1 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 1: And joining me now is a member of Congress from 2 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:12,080 Speaker 1: western Pennsylvania, which is probably as important of a swing 3 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:15,920 Speaker 1: geographic area as there is in the country. It's Congressman Christallusio. 4 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:19,200 Speaker 1: He's from the seventeenth district. And for political junkies when 5 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 1: they think of PA seventeen, the first name they may 6 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:25,280 Speaker 1: come to mind is Connor Lamb. Well, Christi Luzio replaced 7 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:29,000 Speaker 1: Connor Lamb in Congress. It is mostly that district, And 8 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:32,640 Speaker 1: in fact, i'll make that your first question, Congressman, how 9 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: much does it you know that famous PA seventeen race 10 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:38,840 Speaker 1: at the time was a big deal because it leaned 11 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:43,200 Speaker 1: more Republican in the teens. How much of your district 12 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 1: is the same? How much of it's different? 13 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:48,559 Speaker 2: You know, when Connor first won that special election, big offset, right, 14 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:53,400 Speaker 2: he really won that seat, captured the country's attention. Pennsylvania 15 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:56,880 Speaker 2: Supreme Court drew fair maps after that there was a 16 00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 2: Republican gerrymander. So the district that he represented from really 17 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 2: twenty eighteen on very similar to mine. It maybe a 18 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:08,399 Speaker 2: point or so different. All of Beaver County, about half 19 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 2: Alleghany County, which for Eddie folks who know Pennsylvania that's 20 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 2: the County of Pittsburgh in so it's a I don't know, 21 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:16,360 Speaker 2: the best district in the country if you ask me, 22 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:18,720 Speaker 2: but it's competitive, it's got a mix of everything. It's 23 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 2: really a great part of the world. 24 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 3: Well, you grew up there, so you know this. 25 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 1: You know, there was the I don't know whether the 26 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: infamous saying James Carvell once said about Pennsylvania, which is 27 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:31,400 Speaker 1: no longer true, but it used to be. He'd say, 28 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: just for political purposes, Philadelphia and the east, Pittsburgh and 29 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 1: the west, and Alabama in the middle. 30 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 3: And the point. 31 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 1: He was making is that, as you know, the Democrats 32 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 1: needed to care about the two coasts of Pennsylvania, you know, 33 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 1: putting coasts. 34 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 3: In plural there. But the fact of the matter is, you. 35 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 1: Know, as the Pennsylvania, as the Philly suburbs, became more democratic, 36 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 1: the reason the state didn't become a lot more democratic 37 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 1: is that western Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh market, became much less democratic. 38 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 1: That is, your childhood to adulthood, walk me through that chain, 39 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 1: you know, tell me how your community. 40 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 3: Sort of swung there. 41 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 1: From there, I would argue Reagan Democrats to Clinton Democrats, 42 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 1: to even some Obama Democrats to now Trump Republicans. 43 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:20,519 Speaker 2: I think a big part of that story the factory 44 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 2: towns and the rural communities, right And the factory towns 45 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 2: you drive along the rivers in my district, especially through 46 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:30,919 Speaker 2: Beaver County on the Ohio River and the Beaver those 47 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 2: there are still great manufacturing jobs that anchor. 48 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 3: A lot of those communities. 49 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 2: And I think as you saw those jobs go away 50 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 2: in a lot of what's southwestern Pennsylvania, you saw political realignments, 51 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 2: You saw anger and frustration at how that happened. And 52 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:50,080 Speaker 2: also where you see Democrats like me who are winning 53 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 2: and overperforming, and those kinds of communities we're winning and overperforming, 54 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:57,640 Speaker 2: and those exact types of towns, and the same story. 55 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 2: If you look at John Fetterman's win, Josh Heroes win, 56 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 2: you look at what happened in the Senate race last 57 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 2: year with Bob Casey and Dave McCormick, the margins in 58 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:09,959 Speaker 2: my part of Pennsylvania, in those factory towns, in the 59 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:13,120 Speaker 2: rural communities, I think made the difference. It shows in 60 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:16,080 Speaker 2: those races who can do a little better when they're 61 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 2: even losing. 62 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 3: Those counties or losing those towns to. 63 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 1: Eat out a win. Did you over perform Casey? Yes, 64 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 1: who's the McCormick Deluzio voter. 65 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:32,640 Speaker 2: There's a state House district Beaver County, communities like Ambridge, 66 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 2: al Equippa, Beaver Falls. Rob Matzey's the state rep there 67 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 2: and that state House district he won it. I won it, 68 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 2: and Dave McCormick won it, and it's an interesting story, right, 69 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 2: and Donald Trump won that district too. And you know, 70 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 2: I think if you spent time in that part of 71 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 2: my district, I think you talk to the voters who 72 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 2: might have voted that way, voted for me, or voted 73 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 2: for Rob Matsy and maybe voted above us as Republican. 74 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:00,119 Speaker 2: Always hard to summarize, but these were folks who are 75 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 2: fired up and angry about costs one good jobs. I 76 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 2: think the economic fight was front center, and they heard 77 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 2: from me since I ran in twenty twenty two. Always 78 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 2: an economic fight at the heart of it. Again, hard 79 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:17,280 Speaker 2: to summarize voter by voter, but they exist, and it's 80 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:20,279 Speaker 2: that part of my district really where it made the 81 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:23,280 Speaker 2: difference for me and certainly above us in the ballot. 82 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 1: So you operate that there are swing voters, there are 83 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 1: there are not everybody agrees that there are right that 84 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:31,160 Speaker 1: there's two. I always say there are two types of 85 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:35,120 Speaker 1: swing voters. I do think there are voters that facillate 86 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: between party strategically, but far more often the most common 87 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:43,599 Speaker 1: swing voter is somebody that swings between voting and not voting. 88 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:47,920 Speaker 2: So I think both things are true, and I don't 89 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 2: want to oversay that it's just, Hey, you can convince 90 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:54,559 Speaker 2: someone to vote Republican for president Democrat for the US House. 91 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:56,720 Speaker 2: It's the other thing to believe. I mean, we have 92 00:04:56,800 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 2: work to do on turnout and frankly, rebuilding some of 93 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 2: the trust with younger voters. I mean, I'm forty one, 94 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 2: makes me an older millennial, right, so I guess I 95 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 2: can't call myself a young voter anymore. We'll see, but 96 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:11,480 Speaker 2: I do think there are folks who will split ticket. 97 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 3: I saw it in my election. 98 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:16,480 Speaker 2: I saw it with the vote drop off from presidential 99 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:20,040 Speaker 2: right Harris Trump, Casey McCormick down to my race. I mean, 100 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:23,160 Speaker 2: they exist, and you got to get you got to 101 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:23,719 Speaker 2: know your district. 102 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 3: You gotta have candidates who know their districts. 103 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:28,840 Speaker 2: I come back to I think the economic fight, not 104 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 2: the expense of anything else, but fighting on the economic 105 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:35,120 Speaker 2: front principally is a good way to earn those votes. 106 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 2: And you don't have to be a whip about it. 107 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 2: You don't have to be backtracking on anything else. I 108 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 2: think it's the part of the path for Democrats to 109 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:45,799 Speaker 2: win more consistently in places like western Pennsylvania. 110 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 1: Look, it's an eighty percent. Nobody likes concentrations of power, right, 111 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:55,600 Speaker 1: that's an eighty percent. You know, people, you know recoil 112 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:59,839 Speaker 1: from too much power, too much concentration of power, government corporations, whatever. 113 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:03,080 Speaker 1: So if you're talking about the economy in those terms, 114 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:06,280 Speaker 1: it does strike me that you can have a conversation. 115 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:08,840 Speaker 3: How much does the D next to your name make 116 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:09,360 Speaker 3: it harder? 117 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 1: I had a couple of independent candidates now they're running 118 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:16,279 Speaker 1: an Idaho in South Dakota. This is not Western Pennsylvania, Okay, 119 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:20,160 Speaker 1: but they they said not having the D next and 120 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 1: then their name actually was an impediment to having the 121 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:27,120 Speaker 1: conversation with some voters about the economy. Moving to an 122 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:29,880 Speaker 1: eye next to their name at least opened the door 123 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:30,680 Speaker 1: to a conversation. 124 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:34,120 Speaker 2: Doublass, I mean, I'll tell you at least and from 125 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:36,720 Speaker 2: my part of the world, and again, like it's different everywhere. 126 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:37,200 Speaker 3: Right. 127 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:39,120 Speaker 2: You know, some of the folks in some of those 128 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:42,760 Speaker 2: factory towns maybe for generations, were Democrats and they've left 129 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:45,840 Speaker 2: my party, right, And so I'm trying to rebuild some 130 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:48,280 Speaker 2: trust and reconnect. 131 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:48,920 Speaker 3: With those new deal routes. 