1 00:00:02,360 --> 00:00:05,400 Speaker 1: This is Alec Baldwin and you're listening to Here's the 2 00:00:05,519 --> 00:00:10,360 Speaker 1: Thing from My Heart Radio. My guest today is United 3 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 1: States Congresswoman Katie Porter, a Democrat in her second term. 4 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:21,799 Speaker 1: Porter represents California's district in Orange County, which is traditionally conservative. 5 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:25,919 Speaker 1: She's a consumer protection attorney and a law professor. She 6 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:29,480 Speaker 1: quickly developed a name for herself in her first term 7 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 1: with tough questioning of people testifying before Congress, often using 8 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:38,920 Speaker 1: her famous white board to hold CEOs and political appointees accountable. 9 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 1: Katie Porter grew up on a farm in Iowa. During 10 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 1: the farmer crisis of the nineteen eighties. She broke with 11 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: family tradition of attending state school to go to Yale 12 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:53,280 Speaker 1: and went on to Harvard Law School. She decided to 13 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 1: run for office after Trump's win in two thousand sixteen, 14 00:00:56,760 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 1: and became the first Democrat elected in her district. Katie 15 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 1: Porter is comfortable being a fish out of water. I 16 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:08,320 Speaker 1: like to be challenged. UM. I like to learn, and 17 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:10,959 Speaker 1: I think that was a huge part of, you know, 18 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 1: why I chose to to go, you know, off to 19 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:17,399 Speaker 1: college far away from Iowa to kind of stretch myself. Um. 20 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 1: I loved being a professor. I was a professor here 21 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:23,319 Speaker 1: at the University of California, Irvine, teaching business law horses, 22 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 1: and then really stretched myself when I ran for Congress. 23 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 1: And one of the great things about being in Congress 24 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: that I never hear anyone talking about, which makes me 25 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 1: kind of skeptical, frankly, is that the great thing about 26 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 1: this job is every minute you should be learning something, 27 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 1: whether that's listening to your constituents, whether that's a briefing 28 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:44,760 Speaker 1: from about national security, you know, whether that's you know, 29 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 1: having a meeting with your staff. There's just so much 30 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 1: to learn to be able to do this job effectively. 31 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: And I like that. So in some ways it's very 32 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 1: much like being a professor. My job is to learn 33 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: stuff and then to help teach, and so in this case, 34 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 1: instead of teaching a classroom, I think about teaching the 35 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: American people. You graduated Harvard Law School one year two one, 36 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 1: So when you left there, where did you go from there? 37 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:08,640 Speaker 1: Where did you first go out of school? So I 38 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 1: went to clerk for a federal judge in Little Rock, Arkansas. 39 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 1: He was a wonderful judge. And this won't surprise people, 40 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: there weren't a lot of other law clerks who wanted 41 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 1: to work on the bankruptcy cases. Um and so literally 42 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:25,520 Speaker 1: I think I got to work on every single bankruptcy 43 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 1: opinion the entire Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, which stretches 44 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:32,079 Speaker 1: from North Dakota down to Arkansas, worked on that year. Um. 45 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 1: And then I went off and I practiced. I took 46 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:37,360 Speaker 1: the bar exam, and I practiced law in Portland, Oregon 47 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 1: for a couple of years. What led you to Portland 48 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:45,920 Speaker 1: from Little Rock? My now ex husband is from their family. Yeah, family, 49 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:48,520 Speaker 1: and you know, it was a good place to practice there. 50 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 1: And then decided that I wanted to become a law professor. 51 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 1: And I hadn't really gone to law school thinking maybe 52 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 1: I want to be a professor. I had thought about 53 00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: getting a PhD. Um And at the time, the idea 54 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 1: of writing a book seemed really long to me, which 55 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 1: is funny because I've now written two law textbooks that 56 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:09,240 Speaker 1: are like a thousand pages each. Um. But when I 57 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: got to law school, I was I really liked it. 58 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:14,720 Speaker 1: I wasn't sure what I wanted to teach, what did 59 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:16,239 Speaker 1: I love? Where did I wanted to spend my whole 60 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: career studying and then I took Elizabeth Warren's bankruptcy class, 61 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:21,679 Speaker 1: and that was it. That was what I wanted to 62 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 1: spend my life working on. This is why you were 63 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 1: in law school. This is when I went to law school. 64 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 1: My third year in law school. Tell the story if 65 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: you would have you approached Warren after she was less 66 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 1: than cuddly towards you in class. Yeah. Yeah, So Elizabeth 67 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 1: was a really great professor. She called on students um, 68 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 1: and you had to have your homework done. You had 69 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 1: to be prepared if you showed up. And so I 70 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: was a rule follower. I did my homework. I sat 71 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 1: in the front row, which I thought would help her 72 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 1: overlook me, but it didn't really work out that way. 73 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 1: And so you know, one of the solutions to not 74 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 1: being called on is to raise your hand um. And 75 00:03:57,040 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: so she was asking a question and I raised my 76 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 1: end and I gave what I thought was a pretty 77 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:05,839 Speaker 1: good answer, and I remember her turning to me, I'll 78 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 1: never forget I mean the hand yester, I can do 79 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 1: it today. She said, thank, miss Porter, thank And I 80 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:15,960 Speaker 1: remember just wilting inside because I was thinking. I was 81 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:19,040 Speaker 1: thinking so hard and I was coming up short um, 82 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: and I went to see her after that, and I said, 83 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: don't give up on me. I've never taken a course 84 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:27,320 Speaker 1: like this before. I didn't take some of the there's 85 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:30,480 Speaker 1: a couple kind of courses you often take, their introductory 86 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 1: to bankruptcy, and I just jumped into the deep end. 87 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 1: I was like, don't give up on me. I really 88 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 1: care about this stuff. And the reason I cared so 89 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:39,479 Speaker 1: much about bankruptcy was growing up in Iowa in the 90 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 1: nineteen eighties during farm made and the tractor motorcades, and 91 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:47,360 Speaker 1: watching the farming community where I grew up really struggle economically. 