Podcast episodes
When new members are elected to Congress, there’s a two-month gap between election day and their swearing-in. Not long after in 2019, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) exposed one of Washington’s most bizarre and corrupt secrets in an interview. What she didn’t know at the time was only a handful of other members of Congress had spoken so brazenly about how much they detested the practice – including White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Congressmen Ken Buck (R-CO) and Thomas Massey (R-KY), and a handful of others.
That secret — known as dialing for dollars, or committee dues — is the core of “Extorting the People’s House” — episode 2 of Issue One’s newest podcast “Swamp Stories.”
It features interviews with Congressman Ted Yoho (R-FL), former Congressman & DCCC Chair Vic Fazio (D-CA), and Issue One Research Director Michael Beckel who all walk through this party-driven practice that turns members of Congress into telemarketers, and repels both Republicans and Democrats, freshman lawmakers and veterans alike.
Listen to the full episode on iTunes or wherever you find podcasts, and find the full transcript and additional reading at http://www.swampstories.org/episode-2.
Issues: Party Dues, Swamp Stories Podcast
Podcast episodes
In the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, it became clear that the Electoral Count Act of 1887, the legislation that provides the framework governing the casting and counting of…
Podcast episodes
Election officials and poll workers are our friends, family, and neighbors. They are dedicated workers who manage a vital part of our democratic infrastructure. But because of a massive election…
Podcast episodes
The 2020 election season, while carried out successfully by dedicated election officials and poll workers, exposed one glaring problem with the U.S. system of elections: it is chronically underfunded. Though…