132 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:52,160 Speaker 2: For why for three four generations your family might have 133 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:55,640 Speaker 2: been a Union household, you may have been voting Democrat 134 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:57,800 Speaker 2: and at the same time picking up. 135 00:06:57,720 --> 00:06:59,920 Speaker 3: And earning new two votes. And say, the. 136 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:03,279 Speaker 2: Suburban parts of a district like mine, right, where folks 137 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:08,320 Speaker 2: aren't as longer as long term Democrats who are coming 138 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 2: in to the party, those things can be attention. But 139 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 2: we can't find a way to do both of those things. 140 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 2: We're not going to win, nor can the Republicans. By 141 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:18,760 Speaker 2: the way, that's the reality of political train here. And 142 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:21,240 Speaker 2: you know, I think for my party's brand to be seen, 143 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:24,360 Speaker 2: number one is tougher, right, And it's not just about 144 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:27,200 Speaker 2: what's happening in Washington and being tough with Trump and 145 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 2: his administration, as we should be, but tougher on the 146 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 2: economic fight, which every survey I see, every conversation I have, 147 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 2: it comes up. Folks are mad about the cost of living. 148 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 2: I think for a party to be seen tougher. There 149 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:42,480 Speaker 2: would help some of those folks you're talking about, say 150 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 2: in Idaho, where they don't have some deep democratic loyalty 151 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 2: to build on, to try to restore some crusts. 152 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:49,240 Speaker 3: I think it helps with those guys too. 153 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:53,360 Speaker 1: You've spent time in the Navy, and you're a lawyer. 154 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 1: You went to Georgetown Law School. Why'd you decide on 155 00:07:58,720 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 1: public service? 156 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 3: So I was a senior in high school. 157 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 2: Nine to eleven happens, and I was pursuing the Naval Academy. 158 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:08,720 Speaker 2: I mean that day sealed it that if I got in, 159 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 2: I go. And I got in pretty shortly thereafter, and 160 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:17,080 Speaker 2: I went, And it's a tough place, it's a special place. 161 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:21,120 Speaker 2: I really internalized, you know, the mission of what we 162 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 2: signed up to do there, which is a lifetime of service, 163 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 2: whether that's in uniform or public service. We talk about 164 00:08:28,360 --> 00:08:31,360 Speaker 2: citizenship even and so I just believe it deeply. That's 165 00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:33,559 Speaker 2: who I am. It's the part of the world I'm from. 166 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:36,920 Speaker 2: You drive down most of the streets in western Pennsylvania, 167 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:40,199 Speaker 2: main streets, you see banners honoring veterans in a lot 168 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 2: of communities. You walk into nearly any house in my 169 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:46,520 Speaker 2: part of the world. Someone's got a picture of somebody 170 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:49,600 Speaker 2: in uniform, like, we value that, and that's it. That's 171 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:51,840 Speaker 2: the shorthandswer for why I'm trying to do something in 172 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:54,959 Speaker 2: public service, why I think this is a noble pursuit. 173 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 2: And that's even before I get into the stress the 174 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:00,800 Speaker 2: country is under. What I think Ronald Trump and his 175 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:04,440 Speaker 2: movement is doing. It's real, it's profound, and I think, 176 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 2: if not now to try to step up and do 177 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 2: something about it when it feels like this is the 178 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:11,320 Speaker 2: moment to try to serve and that's that's what I'm 179 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 2: trying to do in this. 180 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:14,319 Speaker 3: So it is. 181 00:09:15,960 --> 00:09:18,720 Speaker 1: It's quite a moment, right, It's a There are times 182 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:24,920 Speaker 1: that I know I feel powerless, but I'm not an 183 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:27,880 Speaker 1: elective office. But you're in the minority, which sometimes means 184 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:31,200 Speaker 1: you're also can be more powerless than you'd like to be. 185 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 1: It is, you know, every week I can put together 186 00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:39,400 Speaker 1: a list of stories that says, boy, this feels this 187 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 1: feels like we're are we are? We did we really 188 00:09:44,559 --> 00:09:46,280 Speaker 1: just take the wrong fork in the road. How the 189 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:49,880 Speaker 1: hell are we going to get back? And then it 190 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:55,840 Speaker 1: like and then we go even further, right, how do 191 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 1: you answer that? Question, what's the state of the democracy 192 00:09:58,280 --> 00:09:59,720 Speaker 1: and how concerned should we be. 193 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:01,720 Speaker 3: I am concerned. 194 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:05,440 Speaker 2: I think it's healthy and normal insane to look around 195 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:08,560 Speaker 2: and say something's not right. And it's not just the 196 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:11,680 Speaker 2: political violence, which of course is a problem, and I 197 00:10:11,679 --> 00:10:15,439 Speaker 2: think a symptom of a deeper wound to be American psyche. 198 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:15,880 Speaker 3: That we got to fix. 199 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 2: And I think about now, I can criticize Donald Trump, 200 00:10:19,559 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 2: and I will. Right, He's identified that wound, and he 201 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:28,680 Speaker 2: offers to me snake oil, right, division, autocracy, threats to 202 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:32,360 Speaker 2: the rule of law. Okay, let's criticize that. But then 203 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:34,079 Speaker 2: what do we have to offer that's different? 204 00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:36,720 Speaker 3: But he does identify the problems, and I think we 205 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:38,040 Speaker 3: have to start with that. That's right. 206 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 1: Like this is where I think sometimes you know that 207 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:45,599 Speaker 1: there are some Just because Trump has identified a problem correctly, 208 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:49,720 Speaker 1: doesn't you know, doesn't mean it's not a problem. Right, 209 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:52,559 Speaker 1: just because Trump says it's a problem, you shouldn't ignore it. 210 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:54,120 Speaker 3: And I've always said that. 211 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:58,240 Speaker 1: I think the voters when they when they sour on Trump, 212 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:02,480 Speaker 1: they don't sour on the problems he's identified. They sour 213 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:03,480 Speaker 1: on his solutions. 214 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:06,959 Speaker 2: So I'm forty one, and we can look at this 215 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:09,760 Speaker 2: data pretty quickly. If you're my age, you're younger, you're 216 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 2: now the first Americans since at least the Second World 217 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:14,440 Speaker 2: War who don't expect me better off than your parents. 218 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:18,959 Speaker 2: That is a failure of our government, across parties, across decades. 219 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:22,480 Speaker 2: That's multiple presidents think of that, and you should be 220 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:25,480 Speaker 2: mad about that. I'm mad about that. If you're younger 221 00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:28,119 Speaker 2: than me, you're even angrier about it because the prospects 222 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:32,920 Speaker 2: look worse, and so we have to confront that. That 223 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:36,360 Speaker 2: goes to the fundamental trust or distrust in our government. 224 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:36,920 Speaker 3: Right. 225 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:38,800 Speaker 2: If you're going to work hard and follow the rules 226 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:41,360 Speaker 2: and you still can't afford your life, you are mad 227 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:43,560 Speaker 2: and maybe you don't trust the way our governments work. 228 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:48,199 Speaker 2: So to me, I think battling corruption, rebuilding trust, putting 229 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:50,840 Speaker 2: muscle back in the American dream, those things are all linked. 230 00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:54,199 Speaker 2: It's part of why the anti corruption fight matters so 231 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:56,640 Speaker 2: much to me. It's part of why this vision of 232 00:11:56,640 --> 00:12:01,920 Speaker 2: economic patriotism mine others are talking about matters putting muscle 233 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 2: and something real back in the American dream. Because if 234 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:08,160 Speaker 2: if we're going to just pay lip service to try 235 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:12,360 Speaker 2: and to restore trust without fixing the problem underlying our system. 236 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:15,960 Speaker 1: It's not going to work in my voot. How do 237 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:19,440 Speaker 1: you feel about the redistricting wars? I say this because look, 238 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:23,720 Speaker 1: you're because your state's not going to do it. There's 239 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 1: a variety of reasons for that. There's just I think 240 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 1: the legislature's too split. There's even if you wanted to, 241 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:34,199 Speaker 1: you couldn't. I know that a lot of your colleagues 242 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:38,720 Speaker 1: in Congress don't like what's happening, including Texas Republicans in 243 00:12:38,760 --> 00:12:42,920 Speaker 1: California Democrats, but that they feel like pawns in a 244 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:46,880 Speaker 1: larger fight, because guess what your pawns in a larger fight. 245 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:47,160 Speaker 3: You know. 246 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:52,200 Speaker 1: But I look at how the Democrats are fighting this, 247 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:56,760 Speaker 1: and simultaneously you've got Pete Bootagees going to Indiana saying 248 00:12:56,760 --> 00:13:00,439 Speaker 1: please don't do this. And then you've got Democrats raising 249 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 1: money so that Gavin Newsom can win a proposition which, 250 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:08,439 Speaker 1: like I, at least you get the voters get You're 251 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:10,640 Speaker 1: including the voters in the say so here because they 252 00:13:10,679 --> 00:13:14,120 Speaker 1: have to. But that feels like such a mixed message 253 00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:18,880 Speaker 1: that I you know, it is really hard to get 254 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:23,600 Speaker 1: my arms around if you're upset about disenfranchising voters in Texas. 255 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:27,800 Speaker 1: How is the answered disenfranchising voters in other states. Yeah, 256 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:30,679 Speaker 1: let's start with here's what I would like to see, 257 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 1: which we just have a federal ban on partisan jerrymandering 258 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:36,720 Speaker 1: and we have federal standard for fair maps. 259 00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:38,480 Speaker 3: That was in what was. 260 00:13:38,559 --> 00:13:40,559 Speaker 2: I don't know, for the People Act or HR one, 261 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:42,400 Speaker 2: but before I got to the Congress. 