Armstrong Pharmaceuticals) inhalers in a CA warehouse Primatene Mist and all other inhalers with ozone-depleting chemicals have been off the market for 11 months Needed 2/3 aye votes to pass because it was brought up under "suspension" : Extra "work" days during the holidays will be fille...
Dec 15, 2012•53 min•Ep. 7
Rep. Jo Ann Emerson quits Congress to become a lobbying titan, the Coast Guard is funded, Louie Gohmert votes for 'lunatic', GOP confuses net neutrality, and a crisis is engineered during a short week in Congress. - Represents southeast Missouri: - Leaving Congress in February to become President and CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, a trade association/lobbying group. - It has about 900 member utilities that serve and own almost half of the US power grid. - Replacing G...
Dec 07, 2012•35 min•Ep. 6
During another slow week in Congress, Jesse Jackson Jr. resigns, Nydia Velazquez (NY) ignores a subpoena, the Department of Homeland Security gets investigated, the Senate fights about filibusters, and the Trans-Pacific-Partnership is confirmed as real, secret, and scary. Bills Signed Into Law: - : Fast tracks Rockaways gas pipeline for Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Company (Transco) - : Prohibits airlines from participating in EU cap & trade program. - Hasn't been seen since June and didn't cam...
Dec 01, 2012•56 min•Ep. 5
During a slow week in the House of Representatives, inhalers are given relief, airlines are forced to ignore a European carbon law, and trade with Russia is "normalized." *Mistake in CD003: Pete Sessions, not Jeff Sessions. * was bill signed into law during recess. - Asthma Inhalers Relief Act of 2012 (Sponsored by Rep. Michael Burgess / Energy and Commerce Committee) : Epinephrine CFC Metered-dose Inhalers - Questions and Answers Epinephrine CFC metered-dose inhalers used to treat asthma (known...
Nov 17, 2012•22 min•Ep. 4
This episode is a history of free market policies implemented around the world for the last fifty years. The Basics Corporatist system: Its main characteristics are huge transfers of public wealth to private hands, often accompanied by exploding debt, an ever-widening chasm between the dazzling rich and the disposable poor and an aggressive nationalism that justifies bottomless spending on security. Chicago School Theory -advanced by Milton Friedman: The starting premise is that the free market ...
Nov 11, 2012•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 3
Iran sanctions are signed into law, a gas pipeline gets fast tracked through a NYC park, the Buffett Rule is (sort of) passed, a "War on Coal" is not really waged, and more from this week in Congress... *Signed into law* Sanctions = Shut down trade in and out of Iran. People can’t get what they need, they get mad at their government, the government needs to do what we want them to do in order to make the sanctions go away and get their people to back off. What do we want them to do? Stop develop...
Sep 22, 2012•57 min•Ep. 2
Congress returns from vacation, Dennis Cardoza (CA-18) resigns, President Obama continues the 9/11 State of Emergency, FISA is reauthorized, veterans benefits are held hostage, mining companies get a gift from Congress, solar power is attacked, and more from this week in Congress... Executive Producer: William Monroe Dennis Cardoza (CA-18) Resigns : "In light of the fact that nothing is going to happen for the rest of the year, and in light of the fact that (my wife) and I are facing increasing ...
Sep 16, 2012•56 min•Ep. 1
Hello! This is Congressional Dish. Listen to this to find out what this podcast is all about.
Sep 01, 2012•9 min•Ep. 1
