There is no easy way to describe how big $1.9 trillion dollars is. It's only the latest round of recovery spending. Democrats say this package could fundamentally change how Americans think about the role government can play in their lives. This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis, congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell, and national political correspondent Mara Liasson Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at [email protected] . Join the NPR Polit...
Mar 09, 2021•15 min
A new assessment commissioned by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recommends a dramatic expansion of security measures at the U.S. Capitol. And Republican state lawmakers have introduced a spate of bills aimed at blocking trans women and girls from participating in girls' sports—the legislation, meant to rally base voters, has so far foundered under legal scrutiny. This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis, congressional reporter Claudia Grisales, White House reporter Ayesha Rascoe, and po...
Mar 08, 2021•15 min
Despite a strong jobs report last month, the economy is still really struggling. That means there's a lot of energy behind Democrats' COVID relief package—but passing the rest of their agenda will almost certainly be much harder. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley, congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell, and congressional correspondent Susan Davis. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at nprpolitics@...
Mar 05, 2021•28 min
The Supreme Court seems poised to uphold voting restrictions in Arizona, setting the stage for Republican legislatures to try to make it more difficult to vote for years to come. This comes at the same time as the House passed a bill expanding and protecting voting rights. Civil rights remain at the center of the debate over who has access to the vote. This episode: White House correspondent Ayesha Rascoe, voting and disinformation reporter Miles Parks, and legal affairs correspondent Nina Toten...
Mar 04, 2021•15 min
President Biden announced yesterday an accelerated vaccination timeline in the United States, but some states are already moving to fully reopen—a move public health experts warn could lead to deadly mutations and a dangerous backslide. This episode: White House reporter Ayesha Rascoe, pharmaceuticals correspondent Sydney Lupkin, and national political correspondent Mara Liasson. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at [email protected] . Join the NPR Politics P...
Mar 03, 2021•14 min
FBI Director Christopher Wray defended his department saying it warned law enforcement ahead of the insurrection at the capitol. He also emphasized the ongoing threat to the United States posed by domestic extremists—including militia members and white supremacists. This episode: White House reporter Ayesha Rascoe, justice correspondent Ryan Lucas, and congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at [email protected] . Join ...
Mar 02, 2021•15 min
The former president's speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference is confirmation that Donald Trump won't go quietly into retirement—loyalty to Trump and white grievance politics will remain the Republican party's central tenets for the foreseeable future. This episode: White House reporter Ayesha Rascoe, White House correspondent Tamara Keith, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at npr...
Mar 01, 2021•15 min
President Biden hasn't reinstated family separation policies, but his choice to keep migrant children in a shelter facility has drawn criticism from activists. And the Conservative Political Action Conference has evolved in five short years into a Trump-centric affair. This episode: White House reporter Ayesha Rascoe, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at ...
Feb 26, 2021•28 min
Many young progressive groups were openly hostile to Joe Biden's primary campaign, but they rallied to support him once he secured the nomination. Now, his administration regularly meets with young organizers—who are hoping to increase their representation in the halls of power. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, political correspondent Juana Summers, and White House correspondent Scott Detrow. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at nprpolitics...
Feb 25, 2021•15 min
Vaccination rates are trending up and deaths are trending down since President Biden took office—but another hundred thousand Americans have died since he was sworn in. Public health experts suggest it was probably too late to prevent them. Biden's nearly two trillion dollar relief bill is set to be voted on later this week. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, national political correspondent Mara Liasson, health correspondent Allison Aubrey, and congressional correspondent Kel...
Feb 24, 2021•15 min
Under questioning from senators about the attack on the Capitol, the law enforcement officials who oversaw the building's security were quick to lay blame elsewhere. And an NPR investigation offers context on everyone charged in connection with the insurrection. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, congressional reporter Claudia Grisales, justice correspondent Ryan Lucas, and investigative correspondent Tom Dreisbach. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email t...
Feb 23, 2021•14 min
In his confirmation hearing to serve as Attorney General, Merrick Garland emphasized loyalty to the people of the United States over fealty to the president. Monday's hearing comes almost five years after Garland was denied a Supreme Court confirmation hearing by Republican Mitch McConnell. This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis, national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, and legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Emai...
Feb 22, 2021•14 min
Millions of Texans have been without power or potable water for days following unusually harsh winter weather. The Republican governor blamed the outages on renewable energy but that is only 10 percent of the story. Plus, we look at "cancel culture." Where did it come from, and why are conservatives eager to use it as a political cudgel? This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis, White House reporter Ayesha Rascoe, business reporter Camila Domonoske, KUT's Ashley Lopez, and political...
Feb 19, 2021•31 min
President Biden has made reopening schools a benchmark for how his administration is handling the pandemic. It is a politically tricky goal, since those decisions will be made by local districts. We look at the roadblocks to achieving that goal and what the political fight might look like. This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis, White House correspondent Scott Detrow, and education correspondent Cory Turner. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at n...
Feb 18, 2021•15 min
In a statement former President Donald Trump called Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell a "dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack" and said Republicans will lose if they stick with the senator. McConnell voted to acquit Trump in the impeachment trial but has been critical of Trump in recent weeks. The division between these top Republicans is just the tip of the iceberg of a deeply divided GOP. This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis, senior political editor and corresponden...