92 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:50,719 Speaker 1: When I got to bankruptcy, I realized there are tools 93 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 1: in law and policy to help. Right now. When you 94 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:56,160 Speaker 1: made that request of war, did she granted what she 95 00:04:56,320 --> 00:04:58,039 Speaker 1: were given? Take with you in the classroom? Did she 96 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 1: be going? I mean no, it actually was the opposite. 97 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 1: She came back to me even more because she knew 98 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:06,720 Speaker 1: I really cared, like she knew that it mattered to me. 99 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:09,479 Speaker 1: My message to her wasn't taken easy on me. It 100 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:11,920 Speaker 1: was don't give up on me. And a lot of professors, 101 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 1: I mean I see this in witness rooms actually in hearings, 102 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 1: and people will ask a witness a question, and the 103 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 1: witness will stonewall give a nonsense and answer another question, 104 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 1: answer another question. And what my colleagues will do is 105 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:28,600 Speaker 1: they'll just give up. They'll move on, they'll start giving 106 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 1: a speech. But just like in the classroom, when I 107 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 1: gave a wrong answer, Warren didn't say, oh well, let 108 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:37,679 Speaker 1: me go find someone more cooperative. She told me think 109 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:40,840 Speaker 1: she stuck with me as I was learning. So whenever 110 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: I hear someone, you know, they give a nonsense answer, 111 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:47,039 Speaker 1: I'm not going anywhere. You said something interesting. When people 112 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:50,600 Speaker 1: don't give a good answer, you know, I myself become 113 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:55,360 Speaker 1: exhausted by the unwillingness of people to answer the questions 114 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 1: of the duly elected members of Congress. You are here, 115 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 1: and Congresswoman, poor order or anybody, you're not doing this 116 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 1: for your health. You're doing this on behalf of your 117 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:06,039 Speaker 1: constituency of the American people. You're representing the American people, 118 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 1: and many of them are so smug and so arrogant 119 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 1: and won't answer your question. And I was wondering, do 120 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: you find that the authority of the Congress is weakened 121 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 1: in recent years because people feel like, what does it matter? 122 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 1: There's no teeth behind this. So I think that some 123 00:06:20,839 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 1: of the things that we've been able to do with 124 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 1: our hearings is actually restore a sense of accountability to this, 125 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:30,680 Speaker 1: which is if you if I ask you a question 126 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:34,359 Speaker 1: and you give me a nonsense answer, I'm not going 127 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:36,560 Speaker 1: to pretend that what you said makes sense. I'm not 128 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:39,480 Speaker 1: going to accept a wrong answer. If you're dodging, if 129 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:41,920 Speaker 1: you're stonewalling, I'm going to try to get you to answer, 130 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:44,000 Speaker 1: so you would think, I mean, it's sort of an 131 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 1: interesting to mean. I remember, like maybe the second or 132 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:48,839 Speaker 1: third hearing I was at, I said, well, surely you know, 133 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:52,440 Speaker 1: now everyone will come really prepared, like I won't stomp 134 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:55,480 Speaker 1: anybody anymore because they'll know that you have to show 135 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 1: up and take me seriously. But you know, I've been 136 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 1: underestimated my whole life. At this point, I kind of 137 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:04,440 Speaker 1: exploit that. And when does this still show up and 138 00:07:04,520 --> 00:07:07,840 Speaker 1: they're contemptuous or they're unprepared. I mean, the other day 139 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:13,680 Speaker 1: Steve Minuchin said, well, are you a lawyer? Like, yes, 140 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 1: I am, Like since you mentioned it, but I think 141 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 1: that you know the goal is that these shouldn't be 142 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:24,360 Speaker 1: performance art moments. They should be substantive and so you know. 143 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:26,080 Speaker 1: The one thing I will say about the white board 144 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 1: is it's not about trying to go viral um. It's 145 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 1: not about an antic. It's not an antic. It is 146 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 1: a tool. And so sometimes I use it, sometimes I don't. 147 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:40,760 Speaker 1: Sometimes I use other things I don't, you know. I 148 00:07:40,840 --> 00:07:43,560 Speaker 1: think it was maybe one of my staffers m when 149 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: we started. The first time we ever used it was 150 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 1: with Jamie Diamond. We were trying to go through the 151 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 1: budget of a worker, what a typical family would spend 152 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: and compare it to the salary and show that even 153 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 1: though he's paying more than minimum wage, people can't make 154 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:01,640 Speaker 1: against meat On that she had two thousand, four hundred 155 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 1: twenty five dollars a month. She rents a one betterm apartment. 156 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:06,840 Speaker 1: She and her daughters sleep together in the same room 157 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 1: in Irvine, California. That average one better apartment is going 158 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:12,360 Speaker 1: to be sixteen hundred dollars. She spends one hundred dollars 159 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:15,120 Speaker 1: on utilities, take away the seventeen hundred, and she has 160 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 1: net seven hundred twenty five dollars, four hundred dollars for 161 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:23,120 Speaker 1: car expenses and gas net three. A low food budget 162 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:25,800 Speaker 1: is four hundred dollars. That leaves her seventy seven dollars 163 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 1: in the red. She has a cricket cell phone, the 164 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 1: cheapest cell phone she can get for forty dollars. She's 165 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 1: in the red. A hundred seventeen dollars a month. She 166 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 1: has after school childcare because the bank is open during 167 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 1: normal business hours. That's for fifty a month. That takes 168 00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 1: her down to negative five hundred and sixty seven dollars 169 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:44,480 Speaker 1: per month. My question for you, Mr Diamond, is how 170 00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:48,400 Speaker 1: should she manage this budget shortfall while she's working full 171 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:51,360 Speaker 1: time at your bank. And so the idea of the 172 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 1: white board was just instead of having all these numbers 173 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:56,360 Speaker 1: what she spends on rent and food and rattling it 174 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 1: all off a million miles an hour and then he says, 175 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:01,559 Speaker 1: I'm sorry to repeat that. I mean that is what 176 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 1: every the first refuge of every unprepared student in every 177 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 1: classroom in America is to ask the teacher, I'm sorry, 178 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:13,680 Speaker 1: could you repeat the question. That's a courtroom tactic exactly, so, 179 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:16,840 Speaker 1: especially in Congress, we only have five minutes. So if 180 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:19,600 Speaker 1: someone says kid, you repeat that, and you've spent a 181 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 1: minute setting up the question. Your loss. So the idea 182 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:24,760 Speaker 1: of the white board was to prevent him from being 183 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:27,880 Speaker 1: able to, you know, sort of dodge and stall. And 184 00:09:27,920 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 1: you know, the interesting thing that he said is I'd 185 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:33,240 Speaker 1: have to think about it. And I asked him, you 186 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:35,440 Speaker 1: know again, and he said, I have to think about it. 187 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 1: And I asked him, well, what about this? And he said, 188 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:39,840 Speaker 1: you have to think about it. And really, I hope 189 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:43,760 Speaker 1: he is. I hope that moment did prompt him to think. 