Congressional Dish

27/07/2024

When Congress returned to work after the Republican National Convention, the House held three hearings investigating the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. In this episode, hear for yourself the facts presented by the Director of the Secret Service, the Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner, and the FBI Director during their 15 hours of testimony.

When Congress returned to work after the Republican National Convention, the House held three hearings investigating the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. In this episode, hear for yourself the facts presented by the Director of the Secret Service, the Pennsylvania State Poli...

21/07/2024

Ever wonder what it’s like to attend a Republican National Convention? How about an RNC that took place two days after their candidate was almost assassinated? In this bonus episode, Jen dishes on her experience at the RNC 2024 in Milwaukee.

Ever wonder what it’s like to attend a Republican National Convention? How about an RNC that took place two days after their candidate was almost assassinated? In this bonus episode, Jen dishes on her experience at the RNC 2024 in Milwaukee Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contrib...

16/07/2024

The Boeing 737 Max line of airplanes has been in the news often in the last 5 years after two fatal plane crashes and a door plug flew off a plane mid-flight, but Boeing’s recklessness extends far beyond the 737 Max. In this episode, hear testimony from whistleblowers, engineering experts, and government regulators during recent Congressional investigations into Boeing’s prioritization of its stock price over our safety.

The Boeing 737 Max line of airplanes has been in the news often in the last 5 years after two fatal plane crashes and a door plug flew off a plane mid-flight, but Boeing’s recklessness extends far beyond the 737 Max. In this episode, hear testimony from whistleblowers, engineering experts, and gov...

13/07/2024

Congressional Dish : We're Not Wrong LIVE in Milwaukee

Get tickets for We're Not Wrong LIVE in Milwaukee: Friday, July 19 at 7pm Skylight Music Theater 158 N. Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202

13/07/2024

Join Jen, Justin Robert Young, and Andrew Heaton at the Skylight Music Theater in Milwaukee on July 19 at 7pm for a post-RNC recording of We're Not Wrong.

Get Tickets --> https://cart.broadwaytheatrecenter.com/63881

04/07/2024

The Supreme Court issued a handful of decisions this week that will change the way the United States government functions. In this episode, learn about the likely consequences of cases that pose challenges to government regulations and analyze the effect that immunity for former Presidents is going to have on the criminal cases pending against former President Donald Trump and all future Presidents…or Kings.

The Supreme Court issued a handful of decisions this week that will change the way the United States government functions. In this episode, learn about the likely consequences of cases that pose challenges to government regulations and analyze the effect that immunity for former Presidents is going....

31/05/2024

In March, the Senate received testimony from the Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board about some transportation related dangers that you should know about. In this episode, hear testimony about those dangers, including those posed by airborne tourism companies, electric vehicles, and self driving technology. You will also hear a stunning NTSB finding about a likely profit-prioritization decision of railroad company Norfolk Southern, which unnecessarily lead to the poisoning of East Palestine, OH.

In March, the Senate received testimony from the Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board about some transportation related dangers that you should know about. In this episode, hear testimony about those dangers, including those posed by airborne tourism companies, electric vehicles, and se...

23/05/2024

President Biden has signed three new laws containing policy changes that will have long lasting effects on the people of Palestine. In this episode, seven months into the ongoing destruction of Gaza, see what Congress and the President have enacted in your name.

President Biden has signed three new laws containing policy changes that will have long lasting effects on the people of Palestine. In this episode, seven months into the ongoing destruction of Gaza, see what Congress and the President have enacted in your name. Please Support Congressional Dish –...

02/05/2024

Find all the links at https://congressionaldish.com/cd291-warrantless-spying-continues

#702

30/04/2024

"Over the years, the FISA 702 program has changed several times.

In the beginning of the program, the NSA was getting its information directly from internet service providers, like Mike Klein described, and storing the data in giant storage centers, the most famous of which was an NSA data center in the middle of nowhere in Utah, that was so large that it cost about $2 billion of our tax money to build.

But during the Obama Biden administration, a few things happened that triggered massive public outrage and led to Congress being pressured into changing our country's spying laws. First, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which is the often rubber stamp court that operates mostly in secret and provides oversight and secret warrants when they're asked for.

