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"For being an actor, being of the generation of the desert war, these questions are ever-present," Ben Foster says about a body of work that has seen him portray veterans of America’s current conflicts. For the Boston native, veterans’ re-entry to civilian life is part of what he says is "a continuing conversation" he says […]
The Senate will attempt to pass the two biggest spending bills of the year in one fell swoop. Consideration of the Defense and Labor-HHS-Education bills could begin this week (senators are expected back on Wednesday). CQ’s Kellie Mejdrich explains why the package could prove to be a heavy lift.
CQ banking reporter Doug Sword explains the state of play as Republicans (and some Democrats) try to relax banking regulations enacted during the Obama administration to safeguard against a repeat of the 2008 financial meltdown. Show Notes: Senate Passes Bank Deregulation Bill, House May Seek Additions Fed Chairman Weighs in on Financial Deregulation Bill […]
In light of the 74th Annual Congressional Dinner, Political Theater talks to Washington Post humor columnist Alexandra Petri about when satire works and when it doesn’t. Warning: we have politicians telling jokes. RollCall Watch: Lawmakers Take to Comedy at Annual Congressional Dinner
Among the stars at next month’s Oscars will be Huntington Fire Chief Jan Rader, one of the subjects of the Academy Award-nominated documentary "Heroin(e)". She’s a first responder on the front lines of the opioid crisis, and she’s taken her message on the issue not just to the screen, but also to Capitol Hill […]
Texas kicks off primary season in less than a month, and will shape midterm contests that could help determine majorities in the House and and Senate. Roll Call Senior Political Writer Bridget Bowman runs down with Political Theater’s Jason Dick everything from the marquee Senate race there to House campaigns that lawmakers will definitely be […]
CQ trade reporter Ellyn Ferguson looks at whether President Donald Trump will impose more tariffs and withdraw from more international trade agreements in 2018, or pursue a more moderate path. RollCall Show Notes: Trump Lectures Leaders At Davos — But With A Twist Republicans Weigh Ways to Block Trump on Trade Actions White House […]
After a bruising Senate confirmation process, Betsy DeVos is now Education Department chief. But she still has a lot of distrust to overcome, says CQ Roll Call’s education reporter Emily Wilkins. Even so, she’s poised to influence how Congress and America view one of the pillars of American life – public schools. Show Notes: […]
President Donald Trump’s first budget calls for mammoth cuts to programs that benefit everyone from farmers to the poor to offset a boost to the Pentagon. Even Red State Trump supporters aren’t spared, say CQ Roll Call’s agriculture reporter Ellyn Ferguson and environmental reporter Elvina Nawaguna. Show Notes: Agriculture Secretary Says He’ll […]
Based on his religious rulings, President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch could find himself at odds with the president particularly over the executive order restricting refugees and immigrants, who are mostly Muslim, says CQ Roll Call’s Legal Affairs writer Todd Ruger. Show Notes: Grassley Outlines Timeline for Confirming Trump’s SCOTUS Nominee Trump’s Supreme […]
President Trump has promised big tax cuts but as CQ Roll Call’s tax editor Catalina Camia explains a tangled web of interests and Republican disunity in Congress could spoil efforts for the first major tax legislation in 30 years. Show Notes: Reforming taxes will not be easier than abolishing Obamacare Rogers’ Bill […]
CQ’s health reporter Kerry Young and magazine deputy editor Shawn Zeller explain the consequences of the draft health care bill crafted by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who can cement his legislative legacy by slashing Medicaid — a program that helps almost 70 million people who live in or near poverty or have disabilities. […]
The new effort by Republicans to repeal and replace Obamacare helped secure conservative votes, says CQ Roll Call health editor Rebecca Adams, but it raises new issues for moderates: Of particular concern for many lawmakers is that it could allow states to permit insurers to sock people who have pre-existing conditions with huge premium increases. […]
CQ budget and appropriations editor Peter Cohn explains why a long-running standoff over spending limits is complicating passage of a stopgap measure needed to avoid a government shutdown come Christmas. RollCall Show Notes: Senators Go Their Own Way on Stopgap Funding House schedule for next week doesn’t have a specific day for the first CR […]
CQ foreign policy reporter Rachel Oswald and Kelsey Davenport of the Arms Control Association explain why Congress is in no rush to change the Iran nuclear deal. And CQ defense reporter John M. Donnelly argues the Pentagon does not necessarily need more money to prevent deadly accidents. RollCall Show Notes: Analysis: With Iran Decision, Trump […]
Sen. John McCain’s opposition to the latest Republican bill to repeal Obamacare may well kill it, says Roll Call Senate reporter Niels Lesniewski. CQ health reporter Mary Ellen McIntire explains what’s in the bill. Roll Call Show Notes: McCain a ‘No’ on Latest Senate Health Care Bill State Medicaid Directors Say Graham-Cassidy ‘Fails to Deliver’ […]
Republican lawmakers, by keeping two Obamacare taxes on the wealthy, hope to mute Democratic arguments that their health care plan would take away benefits from the poor to help the rich, say CQ Roll Call health reporter Kerry Young and tax reporter Alan K. Ota. But that doesn’t mean that the wealthy won’t get their […]
To kick off our Republican National Convention coverage, CQ Roll Call’s Adriel Bettelheim and CQ Magazine Senior Editor Shawn Zeller consider where Donald Trump could pick up white-voter support to clinch the presidency. If Trump is able to increase the GOP share of the white vote by five percentage points more than Mitt Romney […]
Controversy hung over the opening night of the Republican National Convention as parts of Melania Trump’s speech were nearly identical to one Michelle Obama delivered in 2008. Anti-Trump delegates also unsuccessfully challenged convention rules. CQ News Director, Steve Komarow, gives us a preview of what’s ahead on Day Two of the RNC with […]
Welcome to Political Theater, Roll Call’s podcast and newsletter on the spectacle of politics and how it fits, or doesn’t, into the nation’s culture. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here. Football Has Been Good to Me President Donald Trump loves football. He played in high school. He owned a USFL team, the New Jersey Generals. […]