190 00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:46,480 Speaker 1: When I was doing Saturday Night Live for this long 191 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 1: run during Trump's thing, and we would be there and 192 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:51,960 Speaker 1: I would pitch ideas, and I wanted your character to 193 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 1: have the white board everywhere, like you were with your 194 00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:56,960 Speaker 1: kids at the breakfast table. All right, let me show you, 195 00:09:57,120 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 1: and like you have the white board out of your 196 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:01,440 Speaker 1: drawing everything for your children and and your boyfriend, and 197 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:04,120 Speaker 1: you're at the gas station and whatever. Everywhere you go, 198 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 1: someone is handing your whiteboard. But I wonder, is there 199 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:10,520 Speaker 1: a distinction between when you're questioning people, not only the 200 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 1: questions you ask, the way you ask them again, you 201 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:15,959 Speaker 1: only have five minutes, but the way you anticipate they're 202 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:19,320 Speaker 1: going to respond when their government administrators who are there 203 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 1: to protect an administration. Do you see there's a difference 204 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:24,960 Speaker 1: between the two. When someone who is a political appointee 205 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 1: is before you, are they even worse in terms of 206 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:30,600 Speaker 1: their caginus? No, not always. I mean I think that, 207 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:32,880 Speaker 1: you know, it just depends on the witness. We try 208 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:36,880 Speaker 1: to anticipate what the witness will say. In other words, 209 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:39,280 Speaker 1: what's the obvious thing they're going to try to dodge with? 210 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:41,760 Speaker 1: Where are they going to try to misdirect us? If 211 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:44,880 Speaker 1: we we research the witnesses, sometimes we'll watch video clips 212 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:48,840 Speaker 1: of them to try to understand kind of what they're like, um, 213 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:51,839 Speaker 1: whether they get easily frustrated, whether they launch into long, 214 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:54,680 Speaker 1: boring explanations. So I'm prepared to cut that off. But 215 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:57,880 Speaker 1: I think one of the great myths is that, you know, 216 00:10:57,920 --> 00:11:00,400 Speaker 1: the Oversight Committee, where I'm so excited to be serving 217 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:04,319 Speaker 1: again in this Congress, somehow is less important or less 218 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:09,079 Speaker 1: exciting in a democratic administration, given that I'm a Democrat 219 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:12,960 Speaker 1: than it was when you know, we were a Trump administration, 220 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:15,480 Speaker 1: and you know, so opposite. I would just tell you 221 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:19,840 Speaker 1: that these are both oversight stays important. I mean, once 222 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:23,600 Speaker 1: we're enacting programs that I have supported and I have 223 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:27,440 Speaker 1: voted for as a Democrat, I'm even more concerned that 224 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 1: these programs are working as intended. So the responsibility to 225 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:34,559 Speaker 1: do good oversight. It's not a partisan thing. It's part 226 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:37,800 Speaker 1: of effective government. Now, do you go back to your 227 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:40,520 Speaker 1: office sometimes and watch yourself, watch clips of yourself, and 228 00:11:40,559 --> 00:11:43,120 Speaker 1: review what you've done to see how effective or ineffective 229 00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 1: you think it might have been. Not usually, I mean 230 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:49,640 Speaker 1: it's interesting after I question, and when I'm questioning, I 231 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:54,280 Speaker 1: typically have no idea what anybody else around me is 232 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:57,679 Speaker 1: doing or saying or reacting. It's it's just me and 233 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:00,840 Speaker 1: that witness, right and just looking at him, you know. 234 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:04,000 Speaker 1: I like, after I question Postmaster de Joy, oh my god, 235 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:06,800 Speaker 1: Oh my god, I wasn't sure that I made the 236 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:08,960 Speaker 1: point that I wanted to make. Now it turns out 237 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:11,440 Speaker 1: I think I did. But when I got off, I 238 00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:13,120 Speaker 1: was just like, I don't think I did it. I 239 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:15,640 Speaker 1: think I messed it up. So it's often, you know, 240 00:12:15,679 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 1: it's it's not about how I'm feeling. It's about whether 241 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:21,560 Speaker 1: it's resonating with the American people. So it often, you know, 242 00:12:21,679 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 1: that's about how people react to it. So you can 243 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:26,360 Speaker 1: make something that you think is great, you know, but 244 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:29,280 Speaker 1: if other people don't find it moves them, then it 245 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:32,520 Speaker 1: doesn't really work. What's going to happen with the joy? 246 00:12:32,679 --> 00:12:35,480 Speaker 1: Is it? A civil service thing? In his job is safe, 247 00:12:35,559 --> 00:12:38,520 Speaker 1: he can't be fired. Well, so he was appointed by 248 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:43,000 Speaker 1: the Postal Board, which oversees the post Office, so they 249 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:46,360 Speaker 1: can remove him, um, and I hope they do. There's 250 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:49,559 Speaker 1: also the possibility that he does what so many people 251 00:12:49,559 --> 00:12:52,960 Speaker 1: have done you who came from the Trump administration, which 252 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:55,600 Speaker 1: is that they quit um, which I certainly hope is 253 00:12:55,640 --> 00:12:57,600 Speaker 1: what happens. If he doesn't quit, then I helped the 254 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:01,400 Speaker 1: Postal Board holds him accountable because they really a lot 255 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:04,080 Speaker 1: of the problems that he created, um, you know, he 256 00:13:04,120 --> 00:13:06,440 Speaker 1: has not been able to fix. And the most revealing 257 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 1: part of that was when I asked him, I said, 258 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 1: will you keep saying you didn't do all these things? 