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Jennifer
So we supposed to start the podcast.
Angie
Ready? One, two, three.
Jennifer
Patriots. Gay Trots. They Trio. Black Trio, Brown Trio. Okay, I have to tell everybody something. Somebody messaged me and said that it sounded like I'm saying that we are saying like gatriots, patriots and then telling them to offend some new listeners thought that's what we were doing and that's not the case. She used to say caca because we were reclaiming the eagle. Then that kind of morphed into now we have a beaver. And then somebody suggested instead of saying caca, we say off. None of this makes any sense.
Angie
None.
Jennifer
Which is why this is America's top DEI podcast. Pumps. What have you had it with?
Angie
Okay, what I've had it with. And this is like, I know that I cried me a fucking river, but what I've had it with beyond all measure is fucking yak mouth strangers. Just complete strangers you do not know. Yakking you up. It happened to me at the airport this weekend. This guy starts talking to me. It's so bad. I have my earbuds in which you know how I feel about earbuds. When somebody has earbuds in. Don't talk. He's talking to me. It gets so bad that I stand up and turn my back to him and he walks around to face me in the front of me. So then I turn around Again. And then he kind of got the hint. Well, this other passenger is watching the whole thing go down in the airport lounge and she and I make eye contact and we both brush out laughing just like, how. Why do people lack so much self awareness that they think because they're waiting on a plane in an airport that everybody wants to be their friend? That is just simply not the case. Just because we're all getting on the same plane does not mean we're friends. It does not mean we need to chit chat. It's fucking unbelievable. And I can report he was absolutely flirting with me.
Jennifer
Okay, that's what I was going to ask. Was he attractive at all?
Angie
Totally, profoundly unattractive.
Jennifer
Let me ask you this. Considering your celebrity status as America's top legal mind, America's top DEI podcaster, does someone of your stature and your great looks, do you feel somewhat offended by somebody that's not attractive at all hitting on you or do you find it flattering, any of those things?
Angie
I don't find it flattering. I don't find it offensive. I find it annoying that he wouldn't shut the fuck up.
Jennifer
Fair.
Angie
You know, I mean, I had no reaction to the flirting. As we know, I'm representing the A and asexual. So I had no aversion or titillation by the conversation. I was just so amazed that someone would be such a yak mouth that you would turn your back twice before they got the hint.
Jennifer
Yeah.
Angie
With your butts in.
Jennifer
So my hat, it is kind of similar. It's adjacent. I've had it with. You're waiting in line to get on the airplane, right. And they call your boarding group and you start to go. And I'm a feminist and I, you know, support women's rights and all of these things, but I'm somewhat like, if a guy is somewhat ahead of you, you arrive at the same time, the man should let the woman go first. It's just general manners. I would say probably the last five or six times that I've flown alone without another person, I'll start to jockey to. They'll call my boarding group and I'll start to jockey to give my boarding pass. And some crusty white guy smacks his lips muffin top to give you the visual cuts me off. Just flat out flat ass cuts me off. And then I always just kind of like, they start to kind of go after you to just kind of rub it in. Like is, do you want to be this big of a dick? And it just happened recently. I was going when we were coming home from New York and I was at LaGuardia and I was getting into the TSA pre line, and I'm clearly like three feet ahead of this guy, only about two feet away from the woman that's going to check the ticket to make sure I have TSA Pre. This guy comes like a bat out of hell just to cut me off.
Angie
See, is that a lack of self awareness?
Jennifer
No. They're in a race and they want to win. And it's. It's always white guys.
Angie
Always.
Jennifer
Always a white guy.
Angie
Always.
Jennifer
And the guy that cut me off on the way into TSA Pre, there's a couple of ladies behind me. And I just kind of like when the guy. I just went, okay, like that. Because now I'm just like, if you're going to be an ass, I'm going to be expressive about it. So I was like, okay. And he kind of turned around and saw me. And I looked at the women and they're like, oh, good for you. Oh, my God. We have to share with them about. Okay. So we were in New York last week, Pumps. And I went to Bloomingdale's in soho. And there were this group of girls, I would say 16 to 17 years old, 15 to 17 years old. And they all had on black skirts, every single one of them. And there's probably like 15 of these girls, like over a dozen. And they were in a herd. And they all had on black skirts, similar haircuts, but not quite the, like, Pentecostal buns. Right?
Angie
There were some short hairs.
Jennifer
There was some shorter hair with kind of these blousy tops. And I was like, what do. What do we have going on here? We got Mormons. Is this some sort of Jewish saying? What is it? We didn't know what it was, but we're, like, in a hurry to get this.
Angie
Yeah, we have an hour.
Jennifer
Bloomingdale's. Done. So we get to the escalators, and these girls are jacking off on the escalators, like, running up and down and blah, blah, blah. And I just immediately. I just said, girls, no, there's people behind you. Huh? Knock this off. Knock this off. And just herded straight through all of them. And we went up. But I mean, they didn't have any awareness either. They were just in Bloomingdale Dickens.
Angie
They might have been the first time they'd ever seen an escalator, though.
Jennifer
The Scarlets, they were walked into there in Manhattan.
Angie
I know, but the skirts were really.
Jennifer
Not, like, in Oklahoma, I would say. Yeah, first time. Seeing an escalator.
Angie
I mean, the skirts screamed.
Jennifer
You know what?
Angie
They could have been as Amish. We didn't even consider that. Okay, what about.
Jennifer
There was no chaperone.
Angie
There was no chaperone. And the hair, like everything screamed Pentecostal except they had shorter haircuts.
Jennifer
That's what it did. It was really weird.
Angie
It screamed Pentecostal. Okay, do y' all remember this? We're leaving our flight from Oklahoma City to New York City. And the four of us, it's Jennifer, me, Kylie, Anna. The four of us are walking together, single file. We are not walking in a group. Single file, walking. And we start to embark on the elevator and some guy gets right behind me and right in front of Kylie in the. Like, puts himself right in between us on the escalator. Remember that? Do you remember that, Kylie?
Kylie
I do remember that vividly.
Angie
Did you think it was fucking weird?
Kylie
I just think he had no self awareness. He didn't know he just put himself inside of a girl.
Jennifer
He wasn't invited.
Angie
He wasn't invited, but it was like so close. It was. He was right behind me, right in front of Kylie. Like, Kylie and I were gonna leave a step in between each other now. But again, let's point out white male.
Jennifer
Yeah. No, he was Asian.
Angie
Oh, he was.
Jennifer
Yeah. The guy that got in the middle of us. It was so bizarre. Yeah. But anyway, I just gotta tell you, this airport, it's horrific.
Angie
Okay. One other thing I noticed, which was so funny. Like, how many times did we fly before January 20th? Since 2022, I would say 100, 150 times. Never once do I remember going through TSA with the picture of the Department of Homeland Security secret. And I mean, videos of Kristi Noem played on a loop. And I just thought, she thinks she is hot to trot.
