Swamp Stories Episode 2: Extorting the People’s House

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.