The Truth with Lisa Boothe: D.C. in Crisis: The Federalization Debate and the Fight Against Crime with Hans von Spakovsky

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode Title: The Truth with Lisa Booth: D.C. in Crisis: The Federalization Debate and the Fight Against Crime with Hans von Spakovsky
Release Date: August 14, 2025
Host: Lisa Booth
Guest: Hans von Spakovsky, Senior Legal Fellow at the Heritage Foundation

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1. Introduction

In this episode of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, hosted by Lisa Booth, prominent legal expert Hans von Spakovsky joins to dissect the multifaceted crisis plaguing Washington, D.C. The discussion delves into the federalization debate, rampant crime rates, and the ongoing redistricting battles affecting the nation's political landscape.

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2. Washington D.C.'s Governance and Federalization Debate

Overview: The conversation begins with an exploration of the unique governance structure of Washington, D.C., emphasizing Congress's ultimate authority over the federal district.

Key Points:

• Unique Status of D.C.: Unlike other cities, D.C. is a federal district, not a state, granting Congress significant oversight.

• Home Rule Act of 1973: Established limited self-governance with a city council and mayor but retained Congressional control over the budget and the ability to override local laws.

Notable Quotes:

• Lisa Booth [04:56]: “Congress has ultimate authority over Washington, D.C. They keep referencing Washington, D.C. with cities across America. But D.C. is unique, right?”

• Hans von Spakovsky [05:20]: “The District of Columbia is not really a city and it's not a state. It's a federal district, and the federal government has control over it... Congress retained power and authority over the city's budget and also the authority to override and veto any local laws.”

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3. Crime in D.C.: Statistics and Policies

Overview: The discussion shifts to the alarming crime rates in Washington, D.C., challenging Democratic claims of decreasing crime and scrutinizing local law enforcement policies.

Key Points:

• Rising Crime Rates: Contrary to claims of reduced crime, statistics indicate a significant increase in murders and carjackings.

• Defunding the Police: The city council's policies have reportedly hindered effective law enforcement, contributing to the surge in crime.

Notable Quotes:

• Hans von Spakovsky [07:42]: “The language [of the Home Rule Act] is extremely broad and leaves it entirely within the discretion of the President... The District has the fourth highest murder rate in the country.”

• Lisa Booth [12:58]: “If I'm 800 pounds and I get to 600, I'm still obese. Right? So it's like, what do you make of this talking point for the left to try to downplay how bad things are in DC?”

• Hans von Spakovsky [14:58]: “I think Congress should give serious consideration to taking back over the local government... they have all kinds of issues and problems throughout all of the District.”

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4. Democrat Party's Approach to Law Enforcement

Overview: Von Spakovsky critiques the Democratic Party's stance on law enforcement, linking it to broader ideological movements that he believes undermine public safety.

Key Points:

• Ideological Driven Policies: The push to defund the police emerges from Marxist-inspired ideologies rather than practical realities.

• Impact of Previous Administrations: References to the Obama administration's handling of police-related issues as a turning point in law enforcement erosion.

Notable Quotes:

• Hans von Spakovsky [19:32]: “They seem to be driven by ideology instead of everyday practical reality... These are the kind of things that have infected them.”

• Lisa Booth [21:10]: “...the criminal is the victim and the victim is the criminal. Right.”

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5. Redistricting Battles Nationwide

Overview: The episode examines the high-stakes redistricting efforts across various states, highlighting legal battles and the implications for future elections.

Key Points:

• Texas Redistricting: Discusses the removal of unconstitutional racial gerrymanders and the resulting shift towards GOP-favored districts.

• Other States Involved: Highlights ongoing redistricting efforts in California, New York, Maryland, Florida, Missouri, Indiana, and Ohio, each with unique legal challenges.

• Historical Context: Gerrymandering is framed as a long-standing political strategy, originating in 1812 with Massachusetts.