Jennifer
She's such a psycho. I mean, it's just the Trump administration are just. This is like bottom feeder government. It's the United States. Bottom feeding is what it is. It's just ridiculous. Welcome to I've had it. I'm Jennifer.
Angie
I'm Angie Hbic.
Jennifer
She's the star of the show. Kylie.
Kylie
Yes.
Jennifer
Lesbians check in and I've got some.
Kylie
Reviews for you today.
Angie
Okay.
Kylie
The first one is titled Pumposexual. Five stars and Chicago. Mark writes, I recently came out and it didn't go well. My parents, friends, and worst of all, my boyfriend just didn't seem to understand when I told them I'm a pomposexual. They were incredulous, saying things like, you've never even liked beaver. To this I replied, have you ever seen a beaver with blonde hair, glasses and a pair of sagging dragons? I guess they just will never understand that something about this beaver could cause to me I've been a closeted pumpo sexual for almost a year and now is the time to step into my truth. Oh, and the moderate lesbian is okay.
Jennifer
That's such a good mark in Chicago. That's a good burn on me. I love that. I love that the moderate. Somebody wrote something to me my DMS the other day. Like you're such a fierce protector of centrist moderates. It was so funny. Oh God, I've had it with centris. Anything else, Kylie?
Kylie
Do you want a one star review?
Angie
Yeah.
Kylie
Okay. Here we go. It's titled Me show blows writes, I would rather have my nose hairs pulled out than list to this show again.
Angie
List.
Jennifer
List to this show again. I mean, you know, I. We're not for everybody. I'm surprised that we have even just a handful of listeners.
Angie
Right. Even the dozen that we have.
Jennifer
Yeah. Okay. I have some news reports I'd like to share. This one was absolutely fascinating to me and I'm just really excited to share it with pumps, Kiki the Magic Lesbian, Seth and the Listener. All right. Street dogs in Russia have learned to obey traffic lights, use trains to commute and avoid defecating in high traffic areas. The leader of the pack is the most intelligent, not the strongest. And the packs often deploy their smallest, cutest dogs to beg humans for food. Some of these dogs ride the metro daily. They board at residential stations like Belorusskaya, nap during the ride and hop off at downtown hubs. They navigate traffic by waiting at crosswalks and using humans as shield, a behavior scientists call shadow shadowing. Others beg near bakeries using eye contact and paw taps, or scavenge strategically near fast food bins. Why Moscow's metro dogs are special. Urban intelligence. These dogs use auditory cues to time metro exits and even recognize station announcements. Pack hierarchy. Hierarchy leaders are chosen for their street smarts, not their strength. Some act as scouts, others as decoys, and even a few memorize train schedules. Genetic adaptation A 2021 study found genes in Moscow strays that support stress tolerance, starch, digestion and advanced spatial thinking traits fine tuned for city survival. And they also have behavioral learning. Young pups learn from older dogs how to ride trains, crossroads and find food. This is cultural transmission, not just instinct. There are about three 35,000 strays in Moscow today. Locals often feed them in some areas have become Informal dog cafes. In winter, they sleep near the metro vents or dig snow burrows to stay warm. Municipal trap neuter return programs help manage their numbers without wiping the out the behaviors that make them so unique. These dogs are not just survivors. They are proof that animals can co evolve with cities, shaping and being shaped by human life in return.
Angie
That's unbelievable.
Jennifer
I was just.
Angie
I'm floored.
Jennifer
Fascinated by that.
Angie
I'm fascinated by the evolution. I'm fascinated that they know the metro times. I'm fascinated.
Jennifer
What about how they know how to send the cute ones out to beg for food?
Angie
Yeah, that's smart. I feel like 90% of these dogs have to be smarter than the triple trumpers.
Jennifer
I don't think there's any question at all.
Angie
Did we talk about on this podcast that an owner died and left a dog and every day they went to his work and so even after his death he rode the metro. We're talking and I was, I was that stunned me. This is happening like they're going without any like owner to follow. They have just figured it out like the metro.
Jennifer
It's crazy. And they know how to like cross. They shadow humans and they use humans to cross streets. They know how to beg, where to beg for like near bakeries. And then that their bodies have adapted to the diet. It's just, it's just a remarkable point to evolution. And it's like Darwinian survival of the fittest. Like that you. They either had to adapt or die off. And so that they're these civilized street dogs and they just live in Moscow and they know how to work the system. I mean, I just support it entirely.
Angie
I do too. And I'm profoundly impressed.
Jennifer
Okay, next up, we have many restaurants are starting to add a quote living wage fee of 18% on top of the cost of the mill to cover payroll expenses for their staff. This is so enraging. And this is something that would only happen in America where it is always consumer exploitation and all the perks and benefits go to the corporation. No other civilized country would tolerate this shit. So now on top of paying a tip of 20%, restaurants are adding 18% instead of just paying their employees a livable wage.
Angie
I completely agree. And I didn't see anything in there that says they were lifting the wages of the employees.
Jennifer
No, they're charging the customer.
Angie
No, I know, but I'm just saying, like if they're maintaining the current level of pay and charging people more, then they're basically just pocketing this money.
Jennifer
It says this fee goes directly to staff Payroll, A living wage for our team. If you choose to. Tips. Tips are pulled amongst the entire team. It says it goes directly.
Angie
Okay, okay, but I missed that part.
Jennifer
That's right. The point of this is, is this is consumer exploitation. The restaurant should be required by law to pay their employees a livable wage. When you look at the disparity of how much the Starbucks CEO makes and how much a barista makes, that spread and gap exists nowhere in the world except for the United States of America. And you can rinse and repeat through a bank CEO, and then maybe even, you know, a real estate loan officer, and you can rinse and repeat through every corporation, and it's always the 1%. But what's so crazy about the United States is you have a lot of Americans that will just sit there and vote against their own interest, and they don't vote for people to have a livable wage. And that's just crazy when they are.
Angie
The people that would benefit from the increase in the livable wage. I mean, it's just. It blows my mind.
Jennifer
It's. It's insane. Okay, lastly, we have another story here, and it is in America, hospitals charge $700 for a bag of saline solution and $250 for a single band aid, even though production cost is around 2 cents to $3. $250 for a band aid. So this is. I remember back during Obamacare when the fight for trying to have people have more access to health care and I had my liberal friends, but then I would hang out with, you know, other mom friends. And I was just so shocked because I had kind of insulated myself living in a red state, being around liberals, gay men, where I didn't have to be around Republican Christians. And then because I had kids, then I would be around these Republican Christian women. Not one of them supported healthcare for anybody except for their families and their families only. And I would say, do you know about all the egregious costs of, you know, band Aids and the. In the crazy markup? And these women would look at me and say, well, I don't care. My insurance pays for it or my husband pays it. And it's just, I don't know what we're doing in this country to raise people to not care about anybody else except for themselves. It's just a real shortcoming. And living in a society that values the individual over collectivism has led us to Donald Trump.
