Congressional Dish

In a Presidential Election year when the Big Two Parties have selected widely disliked candidates, is it possible to vote None of the Above into the Presidency? In this episode, by learning how the electoral college works, we explore our options for realistically denying the Presidency to the chosen candidates of the Republican and Democratic Parties. *This episode has been updated from it's original version for information accuracy. Please support Congressional Dish: to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! United States Electoral College , National Archives and Records Administration. , National Archives and Records Administration. , Fair Vote Democracy , United States House of Representatives , Fair Vote Presidential Elections Reform Program Sound Clip Sources: FBI News Conference: , Federal Bureau of Investigation, CSPAN, July 5, 2016. Video: , YouTube, May 3, 2016. Television News Clip: , CNN, July 12, 2015. Video: , YouTube, May 3, 2016. Videos: Video: By CGP Grey, YouTube, November 7, 2011. Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes , By Jennifer Briney, May 23, 2016. Additional Reading Article: By Missy Ryan, The Washington Post, September 8, 2016. Article: By Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, August 23, 2016. Article: By John Cassidy, The New Yorker, June 2, 2016. Article: By Celina Durgin, National Review, March 15, 2016. Article: By Kyley McGeeney, Pew Research Center, January 5, 2016. Article: By Rosalind S. Helderman and Carol D. Leonnig, The Washington Post, September 5, 2015. Additional Information Report by the Office of Inspector General: Office of Evaluations and Special Projects, May 2016. , State Elections Offices , Pew Reseach Center. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: by (found on by mevio) Cover Art Design by , with a special thanks to photographer for the awesome photo of the Bennett School for Girls.

The Federal Aviation Administration performs the essential work of keeping airplanes from crashing into each other in the sky; in this episode, we take a look at the new law that temporarily funds the FAA and makes some important changes to aviation law. We also travel back in time to the week after 9/11 to examine the origin of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and we examine some ideas that the current leaders of Congress have for the future of air travel in the United States and beyond. Please support Congressional Dish: to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Funding Extends FAA funding through Extends fuel and ticket taxes through Safety Establishes a deadline of for the FAA to have a online and available for use. Creates a maximum for pointing a laser pointer at an aircraft or in the path of an aircraft. Prohibits the FAA from hiring newly trained air traffic controllers The FAA must make sure that each employee of repair stations outside of the United States Drone Safety Over the next two years, the FAA and industry will have two work together to develop a method of . Starting in three years, drone manufacturers will have to informing customers of drone safety laws and regulations. The FAA will work together with the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to . A person who uses a drone to interfere with firefighting operations, law enforcement, or emergency response can be . The FAA will conduct a . In the next year, the FAA and NASA will conduct . Time Sensitive Aviation Reform By July 2017, regulations must be in effect requiring airlines to to anyone whose bags are not delivered within 12 hours after the arrival of a domestic flight or 15 hours after the arrival of an international flight. FAA needs to , including public comments, about the risks of eliminating contract weather observer service at 57 airports and can not discontinue contract weather observer service before . FAA must enact regulations requiring pilots of small airplanes to have driver's licenses and , completes a medical education course, Airlines will have to if it's waiting on the tarmac for 3 hours of a domestic flight or 4 hours for an international flight. TSA PreCheck Expansion TSA will add for citizens to use to enroll including online enrollment, kiosks, tablets, or staffed laptop stations. with privacy standards to the standards developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology Private administrators in excess of the costs of administering the program. Securing Aviation from Foreign Entry Points and Guarding Airports Through Enhanced Security TSA Administrator will be allowed to foreign airports with direct flights to the United States to train authorities of foreign governments in air transportation security. Aviation Security Enhancement and Oversight Enacts for people granted access to secure sections of airports Checkpoints of the Future Creates a at between 3 and 6 airports that will test new technologies and new baggage and personal screening systems. Services, supplies, equipment, personnel, and facilities for the pilot programs. Sound Clip Sources: Hearings Hearing: , Joint House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and Senate Appropriations Committee, September 20, 2001. Witnesses: Gerald Dillingham, Associate Director of the General Accounting Office Jane Garvey, Administration, FAA Kenneth Mead, Inspector General of the Department of Transportation Norman Mineta, Secretary of the Department of Transportation Hank Queen, Vice President of Boeing’s Engineering and Product Integrity division Timestamps and Transcripts {54:15} Kenneth Mead: Given the scope and complexity of the security challenge as we know it now, coupled with the long-standing history of problems with the aviation security program, I think the time’s come to revisit the option of vesting governance of the program and responsibility for the provision of security in one federal organization or not-for-profit federal corporation. This doesn’t mean that everybody has to be a federal employee, but it does mean a much more robust federal presence and control. That entity would have security as its primary and central focus, profession, and mission. Under our current system, we’ve asked FAA to oversee and regulate aviation security, and those charged with providing the security—the airlines and the airports—themselves face other priorities, missions, and indeed, in some cases, competing economic pressures. And I think a centralized, consolidated approach with a security mission would require passenger and baggage screeners to have uniform, more rigorous training, and performance standards applicable nationwide, and I think that would result in more consistent security across this country and have higher quality also. {1:22:46} Harold Rogers: Now, I want to ask you about Dulles. Did you check on the employees of the screening operation at Dulles Airport?Kenneth Mead: Yes. We’re checking on the citizens— Harold Rogers: Tell us the makeup of the staff there, in terms of their citizenship in the U.S., for example. Kenneth Mead: Yes. A substantial percentage of them are not U.S. citizens. Harold Rogers: What percent? Kenneth Mead: I think it’s about 80%. It may be somewhat more. {1:26:40} Harold Rogers: What about the turnover rate, Mr. Dillingham? I’ve been reading the GAO’s report on aviation security, issued June of 2000. I think you’re the principal author, are you not?Gerald Dillingham: Yes, sir. Harold Rogers: Tell us about the type of personnel that’s screening companies you’re hiring around the country at the airports to screen for terrorists. Gerald Dillingham: Let me go back just a little bit to the point you raised before. Screeners don’t have to be U.S. citizens. They can have a resident alien card as well. The other point you raised with regard to Argenbright, I think Argenbright is also a foreign-owned company as well. And with regard to the types of personnel that are being hired, one of the requirements is that you have a high school diploma or a GED. We have not checked the records of individual companies, but in the course of doing our work, we clearly got the idea that this was not a job where you would find the most skilled workers. Harold Rogers: They’re minimum-wage jobs, are they not? Gerald Dillingham: Yes, sir. Harold Rogers: And the turnover rate is exorbitantly high, is it not? Gerald Dillingham: Yes, sir. Harold Rogers: In one airport the turnover rate is 400% a year, correct? Gerald Dillingham: Yes, sir. Harold Rogers: In Atlanta it’s 375% a year. At Baltimore-Washington, 155; Boston Logan, 207; Chicago O’Hare, 200; and Houston, 237% a year; at St. Louis, 416% a year. Is that correct? Gerald Dillingham: Yes, sir. Harold Rogers: So these are untrained, inexperienced, the lowest-paid personnel, many of them certainly noncitizens, and by a company that got the contract by the lowest bid. Gerald Dillingham: Yes, sir. Harold Rogers: Now, what’s wrong with this picture? Gerald Dillingham: I think the picture is clear to everyone. {2:28:58} Carolyn Kilpatrick: This company that’s in 46 airports, that had the low-bid contract, that’s noncitizens, that handles securities, and has criminal convictions, who hired them?Norman Mineta: The airline is the one that contracts with each… Carolyn Kilpatrick: An airline. One airline. So did they all go together and hire them, or each airline hires them on its own? Norman Mineta: The airline hires the company and then the airlines—well, let me have Ken maybe go into that because he’s maybe got the list of airports with the contractors. Kenneth Mead: Yeah. The different airlines