259 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:15,040 Speaker 1: Not my fault. Someone else did this. So I'm a 260 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:18,520 Speaker 1: very last person to question. I think I am the 261 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:22,319 Speaker 1: forty eight person to ask questions or something crazy like that. 262 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:25,840 Speaker 1: So I asked him, well, you said you didn't do this, 263 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:29,000 Speaker 1: who did? I'm with you, which seems like a pretty 264 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:32,280 Speaker 1: obvious question, right, But nobody had asked something he should know, 265 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:35,199 Speaker 1: Like all day long, people had just said why did 266 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:37,520 Speaker 1: you do this, and the answer had been, well, I didn't, 267 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:39,360 Speaker 1: And I asked him, well, who did it? And he 268 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:41,679 Speaker 1: said he couldn't tell me, which tells you there was 269 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:44,080 Speaker 1: an even bigger problem. I'm sorry that you don't have 270 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:47,080 Speaker 1: the opportunity to remove him yourself, because I mean, he 271 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:49,480 Speaker 1: basically turned the post office into an office max for 272 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:51,800 Speaker 1: the Republican Party. But I want to get back to 273 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:54,120 Speaker 1: something else, and that is so when you're down in 274 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:56,960 Speaker 1: southern California and you go to Orange County, it was 275 00:13:56,960 --> 00:14:00,160 Speaker 1: primarily to take the teaching gicket. You see Irvine. If 276 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:04,040 Speaker 1: you see Irvine is a campus inside the red, red 277 00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:07,120 Speaker 1: red part of California there in Orange County. What was 278 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:09,520 Speaker 1: it like for you down there working there? Was Was 279 00:14:09,559 --> 00:14:13,960 Speaker 1: it a very conservative staff and an administration and faculty? No? 280 00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:16,760 Speaker 1: I mean, look, Irvine has changed a lot, and a 281 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:19,640 Speaker 1: big part of the reason that Irvine and Orange County 282 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:23,240 Speaker 1: has changed is in part the presence of the university. UM. 283 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:26,600 Speaker 1: It's a large employer here. It attracts bright and interesting 284 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:29,320 Speaker 1: and thoughtful people from all around the country and even 285 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:32,520 Speaker 1: the world. UM. And so you know, my kids go 286 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 1: to school, UM in public school here, and they are 287 00:14:35,200 --> 00:14:37,800 Speaker 1: they have some very conservative classmates. I mean one of 288 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:40,960 Speaker 1: my former cub Scouts. I was his cub Scout dead 289 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 1: leader for five years. That kid actually made phone calls 290 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:49,240 Speaker 1: from my Republican opponent in eighteen So I don't know 291 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 1: what that says about my cub Scout skills. But you know, uh, 292 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:56,200 Speaker 1: you know, actually there are a real diversity of opinion here. 293 00:14:56,280 --> 00:14:59,160 Speaker 1: But there are very progressive people here too. There are 294 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 1: people in the middle, there are Republicans. I like that diversity. 295 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:07,720 Speaker 1: I represent roughly equal numbers of Republicans, Democrats, and no 296 00:15:07,880 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 1: party preference or independent voters. And what that means is, 297 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 1: on any given topic, I need to know how to 298 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:16,720 Speaker 1: talk to people who will come at it from a 299 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:20,680 Speaker 1: lot of different perspectives. And that is an incredible skill 300 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:23,560 Speaker 1: to have, and I wish all of my colleagues had it. Frankly, 301 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:26,760 Speaker 1: So when you won in it was it was close. 302 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:29,160 Speaker 1: It was tight race, correct, very close. I lost. I 303 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:32,400 Speaker 1: like to say I lost before I won. So on 304 00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:35,680 Speaker 1: election night you typically have three speeches in California, you 305 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:38,840 Speaker 1: have um I won, I lost, and we don't know 306 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:42,080 Speaker 1: because it often takes a while to count all the 307 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:45,920 Speaker 1: mail ballots. And so I gave that I don't know 308 00:15:46,040 --> 00:15:49,880 Speaker 1: speech that we don't know. But everybody was crying and 309 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:54,280 Speaker 1: telling me, good try. I got all these sympathy calls, UM, 310 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:59,640 Speaker 1: and sympathy emails. You know, we love you anyway. Nice try, um. 311 00:15:59,680 --> 00:16:01,760 Speaker 1: You know you made a difference, even though you're you're 312 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:03,520 Speaker 1: not going to make a difference kind of things. And 313 00:16:03,560 --> 00:16:06,680 Speaker 1: then slowly but surely, over the next couple of days, 314 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:09,320 Speaker 1: took about seven days. I won. That's why would get 315 00:16:09,320 --> 00:16:14,720 Speaker 1: these messages back. Never mind to leave my hero. I 316 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:19,520 Speaker 1: knew you could do it. Remember more faith than you. Yeah. Now, 317 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:23,080 Speaker 1: in the second race, this last election, you won more handily. Correct. 318 00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:26,080 Speaker 1: I won by a couple six percent, I think, um, 319 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:28,440 Speaker 1: And the first time it was four. So I made 320 00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:30,120 Speaker 1: up I made up a little bit of ground. Yeah. 321 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:34,120 Speaker 1: Who was your opponent? In opponent was a man named 322 00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:37,240 Speaker 1: Greg Raths who's been on the city Council of Mission 323 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 1: v A. How here and what did he come after 324 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:42,120 Speaker 1: you with? What was his pitch? It was just you know, 325 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:45,720 Speaker 1: she is a Democrat. She's a Democrat, and this is 326 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:48,640 Speaker 1: Orange County. Yeah, I mean just sort of like like 327 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:52,080 Speaker 1: you know, I think there is an attitude that you know, 328 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:55,680 Speaker 1: sort of people are entitled to have Republican representation here, 329 00:16:56,160 --> 00:17:00,000 Speaker 1: but they're entitled to is good representation, right, people who 330 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:02,120 Speaker 1: listen to them, people who fight for them, people who 331 00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:04,960 Speaker 1: are not corrupt, and that can come in you know, 332 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:08,040 Speaker 1: democratic or Republican forms. And so the fact that I 333 00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:11,000 Speaker 1: don't take corporate pack money, that I have grassroots funded, 334 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:13,480 Speaker 1: I think that really helped me reach a lot of 335 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:18,400 Speaker 1: those independent voters and even Republican voters who are really skeptical, um, 336 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:21,880 Speaker 1: including younger Democratic voters who are really skeptical about whether 337 00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:27,119 Speaker 1: and people in Washington really worked for them. Congressperson Katie Porter, 338 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:30,160 Speaker 1: I'm Alec Baldwin, and you're listening to here's the thing 339 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:35,080 Speaker 1: from my Heart Radio. If you like conversations about politics, 340 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:38,439 Speaker 1: go to our archives from my live show with Nixon, 341 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:43,320 Speaker 1: White House and Watergate figure John dene It's after listening 342 00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:46,000 Speaker 1: to that conversation, I let my fingers do the walking 343 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:48,199 Speaker 1: in the criminal code to figure out what in the 344 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:52,280 Speaker 1: world are we doing. And I discovered the obstruction statute, 345 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:56,160 Speaker 1: and I discovered the conspiracy statute, and I realized we're 346 00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:58,840 Speaker 1: in a whole lot of trouble. Now. You might have 347 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:02,840 Speaker 1: thought that for reaction would be to run for the Hills. 