262 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:43,480 Speaker 1: Some of that was in there, and there was also 263 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:45,719 Speaker 1: a lot of partisan stuff which made it less of 264 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:49,920 Speaker 1: a serious bill unfortunately. I mean, look, I'm for somebody 265 00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:51,840 Speaker 1: that says, you have messaging bills, and you have bills 266 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:52,680 Speaker 1: you want to get passed. 267 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:54,760 Speaker 3: That was a bill for messaging, not necessarily. 268 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:58,160 Speaker 2: Let's do a federal anti jerryman ring thing. Just take 269 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:01,960 Speaker 2: this off right, it's out of the playbook for either party. 270 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:05,600 Speaker 2: While it's not the standard until that happens, I'm not 271 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:08,480 Speaker 2: interested in Democrats fighting with like a wet spaghetti noodle 272 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:11,400 Speaker 2: while the Republicans are carrying to Maszooka like this is 273 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:14,679 Speaker 2: control of Congress and how they write a map and 274 00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:20,200 Speaker 2: say Indiana and Texas affects what happens to my constituents. 275 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 2: The same reason why I've been endorsing some folks in 276 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:25,880 Speaker 2: competitive districts in Pennsylvania, because those members of Congress are 277 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:29,200 Speaker 2: taking votes that are my constituents. So I don't want 278 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:34,400 Speaker 2: Democrats to be fighting limply while Republicans are taking seats 279 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:36,800 Speaker 2: all over the country. And I would start and end 280 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:39,680 Speaker 2: with let's just get rid of this as a tool 281 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:41,840 Speaker 2: for either party and just have a federal standard. 282 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 3: I think that's where this has to go. 283 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:46,960 Speaker 2: And I think, look, ruck I also think this goes 284 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:49,480 Speaker 2: to that distrust and government problem when politicians are right 285 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:52,000 Speaker 2: in their own maps, when they're picking their districts, when 286 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:54,720 Speaker 2: they're carvering little communities and all the matters is a 287 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:58,360 Speaker 2: competitive primary, I don't think you get great representation. 288 00:14:57,960 --> 00:15:02,040 Speaker 1: But you understand that, look and understand the issue of 289 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:05,320 Speaker 1: of when when you sort of compromise your principle for 290 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:11,280 Speaker 1: you know, and again like I get it right, I 291 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:17,120 Speaker 1: understand the rationale and I get all of that. It 292 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 1: just doesn't feel like a long term way to win 293 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:25,040 Speaker 1: trust back. That's and that's what makes it so such 294 00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 1: a flawed way to fight back because I also think 295 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:35,320 Speaker 1: I think that what Texas did is not as is 296 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:37,160 Speaker 1: not going to be as effective as they think it is. Right, 297 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:41,960 Speaker 1: you know, the unintended consequences always bite you on this stuff. 298 00:15:42,040 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 1: And that's that's why I'm thinking the fight quote unquote, 299 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:48,120 Speaker 1: fighting fighting fire with fire is like, you know, be 300 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:48,920 Speaker 1: careful out there. 301 00:15:49,840 --> 00:15:51,640 Speaker 3: You don't you don't know what you've opened up. 302 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:54,800 Speaker 2: No, and look, when you draw these things with aggressive 303 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:56,800 Speaker 2: Jerry managers, I think you're alluding to this fact. You 304 00:15:56,840 --> 00:16:00,200 Speaker 2: make some of those seats potentially gettable, especially if it's 305 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:03,400 Speaker 2: a big way of election the other direction, right, And 306 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:06,040 Speaker 2: so that's a part of this. That's a risk they're 307 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:08,480 Speaker 2: gonna have to take on because I hope and expect 308 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:10,320 Speaker 2: we might have a good year next year. 309 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:12,080 Speaker 3: And that could go very different webs. 310 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:17,960 Speaker 1: So, speaking of ways to do confrontation with Trump, there's 311 00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:23,720 Speaker 1: we consider in debates shutdown, no shutdown. I sort of understand, Hey, 312 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:26,840 Speaker 1: when you've got leverage, use it right. That's that's sort 313 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:29,120 Speaker 1: of part of the process. That's what politics is about. 314 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:32,280 Speaker 3: It does feel like the timing now is when do 315 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:35,239 Speaker 3: you use it right? Is this is this six. 316 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 1: Week cr the hill to die on? Or do you 317 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 1: let this one go and you fight the fight in November? 318 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 1: Where's your mindset on this? 319 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:42,240 Speaker 3: Well? 320 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:44,960 Speaker 2: Number one, nobody wants a shutdown let's just start with that. 321 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:48,440 Speaker 2: And you know, much like the last funding fight, my 322 00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:51,400 Speaker 2: counterparts in the Senate have much more leverage than we 323 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:53,400 Speaker 2: do in the House, and they should use it, and 324 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:55,400 Speaker 2: they use it to protect American people as use it 325 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:57,640 Speaker 2: for good. They use it's a fund the government responsibly. 326 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:01,040 Speaker 2: They have a filibuster. We don't have that House. And 327 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:04,320 Speaker 2: I've long felt like the Republicans have full control of 328 00:17:04,359 --> 00:17:08,879 Speaker 2: our government, you know, this House, Senate, White House. If 329 00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:11,840 Speaker 2: they want our votes, they should do something to work 330 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:12,159 Speaker 2: with us. 331 00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:15,360 Speaker 3: But I don't have to go along with saying yes 332 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:16,840 Speaker 3: to rescinding funding. 333 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:18,760 Speaker 2: I don't just stick go along with saying yes to 334 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:22,160 Speaker 2: using the bully pulper the White House to suppress speech 335 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:25,240 Speaker 2: and to shut down critical voices. 336 00:17:24,840 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 3: In the media. I don't do any of those things. 337 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:29,040 Speaker 2: And so I think there's a path here. They can 338 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:32,760 Speaker 2: decide to work with Democrats responsibly, or they can do 339 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:34,280 Speaker 2: it on their own, because they have enough power to 340 00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:36,439 Speaker 2: do it. And if they shut the government down, it 341 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:38,000 Speaker 2: falls on them. It's not going to fall on the 342 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:41,280 Speaker 2: House minority Democrats who aren't saying yes with a crazy 343 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:41,840 Speaker 2: spending plan. 344 00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:45,480 Speaker 1: No, I get that. I mean, I just guess just tactically. 345 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:47,760 Speaker 1: And again, I know I'm a little weeds this year, 346 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:50,920 Speaker 1: but it's like I might let the six weeks see 347 00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:54,320 Speaker 1: r happen clean, Hey, you want six more weeks to talk, Fine, 348 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:56,640 Speaker 1: we'll give you six more weeks to negotiate, but you're 349 00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:57,920 Speaker 1: not getting another extension. 350 00:17:58,280 --> 00:17:58,879 Speaker 3: Like you know it. 351 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:03,600 Speaker 1: I go there because I see the shoes literally been 352 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:05,440 Speaker 1: on the other foot on that. Hey we need six 353 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:08,320 Speaker 1: more weeks to negotiate. Can we buy that while we 354 00:18:08,359 --> 00:18:10,639 Speaker 1: get through this. It's one of those where you're like, 355 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:13,560 Speaker 1: you know it's That's what I mean is do you die? 356 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:16,960 Speaker 1: You know you got to pick. I get the battle's 357 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:18,720 Speaker 1: going to happen. The question is when do you want 358 00:18:18,760 --> 00:18:19,520 Speaker 1: the battle to happen. 359 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:22,679 Speaker 2: Well, look, if there's any real effort to work with 360 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:25,320 Speaker 2: us to have some kind of negotiation, great, let's do that. 361 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:28,560 Speaker 2: I haven't seen any of that, And so I think 362 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:30,640 Speaker 2: to your point, if it's about buying time to work 363 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:33,840 Speaker 2: something out, responsible, okay, I think you actually have support 364 00:18:33,920 --> 00:18:35,880 Speaker 2: for it. I haven't seen any of that yet. I mean, 365 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:39,000 Speaker 2: maybe what I heard today is there some interest from 366 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:41,240 Speaker 2: the White House, a meeting with Leader Jeffreys and Schumer. 367 00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:44,720 Speaker 2: You know, it's we're now a week out from the 368 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:45,920 Speaker 2: end of the fiscal year. 369 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:52,320 Speaker 1: One of the Democratic senator from Pennsylvania has already indicated 370 00:18:52,359 --> 00:18:55,600 Speaker 1: he's going to vote to keep the government open pretty 371 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:56,359 Speaker 1: much no matter what. 372 00:18:56,840 --> 00:19:01,280 Speaker 3: And you know betterman, it's been interesting viewed him for my. 373 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:05,560 Speaker 1: About I guess it's been about five or six months now, 374 00:19:06,359 --> 00:19:09,960 Speaker 1: and his mindset was, Look, we've got one north starts 375 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:12,199 Speaker 1: the seven swing states. Whatever it takes to get a 376 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:14,080 Speaker 1: majority of the seventh swing state ought to be the 377 00:19:14,119 --> 00:19:16,960 Speaker 1: focus of the party. See, I get that. That's an 378 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:19,520 Speaker 1: interesting north star. That's what you'd want the head of 379 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:25,840 Speaker 1: the party to say. He's been in uh shifted on that. 380 00:19:26,520 --> 00:19:29,400 Speaker 1: What do you make of it? And do you where 381 00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:33,240 Speaker 1: are you with his He doesn't want to shut down 382 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:34,160 Speaker 1: the government mindset? 383 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:36,800 Speaker 2: Yep, me neither, And yet I wouldn't vote for a 384 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:40,480 Speaker 2: shutdown bill that repealed the Civil Rights Act or you know, 385 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:43,600 Speaker 2: made national right to work or some national abortion band like. 386 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:44,119 Speaker 3: Of course not. 387 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:47,800 Speaker 2: We can do a basic level of analysis and have 388 00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:51,760 Speaker 2: some basic values that we're not going to compromise, and 389 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:54,440 Speaker 2: so I don't think it's that complicated. We can say 390 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:57,080 Speaker 2: and support funding the government and also say on there 391 00:19:57,080 --> 00:19:58,399 Speaker 2: are lines I'm not going to cross. 