Feb 17, 2021•13 min
House Democrats are putting the finishing touches on their Covid-19 relief package. It is expected to include everything from direct payments to a $15 federal minimum wage, and cost nearly $2 trillion. We break down what's in the bill and what will and will not make it through the Senate. This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis, congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell, and chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the ...
Feb 16, 2021•14 min
Seven Republican senators voted to convict former President Donald Trump of inciting an insurrection, making this impeachment the most bipartisan in history. But some of those senators are already facing backlash. As the GOP continues to decide what its future will look like, President Biden forges ahead with his plan to combat the pandemic. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, congressional editor Deirdre Walsh, and national political correspondent Mara Liasson. Connect: Subscr...
Feb 15, 2021•15 min
All fifty members of the Democratic caucus and seven Republicans said Donald Trump is guilty of inciting an insurrection at the Capitol — that's ten votes short of the two-thirds majority required for conviction. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, White House reporter Ayesha Rascoe, congressional correspondent Susan Davis, and senior political editor and correspondent Ron Elving. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at [email protected] . Join...
Feb 14, 2021•20 min
In a combative but brief showing, former president Trump's defense team highlighted past uses of fight metaphors by Democratic politicians to suggest the president's rally speech didn't incite the insurrection. The lawyers also alleged that House Democrats failed to meet various legal standards in their pursuit of conviction — standards that hold little relevance to the political process of impeachment. Follow our live coverage. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, congressional...
Feb 13, 2021•17 min
The House impeachment managers concluded their case against Donald Trump by characterizing a Senate conviction as a way to prevent of future violence — a warning to future presidents who might be also inclined to encourage violence. Tomorrow, the former president's defense team mounts their response. Follow our live coverage. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell, and legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg. Connect: Subscribe to the NP...
Feb 12, 2021•17 min
The Democratic impeachment managers played a series of graphic videos demonstrating just how close senators came to encountering violent extremists inside the Capitol. Soon, those senators will have to decide whether Trump was responsible for the riot that put their lives at risk — and threatened to derail the transition of power. Follow our live coverage. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, White House correspondent Tamara Keith, and congressional reporter Claudia Grisales. Co...
Feb 11, 2021•17 min
Six Republicans voted with Democrats that it is constitutional to try a former president in the Senate after he or she has left office. But it would take another 11 in order to convict him on the impeachment charge. Follow our live coverage. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell, and justice correspondent Ryan Lucas. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at [email protected] . Join the NPR Politics Podcast ...
Feb 10, 2021•15 min
The impeachment trial gets underway tomorrow. A new brief suggests that Trump's lawyers will defend him on both process and substance. And a vote to convict the former president always seemed unlikely, but Republican opposition to the president appears to have softened in the month since the insurrection. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, congressional correspondent Susan Davis, and national political correspondent Mara Liasson. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast ...
Feb 08, 2021•15 min
In his first major foreign policy address since assuming office, President Biden promised that the country would once again be a reliable ally to its partners. And Kamala Harris faces a common vice presidential dilemma: what is my role in this administration? This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis, White House correspondent Scott Detrow, and White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at [email protected] . Join ...
Feb 05, 2021•28 min
The question is at the center of next week's impeachment trial in the Senate, which begins Tuesday. Donald Trump's defense team says you can't vote to remove a president who is already gone. House Impeachment managers are prepared to argue that an impeachment conviction ultimately means more than that. This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis, senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro, and legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR P...
Feb 04, 2021•15 min
Liz Cheney is the third-ranking House Republican; she voted for President Trump's second impeachment. Marjorie Taylor Greene is a freshman lawmaker who pushes a range of wild conspiracies. Their Republican colleagues are struggling to decide whether to punish either of them. This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis, congressional reporter Claudia Grisales, and national political correspondent Mara Liasson. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at nprpo...
Feb 03, 2021•14 min
The former president's impeachment trial begins next Tuesday. His new attorneys say the Senate doesn't have the grounds to proceed now that he is out of office. And: President Biden has initiated a task force to reunite children and parents separated by Trump at the border. This episode: congressional reporter Susan Davis, congressional editor Deirdre Walsh, justice correspondent Ryan Lucas, and White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email...
Feb 02, 2021•15 min
Ten Republican senators are meeting with President Biden at the White House Monday to discuss their coronavirus relief proposal — which is just one-third the size of the president's plan. And Vice President Harris leaves a notable hole in the Senate roster: she was the only Black woman in the body. Organizers say that the Democratic party has long neglected investing in Black women candidates. This episode: political reporter Juana Summers, White House correspondent Tamara Keith, and national po...
Feb 01, 2021•15 min
Republican strategists close to Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue's failed Senate campaigns tell WABE's Emma Hurt that former President Trump's interference made it hard to win January's runoff elections in Georgia. Now, Democrats are moving aggressively on President Biden's relief proposal and the GOP is feeling stung by life in the minority. Also: Gamestop? This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, White House correspondent Tamara Keith, congressional editor Deirdre Walsh, WABE repor...
Jan 29, 2021•27 min
Republican Rob Portman of Ohio talks with NPR's Susan Davis about his retirement from the Senate, the Republican party after Trump, as well as the former president's impeachment trial. Portman says he thought President Biden's inaugural address struck the right tone, but the president's legislative strategy on his COVID-19 relief proposal has burned some goodwill with Republicans. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at [email protected] . Join the NPR Politics ...
Jan 28, 2021•16 min
