Congressional Dish

Netroots Nation is an annual political conference where "progressive" politicians, journalists, and activists gather to exchange ideas. In this episode, Jen highlights her experience at Netroots Nation 2016. Included are an update on the status of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and other interesting insights into the current state of the Democratic Party's political base. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Sound Clip Sources Netroots Nation Introduction Clip: Hillary Clinton Addresses Netroots Nation 2016, YouTube, July 16, 2016. Additional Reading Article: The Man Behind Citizens United Gears Up for Hillary Clinton Attacks By Fredreka Schouten, USA Today, July 20, 2016. Article: A Novel About War With China Strikes a Chord at the Pentagon By Dan De Luce, Foreign Policy, May 15, 2016. Article: Inside Hillary Clinton's Big-Money Cavalry By Dave Levinthal, The Center for Public Integrity, April 7, 2016. Article: Who, What, Why: What is skunk water?, BBC News, September 12, 2015. Article: US Defense Bill Worth $1.5B To Israel's Plasan Sasa By Globes Online, Israel Business News, January 7, 2010. Book: Merchants of Doubt By Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway, May 24, 2011. Additional Information Netroots Nation Online Sessions Keep It in the Ground: Getting the Federal Government Out of the Fossil Fuel Business TPP: Trade "Trump-ing" the Election How the Next President Can Bust Up Big Corporations We're Taking on Wall Street and the Big Banks Mistral Security Website: Crowd Control - Skunk Supreme Court of the United States Blog: Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission Case Files OpenSecrets: Hillary Clinton 2016 Presidential Candidacy Fundraising Summary Data OpenSecrets: Saban Capital Group 2016 Election Cycle Contribution Data Documentary: Merchants of Doubt Directed by Robert Kenner, 2015. Reports The Redistricting Majority Project 2012 Summary Report, January 4, 2013. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations

Impeachment: A serious punishment for serious corruption. In this episode, learn why Congress has begun the process of impeaching IRS Commissioner John Koskinen and how his impeachment would prevent light from being shined upon dark money in politics. Executive Producer: Anonymous Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Bill Outlines H.R. 5253: Preventing IRS Abuse and Protecting Free Speech Act Prohibits tax exempt organizations from being required to disclose any information about their contributors, including the person's name, address, or the amount of their contribution or gift on their annual tax returns. Passed the House of Representatives 240-182 Author: Peter Roskam (IL-6) Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 5053 – Preventing IRS Abuse and Protecting Free Speech Act By Representative Peter Roskam and 25 cosponsors, Executive Office of the President, June 13, 2016. H.Res. 737: Condemning and censuring John A. Koskinen, the Commissioner of Internal Revenue Suggests that John Koskinen should resign or be fired by the President Suggests that John Koskinen be denied his all of his retirement payments from the Federal government S. 1728: Access to Court Challenges for Exempt Status Seekers (ACCESS) Act of 2015 Allows the United States Tax Court, the United States Court of Federal Claims, or the district court of the United States for the District of Columbia to determine qualifications for 501(c)4 status if the IRS hasn't made the determination after 270 days. S. 1578: Taxpayer Bill of Rights Enhancement Act of 2015 Congress must be notified why the IRS Commissioner decides NOT to fire an employee Requires IRS employee emails to be stored for 15 years and then be stored in the National Archives Quadruples criminal penalties for unauthorized disclosures and inspections. Prohibits IRS employees from using personal email accounts for official business Gives organizations the ability to challenge their denials of tax exempt status in court S.942: Fair Treatment for All Gifts Act Expands the tax deduction for charitable giving to include gifts to 501(c)4 organizations S. 949: Small Business Taxpayer Bill of Rights Defines a "small business" as one that makes less than $50 million a year Increases fines for unauthorized inspection or disclosure of tax returns by 10 times the current penalties Institutes mandatory unpaid leave for at least 30 days for any IRS employee that reviews an application for tax exempt status "using any methodology that applies disproportionate scrutiny to any applicant based on the ideology expressed in the name or purpose of the organization". Allows the United States Tax Court, the United States Court of Federal Claims, or the district court of the United States for the District of Columbia to determine qualifications for 501(c)4 status if the IRS hasn't made the determination after 270 days. Orders the Treasury Inspector General to Investigate criteria used to evaluate applications for tax exempt status to determine whether the criteria discriminates against taxpayers on the basis of race, religion, or political ideology. S. 283: Stop Targeting of Political Beliefs by the IRS Act of 2015 The standard used to determine whether an organization is a 501(c)4 social welfare organization that was used on January 1, 2010 will be the standard used, and it cannot be changed before February 28, 2017. Speaker Paul Ryan's version of this bill prohibits the standard from changing before December 31, 2017. Sound Clip Sources Hearing: Examining the Allegations of Misconduct Against IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, Part II, House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, June 22, 2016. Hearing: Conduct of IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, May 24, 2016. Hearing: Internal Revenue Service Targeting Investigation, Senate Finance Committee, October 27, 2015. Additional Reading Article: Freedom Caucus Ups Pressure to Impeach IRS Commissioner By Daniel Newhauser, Government Executive, June 30, 2016. Article: IRS Targeting Scandal: Citizens United, Lois Lerner And The $20M Tax Saga That Won't Go Away By Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, June 24, 2016. Article: The Show Trial of IRS Commissioner John Koskinen By Norm Ornstein, The Atlantic, June 22, 2016. Article: IRS Chief Koskinen Fights First Appointee Impeachment Since 1876 By Lynnley Browning, Chicago Tribune, June 21, 2016. Article: House Approves Koch-backed Bill to Shield Donors' Names By Fredreka Schouten, USA Today, June 14, 2016. Article: Appropriations Bill 'Handcuffs'IRS on Political Group Activities By Colleen Murphy, Bloomberg Bureau of National Affairs, June 13, 2016. Article: How Crossroads GPS Beat the IRS and Became a Social Welfare Group By Robert Maguire, Open Secrets, February 12, 2016. Article: Inside the Billion-Dollar Battle for Puerto Rico's Future By Jonathan Mahler and Nicholas Confessore, The New York Times, December 19, 2015. Article: Exelon Amends Reports Concerning Contributions To Trade Groups By Michael Beckel, The Center for Public Integrity, January 29, 2014. Article: Follow the Corporate Cash Flow to Nonprofits By Chris Zubak-Skees, The Center for Public Integrity, January 16, 2014. Article: At Least 1 in 4 Dark Money Dollars in 2012 Had Koch Links By Robert Maguire, OpenSecrets, December 3, 2013. Article: The IRS Tea Party Scandal, Explained By Andy Kroll, Mother Jones, November 21, 2013. Additional Information SourceWatch: 60 Plus Association OpenSecrets: Political Nonprofits (Dark Money) Reports IRS Return Selection: Wage and Investment Division Should Define Audit Objectives and Refine Other Internal Controls, United States Government Accountability Office, December 2015. Finance Committee Releases Bipartisan IRS Report By Aaron Forbes and Julia Lawless, United States Senate Committee on Finance, August 5, 2015. Inappropriate Criteria Were Used to Identify Tax-Exempt Applications for Review By Treasury Inspector General For Tax Administration, May 14, 2013. The Internal Revenue Service's Processing Of 501(c)(3) And 501(c)(4) Applications For Tax-Exempt Status Submitted By ''Political Advocacy'' By The United States Senate Committee on Finance, August 5, 2015. Organizations From 2010–2013 Part 1 The Report Part 2 Letters Part 3 Emails Part 4 Documents Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations

Puerto Rico is in trouble and only the U.S. Congress can help the island of U.S. citizens. Does the bill quickly moving through Congress actually help Puerto Rico? Executive Producer: Kevin Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! H.R. 5278: "Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act" (PROMESA) Bill Highlights Definitions "Territorial instrumentality": "Any political subdivision, public agency, instrumentality - including any instrumentality that is also a bank - or public corporation of a territory, and this term should be broadly construed to effectuate the purposes of this Act." Title 1: Establishment and Organization of Oversight Board Purpose: "To provide a method for a covered territory to achieve fiscal responsibility and access tot he capital markets." Constitutional Justification for the Board Article IV, section 3 of the Constitution "Provides Congress the power to dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations for territories." Records Access The Oversight Board will have the power to demand budgets from any public agency. The Oversight Board has the power to exclude any public agency from the requirements of this law. Oversight Board Membership Seven unpaid members appointed by the President. Six of the selections will be from lists created by Congress. Two people must be selected from two different lists submitted by the Speaker of the House of Representatives Two people must be picked from a list created by the Majority Leader of the Senate One person must be selected from a list created by the House Minority Leader One person must be selected from a list created by the Senate Minority Leader One person will be picked by the President Only one person on the board has to be a territory resident or "have a primary place of business in the territory" The appointments must be done by September 15, 2016 The Governor, or his designee, will be an "ex officio member" with no voting rights. Term of service: 3 years Removal: Can be done by the President "only for cause" Expired terms: The member can serve until someone else is appointed. Consecutive terms are allowed Member Qualifications Must have "knowledge and expertise in finance, municipal bond markets, management, law, or the organization or operation of business or government" No one who has worked for the territory's government is allowed on the Oversight Board Rules for the Oversight Board The Oversight Board will write the laws governing it's own activities The work of the Oversight Board can be privatized Majority Rule Needed To: Approve of fiscal plans Approve a budget To waive a law To approve or disapprove an infrastructure project Territorial Laws The Oversight Board can change the territory's laws "with the greatest degree of independence practicable" The Oversight Board may conduct their business behind closed doors. Paid Staff Executive Director The Board will determine his/her salary The Executive Director can hire as many staff members as he wants and decide how much they get paid, as long as none of them get more than he does. Gifts Are allowed but need to be publicly disclosed Exemption from Laws "The Executive Director and staff of the Oversight Board may be appointed and paid without regard to any provision of the laws of the covered territory or the Federal Government governing appointments and salaries. Any provision of the laws of the covered territory governing procurement shall not apply to the Oversight Board." Powers of the Oversight Board Data Collection The Oversight Board "shall have the right to secure copies, whether written or electronic, of such records, documents, information, data, or metadata from the territorial government" The banks can voluntarily submit information about how much money they think they're owed Subpeona Power Failure to obey an Oversight Board will be punished in court according to territorial laws. Strikes Prohibited The Oversight Board must "ensure prompt enforcement" of any territorial laws "prohibiting public sector employees from participating in a strike or lockout Lawsuits Against the Board Any legal action against the Oversight Board must be filed in a United States district court for the territory, or in the US District Court for Hawaii if that territory doesn't have one. The courts are not allowed to consider challenges to the Oversight Board's certification determinations Oversight Board Funding The Oversight Board will be funded by the permanent budget of the territory in an amount chosen by the Oversight Board. Until the territory creates the law providing permanent funding, the territory must transfer whatever the Oversight Board requests in its budget - at least 2 million dollars per month - to a fund controlled by the Oversight Board. The Oversight Board will have the ability to give some money back Oversight of the Oversight Board The territory is prohibited from exercising any oversight of the Oversight Board activities or from enacting any law related to the Oversight Board that "defeat the purposes of this Act" Title II: Responsibilities of the Oversight Board Approval of Fiscal Plans Fiscal plans submitted by the Governor will have to get certification from the Oversight Board. A fiscal plan developed by the Oversight Board will be deemed approved by the Governor Approval of Budgets If the Governor and Legislature don't have a budget certified by the first day of the fiscal year, the Oversight Board's budget will be deemed approved. Contract Reviews The Oversight Board can require review of government to government contracts that compete with the private sector "to ensure such proposed contracts promote market competition" Sense of Congress: Territorial government should be a "facilitator and not a competitor to private enterprise' If a "contract, rule, regulation, or executive order" fails to comply with Oversight Board policies, the Oversight Board can prevent "execution and enforcement of the contract, rule, executive order, or regulation." The Oversight Board will be able to rescind any law enacted between May 4, 2016 and the day all members and the Chair of the Oversight Board are appointed. They can't rescind laws that comply with a court order, implement a Federal Government program, implement laws that match Oversight Board policies, or maintain Federally funded mass transportation assets. The Oversight Board is allowed to make recommendations to change how pensions are paid to government employees and to transfer government services and entities to the private sector The Board will have the authority to cut budgets for services, institute hiring freezes, and cut off agencies from making financial transactions. Approval of debt restructuring plans Will need the approval of 5/7 Oversight Board members As long as the Oversight Board is in operation, the territorial government can't make any transactions related to it's debt. Termination of Oversight Board The territory needs to balance its budget for 4 consecutive years and the Oversight Board must certify that the banks are willing to lend to the territorial government No Full Faith & Credit of the United States The territories' debt is not backed by and will not be paid by the United States. Title III: Adjustments of Debts Allows Puerto Rico to have some ability under Chapter 11 (the bankruptcy chapter) to restructure it's debt. Banks ("creditors") that don't consent to a payment moritorium will not be bound by it. Title IV: Miscellaneous Minimum Wage Allows the Governor of Puerto Rico to [lower the minimum wage to $4.25/hr for new employees under age 25 until the Oversight Board is terminated, not more than four years. Lawsuit Freeze Lawsuits against Puerto Rico for repayment are prohibited from the day of enactment of this law until February 15, 2017 or six months after the Oversight Board is created. Title V: Puerto Rico Infrastructure Revitalization Revitalization Coordinator There will be a Revitalization Coordinator under the command of the Oversight Board, who will be appointed by the Governor from a list of three names selected by the Oversight Board. The Revitalization Coordinator must have experience in the planning, predevelopment, financing, development, operations, engineering, or market participation of infrastructure projects who isn't currently contracting with the government of Puerto Rico and was not a former government employee after 2012. The Revitalization Coordinator will be paid no more than the Executive Director. Project Assessments Will include how the project contributes "to transitioning to privatize generation capacities in Puerto Rico" Expedited Permits Relevant agencies of Puerto Rico's government need to create an expedited permitting process for the infrastructure projects declared "critical" by the Revitalization Coordinator. The expedited permitting processes will be operated as if the Governor had declared an emergency under Puerto Rican law. "Any transactions, processes, projects, works, or programs essential to the completion of a Critical Project shall continue to be processed and completed under such Expedited Permitting Process regardless of the termination of the Oversight Board" If a project is determined by "the Planning Board" to likely affect the implementation of existing Puerto Rican land use plans or an approved Integrated Resource Plan, the project will be "deemed ineligible" for Critical Project designation. The Oversight Board can waive any law that would "adversely impact the Expedited Permitting Process Limited Access to Courts Lawsuits against a "critical project" must be brought within 30 days of the decision the lawsuit would challenge. Vote June 9, 2016: Passed the House of Representatives 297-127 Sound Clip Sources TV Episode: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Puerto