Best of 2024: Representative Megan Srinivas Shares Why Government Needs a Doctor
Release Date: 01/02/2025
How Mountain View City Councilmember Chris Clark connects Tech and Local Government
An Honorable Profession
Recorded at the NewDEAL Forum Ideas Summit in Atlanta, GA, this week’s episode features co-host Ryan Coonerty in conversation with former Mountain View City, CA Mayor-now-Councilmember Chris Clark. Clark describes how he balances working for tech companies by day and the interests of the Mountain View community by night. They talk about how lessons learned in tech can be applied to improve local governments, how Clark transitioned from his upbringing in rural Illinois to the Silicon Valley, and his journey from being Mountain View’s youngest elected official and mayor to now a longstanding...
info_outline
How to Lead from the Minority with Georgia Representative Sam Park
An Honorable Profession
Recorded at the NewDEAL Forum Ideas Summit in Atlanta, GA, this week’s episode features co-host Ryan Coonerty in conversation with Georgia House Democratic Whip Sam Park, the son of a Korean Immigrant and the first openly gay man elected to the Georgia’s Legislature. Park talks about his journey to public office, his efforts to fight for healthcare after his mom got stage four cancer, how he advocates in a minority, and how he keeps hope in these difficult times. The conversation delves into how to recruit candidates who can change Georgia”s political landscape and how Park crafts...
info_outline
How Democrats Restore Trust in Government with Congressman Greg Landsman
An Honorable Profession
In this week’s episode, host and NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan speaks with Congressman Greg Landsman who represents Ohio’s 1st Congressional District. Landsman is a member of the New Democrat Coalition and co-host of the new podcast, The Fly-In. They talk about the effects of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that passed the House by one vote - highlighting the massive unpopular cut to health care and food assistance programs that the legislation would slash to pay for tax cuts for the super-wealthy. Landsman shares what Democrats can do to help their constituents better understand...
info_outline
How to Serve Rural America and Make Bipartisan Progress with Senator Dylan Roberts
An Honorable Profession
In this week’s episode, host and NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan speaks to Colorado State Senator Dylan Roberts. Roberts represents a swing district in the Western part of his state - including ski resort towns, mountain communities, and rural areas. Roberts discusses how he set priorities for this year's legislative session, including what it took to close a $1.2 billion dollar shortfall, as well as his work to pass two bipartisan housing bills to increase supply and bring down costs. He details what he hears from his constituents, as well as what Democrats often misunderstand about rural...
info_outline
How Government Can Get Sh*t Done: Marc Dunkelman on Why Nothing Works
An Honorable Profession
This week, we bring you another episode of our series on How Government Can Get Sh*t Done, as co-host Ryan Coonerty sits down with Marc Dunkelman, professor and author of Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress- and How to Bring it Back. Marc discusses the barrier preventing the government from solving problems and achieving broadly shared goals, what it will take to instigate meaningful change, the lessons we’ve learned from Trump’s second term in office, and how building more housing fits into progressivism and government reform. They also talk about The Vanishing Neighbor: The...
info_outline
How to Turn Environmental Science into Pragmatic Policy with Rep. Lindsay Cross
An Honorable Profession
Recorded at the NewDEAL Forum Ideas Summit in Atlanta, GA, this week’s special episode features co-host Ryan Coonerty in conversation with Florida House State Representative Lindsay Cross. An environmental scientist, Cross discusses how she draws on personal experiences to fight for the preservation of wetlands and endangered species across Florida. She highlights the bills she has recently championed to improve responses to natural disasters and aid recovery and to enact fair housing policies. Ryan and Representative Cross also talk about what it might take to move Florida back to being a...