392 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:01,639 Speaker 3: May we balance those and put those in different places. 393 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:03,680 Speaker 2: I guess we do, But I don't really get the 394 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:07,120 Speaker 2: argument that there is no circumstances ever where I wouldn't 395 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:12,119 Speaker 2: vote against a very partisan bad spending bill from the Republicans. 396 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:20,119 Speaker 1: There's a reason results matter more than promises, just like 397 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 1: there's a reason. Morgan and Morgan is America's largest injury 398 00:20:23,359 --> 00:20:26,120 Speaker 1: law firm. For the last thirty five years, they've recovered 399 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:29,360 Speaker 1: twenty five billion dollars for more than half a million clients. 400 00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:33,520 Speaker 1: It includes cases where insurance companies offered next to nothing, 401 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:36,600 Speaker 1: just hoping to get away with paying as little as possible. 402 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:39,760 Speaker 1: Morgan and Morgan fought back ended up winning millions. In fact, 403 00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:42,919 Speaker 1: in Pennsylvania, one client was awarded twenty six million dollars, 404 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:46,479 Speaker 1: which was a staggering forty times the amount that the 405 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:49,800 Speaker 1: insurance company originally offered. That original offer six hundred and 406 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:52,800 Speaker 1: fifty thousand dollars twenty six million, six hundred and fifty 407 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:55,040 Speaker 1: thousand dollars. So with more than one thousand lawyers across 408 00:20:55,040 --> 00:20:57,520 Speaker 1: the country, they know how to deliver for everyday people. 409 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:00,320 Speaker 1: If you're injured, you need a lawyer. You need somebody 410 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:02,880 Speaker 1: to get your back, check out for the People dot com, 411 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:08,080 Speaker 1: Slash podcast or now Pound Law, Pound five two nine 412 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:11,760 Speaker 1: law on your cell phone. And remember all law firms 413 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:13,639 Speaker 1: are not the same, So check out Morgan and Morgan. 414 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:21,280 Speaker 1: Their fee is free unless they win. You were on 415 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:24,679 Speaker 1: the ballot with Betterman in twenty two. Did you believe 416 00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:26,120 Speaker 1: he was to your left or to your right? 417 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:27,880 Speaker 3: You know it's funny. I don't. 418 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:34,280 Speaker 2: I don't really think about him or maybe even Joshapiro 419 00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:37,440 Speaker 2: right like our Pennsylvania Democrats in that way, I don't 420 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:41,440 Speaker 2: think we're so obviously in a certain orientation in the party, 421 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:44,879 Speaker 2: and certainly now things are different. But like I think 422 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:48,960 Speaker 2: there has been a scrambling of the old centrist, progressive, 423 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:52,359 Speaker 2: whatever lanes of the Democratic Party. I think there is 424 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:56,439 Speaker 2: a very different orientation now about your willingness to be 425 00:21:56,480 --> 00:21:56,919 Speaker 2: a fighter. 426 00:21:56,960 --> 00:21:59,360 Speaker 3: I don't just mean about Trump. I mean on this. 427 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:03,640 Speaker 2: Economic against say it's monopoly power against corruption. I think 428 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:07,720 Speaker 2: it's we're reorienting in that way. I like it because 429 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:10,720 Speaker 2: I see colleagues of mine who might wear different. 430 00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:12,600 Speaker 3: Labels, who are all in with me. 431 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:16,400 Speaker 2: On a fight against say, corrupt congressional stock trading or 432 00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 2: who are with me about. 433 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:19,199 Speaker 3: Fighting against monopolies? 434 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:22,440 Speaker 2: I mean, I did this monopoly Buster's Caucus with colleagues 435 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:26,359 Speaker 2: like Pat Ryan Promilagaia, Paul Maggie Goodlander. Right, it's an 436 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:32,320 Speaker 2: interesting re scrambling of those old labels, you know, different ways. 437 00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:35,200 Speaker 1: Interesting Like you know, during the twenty twenty two primary, 438 00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:38,000 Speaker 1: Connor Lamb was the supposed centrist in John Fetterman was 439 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:41,359 Speaker 1: the supposed progressive right. Is that is that how that 440 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:43,320 Speaker 1: primary would look today? 441 00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:47,000 Speaker 3: It's a great question. I don't know, you know, and 442 00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:47,480 Speaker 3: I think I think either. 443 00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:50,480 Speaker 2: And much of our conversation up to this point has 444 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:54,000 Speaker 2: been about the style of what a Democrat in Washington 445 00:22:54,119 --> 00:22:57,359 Speaker 2: is in the opposition in the minority, and so it's 446 00:22:57,400 --> 00:22:59,880 Speaker 2: a very different posture of going back to twenty two. 447 00:22:59,880 --> 00:23:03,399 Speaker 2: I first ran Democrats on the White House, and we're 448 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:07,159 Speaker 2: still riding in the House with some control, and so 449 00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:08,800 Speaker 2: it's a very different posture. 450 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:09,480 Speaker 3: And again I. 451 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:13,679 Speaker 2: Don't think the current if there are phisures, it's not 452 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:16,840 Speaker 2: so much about progressive lane, centrist. 453 00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:19,080 Speaker 3: Lane, moderate, whatever. I think it's now much more. 454 00:23:18,960 --> 00:23:22,640 Speaker 2: About what weather you're fighting and on what grounds you're 455 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:25,080 Speaker 2: fighting more than it is are you going to support this, 456 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:27,560 Speaker 2: that or the other piece of legislation, and what kind 457 00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:29,200 Speaker 2: of label democrats. 458 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:29,600 Speaker 3: That make you. 459 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:32,239 Speaker 1: No, it's an interesting thesis. I don't disagree with it 460 00:23:32,280 --> 00:23:34,359 Speaker 1: that there is sort of a little bit more. This 461 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:37,680 Speaker 1: is no longer about size of government issues and government 462 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:41,960 Speaker 1: spending issues that it really is more of how should 463 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:43,679 Speaker 1: the power of government be used? 464 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:48,880 Speaker 2: Well, yeah, I agree, and I think, look, you have 465 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:52,640 Speaker 2: Donald Trump trying to take what has become a very 466 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:56,040 Speaker 2: powerful imperial presidency and put it on steroids, and a 467 00:23:56,160 --> 00:23:58,320 Speaker 2: question of what the heck do you do to stop 468 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:02,160 Speaker 2: that and to protect the constitution, to assert the Congress's rule, 469 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:05,960 Speaker 2: to assert the Court's rule. I don't think that lends 470 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:12,320 Speaker 2: itself to a progressive, liberal, moderate centrist, whatever kind of lens. 471 00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:14,760 Speaker 2: It's a question of how do you be effective in 472 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:17,000 Speaker 2: shoring up our constitution. 473 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:19,040 Speaker 1: I had a friend of mine who might have called 474 00:24:19,119 --> 00:24:22,640 Speaker 1: himself a progressive, say three or four years ago, who said, 475 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:26,760 Speaker 1: I want my own Donald Trump. And I said, what 476 00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:30,080 Speaker 1: do you mean? I want somebody in there with strength, right, 477 00:24:30,119 --> 00:24:34,439 Speaker 1: getting it to this strong versus weak argument, who's willing 478 00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:40,080 Speaker 1: to use, to accumulate and use power? And I get it, 479 00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:43,240 Speaker 1: But there's this fine line. Right, there's no doubt Donald 480 00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:45,560 Speaker 1: Trump does not believe in small government. He believes in 481 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:49,760 Speaker 1: strong government. Strong government through his lens. 482 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:52,639 Speaker 3: It tells me we are likely to have. 483 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:56,000 Speaker 1: A political I'm a believer in political physics an equal 484 00:24:56,119 --> 00:25:00,680 Speaker 1: and opposite reaction, so we're probably going to have from 485 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:04,760 Speaker 1: the other side of the ideological spectrum, also pursue a 486 00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:10,639 Speaker 1: more robust use of government. Can you do it without 487 00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:14,360 Speaker 1: it coming across as borderline authoritarian? 488 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:19,159 Speaker 2: Well, Number one, I sure hope that's the case. And look, 489 00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:24,359 Speaker 2: I think there will be different political party in power 490 00:25:24,359 --> 00:25:27,000 Speaker 2: in Washington. There will be a democratic provitable right, will 491 00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:31,160 Speaker 2: be a democratic conference. And I think whomever that president 492 00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:35,120 Speaker 2: is should use their power to shore up the government, 493 00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:37,399 Speaker 2: to shore up trust and government. I talked about the 494 00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:42,280 Speaker 2: economic fight, why that undercuts trust. They also should be 495 00:25:42,359 --> 00:25:46,440 Speaker 2: clear about where there's been overstepping and overreach, where this 496 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:49,719 Speaker 2: president or any other has been able to expose the 497 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:52,320 Speaker 2: weak spots in our system to just relying on norms 498 00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:53,960 Speaker 2: or just relying on behavior. 499 00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:57,280 Speaker 1: Orcement agencies like I look at the FBI and the 500 00:25:57,320 --> 00:26:01,760 Speaker 1: Department of Justice right now, and they couldn't be totally untrustworthy. 501 00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:06,800 Speaker 1: But I'm not going to sit here and say you 502 00:26:06,840 --> 00:26:11,080 Speaker 1: automatically restore trust by simply electing the other party. How 503 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:15,639 Speaker 1: do you build in a safeguard so that the next 504 00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:19,040 Speaker 1: Trump is 'enable to weaponize the Justice Department? 505 00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 3: Right? What do you do? 506 00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:23,359 Speaker 1: Do we change the status like there's a you know, 507 00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:26,560 Speaker 1: does the Justice Department get treated more like the Federal Reserve? 508 00:26:26,560 --> 00:26:28,359 Speaker 1: Although we're about to find out whether the Federal Reserve 509 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:32,040 Speaker 1: has any independence left. But in theory, right, the Federal 510 00:26:32,040 --> 00:26:36,600 Speaker 1: Reserve a little bit different as far as it's supposedly 511 00:26:36,640 --> 00:26:38,880 Speaker 1: the Supreme Court has claimed it will be treating it differently, 512 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:41,480 Speaker 1: more independent than as part of the executive branch. 513 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:43,960 Speaker 3: Is that the model of our love that we ought 514 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:44,200 Speaker 3: to be. 515 00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:47,680 Speaker 1: Taking with law enforcement, considering once you lose trust in that, 516 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:49,040 Speaker 1: you've lost the democracy. 517 00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:54,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, and frankly, not just I think you identify and 518 00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:57,160 Speaker 2: diagnose a real problem, but it also is about well, 519 00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:00,440 Speaker 2: the person who sits atop that law enforcement system, are 520 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:03,480 Speaker 2: they willing to call for prosecution of their enemies to 521 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:06,840 Speaker 2: rip up those norms? And so we can't. My point 522 00:27:06,920 --> 00:27:09,639 Speaker 2: is we can't be at the whim of what's in 523 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:11,679 Speaker 2: the heart of mever happens to be the President, and 524 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:13,640 Speaker 2: that to me is about structural change. 525 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:15,240 Speaker 3: We got to have reform so. 526 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:17,439 Speaker 2: That whether you've got a good or bad guy or 527 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:21,160 Speaker 2: gal at the White House, it doesn't matter. They don't 528 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:24,360 Speaker 2: have the tools to abuse something as base. 529 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:27,080 Speaker 3: Against Look at their Look at this story that's circulated 530 00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:30,000 Speaker 3: over the weekend about Tom Holman and cash right, this 531 00:27:30,119 --> 00:27:34,919 Speaker 3: was an investigation taking place during Christopher Ray's FBI and 532 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:37,440 Speaker 3: now it's Cash Betel's FBI, and they just shut it down. 533 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:41,640 Speaker 3: They don't. By the way, what's amazing about this story 534 00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:44,680 Speaker 3: is they don't deny it happened. It is. 535 00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:49,400 Speaker 1: There's no denial of the facts of the story. There's 536 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:52,520 Speaker 1: just simply well, we're not going to prosecute. There's nothing 537 00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:55,920 Speaker 1: to prosecute. And by the way, in fairness, bribery cases 538 00:27:55,960 --> 00:27:58,520 Speaker 1: are a high bar. They you know, if you can't 539 00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:00,399 Speaker 1: find the quit the you know, the quo in the 540 00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:04,080 Speaker 1: quid pro quo, it is always it is certainly difficult. 541 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:07,560 Speaker 1: I assume the irs will have a little something to 542 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:12,960 Speaker 1: say about mister Homan's extra income from the COVID takeout. 543 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:15,639 Speaker 1: But when you look at a story like that and 544 00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:19,600 Speaker 1: you realize Christopher Ray managed the FBI one way in 545 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:23,840 Speaker 1: cash Pttel who put out a statement, a joint statement 546 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:27,400 Speaker 1: with the president's former personal attorney who somehow got confirmed 547 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:31,640 Speaker 1: to be a deputy Attorney General. I mean, it's it's 548 00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:33,480 Speaker 1: laughable if it wasn't so serious. 549 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:34,720 Speaker 3: Yeah. 550 00:28:34,760 --> 00:28:37,480 Speaker 2: Well, and to me, again, I think it's a symptom 551 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:41,280 Speaker 2: of we now have a person who is willing to 552 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:43,320 Speaker 2: look around and say, wow, I have all this power, 553 00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:46,240 Speaker 2: I can abuse it, and there aren't formal guardrails in 554 00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:48,760 Speaker 2: place to stop it. So to me, that just goes 555 00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:52,280 Speaker 2: to we have to have better structure, better form. There's 556 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:55,360 Speaker 2: not some single silver bullet I can explain to you 557 00:28:55,440 --> 00:28:57,680 Speaker 2: on this podcast to how we do that. But to me, 558 00:28:58,600 --> 00:29:01,080 Speaker 2: we can't just hope there's a better, different person. You 559 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:04,160 Speaker 2: got to put real limits on their power in place, 560 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:06,440 Speaker 2: no matter which party has the White House in the future. 561 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:09,760 Speaker 1: Let's talk about an entity that you have some familiarity with, 562 00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:12,240 Speaker 1: being somebody who's served in the Navy. 563 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:15,680 Speaker 3: It feels like there's an attempt. 564 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:17,720 Speaker 1: To politicize the military right now in ways that we've 565 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:21,760 Speaker 1: never seen go into it. I mean, I think about 566 00:29:21,800 --> 00:29:24,080 Speaker 1: I've already heard you know, I think there are parts 567 00:29:24,080 --> 00:29:28,040 Speaker 1: of this that don't get enough reporting including what's happening 568 00:29:28,040 --> 00:29:31,120 Speaker 1: at war colleges, what's happening to academy at the Naval 569 00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:32,480 Speaker 1: Academy at West Point. 570 00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:35,200 Speaker 3: But tell me what you understand is happening. 571 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:39,040 Speaker 2: There is a real attempt here, and I think one 572 00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:41,520 Speaker 2: of the opening salvos of that you mentioned the Naval 573 00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:43,880 Speaker 2: Academy where I'm a graduate. I'm on the board there now, 574 00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:46,240 Speaker 2: and there was an attempt. 575 00:29:46,840 --> 00:29:49,080 Speaker 3: Still on the board, they don't take you out. 576 00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:51,920 Speaker 2: There's a congressional slate and there are a presidential appointees. 577 00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:54,840 Speaker 2: So there are Democrats from the congressional slate on the. 578 00:29:54,800 --> 00:29:58,960 Speaker 1: Band that Trump couldn't just eat Theron and Seth can't 579 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:01,320 Speaker 1: remove you either, correct, And. 580 00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:02,880 Speaker 2: So there was an attempt to take books out of 581 00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:06,600 Speaker 2: the library. You know, this is a look, it's a 582 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:10,080 Speaker 2: proving ground and a training place for future Navy Marine 583 00:30:10,120 --> 00:30:13,560 Speaker 2: Corps officers. It's also an academic institution. There are faculty 584 00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:16,560 Speaker 2: who do research, and so that's just one little piece 585 00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:19,360 Speaker 2: of a bigger problem. I saw the President at the 586 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:23,520 Speaker 2: West Point Commissioning wearing a Maga hat. He was in 587 00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:26,640 Speaker 2: front of the troops down in North Carolina. There was 588 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:31,160 Speaker 2: merch being sold. Design understand a campaign merch talking about 589 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:33,720 Speaker 2: his political rivals in front of the troops, just stuff 590 00:30:33,720 --> 00:30:37,360 Speaker 2: that would seem beyond the pale. And yet it's happening 591 00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:41,480 Speaker 2: all against the backdrop of these efforts to I think, 592 00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:45,280 Speaker 2: politicize the curriculum at West Point Annapolis Air Force Academy, 593 00:30:46,680 --> 00:30:51,320 Speaker 2: to make changes to the senior flag and general officers 594 00:30:51,800 --> 00:30:55,000 Speaker 2: seemingly around their political views. And that's just a part 595 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:56,280 Speaker 2: of it. And so I think it's a problem. I 596 00:30:56,280 --> 00:30:58,480 Speaker 2: think it's a big problem. And I come from again, 597 00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:01,280 Speaker 2: I was an officer immission on the Naval Academy. The 598 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:06,000 Speaker 2: culture we learned was a political You don't ever give 599 00:31:06,040 --> 00:31:08,920 Speaker 2: any appearance of that kind of bias and uniform because 600 00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:12,400 Speaker 2: you serve the civilian leadership, whichever party that might be, 601 00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:15,240 Speaker 2: right the secretary up to the president. And I think 602 00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:21,280 Speaker 2: this effort to inject political and partisan loyalty, it's dangerous 603 00:31:21,320 --> 00:31:25,640 Speaker 2: to me, just again goes to eroding trust in the 604 00:31:25,640 --> 00:31:27,520 Speaker 2: military as an institution that's going. 605 00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:29,680 Speaker 3: To serve the civilian leadership who we elect. 606 00:31:29,440 --> 00:31:32,200 Speaker 2: In this country. 607 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:33,880 Speaker 3: It's interesting to me. 608 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:36,800 Speaker 1: I don't think the timing of this attempt by the 609 00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:40,000 Speaker 1: Pentagon to stifle press coverage. 610 00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:43,400 Speaker 3: It literally came two days after. 611 00:31:43,320 --> 00:31:45,920 Speaker 1: The Wall Street Journal reported that there were lawyers at 612 00:31:45,960 --> 00:31:50,040 Speaker 1: the Pentagon nervous that nobody was taking their legal concerns 613 00:31:50,080 --> 00:31:54,160 Speaker 1: seriously regarding what could be extra judicial killings that are 614 00:31:54,160 --> 00:32:01,120 Speaker 1: taking place in the Caribbean Sea. You know, if there 615 00:32:01,280 --> 00:32:08,000 Speaker 1: is what I would call legal dissent and you have 616 00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:14,640 Speaker 1: legal count basically members of the military legal team saying, hey, 617 00:32:15,400 --> 00:32:18,360 Speaker 1: this is of questionable and none of how is it 618 00:32:18,440 --> 00:32:20,360 Speaker 1: going to get out? How are we going to get 619 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:24,360 Speaker 1: this information out there if we know that our civilian 620 00:32:24,440 --> 00:32:28,360 Speaker 1: or our political leaders are essentially ignoring the legal advice 621 00:32:28,400 --> 00:32:30,960 Speaker 1: they're being given about whether what they're doing is legal 622 00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:31,280 Speaker 1: or not. 623 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:34,600 Speaker 2: I think part of that answer, or part of my answer, 624 00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:38,640 Speaker 2: gets to the importance of congressional oversight. And look, I'm 625 00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:41,120 Speaker 2: on the Armed Services Committee that we don't have a 626 00:32:41,120 --> 00:32:45,200 Speaker 2: subpoena power. As Democrats and the minority, I expect we're 627 00:32:45,200 --> 00:32:45,600 Speaker 2: going to win. 628 00:32:45,640 --> 00:32:48,560 Speaker 1: Your chair at all, is the Chair of Armed Services 629 00:32:48,560 --> 00:32:52,520 Speaker 1: at all interested and at least finding out what authority 630 00:32:53,360 --> 00:32:57,840 Speaker 1: is being used here to just bomb ships that the 631 00:32:57,880 --> 00:33:00,920 Speaker 1: President claims are famous Psyco terrorists. 632 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:03,440 Speaker 2: I hope so, because I can tell you my Democratic 633 00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:07,160 Speaker 2: colleagues do I suspect some of my Republican colleagues do. 634 00:33:07,280 --> 00:33:09,280 Speaker 2: I'd like them to put some muscle behind that. 635 00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:12,000 Speaker 3: Because all seems concerned, Yeah, what it's worth. 636 00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:14,000 Speaker 2: And say, he's a voice in the Senate who's actually 637 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:16,880 Speaker 2: spoken up here. It looks like I'm a veteran of 638 00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:20,200 Speaker 2: the war in Iraq, Right, I'm. 639 00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:20,920 Speaker 3: A veteran of a war that I don't think we 640 00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:21,600 Speaker 3: should have fought. 641 00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:24,600 Speaker 2: But at least the Congress, for crying out loud, debated 642 00:33:24,640 --> 00:33:25,760 Speaker 2: and had an authorization. 643 00:33:25,920 --> 00:33:28,040 Speaker 1: They went to the UN and he went to Congress. 644 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:31,680 Speaker 1: Like we could debate was the intelligence manipulated or wrong? 645 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:32,120 Speaker 3: Right? 646 00:33:32,440 --> 00:33:35,560 Speaker 1: Was it purposely wrong or it just was wrong? We 647 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:39,880 Speaker 1: could have that debate. But the but the separation of 648 00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:41,120 Speaker 1: powers was respected. 