Rico (HBO), April 17 2016. TV Episode: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: U.S. Territories (HBO), March 8, 2015. Hearing: H.R. 5278 Full Committee Markup, House Committee on Natural Resources, May 25, 2016. Hearing: H.R. 5278 Full Committee Markup, House Committee on Natural Resources, May 24, 2016. Hearing: Puerto Rico's Debt Crisis and Its Impact on the Bond Markets, House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, February 25, 2016. Hearing: Puerto Rico's Fiscal Problems: Examining the Source and Exploring the Solution, United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, December 1, 2015. Hearing: The Broken State of Puerto Rico, Senate Judiciary Committee, December 1, 2015. Additional Reading Article: Democrats Could Slow Passage of Puerto Rico Rescue Bill By Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press, ABC News, June 21, 2016. Article: Hedge Funds Sue Puerto Rico in N.Y. Over Fiscal Crisis Law By Erik Larson, Bloomberg, June 21, 2016. Article: Supreme Court Says No to Puerto Rico's Bankruptcy Law By Rachel Greszler, The Daily Signal, June 13, 2016. Article: Supreme Court rules Puerto Rico can't restructure debt By Lydia Wheeler, The Hill, June 13, 2016. Article: Congress' Proposal to Restrict Legal Proceedings in Puerto Rico Debt Crisis Could Trigger Chaos By Rachel Greszler and Salim Furth, The Daily Signal, June 8, 2016. Article: Bernie Sanders leads liberals' fight against Puerto Rico rescue bill By Mike DeBonis, The Washington Post, May 23, 2016. Articles: News about Tea Party Movement, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times, The New York Times, Last Updated May 23, 2016. Article: The Vultures' Vultures: How A New Hedge-Fund Strategy Is Corrupting Washington By Ryan Grim and Paul Blumenthal, The Huffington Post, May 13, 2016. Articles: News about Mutual Funds and E.T.F.'s, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times, The New York Times, Last Updated May 7, 2016. Article: Mystery: Strom Thurmond, Puerto Rico and bankruptcy protection By Jon Greenberg, Politifact, April 27, 2016. Article: Puerto Rico woos US investors with huge tax breaks as locals fund debt crisis By Rupert Neate, The Guardian, February 14, 2016. Article: The Price Of Inequality For Puerto Rico By Maria Levis, Health Affairs Blog, December 29, 2015. Article: Inside the Billion-Dollar Battle for Puerto Rico's Future By Jonathan Mahler and Nicholas Confessore, The New York Times, December 19, 2015. Article: Is this 1917 law suffocating Puerto Rico's economy? By Chris Bury, PBS, August 13, 2015. Article: For Puerto Rico, There is a Better Way A Second Look at the Commonwealth's Finances and Options Going Forward, By Jose Fajgenbaum, Jorge Guzman, and Claudio Loser, Centennial Group International, July 2015. Article: Here Are the Winners and Losers of Puerto Rico's Debt Crisis By Michelle Kaske, Bloomberg, May 19, 2015. Article: Puerto Rico Fighting to Keep Its Tax Breaks for Businesses By Larry Rohter, The New York Times, May 10, 1993. Additional Information Documentary: THE LAST COLONY: A Close Look At Puerto Rico's Unique Relationship With The United States Website: House Natural Resources Committee Puerto Rico Legislation, May 25, 2016. OpenSecrets: Career Profile for Rep. Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina's 5th disctrict Website: Summary of Puerto Rico Tax Incentives OpenSecrets: Career Profile for Rep. Sean P Duffy of Wisconsin's 7th District OpenSecrets: Lobbyists lobbying on H.R.4900: PROMESA House Natural Resources Section by Section Summary of H.R. 5278 Foraker Act, April 12, 1900, Establishing the initial government structure of Puerto Rico. Jones Act of 1917, provided Puerto Ricans with American citizenship and established maritime laws that Puerto Rico would be ruled by, among other things. Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, February 6, 1952. Reports Puerto Rico's Political Status and the 2012 Plebiscite: Background and Key Questions By R. Sam Garrett, June 25, 2013. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations

Transportation: We all need it, and Congress funded it. In this episode, we take a detailed look into the FAST Act, which funds our national transportation network for the next five years. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! H.R. 22: FAST Act ("Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act) Bill Highlights Division A - Surface Transportation Title I - Federal-Aid Highways Funding level Highways will get an average of 41 billion per year. Private Freight Grants: $500 million can go to private rail freight companies to upgrade rail infrastructure; the Federal share of these projects is capped at 60%. Acceleration of Projects Creates a pilot program that will allow States to conduct environmental reviews, using their own State laws, instead of using the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Capped at 5 States The State can only be approved if the Secretary of Transportation determines the laws of the State are at least as stringent as the Federal requirements. No lawsuits will be allowed, challenging the permit approval, after 2 years. The program will sunset in 12 years Miscellaneous The Department of Transportation will identify national corridors for installation of electric car charging stations and hydrogen, propane, and natural gas refueling stations by the end of 2016. The goal is to have the charging and refueling stations deployed by September 30, 2020. Allows the Department of Transportation to move swallows from under bridges that need fixing until the Interior Department issues final rules. The Secretary of the Interior can suspend the authorization to move the swallows. Title III - Public Transportation Funding level The Mass Transit Account will provide and caps expenditures at an average of $9.7 billion per year. $199 million for positive train control installation, which can be used to pay for up to 80% of the cost. Buy American Requires American steel, iron, or manufactured goods to be purchased, when possible. Title IV - Highway Traffic Safety Provides grants to States in return for their establishment of laws that prohibit texting and driving. Prohibits Federal grant money from funding for State & local programs for checking for motorcycle helmet usage or checkpoints for motorcycle monitoring. Impaired Driving Provides grants to States for implementation of drunk driving laws. Orders a study and report to Congress on marijuana-impaired driving by the end of 2016. Title V - Motor Carrier Safety Drug Test Expansion Allows companies to conduct preemployment and random tests of commercial drivers for alcohol and controlled substances using hair testing as an alternative to urine testing. Allows for religious exemptions Title VI - Innovation Highway User Fees Grants will be provided to States that create user-fee programs for funding the Highway Trust Fund. The goal is to test the design and public acceptance of two or more user fee systems. Private vendors can be used to operate the fee collection systems. The fees collected will not be considered "tolls" Public Access to Research A database of all Department of Transportation research projects will be available on a public website and updated once per year. Title VII - Hazardous Materials Transportation Special permits Speeds up the decision time for special permits for transporting hazardous material by 60 days The decisions will be available to the public "Wetlines" Requires the Secretary of Transportation to kill a proposed rule that would have prohibited the transportation of flammable liquids in the pipes underneath tankers Transportation of flammable liquids by rail Within a year, the Secretary of Transportation has to create regulations to require railroads to report accurate, real-time information about hazardous liquids being transported to the local fusion centers, who will share the information with State and local first responders. Tank cars that do not meet Federal standards can still be used to transport oil and ethanol until 2018 or May 2025, depending on the type of tank car. The Secretary of Transportation can extend the deadlines for up to 2 years The Secretary of Transportation will have 180 days to create regulations to make sure that tank cars modified to meet Federal standards be equipped with insulating blankets that have been approved by the Secretary. Title XI - Rail Funding Levels Amtrak, which owns the tracks and passenger cars operating in the Northeast, will get an average of $519 million per year. For Amtrak operations in the rest of the country, where private freight companies own our tracks, Amtrak will receive an average of $1 billion per year. Food and Beverage Reform Amtrak will have 90 days to develop a plan to eliminate the operating loss associated with offering food and beverages on Amtrak trains in a way that doesn't eliminate any Amtrak employee positions Amtrak will be cut off from Federal funds to cover food and beverage related operating losses in December 2021. Pets on Trains Amtrak will have one year to launch a pilot