348 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:06,480 Speaker 1: I mean, I had exactly the opposite reaction. That's when 349 00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:09,040 Speaker 1: I doubled down. That's when I try to make the 350 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:13,280 Speaker 1: cover up work. Here more of my conversation with John 351 00:18:13,359 --> 00:18:17,200 Speaker 1: Deane in our archives at Here's the Thing dot org. 352 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:20,960 Speaker 1: After the break, I talked to Katie Porter about what 353 00:18:21,119 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 1: surprised her when she got to Washington in early two 354 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:36,040 Speaker 1: thousand nineteen. I'm Alec Baldwin, and you were listening to 355 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:39,560 Speaker 1: Here's the Thing. I wanted to know how Katie Porter 356 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:43,560 Speaker 1: won her seat. People people send me money, How much 357 00:18:43,560 --> 00:18:47,040 Speaker 1: do you spend? I spent six million dollars to raise 358 00:18:47,119 --> 00:18:50,439 Speaker 1: six million from individual contributory, spent six million UM and 359 00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:53,840 Speaker 1: I spent six million. TV is incredibly expensive here. I 360 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:56,840 Speaker 1: have to advertise to all of Los Angeles UM and 361 00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:59,680 Speaker 1: all of Orange County UM, even though I just represent 362 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:01,800 Speaker 1: a little part of a part of Orange County. But 363 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:05,160 Speaker 1: you know, people will send five dollars, ten dollars, they'll 364 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:10,280 Speaker 1: send notes with it. When you got there, what did 365 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:13,040 Speaker 1: you think the job was going to be like? And 366 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:15,040 Speaker 1: how what did you find out? It was? Really like? 367 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:17,879 Speaker 1: I think one thing that surprised me, and I know 368 00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:21,720 Speaker 1: it's surprised some of my fellow colleagues is how much 369 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:26,800 Speaker 1: I really loved doing the work in the district with 370 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:29,960 Speaker 1: my constituents here in my home UM, and how much 371 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:33,800 Speaker 1: I really didn't like being in Washington. Right. So I 372 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:36,560 Speaker 1: ran for Congress because I wanted to make policy. I 373 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:39,199 Speaker 1: wanted to make people's lives better, and I think I 374 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:43,399 Speaker 1: associated that with things that happened in Washington. But it 375 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:45,080 Speaker 1: turns out that a lot of the time you spend 376 00:19:45,119 --> 00:19:49,080 Speaker 1: in Washington is just scoring back and forth two votes 377 00:19:49,119 --> 00:19:53,800 Speaker 1: that are sometimes important but sometimes are really like, you know, meaningless, 378 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:57,440 Speaker 1: frankly or almost meaningless. And be here in the community 379 00:19:57,600 --> 00:20:00,520 Speaker 1: was so rewarding. So you know, behind kind of the 380 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:04,680 Speaker 1: stucco and the neatly trimmed hedges of Orange County are 381 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:09,720 Speaker 1: amazing and interesting businesses and nonprofits and community organizations. So 382 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:13,239 Speaker 1: some of the favorite things I've done are I toured UM, 383 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:18,119 Speaker 1: a lightweight body armor manufacturer here in Irvine that I 384 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:21,520 Speaker 1: had driven down that road a million times taking my 385 00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:25,240 Speaker 1: kids to the target and never known that right there 386 00:20:25,359 --> 00:20:27,960 Speaker 1: they are making body armor that keep men and women 387 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:31,359 Speaker 1: safe UM, and they're working to design actually special armor 388 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:34,800 Speaker 1: that better fits women's bodies UM. And so you know, 389 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:37,960 Speaker 1: seeing those little parts and pockets of your community and 390 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:42,600 Speaker 1: realizing just how amazing things are around you. You really 391 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:45,600 Speaker 1: learned every nook and cranny of your district and what's 392 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 1: really going on there. I'm still learning. I absolutely love it. 393 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 1: And when you went to Washington, and you talk about 394 00:20:52,760 --> 00:20:55,520 Speaker 1: the importance of the work that you do within the district, 395 00:20:55,960 --> 00:20:57,760 Speaker 1: But when you went to Washington, what did you think 396 00:20:57,840 --> 00:20:59,919 Speaker 1: that was going to be like with your colleagues as 397 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:01,960 Speaker 1: so forre than what did it turn out to be. 398 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:08,720 Speaker 1: I thought there'd be more substantive policy discussion among regular members. 399 00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:12,040 Speaker 1: House of Representatives is four hundred and thirty plus people, 400 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:15,520 Speaker 1: so it's big. And so it turns out that a 401 00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:17,880 Speaker 1: lot of things are kind of decided before they get 402 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:21,639 Speaker 1: to you, that they're decided by leadership, um that you know, 403 00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:24,439 Speaker 1: the relevant committee has kind of figured everything out before 404 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:26,320 Speaker 1: it comes to you, and you're just in a situation 405 00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:28,800 Speaker 1: of yes or no on the vote. And I think 406 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 1: that's where I saw hearings as this great opportunity because 407 00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:36,040 Speaker 1: if you're not if you're a newcomer to Congress, you 408 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:38,480 Speaker 1: don't have a lot of power, especially on the Democratic side. 409 00:21:38,520 --> 00:21:41,760 Speaker 1: But we have a strong seniority system. But one of 410 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:46,360 Speaker 1: the few equal things about Congress is everybody gets five 411 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:49,679 Speaker 1: minutes for their questioning. So I decided I was going 412 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:52,320 Speaker 1: to use my five minutes better than anybody else, or 413 00:21:52,359 --> 00:21:54,720 Speaker 1: as well as I could, to the maximum of kind 414 00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:57,280 Speaker 1: of my ability. Um. And that's where I found the 415 00:21:57,280 --> 00:22:00,480 Speaker 1: greatest reward really in. And the thing that's warning for 416 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:03,120 Speaker 1: me is it's not the answers that these witnesses give, 417 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:07,119 Speaker 1: because they're often really bad answers. It's the American people 418 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:12,080 Speaker 1: watch and they see that that lady is asking what 419 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:16,720 Speaker 1: I've always wondered, Why do the drugs cost so much? Right? 420 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:19,399 Speaker 1: Why does the drug keep getting more expensive? Do you 421 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:23,680 Speaker 1: know what the price of Revelement was? I can look 422 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:25,240 Speaker 1: it up, but I don't recall. I don't have it 423 00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:27,760 Speaker 1: in front of me. Four hundred and twelve per pile. 424 00:22:30,560 --> 00:22:34,160 Speaker 1: I would say approximately seven pill, but again I don't 425 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:36,480 Speaker 1: have it in front of me seven nineteen per pill, 426 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:42,119 Speaker 1: and today Revelement cost seven hundred and sixty three dollars 427 00:22:42,560 --> 00:22:47,640 Speaker 1: per pill. I'm curious did the drug get substantially more 428 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:51,280 Speaker 1: effective in that time? Did cancer patients need fewer pills? 429 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:54,440 Speaker 1: She's asking about me, And that's really for me than 430 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:57,400 Speaker 1: the most rewarding part. You were a single mom where 431 00:22:57,480 --> 00:22:59,520 Speaker 1: you got divorced when you're your kids are how old now? 432 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:02,399 Speaker 1: They're now fifteen, twelve, and nine. So you were a 433 00:23:02,400 --> 00:23:05,600 Speaker 1: single mom now for almost a decade. And do you 434 00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:08,600 Speaker 1: maintain because I know that we one of the things 435 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:11,560 Speaker 1: you focus on is about all the women that are 436 00:23:11,560 --> 00:23:13,679 Speaker 1: losing jobs. We're losing a lot of women in the 437 00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:17,679 Speaker 1: workplace because of the COVID correct, absolutely huge issue. What 438 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:19,800 Speaker 1: are some of the legislation you might or might not 439 00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:23,040 Speaker 1: propose to address that. So when I was elected in 440 00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:25,639 Speaker 1: the last Congress, at that time, I was the only 441 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:28,760 Speaker 1: single mother of young children to serve. Since then, the 442 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:32,760 Speaker 1: Republicans have elected one. But you know, this idea of 443 00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:36,760 Speaker 1: the single household, the single parent household, isn't well represented 444 00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:39,359 Speaker 1: in Washington, to put it mildly, So when