649 00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:42,440 Speaker 3: And that's my point. 650 00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:45,640 Speaker 2: And look, I think, and I'm convey this in private, 651 00:33:45,840 --> 00:33:49,719 Speaker 2: I'll say it to you here, my Republican counterparts. Right now, right, 652 00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:52,280 Speaker 2: they're enjoying full control of Washington. That's not going to 653 00:33:52,360 --> 00:33:57,200 Speaker 2: last forever. And you ought to have some respect for 654 00:33:57,800 --> 00:34:01,840 Speaker 2: Congress's power, the people's power president of matter what party 655 00:34:01,880 --> 00:34:04,880 Speaker 2: they're in, who is overstepping their authority? And I think 656 00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:08,160 Speaker 2: something like war powers is one of those places We've 657 00:34:08,160 --> 00:34:11,400 Speaker 2: seen presidents for a long time abuse this Congress not 658 00:34:11,520 --> 00:34:15,200 Speaker 2: asserted much more power here. And go back to the Constitution, 659 00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:17,919 Speaker 2: which says it is the Congress and the American people 660 00:34:17,920 --> 00:34:20,759 Speaker 2: who decide whether we go and start a war or 661 00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:21,919 Speaker 2: send Americans to fight. 662 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:24,319 Speaker 1: You know, I was thinking about you came in in 663 00:34:24,360 --> 00:34:28,480 Speaker 1: twenty two and so you have no memory. You're not 664 00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:33,600 Speaker 1: part of the institution that was. And frankly, it's really 665 00:34:33,640 --> 00:34:35,560 Speaker 1: been about twenty years since the House knew how to 666 00:34:35,560 --> 00:34:39,759 Speaker 1: be bipartisan, where committee chairs and ranking members would there 667 00:34:39,800 --> 00:34:45,960 Speaker 1: was some coordination at some form or another. There's probably 668 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:48,279 Speaker 1: slightly more left in the Senate, just because some of 669 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:50,520 Speaker 1: those senators have been there a little bit longer. The 670 00:34:50,520 --> 00:34:54,040 Speaker 1: House is a little a little more new. But how 671 00:34:54,120 --> 00:34:57,640 Speaker 1: have you gone about trying to find Republican colleagues to 672 00:34:57,680 --> 00:34:58,360 Speaker 1: work with and. 673 00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:01,480 Speaker 3: What works best? 674 00:35:02,280 --> 00:35:04,919 Speaker 2: It's a great question. So I'll tell give you two 675 00:35:05,200 --> 00:35:09,480 Speaker 2: pieces of this. One is a very direct way I try. 676 00:35:09,480 --> 00:35:12,480 Speaker 2: I'm in this caucus for country caucus. It's veterans of 677 00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:16,080 Speaker 2: both parties. We mostly can find places to work together 678 00:35:16,200 --> 00:35:19,880 Speaker 2: on defense, maybe some veterans issues, and so that's a 679 00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:21,760 Speaker 2: real effort to try to find. 680 00:35:21,600 --> 00:35:22,480 Speaker 3: Has that gotten harder. 681 00:35:23,880 --> 00:35:26,279 Speaker 2: Yeah, it has gotten harder, and it's gotten harder to 682 00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:30,440 Speaker 2: be candid with Donald Trump as president and the threat 683 00:35:30,760 --> 00:35:34,040 Speaker 2: that he always has over Republicans of they may lose 684 00:35:34,080 --> 00:35:38,680 Speaker 2: a primary and look the other and may be more productive. 685 00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:41,880 Speaker 2: Not more productive, but a way that I've seen some success. 686 00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:44,640 Speaker 2: You know, my district right on the border with Ohio, 687 00:35:44,719 --> 00:35:47,200 Speaker 2: right on the border with East Palestine. We had people 688 00:35:47,200 --> 00:35:51,399 Speaker 2: in the evacuation zone of that horrible derailment. We have 689 00:35:51,640 --> 00:35:54,520 Speaker 2: people in Beaver County who live through that fireball. So 690 00:35:54,560 --> 00:35:56,880 Speaker 2: I've been in the real safety fight since that happened. 691 00:35:57,520 --> 00:36:01,480 Speaker 2: I've found some Republicans to with me in that. Mike Ruley, 692 00:36:01,520 --> 00:36:04,200 Speaker 2: the Republican Member for East Palestine. 693 00:36:03,760 --> 00:36:05,479 Speaker 3: Is one of my co leades. JD. 694 00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:08,680 Speaker 2: Vance was before he was the Vice president, you know. 695 00:36:08,800 --> 00:36:11,600 Speaker 2: And so where I got to find partners to do 696 00:36:11,640 --> 00:36:12,480 Speaker 2: something that's right. 697 00:36:12,480 --> 00:36:14,239 Speaker 3: I do it. 698 00:36:14,239 --> 00:36:16,640 Speaker 2: It doesn't always work. I'm not naive about the moment 699 00:36:16,680 --> 00:36:19,960 Speaker 2: we're in. I'm frankly a little less interested in trying 700 00:36:19,960 --> 00:36:23,640 Speaker 2: to convince my Republican counterparts to come to my point 701 00:36:23,640 --> 00:36:25,279 Speaker 2: of view and a little more interested in winning power 702 00:36:25,320 --> 00:36:27,279 Speaker 2: and taking gavels out of their hands and after the 703 00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:29,680 Speaker 2: election next year. But we always got to try to 704 00:36:29,680 --> 00:36:30,360 Speaker 2: find some ways. 705 00:36:30,360 --> 00:36:33,320 Speaker 3: And I get it. And you're right though at the 706 00:36:33,320 --> 00:36:35,000 Speaker 3: beginning of the question, you know, I've. 707 00:36:34,719 --> 00:36:37,680 Speaker 2: Never served in a Congress that was something like I've 708 00:36:37,680 --> 00:36:41,439 Speaker 2: heard about, which is not the Congress. 709 00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:42,759 Speaker 1: The good old days, whatever the hell that means. All 710 00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:44,680 Speaker 1: I know is when I was younger, they kept telling 711 00:36:44,760 --> 00:36:46,359 Speaker 1: me about the good old days that it turns out 712 00:36:46,520 --> 00:36:47,560 Speaker 1: I was in the good old days. 713 00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:48,560 Speaker 3: But what did I know? 714 00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:51,880 Speaker 1: And yet the nineties were seen as the most divisive 715 00:36:51,880 --> 00:36:53,520 Speaker 1: era we'd ever had in politics. 716 00:36:54,040 --> 00:36:56,080 Speaker 3: My god, if it should come take a look. 717 00:36:56,320 --> 00:36:58,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, if only we could have to day, that's 718 00:36:58,680 --> 00:37:00,520 Speaker 1: what the how it felt in the night, because that 719 00:37:00,680 --> 00:37:03,600 Speaker 1: was compared to the eighties. Right, it's always about you 720 00:37:03,600 --> 00:37:07,640 Speaker 1: know what you're what are you comparing it to? Right now, 721 00:37:08,320 --> 00:37:10,440 Speaker 1: the good old days of New Gigrids at Bill Clinton 722 00:37:10,520 --> 00:37:14,840 Speaker 1: seem like it seemed like small potatoes. Well, the reason 723 00:37:14,840 --> 00:37:16,560 Speaker 1: I was setting me up on that, to be honest, 724 00:37:16,680 --> 00:37:19,480 Speaker 1: is is I thought that the one area where I 725 00:37:19,560 --> 00:37:25,320 Speaker 1: feel like there is real bipartisan interest in doing something 726 00:37:25,360 --> 00:37:29,920 Speaker 1: about this concentration of power is in tech, specifically with 727 00:37:30,120 --> 00:37:32,040 Speaker 1: social media and kids. 728 00:37:32,480 --> 00:37:34,879 Speaker 3: Now, I don't know why I can't. You can't get 729 00:37:34,920 --> 00:37:38,240 Speaker 3: people if we if we know this product's terrible for kids, 730 00:37:38,800 --> 00:37:41,520 Speaker 3: why should we assume it's not terrible for adults. 731 00:37:41,560 --> 00:37:44,279 Speaker 1: But one step at a time, if we can get 732 00:37:44,320 --> 00:37:48,760 Speaker 1: everybody agreeing this is a human brain experiment that should 733 00:37:48,800 --> 00:37:52,200 Speaker 1: no longer be used on our children, then maybe over 734 00:37:52,239 --> 00:37:56,200 Speaker 1: time we'll convince them that yet this, this digital smoking 735 00:37:56,280 --> 00:37:58,080 Speaker 1: is bad for you, no matter what age you are. 736 00:37:58,680 --> 00:38:02,160 Speaker 3: But there does seem to be real possibilities here. 737 00:38:02,640 --> 00:38:05,799 Speaker 1: On kids and sort of getting at the big tech 738 00:38:05,880 --> 00:38:09,880 Speaker 1: algorithm issue and all these things through the abuse of 739 00:38:09,920 --> 00:38:10,560 Speaker 1: our children. 740 00:38:11,760 --> 00:38:13,080 Speaker 3: It has been a rare place. 741 00:38:13,080 --> 00:38:16,279 Speaker 2: I mean when you've got Kathy Hokeel and Sarah alb 742 00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:19,000 Speaker 2: Sanders down in Arkansas both signing similar. 743 00:38:20,200 --> 00:38:21,480 Speaker 3: Chats in the Senate, right. 744 00:38:21,560 --> 00:38:24,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, So it's a place I see it in my 745 00:38:24,520 --> 00:38:27,440 Speaker 2: own district around smartphones and schools. I sent a survey 746 00:38:27,480 --> 00:38:29,279 Speaker 2: out to all my school districts just to see what 747 00:38:29,320 --> 00:38:32,600 Speaker 2: they're doing. Should you know, I asked a public survey 748 00:38:32,719 --> 00:38:35,440 Speaker 2: about banning smartphones from classrooms and it was like an 749 00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:38,600 Speaker 2: eighty twenty response. So it seems to be a place 750 00:38:39,160 --> 00:38:41,960 Speaker 2: where it hasn't fallen down on the sort you know, 751 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:46,800 Speaker 2: the typical partisan line. Parents are very worried about what's. 752 00:38:46,560 --> 00:38:48,920 Speaker 3: Going on with the kids. I'm a dad, I got 753 00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:50,200 Speaker 3: young kids, Believe me, I'm worried. 754 00:38:50,640 --> 00:38:53,799 Speaker 2: And so maybe it's the one place we still have 755 00:38:53,880 --> 00:38:57,000 Speaker 2: where we can find something to do to protect these kids, 756 00:38:57,160 --> 00:39:01,040 Speaker 2: and it hasn't become the usual source of d versus are. 757 00:39:01,080 --> 00:39:03,240 Speaker 2: I think there's real anger at the big tech companies. 758 00:39:03,800 --> 00:39:06,920 Speaker 2: I think not just parents. People know this stuff is 759 00:39:06,960 --> 00:39:10,200 Speaker 2: designed to be addictive. Right, You're talking about like teenage 760 00:39:10,200 --> 00:39:14,120 Speaker 2: and preteen brains. Those kids are vulnerable, and I think 761 00:39:14,760 --> 00:39:18,440 Speaker 2: politicians are just catching up to really how frustrated, especially 762 00:39:18,440 --> 00:39:20,000 Speaker 2: the parents are. Have you got to do something to 763 00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:20,920 Speaker 2: protect these kids? 764 00:39:21,239 --> 00:39:21,319 Speaker 3: No? 765 00:39:21,480 --> 00:39:24,000 Speaker 1: And it feels like once we get everybody focused on that, 766 00:39:24,040 --> 00:39:24,759 Speaker 1: then we're all going to. 767 00:39:24,680 --> 00:39:28,520 Speaker 3: Say, hey, wait a minute, what was everybody else? What 768 00:39:28,600 --> 00:39:29,480 Speaker 3: about everybody else? 769 00:39:29,640 --> 00:39:32,800 Speaker 1: And then of course, like we also have this huge 770 00:39:32,960 --> 00:39:35,480 Speaker 1: content and that's the other part of this, and this 771 00:39:35,560 --> 00:39:38,479 Speaker 1: is where, you know, I had a conversation with Steve 772 00:39:38,480 --> 00:39:40,719 Speaker 1: Bannon who said, you know who was a big fan 773 00:39:40,760 --> 00:39:45,400 Speaker 1: of Lina Kahn. And he said something that was frankly 774 00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:47,960 Speaker 1: a very agreeable statement. He said, he goes, you know, 775 00:39:48,080 --> 00:39:52,080 Speaker 1: I'm I'm I'm always nervous about too much concentration of power. 776 00:39:52,440 --> 00:39:55,680 Speaker 1: Me too, And I'm like me too, right, and he goes, 777 00:39:56,000 --> 00:39:58,560 Speaker 1: I'm focused on government and media, and I'm like, okay, 778 00:39:59,040 --> 00:40:01,920 Speaker 1: except look what we're doing in tech, Look what we've. 779 00:40:01,760 --> 00:40:03,240 Speaker 3: Done with crypto. 780 00:40:03,680 --> 00:40:06,319 Speaker 1: And I've got my questions about it as it is. 781 00:40:06,920 --> 00:40:09,880 Speaker 1: But what we are doing is we're concentrating a small 782 00:40:09,880 --> 00:40:13,080 Speaker 1: group of people to control. I mean, look at media now. 783 00:40:13,320 --> 00:40:15,600 Speaker 1: It is all Donald Trump's friends who are owning a 784 00:40:15,640 --> 00:40:20,720 Speaker 1: piece of TikTok. You're now going to have potentially one family, 785 00:40:21,239 --> 00:40:24,719 Speaker 1: two families control Fox, CBS and CNN. 786 00:40:25,200 --> 00:40:25,319 Speaker 3: Right. 787 00:40:25,360 --> 00:40:28,560 Speaker 1: If the Ellisons go through with both CBS and an 788 00:40:28,680 --> 00:40:33,440 Speaker 1: acquisition of Warner Brothers, that's a huge concentration of power, 789 00:40:34,200 --> 00:40:38,479 Speaker 1: which I don't understand where the small c conservatives are. 790 00:40:38,360 --> 00:40:39,359 Speaker 3: On this well. 791 00:40:39,360 --> 00:40:43,239 Speaker 2: And I think look in this moment, especially where you're 792 00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:46,800 Speaker 2: seeing a president and his allies willing to stifle dissent 793 00:40:46,920 --> 00:40:50,239 Speaker 2: and use the power they have to kick people off TV. 794 00:40:51,080 --> 00:40:51,279 Speaker 3: Right. 795 00:40:52,040 --> 00:40:55,239 Speaker 2: The problem of concentration of power is related to this. 796 00:40:55,719 --> 00:40:58,160 Speaker 2: If you've got a diffuse competitive market, it's a lot 797 00:40:58,200 --> 00:41:01,920 Speaker 2: harder to bully. Yeah, a very competitive market versus just 798 00:41:01,920 --> 00:41:06,399 Speaker 2: a handful of corporations who you have hanging over their head, 799 00:41:06,560 --> 00:41:09,360 Speaker 2: the threat of blocking a merger, for instance, right finding 800 00:41:09,400 --> 00:41:12,319 Speaker 2: some use of government power you can use to get 801 00:41:12,360 --> 00:41:15,879 Speaker 2: action that you want somewhere else. The competition would make 802 00:41:15,920 --> 00:41:18,359 Speaker 2: that a lot harder to do. And by the way, 803 00:41:18,400 --> 00:41:21,360 Speaker 2: it might be better for a variety of viewpoints. It 804 00:41:21,440 --> 00:41:25,560 Speaker 2: might be better to have different content creators and different 805 00:41:26,200 --> 00:41:29,239 Speaker 2: sports and TV and news platforms, maybe better for consumers. 