can hire the same security company, and that does happen. Carolyn Kilpatrick: Obviously. Low bids, so they’re going for cheapness. Kenneth Mead: Right. And some airports, Dulles, for example, you have the airlines get together there, and they hire one vendor, and in the case of Dulles, it’s Argenbright. In the case of other airports, where you have an airline, say, that has a dedicated concourse, and you have two or three concourses at that airport, you may have, in fact, three different firms providing the security— Carolyn Kilpatrick: Okay, thank you. Kenneth Mead: —each hired by a separate airline. Hearing: , Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, February 10, 2016. Witnesses: Mr. Paul Rinaldi, President, National Air Traffic Controllers Association Mr. Nicholas E. Calio, President and Chief Executive Officer, Airlines for America Mr. Ed Bolen, President and CEO, National Business Aviation Association Mr. Robert Poole, Director of Transportation Policy, Reason Foundation Timestamps and Transcripts {13:00} Bill Shuster: A key reform in this bill takes the ATC out of the Federal Government, and establishes a federally chartered, independent, not-for-profit corporation to provide that service. This corporation will be governed by a board representing the system’s users. {17:55} Bill Shuster: But I just want to say that August of this year, Canadians will launch their first satellites into space, and by the end of 2017, they will have over 70 satellites launched. They will have their GPS system up in space. Currently, today, we can only see 30 percent of the airspace on our current technology. When they deploy those 70 or so satellites, they will be able to see 100 percent of the airspace in the globe, the Canadians. I am told there’s already 15 or 16 countries that have signed up for their services. So Canadians, the NAV CAN, and their partners, they’re developing this system. I believe they are going to become the dominant controller of airspace in the world. They’re going to be able to fly planes over the North Atlantic and over the Pacific, straighter lines, closer together, more efficiently; and that’s when we’re going to really see our loss in leadership in the world, when it comes to controlling airspace and being the gold standard. {19:10} Bill Shuster: Again, this corporation we’re setting up is completely independent of the Federal Government. This is not a government corporation, a quasi-governmental entity, or a GSE. It is not that. The Federal Government will not back the obligations, the financial obligations, for this corporation. The corporation will simply provide a service. {27:27} Pete DeFazio: We’re talking about an asset—no one’s valued it—worth between $30 billion and $50 billion that will be given to the private corporation free of charge. That’s unprecedented. There have been two privatizations: one privatization in Canada—they paid $1.4 billion; it was later found that it was undervalued by about $1 billion. I believe in Britain they paid a little over $1 billion for it. We’re going to take a much larger entity, controlling a lot of real estate, some in some very expensive areas like New York City, and we are going to give it to a private corporation, and the day after they establish, they can do with those assets whatever they wish. They can sell them, and we have no say. {30:11} Pete DeFazio: If someone controls the routes, and they control the conditions under which you access those routes, and they control the investment in the system itself, which means maybe we don’t want to invest in things that serve medium and small cities—they aren’t profit centers; why should we be putting investment there—you know, we are keeping control of the airspace? I guess there’s some technical way we’re keeping control of it, but none of that will be subject to any elected representative. {1:00:05} Ed Bolen: Our nation’s air traffic control system is a monopoly, and it will stay a monopoly, going forward. The airlines, for 30 years, have been lobbying Congress so that they can seize control of that natural monopoly and exert their authority over it. We think that is a fatally flawed concept. The public airspace belongs to the public, and it should be run for the public’s benefit. Do we really think that, given control of this monopoly, the airlines would run it for every American’s benefit? Reading the headlines over the past year would suggest that’s probably not the case. ‘‘Airline Consolidation Hits Small Cities the Hardest,’’ wrote the Wall Street Journal; ‘‘Justice Department Investigating Potential Airline Price Collusion,’’ wrote the Washington Post; ‘‘Airline Complaints on the Rise’’ was a headline in the Hill; ‘‘Airlines Reap Record Profits and Passengers Get Peanuts.’’ That appeared in the New York Times this past weekend. {1:02:30} Ed Bolen: We’re talking about giving them unbridled authority to make decisions about access, about rates, charges, about infrastructure. This is a sweeping transfer of authority. {1:31:12} Don Young: Will the gentleman yield? Let’s talk about the board.Bill Shuster: Certainly. Don Young: You got four big airlines board members. Bill Shuster: Right. Don Young: NATCA now is supporting it. And I question that, by the way. I fought for you every inch of the way, and we want to find out what is behind that. General aviation has one. Unknown: Two. Don Young: Two? Unknown: General aviation has two. Don Young: OK, two. Where’s the other one? Bill Shuster: Two to the government. Don Young: Two—and who are they going to be? Do we have any input on that? No. We do not. The president has—— Bill Shuster: The Department of Transportation will have it. Don Young: The president. And we’re the Congress of the United States. I’d feel a lot better if we were to appoint them. Why should we let a president appoint them? This is our job as legislators. If we’re going to change the system, let us change it with us having some control over it, financially. And the board members should be appointed from the Congress. I am not going to give any president any more authority. That is the wrong—we have done this over and over again. We give the president—we might as well have a king. I don’t want a king. Hearing: , House Homeland Security Committee, May 25, 2016. Witness: Peter Neffenger, Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Timestamps and Transcripts {09:20} Bennie Thompson: In fiscal year 2011, there were approximately 45,000 TSOs screening 642 million passengers. In FY 2016, TSA had 3,000 fewer TSOs screening roughly 740 million anticipated passengers, almost 100 million more passengers and 3,000 fewer screeners. {11:11} Bennie Thompson: TSA should have access to all of the aviation security fees collected by the flying public to bolster security. Yet, the passage of the Budget Act of 2013, TSA is required to divert $13 billion collected in security fees toward the deficit reduction for the next 10 years. This year alone, 1.25 billion has been diverted. {29:40} Michael McCaul: And finally, do you support—well, I can’t say—do you support the concept of expanding TSA’s pre-check program, which, I think, would move a lot of people in the long lines into the pre-check lines, which, I think, would solve many of these problems as well.Pete Neffenger: Absolutely. In fact, that’s one of my fundamental priorities is to dramatically expand the pre-check population and dramatically expand the capability to enroll people in pre-check. {48:30} Pete Neffenger: Right now we do not seem to have trouble meeting our recruiting targets. We have a large pool of people that have been pre-vetted. That’s why we were able to rapidly begin to hire that 768 because we had a large pool of available applicants that had been screened that were looking for work. I still want to work on bringing more of that back in house than is currently done. As you know, we work through a private contractor to do our hiring and recruiting right now. {49:53} Mike Rogers: I plan to introduce legislation to transform TSA from an HR nightmare to a security-focused organization by reforming and greatly expanding the Screening Partnership Program. Having worked on these issues for more than a decade, I’ve seen that TSA can do a mission when it’s given a clear, succinct mission. My bill is going to allow more airports to hire qualified private contractors, capable of managing day-to-day operations, and make TSA the driving force to oversee intelligence-based security strategies. {1:41:30} Buddy Carter: You and I have spoken before about privatization, and as you know, in full disclosure, I’m really big on privatization. Atlanta and the bigger airports are indicating to us, or at least to me, that it’s beyond the scope of a bureaucracy to be able to do this, and I just don’t get a warm and fuzzy feeling that you’re embracing privatization here. Congress passed the Screening Partnership Program. Tell me what you’re doing to implement that? We need to get to a point where you’re on the other side of the table; you’re asking the questions and overseeing this as opposed to being here answering the questions from us.Pete Neffenger: We’ve made a lot of changes to streamline that process. I was concerned that it takes a long time because it has to go out on bid, it has to go out on contract and the like. I have said repeatedly that the law allows for this. I will work with any airport that’s interested. In fact, I have directed airports like Atlanta to go out and talk to San Francisco because that’s the only large category x airport that has a contracted screening