Angie
Absolutely. And valuing profit over people and valuing what I can earn and how nothing affects me unless it directly Affects me. So if it doesn't matter, if it's happening to 100 million people, if it doesn't affect me, I don't give a shit about it. And I really don't know how you fix that. I mean, I attribute a lot of that to evangelical Christianity, but I know that that's not the only cause. But I think it's one of the main ones. But I don't know how you fix that.
Jennifer
Well, I think another cause is just like years of propaganda, propaganda from news networks like Fox that start a campaign to belittle the working class, starting a campaign to belittle minorities. And they start. And this started really with Ronald Reagan, who, you know, all the Republicans just, you know, get teary eyed when his name is brought up. But he started demonizing the poor and he instituted massive, massive tax cuts for the rich. And that cancer has stayed with the Republican Party all of this time. And then they had Fox News come on board and immediately start propagandizing and indoctrinating people that corporations mattered more than the consumer. And this is something that's deep in the American psyche that's like, oh, and it's really gross because you can see it in, in everyday life, if somebody walks into a room, if you're at a place where you know somebody who's worth hundreds of million dollars or billions of dollars, people treat that person as though they're a celebrity, right? Oh, my God, you know who he is? He did it. There's this real deference given to somebody who makes a lot of money. And I think it's really a shortcoming of the billionaire class. Not all of them. There are some of them that know, that have, that have said, I want to give up 99% of my wealth. They know how egregious it is that they have that much money, but that some of the billionaire class, they fight for Republican policies. And I just don't think there's a deeper character flaw on the planet that you have, you know, a bank account that could choke a bull. And your fight is to make sure that you pay as little as possible in taxes, even though you use the roads, the faa, to make sure your private plane takes off and lands accordingly. And I just think what a moral shortcoming to be that blessed financially and to be so morally bankrupt and to demean poor people when a lot of these billionaires, they do the equivalent of paperclip and stapling at a desk. You know, like, I done a lot of work for oil and gas guys, they're not the ones out on the rig doing all the manual labor. They paperclip and staple and then they have these golf machines in their offices and they're just gone all the time on their PJs and to not ever. There's a sense of entitlement that comes to wealth. That and a sense of that they think they are superpowers.
Angie
Right. They think they're better and above. Right.
Jennifer
The rules that apply to everybody else. And I heard Melinda Gates speak recently and this is the ex wife of Bill Gates and she spoke about how she feels that billionaires need or you know, multimillionaires need to have more gratitude and give back and gladly pay their taxes and patriotically pay their taxes that they had the opportunity to build the businesses that they built. And if you look at Microsoft and the how did the packages get to all of these offices around the world? Well, infrastructure, highways, planes, a lot of it is taxpayer funded that it sets the soil for business to be easy to conduct. And there is a burden that these high earners have to give back to the community. And the fact that they're so entitled that they think they shouldn't pay taxes. But a teacher and a nurse and an electrician, you know, a 711 worker, they better pay their fair share or they're lazy. It's just a massive problem in the United States. And if you think back like I know the Kennedy family, the men were, you know, womanizers or whatever, but as a very wealthy family, they placed being patriotic into public service, provide government, providing public services for people and they valued that. And the Republican party is just, it's taken such a dark dystopian turn and it's this weird party. Like they say it's a big tent, but to me it's like big freaks. You've got the selfish billionaires and then like the Elon Musk who wants to have like 100 kids but doesn't really care who their dad is. Like he just wants to be the sperm donor.
Angie
Like who their mom is.
Jennifer
No, who their dad is. Oh, like them. I'm family values. But they don't have a dad because he wants to have so many. There's no way he could be a father.
Angie
There's no way he could.
Jennifer
No way.
Angie
And then he picks the one that he hangs out with and leaves the others in the. I mean first of all I think they're probably better off not around him. But that's.
Jennifer
And then all the evangelical Christians who, you know, Jesus spoke against the accumulation of wealth Unequivocally, like I'm not a Christian, but I do. I have read what the character Christ wrote and he wrote explicitly against the accumulation of wealth. And so this merger of Christianity with billionaires is so breathtaking, hypocritical. And it never gets called out.
Angie
No, never ever.
Jennifer
It's like in the United States of America to our international listeners, like the people who worship Jesus, the most white people I'm talking about also worship money on equal footing. It's this really weird dystopian culture.
Angie
And at the B position of 1A is guns.
Jennifer
Oh my God, you're so right.
Angie
I mean the guns and money. But didn't Austin show tell us one time that most Americans deceive themselves into one day I will be a billionaire. So I have to vote. Like they idolize the billionaire so much and the dream is to be a billionaire, that they vote on the fantasy that they will one day be like a billionaire or multimillionaire.
Jennifer
I mean, I don't know that you can pinpoint it to one thing, but I think there could definitely be that. But I think the larger component of this has been propaganda. Propaganda from the KKK was, you know, a very real oppressive movement. It didn't go anywhere. No, it's called just rebranded as the Heritage foundation and Turning Point and these, all of these conservative packs, and by the way, all of these conservative packs are very anti democracy. They have all their big parties and gatherings in Viktor Orban's Hungary. And Viktor Orban of course is a dictator. And it's just, I think there's been a collusion between big religion and big money and these big racist organizations like the anti democratic organizations like Turning Point, the Heritage foundation to. And Fox News to propagandize the public. And, and I think some people think about the American dream and that might be a point. But more than anything, they prop these people up and there's a worship, a celebrity style worship of people that have money. And I have to tell you guys, like, you can meet people with a lot of money or people with no money. Somebody having a lot of money does not make them a better person.
Angie
No, I mean, from what we've seen of late, it makes. Makes you worse. Yeah, not all of them.
Jennifer
I don't have, I just don't have respect for the wealthy that are so entitled that they believe that they don't have to pay taxes. I think that should just be called out and called out and called out. It's disgusting because they use way more of the social services, meaning Roads, infrastructure, making sure, you know, there's safety precautions that the merchandise gets from point A to point B. They use way more of that than an individual does. They use way more of the federal government's oversight over the country than an individual does. So therefore they should pay more. And the fact that I think it's Bernie Sanders said something like the billionaire class paid something like 4% in taxes last year.
Angie
I think that's right. I did see that.
Jennifer
Yeah. All right. Well, all right. We have a guest today and we are very excited to have him on. This is his first time on this podcast. He's been on IHIP News and his name is Representative Robert Garcia and he just got appointed to a new position and he is. Where is it? Ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, which I was so happy about because the Democrats always appoint some old dinosaur.
Angie
Some old crusty white, some crusty guy.
Jennifer
That'S beholden to APAC and a bunch of other SO was really happy to see this. So let's welcome Representative Robert Garcia. Pumps and I need to share with everybody that we have written a book. It's called Life is a Lazy Susan of Shit Sandwiches and believe it or not, Pumps. And I have not always been so rock solid and we talk about all of our trials, tribulations, most of all our fuck ups. Yes. Because fuck ups are relatable and a part of the human experience.
Angie
I have gotten so much feedback regarding the book that because of my situation with the religion and addiction and all that that people relate to that. So I do think there's something to take away that's comforting about it because we've all been in very difficult situations.
Jennifer
And listener what we want you to do. This is the IT book for summer reading. So please get your copy of Life is a Lazy Susan of Shit Sandwiches and take a picture of yourself with the book in really great places and tag at I've had it podcast and we will share your images with our summer IT book. You can buy it in bookstores, you can buy it in the link in our bio. You can buy it at Target, Walmart, Amazon, etc, all the retailers. Happy reading and Happy summer you guys. Summer is in full swing and I always get this itch that I have got to refresh my closet. My number one go to site has always been Quince. It is a great way to get bang for your buck items. I just recently ordered a couple of swimsuits that I'm going to take on my summer vacation with me but my favorite of all time and I personally love their washable silk camis. I wear them year round. In the summer I just put them on with a pair of jeans. In the fall or winter, put a blazer or sweater over them. They're Chef's kiss.
Pumps
My favorite from quince are the 100 European linen tops starting at only $30. And they have great European linen dresses too.
Jennifer
Listener Give your summer closet an upgrade with quince. Go to quince.com had it for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com had it to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com had it this episode of I've had it is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game, shifting a little money here, a little there and hoping it all works out well, with the name your price tool from Progressive, you can be a better budgeter and potentially lower your insurance bill too. You tell Progressive what you want to pay for car insurance and they'll help find you options within your budget. Try it today@progressive.com Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and coverage match limited by state law. Not available in all states. Let's welcome the new ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, Representative Robert Garcia. Our friend. Welcome back to I've had it. How are you?
Robert Garcia
Good. Happy to be here. Thank you.
Jennifer
So you just got this new position, which makes me so happy because traditionally these positions are like a seniority thing and it looks like they put somebody young and cool into a good position for once. The Democrats did. And this is what we need. This is what our party needs to do.
Robert Garcia
Yeah. Look, I first, I'm very grateful obviously to the House caucus. You know, I was just the House historian was just telling me a couple days ago that it's been actually 100 years since a sophomore has been elected to a ranking member position to lead the committee on the Democratic side. And so it is. I understand the kind of historical implications, but mostly I'm just grateful that Democrats understand that we need to expand the tent. We need to bring the next generation of folks to the table. Got good ideas, a different perspective, younger folks and people, you know, and look, people in this next generation, people want to be in the fight. People want to be aggressive. We need to match the energy of the MAGA movement, which is causing massive harm to this country. And so I think it's a good moment. Obviously, not just what happened here, what happened in New York, what's happening across the country, we've got to have the next generation of Democrats at the leadership table.
Jennifer
I totally agree. I mean, it is just time to just toss it up. Before I ask you what you've had it with, I want to ask you about this. Do you think when you think back to 2016, Trump was like this anti establishment candidate and all of the establishment and the Republican establishment mortified by him, talk behind his back? I think the same people still talk behind his back, but that's another issue when we deep dive into the psychology of this cult on another episode. But he moved the base. He moved the Republican base. I mean, he moves them crazy and he moved them to a really toxic place. But the people voted that they wanted change. They wanted somebody that came in and called out Ted Cruz and said, ted Cruz is a liar. Little Marco is a total piece of shit. All the people that are in his administration, what got him elected the first time, he called them out for being hypocrites. Because people are so sick of politicians and their double speak. I think this is happening with the Democratic Party right now. I think the base is moving the party. I think that you have the Democratic establishment that the reason that you didn't get this position out of the gate is they were playing by the old rules they passed over AOC and younger people. And we lost two elections to a man that can't blend his makeup and speaks at a second grade level doing the Democratic establishment stuff. What do you think? Do you think the base is moving the party?
Robert Garcia
I do. So when, when aoc, when Alex ran for this position, I supported her. In fact, I was one of her three nominators. The way these things work is you have three members nominate you onto the caucus. And I was one of the three that spoke on her behalf in the caucus meeting, making the case as to why Alex is a generational talent and an opportunity for us to move forward and bring new people in to the party. You see what she is doing across the country at these rallies. And I thought we really, I mean, we really missed a huge opportunity to elect her as the leader of the Oversight Committee. And look, of course I love Jerry and obviously we all are horrified by what happened to him, of course, and mourn his loss. But when that happened, we had another opportunity to have another election. And a lot of us talked. I talked to Alex for a significant period of time, on multiple occasions, talking through if this was actually possible, like had the caucus, would the party be open to newer perspectives? And after talking to folks across the party I think what's clear is in the last few weeks and months especially, people have been going back home to the town halls. People are hearing from the constituents, members are being stopped on the street and are being told, hey, it's time for change. We need to be more aggressive. We need to uplift new voices. We can't just play by the old handbook. And I think Democrats are so used to respectability politics, and we're so used to doing things the right way because we're honest and we're, you know, we're, we all want to make sure things, things work out a certain way for, for, to help people that we miss, how to actually be in the fight. And so I am very heartened by the fact that not only did we win, but we, we had a really, really strong win. And so that gives me some, some hope that I think the party, at least at the kind of congressional establishment level, understands the needs for change. And I keep hearing over and over again from people saying, you know what I'm hearing? I'm hearing from my folks back home at these town halls, people are mad and people want change and we've got to deliver that. And so that is important. I think the caucus is ready. And then look at what's happening across the country. We're flipping seats, people are engaged. Some of the largest protests we've had in modern history. And so I think this energy, we need to continue to push. I am, I was feeling pretty hopeless, to be honest, a few months ago, and I'm starting to feel a lot better. But that doesn't mean the fight's not over. But I am feeling a little better.
Jennifer
I think there's one problem that the Democratic Party needs to be really honest about and we need to cut the crap and get serious about it. And as we used to be the anti war party and now because of AIPAC and many of your colleagues that take donations from aipac, everybody tiptoes around it because they're fearful if they call it out, they're going to be called an anti Semite. This harms the party. And backing a war criminal like Benjamin Netanyahu harms our country. It harms the Democratic Party, it harms us from advancing in an electoral way. And I think a lot of your colleagues are really compromised. And we've become the war party. We're supposed to be the good guys. And you don't have Democratic leadership speaking out unequivocally about Benjamin Netanyahu and his war crimes because everybody's too scared. Because AIPAC makes everybody tiptoe around that you're going to be called an anti Semite, which is simply not the case. You can be a complete supporter of the Jews and all human rights, but stand out against this horrific government that we subsidize, that we send money to. And guess what they get health care, higher education. Middle America gets politicians, Democrats that go home to them and tell them they're going to fight for them, but they seem to fight for Israel first. And I think we have to cut the crap and have a serious conversation about it as a party.
Robert Garcia
Look, first, let's be clear. I mean, Netanyahu is the Donald Trump of the Middle east and Israel. And it's clear. And I think people forget that. Netanyahu, by the way, is incredibly corrupt, besides being a horrific leader and taking his country and his people, I think in horrible directions. Including, by the way, prior to the horrific actions of what happened on October 7, right prior to this, Netanyahu was on his way possibly to prison. And so I think that the broader public need to understand that Democrats have to speak out with courage. And exactly what you said is correct. We have to be the party of peace around the world. We have to be the anti war party. We have to be willing to take on the Pentagon. Look, I've only been in Congress for three years, but I've refused to vote, for example, on any of those defense budgets. Why? Because they're completely bloated. And the Defense Department of the Pentagon, they are the only department in the government that can't even pass an audit. So they won't even pass a basic federal audit because there's so much waste and bloat there and we're not willing to look and actually take them on. When people tell me, well, we need more money for classrooms or we need to expand healthcare or, but it'd be great to have more grants for programs that we care about. I say there is actually, the resources are actually there, but we need to look at the Defense Department and actually rethink what we're spending on. So I couldn't agree with you more.
Jennifer
What about morally though? You just said you made a case for how corrupt and horrible Benjamin Netanyahu is. What does it say about sitting Democratic politicians that take money from an organization that supports that government in its actions? And when Marjorie Taylor Greene sounds less war and more peace than some of the Democrats in Congress, we if we're going to win and we're going to take back over this country, this shit has to be handled. I mean, because it is something that's been stewing for the last two years. It's been stewing. And I feel like we had Hakeem Jeffries on and I feel like everybody tiptoes around it, but we can't just have a real conversation. They're compromised and they won't call him out because they take APAC money. And I feel like it would just be so refreshing if, you know, Bernie says it and he's Jewish. He has more moral clarity on this. And I feel like it would just be refreshing if some of you all banded together and said, get AIPAC out of the Democratic Party. We are a pro peace party, an anti war party. I feel like we could. It wouldn't just be a blue wave. I feel like it'd be a blue tsunami.
Robert Garcia
Well, look, I'm not going to obviously defend APAC or anybody else, but here's the, here's the broader issue with this issue is that it's not just this super PAC or others. There shouldn't be any of this money coming into politics, period. And what you're the issue right now with these large super PAC dark money groups is that tons of money flows in, tons of money then gets put out across the government and all of that should be banned, period. And what's happening, you guys have probably seen what happened today, just this week with the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is now going to take on additional cases. They just announced this to actually bring more dark money and its ability to spread across parties and candidates. And they're gonna take that up in this next session. And so the issue around money in politics is real and you're right to raise it, but it's not gonna get fixed in one organization or with one action. There has to be massive reform to get big dark money out of politics all across the board. Because the biggest spender in politics is actually Elon Musk. That's the biggest spender in politics. And so it's going to take a lot more than just that. It's going to take completely removing all this massive dark money that's going into politics.
Angie
I completely agree with that. Which is a perfect segue bringing up Elon Musk in your new role leading the Democrats in the Oversight committee. So Elon Musk allegedly has gone from doge all of the things that he and his 20 year old frat boy buddies did. At what point can we expect that you all on that committee will start seeing the fraud and the stealing of the private information? I was just reading an article that Elon Musk, not only did he get all of the investigations into himself, knocked out all of the contracts he awarded himself, now he has trade secrets of competitors. So at what point, I know that, you know, the Republicans are in the majority, but at what point will you all be able to ask and be able to see what all Elon Musk did within the federal government?
Jennifer
Oh, I want this so bad. I want this, I want this moment so bad. Congressman Pop Galore. Okay, tell us.
Robert Garcia
Well, I mean, first let's be really clear. I mean, what Elon Musk has done has been trying to destroy our government and just take all of people's hard earned wealth to a massive wealth transfer basically to himself and his billionaire friends. Right? I mean, that's what this is all about. More money, more corruption, and absolutely no accountability. He is right. We have no idea. Let's be very clear. We have no idea if he essentially stole all of our private information from the government. We have no clue. There's no checks and balances in place. We have no idea whose taxes, whose information, what private Social Security information he may or may not have. And so I think the American public needs to be very aware of that. He also essentially opened the floodgates to these young doge Bros to come in and have access to our agencies and this information. And in some cases these guys are teenagers, in their early 20s, have no experience in managing sensitive information. We have no idea what access they may have or have had to our information. That is also very concerning. The thing about oversight in this committee and why I think I'm pretty fired up about it, is this committee is at the heart of transparency and accountability in Congress. That's what this committee does. It has the power to subpoena, it has the power to investigate, has a power to hold people accountable. I have told folks that if you are harming the American public, if you are scamming the American people, if you are out there stealing information and damaging workers, you will be held accountable by the Oversight committee. You can take that to the bank. And we are going to be aggressive in going after not just Musk's corruption, but those that chose to turn away and empower the corruption that Elon Musk has been doing in government. He has successfully gotten all of his investigations removed from all the agencies that were investigating Tesla and Starlink and SpaceX and all of his companies are gone. So his investment, we talked about money, his, you know, a quarter of a, of a billion dollars plus that he threw into elections and to elect Donald Trump for Him is paying off because now those investigations are gone. Those investigations must be restarted once we're able to have the ability to have these subpoenas. But in addition, the good thing about oversight, and even when we are in the minority, we still have the power to investigate. And so we are going to be launching investigations that you are going to see in the weeks ahead on this corruption. And in fact, our. One of the very first actions that we're going to be looking at is, is to take a look at Stephen Miller.
Angie
Oh, yes, He's.
Jennifer
He is such a fucking asshole.
Robert Garcia
I mean, there's a few people that are bigger than him. I mean, what the, the first, let's be really clear, a lot people would say, oh, Elon Musk is the shadow president. It's Stephen.
Jennifer
Totally Stephen. No, you're 100% right.
Robert Garcia
Stephen Miller is the mastermind behind the cruelty and the corruption in the White House.
Jennifer
Don't you think the way he's run that White House social media account with the ASMR where they're locking people up, I think he is such a sicko congressman. I think that's like porn to him. I think when he sees that we've got like a sadist psycho nut job of Hitlerian proportions where he gets off on that. Because Trump, you know, Trump likes to troll people on the Internet and send out tweets and play with his hair and put on his makeup. He's not real into policy or doing stuff like this. We know he doesn't have the brain for that. I think, Stephen Miller, I'm 100% with you. That prick that is doing all of this stuff, I cannot stand that guy. And I think he's an. I think, and I know he's Jewish, but I think he's like an anti Semitic Jew. He's like this really weird, like microcosm of a really like. I don't even know. If Hollywood could write somebody that up.