806 00:41:29,360 --> 00:41:31,200 Speaker 2: And so I think these things are linked. I think 807 00:41:31,239 --> 00:41:34,920 Speaker 2: the economic fight and for me, I very much include 808 00:41:35,160 --> 00:41:38,840 Speaker 2: that concentration of power right that Leana Conn and others 809 00:41:38,840 --> 00:41:41,520 Speaker 2: were part of in the Biden administration that it seemed, 810 00:41:41,520 --> 00:41:44,240 Speaker 2: at least at the beginning there might be some carryover 811 00:41:44,280 --> 00:41:47,680 Speaker 2: into this administration that now seems to be happening. I 812 00:41:47,680 --> 00:41:50,120 Speaker 2: think that fight is really important, and it goes to 813 00:41:50,800 --> 00:41:52,880 Speaker 2: beating back any attempts. 814 00:41:52,400 --> 00:41:54,920 Speaker 3: To weekend free speech and week in the constitution. 815 00:41:55,000 --> 00:42:02,520 Speaker 2: I think they are very very linked. 816 00:42:05,600 --> 00:42:07,600 Speaker 1: Well, this gets it too, And I'm curious how you 817 00:42:07,640 --> 00:42:10,359 Speaker 1: answer this question, because I'm sure you've had a constituent 818 00:42:11,160 --> 00:42:13,520 Speaker 1: when you bring up this corruption issue, and I'm like, 819 00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:16,440 Speaker 1: I am just alarmed at the level of pay to 820 00:42:16,480 --> 00:42:19,840 Speaker 1: play that we have right now, and I'll bring that 821 00:42:20,000 --> 00:42:23,000 Speaker 1: up and I'll have somebody say, well, they're all kind 822 00:42:23,040 --> 00:42:28,200 Speaker 1: of corrupt, and you're like, yeah, but like this goes 823 00:42:28,239 --> 00:42:31,120 Speaker 1: to eleven, you know, like you know doing I'm sorry 824 00:42:31,200 --> 00:42:33,200 Speaker 1: for the gen X reference there to spinal tap, but 825 00:42:33,600 --> 00:42:36,279 Speaker 1: you know it is I hear you. I know, I 826 00:42:36,480 --> 00:42:39,760 Speaker 1: just you know you're here, You're talking like a middle 827 00:42:39,760 --> 00:42:42,480 Speaker 1: aged guy and I'm like, yeah, I'm a decade plus 828 00:42:42,480 --> 00:42:43,200 Speaker 1: older than you. 829 00:42:43,320 --> 00:42:47,520 Speaker 3: God love us, But what do you say to that? 830 00:42:47,600 --> 00:42:50,200 Speaker 1: Because I really do think the biggest problem we've got 831 00:42:50,360 --> 00:42:54,840 Speaker 1: is with the public is they agree that what's happening 832 00:42:55,000 --> 00:42:57,439 Speaker 1: is bad, but they sit there and say it's hey, man, 833 00:42:58,040 --> 00:43:00,200 Speaker 1: I thought the last guy was somewhat corrupt to you 834 00:43:00,239 --> 00:43:02,239 Speaker 1: may not have thought he was as corrupt as I did, 835 00:43:02,239 --> 00:43:04,640 Speaker 1: but it certainly didn't look any that much better. 836 00:43:04,680 --> 00:43:05,960 Speaker 3: And all of these. 837 00:43:05,760 --> 00:43:09,480 Speaker 1: People get rich off of politics, whether it's liberals or conservatives. 838 00:43:09,760 --> 00:43:11,919 Speaker 1: And the thing is is that even I could say, well, 839 00:43:12,080 --> 00:43:14,480 Speaker 1: it's lopside. It's like when everybody wants to have this 840 00:43:14,560 --> 00:43:17,600 Speaker 1: fight over who whose extremists are more violent, it doesn't 841 00:43:17,640 --> 00:43:21,600 Speaker 1: matter if everybody's got violent actors on their side. You 842 00:43:21,680 --> 00:43:24,400 Speaker 1: need to police it, But how do we break this 843 00:43:24,600 --> 00:43:28,160 Speaker 1: sort of that cynical while they're all corrupt? So I 844 00:43:28,200 --> 00:43:29,920 Speaker 1: you know, I even had people say, yeah, I know 845 00:43:30,040 --> 00:43:32,239 Speaker 1: Trump's corrupt, but at least he's authentic about it. 846 00:43:33,320 --> 00:43:36,560 Speaker 2: So I'll give you an example on congressional stock trading. Okay, 847 00:43:37,040 --> 00:43:40,200 Speaker 2: I had constituents at town hall or Senior Center event, 848 00:43:40,719 --> 00:43:42,200 Speaker 2: and I'll bring it up or they'll bring it up 849 00:43:42,680 --> 00:43:45,080 Speaker 2: and they might think they've so I'm gonna get chick. 850 00:43:45,080 --> 00:43:47,040 Speaker 2: So I'm going to name some Democrat who abuse this, 851 00:43:47,120 --> 00:43:48,600 Speaker 2: and then my answer is that I don't care. We 852 00:43:48,760 --> 00:43:50,879 Speaker 2: no one should be doing this. Let's ban the damn thing. 853 00:43:51,440 --> 00:43:54,359 Speaker 2: And it's an easy anti corruption thing that we should do. 854 00:43:54,760 --> 00:43:57,279 Speaker 2: And yet I think it actually it's one example of 855 00:43:57,320 --> 00:44:01,760 Speaker 2: many of this stuff that just three needs distrust for people. 856 00:44:02,200 --> 00:44:06,080 Speaker 2: Right when you see politicians do this, people know it's gross. 857 00:44:06,120 --> 00:44:08,279 Speaker 2: They're not dumb, people are smart. They know that when 858 00:44:08,280 --> 00:44:11,560 Speaker 2: politicians get rich doing this stuff, it's crooked. And I 859 00:44:11,560 --> 00:44:13,880 Speaker 2: can cite the same stuff about the abuse of the 860 00:44:14,200 --> 00:44:16,719 Speaker 2: mean coins and everything else in the administration, but I 861 00:44:16,719 --> 00:44:20,520 Speaker 2: think the congressional stock trading really hits for people, and 862 00:44:20,560 --> 00:44:22,279 Speaker 2: you got to be willing to just say I don't 863 00:44:22,280 --> 00:44:23,640 Speaker 2: care who is doing this, it's wrong. 864 00:44:25,320 --> 00:44:26,040 Speaker 3: You just need that. 865 00:44:26,080 --> 00:44:28,560 Speaker 2: And I think it seems like a low hanging through 866 00:44:28,560 --> 00:44:30,840 Speaker 2: of something we could take on and just do right now, 867 00:44:31,400 --> 00:44:33,440 Speaker 2: and we ought to do. And frankly, there has been 868 00:44:33,640 --> 00:44:37,600 Speaker 2: movement finally of some legislation that you've got Dems and 869 00:44:37,600 --> 00:44:40,880 Speaker 2: Republicans both on we should just do this stuff. 870 00:44:40,920 --> 00:44:45,800 Speaker 1: I mean, it's crazy. Notion here, what if you combine 871 00:44:45,840 --> 00:44:52,160 Speaker 1: the Congressional stock band with a pay raise? Oh gosh, look, 872 00:44:52,200 --> 00:44:54,279 Speaker 1: I know that it's about Look you know, I'm one 873 00:44:54,280 --> 00:44:56,640 Speaker 1: of these people who at least understands the life you live, 874 00:44:57,680 --> 00:45:03,319 Speaker 1: and like you know, if you don't want members of 875 00:45:03,360 --> 00:45:05,880 Speaker 1: Congress to interact with each other, then make them sleep 876 00:45:05,880 --> 00:45:08,360 Speaker 1: in their own offices and make them not. If you 877 00:45:08,440 --> 00:45:10,719 Speaker 1: do want them to interact, then you better pay them 878 00:45:10,760 --> 00:45:14,040 Speaker 1: a decent salary so they can maybe have their family 879 00:45:14,560 --> 00:45:17,600 Speaker 1: in Washington. And if you move your family to Washington, 880 00:45:17,600 --> 00:45:20,040 Speaker 1: you're more likely to get to know people across the 881 00:45:20,080 --> 00:45:21,160 Speaker 1: aisle than if you don't. 882 00:45:21,160 --> 00:45:21,640 Speaker 3: You end up. 883 00:45:21,760 --> 00:45:24,160 Speaker 1: I mean, look, there's I could I could sit here 884 00:45:24,160 --> 00:45:27,600 Speaker 1: and talk myself in circles about what's better or worse. 885 00:45:28,160 --> 00:45:32,040 Speaker 1: But if I've been empathetic to. One argument about the 886 00:45:32,080 --> 00:45:36,400 Speaker 1: Congressional stock band is, if you're a middle class person 887 00:45:36,560 --> 00:45:39,040 Speaker 1: who's had a decent job, got a four to one k, 888 00:45:39,800 --> 00:45:40,960 Speaker 1: what are you supposed to do? 889 00:45:41,000 --> 00:45:41,799 Speaker 3: What you get there? 890 00:45:42,440 --> 00:45:46,759 Speaker 1: And you get it, but hey, I'm trying to plan 891 00:45:46,840 --> 00:45:50,520 Speaker 1: for retirement too, and it isn't a very you know. 892 00:45:51,800 --> 00:45:53,319 Speaker 1: I know, it sounds like a lot of money that 893 00:45:53,360 --> 00:45:55,160 Speaker 1: you make, and it is to a lot of people. 894 00:45:55,560 --> 00:45:58,840 Speaker 3: But what I always say is great, try having two 895 00:45:59,000 --> 00:46:02,320 Speaker 3: households on that one hundred and six seventy two thousand 896 00:46:02,320 --> 00:46:04,000 Speaker 3: dollars a year salary. That's hard. 897 00:46:04,480 --> 00:46:06,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, no one's going to feel bad for us. 898 00:46:06,000 --> 00:46:08,120 Speaker 3: And you know, you know, you know that and like 899 00:46:08,239 --> 00:46:09,839 Speaker 3: it to the point on. 900 00:46:10,239 --> 00:46:12,279 Speaker 1: I know, I'm like baiting. I don't mean to pitch it, 901 00:46:12,360 --> 00:46:14,600 Speaker 1: like to make it, but I do think that it is. 902 00:46:14,719 --> 00:46:19,440 Speaker 1: It is not the easiest lifestyle for a member of Congress, 903 00:46:20,000 --> 00:46:23,279 Speaker 1: and yet they take so much. There's this perception that 904 00:46:23,360 --> 00:46:24,280 Speaker 1: life is so easy. 905 00:46:25,000 --> 00:46:27,440 Speaker 2: One look, even let's let's do the retiring example you 906 00:46:27,480 --> 00:46:32,000 Speaker 2: talk about. You could just have ETFs or mutual funds 907 00:46:32,040 --> 00:46:35,800 Speaker 2: and you are trading individual companies, which I think is 908 00:46:35,840 --> 00:46:38,839 Speaker 2: such a an obvious red flag given the count. 909 00:46:39,040 --> 00:46:42,040 Speaker 1: And we saw this during the pandemic, where wow, Richard 910 00:46:42,040 --> 00:46:44,640 Speaker 1: Burr made a whole bunch of trades literally an hour 911 00:46:44,760 --> 00:46:47,319 Speaker 1: after he got the word about what was coming with 912 00:46:47,360 --> 00:46:49,239 Speaker 1: the pandemic, like, yeah, that was bad. 913 00:46:50,120 --> 00:46:52,680 Speaker 3: So I'm not going to cry tears for you know that. 914 00:46:52,680 --> 00:46:53,400 Speaker 3: That get that. 915 00:46:54,560 --> 00:46:57,160 Speaker 2: Look at the end of the day, this is public service. 916 00:46:57,719 --> 00:46:59,520 Speaker 2: It's a great honor to get to do this job. 917 00:47:01,160 --> 00:47:05,080 Speaker 2: It is a public trust. And I think it's one 918 00:47:05,080 --> 00:47:08,000 Speaker 2: of those things that if the members who won't support 919 00:47:08,000 --> 00:47:10,040 Speaker 2: a band were to look themselves in the mirror and ask, like, 920 00:47:10,040 --> 00:47:11,960 Speaker 2: because this is good for public trust in our government, 921 00:47:12,000 --> 00:47:14,640 Speaker 2: they would say, of course, stop or they're deluding themselves. 922 00:47:14,680 --> 00:47:16,960 Speaker 2: I don't get it. I just think it's an obvious 923 00:47:16,960 --> 00:47:20,000 Speaker 2: one and your point's well taken, but man, we ought 924 00:47:20,000 --> 00:47:21,000 Speaker 2: to just here's. 925 00:47:20,840 --> 00:47:23,640 Speaker 3: Okay, here's the problem I'm trying to solve for yaes. 926 00:47:23,920 --> 00:47:26,719 Speaker 1: I want a working class person to be able to percent, 927 00:47:27,000 --> 00:47:28,719 Speaker 1: to be able to be a member of Congress. And 928 00:47:28,760 --> 00:47:32,000 Speaker 1: the way it all works now is you really need 929 00:47:32,040 --> 00:47:35,959 Speaker 1: to be wealthy in order to be an effective member 930 00:47:36,040 --> 00:47:39,080 Speaker 1: of the House, and that's that shouldn't be how it works. 931 00:47:39,640 --> 00:47:41,480 Speaker 2: I agree, and that's a real problem. And part of 932 00:47:41,480 --> 00:47:46,360 Speaker 2: it is look, when we've got candidates, and the Republicans 933 00:47:46,400 --> 00:47:48,400 Speaker 2: will have their own version of this with the NRCC 934 00:47:48,440 --> 00:47:49,840 Speaker 2: and all the rest, but you know, it's part of 935 00:47:49,840 --> 00:47:52,840 Speaker 2: it is trying to give candidates who come from a 936 00:47:52,880 --> 00:47:56,279 Speaker 2: working class background a shot to run. I'm supporting Bob 937 00:47:56,320 --> 00:47:58,960 Speaker 2: Brooks running in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania. Is a firefighter. 938 00:47:59,360 --> 00:48:01,719 Speaker 2: You know, that's that's not the norm for folks who 939 00:48:01,800 --> 00:48:02,840 Speaker 2: end up being in Congress. 940 00:48:03,040 --> 00:48:05,160 Speaker 3: No, it's a lot of lawyers. No offense to your JD. 941 00:48:05,360 --> 00:48:08,480 Speaker 1: But like, in fact, that is a lion's share of 942 00:48:08,480 --> 00:48:10,320 Speaker 1: the Democrats that are in the House or lawyers. 943 00:48:10,400 --> 00:48:12,400 Speaker 2: Right, yeah, no, I get it. It look like at the 944 00:48:12,440 --> 00:48:14,400 Speaker 2: end of the day, we're lawmaking. That helps a little bit. 945 00:48:14,440 --> 00:48:17,120 Speaker 2: But man, you've got to have different perspectives. It can't 946 00:48:17,120 --> 00:48:20,799 Speaker 2: just be one thing. And I think that's a really 947 00:48:20,840 --> 00:48:22,520 Speaker 2: good question, and what we do about it is not 948 00:48:22,560 --> 00:48:24,680 Speaker 2: an easy answer. But a part of it has to 949 00:48:24,719 --> 00:48:28,640 Speaker 2: be folks helping when we've got good candidates who come 950 00:48:28,640 --> 00:48:32,560 Speaker 2: from a working class background, getting some supported help, because man, 951 00:48:32,800 --> 00:48:36,720 Speaker 2: the fundraising reality of getting elected to Congress is obscene. 952 00:48:37,280 --> 00:48:40,560 Speaker 2: We can spend an hour talking about campaign finance. But 953 00:48:40,920 --> 00:48:43,440 Speaker 2: it's not an easy thing, and it's I think we 954 00:48:43,480 --> 00:48:46,440 Speaker 2: would do better as a Congress, as a country if 955 00:48:46,480 --> 00:48:49,520 Speaker 2: we have people who came from far more normal jobs 956 00:48:49,560 --> 00:48:50,120 Speaker 2: and careers. 957 00:48:50,920 --> 00:48:52,680 Speaker 1: I want to get you out of here on two 958 00:48:52,680 --> 00:48:55,959 Speaker 1: more questions, once politics and one will be easy because 959 00:48:56,000 --> 00:48:58,200 Speaker 1: it's it should be easy because it's sports. 960 00:48:58,719 --> 00:49:00,520 Speaker 3: But I'm a politican front. 