Notable Quotes:

• Hans von Spakovsky [22:53]: “Democrats are experts at gerrymandering. They invented it back in 1812 in Massachusetts... If states really want to try to minimize this, they need to put in very strict standards for what governs.”

• Lisa Booth [30:01]: “Is this, is this a broader challenge with, you know, obviously both parties engage in it? Is that, is that leading to kind of this vitriol we're seeing in Congress...”

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6. The Census: Redoing It and Its Implications

Overview: The conversation transitions to the debate over redoing the census, its historical context, and its potential impact on congressional apportionment and electoral college dynamics.

Key Points:

• Mid-Decade Census Proposal: Advocates for a midterm census to better account for population mobility and accurately distribute federal funds.

• Citizenship in Census: Argues against including non-citizens in apportionment and redistricting, citing political manipulation.

• Open Borders Policy: Links the influx of non-citizens to political strategies aimed at benefiting the Democratic Party through altered representation.

Notable Quotes:

• Hans von Spakovsky [36:28]: “We ought to do a mid-decade census, and two, we should not be including aliens in either apportionment or redistricting.”

• Lisa Booth [38:45]: “How much of that had to do with importing a new voter base in the country and also for redistricting purposes?”

• Hans von Spakovsky [39:22]: “The more aliens that come into the country, the better. One, it helps in apportionment. Two, it helps in redistricting and eventually if we can push through some kind of amnesty deal so that they become US Citizens, why then they'll be voting for us.”

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7. Conclusion

The episode wraps up by emphasizing the intertwined nature of governance, law enforcement, redistricting, and census methodologies in shaping the future political and social landscape of the United States. Hans von Spakovsky provides a critical perspective on current Democratic policies and underscores the need for legislative interventions to address the crises in Washington, D.C., and beyond.

Final Remarks:

• Lisa Booth [41:05]: “Hans Von Spakovsky, thank you so much. This is very interesting. Really appreciate your banger legal expertise.”

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Additional Notes

• The episode also touches upon various advertisements and promotions; however, these have been excluded from the summary to maintain focus on the core content.

• The discussion is marked by a critical stance towards Democratic policies, particularly concerning law enforcement and immigration, reflecting the perspectives of the Heritage Foundation representative.

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the episode, providing listeners with a clear understanding of the urgent issues facing Washington, D.C., and the broader implications for national politics.

Transcript

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[Lisa Booth]

Truth with Lisa Booth where we get to the heart of the issues that matter to you. Today, we're diving into some of the critical issues surrounding Washington, DC's governance, crime and the nationwide redistricting battle shaping our political future. Joining us for that legal discussion is Hans von Spakovsky. He is a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation. We're going to explore the President's authority to federalize Washington, D.C. the debate over the D.C. home Roll Act. Is it time for Congress to get rid of that? Also, we're going to dive into the truth about what's really going on in Washington, D.C. democrats keep making the argument that crime is down. But, but is it? What should you know about that? And why more broadly has the Democrat Party become the party of crime and disorder? Why are they embracing lawlessness? Plus, we'll unpack the high stakes redistricting fights. It's really a redistricting arms race that we're seeing in the country with Texas, California and beyond. We'll talk about the legal basis behind all of that. Also these conversations about the need to do a new census. It's never been done before. Should we do it? What does the law say? So stay tuned for a honest and truthful conversation to get to the bottom of all of these big legal fights with Hans Von Spakovsky. Well, Hans, Hans, I appreciate you coming on the show. Looking forward to, obviously this is getting a lot of attention, what President Trump's trying to do in Washington, D.C. so I look forward to your legal expertise and breaking it all down for us. So thanks for taking the time.

[Hans von Spakovsky]

Oh, sure. I'm happy to talk to you about it.

[Lisa Booth]

You know, Hans, what's interesting is, you know, people seem to forget that Congress has ultimate authority over Washington, D.C. they keep referencing Washington, D.C. with cities across America. But D.C. is unique, right? So we know that. Well, first of all, just talk about that. Congress's role in oversight with Washington, D.C.

[Hans von Spakovsky]

The District of Columbia is not really a city and it's not a state. It's a federal district, and the federal government has control over. And no different than other federal properties, such as army bases. It's exactly the same thing. The only reason that D.C. has a city council and a mayor is because in 1973, Congress granted them limited home rule. But even though they said, yeah, you could have a city council and a mayor, Congress retained power and authority over the city's budget and also the authority to basically override and veto any local laws or ordinances that the city council might pass. Additionally, when it comes to the President, they gave the President the power to basically federalize and run the Metropolitan Police Department. If there are special circumstances that the President believes amount to an emergency, he can do it immediately for 48 hours. And as long as he notifies Congress during that 48 hours, then he can do it for 30 days. Another big difference is that the National Guards are under the nominal control of governors in the states. That is not the case in the District. Again, because it's federal property. The President is the direct commander of the National Guard. He doesn't have to go to the mayor to get permission to use the National Guard. In fact, it's the other way around. If the mayor believes the D.C. national Guard is needed on the street, she has to go to the President and ask him to tell them to start patrolling.

[Lisa Booth]

So you referenced that the President can federalize the D.C. metropolitan Police under the Home Rule act of 1973 under special circumstances. Does the. Does the Home Rule act dictate what those special circumstances have to be? Or is that, like, subjective and up to the President to decide? Or, I mean, not, but. Or is that up to the President to sort of dictate what those special circumstances are like? How does that work?

[Hans von Spakovsky]

Lisa, the language is extremely broad and leaves it entirely within the discretion of the President. Nobody can question that. And even if, for example, the mayor and the City Council tried to sue the President, no judge is going to override the judgment of the President that special circumstances exist. And those special circumstances do exist. Look, I've been working in the District of Columbia for more than two decades, and it is a not only a poorly run city, it is a very dangerous city with high crime rates. I mean, it has the fourth highest murder rate in the country. There are roaming, roving gangs of teenagers that not only rob and assault people, but also give it a very high carjacking rate. It is a dangerous city, and the city Council has done everything they can to actually make it difficult for law enforcement to operate.

[Lisa Booth]

So after that 30 day period, I believe it requires a joint resolution passed by both the House and the Senate. Do they just need a simple majority to get that done? Do you think that, you know, Congress would do that or what do you think happens beyond that 30 day period?

[Hans von Spakovsky]

Oh, I think that members of Congress are well aware of the problems there and Republicans in particular, since they have a majority, I think if the President asks for more authority, they'll give it. Because, look, all you have to do is look at the news feeds for the last couple of years and you'll see that staffers and others in Congress have been attacked in the streets. And look, just this week there were protests being staged up in the Dupont Circle area against what the President was doing. And the police had to be called in because a couple of blocks away a man was shot and killed on the street at the same time. These protesters are saying, oh, well, we don't need more law enforcement. That that shows and really illustrates the problem in the District of Columbia.

[Lisa Booth]

Do you think it's time to get rid of the Home Rule Act?

[Hans von Spakovsky]

I have to tell you, I think Congress should give serious consideration to taking back over the local government. Again. You talk to anyone who's, who's willing to say something about it and they'll tell you how poorly the city is running. And they have all kinds of issues and problems throughout all of the District. And I think a lot of people, even if they, even if they want, don't want to admit it publicly, would tell you, yeah, it would be a good thing for the federal government to take it over and fix so many of the problems that exist throughout the city.

[Lisa Booth]

Well, it's interesting too with the uproar from the left, because I believe it was in 2023, there was actually a bipartisan effort along with Joe Biden, overriding some changes to the DC's criminal code. That. Right. And so it's, you know, so it's sort of ironic now that there's this uproar when, you know, like there was already a bipartisan ever effort very recently to override the will of Washington D.C. city Council.

[Hans von Spakovsky]

Right, right. And one of the things they've done is, is say you can't demand cash bail. And the result of that is that dangerous criminals are on the streets almost the very next day after they have been arrested. You talk to any police officer, the Metro police in this town, and they will tell you their frustration over the fact that Even when they arrest folks, they're almost out on the street immediately and committing crimes again.

[Lisa Booth]

Well, and you even have the D.C. police Union head talking about how he supports what President Trump's. It's also interesting because we've seen members of Congress come under attack recently. I mean, Democrat Congressman Henry Cuellar was carjacked at gunpoint. Representative Angie Craig was attacked in her own apartment complex. Senator Rand Paul staffer stabbed with the intern that was murdered, the DOE staffer, who has an appropriately named nickname, considering the fact that he, you know, stood up to these people to protect the, the, his friend that he was with. You know, so clearly DC cannot keep members of Congress and their staff safe.

[Travis Holloway]

What?

[Lisa Booth]

Safe? What do you make of this argument, though? Because we keep hearing this talking point of like, oh, well, crime's down 30 or, you know, down the most it's been in like 30 years or whatever. Even though we know that a D.C. police commissioner is under investigation for trying to cook the books in terms of data. But, like, even taking, like, let's just take their point seriously as if it is true. You know, if I'm 800 pounds and I get to 600, I'm still obese. Right? So it's like, what do you make of sort of this talking point for the left to try to downplay how bad things are in DC?

[Hans von Spakovsky]

I mean, that is just an outright lie that it's the lowest it's been in 30 years. I'll just give you one quick example of that. In 2011, there were 108 murders in D.C. and this is according to D.C. metro Police's own numbers. In 2024, there were 187, but that was down from 2023, when they had the highest number of murders ever recorded in the city. We're only halfway through the year and we've already passed 100 killings. So the murder rate in this city is basically double what it was in the 2011 through, you know, like 2020 time frame. If you compare D.C. to states, it has the highest car theft rate in the country. And look, you, you just mentioned the former Doge employee who, who tried to stop a roving gang of teenagers and got assaulted and severely injured for doing that. Look, 80% of the carjackings in this city are committed by teenagers, 14 to 17 year olds, 70% of them are armed. But as the new U.S. attorney complained, they all go to juvenile court instead of being treated as violent adults and are immediately out on the street again where they repeatedly commit these crimes again. And that's part of the problem in this city.

[Lisa Booth]

So can Congress make those changes since they have ultimate authority over Washington D.C. or does the city council need to make those changes in terms of like the age of criminality?

[Hans von Spakovsky]

Well, the city council could do it but they are anti law enforcement. They are defund the police. They're not going to do it. Congress can and should do it because they have the ultimate power and authority over the District.

[Lisa Booth]

We've got to take a quick commercial break. More Hans on the other side. If you like what you're hearing, please share on social media or share with your friends.

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[Lisa Booth]

How and why did we get to this point where the left has become? Because you even see it with the southern border under or Biden for four years you know. How and why did the Democrat party become the party of crime and disorder? Why do they embrace lawlessness so much?

[Hans von Spakovsky]

I I don't understand it other than they seem to be driven by ideology instead of everyday practical reality. Keep in mind that part of the defund the police movement which was adopted and supported by democratic city governments throughout the country. Look, this all arose out of leftist, frankly, Marxist, professors in California who said that our entire justice system is racist and that we should not just defund the police, but close down all our prisons. I mean, that sounds crazy, but. But those are the kind of things that have infected them. It's. It's obviously something that their constituents also do not agree with, because, as you know, the polling shows that support for the Democratic Party is at the lowest since they started doing polling. And it's because of positions like this, which make no sense.

[Lisa Booth]

You know, I also blame Obama because I think really, ever since the whole hands up, don't shoot with Michael Brown, it kind of like, turned the system upside down, where, you know, even after his own Department of Justice determined that Michael Brown was in the wrong and Officer Wilson was not, Obama was still like, oh, we don't. We'll never really know what. You know, like, he pushed this whole lie that. And then I think ever since. And then you had the black lives don't matter. And then I feel like it kind of like appended the system where somehow the criminal is the victim and, you know, the victim is the criminal. Right.

[Hans von Spakovsky]

Yeah, no, that is. That is exactly right. And it's a good thing you brought that up, because, look, Eric Holder was the head of the Justice Department at the time, and the Civil Rights division went in and investigated. If I used to work in the Civil Rights division, and I can tell you that if the lawyers there had discovered evidence that the police officer was responsible, they not only would have said so, they would have prosecuted him, but even their investigation showed that he was not at fault in that situation. And yet, not only Obama keeps to push it, but you won't find any other Democratic members of Congress and others who were supporting what Obama was saying. Not a single one of them, I think, has ever admitted that they got the story entirely wrong, but it's almost.

[Lisa Booth]

Like they wanted to get it wrong, you know, and then you had police officers in the fetal position, as, you know, former Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel said that his police officers were in the fetal position since Ferguson. And then, you know, and then you had all this defund the police. That came later, after George Floyd. But at least in my memory, it seems to really kind of draw a line back to the Obama years when at least I can remember when things really started to erode and kind of get crazy. I wanted to get your take on. Obviously, we're looking at some big redistricting fights. It's almost Like a redistricting arms race that's taking place right now heading into the midterm elections. Looking at what they're trying to do in Texas, are they overstepping, do you think that? Or are they within the confines. Confines of their laws?

[Hans von Spakovsky]

Well, what everyone fails to mention, particularly the Democrats who fled the state and the Texas situation is, is that everyone's talking as if Texas, just out of the blue, decided to redistrict. That's wrong. In early July, the U.S. justice Department sent a letter to Texas warning them that four of the congressional districts that they had put together in 2021 were unconstitutional racial gerrymanders. The reason for that is that at the end of last year, so during the prior Administration, the Fifth Circuit U.S. court of Appeals, which is the appeals court over Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, in a different case, had said that particular types of districts, what are called coalition districts, that's when lawmakers put two different racial minority groups together to form a majority, for example, black voters and Hispanic voters, that. That is not protected by the Voting Rights Act. In fact, that's a political alliance. And if you use race in that fashion to draw the boundary lines of a congressional district, you've engaged in racial gerrymandering, and you can't do that. That's unlawful under the Equal protection clause, the 14th Amendment, anyway. Four of the districts that Republicans put together in 2021, frankly, at the insistence of Democrats, were those kind of coalition districts intended to elect Democratic members of Congress. Well, they had to fix that because otherwise they would be sued by the Justice Department under that new 5th Circuit decision. So they acted because they had to act to remedy racial gerrymandering, which they should not have done at the time they thought they had to. But that 5th Circuit decision says that they have to fix those. And when you take those apart, those four districts that were meant to elect Democrats, well, what are you going to get? Well, you're going to create districts that probably favor the gop.

[Lisa Booth]

Interesting. I've actually not heard that before. I mean, I knew that the Justice Department had sort of initiated all this, but I didn't realize the entire backstory. So it's very interesting. So how is that different than when New York had to redistrict because of a court order? I believe it was in 2024.

[Hans von Spakovsky]

Right. That was because a court there found that under the state's Constitution, political gerrymandering was unconstitutional. If you engage in political gerrymandering, that's when you draw lines to. To pick voters and put them in a District that will hopefully vote for your party's candidate under the U.S. constitution, that is perfectly acceptable. It's not. It's not unconstitutional. Supreme Court said that just a couple of years ago. As a result of that decision from the U.S. supreme Court, folks have tried to file similar cases in a couple of states under their state constitutions. That's what happened in New York. It also happened in Maryland with local courts there saying that gerrymanders by Democratic legislature were actually a violation of their state's constitution. But that's gonna depend on that state's constitution whether political gerrymandering is unconstitutional in most of the states. Again, it's not a legal issue.

[Lisa Booth]

So I guess where do you think this all goes? Because Texas is saying their new map has five new Republican seats. Punchbowl News talks about how there could be changes in Florida, a minimum of three seats, potentially potential changes in Missouri and Indiana. And then you could also have changes in Ohio, where the state law mandates that the state redraws ahead of 2026. And then there's also a Supreme Court case coming out with Lou in Louisiana.

[Hans von Spakovsky]

Right.

[Lisa Booth]

It also notes that even though Democrats are making a lot of noise, they might have a little bit more of a challenge, you know, whereas Gavin Newsom's threatening. But he would have to have a special election for his map, I believe, in November. It would also be very costly. And some other Democrat states have independent commissions that they have challenges with and just a little bit more difficulty in trying to do what some of the red states are doing. So basically, all of that being said, where does all of this go? What are you looking at right now, ahead of the midterms in this redistricting arms race?

[Hans von Spakovsky]

Well, Democrats are experts at gerrymandering. They invented it back in 1812 in Massachusetts. And I'm not sure how much more they can gerrymander many of the blue states. I mean, Massachusetts has nine congressional seats. Zero of them are Republican. Connecticut is the same way. Even though Republicans got like 38% of the statewide vote, not a single seat. Congressional seat is Republican. New Mexico is the same. Hawaii is the same. Now, Illinois Republicans got like 45% of the statewide vote in 2024. And yet out of 17 congressional seats, Republicans only hold three. So it's like, I. I don't know how much more gerrymandered they. They can make their states because they've. They've already done it. Any change in the congressional districts that. That occurs either this year or next year in most of these states. Remember, their legislatures are Part time legislatures, they, they only meet in the first quarter of the year. And so in a lot of these places, they wouldn't even be able to draw up a new map until the beginning of next year unless the governor is there, call in a special session to do it. And even if they do, there are going to be lawsuits filed probably almost immediately on both sides of the political aisle. And whether or not those lawsuits are resolved by the 2026 congressional elections I think is pretty doubtful.

[Lisa Booth]

I saw a statistic that in 2024, with looking at the U.S. house elections, 87% of the seats were effectively decided in primaries by just 7% of eligible.

[Christina Quinn]

Right.

[Lisa Booth]

In part because of gerrymandering. I mean, is this, is this a broader challenge with, you know, obviously both parties engage in it? Is that sort of leading to kind of this vitriol we're seeing in Congress where, you know, you get like the most partisan people or kind of. What do you make of our gerrymandering and redistricting at large?

[Hans von Spakovsky]

Well, people talk as if this is something new, right?

[Lisa Booth]

It's not.

[Hans von Spakovsky]

It's not. I mean, like I said, the first Gerrymander was in 1812 when Governor Elbridge Jerry of Massachusetts created a district that looked like a salamander. It was so, it was so twisted, like that's where we get the word. They combined his last name, Jerry with the last part of salamander. So this has been going on for a long time. It's not a, it's not anything new. If, if states really want to try to minimize this, what they need to do is put in very strict standards for what governs. When you redistrict, your district has to be compact. You have to try to not break up political subdivisions like cities, towns, counties. You have to follow geographic lines. You don't cross mountains, you don't cross rivers. If they put in strict rules like that, it would help minimize the amount of political gerrymandering that, that can go on.

[Lisa Booth]

We've got to take a quick break. Morathans.

[Rodney Williams]

The reviews and ratings are in and Ice Cube's Big Three is the surprise hit of the summer. And to cap off the season, iHeart presents the Big Three basketball playoffs this Sunday at 3pm Eastern. The remaining four teams battle it out for the right to make the Big Three champions championship in the most physical, fierce and competitive basketball league in the world. The action starts with the Big Three Monster Energy celebrity game where your favorite stars compete in big three three on three basketball. Then the first of two semifinal games features Dwight Howard and the LA Riot taking on Montrez Harrell and Dr. J's first place Chicago triplets. The finale will see popular Miami 305 with stars MVP Michael Beasley and last will make you Dan Stevenson take on Massey Lieberman Steve Dallas Power, who finished the season winning five straight weeks to capture second place. Can Glenn Rice, Greg Monroe and Paul Milsap stop Miami's physical assault? Or will Miami and Beasley put an end to Dallas's winning ways? Who will make it to the big three championship? This no holds barred action starts Sunday at 3pm Eastern, 12 Pacific. Only on CBS.

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[Christina Quinn]

Many Ultra processed foods. You could be starving your gut microbes and they'll get hangry. That's one of many things I learned after working on a new audio course about the gut microbiome. You can learn how to keep your gut happy by listening to Try this from the Washington Post. I'm Christina Quinn. I host Try this. Dig in with me on practical advice for life's common challenges. Follow. Try this right now, wherever you're listening. Seriously, try it. Ah, come on. Why is this taking so long? This thing is ancient.

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[Lisa Booth]

You know, it's interesting because I feel like with President Trump we've just gotten like a revival of like a history lesson over, you know, it sort of like invokes all these conversations that people don't normally pay attention to, which we should. But you know, it's, we all get busy with our lives and so then we think about these things again, like the census, you know, and President Trump's calling for, you know, to redo the census. This has never been done before in our history. I mean, the census does include non citizens. I mean, there was a point, it's been quite some time where we had a question about citizenship which he tried to bring back in 2020 but was not allowed to do so. But we've never redone the census. The Census Bureau has never done that. So sort of what do you make of this? But you know, it's very important because it changes the balance of power in Congress with apportionment and as well as the electoral college. So I guess what do you make of the argument that the census has to be redone? And then also what do you make of the fact that, you know, the census has sort of already included non citizens at a point where that number, especially with illegal aliens, is exceptionally high now because of Biden?

[Hans von Spakovsky]

Well, a couple things to realize about that. I don't think, I don't think many people know this. In the 1970s, Congress actually thought it would be a good idea to do a mid decade census because Americans are a highly mobile society. I mean, we move, we Have a move rate probably, I think, higher than almost any western democracy. So they actually changed the law to direct the commerce department to start doing a mid decade census. And it was supposed to start in 1985. The Commerce Department, however, never did it. So the, the law is already there, authorizing a midterm census. I think it's a good idea. Yeah, it's, it's expensive, but I think it's important because of, of what I just said. You know, we have a highly mobile society. I mean, just look at Texas where this redistricting is occurring. They have had one of the highest, fastest growth rates of population of any state in the country since the 2020 census. They've added over 2 million people to the state. That obviously is not taken into account either in the redistricting process. And it's not taken into account when federal funds are being distributed to the states, which happens with all kinds of federal programs that are based on poverty population. All of that is a good reason to do this. The problem with including, of course, people who aren't citizens in both the redistricting process and apportionment is that you are, you are basically twisting and distorting political representation. If, if apportionment, for example, were based on the citizen population of the U.S. california would probably lose anywhere from four to five congressional seats that it really should not have because it's got the largest population of aliens, both legal and illegal in the country. So all of that, I think, lends support for the idea that one, we ought to do a mid decade census, and two, we should not be including aliens in either apportionment or redistricting.

[Lisa Booth]

And then before we go, that sort of leads me to this question, how much of the open borders we saw under Biden? How much of that was about this very conversation, about having more illegal aliens for apportionment in Congress as well as the electoral college. Because we've even heard from people like Congresswoman Yvette Clark who said that she needed more migrants for redistricting purposes. So how much, you know, like, how much of that had to do with sort of importing a new voter base in the country and also for redistricting purposes?

[Hans von Spakovsky]

I think the push within the Biden administration and the Democratic party was based on two things. One, they have a lot of individuals who ideologically believe in open borders. They think having secure borders is racist and that aliens should be able to come across the border at any time. That's ideological. But I also think there are a lot of very practical politically oriented individuals that were within the Biden administration who had that exact same view. The more aliens that come into the country, the better. One, it helps in apportionment. Two, it helps in redistricting and eventually if we can push through some kind of amnesty deal so that they become US Citizens, why then they'll be voting for us. And I think that's what those two things are what drove the open borders policy that the Biden administration had.

[Lisa Booth]

Yeah, I would agree with that. That seems to be which is sad that they would put American citizens at risk for political reasons. But here we are.

[Hans von Spakovsky]

And Lisa, by the way, that brings us all back to D.C. because you know, one of the provisions the city council passed not too long ago was a provision allowing aliens to vote in local elections in dc.

[Lisa Booth]

Well, there you've helped me bring this conversation full circle. So we'll end appropriately on there after putting a button on it. Hans Von Spakovsky, thank you so much. This is very interesting. Really appreciate your banger legal expertise.

[Hans von Spakovsky]

Sure, thanks for having me.

[Lisa Booth]

That was Hans Von Spakovsky from the Heritage Foundation. Appreciate him for joining the show. Appreciate you you guys at home for listening every Tuesday and Thursday. But you can listen throughout the week. Also want to thank my producer John Cassio for putting the show together. Until next time.

[Rodney Williams]

I HARP presents the Big three Playoffs this Sunday. The remaining four teams battle to make the championship in the most physical, fierce and competitive basketball league in the world. The action starts with the Big three Monster Energy celebrity game. Then Dwight Howard and his Ellie Riot take on Montrez Harrell and Dr. J Chicago triplets. The finale will see popular Monsters Miami 305 with Stars MVP Michael Beasley and Lance Stevenson take on Nancy Lieberman's Dallas Power who will make it to the Big Three championship. The no holds barred action starts Sunday at 3pm Eastern, 12 Pacific only on CBS.

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[Travis Holloway]

Let'S be real life happens. Kids spill, pets shed and accidents are inevitable. Find a sofa that can keep [e-mail] starting at just $699. Our sofas are fully machine washable inside and out. So you can say goodbye to stains and hello to worry free living. Made with liquid and stain resistant fabrics, they're kid proof, pet friendly and built for everyday life. Plus, changeable fabric covers let you refresh your sofa whenever you want. Neat flexibility. Our modular design lets you rearrange your sofa anytime to fit your space, whether it's a growing family room or a cozy apartment. Plus, they're earth friendly and trusted by over 200,000 happy customers. It's time to upgrade to a stress free mess proof sofa. Visit washablesofas.com today and save that's washablesofas.com offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Christina Quinn]

If you eat too many ultra processed foods, you could be starving your gut microbes and they'll get hangry. That's one of many things I learned after working on a new audio course about the gut microbiome. You can learn how to keep your gut happy by listening to Try this from the Washington Post. I'm Christina Quinn. I host Try this. Dig in with me on practical advice for life's common challenges. Follow Try this right now, wherever you're listening. Seriously, try it.

[Rodney Williams]

I'm Rodney Williams. And I'm Travis Holloway. Welcome to the wealthbreak podcast, a real conversation about finance. Let's be honest, building wealth doesn't look the same for everyone.

[Lisa Booth]

I feel like sometimes being broke is.

[Hans von Spakovsky]

A cycle and that we might have.

[Rodney Williams]

To revisit that and we're not stopping at success stories.

[Travis Holloway]

What happens when it doesn't go right? How do you cope with it?

[Rodney Williams]

Because wealth isn't just about money. It's about creating a life where you thrive and help others do the same. Listen to the Wealth Break podcast on the iHeartradio app.

[Christina Quinn]

This is an iHeart podcast.