program allowing dogs and cats on trains Gulf Coast Rail A working group will be created and have nine months to develop a recommendation for the best option for restoring intercity rail passenger transportation between New Orleans, LA and Orlando, FL. Privatizing long distance routes The Secretary of Transportation will have to create a pilot program by mid-2017 that will allow non-Amtrak companies to operate up to 3 long distance passenger rail routes. The non-Amtrak operator will have control of the route for four years and it can be renewed once for an additional four year period. The operator will be given an operating subsidy for up to 90% of what the government is giving Amtrak. The non-Amtrak operator can be the private company that owns the tracks, another private company that has an agreement with the track owners or the States. The non-Amtrak operator will be given access to Amtrak's reservation system, stations, and operations facilities and will be required to give hiring preferences to the Amtrak employees laid off because of the transfer. Cameras on Trains By the end of 2017, the Secretary of Transportation must create regulations requiring inward and outward facing cameras in the control cabs on all passenger trains Liability Cap Amtrak can not be held liable for more than $295 million for the fatal accident that occurred on May 12, 2015. Title XXIV - Motor Vehicle Safety Recall Information The Secretary of Transportation will have until the end of 2017 to create a public website for easily accessible information on vehicle safety recalls. Information about recalls will have to be sent to consumers electronically in addition to first class mail. There will be a two year pilot program testing the idea of States informing customers of recalls when they register their vehicles. Doubles the amount of time consumers get to have their recalled tires replaced from 60 days to 180 days. Rental Car Safety Rental car companies with more than 35 cars can sell, lease, or rent out cars only after they have fixed whatever was recalled. They can continue to rent out the cars until the solution is available, if it is not immediately available at the time they are notified. Motor Safety Violation Penalties Increases the penalties from $5,000 per violation to $21,000 per violation, capped at $105 million. Driver Privacy Information from a car's event data recorder can only be accessed by someone other than the owner or lessee if it's authorized by a court, is provided willingly by the owner/lessee, is needed for emergency response purposes, or is for traffic safety research and the personally identifiable information is hidden. Tires The Secretary of Transportation will create regulations for tire fuel efficiency minimum performance standards, taking steps to ensure that wet traction functionality is not effected. Creates a publicly searchable electronic database for tire recall information Whistleblowers If a whistleblower gives credible and unique information about a safety problem to the Secretary of Transportation that results in sanctions, the whistleblower can get between 10 and 30 percent of the award. Title XXXII - Offsets Passport Denials for Tax Delinquencies If a person has a seriously delinquent tax debt over $50,000, the Secretary of State must deny new passports and can revoke, or limit existing passports. Privatize Tax Collection Forces the Treasury Secretary to issue at least one contract for tax collection services by April 2016. Customs Fees Increases a list of customs fees every year with inflation. Federal Reserve Funds Limits the amount of money that can be held by the Federal Reserve banks to $10 billion and transfers the remainder to the general fund of the Treasury. Adjusts dividends for Federal Reserve stockholders to the lower of the rate of the 10 year Treasury notes or 6 percent Strategic Petroleum Reserve Requires the Secretary of Energy to sell at least 66 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and deposit the money into the general fund of the Treasury. The amount sold may be increased at the discretion of the Energy Secretary until the revenue totals $6.2 billion. Crop Insurance Profits Repeals a part of the Bipartisan Budget Act that caps the returns for crop insurance providers at 8.9% Oil & Gas Royalties Eliminates interest payments that oil and gas companies could accrue on overpayments. PAYGO Scorecard The effects of this law on the budget will not be counted Title LI - Taxpayer protection provisions and increased accountability Export-Import Bank Reauthorizes the Export-Import bank until September 30, 2019 and reduces the amount of loans, guarantees, and insurance the Export-Import bank can have outstanding to $135 billion (from $140 billion). Requires the Export-Import bank to hold 5% of it's funds in reserve to protect against losses. Requires independent audits of the Export-Import bank's portfolio Creates a pilot program that allows the Export-Import Bank to enter into contracts to "share risks". The amount of liability allowed to be transferred is capped at a total of $10 billion. Title LV - Other Matters Environmental Law Waivers In an emergency during which there is a sudden increase in energy demand - which includes during a war that the United States is involved in - "any party" that follows an order to generate electricity can not be sued for violating "any Federal, State, or local environmental law or regulation". The order that allows immunity for breaking environmental laws will expire in 90 days, but the order can be renewed as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission "determines necessary to meet the emergency and serve the public interest." If the emergency order is set aside by a court, the immunity remains. Strategic Transformer Reserve The Secretary of Energy will have one year to create a plan to store spare large power transformers and substations that are critical infrastructure or support military installations. Title LXXI - Improving Access to Capital for Emerging Growth Companies Makes it easier and faster for a company that makes under $1 billion per year to offer stock to the public. Title LXXII - Disclosure Modernization and Simplification Reduces paperwork for companies that make under $1 billion per year and want to offer stock to the public. Title LXXIII - Bullion and Collectible Coin Production Efficiency and Cost Savings Removes the requirement that collectable coins be 10% copper Title LXXIV - SBIC Advisors Relief Investment advisors who solely advise small business investment companies will be able to be excluded from registration requirements even if they are managing assets over $150 million (current limit for exemption from registration requirements). Title LXXV - Eliminate Privacy Notice Confusion Banks will not have to mail privacy notices to their customers if they haven't changed their policies since the last disclosure was sent. Title LXXVI - Reforming Access for Investments in Startup Enterprises Allows privately held shares to be sold to "accredited investors" without registering the securities with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Title LXXXII - Capital Access for Small Community Financial Institutions Allows privately insured credit unions to become members of Federal Home Loan Banks if they are FDIC eligible or are certified by the State If the State doesn't get to it in under 6 months, the application is deemed approved. Title LXXXIII - Small Bank Exam Cycle Reform Doubles the size of a bank that counts as a "small bank" from banks that have less than $500 million to banks that have less than $1 billion for the purpose of allowing those banks to have on-site examinations by regulators every 18 months instead of every year. Sound Clip Sources Hearing: House Rules Committee Meeting on Highway Bill Amendments-Part 1, November 3, 2015. Hearing: House Rules Committee Meeting on Highway Bill Amendments, Part 2, November 3, 2015. Hearing: Federal Railroad Administration Confirmation Hearing, Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, September 17, 2015 Hearing: Positive Train Control, House Transportation Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, June 24, 2015. Hearing: Amtrak Derailment, House Transportation and Infrastructer Committee, June 2, 2015. Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes Congressional Dish Episode 99: April Takes a Turn By Jennifer Briney, June 27, 2015 Congressional Dish Episode 73: Amtrak, By Jennifer Briney, June 24, 2014 Congressional Dish Episode 62: The Farm Bill By Jennifer Briney, February 8, 2014. Reports Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief By William J. Mallett, December 28, 2015. Congressional Budget Office: H.R. 22, the FAST Act, December 2, 2015. Additional Reading Article: Rental companies now have to repair recalled cars By Chris Isidore, CNN Money, June 1, 2016. Article: NTSB: Philly Amtrak crash engineer's fault By Bill Cummings, CtPost, May 17, 2016. Article: With RAISE Act, Congress Paves Way For Private Secondary Markets By Shriram Bhashyam, TechCrunch, December 20, 2015. Article: Highway Bill Restores Crop Insurance Funding Cut in Budget Deal, Insurance Journal, December 4, 2015. Article: Fewer Taxpayer Giveaways Would Cut The Fat, Not 'Cripple' Crop Insurance By Shannon Van Hoesen, Environmental Working Group, December 3, 2015. Article: FAST Act (H.R. 22): Surface Transportation Conference Report Released By Robert S. Kirk, December 2, 2015. Article: $305B highway bill taps Fed, oil reserves By Keith Lang, The Hill, December 1, 2015. Article: Congress votes to delay rail safety mandate by 3 to 5 years, fund transportation programs By Joan Lowy, U.S. News and World Report, October 28, 2015. Article: Ag Committee Leaders Stand United Against Reopening Farm Bill to New Crop Insurance Cuts By Meghan Cline, United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, October 27, 2015. Article: 'Devastating' crop insurance cut sends lawmakers scrambling By Philip Brasher, Agri-Pulse, October 27, 2015. Article: Rail-safety deadline extension hitched to must-pass bill on transit funding By Ashley Halsey III and Michael Laris, The Washington Post, October 27, 2015. Article: Deadline for train safety technology undercut by industry lobbying By Ashley Halsey III and Michael Laris, The Washington Post, October 25, 2015. Article: Stop pretending you know what the Export-Import Bank is By Simone Pathe, PBS, September 15, 2014. Article: REUTERS SUMMIT-U.S. Ex-Im bank would back Airbus sales -Hochberg By Alwyn Scott and Tim Hepher, Reuters, September 10, 2014. Article: CARGO TANK TRUCKS: Improved Incident Data and Regulatory Analysis Would Better Inform Decisions about Safety Risks By Susan A. Fleming, U.S. Government Accountability Office, September 11, 2013. Article: How the cult of shareholder value wrecked American business By Steven Pearlstein, The Washington Post, September 9, 2013. Article: NTTC Asks LaHood to Halt Rulemaking On Wetlines Procedures, Tanker Design By Timothy Cama, Transport Topics, October 10, 2011. Article: Hazardous Materials: Safety Requirements for External Product Piping on Cargo Tanks Transporting Flammable Liquids By Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, January 27, 2011. Additional Information U.S. Department of Homeland Security Budget-in-Brief Fiscal Year 2016 U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration Budget Estimates, Fiscal Year 2016 Metra Website: Positive Train Control Joint Explanatory Statement explaining the FAST Act OpenSecrets: Profile of National Tank Truck Carriers Inc OpenSecrets: Top Contributors to Chairman of the House Transportation Committee, Bill Shuster OpenSecrets: Top Contributing Industries for Chairman of the House Transportation Committee, Bill Shuster OpenSecrets: Career Profile for Rep. Steve Stivers of Ohio's 15th district Website: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Website: Export-Import Bank of the United States Website: Risk Management Agency/U.S. Department of Agriculture: Crop Insurance Providers List for 2016 Website: Department of Transportation Fact Sheet Website: United States Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics: Transportation Fatalities by Mode YouTube: 9/11 hijackers at Dulles Airport, October 3, 2008. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations

Beware: Opinions ahead! In this special episode, Jen discusses who she will vote for in the June 7th Presidential Primary. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Podcast Awards Thank you for nominating Congressional Dish for the 2016 Podcast Awards! Please VOTE HERE every day starting on May 29th North Carolina Podcast Are you interested in co-creating a Congressional Dish style podcast about North Carolina? Email Amy Howard: ahoward at ralieghonlineradio.com Sound Clip Sources YouTube: "She's Baldly Lying": Dana Frank Responds to Hillary Clinton's Defense of Her Role in Honduras Coup, April 13, 2016. YouTube: Trump Campaign Event in Bluffton, South Carolina: Trump says you will find Saudi Arabia did 9 11 and no WWIII over Syria, February 25, 2016. YouTube: NBC News-YouTube Democratic Candidates Debate, January 17, 2016. YouTube: Trump on 9/11 Truth & 28 Pages CNN"s Republican Town Hall, February 18, 2016. YouTube: Hillary Clinton National Security Address, November 19, 2015. YouTube: Hillary Clinton vs. Bernie Sanders on Whether to Invade Iraq - 2002, October 2002 Additional Reading Article: CLO Debt Market Peps Up by Sam Goldfarb, Wall Street Journal, May 22, 2016. Article: How Hillary Clinton Became a Hawk by Mark Landler, The New York Times Magazine, April 21, 2016. Article: How Clinton's email scandal took root by Robert O'Harrow Jr., The Washington Post, March 27, 2016. Article: DRUGS, DAMS, AND POWER: THE MURDER OF HONDURAN ACTIVIST BERTA CÁCERES by Danielle Marie Mackey, The Intercept, March 11, 2016. Article: The Clinton-Backed Honduran Regime Is Picking Off Indigenous Leaders by Greg Grandin, The Nation, March 3, 2016. Article: THE LIBYA GAMBLE PART 1: Hillary Clinton,'Smart Power' and a Dictator's Fall by Jo Becker and Scott Shane, The New York Times, February 27, 2016. Article: THE LIBYA GAMBLE PART 2: A New Libya, With 'Very Little Time Left' by Scott Shane and Jo Becker, The New York Times, February 27, 2016. Article: The Dangerous Path Toward Mining Law Reform in Honduras by Lynn Holland, Council on Hemispheric Affairs, December 18, 2015. Article: During Honduras Crisis, Clinton Suggested Back Channel With Lobbyist Lanny Davis by Lee Fang, The Intercept, July 6, 2015. Article: The Wedding That a U.S. Drone Strike Turned Into a Funeral by Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic, January 9, 2014. Article: Drone Attacks at Funerals of People Killed in Drone Strikes by Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic, October 24, 2013. Article: Get the Data: Obama's terror drones by Chris Woods, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, February 4, 2012. Article: Honduras: President Signs ALBA Agreement by Francisco Macías, The Library of Congress, September 11, 2008. Additional Information Website: Carl Icahn Biography by Colin Dodds, Investopedia. Hillary Clinton Top Industries, federal election data 2016 Hillary Clinton Contributions by Industry, 2008 Cycle Votes: Authorization for Use of Military Force: September 14, 2001 Hillary: Yes Bernie: Yes Votes: USA PATRIOT ACT Bernie": No Hillary: Yes Votes: USA PATRIOT Reauthorization Bernie: No Hillary: Yes Votes: Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Bernie: No Hillary: Yes Votes: The bank bailout Bernie: No Hillary: Yes Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations

The Internet is a powerful international communications tool; how does the 114th Congress plan to change how it's governed? In this episode, learn about the bills that are moving through Congress that could have a direct effect on the future of the Internet. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Bills Highlighted in This Episode H.R. 2666: No Rate Regulation of Broadband Internet Access Act Bill Highlights Prohibits the Federal Communications Commission from regulating the rates charged for Internet access The FCC can regulate rates of a company that accepts Federal government money for universal service This bill does not apply to data roaming and interconnection Votes Passed the House of Representatives 241-173 Author Rep. Adam Kinzinger (IL-16) Organizations Lobbying For This Bill AT&T Comcast US Telecom Association Time Warner H.R. 4596: Small Business Broadband Deployment Act Bill Highlights Paragraphs 162 through 184 of the FCC's net neutrality order will not apply to small businesses for 5 years Information the "small businesses" would be exempt from having to provide customers includes: Information about promotional rates, including the duration of the promotion and the full monthly charge the customer will incur after the promotion expires All one-time and/or recurring fees, including modem rental fees, installation charges, service charges, and early termination fees. Actual network performance A "small business" is one that has fewer than 250,000 subscribers Votes Passed the House of Representatives 411-0 Author Rep. Greg Walden (OR-2) Organizations Lobbying For This Bill Cellular Telecom & Internet Association US Telecom Association H.R. 699: Email Privacy Act Bill Highlights Prohibits electronic communication services from disclosing the contents of communications that the company is holding or maintaining (without this bill, only communications "stored" would be protected). Eliminates the current law that allows the government to access using only subpoenas (as opposed to warrants) for electronic communications that have been stored more than 180 days Replaces the 180 divider with new text that requires warrants regardless of the amount of time the information is stored. Allows the electronic communication services to notify their customers of a received warrant, court order, subpoena, or request, if they want to. Expands the amount of time the government may delay notification of customers about a warrant, subpoena, order, or other directive from 90 days to 180 days. Eliminates a current provision of law that requires the government to inform the customer about the information the government requested and why the notification was delayed. Vote Passed the House of Representatives 419-0 Author Rep. Kevin Yoder (KS-3) Organizations Lobbying For This Bill Yahoo Google AT&T Facebook Twitter Deutsche Bank H.R. 805: DOTCOM Act of 2015 Bill Highlights Prohibits the transition of NTIA's functions in Internet domain name registry until 30 days after Congress receives a report outlining the transition plan. Votes Passed the House of Representatives 378-25 Author Rep. John Shimkus(IL-15) Organizations that lobbyed on H.R. 805 Verisign Sound Clip Sources Hearing: Privatizing the Internet Assigned Number Authority (not available on C-SPAN), House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, March 17, 2016. Hearing: Stakeholder Perspectives on the IANA Transition (not available on C-SPAN), House Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, May 13, 2015. Hearing: Email Privacy Act, House Judiciary Committee, December 1, 3015. Additional Information Proposal to Transition the Stewardship of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) Functions from the U.S. Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to the Global Multistakeholder Community, March 2016. Report to Congress: The Future of Internet Governance: Should the US Relinquish Its Authority over ICANN? by Lennard Kruger, Congressional Research Service, March 22, 2016. Report to Congress: Internet Governance and the Domain Name System: Issues for Congress by Lennard Kruger, Congressional Research Service, March 23, 2016. Hearing: Preserving the Multistakeholder Model of Internet Governance, Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, February 25, 2015. Hearing: Stakeholder Perspectives on ICANN: The .Sucks Domain and Essential Steps to Guarantee Trust and Accountability in the Internet's Operation, House Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, May 13, 2015. Hearing: Internet Governance Progress After ICANN 53 (not available on C-SPAN), House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, July 8, 2015. Federal Communications Commission Report and Order on Remand, Declaratory Ruling, and Order, February 2015. Verisign/ICANN Proposal in Response to NTIA Request ICANNWiki: Internet Assigned Numbers Authority Webpage: Lobbyists working for LHD & Associates Webpage: Information about LHD & Associates Additional Reading Article: We the networks, The Economist, March 5, 2016. Article: Net Neutrality Is in More Danger Than Ever by Klint Finley, Wired, March 1, 2016. Article: Email privacy bill gets long-awaited hearing by Mario Trujillo, The Hill, November 30 2o15. Article: The United Nations has a radical, dangerous vision for the future of the Web by Caitlin Dewey, The Washington Post, September 24, 2015. Article: WHAT'S GOING ON BETWEEN NTIA, ICANN AND VERISIGN? by Milton Mueller, Internet Governance Project, August 18, 2015. Article: Changes to Domain Name Rules Place User Privacy in Jeopardy by Jeremy Malcom and Mitch Stoltz, Electronic Frontier Foundation, June 23, 2015. Article: Doing the ICANN-can, The Economist, March 20, 2014 Article: The U.S. is relinquishing control of domain names. Here's why. by Sam Gustin, Fortune, March 17, 2014. Press Release: NTIA Announces Intent to Transition Key Internet Domain Name Functions by NTIA Office of Public Affairs, March 14, 2014. Article: Internet tax moratorium extended again by Grant Gross, PC World, December 15, 2014. Scholarly Journal: Domain Names, Globalization, and Internet Governance by Marshall Leaffer, Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies Vol. 6: Iss. 1, Article 5, Fall 1998. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations

Two defense contractors went on a podcast and everything they said was true. In this episode, discover the shocking extent to which our government has privatized wartime operations. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! 2016 Podcast Awards Please Nominate Congressional Dish by April 30, 2016 Sound Clip Sources Ari Shaffir's Skeptic Tank Episode #257 "Money for Nothing", March 19, 2016. Hearing: Wartime Contracting, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, September 21, 2011. Hearing: Wartime Contracting, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Financial and Contracting Oversight, July 16, 2013. Additional Reading Article: Northrop Grumman moving Counter-Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar (C-RAM) capabilities to brigade combat teams by John Keller, Military and Aerospace Electronics, March 9, 2016. Congressional Research Service Report: Egypt: Background and U.S. Relations by Jeremy M. Sharp, Congressional Research Service, February 25, 2016. Special Military Assistance Benefits for Egypt Investor Report: Northrop Grumman 2015 Annual Investor Report, February 1, 2016. Bill Text: Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2016 December 15, 2015. Foreign Military Financing Program Congressional Research Service Report: Department of Defense Contractor and Troop Levels in Iraq and Afghanistan: 2007-2015 by Heidi M. Peters, Moshe Schwartz, and Lawrence Kapp, Congressional Research Service, December 1, 2015. Data on Contractors released starting September 2007 Article: Meet the impressive guns protecting U.S. bases from rocket attacks in Afghanistan by Dan Lamothe, The Washington Post, October 21, 2015. Article: Dark cloud of legal trouble begins to lift away from Louis Berger byPete Troilo, Jeff Tyson, Devex, August 31, 2015. Article: Pine Gap's new spy role revealed by Philip Dorling, The Sydney Morning Herald, May 31, 2015. Nautilus Institute Report: Expanded Communications Satellite Surveillance and Intelligence Activities Utilising Multi-beam Antenna Systems by Desmond Ball, Duncan Campbell, Bill Robinson and Richard Tanter, May 28, 2015. Article: Satellite photos of Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan, before and after U.S. withdrawal by Dan Lamothe, The Washington Post, May 20, 2015. Article: Blog: Northrop to Continue Developing C-RAM Command and Control System, Signal AFCEA, April 7, 2015. Defense Contract Audit Agency Report: Report to Congress on FY 2014 Activities Department of Defense, Defense Contract Audit Agency, March 25, 2015. Article: "Disturbing" Waste In Afghanistan: How The U.S. Trashed Troops' Health And Squandered Millions by Neal Ungerleider, Fast Company, February 18, 2015. Article Getting Out Of Afghanistan by E.B. Boyd, Fast Company, January 28, 2015. Article: Northrop Grumman Awarded C-RAM Contract – DoD Daily Contracts by Lindy Kyzer, Clearancejobs.com, August 15, 2013. Article: Australian outback station at forefront of US spying arsenal by Philip Dorling, The Age, July 26, 2013. Congressional Research Service Report: Department of Defense's Use of Contractors to Support Military Operations: Background, Analysis, and Issues for Congress by Moshe Schwartz and Jennifer Church, Congressional Research Service, May 17, 2013. Government Accountability Office Report: Additional Steps Needed to Help Determine the Right Size and Composition of DOD's Total Workforce, May 2013. Article: Sen. Claire McCaskill leaps hurdles to overhauling wartime contracting by Lindsay Wise, McClatchy Newspapers, January 19, 2013. Bill Text: Contracting Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, December 28, 2012. Article: The 25 Biggest Defense Companies In America by Eloise Lee and Robert Johnson, Buisness Insider, March 13, 2012. Article: Northrop Grumman receives counter-rocket, artillery and mortar contract from U.S. Army by Skyler Frink, Military and Aerospace Electronics, February 1, 2012. Article: Northrop Grumman (NOC) Gets $124M Contract for C-RAM Systems, StreetInsider.com, October 31, 2011. Commission on Wartime Contracting Report, August 2011. Congressional Research Service Report: Department of Defense Contractors in Afghanistan and Iraq: Background and Analysis by Moshe Schwartz and Joyprada Swain, Congressional Research Service, May 13, 2011. List of Congressional Hearings Type of Work Performed by Contractors Article: U.S. Supersizes Afghan Mega-Base as Withdrawal Date Looms by Spencer Ackerman, Wired, August 9, 2010. Article: Halliburton, KBR, and Iraq war contracting: A history so far by Angie Drobnic Holan, Politifact, June 9, 2010. News Release: U.S. Army Awards Northrop Grumman Major C-RAM Systems Integration Delivery Order by Sudi Bruni, Northrop Grumman Corporation, November 10, 2009. Additional Information Webpage: Northrop Grumman 2014 Election Cycle Lobbying and Campaign Contributions, March 9, 2015. Indeed.com Job Openings: Cable Installer and Technician for U.S. Base In Afghanistan Protective Security Specialist, AEGIS LLC Inventory / Warehouse Assistant Manager, Pacific Architects and Engineers, Inc. Webpage: USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives April 15, 2016. USAID Budget Report Fiscal Year 2017 March 16, 2016. Webpage: Senate Homeland Security Commitee Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Wikipedia: Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar (C-RAM) Podcast Interviews Featuring Jennifer Briney: Liberty on Point with Tony Bottoms, April 20, 2016. Crush The Street, April 14, 2016. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