we talk 445 00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:42,719 Speaker 1: about issues like child poverty, one of the reasons for 446 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:46,960 Speaker 1: that is women, single women, single mom, single dads trying 447 00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:49,959 Speaker 1: to raise a family on one income. Um. What happens 448 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:53,800 Speaker 1: financially to families when they get divorced um, it's you know, 449 00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:56,359 Speaker 1: it's very difficult. And so when we see right now, 450 00:23:56,400 --> 00:23:59,600 Speaker 1: what we know is about of women have left the 451 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:02,280 Speaker 1: work or since the pandemic. A lot of those are 452 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:04,560 Speaker 1: lost jobs. Some of them are women who are leaving 453 00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:07,679 Speaker 1: because they're putting a position to choose between taking care 454 00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:10,919 Speaker 1: of their kids who are out of school, remote learning 455 00:24:11,359 --> 00:24:13,560 Speaker 1: um or you know, having to go to work and 456 00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:17,040 Speaker 1: leave their kids home alone. This has long term implications 457 00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:21,760 Speaker 1: not just for women's economic opportunities and child poverty, but 458 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:25,320 Speaker 1: also for our economy as a whole. If we're a 459 00:24:25,359 --> 00:24:29,560 Speaker 1: capitalist economy, we need our best and brightest doing the work, 460 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:32,920 Speaker 1: competing for the jobs, and that means men and women, 461 00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:35,960 Speaker 1: people of different backgrounds, all having an opportunity to be 462 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:39,199 Speaker 1: in the workplace. And in our country, we're losing a 463 00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:40,919 Speaker 1: lot of women out of the workforce and that's going 464 00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:43,959 Speaker 1: to have big implications for our global competitiveness. It's not 465 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:47,440 Speaker 1: just a women's issue. We all benefit from a strong, 466 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:50,480 Speaker 1: healthy economy. One of my favorite phrases, and I use 467 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:53,719 Speaker 1: it all the time with my staff is by the ticket, 468 00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:58,000 Speaker 1: take the ride right. And this actually applies to capitalism too. 469 00:24:58,320 --> 00:25:00,760 Speaker 1: If we want to say, and you hear these people 470 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:04,639 Speaker 1: who are uber capitalists, they're they're anti government, they're worried 471 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 1: about this they're they're throwing up this ridiculous specter of socialism. Well, 472 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:15,800 Speaker 1: guess what inherent in capitalism is equal opportunity to compete. 473 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:19,760 Speaker 1: And that's true about antitrust enforcement, but it also has 474 00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:21,840 Speaker 1: to be true about social mobility. It has to be 475 00:25:21,960 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 1: that that you're not allowing things like race discrimination to 476 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:28,960 Speaker 1: taint who you promote in the marketplace. You're paying people 477 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:31,359 Speaker 1: not because of the color of their skin, but because 478 00:25:31,359 --> 00:25:33,600 Speaker 1: of how good they are at their jobs. All these 479 00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:35,840 Speaker 1: things are perversions of capitalism, and we ought to be 480 00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:38,320 Speaker 1: standing up for them on that basis, as well as 481 00:25:38,359 --> 00:25:41,760 Speaker 1: the fact that they're morally apprehensible. Now, obviously, we have 482 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:44,120 Speaker 1: a graduated income tax in this country. The more money 483 00:25:44,119 --> 00:25:46,320 Speaker 1: you make, the more you pay in taxes. Why isn't 484 00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:50,159 Speaker 1: the same principle applied to these trillion dollar COVID relief bills, 485 00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:53,040 Speaker 1: Meaning why are we giving a single penny to a 486 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:57,760 Speaker 1: family that's making over two ud? Okay, great question. So 487 00:25:57,880 --> 00:25:59,440 Speaker 1: I want to push back on a couple of things. 488 00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:02,040 Speaker 1: One is you said we have a graduated income tax. 489 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:04,359 Speaker 1: I want to push back on that and say, we 490 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:07,919 Speaker 1: theoretically have a graduated income tax. Okay, that's what it 491 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:09,960 Speaker 1: says on paper when you look it up in the 492 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:11,760 Speaker 1: little back of the I R S booklet. If you 493 00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:15,919 Speaker 1: still do your taxes on paper, but in actuality, people 494 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:19,119 Speaker 1: who earn a lot often pay a lower effective tax 495 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:21,320 Speaker 1: rate because we have loopholes. We have problems in our 496 00:26:21,359 --> 00:26:24,040 Speaker 1: tax system, and so we need to close that gap 497 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:26,399 Speaker 1: because a lot of people who are running around talking 498 00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:29,439 Speaker 1: about how they're in the highest tax bracket aren't paying 499 00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:33,120 Speaker 1: taxes in that higher bracket because of capital gains, because 500 00:26:33,119 --> 00:26:35,240 Speaker 1: of all kinds of other things. The other issue with 501 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:39,119 Speaker 1: regard to COVID relief is, look, we definitely want to 502 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:42,360 Speaker 1: focus the help where it is needed, but we also 503 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:46,639 Speaker 1: cannot be so focused on making sure that nobody gets 504 00:26:46,840 --> 00:26:50,600 Speaker 1: any help that they don't need that we slowed the 505 00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:53,080 Speaker 1: whole thing down, and we ultimately allow people to die 506 00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:55,560 Speaker 1: and to suffer while we're waiting around, and there are 507 00:26:55,640 --> 00:26:59,280 Speaker 1: people in the very expensive areas where they were spending 508 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:01,640 Speaker 1: all of their money need to make ends meet. Now 509 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:06,679 Speaker 1: boom childcare, you have kids childcare. For my daughter Betsy, 510 00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:09,240 Speaker 1: when she went to the University of California Irvine, childcare 511 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:11,399 Speaker 1: cost more than it would have for her to have 512 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:16,000 Speaker 1: been an undergraduate at u c I childcare. One year 513 00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:18,720 Speaker 1: preschool was more than it would have been for her 514 00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:21,240 Speaker 1: to be an undergraduate. So, all of a sudden, when 515 00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:24,440 Speaker 1: you have all these kids out of school, people's expenses 516 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:27,520 Speaker 1: are going up, even if their income may be stable. 517 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:30,040 Speaker 1: So we have to think about the entire the entire 518 00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:32,399 Speaker 1: effect here. And here's the main thing I have to 519 00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:37,440 Speaker 1: say to people. COVID relief is the financially and fiscally 520 00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:41,520 Speaker 1: responsible thing to do. If we get this wrong, it 521 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:45,560 Speaker 1: will set our economy back for a decade or more. 522 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:47,880 Speaker 1: Little bit of depressure. Howard Dean was on the show 523 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:49,400 Speaker 1: the other day and said the same thing. I said, 524 00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:51,680 Speaker 1: do you think we're running a risk by printing trillions 525 00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:54,040 Speaker 1: of dollars? He said, the problem will be if we 526 00:27:54,119 --> 00:27:57,560 Speaker 1: don't spend that money. Absolutely, we have to invest it wisely. 