Democracy by Mail - CD346
Congressional Dish
This episode looks at two very different questions surrounding the U.S. Postal Service: how the Trump administration tried to use it to impose new requirements on mail-in voting, and whether the Postal Service itself is financially sustainable. We examine the new election-mail rule and the court fight that stopped it for 2026, then dig into what’s actually driving USPS’s financial problems—and whether they can be fixed. [View the show notes on our website at Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via Support Congressional Dish via ...
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The Slippery Slope from 9/11 - CD345
Congressional Dish
Twenty-five years after 9/11, America is still sliding down the slippery slope created by the War on Terror. This episode traces how the George W. Bush, Obama, and Biden administrations built, expanded, and preserved extraordinary presidential powers in the name of fighting terrorism—and how the Trump administration is now using those powers to deprive people of liberty and protections in ways that once seemed unthinkable. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via Support Congressional Dish via (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: ...
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Housing for the 21st Century Act - CD344
Congressional Dish
Congress passed a new housing law, including an attempt to limit corporate ownership of homes. We’ll also examine the Senate’s summer confirmations, including Todd Blanche as Attorney General, and preview troubling provisions in the NDAA—including one that would deepen U.S.-Israeli military cooperation and another that would override California to benefit a private oil pipeline. View the show notes on our website at Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via Support Congressional Dish via (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to:...
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The National Weather Service Under Fire - CD343
Congressional Dish
The National Weather Service is one of the few government agencies that affects every American every single day. Every weather app, television forecast, hurricane warning, tornado alert, and flood prediction depends on it. In this episode, we examine what has happened to the National Weather Service under the Trump administration, from staffing cuts and delayed weather balloon launches to contract bottlenecks, AI-driven forecasting, and growing concerns about privatization. Using congressional hearings, testimony from emergency managers, and government officials’ own words, we’ll separate...
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Mapped to Flood - CD342
Congressional Dish
The Texas Hill Country flood that killed 139 people was described as a natural disaster. But after digging through state legislative hearings and Congress’s oversight of FEMA, I found something else: many of the deadliest consequences weren’t just caused by the weather. They were the result of policy choices. This episode follows the disaster from the storm itself to the way Congress prepares—or fails to prepare—the United States for the floods to come. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via Support Congressional Dish via (donations...
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Land Grabs and Cages - CD341
Congressional Dish
June brought a massive expansion of ICE and immigrant detention, failed efforts to rein in the unauthorized war with Iran, a debate over U.S. support for Israel’s actions in Lebanon, and the confirmation of two controversial lifetime judges. We examine what passed, what failed, and what comes next. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via Support Congressional Dish via (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Use your bank’s online bill pay...
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CD340: No More Iran War
Congressional Dish
In CD340: No More Iran War, Congress finally pushes back against President Trump’s unauthorized war with Iran as Republicans join Democrats to pass War Powers resolutions rejecting the conflict. Jen breaks down those historic votes, the few laws Congress passed in May, and the Trump administration officials confirmed to powerful positions overseeing public lands, environmental policy, prosecutions, and the courts. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via Support Congressional Dish via (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Send...
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CD339: Raising Screen Zombies
Congressional Dish
Children are spending more time on screens than ever before, but what is all that screen time actually doing to them? In a recent hearing, Congress heard testimony from experts who argue that social media, educational technology, and AI are reshaping childhood in ways many parents don’t fully understand. This episode explores the evidence and the growing concern that we’re raising a generation of screen zombies. View the show notes on our website at Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via Support Congressional Dish via (donations per...
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CD338: April 2026 — Bulldozing the Rules
Congressional Dish
April 2026 gave us a Congress that took a two-week vacation, came back to vote on war powers, Israel weapons sales, FISA surveillance, DHS funding, and whether Minnesota’s clean water should be protected from mining. This episode tracks what Congress actually did — including the votes, scandals, resignations, deaths, new members, and laws that tell you far more than campaign ads ever will. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via Support Congressional Dish via (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Send Venmo payments to:...
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CD337: March 2026 — At War, On Vacation
Congressional Dish
Congress took multiple vacations during a DHS shutdown, failed to check an unauthorized war with Iran, and passed just two bills—both honoring the dead. Meanwhile, a bipartisan majority voted to keep misconduct investigations against themselves secret. This episode exposes a month of dysfunction—and the real consequences of a Congress that isn’t doing its job. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via Support Congressional Dish via (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App...
info_outlineAs we enter another round of government funding drama, let’s learn the basics. In this episode, we examine how the process is supposed to work, spot the tell tale signs that something has gone wrong, and decipher all of the DC wonky words that make the appropriations process seem more complicated than it really is.
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View the show notes on our website at https://congressionaldish.com/cd288-government-funding-101
Background Sources
Appropriations
Find the current status of the Appropriations Process
House Appropriations Committee.
Senate Appropriations Committee.
“Subcommittee Jurisdiction.” February 8, 2023. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations.
Mandatory vs. Discretionary Spending
“How much has the U.S. government spent this year?” FiscalData.Treasury.gov.
“Policy Basics: Introduction to the Federal Budget Process.” Updated October 24, 2022. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Government Shutdown
“Government Shutdowns Q&A: Everything You Should Know.” February 26, 2024. Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
Omnibus Bills
“$900B COVID relief bill passed by Congress, sent to Trump.” Andrew Taylor. December 22, 2020. AP News.
Earmarks
“$315 Million Bridge to Nowhere.” February 9, 2005. Taxpayers for Common Sense. Retrieved from the Wayback Machine version from October 25, 2008.
What Happens Next
“Congress takes first step on funding deal.” Jamie Dupree. March 5, 2024. Regular Order.
Audio Sources
Impact of Continuing Resolutions on the Department of Defense and Services
House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Defense
January 12, 2022
Witness:
- Mike McCord, Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)
Clips
29:51 Mike McCord: First, as I believe you’re all aware a full year CR, we reduce our funding level below what we requested and what we believe we need. On the surface at the department level as a whole, the reduction to our accounts would appear to be about a billion dollars below our request, which would be significant. Even if that was the only impact. The actual reduction in practice will be much greater. Because we would have significant funding that’s misaligned, trapped or frozen in the wrong places and unusable because we don’t have the tools or flexibilities to realign funds on anything like the scam we would need to fix all the problems that the chiefs are going to describe.
30:27 Mike McCord: I know all of you are very familiar with the fact that virtually all military construction projects in each year’s budget including the FY 22 budget are new starts that cannot be executed under a CR.
Music
Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito