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...
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CD336: SAVE America from Easily Voting
Congressional Dish
The SAVE Act and the SAVE America Act are two of the most searched bills in Congress right now—and they’re confusing a lot of people. By digging into what these bills actually do—and the long history they fit into—you’ll see why they’re widely considered voter suppression efforts and how they could affect your ability to vote. And more importantly, you’ll learn what you can do right now to protect your ballot before any of this becomes law. View the show notes on our website at Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via Support...
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CD335: February 2026 — Overdue Funding
Congressional Dish
February’s big accomplishment: partial government funding—months late and still incomplete. This episode breaks down the most important provisions in the law, from war powers and foreign policy to domestic policies that affect your daily life, and evaluates what Congress actually delivered. 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...
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CD334: Untrained and Unwarranted
Congressional Dish
An ICE whistleblower says officers are graduating without proper training and entering homes using “administrative warrants.” Hear the testimony from a shadow congressional hearing investigating immigration raids and potential violations of the Fourth Amendment. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via Support Congressional Dish via (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your...
info_outlineThe Trump administration renegotiated NAFTA and the 116th Congress passed those changes in order to make the USMCA into law. In this episode, international trade expert Lori Wallach, the Director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, joins Jen to explain the differences between NAFTA and the USMCA. What you hear may surprise you.
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Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes
CD96: Fast Tracking Fast Track (Trade Promotion Authority
CD102: The World Trade Organization: COOL?
CD052: The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
Bills
- Bill: H.R.5430 - United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act Congress.gov, January 16, 2020
About Lori Wallach
- Lori Wallach, Linked In
- Lori Wallach, Director, Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch, Public Citizen
- About Us, Public Citizen
- About Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch (GTW), Public Citizen
- Public Citizen, Influence Watch
- Global Trade Watch, Facebook
- Global Trade Watch, Twitter
- Lori Wallach, Twitter
- Global Trade Watch, Instagram
Articles/Documents
- Article: Labelling debate returns to U.S. By Barbara Duckworth, The Western Producer, February 13, 2020
- Article: The US Drops ISDS By Lori Wallach, The Globalist, January 24, 2020
- Article: Lawmakers try to resurrect country-of-origin labeling for beef and pork By Cathy Siegner, FoodDive, November 5, 2019
- Article: Background on the Epic WTO Tuna Dolphin Fight Public Citizen
- Article: COOL for beef, pork on US Senate’s plate By Erica Shaffer, Meat + Poultry, November 4, 2019
- Article: When Pharma Needs a Friend: Conservative House Democrats Move to Protect Drug Company Profits by David Dayen, The American Prospect, October 31, 2019
- Article: While USMCA stalls, lobbying kicks into high gear by Raymond Arke, OpenSecrets.org, May 8, 2019
- Article: Mexico loses 10-year WTO battle over U.S. tuna labeling by Tom Miles, Reuters, December 14, 2018
- Article: The Little-Known Trade Adviser Who Wields Enormous Power in Washington by Ana Swanson, The New York Times, March 9, 2018
- Document: The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) By M. Angeles Villarreal and Ian F. Fergusson, Congressional Research Service, May 24, 2017
- Article: Trump's trade pick sails through hearing but faces procedural hangup By Victoria Guida, POLITICO, March 14, 2017
- Article: India, US lock horns over intellectual property at WTO By Amiti Sen, New Scientist, November 11, 2016
- Document: Country-of-Origin Labeling for Foods and the WTO Trade Dispute on Meat Labeling By Joel L. Greene, Congressional Research Service, December 8, 2015
- Article: India surveys aftermath of new patent law By Padma Tata, New Scientist, March 29, 2005
Additional Resources
- Vote Results: On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 5430 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act) United States Senate, January 16, 2020
- Vote Results: United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act, FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 701 House of Representatives Clerk, December 19, 2019
- Trade Agreement: Agreement between the United States of America, the United Mexican States, and Canada 12/13/19 Text Office of the United States Trade Representative, December 13, 2019
Cover Art
Design by Only Child Imaginations
Music Presented in This Episode
Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)