Well, that court, not one that's really known for being all that tough on these programs, had to admit in 2011 that aspects of the FISA 702 programs, specifically the storage of Americans information for five years, and the lack of a system that separated Americans data from foreigners data, they said that was unconstitutional.

And then two years later, in 2013, an American hero named Edward Snowden who was working at Booz Allen Hamilton, a private sector company that was partnered with the NSA in their spying operations. Well, Edward Snowden showed the world classified documents which proved that the US government had direct access to the information being collected by the largest tech companies in the world. And that access allowed the government to collect our information and search through it without our knowledge and without a specific warrant."

Learn more in our latest episode at https://congressionaldish.com/cd291-warrantless-spying-continues

#702

27/04/2024

"The FBI is only supposed to use the [702] database that stores the information of Americans that's been incidentally picked up on wiretaps of foreigners if the FBI search is, quoting from the law, 'reasonably likely to return foreign intelligence information or evidence of a crime.' And the FBI abused the 'evidence of a crime' part of that sentence."

Learn more in our latest episode at https://congressionaldish.com/cd291-warrantless-spying-continues

#702

25/04/2024

“FISA 702” allows the government to spy on foreigners and store the information that they collect about American citizens incidentally. After more than a decade of FBI officials inappropriately searching the database of our information without warrants, Congress just reauthorized the program and made some changes - some reigning the program in and some expanding it. In this episode, learn what those changes are and how they are likely to affect you.

“FISA 702” allows the government to spy on foreigners and store the information that they collect about American citizens incidentally. After more than a decade of FBI officials inappropriately searching the database of our information without warrants, Congress just reauthorized the program and...

25/04/2024

Find all the links at https://congressionaldish.com/cd290-israel-war-money-whats-already-law/

23/04/2024

Is this what we should be spending our money on?

18/04/2024

"People affiliated with Raytheon provided over $3 million total to members of Congress to help them win their current seats. And Raytheon itself spent about $11.5 million dollars lobbying Congress just last year. Over in Boeing, people affiliated with Boeing provided over $4 million dollars to members of Congress to help them win their current seats. And Boeing itself spent about $14.5 million lobbying Congress in 2023. That's big money."

Learn more in our latest episode at at https://congressionaldish.com/cd290-israel-war-money-whats-already-law/

17/04/2024

After an unprecedented embassy bombing followed by an unprecedented drone and missile attack, Israel and Iran may have us on the brink of WWIII. In this episode, as Congress and the Biden administration ponder additional support for Israel, we take a look at what has already been approved for Israel in the 2024 defense authorization and funding law.

After an unprecedented embassy bombing followed by an unprecedented drone and missile attack, Israel and Iran may have us on the brink of WWIII. In this episode, as Congress and the Biden administration ponder additional support for Israel, we take a look at what has already been approved for Israel...

03/04/2024

"We could require that all of these companies make their algorithms public so that other wizards who understand code can at the very least tell us how we're being manipulated, while still maintaining the company's abilities to operate as they please. And we can choose for ourselves whether or not we want to be manipulated by this social media company or that social media company"

Hear more in our latest episode at https://congressionaldish.com/cd289-the-not-a-tiktok-ban-bill/

19/03/2024

A bill is quickly moving through Congress that supposedly would “ban TikTok.” While it is clearly aimed at TikTok, this bill is really about creating a new Presidential power to remove Americans’ access to apps, websites, games and other entire tech platforms. In this episode, using the text of the bill itself, we examine how exactly this new censorship power would work if the bill passes the Senate and becomes law.

A bill is quickly moving through Congress that supposedly would “ban TikTok.” While it is clearly aimed at TikTok, this bill is really about creating a new Presidential power to remove Americans’ access to apps, websites, games and other entire tech platforms. In this episode, using the text o...

12/03/2024

The Congressional appropriations process only covers discretionary spending.

Learn more about the government funding process in our latest episode at https://congressionaldish.com/cd288-government-funding-101/

10/03/2024

"There are di*********es that are straight up controversial and get included in omnibus funding bills to become law as dirty little secrets under the cover of thousands of pages that no one has time to read before the votes.

And we've seen all kinds of dirty di*********es during the era of Congressional Dish. Like the di*******ry that legalized bank bailouts of both foreign and domestic banks, or the treaty with Mexico that was approved via di*******ry that opened up huge parts of the Gulf of Mexico to deep water oil drilling not long after the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
And we routinely see things like spying provisions and other provisions from the Patriot Act being renewed without any debate. And of course, there are so many corporate favors.

And that's actually why I think there's no real incentive or attempt by the leaders of either party to fix the clearly broken appropriations process, because they can get things into law that benefit their corporate donors that would be controversial and much harder to pass on their own."

Learn more about the government funding process in our latest episode at https://congressionaldish.com/cd288-government-funding-101/

07/03/2024

Find our latest episode, CD287: War Money, at https://congressionaldish.com/cd287-war-money/

06/03/2024

As we enter another round of government funding drama, let’s learn the basics. In this episode, we examine how the process is supposed to work, spot the tell tale signs that something has gone wrong, and decipher all of the DC wonky words that make the appropriations process seem more complicated than it really is.

As we enter another round of government funding drama, let’s learn the basics. In this episode, we examine how the process is supposed to work, spot the tell tale signs that something has gone wrong, and decipher all of the DC wonky words that make the appropriations process seem more complicated ...

29/02/2024

It’s been four months since President Biden requested over $100 billion in war money for Israel and Ukraine and the Senate has now passed a bill that would provide most of the money. In this episode, we examine the events that lead up to and have occurred since President Biden’s address to the nation, and analyze the Senate bill along with its possible paths to becoming law.

It’s been four months since President Biden requested over $100 billion in war money for Israel and Ukraine and the Senate has now passed a bill that would provide most of the money. In this episode, we examine the events that lead up to and have occurred since President Biden’s address to the n...

16/01/2024

Join us for We're Not Wrong LIVE in New Hampsire
7pm | Saturday, January 20
To Share Brewing Company
720 Union Street, Manchester, NH

16/01/2024

7pm
Saturday, January 20
To Share Brewing Company
720 Union St
Manchester, NH 03104

7pm Saturday, January 20 To Share Brewing Company 720 Union St Manchester, NH 03104

11/01/2024

"Our politics just looks to me like one big financial scam with so many people involved in it. It's a scam that's so big and so accepted as normal by the powerful that we regular people seem to be accepting it as normal too."

The Menendez and Santos indictments and how the parties reacted to them have shown us more than just who these two individuals are; they show us something larger about our political system.

Listen to the full episode, "The Indicteds" at https://congressionaldish.com/cd285-the-indicteds-rep-george-santos-and-sen-robert-menendez/

19/12/2023

"We are paying for Ukraine’s government.

Not just the war effort, we’re paying for their whole government."

Listen to our latest episode, "Prolonging the War in Ukraine," at https://congressionaldish.com/cd286-prolonging-the-war-in-ukraine/

17/12/2023

Congress is probably going to send approximately $50 billion more, most of that for weapons, to continue the war in Ukraine. In November, high ranking officials from the State Department testified about how the Biden administration intends to use our money and why. In this episode, hear the highlights of their testimony and decide for yourself if you think their goals are worth sacrificing more American money and Ukrainian lives.

Congress is probably going to send approximately $50 billion more, most of that for weapons, to continue the war in Ukraine. In November, high ranking officials from the State Department testified about how the Biden administration intends to use our money and why. In this episode, hear the highligh...

05/12/2023

One thing everyone can agree on.

***

Check out our latest episode detailing the criminal indictments of Rep. George Santos of New York and Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey.

20/11/2023

Two members of Congress, one from each side of the aisle and each branch of Congress, are currently under criminal indictment, yet are steadfastly clinging to their roles as lawmakers. In this episode, we’ve got the dirt straight from the criminal indictments of Rep. George Santos of New York and Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey.

Two members of Congress, one from each side of the aisle and each branch of Congress, are currently under criminal indictment, yet are steadfastly clinging to their roles as lawmakers. In this episode, we’ve got the dirt straight from the criminal indictments of Rep. George Santos of New York and ...