force, and we’ll continue to work with them. I think that there are things that we can do. We are somewhat hampered by the way the federal acquisition rules work. Remember, that’s a workforce that’s contracted to the Federal Government, not through the— Buddy Carter: Hold on. I don’t mean to interrupt you, but I want to know. You say you’re hampered. I want to know how I can help you to become unhampered, if that’s a word. Pete Neffenger: Well, as I said, we follow the contracting rules under the Federal Government contracting requirements. It’s a contract to the Federal Government, so I want to make sure that it’s fair and is open competition and you have to give people the opportunity to participate in that. We’ll work with anybody who wants to do that. Buddy Carter: Well, understand that I want to work with you so that we can streamline that process. I still don’t get the feeling that you’re embracing it, and I want to know what you’re doing to encourage it, to the privatization of it. Pete Neffenger: Well, again, it’s up to the airport to determine whether they want to do it. We advertise its availability, we make available information about it. There’s a screening private partnership office that manages that. Additional Sound Clips Video: , Daily Mail, August 21, 2016. Video: , YouTube, August 15, 2016. Television News Clip: , CBS New York, August 14, 2016. Television News Clip: , CBS Chicago, May 16, 2016. Television News Clip: By John Garcia and Laura Podesta, ABC News Chicago, May 16, 2016. Television News Clip: , CBS This Morning, July 20, 2015. Television News Clip: , ABC News, March 2, 2015. Additional Reading Article: By David Wallace-Wells, New York Magazine, August 15, 2016. Article: , Spokane International Airport, Aviation Pros, July 14, 2016. Article: By Andy Pasztor, The Wall Street Journal, April 19, 2016. Article: By Elaine Kauh, AVWeb, February 5, 2016. Article: By Andy Pasztor, The Wall Street Journal, February 3, 2016. Article By Joseph Coughlin and Luke Yoquinto, Slate, February 2, 2016. Article: By James B. Steele, Vanity Fair, December 2015. Article: By Joan Lowy, PBS Newshour, October 14, 2015. Article: By Lee Fang, The Intercept, May 27, 2015. Press Release: , The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, May 27, 2014. Article: By Jeff Plungis. Bloomberg, December 6, 2013. Article: By Jason Samenow, The Washington Post, May 1, 2013. Article: By Jill R. Aitoro, Washington Business Journal, April 9, 2013. Article: By John Croft, Aviation Daily, October 5, 2012. Article: By Cody Carlson, Deseret News, August 5, 2012. Article: By The CNN Wire Staff, CNN, August 5, 2011. Article: By Dylan Matthews, The Washington Post, August 3, 2011. Article By Ashley Halsey III, The Washington Post, August 2, 2011. Article: By Ashley Halsey III, The Washington Post, July 25, 2011. Article: By Joan Lowy, Yahoo News, July 5, 2011. Article: By Marcus Baram, The Huffington Post, November 23, 2010. Article: By James Ridgeway, Mother Jones, January 4, 2010. Article: , U.S. Government Accountability Office, October 7, 2009. Additional Information Open Secrets: , National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, July 22, 2004. Reports , Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, January 11, 2016. By Bart Elias, Congressional Research Service, December 16, 2013. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: by (found on by mevio) Cover Art Design by

Congress goes on vacation; the Executive Branch escalates a war. In this episode, we look back at the 2011 Libya regime change to understand why we are bombing again in 2016. Executive Producer: Anonymous Please support Congressional Dish: to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Sound Clip Sources: Hearings Department of Defense Libya Briefing: , Peter Cook, Department of Defense Press Secretary, August 1, 2016. Timestamps and Transcripts {00:31} Peter Cook: I want to begin today with an update on the campaign to defeat ISIL wherever it tries to spread. Today at the request of Libya’s Government of National Accord, the United States conducted precision air strikes against ISIL targets in Sirte, Libya to support GNA-affiliated forces seeking to defeat ISIL and its primary stronghold in Libya. These strikes were authorized by the president, following a recommendation from Secretary Carter and Chairman Dunford. They are consistent with our approach of combating ISIL by working with capable and motivated local partners. GNA-aligned forces have had success in recapturing territory from ISIL, and additional U.S. strikes will continue to target ISIL in Sirte and enable the GNA to make a decisive, strategic advance. As you may have seen earlier today, Prime Minister al-Sarraj, the head of the GNA, announced that he had specifically requested these strikes as part of the GNA’s campaign to defeat ISIL in Libya. As we’ve said for some time, the United States supports the GNA. We would be prepared to carefully consider any requests for military assistance. We have now responded to that request, and we’ll continue to work closely with the GNA to help the government restore stability and security in Libya. {05:37} Reporter: And then how long the campaign will last? Cook: Again, we’ll be in—this will depend on the requests of support from the GNA, and we’re proceeding along that line. We don’t have an endpoint at this particular moment in time, but we’ll be working closely with the GNA. {13:35} Reporter: Previous intelligence estimates had ISIS at a fighting force of around—up to 6,000, I believe. Is that the current assessment that you guys have? Cook: The assessment numbers that I’ve seen, and, again, I would—it’s hard to gauge ISIL numbers anywhere, but I’ve seen that number, at least our assessment is that it’s been reduced, and the number may be closer to 1,000 now. Reporter: That was in Libya, all together? Cook: In Libya, all together. Reporter: Okay. And lastly— Cook: I’m sorry. That’s specific to Sirte, but that’s the predominant area where ISIL has, in terms of geography, has occupied. So… Reporter: Got it. {15:50} Reporter: So there was a strike today, one in February that you confirmed previously. Is this the third strike now? Was there one before the one in February? Cook: Yes, there was an earlier strike. I believe it was November was the first strike against ISIL by U.S. military. {16:50} Reporter: In answer to a previous question, you said initially there were no U.S. forces on the ground, and then you seemed to clarify later you meant specifically to this operation. Are you saying that right now there are—are you making it clear there are no U.S. teams of any kind on the ground, or are you just specifically saying there are no U.S. on the ground related to this particular operation? Cook: I’m—this is specific to this operation. I’m not going to get into what we’ve talked about previously, the small number of U.S. forces that will be on the ground in Libya. They’ve been in and out, and I’m not going to get into that any further. {24:50} Reporter: You keep comparing this to the strikes at the—strikes in November and February, which were going after a high-value individuals. They were after specific individuals versus my understanding of this—correct me if I’m wrong—is this is the beginning of a campaign, an air campaign in Libya, in which the U.S. military is supporting GNA militias who have pledged their loyalty to the GNA. Is that fair? Is this the beginning of—president has approved these strikes and they will continue until Sirte is liberated. Cook: They will continue as long as the GNA is requesting—Reporter: But they don’t have to put in the request every single time. There is now this blanket authority that exists for the U.S. military to strike when the GNA puts in their requests, right? Cook: These requests—these requests will be carefully coordinated with the GNA. This all originates from GNA requests for assistance, and the president has given the authority for us to have—to carefully consider those requests. Reporter: Okay. But just to be clear, because I think comparing this to these two previous strikes that were going after individuals, each one, it sounds as if this is—these were strikes that were carried out today and that’s to be the end of it. But this is the beginning of an air campaign over Libya, correct? Cook: We are prepared to carry out more strikes in coordination with the GNA if those requests are forthcoming, and so— Reporter: Again, the request has been granted, right? There was—with the GNA— Cook: The authorization has been granted. {28:30} Reporter: Under what legal authority are these strikes being conducted? Cook: The 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force, similar to our previous air strikes in Libya. {33:17} Reporter And one last thing. You’ve made many references to civilians in Sirte. What is the U.S. estimate of how many civilians remain in Sirte? Cook: I’ll try to get that number for you; I don’t know that offhand. {35:00} Reporter: Peter, were leaflets dropped on that tank and those vehicles before the air strikes? Cook: I’m not aware that they were. Hearing: , Senate Armed Services Committee, June 21, 2016. Witnesses: Lieutenant General Thomas Waldhauser, Director for Joint Force Development for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, nominee for AFRICOM director Joseph Lengyel, Chief of National Guard Bureau Timestamps and Transcripts {20:35} Lt. General Waldhauser: We have two significant objectives for the United States: one is to get the Government of National Accord up and running, and