info_outline
How to Turn Illness into Advocacy with Ohio State Representative Dontavius Jarrells
An Honorable Profession
Recorded at the NewDEAL Forum Ideas Summit in Atlanta, GA, this week’s special episode features co-host Ryan Coonerty in conversation with Ohio House Assistant Minority Leader Dontavius Jarrells. Rep. Jarrells speaks candidly about his childhood experience with lead poisoning, channeling his identity as a survivor of the devastating illness into advocacy as he works to pass comprehensive laws to reduce children’s lead exposure through the legislature. He also talks about the difficulties of serving in a Democratic superminority, how he draws on his experiences growing up in...
info_outline
How to Overcome Political Challenges with Stacey Abrams
An Honorable Profession
In today’s episode, co-host Ryan Coonerty sits down with NewDEAL Alumna and former Georgia House Democratic Leader Stacey Abrams at the NewDEAL Forum’s Annual Ideas Summit in Atlanta. Abrams reflects on how she drove progress on big issues as the minority leader in the Georgia House between 2011 and 2017. She talks about how to model values-based leadership and encourages listeners to do the same, developing concrete guiding principles around which to rally their work. In addition, she cautions leaders to listen and understand the roots of people’s problems before jumping to policy...
info_outline
How Government Can Get Sh*t Done: Caitlin Lewis on Solving the Public Service Crisis
An Honorable Profession
This week, we bring you another episode of our series on How Government Can Get Sh*t Done, as host Debbie Cox Bultan sits down with Caitlin Lewis. Caitlin is the Executive Director of Work for America, an organization committed to addressing the talent shortage in public service by connecting qualified and passionate problem solvers with positions in state and local government. In today’s conversation, she speaks with Debbie about the shifting public service landscape under the Trump Administration, the economic challenges facing state budgets, and the unique opportunities for state and...
info_outline
How Michigan Manufacturing is Handling Tariffs with Lansing Mayor Andy Schor
An Honorable Profession
This week, host Ryan Coonerty speaks with Lansing, MI, Mayor Andy Schor whose community and state are at the center of national politics and the current debates around manufacturing, jobs, and tariffs. Mayor Schor discusses the disconnect between President Trump’s campaign promises versus the actual impacts his policies are having on the lives of the everyday Michiganders who elected him. He digs into the specific impacts of tariffs, including how they threaten mid-Michigan’s auto industry, as well as small businesses through the Lansing region, and speaks more broadly about how mayors...
info_outlineThis week, we want to take the opportunity to revisit our conversation with Iowa State Representative Megan Srinivas. She and co-host Ryan Coonerty talk about her journey as the child of immigrants in a small Iowa town, to a life changing visit to Kenya, to Harvard, and back to Iowa to represent disadvantaged communities. They discuss her storytelling strategies to create a middle ground on key issues like abortion and why medical professionals are well-positioned to run for office. Srinivas also explains how she embraces the diverse experiences of Iowans to align her messaging on key policy issues with people’s needs. Tune in to learn about her big policy ideas rooted in her unique background and how she balances her medical and legislative duties.
Enjoying An Honorable Profession? Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more great content! https://www.youtube.com/@NewdealleadersOrg/
• [01:06] An introduction to Iowa Representative Dr. Megan Srinivas and what motivates her to work in the legislature while practicing medicine.
• [05:30] Her work to improve the Prior Authorization policy in the form of a bipartisan bill. • [07:42] A trip to rural Kenya that transformed how she relates to others.
• [09:17] Formative experiences that sparked Dr. Srivas’s interest in global health and policy.
• [13:02] Applying global practices to rural Iowa by adopting a broader interpretation of healthcare.
• [16:42] Reframing key policies in order to create a middle ground with those who disagree.
• [19:38] Iowa’s identity as a Purple State and what it takes to connect with Iowans.
• [22:35] Predictions for 2024 and the messaging necessary to move the needle.
• [24:45] Advice for healthcare practitioners who might want to run for office.
• [26:01] How being a medical professional has helped Dr. Srinivas to build relationships.
• [29:23] The dearth of mental health support and facilities in Iowa and what needs to change.
• [31:46] Why there is an education crisis in Iowa and how this could be solved.
• [33:22] How Dr. Srinivas chooses to focus her energy in order to enact change.