CD331: December 2025 — Authorizing Future Disasters

This episode breaks down major provisions of the newly passed National Defense Authorization Act, including how Congress quietly weakened air-traffic safety rules, expanded counter-drone authorities for law enforcement, loosened protections against toxic "forever chemicals" for firefighters, and repealed outdated Iraq war authorizations while leaving broader war powers intact. It also covers new laws affecting taxes, veterans, and public lands, Trump's vetoes of bipartisan bills, and a wave of confirmations placing industry-connected figures in powerful regulatory and defense roles. View the show notes on our website at https://congressionaldish.com/cd331-december-2025-authorizing-future-disasters Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: [email protected] Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or [email protected] Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Contact Your Members of Congress: (202) 224-3121

Special Prosecutor Jack Smith gave a closed-door, eight-hour deposition to the House Judiciary Committee that was later—surprisingly—made public. In this episode, hear highlights from his testimony about the investigation into Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election, including the fake electors scheme, key prosecutorial decisions, and why members of Congress chose to scrutinize the investigation rather than the alleged crimes. View the show notes on our website at https://congressionaldish.com/cd330-prosecutor-jack-smiths-deposition Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: [email protected] Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or [email protected] Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media!

In this episode, hear testimony that Republican leadership refused to make part of the official Congressional Record—stories from U.S. citizens who were violently arrested and jailed by agents of the Department of Homeland Security, often while clearly identifying themselves as Americans. This is not rhetoric, speculation, or partisan spin; it is sworn testimony, backed by a Senate investigation, and it raises a terrifying question: if this can happen to them, what stops it from happening to any of us? View the show notes on our website at https://congressionaldish.com/cd329-citizens-detained Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: [email protected] Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or [email protected] Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media!

In this two-topic episode, we break down what became law in November—including the shutdown deal that reopened the government and the dingleberries that were quietly slipped into it. Then we revisit the hearing on the firing of the CDC Director, focusing on a politicized vaccine advisory committee that has changed its recommendation for the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns. View the show notes on our website at https://congressionaldish.com/cd328-november-laws-vaccine-chaos Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: [email protected] Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or [email protected] Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media!

Millions of people have trusted 23andMe with their most intimate data—but what happens when a company holding 15 million DNA profiles goes bankrupt? In this episode, you'll hear highlights from bipartisan House and Senate hearings exposing how genetic data can be hacked, shared, retained, and even sold under current U.S. law. Using testimony from lawmakers, legal experts, and 23andMe leaders, this episode uncovers the alarming gaps in federal privacy protections and explains why your genetic information—and even your relatives'—may be far less secure than you think. View the show notes on our website at https://congressionaldish.com/cd327-23andme-and-the-sale-of-your-dna Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: [email protected] Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or [email protected] Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media!

In this episode, you'll hear what actually happened in Congress during October 2025, a month dominated by a record-breaking shutdown. While the House was on vacation, the Senate enacted mass confirmations of over 100 Trump-aligned nominees—many with extreme views, conflicts of interest, or industry ties—as well as the surprising bipartisan pushback against Trump's global tariff abuses. We also examine the Senate's failed attempt to stop Trump's unauthorized overseas boat strikes. View the show notes on our website at https://congressionaldish.com/cd326-october-2025-slippery-barnacles Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: [email protected] Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or [email protected] Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media!

After months of chaos under Trump's second term, a shocking Senate hearing exposes how HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has politicized the CDC—firing scientists, silencing evidence, and demanding blind approval of vaccine changes. This episode dives into testimony from former CDC leaders and the rare moment of bipartisan oversight that could mark a turning point for accountability in Congress. View the show notes on our website at https://congressionaldish.com/cd325-politics-trump-science-at-the-cdc Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: [email protected] Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or [email protected] Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Contact Your Members of Congress: (202) 224-3121

A summary of September 2025. From new laws on veterans' health, privacy, and export controls to a wave of Trump-era nominees confirmed in bulk — including several with jaw-dropping conflicts of interest — this month was a mess. In addition to new laws and confirmations, there were failed censure stunts, a delayed swearing-in that's blocking a vote on the Epstein files, and yet another avoidable government shutdown. Both parties are playing games while regular people pay the price. View the show notes on our website at https://congressionaldish.com/cd324-sept-2025-destruction-of-norms Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: [email protected] Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or [email protected] Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media!

Congress is once again playing with fire, and this time it's the Democrats holding the match. In today's episode, I'm sounding the alarm about a looming government shutdown that could hit at midnight on September 30th. History tells us shutdowns backfire on the party that demands partisan add-ons to must-pass funding bills, yet Democrats are betting they can use that same failed strategy and escape the blame. I'll walk you through the shutdown showdowns of the past decade, explain what's different—and more dangerous—about this moment, and lay out the real costs to workers, taxpayers, and the stability of our government. Most importantly, I'll explain why keeping the government open isn't just smart politics—it's essential for protecting our government. View the show notes on our website at https://congressionaldish.com/cd323-shutdown-bad Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: [email protected] Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or [email protected] Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Contact Your Members of Congress: (202) 224-3121

Since the beginning of this Congress, there have been 24 new laws signed and dozens of confirmations shaping our government in President Trump's second term. From the Laken Riley Act's attack on immigrant rights, to the One Big Beautiful Bill's devastating effects on healthcare and the environment, to quiet but powerful confirmations of billionaires, bankers, and loyalists into positions that control our economy and foreign policy, this is a moment when Congress is rewriting the rules of our democracy. If you want to understand how decisions made in Washington are enriching corporations, weakening protections, and reshaping the future we all live in, this is an episode you can't afford to skip. View the show notes on our website at https://congressionaldish.com/cd322-last-quarter-in-congress-indefinite-detention-regulation-murders-empowered-trump-minions Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: [email protected] Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or [email protected] Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media!