the second is to disrupt Libya—disrupt ISIL inside Libya. {22:40} Senator John McCain: So, right now you don’t think we need additional U.S. military presence. Waldhauser: At the moment, no.McCain: “At the moment” means to me, we don’t have a strategy. I don’t know what “at the moment”—unfortunately, this administration has reacted “at the moment” with incrementalism, mission creep, a gradual escalation in Iraq and Syria, and I don’t want to see the same thing in Libya, but I’m beginning to see the same thing. Do we have a strategy for Libya, or are we just acting in an ad hoc fashion, which was—it’s been the case, as we’ve watched ISIS establish, metastasize, and grow in Libya. Waldhauser: Well, as indicated, the two strategic objectives that we do have for Libya is to assist the— McCain: I know the objectives; do we have a strategy? Waldhauser: To continue to support that right at this point in time, I am not aware of any overall grand strategy at this point. {1:03:55} Senator Angus King: Does the GNA control the military and the police forces? Waldhauser: Senator, and to my knowledge I would not use the word “control;” I think at the moment these militias, it seems to me, appear to be working in a direction that Sarraj would like to go, but I would, at this point and if confirmed I’ll look into this, but I would not use the word “control” for the GNA over the militias. King: But ultimately that’s going to have to happen if they’re going to control the territory. Waldhauser: Ultimately it will have to happen because you won’t have a secure and working government unless they have control of a military, and in this case numerous militias across that country. Hearing: , Senate Foreign Relations Committee, June 15, 2016. Witness Jonathan Winer, State Department Special Envoy for Libya Timestamps and Transcripts {20:50} Senator Ben Cardin: Could you tell us whether the administration is anticipating sending up an authorization to Congress for its military campaign in Libya? Winer: I don’t know of a military campaign in Libya being contemplated, Senator. {28:15} Winer: I think that the problem is not so much pumping it out and losing it—there’s still room for further exploration, further development—as it is the problem of too much money going out and not enough coming in, where the IMF has said to us, for example, there is no solution, no reforms, they can take if they’re not producing their oil. Senator David Perdue: Their debt situation’s already in a crisis level. Winer: Their very difficult economic situation right now is a result of not pumping their oil. They should be pumping 1.5 million a day; they’ve been pumping less than 400,000 a day. Last week I talked with the head of the petroleum forces and said, you’ve got to turn the oil back on. Now he now supports the Government of National Accord, his forces have been fighting to get rid of Daesh, and I think that oil is going to be turned on. It’s absolutely critical. There are forces in the West—there’s Zintan, they’ve shutdown formed in 40,000 barrels a day because some of their concerns have not met.Perdue: And does ISIS, since that’s such an important economic issue—I’m sorry to interrupt— Winer: Yes, sir. Perdue: But, does ISIS pose a threat to that oil production, even if they could turn it up? Winer: To the production, yes. To exploitation, probably not. The pipelines run north-south, south-north, and they are not really exploitable in Libya in the way they’ve been exploitable in Iraq. Daesh did attack the oil crescent area and destroyed some terminals, some areas where oil was being stored at the terminals, and that’s probably reduced their capacity some, but it’s quite limited damage at this point. One of the things that’s really impressive about the efforts against Daesh in the Sirte region and the oil crescent region is it’s begun to push them away from their ability to threaten Libya’s future oil production. So that’s a significant development. But the Libyans need to draw together and address one another’s grievances so that everybody agrees to allow the oil to be pumped again. Hearing: , Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, March 3. 2016. Witnesses Fred Wehrey - Senior Associate, Middle East Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Claudia Gazzini - Senior Analyst, Libya, International Crisis Group Timestamps and Transcripts {23:10} Fred Wehrey: I just returned last night from Libya, where I saw first hand the country’s humanitarian plight, political divisions, and the struggle against the self-proclaimed Islamic State. I spoke to the young militia fighters who are on the front lines against the Islamic State. I heard stories from the victims of its atrocities. What struck me most is that Libya’s fragmentation into armed militias, tribes, and towns has created a vacuum that the Islamic State is exploiting, and this dissolution also presents a number of risks for U.S. and Western strategy against the Islamic State. First, there is no national military command through which the U.S. and its allies can channel counterterrorism aid; the country is split between two loose constellations of armed actors, so-called Dignity camp in the East and the Dawn camp in the West. Now, over the last year, these two factions have fragmented, splintered, to the point that they exist in name only, and although the factions signed an agreement in December for a new Government of National Accord, that government remains stillborn and unable to exert its authority. A key stumbling block is the question of who and what faction will control the country’s armed forces, but perhaps most worrisome is that these two camps are still, in my view, more focused on viewing each other as a threat rather than the Islamic State. Many are, in fact, using the danger posed by the Islamic State as a pretext to wage war against local rivals over political supremacy, turf, and economic spoils. Both sides accuse the other of with the Islamic State. {30:24} Claudia Gazzini: The country’s economic situation is also dire. Libya, as you know, is an oil-rich country, but over the past two years, production of crude oil has plummeted because of attacks on oil fields and oil terminals. The drop in oil prices has forced the country to run a deficit of up to two, three billion dollars a month, and this has rapidly drained the country’s reserves of foreign currency, which are now between 50 and 60 billion dollars, less than half of what they were just two years ago. {36:31} Senator Bob Corker Speaking of special operators, right now it appears there’s a wide variety of foreign special operations forces on the ground in Libya. Both U.S. and Europe have bold plans for supporting the GNA. If the GNA is supported under heavy Western hand does that cause—does that not cause them to lack legitimacy in the eyes of Libyans? {38:15} Wehrey: There is the sense that this is the third government, that it’s been imposed, and so, yeah, if there is military support flowing to that government, it could create some dissonance. {58:25} Senator Ed Markey: Dr. Wehrey, the Wall Street Journal recently reported that the United States military and some allies, including France and the UK, have for months been preparing plans for a second intervention into Libya to support a potential Government of National Accord. The report also said that we and our partners have already established a coalition coordinating center in Rome. Sound Clip Sources: News & Documentaries RT Newscast: , Reported by Maria Finoshina, RT, June 30, 2011. RT Newscast: , Reported by Laura Emmett, RT, May 5, 2011. BBC Documentary on Libya: Before Rats Freedom & Democracy in Lybia (2008): Additional Hearings, Documentaries, and News Segments Hearing: , Senate Select Intelligence Committee, June 16, 2016. Documentary: , By Winfried Spinler (2001), Published on YouTube November 14, 2013. Hearing: , Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, April 18. 2012. Hillary Clinton CBS New Interview: , CBS News, October 20, 2011. Hearing: , Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, June 28, 2011. Hearing: , House Foreign Affairs Committee, May 25, 2011. Hearing: , Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, April 6, 2011. Hearing: , House Foreign Affairs Committee, March 31, 2011. Hearing: , Senate Armed Services Committee, March 29, 2011. , United Nations Security Council, March 17, 2011. Al Jazeera English Television Broadcast: , February 22, 2011. Current News Libya 2016 Article: By Tom Kington, Defense News, August 11, 2016. Article: By News Wires, France 24, August 11, 2016. Article: By Saifuddin al-Trabulsi and Osama Ali, Anadolu Agency, August 11, 2016. Article: By Missy Ryan and Sudarsan Raghavan, The Washington Post, August 9, 2016. Article: By Eric Draitser, Sri Lanka Guardian, August 9, 2016. Press Briefing: , Spokesperson John Kirby, August 2, 2016. Article: By Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press, Fox News, August 2, 2016. Article: By Ben Norton, Salon, August 2, 2016. Article: , Stratfor, August 1, 2016. Article: By Dan Glazebrook, RT, July 30, 2016. Article: , Al Jazeera, July 30, 2016. Article: , Al Jazeera, July 21, 2016. Article: , Al Jazeera, July 20, 2016. Article: By Eric Draitser, New Eastern Outlook, July 14, 2016. Article: , Al Jazeera, July 9, 2016. Article: By Chris Stephen, The Guardian, July 7, 2016. Article: By Nick Paton Walsh, CNN World News, May 26, 2016. Executive Order by Preseident Barack Obama: , The White House Office of the Press Secretary, April 19, 2016. Article: , The National, April 7, 2016. Article: , Al Jazeera, March 31, 2016. Article: By Chris Stephen, The Guardian, March 30, 2016. Article: By Ellen Brown, Counter Punch, March 14, 2016. Article: By Ben Norton, Salon, March 2, 2016. Article: By Jo Becker and Scott Shane, The New York Times, February 27, 2016. Article: By Eric Schmitt, The New York Times, February 21, 2016. Article: By Declan Walsh, Ben Hubbard and Eric Schmitt, The New York Times, February 19, 2016. Article: By Jack Smith, CounterPunch, February 5, 2016. Article: By Eric Schmitt, The New York Times, February 4, 2016. Article: By The Editorial Board, The New York Times, January 26, 2016. Article: By Avi Asher-Schapiro, Vice News, January 12, 2016. Additional Reading Libya 2011 to 2015 Article: By Peter Baker, The New York Times, October 3, 2015. Article: , Reuters, August 4, 2015. Article: By David Vine, Politico Magazine, July/August 2015. Article: By Benjamin Siegel and John Parkinson, ABC News, June 17, 2015. Article: By Nafeez Ahmed, Truthout, May 30, 2015. Article: By Nafeez Ahmed, The Cutting Edge, May 13, 2015. Article: By Caroline Alexander and Salma El Wardany, Bloomberg, May 10, 2015. Article: By Ulf Laessing, Reuters, March 23, 2015. Article: , Al Jazeera, March 9, 2015. Article: , Al Jazeera, December 14, 2014. Article: By Nick Turse, Mother Jones, September 6, 2013. Article: By Mathaba, May 13, 2013. Article: By David D. Kirkpatrick, The New York Times, July 8, 2012. Article: By David D. Kirkpatrick, The New York Times, July 7, 2012. Article: By Neil MacFarquhar, The New York Times, October 20, 2011. Article: , CBS News/Associated Press, September 2, 2011. Article: By John Irish and Keith Weir, Reuters, September 1, 2011. Article: By Julian Borger and Terry Macalister, The Guardian, September 1, 2011. Article: , Human Rights Investigations, July 27, 2011. Article: By Associated Pess, Fox News World, July 22, 2011. Article: By Sebnem Arsu and Steven Erlanger, The New York Times, July 15, 2011. Article: By Steven Mufson, The Washington Post, June 10, 2011. Article: By Jonathan Stevenson, Foreign Affairs, May 9, 2011. Article: , Reuters, April 22, 2011. Article: By Bill Varner, Bloomberg, March 22, 2011. Article: By Steven Erlanger, The New York Times, March 18, 2011. Article: By Dan Bilefsky and Mark Landler, The New York Times, March 17, 2011. Article: By Steven Lee Myers, The New York Times, March 14, 2011. Article: By Joe Weisenthal, Business Insider, February 28, 2011. President Barack Obama Executive Order: , The White House Office of the Press Secretary, February 25, 2011. Libya Prior to 2011 Article: , Al Jazeera, February 2, 2009. Article: By Walter J. Boyne, Air Force Magazine, January 2008. Article: By Simon Tisdall, The Guardian, June 26, 2007. Article: By Scott McLeod, Time, May 18, 2006. Article: By John Watkins, BBC News, March 18, 2006. Article: By Neil A. Lewis, May 17, 1991. E Book/Pdf: By Muammar Al Qaddafi, Originally published 1975. Additional Information Encyclopaedia Britannica Online: Energy Information Administration: WikiLeaks: , September 2, 2011. Wikileaks: , March 27, 2011. Wikileaks: , March 4, 2011. Wikipedia: Reports By Christopher M. Blanchard, Congressional Research Service, May 13, 2016. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: by (found on by mevio) Cover Art Design by

Netroots Nation is an annual political conference where "progressive" politicians, journalists, and activists gather to exchange ideas. In this episode, Jen highlights her experience at Netroots Nation 2016. Included are an update on the status of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and other interesting insights into the current state of the Democratic Party's political base. Please support Congressional Dish: to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Sound Clip Sources Netroots Nation Introduction Clip: , YouTube, July 16, 2016. Additional Reading Article: By Fredreka Schouten, USA Today, July 20, 2016. Article: By Dan De Luce, Foreign Policy, May 15, 2016. Article: By Dave Levinthal, The Center for Public Integrity, April 7, 2016. Article: , BBC News, September 12, 2015. Article: By Globes Online, Israel Business News, January 7, 2010. Book: By Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway, May 24, 2011. Additional Information Mistral Security Website: Supreme Court of the United States Blog: OpenSecrets: OpenSecrets: Documentary: Directed by Robert Kenner, 2015. Reports , January 4, 2013. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: by (found on by mevio) Cover Art Design by

Impeachment: A serious punishment for serious corruption. In this episode, learn why Congress has begun the process of impeaching IRS Commissioner John Koskinen and how his impeachment would prevent light from being shined upon dark money in politics. Executive Producer: Anonymous Please support Congressional Dish: to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Bill Outlines any information about their contributors, including the person's name, address, or the amount of their contribution or gift on their annual tax returns. Passed the House of Representatives Author: Statement of Administration Policy: By Representative Peter Roskam and 25 cosponsors, Executive Office of the President, June 13, 2016. Suggests that John Koskinen should resign or be fired by the President Suggests that John Koskinen be denied his all of his retirement payments from the Federal government Allows the United States Tax Court, the United States Court of Federal Claims, or the district court of the United States for the District of Columbia to determine qualifications for 501(c)4 status if the IRS hasn't made the determination after 270 days. Congress must be notified why the IRS Commissioner decides an employee Requires IRS employee and then be for unauthorized disclosures and inspections. IRS employees from using personal email accounts for official business Gives organizations the ability to to include gifts to 501(c)4 organizations as one that makes less than $50 million a year fines for unauthorized inspection or disclosure of tax returns by 10 times the current penalties Institutes for at least 30 days for any IRS employee that reviews an application for tax exempt status "using any methodology that applies disproportionate scrutiny to any applicant based on the ideology expressed in the name or purpose of the organization". Allows the United States Tax Court, the United States Court of Federal Claims, or the district court of the United States for the District of Columbia if the IRS hasn't made the determination after 270 days. the Treasury Inspector General to Investigate criteria used to evaluate applications for tax exempt status to determine whether the criteria discriminates against taxpayers on the basis of race, religion, or political ideology. The will be the standard used, and before . of this bill prohibits the standard from changing before Sound Clip Sources Hearing: , House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, June 22, 2016. Hearing: , House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, May 24, 2016. Hearing: , Senate Finance Committee, October 27, 2015. Additional Reading Article: By Daniel Newhauser, Government Executive, June 30, 2016. Article: By Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, June 24, 2016. Article: By Norm Ornstein, The Atlantic, June 22, 2016. Article: By Lynnley Browning, Chicago Tribune, June 21, 2016. Article: By Fredreka Schouten, USA Today, June 14, 2016. Article: By Colleen Murphy, Bloomberg Bureau of National Affairs, June 13, 2016. Article: By Robert Maguire, Open Secrets, February 12, 2016. Article: By Jonathan Mahler and Nicholas Confessore, The New York Times, December 19, 2015. Article: By Michael Beckel, The Center for Public Integrity, January 29, 2014. Article: By Chris Zubak-Skees, The Center for Public Integrity, January 16, 2014. Article: By Robert Maguire, OpenSecrets, December 3, 2013. Article: By Andy Kroll, Mother Jones, November 21, 2013. Additional Information SourceWatch: OpenSecrets: Reports IRS Return Selection: , United States Government Accountability Office, December 2015. By Aaron Forbes and Julia Lawless, United States Senate Committee on Finance, August 5, 2015. By Treasury Inspector General For Tax Administration, May 14, 2013. The Internal Revenue Service's Processing Of 501(c)(3) And 501(c)(4) Applications For Tax-Exempt Status Submitted By ‘‘Political Advocacy’’ By The United States Senate Committee on Finance, August 5, 2015. Organizations From 2010–2013 Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: by (found on by mevio) Cover Art Design by

Puerto Rico is in trouble and only the U.S. Congress can help the island of U.S. citizens. Does the bill quickly moving through Congress actually help Puerto Rico? Executive Producer: Kevin Please support Congressional Dish: to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Bill Highlights Definitions : "Any political subdivision, public agency, instrumentality - including any instrumentality that is also a bank - or public corporation of a territory, and this term should be broadly construed to effectuate the purposes of this Act." : "To provide a method for a covered territory to achieve fiscal responsibility and access tot he capital markets." Article IV, section 3 of the Constitution "Provides Congress the power to dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations for territories." The Oversight Board will have the power to demand budgets from any public agency. The Oversight Board has the power to exclude any public agency from the requirements of this law. Seven members appointed by the President. Six of the selections will be from lists created by Congress. Two people must be selected from two different lists submitted by the Speaker of the House of Representatives Two people must be picked from a list created by the Majority Leader of the Senate One person must be selected from a list created by the House Minority Leader One person must be selected from a list created by the Senate Minority Leader One person will be picked by the President on the board has to be a territory resident or "have a primary place of business in the territory" The The Governor, or his designee, will be an : 3 years : Can be done by the President "only for cause" : The member can serve until someone else is appointed. Must have "knowledge and expertise in finance, municipal bond markets, management, law, or the organization or operation of business or government" No one who has worked for the territory's government is allowed on the Oversight Board Rules for the Oversight Board The work of the Oversight Board : Approve of fiscal plans Approve a budget To waive a law To approve or disapprove an infrastructure project The Oversight Board can change the territory's laws "with the greatest degree of independence practicable" The Oversight Board may conduct their business . The Board will determine his/her salary The Executive Director , as long as none of them get more than he does. Are allowed but need to be publicly disclosed "The Executive Director and staff of the Oversight Board may be appointed and paid governing appointments and salaries. Any provision of the laws of the covered territory governing procurement shall not apply to the Oversight Board." The Oversight Board "shall have the right to secure copies, whether written or electronic, of such records, documents, information, data, or metadata from the territorial government" about how much money they think they're owed Failure to obey an Oversight Board will be punished in court according to territorial laws. The Oversight Board must "ensure prompt enforcement" of any territorial laws "prohibiting public sector employees from participating in a strike or lockout Any legal action against the Oversight Board must be filed in a United States district court for the territory, or in the US District Court for Hawaii if that territory doesn't have one. The courts to consider challenges to the Oversight Board's certification determinations The Oversight Board will be in an amount chosen by the Oversight Board. Until the territory creates the law providing permanent funding, the territory must transfer whatever the Oversight Board requests in its budget - at least - to a fund controlled by the Oversight Board. The Oversight Board to give some money back The territory is prohibited from exercising any oversight of the Oversight Board activities or from enacting any law related to the Oversight Board that "defeat the purposes of this Act" Fiscal plans submitted by the Governor will have to get certification from the Oversight Board. A fiscal plan developed by the Oversight Board will be If the Governor and Legislature don't have a budget certified by the first day of the fiscal year, the Oversight Board's budget . Contract Reviews The Oversight Board can "to ensure such proposed contracts promote market competition" Sense of Congress: Territorial government should be a If a "contract, rule, regulation, or executive order" fails to comply with Oversight Board policies, the Oversight Board The Oversight Board will be able to rescind any law enacted between and the day all members and the Chair of the Oversight Board are appointed. They comply with a court order, implement a Federal Government program, implement laws that match Oversight Board policies, or maintain Federally funded mass transportation assets. The Oversight Board to make recommendations to change how pensions are paid to government employees and to transfer government services and entities to the private sector The Board to cut budgets for services, institute hiring freezes, and cut off agencies from making financial transactions. Will need the approval of 5/7 Oversight Board members As long as the Oversight Board is in operation, the territorial government . The territory needs to balance its budget for 4 consecutive years and the Oversight Board must certify that the banks are willing to lend to the territorial government The territories' debt is not backed by and will not be paid by the United States. (the bankruptcy chapter) to restructure it's debt. Banks ("creditors") that to a payment moritorium will not be bound by it. Allows the Governor of Puerto Rico to [lower the minimum wage to for new employees until the Oversight Board is terminated, not more than four years. Lawsuits against Puerto Rico for repayment are prohibited from the day of enactment of this law until . Revitalization Coordinator There will be a Revitalization Coordinator under the command of the Oversight Board, who will be . The Revitalization Coordinator must have in the planning, predevelopment, financing, development, operations, engineering, or market participation of infrastructure projects who isn't currently contracting with the government of Puerto Rico and was not a former government employee after 2012. The Revitalization Coordinator will be . Project Assessments Will include how the project contributes "to transitioning to " Expedited Permits Relevant agencies of Puerto Rico's government need to create an for the infrastructure projects declared "critical" by the Revitalization Coordinator. "Any transactions, processes, projects, works, or programs essential to the completion of a Critical Project shall continue to be processed and completed under such Expedited Permitting Process " If a project is determined by "the Planning Board" to likely affect the implementation of existing Puerto Rican land use plans or an approved Integrated Resource Plan, the project will be for Critical Project designation. The Oversight Board can that would "adversely impact the Expedited Permitting Process Limited Access to Courts Lawsuits against a "critical project" must be brought of the decision the lawsuit would challenge. Vote June 9, 2016: Passed the House of Representatives Sound Clip Sources TV Episode: , April 17 2016. TV Episode: , March 8, 2015. Hearing: , House Committee on Natural Resources, May 25, 2016. Hearing: , House Committee on Natural Resources, May 24, 2016. Hearing: , House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, February 25, 2016. Hearing: , United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, December 1, 2015. Hearing: , Senate Judiciary Committee, December 1, 2015. Additional Reading Article: By Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press, ABC News, June 21, 2016. Article: By Erik Larson, Bloomberg, June 21, 2016. Article: By Rachel Greszler, The Daily Signal, June 13, 2016. Article: By Lydia Wheeler, The Hill, June 13, 2016. Article: By Rachel Greszler and Salim Furth, The Daily Signal, June 8, 2016. Article: By Mike DeBonis, The Washington Post, May 23, 2016. Articles: , The New York Times, Last Updated May 23, 2016. Article: By Ryan Grim and Paul Blumenthal, The Huffington Post, May 13, 2016. Articles: , The New York Times, Last Updated May 7, 2016. Article: By Jon Greenberg, Politifact, April 27, 2016. Article: By Rupert Neate, The Guardian, February 14, 2016. Article: By Maria Levis, Health Affairs Blog, December 29, 2015. Article: By Jonathan Mahler and Nicholas Confessore, The New York Times, December 19, 2015. Article: By Chris Bury, PBS, August 13, 2015. Article: , By Jose Fajgenbaum, Jorge Guzman, and Claudio Loser, Centennial Group International, July 2015. Article: By Michelle Kaske, Bloomberg, May 19, 2015. Article: By Larry Rohter, The New York Times, May 10, 1993. Additional Information Documentary: Website: , May 25, 2016. OpenSecrets: Website: OpenSecrets: OpenSecrets: . . , February 6, 1952. Reports By R. Sam Garrett, June 25, 2013. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: by (found on by mevio) Cover Art Design by

Transportation: We all need it, and Congress funded it. In this episode, we take a detailed look into the FAST Act, which funds our national transportation network for the next five years. Please support Congressional Dish: to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Bill Highlights Division A - Surface Transportation Title I - Highways will get an average of 41 billion per year. Private Freight Grants: can go to to upgrade rail infrastructure; the Federal share of these projects is . Acceleration of Projects Creates a that will allow States to conduct environmental reviews, using their own State laws, instead of using the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Capped at 5 States The State can if the Secretary of Transportation determines the laws of the State are at least as stringent as the Federal requirements. No lawsuits will be allowed, challenging the permit approval, after . The program will sunset in Miscellaneous The Department of Transportation will identify for installation of electric car charging stations and hydrogen, propane, and natural gas refueling stations by the end of 2016. The goal is to have the charging and refueling stations deployed by . Allows the Department of Transportation that need fixing until the Interior Department issues final rules. The Secretary of the Interior to move the swallows. Title III - Funding level The Mass Transit Account will provide and at . for positive train