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CD326: October 2025 — Slippery Barnacles

Congressional Dish

Release Date: 11/18/2025

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Congressional Dish

September was the last month Congress bothered to work before the midterm elections. In this episode, we’ll examine the laws signed in September, including one that significantly expands President Trump’s tariff powers, the votes that revealed where members of Congress stand on the wars in Iran and Gaza, and the impeachment vote that House Speaker Mike Johnson went out of his way to prevent. 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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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 show art 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 show art 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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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 show art 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 show art 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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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 show art 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 show art 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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More Episodes

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

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