527 00:27:57,960 --> 00:27:59,800 Speaker 1: We have to make sure we're putting it into programs 528 00:27:59,840 --> 00:28:02,520 Speaker 1: that are working. We have to root out fraud, waste, 529 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:05,040 Speaker 1: and abuse. Um. You know. So, I think it's ridiculous, 530 00:28:05,080 --> 00:28:07,680 Speaker 1: for example, that we passed a paycheck protection program, a 531 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:10,720 Speaker 1: p p P program for small businesses that allowed Congress 532 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:13,720 Speaker 1: members to get loans. That's nuts. That's a mistake in 533 00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:17,480 Speaker 1: the program, But our biggest risk here is not doing 534 00:28:17,720 --> 00:28:23,159 Speaker 1: enough and leaving people mired a long term poverty and hardship, 535 00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:27,240 Speaker 1: out of the workplace with atrophying skills, when other countries 536 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:31,679 Speaker 1: are not making that same mistake. So obviously the current 537 00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:36,119 Speaker 1: senator there Padilla is an appointee interim because Harris and 538 00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:38,880 Speaker 1: other vice president. Do you think that that's his seat 539 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:42,880 Speaker 1: to hold onto or does the congresswoman have other ideas 540 00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:47,200 Speaker 1: about her future in California politics. I'm really excited about 541 00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:51,320 Speaker 1: Alex Padilla representing me and my family UM in the Senate, 542 00:28:51,480 --> 00:28:55,840 Speaker 1: and I've contributed to his reelection campaign already. UM. You know, 543 00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:57,880 Speaker 1: I think he's gonna be a wonderful partner and a 544 00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:02,000 Speaker 1: really important voice for California. UM. He has an amazing 545 00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:04,960 Speaker 1: life story, he went to m I t he's incredibly smart. 546 00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:07,760 Speaker 1: So I think you can safely paint me as a 547 00:29:07,760 --> 00:29:10,760 Speaker 1: fan of Alex Pidia and somebody who's really excited about 548 00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:13,240 Speaker 1: working with him. He just got added to the Senate 549 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:16,480 Speaker 1: Banking Committee, UM yesterday, so I told my staff, like, 550 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:19,520 Speaker 1: call him up, let's start working on bills together. Do 551 00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:21,400 Speaker 1: you think that you have what it takes to serve 552 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:23,760 Speaker 1: in the Senate. What do you think you're better off 553 00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:26,760 Speaker 1: where you are in the Congress. Oh, look, wherever you 554 00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:30,160 Speaker 1: put me, I'm gonna fight for the American people. I'm 555 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:32,160 Speaker 1: gonna I mean, this is when I as a professor. 556 00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:34,959 Speaker 1: I became a professor to understand what was wrong with 557 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:37,360 Speaker 1: our laws and how we could make it better. When 558 00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:39,840 Speaker 1: I'm in the House, that's what I'm thinking about, what's wrong, 559 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:41,720 Speaker 1: how can we make it better. It's gonna be the 560 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:44,200 Speaker 1: same thing whether I would be in the administration, Um, 561 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:47,040 Speaker 1: whatever I go on to do after this, Um, you know, 562 00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:49,760 Speaker 1: these are the fundamental questions. The fundamental question that has 563 00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:54,320 Speaker 1: motivated my life is how do we achieve economic prosperity 564 00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:57,719 Speaker 1: for all Americans? And I'm going to keep asking that 565 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:00,760 Speaker 1: question whatever job I'm in. H And you know, I 566 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:03,800 Speaker 1: kind of mean, Look, the house is fun, it's scrappy. Um, 567 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:07,040 Speaker 1: it's a little bit chaotic, you're right, Um, But you know, 568 00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:09,320 Speaker 1: whenever I've gone I've always tried to make the most 569 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:12,120 Speaker 1: of what I've gotten. Um. And so you know, whatever 570 00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:14,480 Speaker 1: the future holds, I'm pretty sure I'm going to still 571 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:20,480 Speaker 1: be asking tough questions. The Honorable Katie Porter, if you're 572 00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:23,760 Speaker 1: enjoying this conversation, be sure to subscribe to Here's the 573 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:27,520 Speaker 1: Thing on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or 574 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:31,120 Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcasts. While you're there, please leave 575 00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:34,600 Speaker 1: us a review. I really appreciate it. When we come back, 576 00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:38,360 Speaker 1: Katie Porter talks about why Trump must be convicted by 577 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:49,040 Speaker 1: the Senate. I'm Alec Baldwin and this is Here's the 578 00:30:49,120 --> 00:30:53,320 Speaker 1: Thing from my Heart Radio. When protesters stormed the US 579 00:30:53,440 --> 00:30:57,640 Speaker 1: Capitol building on January six, Katie Porter wasn't far from 580 00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:01,520 Speaker 1: the insurrection. I was on the capital grounds. Um, in 581 00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:04,600 Speaker 1: my office, which is not in the Capital. Which house 582 00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:07,640 Speaker 1: building are you in? Long Worth? In Long Worth and 583 00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:11,400 Speaker 1: more as AOC has now memorialized it, the dunkin Donuts building, 584 00:31:12,360 --> 00:31:14,920 Speaker 1: which was actually a factor and why I picked that. Um, 585 00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 1: it's very handy to be able to go get coffee 586 00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:19,440 Speaker 1: in the morning. But um, I was in my office 587 00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:22,400 Speaker 1: and Alexander Kasier Cortez. I passed her in the hallway 588 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:25,200 Speaker 1: as I went into my office, and you know, she 589 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:27,120 Speaker 1: kind of you know, she waved, and a few seconds 590 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:28,800 Speaker 1: later she came back and knocked on the door and 591 00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:31,000 Speaker 1: said can I come in? And I said, of course, 592 00:31:31,320 --> 00:31:34,680 Speaker 1: And you know, she came inside, she was obviously very rattled. 593 00:31:34,800 --> 00:31:37,000 Speaker 1: There had been a bomb threat in her building. I 594 00:31:37,040 --> 00:31:40,239 Speaker 1: didn't know that at the time, UM. And so we 595 00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:43,320 Speaker 1: sheltered together, along with a couple of staffers for about 596 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:46,360 Speaker 1: four or five hours, six hours in my office, barricaded 597 00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:49,480 Speaker 1: the doors, turned the lights off, pulled the windows, silenced 598 00:31:49,480 --> 00:31:52,200 Speaker 1: the phones, just in the cold, um and the dark, 599 00:31:52,520 --> 00:31:54,440 Speaker 1: you know, worried that what was going on at the 600 00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:57,800 Speaker 1: Capitol where there were cameras watching. What you can't see 601 00:31:57,840 --> 00:32:00,920 Speaker 1: is that there are underground tunnels connecting the Capital to 602 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:04,400 Speaker 1: our office buildings. If the attackers had come down those tunnels, 603 00:32:04,400 --> 00:32:07,320 Speaker 1: we would not have known they were coming. Um. And 604 00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:10,280 Speaker 1: so we just stayed barricaded in there for hours and 605 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:12,720 Speaker 1: didn't know what was happening. And when you look back 606 00:32:12,760 --> 00:32:15,040 Speaker 1: on it, now, what do you think should happen? Oh, 607 00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:17,600 Speaker 1: to protect us? I mean, look, we have to. We 608 00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:21,800 Speaker 1: have a real problem in this country with misinformation, with 609 00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:25,200 Speaker 1: with violence. UM. You know, our democracy is strong, but 610 00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:28,720 Speaker 1: it is not unshakable, UM. And this was this was 611 00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:31,280 Speaker 1: a powerful kind of I think earthquake a powerful shake, 612 00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:33,880 Speaker 1: um to our democratic principles. So I think we have 613 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:37,760 Speaker 1: to reaffirm that it's okay to disagree, so okay to 614 00:32:37,840 --> 00:32:40,320 Speaker 1: have different ideas. I represent Range County. I represent a 615 00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:43,520 Speaker 1: lot of constituents that I disagree with. Um, that's okay, 616 00:32:43,600 --> 00:32:48,840 Speaker 1: that's healthy. But violence in a democracy is never okay. 617 00:32:49,320 --> 00:32:52,400 Speaker 1: You voted to impeach Trump, I did twice, and the 618 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:54,480 Speaker 1: Senate is not going to convict you know, I think 619 00:32:54,480 --> 00:32:56,680 Speaker 1: they should convict him. I think that this is and 620 00:32:56,720 --> 00:32:58,920 Speaker 1: I think too many people are thinking about this just 621 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:03,000 Speaker 1: from the native angle about Trump. But we have a 622 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:05,520 Speaker 1: rule of law in this country, and part of that 623 00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:09,480 Speaker 1: rule of law is precedent. So what we are doing 624 00:33:09,520 --> 00:33:14,000 Speaker 1: here is saying this conduct was not acceptable and if 625 00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:17,400 Speaker 1: anyone and it's not who we are. So if you're 626 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:21,280 Speaker 1: wondering future president whether you can act like President Trump did, 627 00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:24,480 Speaker 1: the answer is no, you will be impeached. This is illegal. 628 00:33:24,680 --> 00:33:27,400 Speaker 1: So we need to set that precedent and establish that boundary. 629 00:33:27,800 --> 00:33:31,360 Speaker 1: I would have bet you everything I own at the 630 00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:34,360 Speaker 1: onset of Trump's administration that it never would have ended 631 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:38,320 Speaker 1: this way. I mean, it ends. His political legacy ends 632 00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:42,560 Speaker 1: on this note, one of destruction and hate and lawlessness 633 00:33:42,560 --> 00:33:45,040 Speaker 1: and stuff with which which defines you know, I've always 634 00:33:45,120 --> 00:33:48,280 Speaker 1: said that the government's purposes to do the greatest amount 635 00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:50,600 Speaker 1: of good for the greatest number of people. This is 636 00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:54,479 Speaker 1: not some concierge service to help wealthy Americans. And I'm wondering, 637 00:33:54,800 --> 00:33:56,880 Speaker 1: what's the change you'd like to see in the campaign 638 00:33:56,880 --> 00:34:00,240 Speaker 1: finance laws that will help clean that up. Yeah. No, 639 00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:03,920 Speaker 1: corporate pack money is a huge part of it. Citizens 640 00:34:04,040 --> 00:34:07,000 Speaker 1: United saying companies are are people, right, So, you know, 641 00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:11,680 Speaker 1: reversing Citizens United, stopping corporate pack contributions or at least 642 00:34:11,719 --> 00:34:16,480 Speaker 1: forcing corporations to disclose them to shareholders and justify how 643 00:34:16,520 --> 00:34:20,239 Speaker 1: this actually provides any value to the corporation. Um. I 644 00:34:20,239 --> 00:34:23,759 Speaker 1: think that's really important. I think campaign finance generally, you know, 645 00:34:23,840 --> 00:34:27,680 Speaker 1: I think small dollar contributions are great because you know, 646 00:34:27,880 --> 00:34:31,640 Speaker 1: five dollars a dollar, you know, volunteering your time, people 647 00:34:31,680 --> 00:34:36,000 Speaker 1: can feel themselves part of democracy, part of the process. Um. 648 00:34:36,040 --> 00:34:38,520 Speaker 1: But you know, until we clean that up, until we 649 00:34:38,600 --> 00:34:40,279 Speaker 1: clean up some of the corruption, it's going to be 650 00:34:40,320 --> 00:34:42,239 Speaker 1: really hard. I think it's the source of all of 651 00:34:42,239 --> 00:34:44,440 Speaker 1: the problems to this country, source of all of the problems. 652 00:34:44,600 --> 00:34:47,240 Speaker 1: Which committee do you want to You're on one exclusive committee. 653 00:34:47,280 --> 00:34:50,040 Speaker 1: I was at an exclusive committee lust Congress, which is 654 00:34:50,080 --> 00:34:53,280 Speaker 1: financial Services you're not there anymore. I'm not there anymore. 655 00:34:53,280 --> 00:34:55,000 Speaker 1: And now I'm on. I was on Financial services, and 656 00:34:55,040 --> 00:34:57,160 Speaker 1: then later in the year I got added to oversight 657 00:34:57,200 --> 00:34:59,799 Speaker 1: when they were openings. So now I'm on I could 658 00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:02,560 Speaker 1: doing on the Oversight Committee. I'm really excited about that. 659 00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:05,400 Speaker 1: I love that oversight UM and I like doing it 660 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:08,000 Speaker 1: for all different kinds of areas, everything from you know, 661 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:12,360 Speaker 1: Pentagon spending two pharmaceuticals to car seats UM, to civil 662 00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:16,720 Speaker 1: liberties UM. And then I'm now joined the Natural Resources Committee, 663 00:35:16,719 --> 00:35:20,799 Speaker 1: which has jurisdiction over public lands, over tribal lands, all 664 00:35:20,840 --> 00:35:24,799 Speaker 1: the drilling on public lands, UM, oceans and wildlife. So 665 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:29,399 Speaker 1: you know, I said the other day, polluters, I have questions, UM. 666 00:35:29,440 --> 00:35:31,920 Speaker 1: So I'm really excited about that, and it's incredibly important 667 00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:35,520 Speaker 1: issue in California. It's important to our global competitiveness in 668 00:35:35,520 --> 00:35:39,200 Speaker 1: the future. The company, the economy, the nation that has 669 00:35:39,360 --> 00:35:42,960 Speaker 1: manufacturing jobs in the next decade will be the country 670 00:35:43,040 --> 00:35:45,200 Speaker 1: that figures out how to manufacture in a green way. 671 00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:48,759 Speaker 1: We need that to be us. Bobby Kennedy Jr. Used 672 00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:51,200 Speaker 1: to say, let's force them to bring their products to 673 00:35:51,239 --> 00:35:54,600 Speaker 1: market at their actual cost. What are the American people 674 00:35:54,680 --> 00:35:57,400 Speaker 1: really paying for a gallon of gas. You throw the 675 00:35:57,440 --> 00:35:59,479 Speaker 1: PCBs in the Hudson River and we have to clean 676 00:35:59,520 --> 00:36:00,960 Speaker 1: it up. That be a part of the cost of 677 00:36:00,960 --> 00:36:03,640 Speaker 1: your thing. The woman who studied bankruptcy law at Harvard 678 00:36:03,680 --> 00:36:05,680 Speaker 1: with Elizabeth Warrener, you saw you out of the Finance 679 00:36:05,719 --> 00:36:08,479 Speaker 1: committe anymore? Sure, I'm definitely sorry. I mean I asked 680 00:36:08,560 --> 00:36:11,120 Speaker 1: to serve because I wanted to. Um. I want to 681 00:36:11,160 --> 00:36:13,440 Speaker 1: continue working on those issues, and I hope there'll be 682 00:36:13,480 --> 00:36:16,120 Speaker 1: an opportunity for me to fill a vacancy in the future. 683 00:36:16,560 --> 00:36:19,120 Speaker 1: UM to get back to that committee. UM. You know, 684 00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:21,800 Speaker 1: I'm excited to be on the Economic and Consumer Protection 685 00:36:21,920 --> 00:36:24,719 Speaker 1: Subcommittee of Oversight. UM. I'm gonna keep doing a lot 686 00:36:24,719 --> 00:36:27,799 Speaker 1: of work on financial services issues from that. So absolutely 687 00:36:27,800 --> 00:36:30,520 Speaker 1: wish I were on. What happened? You know, they just 688 00:36:30,719 --> 00:36:33,520 Speaker 1: they had so many spots, they voted people on and off. 689 00:36:33,560 --> 00:36:35,719 Speaker 1: I was one of two people who didn't get it. Um, 690 00:36:35,840 --> 00:36:37,919 Speaker 1: you know, eight or ten people did get it. Other 691 00:36:37,920 --> 00:36:41,600 Speaker 1: people were chosen, other people were chosen. But you know what, like, 692 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:44,520 Speaker 1: remember what I said about I've been underestimated a lot 693 00:36:45,440 --> 00:36:47,600 Speaker 1: when I went on. Now people are like, oh, well, 694 00:36:47,600 --> 00:36:50,440 Speaker 1: she can't go off financial services. Financial services where all 695 00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:53,759 Speaker 1: the hot committee action is. Trust me, when I went 696 00:36:53,800 --> 00:36:56,680 Speaker 1: on financial Services, everyone was like, oh my god, that's 697 00:36:56,719 --> 00:36:58,920 Speaker 1: the most boring committee. No one's gonna pay attention to you. 698 00:36:58,960 --> 00:37:02,080 Speaker 1: Let's go to Duncan Donut. Right. So wherever I go, 699 00:37:02,320 --> 00:37:04,279 Speaker 1: I'm going to try to engage the American people. And 700 00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:07,360 Speaker 1: I don't think there is a bad committee in Congress. 701 00:37:07,440 --> 00:37:10,560 Speaker 1: These are all important. Well let me just say, I 702 00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:15,200 Speaker 1: really mean this. People who really are so disheartened. I 703 00:37:15,239 --> 00:37:18,640 Speaker 1: mean they're crushed and demoralized by the inefficiency of the 704 00:37:18,640 --> 00:37:22,799 Speaker 1: American government. They've lost faith. And then along you come, 705 00:37:23,520 --> 00:37:26,239 Speaker 1: and all my friends who see you, you know what 706 00:37:26,280 --> 00:37:30,239 Speaker 1: they are. They're proud of you. They're so proud of 707 00:37:30,239 --> 00:37:33,160 Speaker 1: you because they get when you're there. You're not there 708 00:37:33,680 --> 00:37:36,600 Speaker 1: for the self aggrandizing. You're doing this because you care 709 00:37:37,160 --> 00:37:39,319 Speaker 1: and you take the job seriously and you and you're 710 00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:42,759 Speaker 1: finding and honing a way to use the job the 711 00:37:42,840 --> 00:37:46,680 Speaker 1: office as a tool. You're honing a tool to do 712 00:37:46,800 --> 00:37:48,400 Speaker 1: the work you want to do on behalf of the 713 00:37:48,440 --> 00:37:51,520 Speaker 1: American people. So thank you so much, thank you, oh absolutely, 714 00:37:51,520 --> 00:37:57,040 Speaker 1: thank you so much for having me us representative Katie Porter. 715 00:37:57,640 --> 00:37:59,719 Speaker 1: I'm Alec Baldwin. Here's the Thing is brought to you 716 00:37:59,760 --> 00:38:03,800 Speaker 1: by by Heart Radio. We're produced by Kathleen Russo, Carrie 717 00:38:03,840 --> 00:38:08,560 Speaker 1: donohue and Zach McNeice. Our engineer is Frank Imperial. Thanks 718 00:38:08,640 --> 00:38:09,240 Speaker 1: for listening.