control installation, which can be used to pay for up to 80% of the cost. Buy American Requires to be purchased, when possible. Title IV - grants to States in return for their establishment of laws that prohibit texting and driving. Federal grant money from funding for State & local programs for checking for motorcycle helmet usage or checkpoints for motorcycle monitoring. Impaired Driving grants to States for implementation of drunk driving laws. on marijuana-impaired driving by the end of 2016. Title V - Drug Test Expansion Allows companies to conduct preemployment and random tests of commercial drivers for alcohol and controlled substances using as an alternative to urine testing. for religious exemptions Title VI - Innovation Highway User Fees Grants will be provided to States that for funding the Highway Trust Fund. The goal is to test the design and public acceptance of user fee systems. to operate the fee collection systems. The fees collected Public Access to Research A will be available on a public website and updated once per year. Title VII - Special permits for special permits for transporting hazardous material by 60 days The decisions will be available to the public "Wetlines" Requires the Secretary of Transportation to that would have Transportation of flammable liquids by rail Within a year, the Secretary of Transportation has to to require railroads to report accurate, real-time information about hazardous liquids being transported to the local fusion centers, who will share the information with State and local first responders. Tank cars that do not meet can to transport oil and ethanol until 2018 or May 2025, depending on the type of tank car. The Secretary of Transportation can for up to 2 years The Secretary of Transportation will have 180 days to create regulations to make sure that tank cars modified to meet Federal standards that have been approved by the Secretary. Title XI - Funding Levels Amtrak, which owns the tracks and passenger cars operating in the Northeast, will get an average of $. For Amtrak operations in the rest of the country, where private freight companies own our tracks, Amtrak will receive an average of . Food and Beverage Reform Amtrak will have to eliminate the operating loss associated with offering food and beverages on Amtrak trains in a way that Amtrak will be to cover food and beverage related operating losses in December 2021. Pets on Trains Amtrak will have one year to launch a Gulf Coast Rail A working group will be created and have nine months to for the best option for restoring intercity rail passenger transportation between New Orleans, LA and Orlando, FL. Privatizing long distance routes The Secretary of Transportation will have to create a by mid-2017 that will allow non-Amtrak companies to operate up to 3 long distance passenger rail routes. The non-Amtrak operator will have control of the route for and it can be renewed once for an additional four year period. The operator will be given an . The can be the private company that owns the tracks, another private company that has an agreement with the track owners or the States. The non-Amtrak operator to Amtrak's reservation system, stations, and operations facilities and will be required to give hiring preferences to the Amtrak employees laid off because of the transfer. Cameras on Trains By the end of 2017, the Secretary of Transportation must create regulations in the control cabs on all passenger trains Liability Cap Amtrak for the fatal accident that occurred on May 12, 2015. Title XXIV - Recall Information The Secretary of Transportation will have until the end of 2017 to for easily accessible information on vehicle safety recalls. Information about recalls will have to be in addition to first class mail. There will be a testing the idea of States informing customers of recalls when they register their vehicles. the amount of time consumers get to have their recalled tires replaced from 60 days to 180 days. Rental Car Safety Rental car companies with more than 35 cars can sell, lease, or rent out cars They can until the solution is available, if it is not immediately available at the time they are notified. Motor Safety Violation Penalties from $5,000 per violation to $21,000 per violation, capped at $105 million. Driver Privacy Information from a car's event data recorder by someone other than the owner or lessee if it's authorized by a court, is provided willingly by the owner/lessee, is needed for emergency response purposes, or is for traffic safety research and the personally identifiable information is hidden. Tires The Secretary of Transportation will create regulations for , taking steps to ensure that wet traction functionality is not effected. Creates a Whistleblowers If a whistleblower gives credible and unique information about a safety problem to the Secretary of Transportation that results in sanctions, the . Title XXXII - Passport Denials for Tax Delinquencies If a person has a seriously delinquent tax debt over $50,000, the Secretary of State and . Privatize Tax Collection the Treasury Secretary to issue at least one contract for tax collection services . Customs Fees a every year with inflation. Federal Reserve Funds the amount of money that can be held by the Federal Reserve banks to $10 billion and transfers the remainder to the general fund of the Treasury. Adjusts to the lower of the rate of the 10 year Treasury notes or 6 percent Strategic Petroleum Reserve the Secretary of Energy to sell at least 66 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and deposit the money into the general fund of the Treasury. The amount sold at the discretion of the Energy Secretary until the revenue totals $6.2 billion. Crop Insurance Profits a part of the Bipartisan Budget Act that Oil & Gas Royalties that oil and gas companies could accrue on overpayments. PAYGO Scorecard The effects of this law on the budget Title LI - Export-Import Bank and reduces the amount of loans, guarantees, and insurance the Export-Import bank can have outstanding to $135 billion (from $140 billion). the Export-Import bank to hold 5% of it's funds in reserve to protect against losses. independent audits of the Export-Import bank's portfolio that allows the Export-Import Bank to enter into contracts to "share risks". The amount of liability allowed to be transferred is capped at a total of $10 billion. Title LV - Environmental Law Waivers during which there is a sudden increase in energy demand - which that the United States is involved in - "any party" that follows an order to generate electricity can not be sued for violating "any Federal, State, or local environmental law or regulation". The order that allows immunity for breaking environmental laws as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission "determines necessary to meet the emergency and serve the public interest." If the emergency order is set aside by a court, . Strategic Transformer Reserve The Secretary of Energy will have one year to create a plan that are critical infrastructure or support military installations. Title LXXI - Makes it and for a company that makes under $1 billion per year to offer stock to the public. Title LXXII - Reduces paperwork for companies that make under $1 billion per year and want to offer stock to the public. Title LXXIII - the requirement that collectable coins be 10% copper Title LXXIV - Investment advisors who solely advise small business investment companies even if they are managing assets over $150 million (). Title LXXV - Banks will not have to mail privacy notices to their customers if they haven't changed their policies since the last disclosure was sent. Title LXXVI - Allows privately held shares to be sold to without registering the securities with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Title LXXXII - Allows to become members of Federal Home Loan Banks if they are FDIC eligible or are certified by the State If the State doesn't get to it in under 6 months, the application is . Title LXXXIII - of a bank that counts as a "small bank" from banks that have less than $500 million to banks that have less than $1 billion for the purpose of . Sound Clip Sources Hearing: , November 3, 2015. Hearing: , November 3, 2015. Hearing: , Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, September 17, 2015 Hearing: , House Transportation Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, June 24, 2015. Hearing: , House Transportation and Infrastructer Committee, June 2, 2015. Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes By Jennifer Briney, June 27, 2015 , By Jennifer Briney, June 24, 2014 By Jennifer Briney, February 8, 2014. Reports By William J. Mallett, December 28, 2015. , December 2, 2015. Additional Reading Article: By Chris Isidore, CNN Money, June 1, 2016. Article: By Bill Cummings, CtPost, May 17, 2016. Article: By Shriram Bhashyam, TechCrunch, December 20, 2015. Article: , Insurance Journal, December 4, 2015. Article: By Shannon Van Hoesen, Environmental Working Group, December 3, 2015. Article: By Robert S. Kirk, December 2, 2015. Article: By Keith Lang, The Hill, December 1, 2015. Article: By Joan Lowy, U.S. News and World Report, October 28, 2015. Article: By Meghan Cline, United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, October 27, 2015. Article: By Philip Brasher, Agri-Pulse, October 27, 2015. Article: By Ashley Halsey III and Michael Laris, The Washington Post, October 27, 2015. Article: By Ashley Halsey III and Michael Laris, The Washington Post, October 25, 2015. Article: By Simone Pathe, PBS, September 15, 2014. Article: By Alwyn Scott and Tim Hepher, Reuters, September 10, 2014. Article: By Susan A. Fleming, U.S. Government Accountability Office, September 11, 2013. Article: By Steven Pearlstein, The Washington Post, September 9, 2013. Article: By Timothy Cama, Transport Topics, October 10, 2011. Article: By Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, January 27, 2011. Additional Information Metra Website: explaining the FAST Act OpenSecrets: OpenSecrets: OpenSecrets: OpenSecrets: Website: Website: Website: Website: Website: YouTube: , October 3, 2008. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: by (found on by mevio) Cover Art Design by

Beware: Opinions ahead! In this special episode, Jen discusses who she will vote for in the June 7th Presidential Primary.   Please support Congressional Dish: to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Podcast Awards Thank you for nominating Congressional Dish for the 2016 Podcast Awards! Please every day starting on May 29th North Carolina Podcast Are you interested in co-creating a Congressional Dish style podcast about North Carolina? Email Amy Howard: ahoward at ralieghonlineradio.com Sound Clip Sources YouTube: , April 13, 2016. YouTube: , February 25, 2016. YouTube: , January 17, 2016. YouTube: , February 18, 2016. YouTube: , November 19, 2015. YouTube: , October 2002 Additional Reading Article: by Sam Goldfarb, Wall Street Journal, May 22, 2016. Article: by Mark Landler, The New York Times Magazine, April 21, 2016. Article: by Robert O'Harrow Jr., The Washington Post, March 27, 2016. Article: by Danielle Marie Mackey, The Intercept, March 11, 2016. Article: by Greg Grandin, The Nation, March 3, 2016. Article: by Jo Becker and Scott Shane, The New York Times, February 27, 2016. Article: by Scott Shane and Jo Becker, The New York Times, February 27, 2016. Article: by Lynn Holland, Council on Hemispheric Affairs, December 18, 2015. Article: by Lee Fang, The Intercept, July 6, 2015. Article: by Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic, January 9, 2014. Article: by Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic, October 24, 2013. Article: by Chris Woods, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, February 4, 2012. Article: by Francisco Macías, The Library of Congress, September 11, 2008. Additional Information Website: by Colin Dodds, Investopedia. Votes: Votes: Votes: Votes: Votes: Bernie: No Hillary: Yes Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: by (found on by mevio) Cover Art Design by

The Internet is a powerful international communications tool; how does the 114th Congress plan to change how it's governed? In this episode, learn about the bills that are moving through Congress that could have a direct effect on the future of the Internet. Please support Congressional Dish: to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Bills Highlighted in This Episode Bill Highlights the Federal Communications Commission from regulating the rates charged for Internet access The FCC can regulate rates of a company This bill to data roaming and interconnection Votes Passed the House of Representatives Author (IL-16) AT&T Comcast Time Warner Bill Highlights of the FCC's net neutrality order to small businesses for Information the "small businesses" would be exempt from having to provide customers includes: Information about promotional rates, including the duration of the promotion and the full monthly charge the customer will incur after the promotion expires All one-time and/or recurring fees, including modem rental fees, installation charges, service charges, and early termination fees. Actual network performance A "small business" is one that has Votes Passed the House of Representatives Author (OR-2) Cellular Telecom & Internet Association US Telecom Association Bill Highlights electronic communication services from disclosing the contents of communications that the company is holding or maintaining (without this bill, only communications "stored" would be protected). the current law that allows the government to access using only subpoenas (as opposed to warrants) for electronic communications that have been stored more than 180 days the 180 divider with new text that requires warrants regardless of the amount of time the information is stored. the electronic communication services to notify their customers of a received warrant, court order, subpoena, or request, if they want to. the amount of time the government may delay notification of customers about a warrant, subpoena, order, or other directive from to 180 days. Eliminates that requires the government to inform the customer about the information the government requested and why the notification was delayed. Vote Passed the House of Representatives Author (KS-3) Yahoo Google AT&T Facebook Twitter Deutsche Bank : DOTCOM Act of 2015 Bill Highlights the transition of NTIA's functions in Internet domain name registry until 30 days after Congress receives a report outlining the transition plan. Votes Passed the House of Representatives Author (IL-15) Verisign Sound Clip Sources Hearing: (not available on C-SPAN), House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, March 17, 2016. Hearing: (not available on C-SPAN), House Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, May 13, 2015. Hearing: , House Judiciary Committee, December 1, 3015. Additional Information , March 2016. Report to Congress: by Lennard Kruger, Congressional Research Service, March 22, 2016. Report to Congress: by Lennard Kruger, Congressional Research Service, March 23, 2016. Hearing: , Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, February 25, 2015. Hearing: , House Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, May 13, 2015. Hearing: (not available on C-SPAN), House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, July 8, 2015. , February 2015. ICANNWiki: Webpage: Webpage: Additional Reading Article: , The Economist, March 5, 2016. Article: by Klint Finley, Wired, March 1, 2016. Article: by Mario Trujillo, The Hill, November 30 2o15. Article: by Caitlin Dewey, The Washington Post, September 24, 2015. Article: by Milton Mueller, Internet Governance Project, August 18, 2015. Article: by Jeremy Malcom and Mitch Stoltz, Electronic Frontier Foundation, June 23, 2015. Article: , The Economist, March 20, 2014 Article: by Sam Gustin, Fortune, March 17, 2014. Press Release: by NTIA Office of Public Affairs, March 14, 2014. Article: by Grant Gross, PC World, December 15, 2014. Scholarly Journal: by Marshall Leaffer, Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies Vol. 6: Iss. 1, Article 5, Fall 1998. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: by (found on by mevio) Cover Art Design by

Two defense contractors went on a podcast and everything they said was true. In this episode, discover the shocking extent to which our government has privatized wartime operations.   Please support Congressional Dish: to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! 2016 Podcast Awards Please Sound Clip Sources , March 19, 2016. Hearing: , Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, September 21, 2011. Hearing: , Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Financial and Contracting Oversight, July 16, 2013. Additional Reading Article: by John Keller, Military and Aerospace Electronics, March 9, 2016. Congressional Research Service Report: by Jeremy M. Sharp, Congressional Research Service, February 25, 2016. Investor Report: , February 1, 2016. Bill Text: December 15, 2015. Congressional Research Service Report: by Heidi M. Peters, Moshe Schwartz, and Lawrence Kapp, Congressional Research Service, December 1, 2015. Article: by Dan Lamothe, The Washington Post, October 21, 2015. Article: byPete Troilo, Jeff Tyson, Devex, August 31, 2015. Article: by Philip Dorling, The Sydney Morning Herald, May 31, 2015. Nautilus Institute Report: by Desmond Ball, Duncan Campbell, Bill Robinson and Richard Tanter, May 28, 2015. Article: by Dan Lamothe, The Washington Post, May 20, 2015. Article: , Signal AFCEA, April 7, 2015. Defense Contract Audit Agency Report: Department of Defense, Defense Contract Audit Agency, March 25, 2015. Article: by Neal Ungerleider, Fast Company, February 18, 2015. Article by E.B. Boyd, Fast Company, January 28, 2015. Article: by Lindy Kyzer, Clearancejobs.com, August 15, 2013. Article: by Philip Dorling, The Age, July 26, 2013. Congressional Research Service Report: by Moshe Schwartz and Jennifer Church, Congressional Research Service, May 17, 2013. Government Accountability Office Report: , May 2013. Article: by Lindsay Wise, McClatchy Newspapers, January 19, 2013. Bill Text: in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, December 28, 2012. Article: by Eloise Lee and Robert Johnson, Buisness Insider, March 13, 2012. Article: by Skyler Frink, Military and Aerospace Electronics, February 1, 2012. Article: , StreetInsider.com, October 31, 2011. , August 2011. Congressional Research Service Report: by Moshe Schwartz and Joyprada Swain, Congressional Research Service, May 13, 2011. Article: by Spencer Ackerman, Wired, August 9, 2010. Article: by Angie Drobnic Holan, Politifact, June 9, 2010. News Release: by Sudi Bruni, Northrop Grumman Corporation, November 10, 2009. Additional Information Webpage: , March 9, 2015. Indeed.com Job Openings: Webpage: April 15, 2016. March 16, 2016. Webpage: Wikipedia: (C-RAM) Podcast Interviews Featuring Jennifer Briney: , April 20, 2016. , April 14, 2016. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: by (found on by mevio)