Angie
You wouldn't believe it.
Robert Garcia
No, I mean, no, I mean, the fucked up shit that, that you're right, that he is putting out, he is driving this White House. And you think about the cruelty right now on the ground, right? With what, what ICE is doing, the kidnappings, what Kristi Noem is doing. I mean, Kristi Noem is running around the country playing dress up ICE Agent Barbie or whatever she's doing. But the person that's actually carrying out these horrific deportations of sometimes U.S. citizens or people that have done nothing wrong is Stephen Miller. He is the person that is actually running this operation. And all the other horrible policies coming out of the White House. It's also very clear, if you even think about the. That damn signal gate that had Pete Hegseth when he was removing all the war plans and. Yeah, who was the guy on that, on that thread that made it clear what the President wanted? It was Stephen Miller, because he is the person behind the scenes causing all the real damage, and he's gotta be held accountable. And you can bet that that's at the top of our list.
Jennifer
I read an article that he really runs the doj, too. Yes. Pam Bondi, they just put out as a puppet that. I think you're 100% right, that he's the shadow president. And I. You remember when he. When Trump did his Nazi rally at msg, and then it was like Hitler had had one there. And I think he's a student. Stephen Miller, I've read, is like a student of the Nazi regime. Like, he studied it and how they did it, which is a really. I mean, you know what's so crazy? And I just can't even stomach this. When Trump 1.0, he had like, these neocons around him, and I was like, oh, my God, these people are so horrible. And now those people look like boy Scouts, right? You know, like Bill Barr, who's a total piece of shit, looks like a boy scout now compared to what's going on in Trump 2.0, it's like bottom feeder city. It just makes me insane. And the impunity in which they do this in corporate media, how they just start the news off with like, President Trump has some big decisions to make over Iran. And I'm like, are we not going to talk about the fact that he clearly has dementia, speaks at a second grade level? And I mean, like, it's just. I feel like we're living in the upside down. It's bananas. I don't know if you guys know this, but when I'm not a podcaster, I have an interior design business and I've had it for 25 years. But juggling both jobs and getting to the phone calls and answering every client that calls me has been really difficult. Until I discovered and started using OpenPhone. OpenPhone is the number one business phone system that streamlines and scales your customer communications. You guys, it is a game changer.
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Robert Garcia
Look the the, the media, the legacy media has also failed us. And I think we've been very honest about that and is not holding. I mean, sometimes I turn on. I mean, it's hard sometimes to watch some of what's being said on, on, on, on, on TV and on cable because it completely missed the point that you actually have this person that's the president is the most corrupt person ever to hold the presidency. They're committing crimes every week, new crimes every week. And I know people say this, but it doesn't get old that if Barack Obama had done one of these things, just one of these horrific things, he would have been impeached instantly, immediately. They would have tried him and impeached him in the House and the Senate. And so we have to hold folks accountable. And look, I've told folks, we have a big agenda in front of us, and we're not going to allow just things that they sort of sweep under the rug to be forgotten. I mean, let's remember the first time that Trump left the White House and Jared Kushner got $2 billion with a B.
Jennifer
Yes.
Robert Garcia
From the Saudi government. What happened there, that must be investigated.
Angie
But we're too worried about what's on Hunter Biden's laptop to worry about. I mean, it's crazy. Okay, I know we have to move on. I know we've got short time, but I have to ask this one question. The Stephen Miller situation. So how, when you bring him in in front of Oversight, which are. Or launch the investigation, can you get him in front of you to testify? Or does that have to wait until we're in the majority?
Robert Garcia
So, yeah, so those. The power of subpoena is only given to the majority.
Jennifer
Okay.
Robert Garcia
Right. We can make suggestions. We can make motions at oversight on the committee, but we are in the minority. And so Republicans can overrule that. But you can rest assured, when we have the power to subpoena and Donald Trump will still be the president, that we're going to have all of those folks and more in front of us and hold these folks accountable for their corruption and their crimes. And corruption in government has to be at the center of what we're doing as we move forward into the future. It's not just stopping these horrific bills and things that are happening.
Jennifer
Right.
Robert Garcia
Because we can't normalize. We can't normalize these crimes and corruption. And people say, well, you're so focused on good government, and what about all this horrible things that are happening here? We got to focus on both. Because if we don't actually say, you cannot do this as an elected official. You can't accept a $400 million plane. You can't have a meme coin with foreign governments giving you money. You can't do real estate deals in other countries they are doing diplomacy with. You can't sell just all sorts of bibles and tennis shoes or sell tickets.
Jennifer
To the White House. It's a goddamn flea market over at the White House. It is a fucking flea market over there. He's like an evangelical preacher. It's just bananas. Okay, you know what? Okay, as you were talking about calling them in, in my mind, if I were on your position and I was the. The leader of this oversight committee, this is my fantasy world. I'd get J.D. vance in there, right? And I start asking him stuff like, Mr. Vice President, were you aware when Elon Musk said this? And then get him on a roll and I'd go, and Mr. Vice President, what eyeliner do you use? Just a fantasy.
Robert Garcia
I would show them the baby pictures.
Jennifer
Okay, we have to play had it or hit it. Okay, so I'm gonna list some things. If you like it, you'll say, hit it. If you don't like it, you'll say had it. Oh, my God. Welcome to had it or hit it. I would hit it. I hit it every day. Sometimes twice a day. Had it or hit it? Tax cuts for the ultra wealthy.
Robert Garcia
Oh, had it. Come on.
Jennifer
It's ridiculous. And that's why we can't have nice things. It's not because of immigrants. It's not because of trans people. It's because the greedy billionaires. All right, had it or hit it? Zoran Mamdani hit it. Isn't he great?
Robert Garcia
Yeah, I mean, I. I'm fired up. I mean, look, I think I. I think right now people. People don't get about his win. I think, and I told this to my Democratic colleagues, is has nothing to do that he was a Democratic socialist. Has nothing to do his positions on the Middle east or what he thinks about what's going on in Israel or Gaza. It has everything to do with his ideas. And he sold an actual forward looking vision. And then he took that vision and communicated it in all the spaces where people are actually consuming information. We have a lot to learn from Zoron and I hope that we. That we do.
Jennifer
Yeah. And you know, it's interesting that he won some districts that Trump won. And your friend, I love that you call her Alex. I want to get to know from like, Alex, that Alex, same thing. There was A lot of crossover. So I think there is a lot of fruitful information for the midterms looking at that, because there isn't really that big of a difference sometimes with working class people. Red districts, whether it's in Oklahoma or New York or California, you know, you got some crazy MAGA counties out in California. So I think there's a lot to learn where you've had a democratic socialist. Alex or Zoran, and they both won districts that Trump won. I think we could garner a lot of winnable nuggets from that for the midterms. Okay, had it or hit it. The big ugly bill, which I have renamed a heaping pile of dog shit.
Angie
Right. More act.
Robert Garcia
I mean, obviously had it and I mean, 16. Now 17 million people. The Senate, actually, you know, of course, making this all even worse. This bill is going to essentially ensure that 17 million people in this country lose the access to their health care. We should be fucking ashamed of ourselves. It's just disgusting, shameful. And for what? So that billionaires and large corporations can get bigger tax breaks? Ridiculous.
Jennifer
So gross. Okay. Had it or hit it, Jeff Bezos I had it.
Robert Garcia
I'm sorry. I mean, I mean, first, like, let's support your workers more. Do you need that much unlimited wealth? Let's allow some unions to form. Let's allow workers to make a better living. I mean, look, I respect some of obviously his innovations and he's created some amazing things that we all use in this world, but I think he's got to do better by his workers.
Jennifer
I think so too. I think it's also a real shortcoming of his that his Amazon has used highways, roads, skies, all things and infrastructure that are paid by working class Americans. Yet he doesn't want to pay taxes and even moved from Washington state to dump truck. Ron DeSantis State Florida to avoid paying billions in taxes. And I just think this is a real shortcoming of the billionaire class to have so much and then just think so little of the people that pay the taxes that you refuse to pay. I think it's really gross and, and Trump is normalizing this. But I feel like with your being in the Senate, especially, I mean, in the House and especially in this oversight role with, with Mamdani's win, I think an economic populist message is going to move the Democratic establishment over. Because nothing that Bernie says, that Alex says, that you say, that Mamdani says, none of it, none of it is radical. I mean, not, not an ounce of it is radical.
Robert Garcia
That's right. I mean, that's exactly right.
Jennifer
What you just said about workers being paid is. Is a very important message. Okay, last one. Had it or hit it. The United States of America.
Robert Garcia
Yeah, I, I'm going to say hit it. And, and, and the reason why is because at the end of the day, I've told people a lot. I, I love this country. I'm an immigrant. When I raised my hand to become a US citizen in my early 20s, it meant something to me. And that commitment to country and doing the right thing. And for me, the flag, the flag in this country actually stand for something. And they should stand for this dream where people from across the world can come and make themselves better and take care of their families and. And that we can build the people that are here. And so I still have hope for our country. I love our country and our flag. Going through a very tough moment now, but we got to fight for that country that we want.
Angie
I'll tell you what, Congressman. I have kind of, ever since the patriot and we're the flag and we're the patriots and all that, it's dampened my patriotism. Like, seeing the flag now kind of gives me the cringies because I'm like, these are people that don't believe in the Constitution, that do not believe in freedom for everybody. These are the people that take America's democracy away. So when I see flag flying now, it kind of offends me. And I. I wish I were like you, where I felt good about the flag, but MAGA has made me not feel good about the flag anymore.
Robert Garcia
And I, I mean, I get that. And I. I think I. And I have. I could go through the same feelings, but I. I do believe that we cannot allow them to own our flag.
Jennifer
I agree.
Robert Garcia
And we cannot allow them to own our country. It's our Constitution. It's a good document, and we should fight for it.
Jennifer
And these people, I want to remind both of you, also carry Confederate flags. A war that was lost. They also carry Nazi flags. They also carry proud boys flags. And so they. By carrying those other flags, those flags are antithetical to the flag that we have. And at the end of the day, I'm with you, Congressman. Like, this is America. Think about the music, the movies, the fact that you got sworn in and you got your citizenship and now you're a Congressman. Like, we embrace diversity. We aren't these crusty old white fuckers that don't welcome everybody. Yeah, Mag is like that, and they can be that. But we have to hit America. We have to fight For America. We have to fight for the culture we've built. We have to be welcoming to other people and be a kind place and always fight for social justice. Our generation cannot be the one that dropped the fucking ball. We have to fight for this country.
Robert Garcia
That's right. I agree 100%.
Jennifer
Okay. Congressman, so lovely to see you. If you would ever like to come to a town hall in Oklahoma, you are welcome.
Robert Garcia
We'll do it. Maybe we'll do that. Love that.
Jennifer
Okay. All right, we'll see you later. Bye.
Robert Garcia
Bye, guys.
Angie
I'm sorry I kept laughing, but every time you'd say Alex, like you were best friends with afc, he said it.
Jennifer
So many times that you felt like.
Angie
You could do it, that I felt.
Jennifer
Like I could piggyback on and just say Alex. And so. And it just flowed better than aoc. But you know what?
Angie
It also is manifesting.
Jennifer
I'm manifesting being friends. Wouldn't it be we follow each other on Instagram, Alex and me, and she.
Angie
Has been on the pod.
Jennifer
You and I pod. We've messaged, we've hearted. There's been some hearted French bulldog, there's been some harding in the DMs.
Angie
So I think you should just come right out with Alex. No, sorry, I just.
Jennifer
I know. I miss you. Next time I DM her, I'll just. Just be like, hey, Alex. But I remember when she was on our podcast, she was telling us that like some of her Senate call. I'm not. I'm sorry, House colleagues would be like, hey, Alex. I remember her saying that.
Angie
No, I remember that too. But yeah, so I'm apologizing for giggling, but I just. Every time you said it, I was just like, this is manifesting in its finest form. Right?
Jennifer
I think it was more like he had established the vernac. Like that was the flow of the conversation I just picked up, but doesn't matter. Didn't hurt my feelings. Sorry, Already talking about it way too much at this point. All right, that's all we have for today. And we will see you guys next Tuesday and Thursday. I'll tell you what I've had it with.
Angie
Let's hear it.
Jennifer
I've had it with that. Listen up, patriots, gaytriots and natriots. We have a new podcast that has dropped. It's called IHIP News. It's Monday through Friday. Every day, 15 to 20 minute hot takes on the political landscape of the United States of America. Always served with a side of petty grievances.
Angie
We are on all the available platforms. Apple, Spotify, Google, whatever you get, your podcast and YouTube, please go, rate, subscribe.
Jennifer
And review so that we will chart upwards with American. America's greatest legal mind. Pumps, pumps. What does an eagle say? Caca. A little bit more enthusiasm.
Angie
Caca.
Jennifer
That's it. That's. That's, that's the patriotism that this country needs right there.
Podcast Summary: "Bottom Feeder Billionaires" – I've Had It with Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan
Release Date: July 1, 2025
Host: Jennifer Welch and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan
Episode Title: Bottom Feeder Billionaires
Description: In this episode, Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan delve into their frustrations with societal behaviors and systemic issues, particularly focusing on the rampant greed of billionaires and its impact on everyday Americans. The episode features a special guest, Representative Robert Garcia, who discusses his new role in the House Oversight Committee and the Democratic Party's efforts to address corruption and economic inequality.
Timeframe: [01:03] - [07:05]
Jennifer and Angie kick off the episode by sharing personal anecdotes about dealing with intrusive and inconsiderate strangers. Angie recounts an unsettling encounter at the airport with a persistently flirtatious and unattractive man ([01:53] – [03:15]). She expresses frustration over people’s lack of self-awareness, especially in communal spaces like airports, where waiting for a flight does not equate to a desire for social interaction.
Notable Quote:
Angie: "Why do people lack so much self-awareness that they think because they're waiting on a plane in an airport that everybody wants to be their friend?" ([02:10])
Jennifer adds to the conversation by describing rude behavior when trying to board a flight, emphasizing the repeated disrespect from certain individuals ([04:03] – [05:28]). The hosts collectively express their disdain for such everyday nuisances, setting the stage for broader discussions on larger societal issues.
Timeframe: [05:28] - [07:33]
Jennifer shares an incident at Bloomingdale's in Soho, where a group of teenage girls behaving inappropriately on escalators draws her ire. The lack of supervision and awareness is criticized, highlighting concerns about public behavior and societal norms.
Notable Quote:
Jennifer: "They were just in a hurry to get this. [...] They were running up and down and blah, blah, blah. I just immediately said, girls, no, there's people behind you." ([06:29] – [07:05])
Angie speculates humorously about the girls' possible backgrounds, mentioning Pentecostal or Amish influences, adding a layer of social commentary on youth behavior and upbringing.
Timeframe: [09:00] - [16:45]
Jennifer introduces a fascinating news segment about Moscow’s street dogs, showcasing their impressive ability to navigate urban environments, obey traffic signals, and cooperate within packs. The dogs’ intelligence and adaptability are highlighted, drawing parallels to human societal structures.
Notable Insights:
Angie expresses awe and fascination with the dogs' behaviors, drawing metaphorical connections to human societal issues like intelligence and adaptability.
Timeframe: [16:45] - [30:55]
The conversation shifts to economic frustrations, particularly focusing on restaurants adding a living wage fee to customers’ bills instead of truly raising employee wages. Jennifer criticizes this practice as consumer exploitation and highlights the disparity between corporate profits and worker wages.
Notable Quote:
Jennifer: "The restaurant should be required by law to pay their employees a livable wage. [...] It just blows my mind." ([15:48] – [16:39])
They delve into the broader issue of income inequality, drawing attention to CEO-to-worker pay gaps and criticizing the American system for allowing the wealthy to exploit societal structures for personal gain. The hosts argue that systemic changes, such as mandatory living wages and fairer taxation, are necessary to address these disparities.
Timeframe: [30:55] - [62:54]
Introduction and New Role: Jennifer welcomes Representative Robert Garcia, who has recently been appointed as the Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee. Garcia discusses the historical significance of his appointment, noting that it's been 100 years since a sophomore was elected to such a ranking position on the Democratic side ([31:15] – [32:11]).
Key Discussion Points:
Democratic Party Dynamics: Garcia emphasizes the need for the Democratic Party to embrace new voices and younger members to counteract the influence of the MAGA movement. He stresses the importance of matching the energy and aggressiveness of their political opponents to effect meaningful change.
Notable Quote:
Robert Garcia: "We need to match the energy of the MAGA movement, which is causing massive harm to this country." ([32:11])
Wealth Inequality and Billionaire Critique: Jennifer and Angie broach the topic of billionaire influence, taxation, and ethical responsibilities. Garcia agrees, highlighting the moral shortcomings of the wealthy who exploit public resources while avoiding fair taxation.
Notable Quote:
Jennifer: "What do you think? Do you think the base is moving the party?"
Robert Garcia: "I do. [...] People are mad and people want change and we've got to deliver that." ([36:15] – [37:09])
Money in Politics: The hosts criticize the influx of dark money and super PACs in politics, particularly highlighting figures like Elon Musk. Garcia discusses the challenges of regulating dark money and the need for comprehensive reforms to eliminate its influence.
Notable Quote:
Robert Garcia: "There has to be massive reform to get big dark money out of politics all across the board." ([40:26])
Elon Musk and Government Oversight: Angie questions Garcia about potential investigations into Elon Musk’s dealings with the federal government. Garcia outlines the limitations due to the current minority status but assures listeners of future accountability measures.
Notable Quote:
Robert Garcia: "We are going to be aggressive in going after not just Musk's corruption, but those that chose to turn away and empower the corruption that Elon Musk has been doing in government." ([42:34])
Stephen Miller and White House Corruption: The conversation intensifies as Jennifer and Angie express strong disdain for Stephen Miller, accusing him of orchestrating corrupt and harmful policies within the White House. Garcia agrees, labeling Miller as a key figure behind the administration's cruelty and corruption.
Notable Quote:
Robert Garcia: "Stephen Miller is the mastermind behind the cruelty and the corruption in the White House." ([45:23])
Jennifer: "Stephen Miller, I cannot stand that guy." ([45:46])
Patriotism and National Identity: In the concluding segment, Garcia and the hosts debate the meaning of patriotism in the current political climate. While Garcia remains hopeful and committed to fighting for America’s foundational values, Angie shares how recent political developments have tainted her perception of patriotism.
Notable Quote:
Robert Garcia: "We cannot allow them to own our flag... We have to be welcoming to other people and be a kind place and always fight for social justice." ([61:36] – [62:38])
Timeframe: [62:53] - [63:52]
In a playful conclusion, the hosts engage in a game of "Had It or Hit It," where they quickly express their approval or disdain for various topics related to the episode’s themes.
Examples:
Jennifer: "Had it or hit it? Tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy."
Robert Garcia: "Had it."
Jennifer: "Had it or hit it? Jeff Bezos."
Robert Garcia: "Had it."
These exchanges reinforce the episode’s critical stance on economic inequality and corporate greed.
The episode wraps up with teasers for their upcoming projects, including promoting their book "Life is a Lazy Susan of Shit Sandwiches" and their new podcast, "IHIP News." They encourage listeners to engage with their content on various platforms and continue supporting their advocacy against systemic injustices.
Final Notable Quote:
Jennifer: "That's the patriotism that this country needs right there." ([64:57])
Key Takeaways:
Economic Inequality: The hosts passionately critique the systemic favoritism towards the ultra-wealthy, highlighting issues like living wage exploitation and unfair taxation.
Political Accountability: Through their interview with Representative Robert Garcia, the episode underscores the necessity for political transparency, especially concerning the influence of billionaires and dark money in politics.
Social Awareness: Personal stories and societal observations serve to illustrate broader themes of self-awareness, public decorum, and the impact of individual behaviors on community well-being.
Call to Action: Jennifer and Angie advocate for active participation in political reform, urging listeners to support movements and leaders committed to equity and justice.
This episode of "I've Had It" offers a compelling blend of personal anecdotes, insightful discussions, and critical political analysis, making it a must-listen for those concerned with social justice and economic fairness.