961 00:49:01,800 --> 00:49:04,799 Speaker 1: It seems like every Democratic strategists out there, and no 962 00:49:04,880 --> 00:49:08,400 Speaker 1: matter the flavor that they may be ideologically, all is 963 00:49:08,400 --> 00:49:11,120 Speaker 1: agreeing on the same thing, which is, hey, Democrats need 964 00:49:11,160 --> 00:49:14,120 Speaker 1: to drop the culture stuff and just focus on economics 965 00:49:14,160 --> 00:49:17,480 Speaker 1: and sort of day to day things. It's easy to say, 966 00:49:18,000 --> 00:49:20,960 Speaker 1: but it's turned out to be really difficult in practice, 967 00:49:20,960 --> 00:49:21,720 Speaker 1: hasn't it. 968 00:49:22,719 --> 00:49:24,520 Speaker 3: I guess that here's what I'll say. 969 00:49:24,520 --> 00:49:27,760 Speaker 2: And look, I talk about my own experience running and winning, 970 00:49:27,800 --> 00:49:32,160 Speaker 2: and I've never backtracked on people's civil rights. And you know, 971 00:49:32,239 --> 00:49:35,120 Speaker 2: my part of the world is very competitive. It used 972 00:49:35,160 --> 00:49:36,640 Speaker 2: to be, you know a lot of the old blue 973 00:49:36,640 --> 00:49:38,440 Speaker 2: dog Dems in my part of the world who were 974 00:49:39,040 --> 00:49:40,960 Speaker 2: anti abortion. I was just going to say a lot 975 00:49:40,960 --> 00:49:45,160 Speaker 2: of pro life Democrats have represented Western Pennsylvania in the past. 976 00:49:44,880 --> 00:49:47,520 Speaker 2: I want to say, Mike Doyle was I don't remember 977 00:49:47,600 --> 00:49:49,439 Speaker 2: for sure, but I feel like that was the case. 978 00:49:49,480 --> 00:49:52,440 Speaker 2: But matter, I guess where I'm going is I have 979 00:49:52,560 --> 00:49:55,640 Speaker 2: put this economic fight front center, and I've also been 980 00:49:55,680 --> 00:49:59,120 Speaker 2: clear I don't have to backtrack on anybody's freedom to 981 00:49:59,200 --> 00:50:01,120 Speaker 2: do that, and I've been talking about it on the 982 00:50:01,280 --> 00:50:04,239 Speaker 2: stump and at rallies. As much as Donald Trump might 983 00:50:04,239 --> 00:50:07,640 Speaker 2: want to divide people, right, some trans person wanting dignity 984 00:50:07,680 --> 00:50:10,040 Speaker 2: is not why you're housing or your healthcare is a ripoff, 985 00:50:10,520 --> 00:50:13,280 Speaker 2: and We're not going to fall for that. I don't 986 00:50:13,280 --> 00:50:17,640 Speaker 2: think the path to Democrats rebuilding trust is now throwing 987 00:50:17,680 --> 00:50:20,040 Speaker 2: people under the bus. And by the way, the other 988 00:50:20,080 --> 00:50:23,279 Speaker 2: side of this, the Republicans ought to be careful because 989 00:50:23,320 --> 00:50:25,839 Speaker 2: not only are they hurting people, they're spending a lot 990 00:50:25,840 --> 00:50:29,239 Speaker 2: of time, a lot of time worrying about inspecting kids 991 00:50:29,360 --> 00:50:32,080 Speaker 2: genitals on sports fields when they are failing to bring 992 00:50:32,120 --> 00:50:35,879 Speaker 2: down the cost of living, And that is I think 993 00:50:35,960 --> 00:50:39,040 Speaker 2: them failing at their core task and spending way too 994 00:50:39,120 --> 00:50:41,480 Speaker 2: much time picking on kids and what sports they're going to. 995 00:50:41,400 --> 00:50:43,040 Speaker 3: Play in your community. 996 00:50:43,239 --> 00:50:45,919 Speaker 1: What is the one big economic issue that you think 997 00:50:46,000 --> 00:50:50,719 Speaker 1: is about to just explode that you know we'll like 998 00:50:51,200 --> 00:50:53,680 Speaker 1: people aren't realizing it about three to six months X 999 00:50:53,800 --> 00:50:54,480 Speaker 1: is going to happen. 1000 00:50:54,960 --> 00:50:57,680 Speaker 2: People's energy bills are already been going up and they're 1001 00:50:57,680 --> 00:51:00,440 Speaker 2: mad about it. And that's on top of healthcare getting 1002 00:51:00,480 --> 00:51:01,480 Speaker 2: more and more expensive. 1003 00:51:01,600 --> 00:51:02,320 Speaker 3: Is there a good. 1004 00:51:02,120 --> 00:51:05,399 Speaker 1: Explanation on energy what's happening here? Because this doesn't feel 1005 00:51:05,440 --> 00:51:06,280 Speaker 1: like an easy answer. 1006 00:51:06,960 --> 00:51:09,839 Speaker 3: And here's the things. Yeah, it's a mix. 1007 00:51:09,840 --> 00:51:12,919 Speaker 2: I've been working with Congressional Research to get really dug 1008 00:51:12,960 --> 00:51:15,480 Speaker 2: in on what's going on in my part of the country. 1009 00:51:15,560 --> 00:51:16,760 Speaker 3: Pj's across the board. 1010 00:51:16,760 --> 00:51:19,239 Speaker 1: I don't know if you saw the New Jersey governor's race, 1011 00:51:19,320 --> 00:51:21,480 Speaker 1: both candidates are, hey, we're going to try to fight 1012 00:51:21,560 --> 00:51:24,920 Speaker 1: for you, Like yeah, when you see both candidates do 1013 00:51:24,960 --> 00:51:26,840 Speaker 1: it something, you're like, oh, this is everywhere. 1014 00:51:27,480 --> 00:51:30,520 Speaker 3: Trust me. I mean my wife and I had this discussion. Yeah, 1015 00:51:30,640 --> 00:51:32,960 Speaker 3: have we always paid this much? Like no, this is 1016 00:51:33,080 --> 00:51:35,759 Speaker 3: really a new spike. Yeah, there's something happening out here. 1017 00:51:36,000 --> 00:51:38,880 Speaker 2: You've got a problem with not enough power generation period, 1018 00:51:38,960 --> 00:51:40,280 Speaker 2: no matter the source of power. 1019 00:51:40,320 --> 00:51:42,560 Speaker 3: That's a real problem. And you know, you. 1020 00:51:42,560 --> 00:51:45,840 Speaker 2: Also got a mix of the traditional co ops, but 1021 00:51:46,040 --> 00:51:49,120 Speaker 2: you've got these investor owned or private owned utilities that's 1022 00:51:49,120 --> 00:51:50,680 Speaker 2: seen to be jacking up prices at. 1023 00:51:50,640 --> 00:51:53,120 Speaker 3: Higher rates than the old co ops. If you've got 1024 00:51:53,120 --> 00:51:54,120 Speaker 3: that in your part of the world. 1025 00:51:54,680 --> 00:51:59,120 Speaker 2: And I think it's a power generation problem. It's the monopolies. 1026 00:51:59,160 --> 00:52:03,440 Speaker 2: They're all monopoly essentially on the transmission distribution side, some 1027 00:52:03,480 --> 00:52:07,200 Speaker 2: of those investor owned companies there. There's not an easy answer, 1028 00:52:07,239 --> 00:52:09,160 Speaker 2: but man, I think people are mad about it, and 1029 00:52:09,200 --> 00:52:11,520 Speaker 2: I think the Republican Big beautiful. 1030 00:52:11,080 --> 00:52:12,720 Speaker 3: Bill just made it worse. 1031 00:52:13,280 --> 00:52:15,160 Speaker 2: And we're going to see as those tax credits go 1032 00:52:15,200 --> 00:52:18,879 Speaker 2: away for things like getting new power, new transmission going, 1033 00:52:19,000 --> 00:52:20,680 Speaker 2: that's going to make bills go up. 1034 00:52:21,000 --> 00:52:23,680 Speaker 1: I'm old enough to remember when the Republican stance on 1035 00:52:23,880 --> 00:52:27,719 Speaker 1: energy was all of the above. I'm and suddenly it's 1036 00:52:27,760 --> 00:52:31,840 Speaker 1: no longer all of the above. It's whatever. President Trump 1037 00:52:32,000 --> 00:52:35,880 Speaker 1: likes oil and gas, he likes nuclear, he's okay with solar, 1038 00:52:35,880 --> 00:52:36,600 Speaker 1: he doesn't like wind. 1039 00:52:36,600 --> 00:52:38,560 Speaker 3: And you're like, what does it matter? Don't we want 1040 00:52:38,600 --> 00:52:39,759 Speaker 3: all of it? Tell you why? 1041 00:52:39,800 --> 00:52:42,680 Speaker 2: You talk to people in the building trades in western Pennsylvania. 1042 00:52:43,400 --> 00:52:46,919 Speaker 2: They would just like jobs and any any energy work. 1043 00:52:47,080 --> 00:52:48,280 Speaker 2: Those can be good jobs. 1044 00:52:51,320 --> 00:52:52,799 Speaker 1: Are you going to go to the you know the 1045 00:52:52,920 --> 00:52:55,239 Speaker 1: your I assume you're a beloved Pittsburgh Steelers fan. 1046 00:52:55,560 --> 00:52:55,919 Speaker 3: I am. 1047 00:52:56,560 --> 00:53:00,400 Speaker 1: I think when we when this, this will air before you, 1048 00:53:00,440 --> 00:53:02,000 Speaker 1: Pittsburgh's going Ireland right. 1049 00:53:02,120 --> 00:53:05,319 Speaker 2: Double right about this coming Sunday, I think, yeah. 1050 00:53:04,800 --> 00:53:07,040 Speaker 3: That's got to be a tempting field trip. 1051 00:53:07,120 --> 00:53:10,600 Speaker 2: No, I'm not going. I'm staying home. I'll watched from Afar. 1052 00:53:10,719 --> 00:53:12,640 Speaker 2: It's going to be like an early game on Sundays 1053 00:53:12,719 --> 00:53:12,960 Speaker 2: as well. 1054 00:53:13,000 --> 00:53:14,759 Speaker 1: Well the Rooneyes. I mean, I just think, what a 1055 00:53:15,280 --> 00:53:17,759 Speaker 1: right the pop on me was the ambassador. I mean, 1056 00:53:18,040 --> 00:53:18,680 Speaker 1: that's going to be. 1057 00:53:19,360 --> 00:53:23,200 Speaker 3: I mean, I have a feeling that's going to be 1058 00:53:23,239 --> 00:53:24,439 Speaker 3: a Pittsburgh home game. 1059 00:53:25,120 --> 00:53:29,160 Speaker 2: You know, some tells me if Steelers will travel well everywhere, 1060 00:53:29,200 --> 00:53:31,359 Speaker 2: and I'm gonna guess we got good fans in Double. 1061 00:53:31,719 --> 00:53:34,400 Speaker 3: How how you holding up with the Aaron Rodgers experience. 1062 00:53:34,640 --> 00:53:38,040 Speaker 3: I'm from a weird fan. I know, I know this world. 1063 00:53:38,120 --> 00:53:41,080 Speaker 2: Well, he's older than me, I'm pretty sure, which is bizarre. 1064 00:53:41,239 --> 00:53:43,920 Speaker 3: You guys are about the same age. I think that's right. Yeah. Yeah. 1065 00:53:44,160 --> 00:53:47,640 Speaker 2: The New England win, so we're recording this Monday after. 1066 00:53:47,480 --> 00:53:49,439 Speaker 3: We just beat the Patriots. It was kind of an 1067 00:53:49,640 --> 00:53:53,279 Speaker 3: ugly game. You know, better win than lose. Better the 1068 00:53:53,280 --> 00:53:53,919 Speaker 3: win than lose. 1069 00:53:55,160 --> 00:54:00,000 Speaker 1: He is and and then of course there's the Pittsburgh Pirates. 1070 00:53:59,840 --> 00:54:03,280 Speaker 1: It is why does an incredible franchise with its history 1071 00:54:03,320 --> 00:54:06,279 Speaker 1: like that? You know, I say this, I come from 1072 00:54:06,280 --> 00:54:09,400 Speaker 1: Miami and we didn't have baseball on I was growing up. 1073 00:54:10,120 --> 00:54:12,239 Speaker 1: I moved to Washington and didn't have baseball. Now has 1074 00:54:12,280 --> 00:54:16,720 Speaker 1: the Nats. I feel like Pittsburgh's just a worse version 1075 00:54:16,920 --> 00:54:21,120 Speaker 1: than what Miami and Washington have experienced, which is owners 1076 00:54:21,160 --> 00:54:23,840 Speaker 1: that just either don't have the resources or don't spend 1077 00:54:23,840 --> 00:54:24,480 Speaker 1: the resources. 1078 00:54:26,160 --> 00:54:27,799 Speaker 2: I think it's a simple question of whether you're going 1079 00:54:27,840 --> 00:54:29,480 Speaker 2: to spend and invest in the team. I mean, look, 1080 00:54:29,520 --> 00:54:31,960 Speaker 2: we play in a beautiful ballpark. You got a fan 1081 00:54:32,040 --> 00:54:35,520 Speaker 2: base who will show up a magnetic ballpark, meaning people 1082 00:54:35,560 --> 00:54:38,719 Speaker 2: will travel. You hear it all the time, Like you know, 1083 00:54:38,960 --> 00:54:39,319 Speaker 2: there's a. 1084 00:54:39,239 --> 00:54:41,720 Speaker 3: Whole baseball community that loves to do the ballpark traveling. 1085 00:54:41,760 --> 00:54:42,160 Speaker 3: I mean yeah. 1086 00:54:42,160 --> 00:54:44,040 Speaker 1: In fact, my son is one of them. He's one 1087 00:54:44,040 --> 00:54:46,280 Speaker 1: of the few eighteen year olds that actually likes baseball. 1088 00:54:46,480 --> 00:54:48,319 Speaker 1: As he says, he's in college and he goes, yeah, 1089 00:54:48,400 --> 00:54:50,520 Speaker 1: I wanted to go check out a Rangers game. He's 1090 00:54:50,680 --> 00:54:52,960 Speaker 1: down in Texas and he had a hard time recruiting 1091 00:54:53,000 --> 00:54:55,160 Speaker 1: people to go check out a baseball game, Like, that's 1092 00:54:55,280 --> 00:55:00,319 Speaker 1: how badly baseball is not penetrating gen Z. But he 1093 00:55:00,400 --> 00:55:03,600 Speaker 1: loves to see all the parks and PNC Park is 1094 00:55:03,719 --> 00:55:06,680 Speaker 1: always right at the top of the list. PNC Colorado, 1095 00:55:07,160 --> 00:55:10,560 Speaker 1: you know, after Wriggling, Fenway, P and C Colorado and Camden, 1096 00:55:10,640 --> 00:55:13,399 Speaker 1: those three are just fantastic. 1097 00:55:14,000 --> 00:55:15,759 Speaker 2: Well we't even gone to the fact that we have 1098 00:55:16,040 --> 00:55:17,280 Speaker 2: the best pitching. 1099 00:55:18,000 --> 00:55:18,600 Speaker 3: He's so great. 1100 00:55:18,680 --> 00:55:20,680 Speaker 2: I mean, Paul Skeens is unbelievable. 1101 00:55:20,960 --> 00:55:22,840 Speaker 3: He's going to be terrific for the New York Yankees 1102 00:55:22,880 --> 00:55:23,200 Speaker 3: one day. 1103 00:55:23,560 --> 00:55:26,480 Speaker 2: And you know, it kills me to know that we 1104 00:55:26,520 --> 00:55:28,120 Speaker 2: are probably not going to be able to keep this guy. 1105 00:55:28,239 --> 00:55:31,920 Speaker 2: And you know, I look at from his perspective. You 1106 00:55:31,960 --> 00:55:34,000 Speaker 2: want to win, and you want an ownership that wants 1107 00:55:34,040 --> 00:55:35,360 Speaker 2: to win. I mean, we should be pitchers. 1108 00:55:35,719 --> 00:55:36,000 Speaker 3: Do this. 1109 00:55:36,680 --> 00:55:39,920 Speaker 1: What's your career lifespan? Right, Like you'll have a finite 1110 00:55:39,960 --> 00:55:42,200 Speaker 1: amount of time before your arm falls off, you. 1111 00:55:42,160 --> 00:55:44,560 Speaker 3: Know, I know, I know, I wish. Look, I want 1112 00:55:44,600 --> 00:55:46,839 Speaker 3: to build a team around this guy. I want us 1113 00:55:46,840 --> 00:55:47,759 Speaker 3: to compete and win. 1114 00:55:48,200 --> 00:55:50,840 Speaker 2: I mean, we have this guy who's such a generational talent. 1115 00:55:51,640 --> 00:55:53,520 Speaker 2: And I don't know, are the. 1116 00:55:53,440 --> 00:55:56,360 Speaker 1: Pirates owners good community citizens? I mean, do they invest 1117 00:55:56,400 --> 00:55:57,720 Speaker 1: in the community or not really. 1118 00:55:58,280 --> 00:56:00,799 Speaker 2: I think if you went to a game, you would 1119 00:56:00,840 --> 00:56:02,800 Speaker 2: see his banners and T shirts and tell them to 1120 00:56:02,840 --> 00:56:05,000 Speaker 2: sell the team. And that tells you about what the 1121 00:56:05,000 --> 00:56:07,239 Speaker 2: public sees. You know, Look, they want to winner. These 1122 00:56:07,239 --> 00:56:10,200 Speaker 2: guys would would spend and invest. People would come around 1123 00:56:10,840 --> 00:56:12,960 Speaker 2: this ownership. I think it's a simple lesson and you 1124 00:56:13,040 --> 00:56:15,680 Speaker 2: see it with We're talked. We talked about the Rooneyes 1125 00:56:15,680 --> 00:56:18,640 Speaker 2: and the Steelers. They invest, they spend a win, they 1126 00:56:18,680 --> 00:56:21,120 Speaker 2: have a culture of winning. The Bucos could do this 1127 00:56:21,200 --> 00:56:22,160 Speaker 2: with a little bit of money. 1128 00:56:23,320 --> 00:56:24,160 Speaker 3: One last question. 1129 00:56:24,200 --> 00:56:26,480 Speaker 1: If you go through the various suburban communities on a 1130 00:56:26,480 --> 00:56:30,120 Speaker 1: college football Saturday, are there going to be more Penn 1131 00:56:30,160 --> 00:56:33,120 Speaker 1: State flags or Pitt Panther flax? 1132 00:56:33,400 --> 00:56:36,719 Speaker 2: Well, I'm a pit fan through and through, so we're 1133 00:56:37,200 --> 00:56:38,000 Speaker 2: we're going with Pitt. 1134 00:56:38,040 --> 00:56:40,879 Speaker 3: But there are pretty big fifty is it it? It's? 1135 00:56:42,160 --> 00:56:44,480 Speaker 3: Is it? Well? And they're also West Virginia fans. We're 1136 00:56:44,480 --> 00:56:46,360 Speaker 3: not that far from Morgantown, right, so you got a 1137 00:56:46,360 --> 00:56:50,600 Speaker 3: little bit of that too. Yeah, it's a mix, all right. Congressman, 1138 00:56:50,640 --> 00:56:52,359 Speaker 3: it's great to get to know you appreciate the time 1139 00:56:52,560 --> 00:56:53,480 Speaker 3: Chuff Banks found me on