Health: Is there anything more important? In this episode, we examine three bills that moved through Congress in 2016 which would have a direct effect on the health of American citizens. Would the changes benefit you? This episode is dedicated to the loving memory of Nathan Brightbill. He will be forever loved and missed. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Bills Highlighted in this Episode H.R.3762:Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015 Bill Highlights Defunds the Prevention and Public Health Fund Rescinds money for States operating their own health insurance exchanges Eliminates the last year of a temporary fee to be paid by health insurance companies to fund care for "high risk individuals" Repeals limits on out of pocket health expenses for low income families Repeals the eligibility requirements for getting health care as individuals Repeals the advance payment of tax credits to help low income people pay for their individual premiums Eliminates the small business tax credit for companies with less than 25 employees and provide health insurance for their employees Eliminates the tax penalty for people who don't get their own health insurance Eliminates the tax penalty for large employers who don't provide their employees health insurance and backdates it to protect large companies who didn't provide health insurance in 2015 Cut off money to States that give money to any organization that provides abortions (Planned Parenthood) Greatly reduces the amount of money for Medicaid, which is health care for poor people Repeals the 2.3% Medical Device Tax on the manufactures of large medical equipment, even though it was suspended for two years by the omnibus Transfers over $379 billion from the Treasury to the Federal Hospital Insurance Fund, which is where our payroll taxes go and is used to fund Medicare. Congressional Budget Office Report Analysis of H.R. 3762 Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act December 11, 2015 Vote Senate: 52 -47 House 240 - 181 Vetoed by President Obama Author Rep. Tom Price of Georgia's 6th district Organizations Lobbying For H.R. 3762 Medtronic Inc.: 6 times Has more than doubled it's lobbyist spending since 2008 - spends about $5 million per year Manufacturers expensive medical devices; the ones that have to pay a 2.3% medical device tax In 2014, gave out over a quarter million directly to members of Congress Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America: 15 times Represents drug companies and spent $18.4 million on lobbyists in 2015 America's Health Insurance Plans: 20 times US Chamber of Commerce: 41 times Organizations Lobbying Against H.R. 3762 Planned Parenthood: 4 times H.R. 1927: Fairness in Class Action Litigation and Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act of 2016 (FACT Act) Bill Highlights Federal courts would be prohibited from certifying any class action lawsuit unless every person in the lawsuit has suffered "the same type and scope of injury" as the named class representative A trust set up for a company that has gone bankrupt but still owes money to claimants has to publicly report the name and exposure history of each person and the basis of the payments to that person The information would not include their "confidential" medical record or their social security number The trust would have to provide payment information or information about payment demands from the trust if the request is about liability of asbestos exposure These disclosure requirements would be valid for all Chapter 11 cases. Vote Passed the House of Representatives: 211-188 President Obama issued a Veto threat Author Bob Goodlatte of Virginia's 6th District Biggest contributor during his career has been the National Auto Dealers Association Organizations Lobbying For H.R. 1927: Property Casualty Insurers Association of America: 8 times US Chamber of Commerce: 6 times Honeywell International: 3 times Organizations Lobbying Against H.R. 1927: American Association for Justice: 30 times American Bar Association: 13 times H.R. 2017: Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2015 Bill Highlights Amends disclosure requirements for chain restaurants with more than 20 locations Instead of requiring the restaurants to display "the number of calories in the standard menu item, as usually prepared and offered for sale", the restaurant would be given the choice to display: The number of calories in the whole item The number of servings and the calories per serving or The number of calories per however the restaurant chooses to divide it Restaurants where "the majority" of orders are placed by off-premises customers, the restaurant may choose to only provide nutrition information by "a remote-access menu" (such as a menu available on the Internet) as the sole method of disclosure instead of on-premises writings" Allows buffet and self-serve restaurants to publish nutrition information on the Internet instead of on a sign adjacent to each food, if they choose to. Nutrition information "shall be treated as having a reasonable basis even if such disclosures vary from actual nutrient content" Regulations for enforcing this bill will have to be created within a year. The bill then prohibits any regulations regarding nutritional information at restaurants, including regulations that have already taken affect, from taking effect until 2 years after the new regulations are done, killing all nutritional information requirement for three years. Restaurants will not have to have their nutritional information certified for accuracy. Restaurants "shall not be liable in any civil action in Federal or State court" for violating nutritional information laws. Vote Passed the House of Representatives 266-144 Author Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington's 5th district Organizations Lobbying For This Bill National Restaurant Association Safeway Inc. YUM! Brands Little Caesar Enterprises Domino's Pizza Sound Clip Sources Hearing: Rules Committee Hearing H.R. 712, 1155, SA to H.R. 3762, Rules Committee January 5th, 2016 Hearing: H.R. 1927, the "Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act of 2015, April 29, 2015 Commercial (YouTube): Domino's Pizza Turnaround Additional Reading Article: Ford spent $40 million to reshape asbestos science by Jim Morris, Center for Public Integrity, February 16, 2016. Article: Absestos class action bill faces hurdles by Mark Hofmann, Business Insurance, January 17, 2016. Article: Domino's Just Unveiled a Radical Pizza Delivery Car That Took 4 Years to Build by David Gianatasio, October 22, 2015. Article: Honeywell agrees to settle Jersey City chromium lawsuit for $10 million by Michelangelo Conte, The Jersey Journal, June 9, 2015. Article: Honeywell Hit With $10.9M Verdict in Asbestos Suit by Igor Kossov, Law360, June 2, 2014. Article: The Asbestos Scam, Part 2 by Joe Nocera, New York Times, January 12, 2014. United States Government Accountability Office Report: Asbestos Injury Compensation: The Role and Administration of Asbestos Trusts , September, 2011. Article: Virginia jury hands down $25M verdict in asbestos case, by Jason L. Kennedy, March 20, 2011. Article: Honeywell Says Asbestos Verdict Was More Thank It Had Disclosed by Alex Berenson, New York Times, April 18, 2002. Article: Health Industry Sees Wish List Made Into Law, Robert Pear, NYT, Dec 6, 1999. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations

In the wake of the Brussels bombings, which attacked the heart of the European Union, we examine the history of the European Union and how this terrorist attack may affect its future. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Sound Clip Sources CNN: Donald Trump: Abdeslam would have talked 'a lot faster with the torture', March 23, 2016. Podcast Episode: The Rise of ISIS, PBS Frontline, June 8, 2015. Podcast Episode: Regime Change, Congressional Dish, November 22, 2015. Additional Reading Webpage: The history of the European Union, The European Union. Article: The UK's EU referendum: All you need to know by Brian Wheeler and Alex Hunt, BBC News, March 24, 2016. Article: 3 Suicide Bombers Identified in Brussels attacks; 4th suspect at large, Associated Press, March 23, 2016. Article: After Brussels Attack, Will Response Be More War or a Look at the Root Causes of Terrorism?, Democracy Now, March 23, 2016. Article: Brussels Attacks Rekindle Debate Over Airport Security by Nicola Clark and Ron Nixon, New York Times, March 23, 2016. Article: Brussels bombers included two brothers by Catherine Hardy, Reuters, March 23, 2016. Article: Poland Abandons Pledge to Shelter Refugees After Brussels Blasts by Marek Strzelecki, Bloomberg Business, March 23, 2016. Article: This is the man who is suspected of making the Brussels bombs by Adam Taylor, Washington Post, March 23, 2016. Article: What is it with Belgium and jihadis? by Del Crookes, BBC Newsbeat, March 23, 2016. Article: After Brussels, Europe's intelligence woes revealed by Nyshka Chandran, CNBC, March 22, 2016. Article: Hillary Clinton Says She Is the Only Candidate With a Plan to Defeat the Islamic State by Amy Chozick, New York Times, March 22, 2016. Article: In Aftermath of Brussels Attacks, Conservatives Call for Border Security by Melissa Quinn, The Daily Signal, March 22, 2016. Article: Saudi war for Yemen oil pipeline is empowering al-Qaeda, IS by Nafeez Ahmed, Middle East Eye, February 10, 2016. Book: The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins, 2015. Official document: Outline of the counter-terrorism strategy for Syria and Iraq, with particular focus on foreign fighters, Council of the European Union, January 16, 2015. Article: British and US military 'in command room' for Saudi strikes on Yemen by Emma Graham-Harrison, The Guardian, January 15, 2016. Article: Ten years on and Poles are glad to call Britain home by Harriet Sherwood, The Guardian, April 26, 2014. Book: The Brothers: John Foster Dulles, Allen Dulles, and Their Secret World War by Stephen Kinzer, 2013. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations

Stop the laws! In this episode, learn the details of three bills that passed the House of Representatives in January which would make enforcing laws more difficult for Federal agencies. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Bills Highlighted in This Episode H.R. 1155: Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act of 2016 (SCRUB Act)" Retrospective Regulatory Review Commission Establishes a new five-year commission that will review government rules to determine which ones should be eliminated "to reduce the costs of regulation to the economy." The Chairman will be appointed by the President and must have "experience in rulemaking". The other eight members will come from lists created by the majority and minority leaders in Congress of "individuals learned in rulemaking". The commission will have subpoena power and "the attendance of witnesses and the production of evidence may be required from any place within the United Stats at any designated place of hearing within the United States." The bill appropriates $30 million which are available until expended. The commission members will be paid, and will be given travel expenses including a per deim. The commission will hire staff, who will also be paid. The commission can hire "experts or consultants", and may "lease space and acquire personal property" "to the extent funds are available" The commission will review the Code of Federal Regulations to find rules "that should be repealed to lower the cost of regulation to the economy". Priority will be given to "major rules" which have been in effect more than 15 years, impose paperwork burdens" which could be reduced without "significantly diminishing" regulatory effectiveness. Goal is to reduce the cost of Federal regulations by 15% with a "minimal reduction" in the effectiveness of the regulations. Criteria for recommending repeal Whether the rule achieved its purpose and could be repealed without "significant" recurrence of adverse effects If technology, time, economic conditions, market practices, or "other relevant factors" have rendered the rule obsolete. If the rule is ineffective If the rule has "excessive compliance costs" or "is otherwise excessively burdensome", as compared to rules that give goals instead of orders and "give economic incentives to encourage desired behavior" If the rule "inhibits innovation in or growth of the United States economy" If the rule "harms competition" of entities based in the United States "Such other criteria as the Commission devises..." Repeal procedure If Congress passes a joint resolution approving the Commission's repeal suggestions, the Federal agencies will have to repeal the rules within 60 days of the joint resolution's enactment. Repealed rules can not be reissued without a new law enacted All records of public meetings and hearings will be published on the Commission's website within 1 week, Regulatory Cut-Go When an agency makes a new rule, they have to repeal a rule recommended by Commission so that costs of enforcement offset each other, but the agency must have a net reduction in costs Vote Passed the House of Representatives 245-174 There is an identical bill in the Senate: S. 1683 President Obama issued a veto threat Author Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri's 8th district Organizations Who Lobbied for H.R. 1155 America's Natural Gas Alliance U.S. Chamber of Commerce H.R. 712: Sunshine for Regulations and Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act H.R. 712 is a combination of three bills: The Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act, the All Economic Regulations are Transparent Act, and the Providing Accountability Through Transparency Act. Title 1: Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Any agency that is challenged by a private company on a regulation must publish the complaint online within 15 days. The suit can not be dismissed until after the complaint is published online and there is a public comment period. The agency much have a public comment period before settling cases and must respond to every comment received. A court can not approve of consent decree that doesn't "allow sufficient time and incorporate adequate procedures" for the agency to comply with all administrative rule making procedures and any Executive order that governs rulemaking. Title II: All Economic Regulations are Transparent Act Makes every Federal agency submit monthly reports) on the status of every rule they are working on. Rules can't go into effect) until they have been published on the Internet for at least 6 months. Exemption for national security, emergencies, or implementing international trade agreements. Requires the first report to include cost-benefit analysis for all proposed or final rules for the 10 years) before the enactment of this law. The agencies will have 30 days to complete this report. Title III: Providing Accountability Through Transparency Requires agencies to publish summaries of their regulations on the Internet, capped at 100 words. Vote Passed the House of Representatives 244-173 Five members of the House of Representatives own Berkshire Hathaway stock and voted "Aye" on H.R. 712 Michael Burgess of Texas's 26th district Rodney Frelinghuysen of New Jersey's 11th district Bob Gibbs of Ohio's 7th district Thomas Rooney of Florida's 17th district Michael McCaul of Texas's 10th district There is an identical bill in the Senate: S. 378 Author Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia's 9th district Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa wrote the Senate version Organizations Lobbying for H.R. 712 Peabody Energy Gas Processors Association Berkshire Hathaway Energy U.S. Chamber of Commerce H.R. 1644: Supporting Transparent Regulatory and Environmental Actions in Mining Act (STREAM Act) Publication of Science Used to Create Rules The Secretary of the Interior would have to publicly publish on the Internet all the scientific data, environmental analysis, economic assessments, policies or guidances used in developing a new rule 90 days before before the new rule or draft of a rule is published. If the research is not published on the Internet 90 days before a rule or draft's publication, the rule cannot move forward for 60 days plus the number of days the research publication was delayed. If the publication of research data is delayed by 6 months, the Secretary must withdraw the rule unless that would cause "imminent and sever threat to human life". Study Which Delays Regulations A study on the regulatory effectiveness of the Stream Buffer Rule must be completed within two years and 90 days of this bill's enactment. The Secretary of the Interior can not issue any new rules or regulations related to the stream buffer zone rule until one year after the study is submitted. Vote Passed the House of Representatives 235-188 Author Rep. Alex Mooney of West Virginia's 2nd district His third largest contributor is Murray Energy Organizations Lobbying for H.R. 1644 Peabody Energy Arch Coal National Mining Association Patriot Coal Corporation Organizations Lobbying Against H.R. 1644 Sierra Club National Wildlife Federation Congressional Budget Office Reports Analysis of H.R. 1155, SCRUB Act of 2015, May 8, 2015. Analysis of H.R. 712, Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015, April 16, 2015. Analysis of H.R. 1644, STREAM Act, September 23, 2015. Sound Clip Sources Hearing: Markup of H.R. 348, H.R. 712, H.R. 1155, H.R. 690, and H.R. 889, House Judiciary Committee, March 24, 2015. Television show: 60 Minutes: King of Coal, CBS, March 6, 2016. Additional Reading Article: House Clears Two Bills to Rein in Regulators by Charles Clark, Government Executive, January 8, 2016. Article: 5 years after a deadly coal mine disaster, what's changed by Mason Adams, Grist, April 3, 2015. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations